Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Raymond Rapada. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren Two weeks ago, JOE BIDEN stopped by Regal Lounge in Columbia, South Carolina, hoping to make a point as precise as a barber’s straight razor line up. The president wants to shore up his standing with Black men, and he often does so by utilizing local businesses as backdrops to message directly to those voters. But Regal Lounge was also a calculated choice. It’s an upscale barbershop where customers can choose a “King’s Cut” for $90 and spa services, including facials and massages. What type of voters was Biden trying to reach? What kind of message did he try to deliver? West Wing Playbook talked about the visit with co-owner LANDRY PHILLIPS, who runs the business with his wife Chynna, and asked whether stops like these will nullify criticism that Biden hasn’t done enough for Black Americans. This conversation has been edited for length. How did the visit come to be? There was not a long planning phase. It was actually kind of facilitated by one of our clients who happens to get his haircut at our shop [and] works in a capacity with the Biden campaign. I don’t know if Biden sat in the chair and said “shape me up,” but tell me what the interactions were like. This wasn’t a two-hour sit-down where we could dig into various hard-hitting issues or anything like that. But it did feel personable, as opposed to somebody who was just going to kind of puppet a response that was pre-scripted. So nobody hit him on policing reform, or reproductive health or his unequivocal support of Israel? Nothing controversial like that? No. Honestly, there simply wasn’t time for it. Did you vote for Biden in 2020? I did. Did you have your vote in last weekend’s primary? Yes. Do you feel that this visit to your shop was a photo op or just like a backdrop to say: Hey, we actually don’t have a problem with Black men? I think it was an effort to connect. I give the president credit for taking the time while being in a position where you just aren't afforded a lot of time and opportunity to connect with constituents on that intimate of a level. It meant something to the people who were present. I think I can also acknowledge that it was a photo opportunity for the president to get something out of it from us. But as it relates to thwarting the broader skepticism among some Black men, it doesn’t sound to me that his stop at your shop will erase all of that. I don’t think that anyone would be under the illusion that this one particular visit is going to nullify potentially valid criticisms that people might have of the president. But at the same time, you have to have an appreciation for some effort over no effort. You’ve heard the conversations, probably in your own shop, about him not doing enough for Black Americans. Folks saying Donald Trump did more because he gave stimulus checks, that sort of thing. In both my personal experience, as well as the conversations that happen in the barbershop, you hear both sides. You hear individuals who will say, “President Trump gave out these stimulus checks.” And, you know, “I felt good financially,” at a time when President Trump was in office. And then you'll hear individuals who say other things about President Biden, like “I have student loans and I appreciate the effort is being made in terms of what's going on with my student loans.” People talk about just being able to have that relief. If I’m being perfectly honest, I think many people aren’t satisfied with either choice. And they want more from a candidate in general. But for Black America, rarely have we gotten a candidate that we feel is going to be in true alignment with what the African American community wants and needs. MESSAGE US — Are you JENNIFER HUNT, senior adviser for public engagement? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
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