THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama's historic election win has marked a new epoch in US politics by showing that white voters no longer hold the balance of power when it comes to choosing US presidents.
President-Elect Obama attracted 43 per cent of the white vote, with 55 per cent backing John McCain.
But because white voters make up an ever-decreasing percentage of the total, Mr Obama still achieved an overwhelming victory because he attracted 95 per cent of the black vote and two thirds of Hispanic and Asian voters.
Black and ethnic minority voters accounted for 26 per cent of all votes cast in the election. As recently as 2000, they made up just 19 per cent of voters.
At the current rate of change, white voters will be in the minority by 2042, and with black and ethnic minority voters traditionally voting Democrat, regardless of the candidate's skin colour, the Republicans are facing a long-term problem.
Richard Little, Professor of International Politics at Bristol University, said: "Clearly the Republicans are going to have to think about this very seriously. The long-term implications are very significant, which is part of the reason people are saying this is such a historic moment." >>> By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter | November 5, 2008
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