CNN Asks If Obama is Taking the Black Vote For Granted
When President Obama went to bat for the LGBT community and ended DADT, and then came out for same s*x marriage, many African-Americans began 
wondering if other groups were getting preferential treatment from the Obama administration.
This view was further solidified among some who viewed Obama’s unilateral passage of the DREAM Act, which provides a path to citizenship for young adults who are in the U.S. illegally, as a concession to the Latino community.
Now, African-American outliers, such as Dr. Cornel West, who have been largely marginalized by the black community, aren’t the only ones asking this question.
From CNN:
Given that an overwhelming number of African-Americans consistently support Obama, some have openly wondered if the nation’s first African-American president is taking them for granted. And if he is, is that a risk he can afford to take.
The answer appears to be yes.
Obama won 95% of the black vote in 2008, and polls show he enjoys 87% support among black registered voters versus 5% for Republican rival Mitt Romney.
“Well, I think, he can afford to take black voters for granted,” said Fredrick Harris, a professor of political science at Columbia University and director of its Institute for Research in African-American Studies. “No other constituency gives that large a percentage of its vote to the Democratic Party,” Harris said, adding that blacks have earned a place as the Democrats’ “most loyal constituency.”
Mitt Romney’s senior adviser Tara Wall alluded to Obama taking the black vote for granted when she spoke about Romney’s appearance at the NAACP convention:
“If elected by a majority this November, President Romney will be a leader to all. Speaking to members of the nation’s oldest civil rights organization and establishing a dialogue with black voters, communicating his record of achievement and solutions for fixing a broken system of unfulfilled promises is paramount.
“Unlike President Obama, he will not take any vote for granted.”
What do you think? Are African-Americans taking a backseat to Latinos and members of the LGBT community?
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Of course Obama is taking the Black vote for granted, that’s nothing new. For him to address the Black community, however would be political suicide as it would illustrate him as a pro-black president and likely be his label for historical purposes. It’s not an entirely imagined thought at this point considering that he’s shown that he’s not going to address the Black community, but is willing to address the Latino and Gay community because of their unification and respect they earn in their support of each other.
He’s lost my vote. He can send his surrogates to the Black community talking about how much he loves us from here until electon day, and I’ll still cast my vote for a different candidate. To bad most Blacks are too complacent to truly take or president to task for hits blatant avoidance. No amount of photo ops. with his Black family will sway my vote. Just as he’s ignored the Black community, I’ll ignore his bid for re election.
I went to HS in the algeldt garden area where Obama started his advocacy. It’s in the ghetto. He went from the ghetto to the most powerful position in the world. I too went from the 99% to the 1% in income, prestige, and access. Both, great American stories. However, why hasn’t our example changed the landscape of black on black hate, black on black killing, black on black economic suicide particularly in the inner city of chicago. If he is responsible for the plight of black people, then so am I. So is every successful black person. We are all taking each other for granted. Obama greatest strength us his ability to communicate and desiminate. There is a story that needs to be told that will save a people and thus a nation. The question is not is he taking black folk for granted, its why hasn’t he told the story of why as a people hate one another and how we can love one another. Yes, the Presidency is not a person, its an institution. However, can an institution save the black community. No it can’t. Thus Obama can’t save the black community. We as a people can only do that. We just need our leader to do what he does best; tell the story! Now the real question; can he tell it and still beat Romney?
I think in order to treat the American people fair is to take the money element out of politics and concentrate on the real problems of this nation. When did the popular vote decide the outcome of an election? The candidate with the most money behind them will win the election and business will go on as usual. It is naive to think that any president can change the course of a broken system that refuses to treat all people socially, politically and economically with justice and equality.
I think this is a pandering question which insults the collective intelligence of Blacks.
I LOVE CNN quoting a Romney rep about this btw. LOL
Obama is like all other black leaders (except Malcolm x)… scared of addressing issues affecting so called black people for fear of being fired by the whites who own the store he manages. Where are the policies that Foster job creation, Obama? Obama is going to learn a lesson in 2012: black people don’t really vote like they did in 2008.
The novelty of a so called black president has worn off. Obama is in trouble.