Following President Obama’s reelection in 2012 — a win powered in part by historic black voter turnout — Republicans launched an aggressive outreach effort aimed at African American voters. Never again, they vowed, would they concede that sort of overwhelming demographic advantage to Democrats.
Now, heading into an election without Obama at the top of the ticket, many Republicans say they are positioned to make inroads with black voters. …
It would not take many black votes to complicate the Democrats’ electoral map. Neil Newhouse, a Republican pollster working for a super PAC supporting Bush, said in an e-mail that the “demographic challenges” facing the eventual GOP nominee are “real and significant,” but fixable. CONT.
David Weigel, Sean Sullivan & Wesley Lowery, Washington Post