Black voters may be just as engaged as they were in 2008, polls show

[Quixote1818]

Historically, black turnout for midterm elections has lagged behind the national average, but two new reports offer a bullish outlook for this year.

A major survey conducted by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University found that 80 percent of black Democrats are as interested or more interested in the midterms than they were in the 2008 presidential election, when their enthusiasm helped propel Barack Obama into office.

This year, 62 percent of all black Democrats say they're likely to encourage others to support certain candidates, according to the survey, compared with 47 percent of white Democrats and 57 percent of all Republicans.

And the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which researched the black electorate, said in a report Thursday that African American participation in November may be higher than in many past midterm elections.


More at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/14/AR2010101406750.html

[Arugula Latte]

1. Wow ...

I think we are in for a verrrry interesting election. :)

[oswaldactedalone]

24. K&R

Let's get fired up and get this done, our country cannot descend to the depths of ignorance demonstrated by teabaggers and Thug-licans in general.

[spanone]

2. shhhhh.....don't tell the media, we are in for a bloodbath

[Quixote1818]

3. Lots of good news about Democratic turn out today. nt

[MadMaddie]

4. If we all turn out......

Nuff said....It's all about the numbers. The more of us that vote in November will have a huge impact on the outcome of the election.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. Faux news would say you're lying.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. I tell you that my entire family will be voting, as will my friends.

Sadly, some of my white liberal friends won't vote. They are purists, angry at Obama and the Dems. And no matter what I say and do, I can't seem to get any traction in terms of encouraging them to vote. They seem to believe that Dems need to be punished--that Republican controlling at least one branch of government will force the Dems and America to wake up.

I've heard this theory often in the last few months. There are people--especially white liberals--who surmise that if the Dems lose, the party will be forced to embrace more progressive/liberal ideals.

Someone please convince me how this strategy is working for Russ Feingold. :(

[RagAss]

7. Wake up to what? Our starvation ?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. Believe me, I've fought endlessly with them, nearly putting my friendship in

jeopardy. But because they are so angry, I can't get any traction.

So, the answer to your question is yes. Because of people like them, we will be starving for sure. This will be a Third World country if people continue to throw their hands up and not get engaged.

[RagAss]

10. You did all you can do.... if they are angry now, they have no idea what's coming.

[JI7]

12. they aren't liberal

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

16. They claim to be Kucinich supporters. They are "far left," according to them. n/t

[JI7]

20. doesn't matter, their actions say more

and from their actions they are not liberal. as their actions would result in move towards right.

[butterfly77]

17. What they don't seem to get is..

they aren't hurting the Dems or Obama they will be hurting themselves. This relates to all of the stupid teabagger ideas,no public education so we have more ueneducated who will rob,steal from them or their families as they roam around the country with nothing to do.

No strategy to create jobs over here as they continue to help send more jobs overseas. In the meantime,2 and 6 years will go by and then they THINK they will have the backing of many who will tell them to GO TO HELL,that is if we aren't there yet by that time..

Some of these people who are talking about "WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK" don't seem to get that many black people have been going through hell for many years and these teabaggers seemed to think that was okay.

I guess a lot of them now see what it feels like. I guess they will just have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Like they say what's good for the goose

[cap]

21. tell you white liberal friends that the working class is standing firm

behind Obama. I've been canvassing the working class districts and they are holding. Tell your friends to go visit the neighborhoods most affected and see what the support is like from the workers of this country.

They will be left behind. The deals will be made at the table without them. If they want some skin in the game they will vote.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

23. I feel happy after hearing this from you. Where did you canvass? n/t

[oswaldactedalone]

9. I received this email from an African-American college friend

We often studied together since we had the same major. We've kept in touch over the years, more lately by email. He sent me this in early September.

----

WE MUST VOTE ON NOVEMBER 2nd AS IF OUR LIVES DEPEND UPON IT, BECAUSE THEY DO!
The Republican party has embraced dangerous, radical hate mongers called the "Tea Party." They are led by Glen Beck, Sara Palin, and the owners of right wing media outlets, whose chief goal is to take down President Obama. These people hate blacks, latinos, minorities in general, and any moderate Republican who might want to cooperate with President Obama. More than anything, they desperately hate our President.
Their rallying cry? "We want to take our country back!" Take it back from who and to when? The 1940s or 50s? American soil is still stained with the blood of our African American ancestors who fought and died for our right to vote.

The polls say Republicans are going to win enough seats to take over the United States House and maybe the Senate because Democrats lack the enthusiasm to vote. WE MUST GET AS MANY PEOPLE TO THE POLLS AS WE DID DURING THE 2008 NATIONAL ELECTION.

We want your enthusiasm, but we need you to vote. We need you to vote out of fear. Fear that these radicals will take this country back to Jim Crow. FEAR that the virulence of the KKK and similar hate groups will once again be the order of the day. You think this couldn't happen? Just stay home on election day and take a gamble on what could happen if we allow the leadership to change.

Don't leave the voting to the other guy. Vote a straight Democratic ticket for your U. S. Senator, Congressman, Governor, and Democrats down the ballot.
Like African drums calling out across America, reach as many people as you can!
Don't break this chain message or we may find ourselves in chains once again.
VOTE NOVEMBER 2nd!
Forward this E-mail to at least 15 people and please keep it going!

----

So, it seems to me that there's motivation to vote building among African-Americans. Feel free to copy, paste, and forward it along as well.

[Quixote1818]

11. This is great! Thanks for sharing. nt

[AC_Mem]

14. Excellent email

Very inspiring - thank you for sharing it!

[Scurrilous]

19. Thanks.

:thumbsup:

[jwirr]

13. Good, we need them much more than they need us.

[K8-EEE]

15. NO! They have an "enthusiasm gap" vis a vis white folk

doesn't anybody watch tee-vee? Latinos, blacks, and under 35 are NOT I repeat NOT supposed to show up. :sarcasm:

[Scurrilous]

18. K & R

:thumbsup:

[babsbunny]

22. they are going to try to steal this election

After all, look what the polls say...............