All I want to say to the younger generation:

[bravenak]

12. I always vote since Barack Obama told me mine counted.

I did not believe it until he told me so. I did not identify with other politicians for the most part and he understands what it is like to be a mixture of cultures and not be accepted by many for one part of his heritage. My mom is half black half irish and never got accepted by half of her family. Only one of my white uncles even claims us. So when he came about i felt excited! Then with the constant bashing, i got disheartened and many of my peers got furious and withheld their vote thinking that nobody cared about people who look like them and are pissed off at the lack of support for politicians WE support, but are expected to love the candidates pushed by the majority. I voted in 2010, but i can think of at least 20 folks who did not vote for the candidates who were trying to run in 2010 because they saw the racist tea party backlash and the lack of support he received from democrats.
We like the President and will vote for candidates who support him but will not be guilted into voting by the talk downs or the fear of loss. How much worse can it get for us? We live in constant financial depression anyway, always have. Someone told me that once it gets just as bad for the majority as it is for minorities, they will see how we feel and fight with us not against us. Instead of trying to maintain their positions in society, they will see what we see.