Former President Barack Obama hit the campaign trail for Kamala Harris on Thursday — and hit some flat notes, as he condescendingly scolded black men for their lackluster support of the vice president, even going so far as to accuse them of sexism.  

While Harris seems certain to win the overall black vote, she’s on course to do so by a significantly slimmer margin than recent party standard-bearers. In 2008, 95% of blacks voted for Obama. This year, only 63% of blacks say they’ll vote for Harris, according to a recent NAACP survey. What’s particularly alarming to Democrats is that, among black men under 50, only 49% support Harris, with 26% saying they’ll vote for Trump.   

“We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” said Obama at an unannounced, pre-rally stop at a campaign field office in Pittsburgh. “I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.”

Appealing to race, Obama then told the mostly-black group at the campaign office that the choice in 2024 was clear, given that, “on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, knows you, went to college with you, understands the struggles and pain and joy that comes from those experiences…”

The DNC has sent out Barack Obama to scold Black men and try to shame us into supporting his fellow NON- Foundational Black American candidate Kamala Harris

🤦🏾‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/hq2wvAB7Jv

— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) October 11, 2024

Having exhorted black men to embrace racism in the voting booth, Obama then suggested the same group’s sexism was at the heart of Harris’ problem with them: 

“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses, I’ve got a problem with that. Because part of it makes me think— and I’m speaking to men directly— part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”

“…And now, you’re thinking about sitting out or supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you, because you think that’s a sign of strength, because that’s what being a man is? Putting women down? That’s not acceptable.“

Obama’s remarks seem to reflect a growing sense of desperation — and they seem likely to backfire. It’s bad enough for him to publicly spotlight Harris’ weakness compared to his own performance, but it’s even worse that he felt the best way to remedy the situation was to publicly shame black men — to the point of saying, “you’re lucky Michelle’s not here” — and to accuse black men of sexism. 

I’m tired of Barack Obama lecturing Black men.

— Madison Payton (@MadisonPayton2) October 11, 2024

Reggie Jones, a black “brother” selling Harris products at the Pittsburgh rally, attributed weak black support for Harris to her record in California. “[It’s] because she locked a whole lot of us up as a prosecutor,” Jones told the New York Post before adding, “I’m just selling her stuff for the money.” 

Meanwhile, the black vote is just one of several crumbling cornerstones of the Democratic electoral coalition. Democratic campaign operatives are sweating bullets as they also see Harris underperforming with Hispanics, Muslims, young people and labor union members.

All aboard the shame train!

Kamala went on “Call Her Daddy” because she’s losing young voters.

She’s got Obama on the campaign trail now lecturing Black men because she’s losing Black voters.

And now, here she is on Univision with a Hispanic accent because she’s losing Latinos.pic.twitter.com/O4KCl4PhCF

— Javon A. Price 🇺🇸 (@JavonAPrice) October 11, 2024

Obama out here telling Black men what they “should” do. He never had a real “Black” experience. He knows nothing about “that life”. He was raised by his White Mother and Grandmother in Hawaii, and attended Harvard. He needs to stop cappin…

— Dr.Darrell Scott (@PastorDScott) October 11, 2024

BREAKING NEWS: @BarackObama sent out by White liberals to “Blackman-splain” to get Black men to vote for @KamalaHarris. Wait, his mother and Kamala’s mother are both “WHITE.”

Obama doesn’t even have Black neighbors, and 99% of his handlers are White.

I don’t have anything in… pic.twitter.com/0cb5WEr0hs

— Vernon Jones (@VernonForGA) October 11, 2024

During Obama’s years in office, there were multiple mass shootings and viral police killings. Not once did Obama lecture police officers or white males. His hallmark is using his identity to denigrate Black men publicly because everyone loves it.

— Charles Preston (@_CharlesPreston) October 11, 2024

Obama views Black ADOS men with the same lens as a casual white man.

He doesn’t really know us.

His energy is white basketball coach at an inner-city Black high school. It’s all thinly veiled derisive contempt, with a dose of disdain, a heap of condescension. #YC4PRES #ADOS https://t.co/XxhzIHIDEO

— Soul American (@SoulAmerican2) October 11, 2024

[ ADOS = American Descendants of Slavery ]  

Read the room. Being patronizing to Black men is what got yall into this mess in the first place. Obama knows better than this. That approach is…not going to work. Do better https://t.co/pPIcU1I5u6

— Darvio Morrow (@DTheKingpin) October 10, 2024