Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a Black Republican, has been thrust into the spotlight since he announced on Friday that he will run for president in 2024.
For most of his tenure, Scott, the sole Black party member in the Senate, has avoided directly addressing his race. While he has been open about his humble beginnings in a single-parent home and his journey “from cotton to Congress,” he has also pushed back against racial discussions and representation in favor of conservative ideology.
However, critics argue that Scott’s strategy will fail if he hopes to run for the presidency.
Felecia Killings, a black conservative, is the CEO of the Conscious Conservative Movement.
To appeal to white conservatives, she says, Tim Scott has done the colorblind messaging. It’s not going to work, she contends.
Killings argued that for Scott and the GOP to win in 2024, they must win over Black male voters by addressing the most critical issues.
During the Biden administration, progress on policies addressing some of Black Americans’ top concerns, such as federal protections against restrictive voting laws, student loan debt relief, criminal justice reform, and police reform measures, has stalled, causing Democrats to worry about losing their support among black voters.
On Monday, Jesse Watters of Fox News claimed that Scott has “no shot” and is probably not seeking the presidency.
Watters said he couldn’t wrap his head around the whole “Tim Scott thing.” He said he’s nice, but sadly, good folks never win.
Watters said he seems like a typical Republican senator. He’s an excellent Republican vote because he sticks with the party. But while his background is interesting, it abruptly ends there, and you don’t learn more about him.
His theory is that Scott is not running for the presidency; he is seeking a position in the cabinet.
Watters also said he’s tired of hearing people comment on Tim Scott’s skin color in every article written on him.
Can we please discuss the nation? He asked in closing.
