Research
August 2012
The 2008 Presidential election was an historic occasion for African Americans, when for the first time, an African American was elected President. This year, President Obama is seeking a second term, and there is no reason to expect any change in black voting patterns. President Obama will almost certainly receive strong black support on November 6. The Republicans’...
November 2010
This publication is a brief review of some of the available evidence on what transpired on November 2, 2010, when the Democrats lost their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and at least 19 state legislative chambers, maintained control in the U.S. Senate, and lost several important gubernatorial elections. The black vote was critical to the outcome of some closely contested elections...
October 2010
This analysis provides a brief review of the potential role of black voters and candidates in the 2010 Midterms. In particular, it examines some past midterm elections where a strong black turnout had a very material effect on various election outcomes. Black voters are strategically situated in 2010 to have a major impact provided an effort is made to get them to polls on November 2. ...
October 2010
There is widespread agreement that the Democrats are poised to lose a significant number of congressional seats in the 2010 midterm elections. This is largely due to high unemployment and a poor economy. The extent of the Democrats’ losses will depend on their ability to turn out their most loyal voters, and no voting bloc will be more important than African Americans. If they can mobilize a...
March 2010
During the only televised debate of the major vice-presidential candidates in the 2004 election cycle, moderator Gwen Ifill asked Dick Cheney and John Edwards about the crisis among African-American women, and what they-if elected-would do about it.
August 2008
This guide discusses the range of participation by African Americans in the Republican Party, the geographic and partisan dimensions of the black vote in recent years, and black voters' attitudes toward many issues that may be significant in the fall campaign. Detailed statistical tables and a discussion of the 2008 Republican National Convention's black delegates and alternates make this guide a...
August 2008
This guide discusses the range of participation by African Americans in the Democratic Party, the geographic and partisan dimensions of the black vote in recent years, and black voters' attitudes toward many issues that may be significant in the fall campaign. Detailed statistical tables and a discussion of the 2008 Democratic National Convention's black delegates and alternates make this...
News
October 2012
When Americans go to the polls on Nov. 6, support for President Obama will remain virtually unchanged among Black voters, some experts predict.
“I think Black support for Obama would be the same,” according to David Bositis, senior analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington-based think tank that focuses on Black issues. He added, “In terms of...
October 2012
Before coming of age as a student at Hampton University, Carl Gray was a staunch, frequently lone defender of his conservative values. Ask him to recall a specific time where classmates or friends really challenged or debated him on his politics, he can’t remember one -- because a teacher or administrator always got in the way to defend liberal policies and the fellow students that believed...
October 2012
Americans love the tough guy, the guy who kicks butt and takes names, who mops the floor with his opponents, who has the quick one-liners that can shut a conversation down.
It’s why we like Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, action flicks with memorable lines and lots of action. It’s why we love James Bond, the Matrix series and even Star Wars....