While media attention has focused on the problems Republicans confront in the wake of their election defeats, Democrats face some issues of their own.
Among them is whether other Democratic candidates can do as well as President Barack Obama, especially among minority voters, The Hill reports. The 2008 and 2012 elections may prove to be aberrations, with Obama’s uniqueness defining the party’s victories.
Things can change in a hurry. For example, much is made of Obama’s 71 to 27 percent victory among Latinos, and rightly so. But just eight years ago, President George W. Bush garnered 44 percent Hispanic support.
Among, Asian Americans, Obama creamed Romney by 47 percentage points — 73 to 26 percent. But again Bush did much better in 2008 with this demographic, losing by 12 points to Democrat John Kerry.
Future Democratic candidates will have to work hard to maintain their advantage among minorities, according to Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons.
“I think the president was very good at turning out those constituencies because he energized them on things they care about,” he told
The Hill.
“It is going to be important for other Democrats, white Democrats, to talk to those communities about things they care about, and not assume they are going to be there in 2016 or 2014.”
Democrats also have to worry about their lack of support among the elderly. Romney smashed Obama 56 to 44 percent among voters 65 and older. Clearly the attacks against the former Massachusetts governor over Medicare missed their mark. And this is a segment of voters that is only going to grow over time, as baby boomers age.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.