Increased black voters in '08 nearly erased racial gap

From the New York Times:

In last year’s presidential election, younger blacks voted in greater proportions than whites for the first time and black women turned out at a higher rate than any other racial, ethnic and gender group, a census analysis released Monday confirmed.

As a result, in the election that produced the nation’s first black president, the historic gap between black and white voter participation rates over all virtually evaporated.
[...]
Compared with 2004, the voting rate for black, Asian and Hispanic voters increased by about four percentage points. The rate for whites declined by one percentage point.

If this keeps up, the Republican Party should be scared -- minorities tend to overwhelmingly vote Democratic.

And with minorities growing in percentage (especially Hispanics), the Republicans will need to change their politics or be left behind. If it's not too late.