Official 2012 Election Day Thread

[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).