Did Susan B. Anthony and Abraham Lincoln elect Barack Obama?

Posted November 2, 2009

In the earliest days of the United States, only white protestant men with property were eligible to vote, Since that time however, the US has steadily, if unevenly, advanced the cause of suffrage. Has it mattered?

To find out, ask how the 2008 presidential election would have turned out if only white men had voted. Paul Rosenberg at Open Left worked out the answer and drew the picture, which is fascinating.

Had only white men voted for President, Obama would have carried only eight states and lost in a landslide.

Now suppose that white men were excluded from the vote. Suppose, in other words, that only voters enfranchised since the Civil War could have voted in 2008. The results are remarkable:

Obama carries 36 states instead of 28 and does better in every state.

Now what?

US suffrage, Rosenberg concludes, expanded in three steps: first, more people became citizens, then more citizens got voting rights, and finally voting rights were strengthened to make voting easier.

We continue to debate these matters today.

Who becomes a citizen is the essence of our current national debate on immigration reform.

Which citizens can vote is a more settled topic, but questions of voting rights for citizens of Washington DC or or federal territories like Guam are far from resolved. And many have advocated lowering the voting age (perhaps a youth ballot worth a half vote starting at age 16) and even of restoring voting rights for felons.

Strengthening voting rights is an ongoing struggle, whether DOJ enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, debates about same day or DMV ("motor voter") registration, voting security, and a national voting holiday.

And what the pictures tell you is that how we answer these questions will determine what kind of country we will be. Leaving it to the white guys was never a great idea. The fight to enfranchise voters has been worthwhile and has made a huge difference.