People For supporter,
I’m a Political Advisor to People For.
I’m writing to correct the record on a recent New York Times article titled, “Democrats Fret as Stacey Abrams Struggles in Georgia Governor’s Race.” The incredibly misleading and reckless article takes a quote I gave out of context AND totally misses the mark on the dynamics of the race in Georgia. Let me explain.
The Times refers to Ms. Abrams losing ground with certain Black voters and polls that, they say, show Abrams “consistently trailing Mr. Kemp … by around five percentage points.”
That is simply not accurate. The real story here is that this race is tightening, and thanks in large part to her expertise and success in reaching Black voters, Abrams is showing momentum.
The most recent major poll – from Quinnipiac University, which notably has a larger sample size than any of the other most recent reputable polls in that race – shows incumbent far-right Gov. Brian Kemp ahead by only two percentage points (within the margin of error). And the two other most recent polls tracked by Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight project show Kemp ahead by two percent and Abrams ahead by one percent respectively. The trend lines are not hard to spot – this race has become a dead heat.
In my interviews with the reporters, I was offering context on how national Democrats have fallen short in their outreach to Black voters, and was in no way referring to the two big races in Georgia (governor and U.S. Senate). The Abrams and Warnock campaigns are two of the Democratic campaigns this year that actually are shining examples of what Democrats and progressives should be doing – a point that I was clear about in my interview. I pointed out that Stacey Abrams was providing the model that national Democrats should follow if they want to succeed in mobilizing Black voters. But that part didn’t get published.
Right now, we’re looking into filing a complaint with the New York Times ombudsman, because this kind of reporting is irresponsible and can have a chilling effect on voters in an important election.
Stories like this, especially from “the newspaper of record,” can shape elections and deter support for a candidate or campaign that the Times has erroneously described as struggling, and therefore not worth investing in, in the minds of many would-be supporters. Meanwhile, a more accurate assessment of polling trends and the on-the-ground grassroots tactics being employed by Abrams and her movement show a tightening race and a candidate with undeniable momentum.
What kind of hope does it give readers for the survival of our democracy if the very leaders working to save that democracy, like Stacey Abrams, are inaccurately portrayed as not being able to cut through?
So this goes beyond one political race in one state … it’s about the truth, and how important it is to stand up for the truth at a moment when the fate of our democracy depends on it so much. It’s about the responsibility of respected outlets like the Times, that are supposed to be fair arbiters of the truth and of facts, to get it right … because the stakes are too high for them not to.
Thank you for your time, your steadfast support of People For, and your ongoing commitment to Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
Yours,
Kevin Harris, Political Advisor
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