Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeRedskin
I have no doubt many blacks and whites voted based on things other than skin color. I also recognize the historic trend of black voters to vote as block for Democratic candidates. Further, the increase in percentages for minority voters, while generally trending to an increase for all minorities, doubled in 2008 for black voters in 2008 as compared to 2004 (i.e. it had, along with all minorities, been trending up but in 2008 sharply increased its trend - whereas it had been increasing at a rate of 2% similar to other minorities, in 2008 it increased at a rate of 4% while other minorities continued at roughly the same rate as 2004).
I agree that Obama did a great outreach and targeted minority groups for increased turnouts. At the same time, just as it is difficult showing what percentage of white voters considered race as a factor in voting against Obama, I would suggest similar difficulties exist demonstrating the opposite.
To assert, as saden appears to do, however, that race played no part or had no influence on Obama's supporters while at the same time asserting that a significant portion of Romney's support was fundamentally racist is, to me, faulty. Similar to disparate impact showing racism w/out direct evidence of direct racist in employment, I would suggest the increased trends and disparate voter divide demonstrate that race did play a part in the black votes of 2008 and 2012. Significant? Not sure. Can I prove it? Nope. Haven't seen the poll yet that said "Did you vote for or against Obama b/c he was African-American?".
My simple point is that racism exists in both white and blacks. If saden wishes to deny this, fine.
(As an example: Black teen riding on his bike nearly runs into me as I walk out of the local Giant. Simple case of both of us not looking. I think nothing of it. He audibly states "Man, I f'ing hate white people." Nothing significant, a solitary example in the big city, but, to me, just as inexcusable as if I had made the reverse remark).
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In everything I have posted I have stayed away from playing the race card or calling people racist. I don't question people's motives for who they vote for but I do questions the tactics used by Republicans to energize their base. The whistle is loud and clear and this year was no different, and I would even say it was worse this year. I mean, there was an across the board Republican leadership failure to recognize that people don't like to be insulted and you can't count on models that tell you the other guy's turnout is going to be sub-par.
Now lets talk about voter turnout by ethnicity you allude to. I don't know where you're getting your figures from but here is the breakdown of voter turnout based on race:
I don't see any inconsistency as far as the African American vote relative to other minorities. The only thing I read from the above chart is that young people really like Obama, the white electorate is decreasing and republicans are further losing the minority vote. I mean, if you look at the demographics for Latinos and Asians now it's bloodbath. In fact, it's even better than the African american turnout relative to 2008. I mean, a 2% increase could be attributed to lots of factors.
You're trying to even the playing field and playing that "both sides" card and I'm telling it's not the minorities that are the problem. You probably won't hear this from the media but the Obama campaign has been reaching out to the large Somali community in America the last two years, especially the ones in Ohio. And guess what? They are black, they are recent citizens, and he vigorously courted their vote by helping to insure a new Somali government is formed with sense of urgency and by the end of this August. He sent out state department personal, campaign staff, you name what he had to do to get their vote and he did it. After 20 plus years of civil war there is now an official Somali Government and that right there is how you kill two birds with one stone.
My point is the easiest answer is to say there's a race/racist element, but it seems that hardly anyone asks the hard questions. Did Obama really have nearly 500 more campaign staff in VA than Romney? Did he really have someone go to every black barbershop, beauty salon, every black church? Did he do the same thing with respect to other voters? If you look deeper you will realize his operation was systematic and scientific in nature, hell, he was advertising on the Big Ten Network 5 weeks before Romney and company realized and did.
Barring any catastrophe and major scandals this is your next president. His name is Julian Castro and he will be 42 in 2016 (the dems have a 42 yo formula). He will be accomplished by then and he will get the black vote by overwhelming margin. I intend to vote for him with the same passion and vigor unless he is cartel connected...LOL
