Posted on 10/09/2011 7:39:32 AM PDT by Second Amendment First
If you really want to get depressed these days, strike up a conversation with a Democratic pollster. I did the other day with a friend of mine who told me the saddest story I’ve ever heard in my 20 years in campaigning, but at least he explained why Barack Obama is having a problem with black voters.
My pollster friend asked me to keep his name out of it because he was talking out of school. In fact, we were speaking in a bar, and he was staring into his scotch as he told me about some focus groups he did recently. What the focus groups of black voters told him about Obama scared him about Democratic prospects in 2012.
Like every other sort of voter, blacks said that they weren’t happy with the direction the country was moving in. But unlike all other voters, blacks weren’t angry with the president. They said they were “disappointed” in Obama.
Public polling is beginning to tell this same story. Everyone knows Obama’s job approval ratings have dipped into the 30s among the entire electorate. But within Obama’s overall dip in job approval ratings is a sudden decline in how black voters judge his performance. Only five months ago, 83 percent of black voters said they “strongly favored” Obama. Recently that number fell to 58 percent. For Obama, that’s more than alarming. That’s an air-raid siren at dawn.
With the voters in the focus group, the disappointment was heartbreaking. My friend called it “one of the most memorable discussions I’ve ever witnessed in hundreds if not thousands - of hours of focus groups.”
The discussion began when he asked the focus group participants to explain why they said they were “disappointed” with Obama.
“Initially, we were shocked to hear black voters describe the president using this word,” he explained. “However, we discovered that they were not disappointed in the job he was doing, but rather the job he was unable to do. Like all of us, they wanted hope and change and thought Obama was the person who could finally give it to us. After a year and half, they had determined that they probably would not be getting change - not because Obama wasn¹t trying, but because the system was set up for him and anyone else to fail. They were disappointed because they felt that if Obama couldn¹t change the system to make it work for people, then no one would ever be able to.”
Black America climbed the mountaintop only to find a sheer cliff on the other side. Barack Obama might be their man, but if he can’t do it, no one can. And if Obama can’t convince black voters that progress is possible, then he can’t convince them to turn out in 2012 like they did in 2008. And if that’s true, then Obama can’t win reelection. Game over.
Democrats remember 2008 as an alternative universe in which you only had to tell black voters when and where to vote - not why voting was important. Blacks both young and old turned out to vote at a higher percentage than any other race. In six states, black turnout topped 70 percent.
The disappointment black voters have with Obama now has nothing at all to do with the Beltway ballyhoo surrounding the president’s conflicts with the black political elite. It doesn’t matter that Obama has not invited Tavis Smiley to the White House. Obama’s “black problem” is not about the debt ceiling compromise that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) fatuously called a “sugar-coated Satan sandwich.”
And it has nothing whatsoever to do with Rep. Maxine Waters’ complaint that Obama didn’t hold events in black congressional districts on his recent jobs tour. Even in raising the issue, Rep. Waters inadvertently highlighted the divide between black political insiders and regular black voters when she explained why the Congressional Black Caucus is scared to publicly criticize Obama.
"Let me tell you why,” said Rep. Waters. “We don't put pressure on the president because y’all love the president. You love the president. You're very proud to have a black man - first time in the history of the United States of America.”
This is why Obama felt comfortable having a “Sister Souljah” moment at the Congressional Black Caucus gala recently in which he told them to “Stop complainin'. Stop grumblin'. Stop cryin'. We are going to press on. We have work to do."
Smiley, or he-who-shall-not-be-invited, grumbled, “How does he get away with saying this to black folk?”
Obama can get away with it because while Smiley and the Congressional Black Caucus complain about White House invitations and tour stops, black voters are giving up hope that progress is possible in America. That’s Obama’s real problem with black voters, and it holds the key to whether he gets four more years to show black voters that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness applies to them, too.
those focus groups are full of sh*t...the blacks are disappointed that they cant get more freebies from hardworking americans, mainly white americans, as an act of revenge...plain and simple..
and mark my words, they will still turn out to pull the lever for this half black, marginally documented, politician..
this story is all b.s.
While some are...most Blacks are not Marxists. They see through this Marxists plans to keep not only them but all Americans at plantation wages and in plantation slavery to the Big Massa in Washington.
Well, in 2012 blacks have the opportunity to vote for a “real black man”. I believe Cain would be much more of an inspiration for black (and white) Americans than Obama ever could. I hope they will consider him.
Wake up people, vote this socialist cretin out while we still have a vote, and it still matters.
If they vote in the Republican primaries maybe. Cain is still a very long shot to the nomination.
And given a choice, blacks will vote for white Democrat over a black Republican. They may be horribly misguided, but its the handouts and government favoritism they vote for.
When all is said and done Hussein will get 95% of the black vote, just like he did last time around. The difference is, hopefully, more of them just stay home in 2012.
I believe Cain would be much more of an inspiration for black (and white) Americans than Obama ever could. I hope they will consider him...................................................... Telling it as it is, isn’t always the key to motivation when dealing with those who have no real ambition. Especially when you are dealing with voters who only want free stuff.
This is about the most incoherent explanation imaginable.
What is it that "they" are looking for? What kind of change to the system did they expect? How, exactly, do you "make the system work for people"?
Is it free money for everyone? Free booze and crack for all? No need to pay any bills? Make it illegal to charge more than $100 per month for rent? No need to work to get a paycheck? A new car every year? Where's my pie at? Or are they looking for the government to assign a job to everyone? Do they want banks and businesses shut down? Are they looking for the government to punish all of the rich people, or "kill whitey"?
What is the bottom line here?
You are right. But remember blacks always vote Democrat. It doesn’t matter if its Barry Soetoro or Hillary Clinton. Republicans never get the black vote anyway. So how the blacks vote next Nov is inconsequential. Its the independents who will make the difference as usual and from what I’m reading they have deserted the hope and change ship in droves. Its going to be a landslide election for the GOP like you have never seen.
Because it's politically-incorrect to admit it, blacks vote for blacks, and if they're Democrat, they are getting the 90%+ black vote, period.
HOWEVER, in today's politically correct world, blacks are NEVER branded as racist, although they are the worst offenders (anti-white).
The smartest thing that American Black voters can do, and...by the way, the Democrat Party also, is to broom Barack Hussein Obama out of office by forcing him to resign or impeaching him immediately. American Black folk are, right now, in the worst economic/opportunity situation they have ever been in, all directly caused by POTUS Obama (their man)!!! The Democrat Party ain’t in great shape either, and....will lose both the House & Senate in 2012 in massive defeat, especially if Obama is their candidate for POTUS!!! America still holds a “dream” for American Blacks, but......if they fail to grasp it, as they done so far, they will forever mire in the economic/opportunity slavery foisted upon by the likes of POTUS Obama and his Democrat Party. American Blacks, instead of wallowing in their owned self-pity and handout mentality, need to get real with the program and undergo a sea change in their politics and pursue the full pattern of assimilation into the genral American society. Being disappointed in Obama, don’t cut it, brothers & sisters!!! Ain’t nobody gonna save you or improve your lot but yourselves, hard work and society assimilation, period. Forget all that jive, these liberals dole out!!! They never helped you, and they never will!!! Dump ‘em and move on to freedom, liberty and opportunity for you , your children, your grandchildren and your your future children to come!!!
I’m not a white American or a black American. I’m an American and I’m voting for the black capitalist, Herman Cain.
You are probably right, but I like to think that not all blacks want to stay on the plantation.
What is their definition of progress? Mine is to make the whole economy better, which would improve everybody' lot. The rest is up to the individual.
Herman Cain is not black, he is a Republican and won’t get much of the black vote.
For those who have, as Cain says, been brainwashed...pie!
Another big difference in 2012: despite furious efforts by 'rats to stop them, a number of states with solid GOP legislatures and a GOP governor have enacted and signed into law real voter ID laws and election reforms. Fewer of 0bama's crowd will be riding around all day in vans voting in as many different voting precincts as they can make it to in a day of voting.
Interesting figures. We had a garage sale yesterday and a young black gentleman who stopped by brought up politics. He was very against what Obmas has/hasn’t done. I guess many of his friends are unhappy with him actually speaking out against Obama. but he said he doesn’t care. I brought up Herman Cain and he’s seriously considering him because of his honesty and not being afraid to breach the pc that most politicians seem to be glued to.
Maybe 0bama is a “crypto-oreo”. Who knew?
On a more serious note - maybe it’s time that the people start looking for REAL life opportunities somewhere else than the Democratic plantation.
1850 - pick our cotton and we’ll take care of you.
2008 - vote for us and we’ll take care of you.
Well said!!! I am a white conservative and I a voting for American, Herman Cain!!! And....IMHO any American Black voter with half a brain and common sense will do exactly the same!!! Color has nothing to with it, period. The character and decency of the man or woman trumps all else.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.