Black Vote

The confidential memo from a former pollster for President Obama contained a blunt warning for Democrats. Written this month with an eye toward Election Day, it predicted “crushing Democratic losses across the country” if the party did not do more to get black voters to the polls.

“African-American surge voters came out in force in 2008 and 2012, but they are not well positioned to do so again in 2014,” Cornell Belcher, the pollster, wrote in the memo, dated Oct. 1. “In fact, over half aren’t even sure when the midterm elections are taking place.”

Of course, African-Americans will decide for themselves whether they want to come out to the polls and vote but in case they don’t, I wouldn’t be able to blame them. The Democrats are not offering anything to African-Americans, haven’t brought anything of value to the African-American community whose members turned out for the Dems so well in the last two presidential elections.

The only reason why anybody still comes out to vote for the Democrats is the promise that they will be vaguely different from Republicans. As of now, this supposed difference hasn’t materialized a whole lot. At first we used to hear, “Yes, but Democrats will defend food stamps, abortion rights, gay marriage, and a withdrawal of troops from the Middle East.” Now we are hearing, “Yes, but Democrats will defend gay marriage.” I’m getting a feeling that even this last bastion of Democratic activities on behalf of voters might fall. How will the Dems pretend that they are doing something for their base then?

P.S. Please don’t tell me that the alternative is even worse. I’m as tired of hearing it as you are of saying it. Besides, I have said it as many times as you have. It’s just hard to muster enthusiasm on behalf of somebody whose only claim to my attention is being marginally less horrible than somebody else.