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Census Shows Minorities' Role in Obama Victory

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 21, 2009 8:03 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Increased turnout by minorities in last year's election helped Barack Obama take several swing states and advance in GOP strongholds, new data from the Census Bureau shows. Turnout was 64%, the same as the last presidential election—but a growing population means that 5 million more people voted in 2008 than 2004. Minorities account for almost the entire increase; 2 million more blacks, the same number of Hispanics, and 600,000 more Asians cast a ballot.

Minority voters helped Obama take Ohio, Virginia, Nevada, and Indiana, although he also won a majority of white votes in 19 states. And continuing demographic shifts—non-Hispanic whites will no longer be a majority by 2042—suggest that Republican failure to capture minority votes spells long-term trouble. "Democrats are getting the growing parts of the population: Young people, minorities and states people are moving to," one demographer tells the Wall Street Journal.

LaZane Tyler, left, begins to cry after a broadcast prediction that Barack Obama, D-Ill, will become president in an overflow area of Grant Park in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.
LaZane Tyler, left, begins to cry after a broadcast prediction that Barack Obama, D-Ill, will become president in an overflow area of Grant Park in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
President-elect Barack Obama hugs his wife, Michelle, after his acceptance speech at his election night party at Grant Park in Chicago, Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008.
President-elect Barack Obama hugs his wife, Michelle, after his acceptance speech at his election night party at Grant Park in Chicago, Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008.   (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
President-elect Barack Obama waves after giving his acceptance speech at Grant Park in Chicago Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008.
President-elect Barack Obama waves after giving his acceptance speech at Grant Park in Chicago Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Zeboraqh Ball-Paul, left, and Theodora Beasley, right, react after a broadcast prediction of Barack Obama's victory in an overflow area of Grant Park in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.
Zeboraqh Ball-Paul, left, and Theodora Beasley, right, react after a broadcast prediction of Barack Obama's victory in an overflow area of Grant Park in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
Snarfeh
Jul 22, 2009 12:50 PM CDT
godawgs makes a valid point. The increase in minority voting was a big hit to prop 8. The mormon church's role in that, however, was educating them on what prop 8 was about. Most of them came out to vote for Obama; it was allll about Obama. Prop 8 was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
phaeton
Jul 21, 2009 6:38 AM CDT
Despite its newness, Iraq's democracy appears to be no more dysfunctional than one that would condemn a man who has kept the nation safe for seven years while deifying a man who has accomplished absolutely nothing in his entire life except to give speeches about "change."
godawgs
Jul 21, 2009 4:10 AM CDT
@queenalli no it was the minority vote. look at the exit poll information involving the black vote and the Hispanics. they overwhelming voted for Prop 8. the Mormon church is a scapegoat because the gay community doesn't want to piss off other minorities whose help they will need to get gay marriage passed. Also I like how you said it was the WHITE led gay rights movement, obsess over race much?
US

 
Barack Obama • race • voting • demographics • minorities • Election 2008 • presidential election • Obama campaign

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