So, my republican friend told me that he's pissed off at Obama for making a comment about the Trayvon Martin case and that Obama was taking Trayvon's side because he doesn't want to lose the "Black Vote". I told him the black vote was a very small minority and that it wouldn't help him win or lose the election any way.... So we started talking about numbers and he told me that the percentage of blacks in america was around 30%, so I did some research and according to wikipedia, it is just 12.4% and of that 12.4% I read that only 5% of that 12.4% were registered to vote. Did fox news brainwash this guy and lead him to believe that the black vote was actually powerful enough to swing an election? Is it? Or am I way off base by saying it doesn't even matter?
Every vote counts my friend, just ask ACORN in the last election. Why do you think they were registering people multiple times, dead people, Mickey Mouse etc.....?
I agree with what you've said here except I don't believe Fox News should be singled out. There are plenty of channels on every side which does this. The problem is not a specific channel, the problem is that the authorities are lax on media deception because they rely on it so greatly to get into, stay in, and stay strong in office. It is not fair that these improvements be dropped on the head of one or two channels, or based on popularity or size. If everyone else observed ethical media behavior, that would reduce Fox News' ability to prance on the line of bigotry and hatred.
Your friend is an idiot for thinking Obama has to say anything to win the black vote. Blacks vote overwhelmingly for Democrats in presidential elections, especially in this political season with Republicans going off the deep end.
This is a good point. The percentage of blacks in Idaho is 1%. But, my questions is -when it comes down to it, how important is the "black vote"? Can it really help someone win/lose an election?
Did you know that the percentage of blacks in America was only 12%? Or did you think it was higher? My theory here is that Fox News viewers think that there are more blacks than there really are and that they have the potential to "take over".
You're right about the numbers. My side lost the last election, millions of white voters stayed home because of John McLame.
I hate to rain on any parade damning FoxNews, but as soon as I saw the thread title, I myself thought the number was around 30%. I was surprised to see the actual figure -- especially since I'm pretty familiar with the demographics of most major US cities. It's probably because I try to forget that all those places in between exist... That said, I assumed that a comparatively small percentage of blacks were registered voters and that they were certainly not a large enough bloc to sway elections. If any minority group has reached that level yet, it would be hispanic/latinos. Regardless, Fox's narrative is most definitely something along the lines "BE AFRAID OF BLACK PEOPLE."
Isn't 5% of the votes a respectable number? I don't know the figures, but how much of a percentage did Obama win by in the last election? Add the fact that we have mostly "winner takes all" States and 5% percent is nothing to sneeze at. The nation, at this time, is nearly split down the middle so even single digit percentage of votes matter.
You still need the WHITE VOTE to win elections, if thats that you're trying to say. Though every vote DOES count when some elections are decided by less than 2 percentage points. Thats in wikipedia? Thats wrong. Its around 60% of eligible black voters are registered. The national average is around 65%. Then less than HALF of those registered voters turn out for presidental elections.
I wouldn't say every vote matters, unless you live in a battle state or a porportional deleglate state. If you live in a winner takes all states, your vote gets "stolen". Percentage of votes is a different matter of course.
Whites outnumber blacks 5 to 1 at least and always have. The black/white issue in media tends to get over-sensationalized. As does most threats. There are MANY states in the US with virtually non-existent black populations. Maine has a less than 1% black population. Its because blacks and minorities are larger in number in the bigger well known cities that get more focus, that they look larger than they really are. The "correct" rhetoric should be "BE AFRAID of THE COLLECTIVE NON-WHITE PEOPLE". When the entire "minority" population together will become the majority in a couple decades. Whites will still be the single biggest race but not 50% of the entire population.
Obama was speaking his personal feelings. Politically speaking, it is always beneficial to say what white voters want to hear. Black voters make up a very small portion of the voting block, and overwhelmingly vote democrat regardless of the candidate.
The black vote, while small in absolute numbers, can impact the election results in certain swing states like Florida, Virginia and North Carolina. I would imagine that the bigger impact is actually getting the blacks out to vote -- in recent times there has been little question WHO they'll vote for -- they've been pretty drone like in voting for Democrats.
No. IMO, McCain would have won the election if hadn't gone insane by choosing Sarah Palin. You can't win a race with a ball-and-chain strapped to your ankle. That dumb decision proved him unfit for duty IMO.
Does the 12.4% include black hispanics? It is a lot smaller than I thought. Of course I grew up in a neighborhood where I was the white kid, and the schools I went to were all about 50% black. I guess it is like Rimrocker said, big difference based on where you live. Big difference since I live in Georgia (30.5% black overall).
IDK if his VP would have mattered. The initial selection was a strong boost for him. McCain made a number of blunders for himself. And another Republican winning was going to be extremely difficult anyway.
why say it like this, even if true. your condescension is only matched by your hypocrisy. don't even try to deny that your voting habits are absolutely drone-like.
