In November 2008 when Barack Obama was elected president of the United States, 56.2 percent of college-age African Americans went to the polls. For college-age Whites, slightly less than half of all potential voters went to the polls.
The percentage of Whites, ages 18 to 24, who voted in 2008 was virtually unchanged from the rate in the previous presidential election in 2004. But the voter participation of young Blacks jumped from 47.3 percent in 2004 to 56.2 percent in 2008.
The increase in voting by young Blacks in 2008 was a key element in Barack Obama’s election, particularly in states where the results were very close. In 2012, a key question is whether the same enthusiasm remains or will Black voting rates revert to lower levels?
Another question that must be asked is why 43.8 percent of all young Black voters did not go to the polls in 2008. If a young Black man on the presidential ticket is not enough to compel young African Americans to go to polls, what will ever convince these young Blacks to become active participants in American democracy?
Please read the great article by Fred Logan titled Black Politics, Campaign 2012, and Tomorrow at http://blackbuzz.blogspot.com/1/2/2012.
After you have read the above article then we can have a constructive dialogue on the article in the Black Journal.
The ambivalent Democratic Party who has come to depend upon the Black vote, and can always expect to take our support and our vote for granted. The contest of mediocrity between two great monoliths-the other side of the tug-for-votes being inept, hostile and racist Republican Party, clumsy in its handling of the bride it is trying to woo, fearful of scrutiny, angry and strident of questions and adveristy and biased of those it does not understand and know it intimately.
Starla Muhammad staff writer for the Final Call states in an article titled:2011 More Trying times for Black America “For Black people 2011 reinforced the glaring reality that no matter who occupies the White House overall conditions of the masses in the Black Community do not change and in many cases, it worsens.