Obama and black politics
Roughly 94 percent of black voters now vote for a candidate from the Democratic Party. This high number at the national level may be due in part to President Obama’s racial identity. In 2008 Obama surpassed even the solidification of black votes for Lyndon Baines Johnson that occurred in 1964.
Has the United States moved closer to a post-racial society? In an age when #BlackLivesMatter responds to the realities of Ferguson and Baltimore, the answer to this question is a resounding no. Although Americans in 2008 elected a person of color as president for the first time, Obama’s election reveals hints of our country’s race problem. Many Americans are still caught in the squabble regarding race and politics.
This racial conflict showcases both the divisiveness of racial politics in America and a lack of resolve among an alienated population, which includes young black Americans born after the 1960’s civil rights movement and older black civil rights leaders holding on to their historical voice. After Obama secured the democratic nomination in 2008, Matt Bai captured the tensions among black voters in a New York Times article:
