Democrats Surge in Early Voting

Early voting big among African Americans

(NEWSER) - Black turnout isn’t just expected to be high this year; according to early voting records, it already is, the Wall Street Journal reports. African Americans account for 36% of early ballots in Georgia, for instance, despite making up just 29% of active voters. In 2004, blacks represented 25% of overall turnout. Yesterday, Atlanta voters stood in line for up to 90 minutes to cast their ballots. More»

Obama coattails could mobilize enough to play decisive role in at least 10 districts

(NEWSER) - With black voters expected to come out in record numbers on Nov. 4, Democrats think a surge could flip as many as 10 hotly contested House districts in their favor, the Washington Post reports. “I was just thinking about the need to vote Democratic down the line,” said one black Barack Obama supporter, “because the president is going to need help in Congress.” More»

(NEWSER) - The start of early voting in Florida today brought hordes to polling places, forcing voters to contend with long lines and voting machine failures, the Miami Herald reports. Miami-Dade and Broward counties added a million registered voters each to their rolls this year. The crowds signaled the usefulness of the state’s early voting provision, started in 2002, but the robust turnout still peeved some. More»

More African-Americans switch religions even as Obama seeks to renew connection

(NEWSER) - The number of African-Americans converting to Judaism is growing, the Christian Science Monitor reports, at a time when Democrat Barack Obama is seeking to renew what was once a strong alliance between the groups. Politics, though, plays a small role; "Obama's candidacy, African-Americans choosing to be Jews ... is all part of the great American story of freedom and choice," one observer says. More»

Hillary Clinton, as 'buyer's remorse' plagues a third of the country

(NEWSER) - The most popular politician nationwide is the one that got away: Hillary Clinton. Nearly two-thirds of the country sees the secretary of state favorably, and a third are battling what Bloomberg terms “buyer’s remorse” over not electing her president. Just over a year ago, only a quarter of Americans felt that way. “Looking back, I wonder if she would have been a stronger leader, knowing the games and the politics and all that goes on,” says a Florida woman. “I don’t think she would have bent as much.” More»