Obama Got Votes for Being Black and Young

[KnitShoni]

It is much more unlikely that an increase occurred because he was democrat or because Palin was running. People were either already voting democrat or not. If they were, they weren't voting for McCain/Palin. Change? Every candidate promises this every election. The only difference is he proposed more drastic change that a lot of people didn't want. Obama is different from every other candidate for two main reasons and it just happened that those two reasons coincided with the two groups there was a major increase in?

Yeah...see...you don't actually know how much this was debated among Blacks, either. Yes, there are Blacks who voted for him because he's Black. Many more did so because he was the Democratic candidate, and hey, guess what? The majority of Blacks are Democrats. There was also a VERY large discussion about how our votes would be perceived. We KNEW we would be accused of voting for him simply because he's Black. Black women got shit from Hillary Clinton for backing him over her, because, apparently, we were voting race over gender, not the other way around (as if either of those are a good reason to vote for someone). There are a LOT of Black people who take issue with the idea that we're only intelligent enough, apparently, to vote our color.

[Greenday]

As you said, most black people who were already registered were democrats. The ones that chose to register out of nowhere probably didn't do so because there was a democrat running for president.

[KnitShoni]

As you said, most black people who were already registered were democrats. The ones that chose to register out of nowhere probably didn't do so because there was a democrat running for president.

So, are you implying that ALL the Blacks who registered to vote in 2008 did so because the candidate was Black? The fact that that may have been the first year many were eligible had nothing to do with it? The fact that most of those same people would have voted for Hillary had she won the nomination also had nothing to do with it?

Seriously. There was a 3.5% increase across the board in voter turn out http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html There was a 4.9% increase among Black voters http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1209/rac...ntial-election. The voting age population increased by roughly 9 million people, yet, the increase in the number of people who actually registered to vote was only 4 million.

Sorry. As I said, yes, race had something to do with why some people voted. It was not as big a factor as some people want to believe.

[Greenday]

So, are you implying that ALL the Blacks who registered to vote in 2008 did so because the candidate was Black? The fact that that may have been the first year many were eligible had nothing to do with it? The fact that most of those same people would have voted for Hillary had she won the nomination also had nothing to do with it?

Seriously. There was a 3.5% increase across the board in voter turn out http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html There was a 4.9% increase among Black voters http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1209/rac...ntial-election. The voting age population increased by roughly 9 million people, yet, the increase in the number of people who actually registered to vote was only 4 million.

Sorry. As I said, yes, race had something to do with why some people voted. It was not as big a factor as some people want to believe.

And yet it's not non-existent as others would want to believe.

[FArchivist]

And yet it's not non-existent as others would want to believe.

No one has been saying it's non-existent.
We have been saying that it's statistically insignificant.
There is a large, large difference between "not there at all" and "there, but doesn't matter".

[ben_who]

Obama's race was an interesting factor in the elections, if only because, at least, the perception among Republicans was that he was gaining votes because he was black. We were then treated to the spectacle of the Republican party trying to downplay the biggest liability of their strongest opponent. I think my personal favorite was Rush Limbaugh referring to him as "Halfrican American."

Because, as we all know, it's been so easy for African-American presidential candidates to ride the color of their skin into the Oval Office. Why, I can't even remember our last white President.

It got even more dizzying when they tried to blame McCain's defeat on anti-feminism in the Democratic party - "They're just scared of a strong conservative female presence." No, we're scared of a dimwit who thinks "What newspapers do you read?" is gotcha journalism being the running mate of a 73-year-old four-time cancer survivor. The vagina had nothing to do with it.

[MadMike]

It got even more dizzying when they tried to blame McCain's defeat on anti-feminism in the Democratic party - "They're just scared of a strong conservative female presence." No, we're scared of a dimwit who thinks "What newspapers do you read?" is gotcha journalism being the running mate of a 73-year-old four-time cancer survivor. The vagina had nothing to do with it.

Agreed. I have no problem with a woman being vice president, or even president, for that matter. I just didn't want that woman being in office.

[Greenday]

Agreed. I have no problem with a woman being vice president, or even president, for that matter. I just didn't want that woman being in office.

Exactly. I just have an issue with someone who is batshit crazy being in office.