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A group of black men from Atlanta discuss what they expect from the two presidential candidates – WSB-TV Channel 2

ATLANTA — A regular weekly meeting in southwest Atlanta took a different turn, focusing on the White House race and what they expect from the candidates now.

Every Monday, about 100 black men gather here at the YMCA to discuss certain topics — today it was Vice President Harris — and how the presidential race could swing based on their vote.

As the political world reels from President Joe Biden’s decision not to run for reelection, black men in Atlanta are discussing change and what’s at stake.

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The focus is on who will actually address the needs of black voters, especially black men like Nate Beamon.

“Let them present us with a platform and give us a reason to vote for them, one candidate or the other,” Beamon said. Michael Doudna of Channel 2.

There are nearly a million black men eligible to vote in Georgia in an election where the difference will likely be only a few thousand people.

“If the black vote were to break up and 15 percent of the black vote in Georgia went to the Republican Party, it would have a devastating impact on the entire Democratic ticket,” Bill Crane, Channel 2 political analyst said.

Both Republicans and Democrats have already acknowledged the importance of the black vote, in their speeches and in their political advertising.

For the men at Monday night’s meeting, it wasn’t about ads or speeches, it was about action, about who will actually have a record of having their concerns heard and who will make sure their voices are heard before they go to the polls.

“It’s very simple. Either they address black concerns or we vote for the couch,” one attendee said.

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