What Hillary Clinton’s massive win among black voters really says

[rbrnmw]

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article63009147.html

BY JANELL ROSS

Much has, will and perhaps must be written about the irony of South Carolina Democrats delivering to Hillary Clinton in 2016 her first resounding early-state primary victory. It was, after all, just eight years ago that these same South Carolina voters answered the 2008 Clinton campaign’s argument that she was the pragmatic and therefore best option with a similarly resounding defeat.

Indeed, in 2016, South Carolina has reversed course, and this time it turned toward what most observers will describe as the path of political pragmatism, giving Clinton a nearly 50-point victory over Bernie Sanders.

But there is another story, one that hides in plain sight but may well be ignored. Look closely at the exit poll data, and the indicators of a massive win for Clinton. There is evidence of substantial but far from record-setting overall primary turnout there, too. But, there is also this: Black voters turned out and voted in large numbers relative to other Democrats, giving their numerical majority within the party added meaning.

Black voters in South Carolina cast 6 in every 10 Democratic primary votes, according to CNN’s exit poll data. That ratio is huge – and sets a record-high in South Carolina black voter participation rate. The previous high was 55 percent, set in 2008, when the first black president was on his way to being elected. And if so, what we have here is solid evidence of not one but at least two cultural and political changes that the Obama years have wrought.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article63009147.html#storylink=cpy

[SidDithers]

1. DU rec...nt

Sid

[Zambero]

2. Very encouraging

Hopefully the GOP will have much to lament come November, as relates to payback for their promised intractable Supreme Court obstructionism.

[Agnosticsherbet]

3. Very good article.

First, this is what Democratic voter turnout looks like – these are its outcomes when black voters are convinced of their ability and authority to fundamentally shape American democracy. It is a result that should begin to crush the popular and often repeated myth that black political behavior in 2008 and 2012 was nothing more than a blip, a fleeting kind of emotion-only engagement inspired by a singular and history-making black candidate.

[Starry Messenger]

4. k&r

[TM99]

5. The same myth yet again.

Ok, this is so elementary it is staggering. Have we as a nation become this stupid?

6 out of 10 is 60%. 55% is 5.5 out of 10. So in 2016, there was a STAGGERING amount of growth - a half a fucking percent!

Sorry, that ain't YUUGE!

No there is no record setting primary turnout. In fact it was abysmal at 12.5%. No county had higher than 30% turnout. Even if a majority were black that is still over all a horrible turnout. And it bodes ill for the GE.

[Electric Monk]

6. So white South Carolinians would rather vote Republican. Wow, that's breaking news.

Someone please explain to me again why a solidly red state should carry so much weight in deciding who the blue team candidate is