Michael Fauntroy throws some perspective on Barack Obama's win

There's an interesting article from Michael Fauntroy, assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University and author of the just released Republicans and the Black vote.

Michael smacks down the mainstream media for fawning over Obama and the audacity of interpreting his Iowa win as "proof that White voters have overcome their aversion to Black presidential candidates". Oh how do I agree with that one! What the hell is wrong with people when they assume that Barack Obama has ended racism in one fell swoop. Seriously.

Yet, here is the money quote :

... it should never be a surprise to anyone when a Black Democrat wins a presidential primary. Democratic voters around the country have been voting for Black presidential candidates for years. After all, the hated Jesse Jackson won seven primaries and four caucuses 20 years ago. He scored wins in, among other places, the White-as-Iowa Vermont (95 percent White) and disproportionately White Delaware (70 percent White). Indeed, the real surprise will be when a Black candidate wins a Republican primary.

Obama won the support of 38 percent of Iowa caucus-goers in his victory. That means, of course, that 62 percent of caucus-goers did not want him to be their party’s nominee. This is all the more significant given the incredible turnout much of which has been attributed to Obama’s campaign of hope.

Go read the whole thing.


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Data from the 2002 survey indicate that by age 20, 77% of respondents had had sex, 75% had had premarital sex, and 12% had married; by age 44, 95% of respondents (94% of women, 96% of men, and 97% of those who had ever had sex) had had premarital sex. Even among those who abstained until at least age 20, 81% had had premarital sex by age 44. Among cohorts of women turning 15 between 1964 and 1993, at least 91% had had premarital sex by age 30. Among those turning 15 between 1954 and 1963, 82% had had premarital sex by age 30, and 88% had done so by age 44.

Conclusions. Almost all Americans have sex before marrying. These findings argue for education and interventions that provide the skills and information people need to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases once they become sexually active, regardless of marital status.


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