The Democratic Party has a real gem right within its midst. It would do Democrats well to pay attention. That gem is Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, who, as majority whip, is the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. Clyburn is also a retired educator. He has been using his prodigious skills at perception of the American electorate. When Democrats listen to Clyburn, they tend to win. Some call Clyburn a kingmaker. I prefer to think of him as the Voter Whisperer.
Clyburn almost single-handedly changed the trajectory of the 2020 presidential election after he endorsed then-candidate Joe Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary in February 2020. Following that endorsement and Biden’s win in the South Carolina primary, the former vice president surged past Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and eventually won the Democratic nomination.
Earlier this year, Clyburn rallied behind another centrist Democrat, Troy Carter, in a special election for Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District. Clyburn’s endorsement helped Carter defeat the more liberal, progressive state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson. Carter won with 55.2% of the vote.
Clyburn’s ability to understand an electorate and the power of his endorsement also became evident on Aug. 3 during a special election in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District to replace Marcia Fudge, the former representative who was confirmed on March 10 as Biden’s secretary of housing and urban development. The special election was between former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner and Cuyahoga County council member Shontel Brown.
Turner was backed by more progressive figures, including Sanders and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Missouri’s own Cori Bush. Brown considers herself an ally of the president and supports Biden’s agenda.
Clyburn got involved in the special election after Turner appeared onstage with rapper and activist Killer Mike at an economic town hall back in June. Turner agreed with Killer Mike when he called Clyburn “incredibly stupid” for backing Biden. Clyburn shared he had no plans to go to Cleveland or to get physically involved in the campaign until the Turner campaign invited him in. “That’s the kind of BS that sent me to Cleveland,” he said.
Clyburn endorsed Brown, went to Cleveland and campaigned with her. Turner’s spokesperson revealed that her campaign raised roughly $5.7 million, while the Brown campaign took in about $2.6 million. The progressive Turner lost to Brown by six points. Perhaps Clyburn’s endorsement is worth more than $3.1 million.
To bring this story a little closer to home, just one day after the Ohio election, Missouri’s Bush went out on the steps of the Capitol yet again and told reporters: “I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life, and I have too much work to do. There are too many people [who] need help right now for me to allow that. So, if I end up spending $200,000, if I spend 10 more dollars on it — you know what? I get to be here to do the work. So suck it up, and defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets.” Bush may have been emboldened after her “win” regarding the eviction moratorium. Biden was pressured into issuing a revised eviction moratorium by progressives like Bush, even after he had questioned his power to do so. Biden admitted that what he was about to do was probably unconstitutional.
After the 2020 election, Clyburn was outspoken about how the “defund the police” slogan cost Democrats House seats. Clyburn said, “These headlines can kill a political effort.” Clyburn shared more of his wisdom last week when he said, “I want to make it very clear what I think is necessary for us to be successful in these elections, and I’ve made it very clear that all of this slogan, headline-seeking doesn’t do the future of our party or our country any good.”
Clyburn knows that a majority of Democratic voters, center-left and even some center-right independents, are looking for pragmatic problem-solvers and less for ideological purists. The progressive left may be outspoken on social media and popular with their constituents, but they do not seem to speak for the majority of Democratic voters, and Clyburn knows this. Clyburn has an uncanny ability to read the American electorate and isn’t shy about speaking out and getting involved. The Democrats should not only be grateful for his wisdom but heed his advice.
The Voter Whisperer has spoken. Democrats, if you want to win, listen to Jim.
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