Or not. Exit polling suggests that there was no statistically significant increase in voting among either group. Black voters made up 11 percent of the electorate in 2004 and 13 percent in 2008, while young voters comprised 17 percent of all voters in 2004 and 18 percent four years later.
I have a problem with this myth. You have a 2% increase in black voters and a 1% increase in young voters- that's 3% and McCain lost by 4%. It would have been much closer if not for those 2 groups.
Yes. With 3% less of the vote, Obama probably would have lost IN, OH, VA, NC and FL.
Obama's margin of victory would have been by one state, such as CO.
I agree with you entirely. The other problem we have is getting the message out to the youth. Of course, this election cycle there was no coherent message, but hopefully next time there will be a solid conservative message to put forth. And yes, just enough of the youth will listen, if we speak their language.
Just to elaborate, it was not a 2% increase in black voters but rather a more significant 2% increase by black voters. Black voters went from 11% to 13% of the electorate- that's more than an 18% increase in the number of black voters.
Similarly the youth vote increased their numbers by 5% (from 17 to 18%) leading to a 1% increase in their portion of the electorate.
Any state that won by less than 3% could have ended up in McCain's column.
Non-worshiping Catholics and apostate Protestants helped defeat McCain/Palin, too. Big time.