Obama works to shore up voter base
As the 2012 presidential campaign season inches closer, President Obama is working to shore up his base, but economic pressures are making that a more difficult task. Erin Billups has more.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "I expect all of you to march with me and press on," President Barack Obama.
Speaking at a gathering of the nation's black political elite, Obama made a plea to his base to stay on his side. But with the struggling economy plaguing minority communities, many say the President simply hasn't done enough.
"We love the President, we want him to be successful, but does he feel our pain?" asked Rep. Maxine Waters.
"We celebrate rising to the heights of U.S. government and at the same time falling deeper into the depths of poverty and miseducation," said television personality Tavis Smiley said.
Waters and Smiley both crisscrossed the nation on jobs tours this summer highlighting the nearly 17 percent black unemployment rate, almost double the national average. It's an issue they say could cause blacks to turn away from Obama in 2012.
"I think they were looking for an overnight change and when that didn't happen, they were a little disappointed. But overall, I don't think that they're not ready to go ahead and vote for another president," said Taneshia Rice.
"I still believe he's going to win. I think he may be losing some African American constituents because they have the wrong focus, saying that because you have a black president, that he has to address all black issues. Well he is the president for everyone. He has to represent everyone or he won't get elected again," said Bernadine Stallings.
Political experts say the consequence of that voter discontent, whether founded or not, could be a lack of support when it counts.
"The critical thing for blacks and for Hispanics is that, for the most part, they don't vote between candidates historically, it's that they decide to vote or not to vote, to turn out or not to turn out. If people support him at the same percentage rate, but stay home then he could lose. He could very well lose," Smiley said.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "I expect all of you to march with me and press on," President Barack Obama.
Speaking at a gathering of the nation's black political elite, Obama made a plea to his base to stay on his side. But with the struggling economy plaguing minority communities, many say the President simply hasn't done enough.
"We love the President, we want him to be successful, but does he feel our pain?" asked Rep. Maxine Waters.
"We celebrate rising to the heights of U.S. government and at the same time falling deeper into the depths of poverty and miseducation," said television personality Tavis Smiley said.
Waters and Smiley both crisscrossed the nation on jobs tours this summer highlighting the nearly 17 percent black unemployment rate, almost double the national average. It's an issue they say could cause blacks to turn away from Obama in 2012.
"I think they were looking for an overnight change and when that didn't happen, they were a little disappointed. But overall, I don't think that they're not ready to go ahead and vote for another president," said Taneshia Rice.
"I still believe he's going to win. I think he may be losing some African American constituents because they have the wrong focus, saying that because you have a black president, that he has to address all black issues. Well he is the president for everyone. He has to represent everyone or he won't get elected again," said Bernadine Stallings.
Political experts say the consequence of that voter discontent, whether founded or not, could be a lack of support when it counts.
"The critical thing for blacks and for Hispanics is that, for the most part, they don't vote between candidates historically, it's that they decide to vote or not to vote, to turn out or not to turn out. If people support him at the same percentage rate, but stay home then he could lose. He could very well lose," Smiley said.
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