According to polls, however, the big love Obama got from black voters in 2008, and the buoyancy they gave him when he ran for reelection in 2012, hasn't yet transferred to Clinton, says Kerry Haynie, a Duke University professor of political science and African-American studies.
"I've traveled around Durham [North Carolina]. I did not see one campaign sign in my barbershop – not even anything about the Clinton campaign," says Haynie, who works in North Carolina, a key electoral battleground. Compared to 2008 and 2012, when Obama signs dominated the black community, Clinton's presence there is so light "you wouldn't even know there was an election."
Instead of backing Clinton, voters in North Carolina are more focused on defeating Trump. And Haynie says that can make a difference when ballots are cast.
"They aren't talking about it with enthusiasm for Clinton but in opposition to Donald Trump," Haynie says. "If you're the candidate, you want people to be enthusiastic about you because it might affect turnout."
Political Science