Most blacks likely to vote for Kerry

African Americans are expected to vote overwhelmingly for Democrat John Kerry in November, and a high turnout by blacks could decide the razor-thin presidential election.

Kerry, who had a shaky start with the black community, has spent a lot of time in African American churches recently to whip up additional support from one of the Democratic Party's mainstays.

Some 12 million blacks voted in the last election, with nine in 10 casting ballots for Democrat Al Gore.

But polls earlier suggested Kerry might be hard-pressed to match that figure against President George W. Bush.

A poll several weeks ago by CBS and Black Entertainment Television (BET) found eight in ten blacks supported Kerry. Some analysts said that number could climb higher on Election Day now that more African Americans are familiar with the Democrat.

The Massachusetts senator has launched a major drive to mobilize African Americans, particularly in the southeastern state of Florida, which was pivotal in 2000 and is up for grabs this year.

Turnout among African American voters could be swelled by lingering resentment over the 2000 vote, when election officials turned away a number of black voters at the polls and canceled the ballot of many others.

A poll of black Americans earlier this year by CBS and BET found that 85 percent of respondents believed Bush did not legitimately win the presidency in 2000, compared with just 32 percent of whites.

And blacks are disenchanted with Bush, whose policies under seen as unfriendly to the African American community, such as tax policies that benefit the wealthy.