Fool Me Once, Shame on You. Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me

 

Two of the largest voting blocs -- black voters and young voters -- that overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential Election are among those hardest hit by the current recession.

During the 2008 election, 96% of black voters voted for Senator Obama (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15297.html), while nearly 70% of young voters (ages 18-29) cast their ballot for the Illinois Senator (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27525497/ns/politics-decision_08/t/youth-vote-may-have-been-key-obamas-win/). 

The current unemployment rate for blacks stands at 13 percent, compared to the national average of 8.1% (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm).   Forty percent of black teenagers are unemployed, compared to 25 percent of all teenagers (http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-22/boomers-and-millennials-whos-got-it-worse-in-the-workplace).  To put these numbers in perspective, an African-American is 60% more likely to be unemployed than the average American of the same age group.

After three years of the President's economic policies, nearly one out of three adults (32%) between the ages of 18 and 29  is "underemployed," while 13.6% of that same age group is unemployed.  In other words, a young person is 68% more likely to be unemployed than the average American (http://www.gallup.com/poll/154553/one-three-young-underemployed.aspx).

The President is counting on these voters once again to help him win a second term.  If these voting blocs look past his powerful oratorical skills and consider his record, they will be hard pressed to find a reason to vote for him again. Actions -- and results -- speak much louder than words, no matter how well those words are delivered.

Whether you're black, white, Hispanic, young, middle aged or an older American, one sobering economic statistic should give every American pause:  Today, America has the smallest percentage of people working since 1981 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/unemployment-rate-april-jobs_n_1477014.html). 

Clearly, the President's economic policies are not working for America, but especially for those who voted so overwhelmingly for him in 2008.