Yes, in big national elections like this the Democrats need minorities to turn out and vote for Democratic candidates.
The NAACP recently held a big rally in DC to help stir up things among African American voters. When minority voters turn out, the Democrats generally can win these national elections.
In addition, the Democrats usually win when the youth vote comes out. Most young people these days are very progressive. But they're still young people, and many still need to be reminded to vote. Some young voters and minority voters don't realize the importance of the mid-term elections.
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Minority and young voters should also consider voting early. In many states, you can register to become a permanent mail voter, which means you do not have to wait in lines on election day.
The battle of 2012?
A Bloomberg poll suggests that Barack Obama would beat Sarah Palin by 16 points in a 2012 contest. Photo by Steven Senne, AP.
Despite much higher unemployment rates among African Americans, Obama's still holds strong support among black voters.
The president is putting significant effort to get black and other minority voters to the polls in November. Minorities generally vote at lower rates during off-year elections.
An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll earlier in the week found that African Americans and Blacks are helping erase the "enthusiasm gap" mentioned so often in the press. The growing excitement among those groups is also narrowing the margin between Democrats and Republicans in the generic polls for the House of Representatives.
Recent statements by President Obama and other prominent Democrats also indicate the the level of excitement among Democrats is rising rapidly. The most recent Newsweek poll shows the Democrats up in the generic ballot by five percent among registered voters. Attendance at rallies like the recent appearance of Obama in Wisconsin that attracted about 26,000 people also provide more evidence that the enthusiasm gap is narrowing quickly.
The level of enthusiasm among minority voters can play a big role in these elections. What may end up happening is that in states and districts where Republicans are expected to win, they will simply win by larger margins that usual. However, in other areas where the races are closer and where there are large minority communities, a better than expected turnout among these groups could lead to Democratic victories.
We've seen the same phenomenon before and it's related to the dual factors of the greater diversity of the Democratic Party and the segregated nature of many districts and even some whole states. If the energy level among minority voters continues to spike, we may even see unexpected gains for the Democrats.
Latino voters can make a big difference, for example, in the big senate races in California, pitting Sen. Barbara Boxer against Carly Fiorina, and in Nevada, where Sen. Harry Reid is facing Sharon Angle. Black and Asian Pacific Islander voters will also make a significant difference in those races. African American voters will be more prominent in states like Illinois, Pennsylvania and Florida. Indeed, we may see a new enthusiasm gap -- this time with Democrats leading as the more motivated party.
