NEW: Biden Panics Over Black Voter Exodus, Drops Menthol Cigarette Ban

The Biden administration is reversing course on its plan to ban menthol cigarettes, after the White House weighed the potential public-health benefits of banning minty smokes against the political risk of angering some Black voters in an election year. ....

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Some Black community leaders had fought the measure, saying a ban would expand the illicit market for cigarettes and lead police to racially profile Black smokers. The American Civil Liberties Union and some members of the Congressional Black Caucus expressed similar concerns.

The proposed ban has generated much feedback from the civil rights and criminal justice movements, said Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. β€œIt’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time,” he said in a statement.

Ed Morrissey

What an obvious pander ... on an extraneous issue. Black voters aren't walking away from Biden over his dumb idea to ban menthol in cigarettes. They're growing disaffected over concerns about the economy, crime, and illegal immigration. I predict this will do nothing to shore up his polling support among black voters, but instead will make him look vacillating and manipulative to everyone else. 

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