Tipsheet

Obama Shames African-Americans: Turnout "Not As Solid As It Needs to Be"

When Barack Obama finds out that a group of people are not exactly playing by stereotypical rules, he calls them out.  

“I’m going to be honest with you right now. The Latino vote is up. The overall vote is up. But the African-American vote, right now, is not as solid as it needs to be,” Obama said in an interview that aired Wednesday on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show.”

Democrats are gravely concerned about low African-American turnout in early voting.  African-American turnout is down from four years ago in both North Carolina and Florida.

Obama said that if African-Americans don't vote for Clinton, then everything he has done will be a waste.

"I need every one to understand that everything we’ve done is dependent on me being able to pass the baton to somebody who believes in the same things I do,” the president said. “If you really care about my presidency and what we’ve accomplished, then you are going to go and vote,” he added, urging African-Americans to tell their friends and relatives that the Obamas “personally asked you to vote.” 

He also told the minority demographic that it's not that hard.

“It’s not that hard, and I know it’s not that hard because we’ve done it before.”