Abstract
Ushered into office by a record high turnout rates among groups who usually had lower voting participation in national elections, Barack Hussein Obama entered the White House in January 2009 in an environment of high expectations, but with a massive and seemingly insurmountable economic problems. Since his January 2009 inauguration, President Obama has found that the mounting challenges to deracialized governance far outweigh those of deracialized campaigning. Deracialized governance occurs when candidates, who were elected through the usage of a deracial-ized campaign, attempt to deliver policies that serve to reduce inequality.1 When running deracialized campaigns, candidates downplay racial issues and address those that voters of all races can identify with.2 Candidates like Obama, who deemphasize race during their campaigns in order to win elections, are confronted with numerous racial conflicts after taking office. On one hand, African Americans have higher expectations for black elected officials than whites and usually are worse off than other groups during times of crisis. On another hand, voters of all races want these candidates to fulfill the promises made during their campaigns.
Keywords
- Turnout Rate
- Electoral Vote
- Racial Issue
- Black Candidate
- Black Voter
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes
Andra Gillespie, “Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here?” In Whose Black Politics?: Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership (New York: Routledge, 2010), pp. 309–318.
Byron D’ Andra Orey, “Deracialization or Racialization: The Making of a Black Mayor in Jackson, Mississippi.” Politics & Policy, 34, 4 (2006): 814–836.
Huey L., Perry, ed. Race, Politics and Governance in the United States (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1996).
Georgia Persons, Dilemmas of Black Politics: Issues of Leadership and Strategy (New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1993).
William E. Nelson and Philip J. Meranto. Electing Black Mayors: Political Action in the Black Community (Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1977).
Joseph McCormick and Charles E Jones. “The Conceptualization of Deracialization,” in Georgia Persons, editor. Dilemmas of Black Politics (New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1993), pp. 66–84.
Stokely Carmichael and Charles V. Hamilton, Black Power: The Politics of Liberation (New York: Vintage Press, 1967), p. 26.
Charles Hamilton, “Deracialization: Examination of a Political Strategy.” First World, March/April, 1977, pp. 3–5.
See Mary Summers and Philip A. Klinkner, “The Election and Governance of John Daniels as Mayor of New Haven,” in Huey L. Perry, editor, Race, Politics and Governance in the United States (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1996).
Barack H. Obama, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (New York: Random House, 2008).
Sharyn Skeeter, “African American History Month: Candidates for President,” Unpublished Document, February 10, 2007.
Rusty Mason and Brad Paraszczak, “Towards a Post-Racial Politics,” Harvard Political Review April 25, 2008, p. 1.
Jody Herman and Lorraine Minnite, The Demographics of Voters in America’s 2008 General Election: A Preliminary Assessment, Unpublished Report. Project Vote, 2008, p. 2.
Cash Michaels, “Obama’s Strategy to Maximize Black Vote in Election,” Chicago Defender, August 13, 2008, p. 1.
See Dewey Clayton, The Presidential Campaign of Barack Obama: A Critical Analysis of a Racially Transcendent Strategy (New York: Routledge Press, 2010).
Frank Newport, “Blacks and Whites Continue to Differ Sharply on Obama: Obama’s Approval Ratings Among These Groups are At or Tied With Their Lowest Levels to Date.” August 3, 2010 (http://www.gallup.com/poll/141725/blacks-whites-continue-differ-sharply-obama.aspx). Retrieved on November 21, 2010.
George C. Edwards, Martin P. Lineberry, and Robert L. Lineberry, Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy (New York: Longman, 2009), p. 411.
Larry West, “U.S. Economic Stimulus Package Includes Billions for Energy and the Environment: Green Initiatives, Tax Incentives are at Core of 2009 Economic Stimulus Package.” Unpublished Paper. (http://environment.about.com/od/environmentallawpolicy/a/econ_stimulus.htm). Retrieved on November 22, 2010.
Anita Campbell, “What Exactly is in That Health Care Reform Bill? Small Business Trends,” July 18, 2009 (http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/07/what-exactly-is-in-that-healthcare-reform-bill.html). Retrieved on November 22, 2010.
Byron York, “The Black-White Divide in Obama’s Popularity,” The Washington Examiner, April 28, 2009 (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/black-white-divide-in-obama-popularity-43923897.html). Retrieved on November 22, 2010.
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© 2011 John Davis
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Austin, S.W., King, D. (2011). President Barack Obama and Racial Politics. In: The Barack Obama Presidency. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230370456_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230370456_4
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