Are Obama voters a silent majority?

[Politico]

No, Naso, you have just surrounded yourself with likeminded people.

I beg to differ. Working at a restaurant, I see young, old, middle aged, all races and backgrounds and lots of middle class. That's what I find so fascinating.

My County in 2008:

John McCain:    48,189
Barack Obama: 40,924

Talk to the next two African-Americans you meet. I can assure you that at least one of them is supporting the President's re-election.

Well of course. But you could have asked them about Mondale in 1984 or Dukakis in 1988 and basically any Democrat in the last 50 years.

You cannot win with African American voters only. My sense is Obama's base consists of:

- Blacks
- Union workers
- Women

Yes, and he has lost some of his union supporters over the rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Furthermore, Romney is going to be far more competitive among women than McCain was. Why? Fair or not, looks matter, and Romney is an attractive/wholesome individual.

[Politico]

Perhaps. A lot of Democrats are probably doing what many Republicans did in 04. "Yeah, the President is kind of a disappointment, but I'm not voting for Kerry Romney!"

Here's the big difference: Obama is facing backlash over the failure to deliver "hope and change." Bush did not have that problem in 2004 because he did not promise to move the moon in 2000.

[Politico]

Homos and the Young for Obama (because of the Age Wave™)

That was 2008. Many of them will revert to their apathetic ways in 2012. In fact, there are a lot of young people who would like to find a job after they graduate from college. Something tells me they're not going to be enthusiastic about more of the same...

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Bigotry at its finest, huh?

[Minnesota Mike]

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Speaking as a Union man I was disappointed in the Keystone Pipeline decision but one small disagreement will not be enough for me to even think about voting for the party of Scott Walker, Mitch Daniels and "Right to Work for Less". Obama's Union vote is going up. not down.

[Sbane]

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Speaking as a Union man I was disappointed in the Keystone Pipeline decision but one small disagreement will not be enough for me to even think about voting for the party of Scott Walker, Mitch Daniels and "Right to Work for Less". Obama's Union vote is going up. not down.

Not to mention he did not outright reject it, but rather asked them to reroute it around the aquifer. Yes, that will take more time but I don't see evidence it will never happen. Unfortunately I do think some politics did play a role in that decision.....

[Fritz]

Proud Obama supporter here.

[krazen1211]

Perhaps. A lot of Democrats are probably doing what many Republicans did in 04. "Yeah, the President is kind of a disappointment, but I'm not voting for Kerry Romney!"

Here's the big difference: Obama is facing backlash over the failure to deliver "hope and change." Bush did not have that problem in 2004 because he did not promise to move the moon in 2000.

President George W. Bush delivered on many of his 2000 campaign promises.

[Reaganfan]

Or they just remain silent because they don't feel like getting into an argument with a racist a-hole who blames all of his problems on OBAMA.  I'm not suggesting that all people who are against Obama are racists, but you can always pick out the not so subtle racists by that certain inflection in their pronunciation of Obama.  I'm in NY and still bump into these people rather frequently. I'd imagine it is much worse in other areas.

Sadly, I agree.

I voted for Ken Blackwell for Governor of Ohio in 2006. He never stood a chance, but his race was a factor. I met some Republicans (older, 40s+) who were no fan of Strickland, but felt that they couldn't bring themselves to vote for a black man.

Indeed, this was the case in 2008. I spoke with one guy in his 40s a few days ago actually who said, "Hey man, I'm a Democrat...but no way I was gonna vote for Obama. You know why. (wink, wink)"

I saw a TON of that. I know it's said to be racist but you wouldn't believe how many people are seriously agitated by things they dislike and associate with African Americans. I think many problems are because lots of crime exists in inner cities, low income housing, all of which are predominately African American.

If every player for the Dallas Cowboys had bright orange hair, they would become the "ginger team" and fans of rival teams would say things that were negative about redheads because the team they oppose was full of redheads.

It's the same on both sides. They can say Ginger, but if you even joke anything remotely racist, it's a riot. It's Rodney King. It's Jesse Jackson.

That turns people, a large white majority, off. That's my fear. Obama may be re-elected President while massively, more than any other Democrat, losing the white vote. That's gotta make him feel subpar.

See, now I turn a corner. I don't vote based on the race of the candidate, I vote on issues. The problem is, many of those issues are things that I'm against that would tend to favor African Americans (welfare, section 8 housing, affirmative action, ect). But people will still label me a racist.

What can you do? I mean, eight years of a black President won't change anything. Some things will never change.

That's just the way it is.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Obama is a terrible president, but I'm in it for the Supreme Court.

[Reaganfan]

Labels are too easy to throw around. Terrible President. You're a racist. You're a sexist.

Take me for example. Are there times I think to myself, "Man when J. Edgar was running the country, these wall street protesters would become silent very quickly" or "Man if only it was the 1950s when men dressed like men and women stayed at home".

Does that mean I wish women couldn't be in positions of power? Of course not. But do I think the days when those things were occurring were overall better for America? OF COURSE I do.

But then the labels get thrown around. "So when there was segregation things were better? YOU'RE RACIST!" or "So when women couldn't have high paying jobs like men things were better? "YOU'RE SEXIST".

Someone could say, "I loved the 1990s" and then someone could say, "So you loved when Columbine High School was shot up!?"

It's not right.

It's not necessary.

[Oakvale]

Or they just remain silent because they don't feel like getting into an argument with a racist a-hole who blames all of his problems on OBAMA.  I'm not suggesting that all people who are against Obama are racists, but you can always pick out the not so subtle racists by that certain inflection in their pronunciation of Obama.  I'm in NY and still bump into these people rather frequently. I'd imagine it is much worse in other areas.

Sadly, I agree.

I voted for Ken Blackwell for Governor of Ohio in 2006. He never stood a chance, but his race was a factor. I met some Republicans (older, 40s+) who were no fan of Strickland, but felt that they couldn't bring themselves to vote for a black man.

Indeed, this was the case in 2008. I spoke with one guy in his 40s a few days ago actually who said, "Hey man, I'm a Democrat...but no way I was gonna vote for Obama. You know why. (wink, wink)"

I saw a TON of that. I know it's said to be racist but you wouldn't believe how many people are seriously agitated by things they dislike and associate with African Americans. I think many problems are because lots of crime exists in inner cities, low income housing, all of which are predominately African American.

If every player for the Dallas Cowboys had bright orange hair, they would become the "ginger team" and fans of rival teams would say things that were negative about redheads because the team they oppose was full of redheads.

It's the same on both sides. They can say Ginger, but if you even joke anything remotely racist, it's a riot. It's Rodney King. It's Jesse Jackson.

That turns people, a large white majority, off. That's my fear. Obama may be re-elected President while massively, more than any other Democrat, losing the white vote. That's gotta make him feel subpar.

See, now I turn a corner. I don't vote based on the race of the candidate, I vote on issues. The problem is, many of those issues are things that I'm against that would tend to favor African Americans (welfare, section 8 housing, affirmative action, ect). But people will still label me a racist.

What can you do? I mean, eight years of a black President won't change anything. Some things will never change.

That's just the way it is.

Comparing the African-American experience to being ginger? Suggesting that losing the white vote has "gotta" make Obama feel "subpar"? This is amazing.

Soon the streets will be filled with pallid, freckled people fighting for their Civil Rights. The Rev. Carrot Top will tell a crowd of sunblock-drenched thousands on the Mall in Washington that soon their day will come. Bowing to pressure from Congress, President Obama signs the 2012 Civil Right Acts, banning the use of terms like "ginger" and the unfair mockery of those with garish orange hair. The movement splinters and expands. Carrot Top is assassinated in Boston. A nation mourns.

[King]

Take me for example. Are there times I think to myself, "Man when J. Edgar was running the country, these wall street protesters would become silent very quickly" or "Man if only it was the 1950s when men dressed like men and women stayed at home".

'

What it says is that you are bothered by the lives of people who have no direct effect on your own.  If all the Wall Street protestors disappeared tomorrow, what effect would it have on your life?  What real stress are the casually dressed men and working women putting on your daily activities?  The answer is, of course, none.

If those things were suddenly reversed, it really wouldn't change anything.  The 1950s were profoundly different from the 1940s, the 1930s, and the 1920s.  Those previous three decades had plenty of "men dressing like men" and "women at home,"  but they weren't the 1950s.  Those attributes aren't what made the culture.

You get too caught up in the world narrative, Mike.   It'll send you into an early grave angsting about it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Obama is a terrible president, but I'm in it for the Supreme Court.

Can you fit that onto a bumper sticker?

[Alcon]

Remember the "tell pollsters one thing/do another thing in the polling booth" effect we heard about in 2008? It did not happen then, but it is happening right now. Many people, especially many white people, are telling pollsters one thing out of fear of being labeled racist even though their opposition to Obama has nothing to do with race as evidenced by their former support for him in 2008.

Oh, man, how I love these absurd yearly theories.

So:  The only group of people sensitive enough to being labeled "racist" are those who supported Obama in 2008 but no longer do.  This is despite the fact that this did not happen with those who opposed Obama in 2008, and that more substantive reasons are available for opposing Obama now than then.  You allege that this will nonetheless occur this year, despite no apparent marginal effect of any such kind in 2008.

I don't understand why trivialities like election prediction (basically a sport) warrant this sort of magical thinking.

[Politico]

Remember the "tell pollsters one thing/do another thing in the polling booth" effect we heard about in 2008? It did not happen then, but it is happening right now. Many people, especially many white people, are telling pollsters one thing out of fear of being labeled racist even though their opposition to Obama has nothing to do with race as evidenced by their former support for him in 2008.

Oh, man, how I love these absurd yearly theories.

So:  The only group of people sensitive enough to being labeled "racist" are those who supported Obama in 2008 but no longer do.  This is despite the fact that this did not happen with those who opposed Obama in 2008, and that more substantive reasons are available for opposing Obama now than then.  You allege that this will nonetheless occur this year, despite no apparent marginal effect of any such kind in 2008.

I don't understand why trivialities like election prediction (basically a sport) warrant this sort of magical thinking.

Whatever. The effect showed up in the New Hampshire primary, even during exit polling, and it will show up MASSIVELY this time because most people are fed up with this president yet are relatively quiet about it because of his race and their race. Nobody wants to be accused of racism, but especially those who are not racist. The inconvenient truth is that this president is as unpopular as Jimmy Carter in 1980.

[Erc]

I'm pretty sure that the people who don't like the President aren't afraid about expressing their opinion about him.  I think that's been made abundantly clear over the last three years.

And if there really were this magical block of closeted Obama detractors, surely they'd help to give Gingrich a win just as much as your man Romney?  Is it too much to ask for some self-consistency in your fantasy world?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Or they just remain silent because they don't feel like getting into an argument with a racist a-hole who blames all of his problems on OBAMA.  I'm not suggesting that all people who are against Obama are racists, but you can always pick out the not so subtle racists by that certain inflection in their pronunciation of Obama.  I'm in NY and still bump into these people rather frequently. I'd imagine it is much worse in other areas.

Sadly, I agree.

I voted for Ken Blackwell for Governor of Ohio in 2006. He never stood a chance, but his race was a factor. I met some Republicans (older, 40s+) who were no fan of Strickland, but felt that they couldn't bring themselves to vote for a black man.

Indeed, this was the case in 2008. I spoke with one guy in his 40s a few days ago actually who said, "Hey man, I'm a Democrat...but no way I was gonna vote for Obama. You know why. (wink, wink)"

I saw a TON of that. I know it's said to be racist but you wouldn't believe how many people are seriously agitated by things they dislike and associate with African Americans. I think many problems are because lots of crime exists in inner cities, low income housing, all of which are predominately African American.

If every player for the Dallas Cowboys had bright orange hair, they would become the "ginger team" and fans of rival teams would say things that were negative about redheads because the team they oppose was full of redheads.

It's the same on both sides. They can say Ginger, but if you even joke anything remotely racist, it's a riot. It's Rodney King. It's Jesse Jackson.

That turns people, a large white majority, off. That's my fear. Obama may be re-elected President while massively, more than any other Democrat, losing the white vote. That's gotta make him feel subpar.

See, now I turn a corner. I don't vote based on the race of the candidate, I vote on issues. The problem is, many of those issues are things that I'm against that would tend to favor African Americans (welfare, section 8 housing, affirmative action, ect). But people will still label me a racist.

What can you do? I mean, eight years of a black President won't change anything. Some things will never change.

That's just the way it is.

Ah yes. Remember when gingers were marching in Selma, Alabama, demanding their civil rights?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Proud Obama supporter here.

But, you see, you're gay, so your support for Obama is obvious. Just as obvious as the fact Naso is not associating himself with people like you.

[tpfkaw]

I'm gay and not an Obama supporter.  (I'm a also a Scottish nationalist Tory union member, in case you didn't know).

[opebo]

I'm gay... 

You're a gay?  I had no idea!

[Eraserhead]

Many of Obama's people aren't thrilled with his performance but will end up voting for him again because the alternative is just ridiculous.

[Alcon]

Whatever. The effect showed up in the New Hampshire primary, even during exit polling, and it will show up MASSIVELY this time because most people are fed up with this president yet are relatively quiet about it because of his race and their race. Nobody wants to be accused of racism, but especially those who are not racist. The inconvenient truth is that this president is as unpopular as Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Uh...so this phenomenon affects only people who stopped approving of Obama between 2008 and 2012, and people who lived in New Hampshire in 2008?  And does not affect anyone else?  Also, remember how the exit polls in 2004 were even worse?  Was John Kerry a black man while I wasn't looking?

If you're this absurd in February, I'm really looking forward to the rest of election season.

[King]

If there's any sort of Bradley Effect, it will be with Evangelicals who are staunchly against Romney in the primary, hold their nose in the general election poll, and then probably will be too apathetic to turn out in November.

Really, no politically involved Republican wants to see Romney win.  A Romney win = delaying the deep GOP candidate bench until 2020, which means completely eliminating them from contention.

[milhouse24]

If there's any sort of Bradley Effect, it will be with Evangelicals who are staunchly against Romney in the primary, hold their nose in the general election poll, and then probably will be too apathetic to turn out in November.

Really, no politically involved Republican wants to see Romney win.  A Romney win = delaying the deep GOP candidate bench until 2020, which means completely eliminating them from contention.

The Romney VP will be an evangelical or a Jeb, which gets the mexican and cuban voters. 

[Mechaman]

Or they just remain silent because they don't feel like getting into an argument with a racist a-hole who blames all of his problems on OBAMA.  I'm not suggesting that all people who are against Obama are racists, but you can always pick out the not so subtle racists by that certain inflection in their pronunciation of Obama.  I'm in NY and still bump into these people rather frequently. I'd imagine it is much worse in other areas.

Sadly, I agree.

I voted for Ken Blackwell for Governor of Ohio in 2006. He never stood a chance, but his race was a factor. I met some Republicans (older, 40s+) who were no fan of Strickland, but felt that they couldn't bring themselves to vote for a black man.

Indeed, this was the case in 2008. I spoke with one guy in his 40s a few days ago actually who said, "Hey man, I'm a Democrat...but no way I was gonna vote for Obama. You know why. (wink, wink)"

I saw a TON of that. I know it's said to be racist but you wouldn't believe how many people are seriously agitated by things they dislike and associate with African Americans. I think many problems are because lots of crime exists in inner cities, low income housing, all of which are predominately African American.

If every player for the Dallas Cowboys had bright orange hair, they would become the "ginger team" and fans of rival teams would say things that were negative about redheads because the team they oppose was full of redheads.

It's the same on both sides. They can say Ginger, but if you even joke anything remotely racist, it's a riot. It's Rodney King. It's Jesse Jackson.

That turns people, a large white majority, off. That's my fear. Obama may be re-elected President while massively, more than any other Democrat, losing the white vote. That's gotta make him feel subpar.

See, now I turn a corner. I don't vote based on the race of the candidate, I vote on issues. The problem is, many of those issues are things that I'm against that would tend to favor African Americans (welfare, section 8 housing, affirmative action, ect). But people will still label me a racist.

What can you do? I mean, eight years of a black President won't change anything. Some things will never change.

That's just the way it is.

Ah yes. Remember when gingers were marching in Selma, Alabama, demanding their civil rights?

BUT GAY PEOPLE GET RESPECT!  Why not us!?