Black Voters’ Support for Obama Is Steady and Strong -- President Meeting Expectations Of Over 90%

[bigtree]

October 26, 2011

___ Despite a school of thought in Washington that Mr. Obama’s support among blacks has weakened because of the poor economy and a sense of unmet expectations, interviews and public opinion surveys show that his standing remains remarkably strong among African-Americans . . .

Obama campaign officials say they recognize the difficulty of renewing the enthusiasm that spurred black turnout, but they also say there are still new black voters to be reached. Democratic campaign strategists say they also expect African-Americans to be motivated to vote by Republican attacks on the president and the desire to make certain that Mr. Obama’s historic tenure in the White House extends beyond one term. They are already building staffs in swing states with significant black populations, like Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, for an intensive effort called Operation Vote, which will focus on African-Americans, women and Hispanics.

“Already the foundation is beginning to eclipse what they did in 2008,” said Mike Henry, campaign manager for former Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, a Democrat running for the Senate.

In a recent Pew Research Center poll, black voters preferred Mr. Obama 95 percent to 3 percent over Mitt Romney, “which is at least the margin he got in 2008,” said Michael Dimock, associate director for research at Pew. “There’s no erosion at all.”

Even more noteworthy, less than 10 percent of black voters in a New York Times/CBS News survey taken last month said that Mr. Obama had failed to meet their expectations as president, while nearly 3 in 10 said he had exceeded expectations. Among nonblack voters, 4 in 10 said he performed worse than expected, while only 5 percent said he had done better.

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/3973G7jx3gHVuDILX6h4Nw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0yMjI7cT04NTt3PTUxMg--/
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)


read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/us/politics/obamas-support-among-blacks-remains-strong.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

[nc4bo]

1. "building staffs in swing states with significant black populations,"

Well, there's no doubt that enthusiasm still exists because he's a black guy and "looks like us but most will tell you he ain't one of us and may not even represent us." There's the sympathy factor going on too, afterall, poor POTUS can't do much of anything because of Congress and those nasty Republicans.

Noticed on one the Spanish language channels that the Dream Act is very important to them but not really important to Washington.

Hard to hear much when you're caught up in life's nasty moments and Washington seems oblivious to what real people are dealing with out here with the exception of election season.

[bigtree]

2. I don't know where you're getting that 'most will tell you he ain't one of us'

. . . pretty offensive statement, if you ask me. No evidence at all to back that up. In this poll, 'most' blacks support the President. Maybe you believe they are as shallow as you describe, but I'm betting strongly against that. Kinda sucks to be seen as so one-dimensional and uninformed that we can't be objective and decisive in our opinions of the President. There's always someone trying to tell us the President isn't as black as we might imagine. I think that's a really lousy perspective.

[nc4bo]

3. No offense intended and wasn't said to be offensive at all.

Just truth from "my little corner of rural Harnett County, NC".

I'm not a pollster, just a neighbor.

Edit to clean up subject line.

[bigtree]

4. like I said

. . . NO evidence from you at all that 'most' blacks don't see the President as 'one of us' (just your anecdotal opinion. If you find it I'd like to see it).

[nc4bo]

5. Come on down to where I live. Sorry if the opinion of some real

people offends you.

Invitation stands.

[bigtree]

6. so I come 'down there'

. . . where will I find evidence that 'most' blacks in the country don't see the President as 'one of us?'

( . . . and I suppose if folks disagree, they aren't 'real people')

[nc4bo]

7. Oooh I see....

I neglected to say I was referring to my little corner of the world in my original post and you want to call me out on that.

Yea - that's my fault but I assure you, I was absolutely referring to the people whom I call neighbors and friends. I don't poll hundreds or thousands of people nor have access to such.

Only the people around me I see trying to slave out a life for themselves and their families.

You're still more than welcome to come on down and visit.

[bigtree]

8. well

. . . we're 'slaving' out a life for ourselves and our families up here, as well. I don't see where that's so unique to 'down there' that it should be seen as a determinate factor in how folks rate this President. We work hard and struggle to survive just like most of the rest of America. Yet, according to the polling, the vast majority of Americans who identify themselves as black still believe in and support President Obama. Your view is a minority one, according to the poll.

[nc4bo]

9. I know Bigtree, polls are absolute.

They are all inclusive, accurate and without any faults whatsoever. Geez, there are people who don't even have access to internet or a telephone. Can we even say they were counted?

If there was so much confidence in what polls say than it wouldn't be necessary to be as aggressive with wooing minorities or those who would typically vote Democratic. Right? That vote, if none other, would be guaranteed. Right? It was definitely guaranteed in '08. I saw it for myself when I knocked on doors and GOTV.

I realize things are bad all over but I don't live all over. There's some history down here (and in other places) that many either won't let go of or easily forget about and hope of things getting better or believing that anyone in D.C., cares to change things for the better is light years away or on another planet. What's the point of it all? With all the hope comes more of the same and I'm not just pointing fingers at the White House.

There was so much hope in '08, some of it really did have to do with his race. Hope this black person running for high office would understand what it means to be a minority living in America, being black in America but it didn't and not only for minorities but for the average American as well. Our foes are not the only ones to blame.

That win in '08 has been and still is bittersweet.

[bigtree]

10. 90% is pretty defining

I had lower expectations out of this presidency than many here and elsewhere did. All the same, this has been one of the most productive and progressive presidencies from a legislative standpoint that I've ever witnessed -- and I've paid very close attention over the last two decades. That's not to say at all that there aren't issues and concerns where I believe the President is wrong or deficient.

However, in a presidential contest, we're often faced with candidates who appeal to a broader spectrum of opinion and interest. That's a consequence of the myriad of diverse and disparate opinions and interests from around the nation that participate in our electoral process of electing our president.

The challenge, as I see it, is to work in this interim before we vote to educate and inform in order to generate a broader spectrum of support for our progressive issues and initiatives. Without a progressive majority of legislators in sufficient numbers to actually advance legislation into action or law, there isn't going to be any significant amount of progressive change -- if there's any at all.

I think that many in our black communities are well accustomed to working diligently and deliberately to expand support for our interests and concerns. Most of our legislative 'victories' were long fought for and generational. I'm not surprised to find most black Americans willing to stick with this President for the duration. That's just a reflection of a strong level of commitment and resolve, as I see it.

[KittyWampus]

12. I posted the quote from Sowell via FOX. Apparently it's okay to trumpet rightwing crap

on DU.

[ecstatic]

13. Keep in mind, the media is working day and night to influence

black voters to turn against Obama. Suddenly the media cares about black unemployment rates--for the first time EVER. So that is the reason for the additional organization. Things would only get worse under a President Romney or Cain, so don't forget that.

[nc4bo]

14. That's true

R's have nothing to offer in this fight but quack candidates talking some really crazy stuff. Their debates are like slapstick routines, really bad ones.

I really think that D's, for the most part, are a loyal bunch. It's not like there's a choice whether to vote D or R unless of course D's have some concern about people not voting in the numbers they did in '08, for what ever reasons.

Those are just my personal thoughts though, I really have no idea.

[KittyWampus]

11. WOW! So you are saying the black people you know agree FOX News

“My gosh, he is certainly one of us far more so than Barack Obama. Raised in Hawaii and going to a private school, an expensive private school," economist Thomas Sowell said on FOX Business.