Democratic Hopefuls Court Black Voters Ahead of 2020.
BALDWIN: On this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday several potential Democratic contenders for president have been appearing at MLK events today in an effort to court African-American voters. And group of voters it is critical, certainly to securing the party's nomination. CNN's Victor Blackwell tells the story today.</s>CYNTHIA HARDY, RADIO AND TV HOST: You're listing to "OnPoint". Give us a call 783-993-6783-wwdm. Our topic, Democrats are in the --</s>VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 2020 presidential election is more than a year away but it's already the hottest topic on Cynthia Hardy's call-in show in Columbia, South Carolina.</s>HARDY: In a very odd way the current administration and the current President has lit a fire under African-American people.</s>BLACKWELL: And Democrats are introducing themselves to black voters at Martin Luther King Day events across the country today hoping to capture that heat. Senators Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker will attend Columbia's annual King Day at the dome. South Carolina's primary election is the first major test of candidates' strength among African American voters who accounted for more than 60 percent of Democratic primary votes in 2016.</s>JAMIE HARRISON, ASSOCIATE CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: So goes the African-American vote, so goes the Democratic Party.</s>BLACKWELL: Jamie Harrison is associate chair of the Democratic National Committee and former chair of the South Carolina State Democratic Party.</s>HARRISON: Part of the success that we saw in 2018 in the midterm elections came as a result of African-Americans mobilizing and getting the vote out. A cohesion and unity of the African American vote has been the real engine and the driver of the Democratic Party.</s>BLACKWELL: At Zion Baptist church, when President Donald Trump was compared to a biblical tyrant, the congregants shout, amen.</s>UNKNOWN PASTOR, ZION BAPTIST CHURCH: King Herod had one purpose and that was to build a wall.</s>BLACKWELL: They are ready for change. (on camera): And who do you like?</s>FLOSSIE HALL, VOTER: Cory Booker.</s>BLACKWELL: Why?</s>HALL: Because I like him. I like his principles and what he stands for.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Biden would be one person I would be interested in?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do like Kamala. She is a voice as a black woman. I think that it is time for one of us to step up to the plate.</s>BLACKWELL: Senator Kamala Harris will travel to Columbia Friday to speak to more than 2,000 members of her majority African American sorority.</s>MAYOR STEVE BENJAMIN (D), COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA: You have to get out there and work. Earn votes one at a time. The interactions that Senator Harris had here last year, that Senator Booker has had here in the past have all been left very positive feelings for the citizens here. But there will be lots of other very credible candidates. So, I would take nothing to chance.</s>BLACKWELL: All Democratic hopefuls are making seemingly passionate pitches.</s>JULIAN CASTRO (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've had too many instances where young black men, especially, have been the victims of state violence.</s>SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: The government itself has systematically discriminated against black people in this country.</s>REP. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D), NEW YORK: : You are never going accomplish any of these things if you don't take on the systems of power that make all of that impossible which is taking on constitutional racism.</s>BLACKWELL: Local experts say the key to earning votes here, tone and striking the wrong tone could be more effectual than getting it right.</s>HARDY: You know how sometimes you might not know what you want you know certainly what you don't? And that helps you to determine how you're going to examine the candidates. I think that's what we're going to see.</s>BLACKWELL (on camera): Now the Democratic energy in South Carolina is really focused on the primary. Because the last time a Democrat won that state at a general election was Jimmy Carter more than 40 years ago. And when it comes to African-Americans in the general election, President Trump was very optimistic in 2016 when as a candidate, he promised that he would win more than 95 percent of the African American vote in 2020. While the latest polls show his approval rating among African-American voters is at 9 percent. Back to you.</s>BALDWIN: Victor Blackwell, thank you. Isn't that noteworthy? Is just about tone. And certainly getting it right but don't get it wrong. Coming up, saddled with riffraff. Chris Christie now taking shots at some of the biggest names from the Trump administration. We're back in just a moment.