President Obama made a speech Saturday at the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), calling on his civil rights "foot soldiers" for help in the November elections. Obama made it clear that goals of the past and present have been made thanks to a plan, so he urged everyone to go back to "your neighborhoods and your workplaces, to your churches and barbershops and beauty shops. Tell them we have more work to do. Tell them we can't wait to organize. Tell them that the time for action is now."
As the current trends continue, voter turnouts in mid-term elections are always on the low end. Obama is trying to energize and engage his Democratic minded African-American voting group to vote in the upcoming elections, warning that Republican gains in Congress could upset the goals he shares with the CBC. Obama stated that tremendous levels of African-Americans turned out for the 2008 election, and that the CBC has helped to deliver some of "the most significant progress in a generation." He emphasized that this battle is not yet over, emphasizing how past problems with the economy have disproportionately affected African-Americans in this country, and more work needs to be done with the U.S. economy.
I feel that it was a good idea for Obama to strengthen his ties with the CBC, noting that 95 percent of black voters voted Democrat in the 2008 election. These same numbers would be a big help in the 2010 mid-term elections as well, continuing Democratic power in both houses of Congress. A Republican victory and majority in the House of Representatives could be disastrous for the economy and the country, mainly by limiting any government action brought up by either the President (D) or the House (R).
I also agree with President Obama that our country still needs work and I feel that there's a better chance of this "work" getting done with the Democrats holding power in both Houses. I feel that voters will give the Democratic Party one last chance at fixing our economy before turning power over to the Republicans. cqpolitics
Eric - do you look for any data on the turnout rates of groups associated with the Democrats in mid-term versus presidential elections? It would be helpful to see just how big of a difference turnout might make in 2010 over 2008.
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