Why is it that when white voters decrease support, it's time for hand-wringing, endless analysis and

[Empowerer]

in-depth discussions about what the candidate/officeholder is doing wrong and what they must fix in order to bring them back, while, on the other hand, when black voters don't support someone, folks just shrug it off and treat it as no big deal?

We rarely hear any discussion about what politicians should do to attract more black voters and when any discussion is had, it's usually framed within a context of criticizing politicians for "pandering to special interests." And, of course, when any black voter or commentator dares to suggest that black voters deserve more than condescension, they are accused of "race baiting," "race hustling," and - that old standby - "playing the race card."

[OHdem10]

1. Sadly, that is the way the system works. Rich White People

(Big Business) rules.

[Empowerer]

2. I don't think it's an economic issue. This cuts across economic and class lines.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Remember during the 2008 election when black voters were completely ignored?

The media kept saying that Obama can't win over the white "working class" voters. Then they trotted out Joe the plumber as proof.

Isn't it interesting how only white voters are considered "working class" and not minorities?

The media whores thrive on division and racism.

[Empowerer]

4. Bingo!

Your point touches on another interesting phenomenon - the media endlessly breaks down and analyzes white voters into the tiniest subsets: white men, white women, white men under 50, white women over 40, white working class men between 18 and 40, white working mothers between 34 and 36, suburban whites, whites with two point four children making between $36,000 and $35,000 per year . . .

And then they compare it to "black voters." That's it. Black voters. Not broken down by gender or income or any other demographic. We're just all lumped together while white voters are treated as individuals.

[onenote]

5. probably because white voters still constitute a majority of voters?

Its the simplistic way in which these things are viewed. If every white voters all voted as a bloc, they would win no matter how strong or cohesive the vote of the non-white segments of the electorate.

The fact that an all-white voting bloc is unrealistic doesn't seem to deter the simplistic analysis.

[Empowerer]

7. That's not why white voters are treated as more important than minority voters.

Otherwise, women - black, white, Hispanic, Asian, etc. - would be treated as more important than any other group since they comprise a majority of voters.

[Uzybone]

6. when I read here about how the "base" doesn't include black voters

its no wonder why minority voters are taken for granted.