Comments on: VIDEO: We’ve Got The Power! Who Knew? http://distortedsoul.com/2008/11/video-weve-got-the-power-who-knew Some say that innovation is dead, but that ain't so. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:54:25 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Nadir http://distortedsoul.com/2008/11/video-weve-got-the-power-who-knew/comment-page-1#comment-492 Nadir Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:50:19 +0000 http://distortedsoul.com/?p=796#comment-492 MSNBC disagrees with you, Paul. http://michiganmessenger.com/7993/msnbc-if-it-wasnt-for-black-voters-mccain-would-be-president "MSNBC’s Web site reported this morning that it was the black vote, not the youth vote, that pushed Obama to victory. AnaMaria Arumi, who directs the exit poll desk for NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo, said: In the make-believe world where no African-Americans voted, while Obama still would have won most of the states that he won, McCain would have been able to take the hotly contested states of Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The 107 electoral votes from those states would have been enough to shift the map in McCain’s favor." However, in my estimation, it wasn't just the votes of Blacks and young people that gave Obama the victory. It was the politicization of those two groups which are usually not very politically active that made the difference before election day. It was the door knocking, email forwarding, phone calling and general increase in political activity among Blacks and young people that won it for him. Not saying that the white folks who are usually involved in Democratic politics didn't have a hand in the victory as well, but by exciting Blacks and young people, the Dems got an added boost. In my estimation, that is the difference between 2000, 2004 and 2008. MSNBC disagrees with you, Paul.

http://michiganmessenger.com/7993/msnbc-if-it-wasnt-for-black-voters-mccain-would-be-president

“MSNBC’s Web site reported this morning that it was the black vote, not the youth vote, that pushed Obama to victory. AnaMaria Arumi, who directs the exit poll desk for NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo, said:

In the make-believe world where no African-Americans voted, while Obama still would have won most of the states that he won, McCain would have been able to take the hotly contested states of Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The 107 electoral votes from those states would have been enough to shift the map in McCain’s favor.”

However, in my estimation, it wasn’t just the votes of Blacks and young people that gave Obama the victory. It was the politicization of those two groups which are usually not very politically active that made the difference before election day. It was the door knocking, email forwarding, phone calling and general increase in political activity among Blacks and young people that won it for him.

Not saying that the white folks who are usually involved in Democratic politics didn’t have a hand in the victory as well, but by exciting Blacks and young people, the Dems got an added boost. In my estimation, that is the difference between 2000, 2004 and 2008.

]]> By: paulhue http://distortedsoul.com/2008/11/video-weve-got-the-power-who-knew/comment-page-1#comment-491 paulhue Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:23:21 +0000 http://distortedsoul.com/?p=796#comment-491 Nadir: I think that the data are very clear that the black and youth vote did NOT make a difference in this election. Obama's landslide was so great that he would have won even with normal black and youth voting patterns. The black and youth vote were only up slightly over 2004, and overall voting did not reach record levels. In 2004 blacks composed 11% of voters, a figure that edged up only to 13% this time around. Another way of looking at this: in 2004 blacks were slightly under represented and this time slightly over represented (assuming they comprise 12% of the US population). The difference of this election -- the source the landlside -- was an overwhelming preference among many various groups of voters for the democratic candidate. As with Obama's previous electoral victories, his victory margin comes from the preference that white voters have for him over his white opponent. The only time Obama has had close calls or defeats is battling black candidates in black districts. This election has proven yet again that the US is the most racially and gender-tolerant civilization in history, both absolutely, and at any given time. Nadir: I think that the data are very clear that the black and youth vote did NOT make a difference in this election. Obama’s landslide was so great that he would have won even with normal black and youth voting patterns. The black and youth vote were only up slightly over 2004, and overall voting did not reach record levels. In 2004 blacks composed 11% of voters, a figure that edged up only to 13% this time around. Another way of looking at this: in 2004 blacks were slightly under represented and this time slightly over represented (assuming they comprise 12% of the US population).

The difference of this election — the source the landlside — was an overwhelming preference among many various groups of voters for the democratic candidate. As with Obama’s previous electoral victories, his victory margin comes from the preference that white voters have for him over his white opponent. The only time Obama has had close calls or defeats is battling black candidates in black districts.

This election has proven yet again that the US is the most racially and gender-tolerant civilization in history, both absolutely, and at any given time.

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