BET Wire: Black Votes Rock
African-Americans are game changers at the polls.
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In Case You Missed It - Obamacare is still on life support; Black voters played a crucial role in key elections; same-sex marriage to become legal in Illinois – and more. – Joyce Jones
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Game Changers - African-Americans are far from the majority in Virginia and make up just 20 percent of the voting population, but the were key to Democrat Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial win. With support very close to what Obama got in 2012, they filled gaps the candidate had with other demographics, enabling him to squeak through with a three-point lead. (Photo: Blend Images - Hill Street Studios/Getty Images)
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Landslide - With 95 percent of African-American votes, Bill de Blasio coasted to victory to become the first Democrat in 20 years to serve as mayor of New York City. (Photo: Steve Sands/WireImage)
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Well Played - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's decisive re-election was successful in part because of African-American voters, and sets him up for a 2016 presidential bid. The day after his win, President Obama called the governor to offer his congratulations. (Photo: Kena Betancur/Getty Images)
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Fighting Words - During a church service for mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio, Harry Belafonte likened the conservative donors David and Charles Koch to the Ku Klux Klan. He told the congregation at Harlem's First Corinthian Baptist Church that the Kochs are "evil" and "flooding our country with money." (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Firing Line - Jeh Johnson, Obama's nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security, will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Nov. 13. He is expected to be well received during the confirmation hearing, but a full vote could be blocked by lawmakers seeking political gains. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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No. 15 - Both houses of the Illinois General Assembly have now approved the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. That makes it the 15th state to approve same-sex marriage. In a statement, Obama said, "Michelle and I are overjoyed for all the committed couples in Illinois whose love will now be as legal as ours." (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Script Change - In response to complaints of insurance plan cancellations, Obama has come up with a new line. "If you like your plan you can keep it" has been replaced by “Now, if you had one of these plans before the Affordable Care Act came into law and you really liked that plan, what we said was you can keep it — if it hasn’t changed since the law passed.” (Photo: Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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Romney Weighs In - Failed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney says that Obamacare is hurting Obama's second term. "The fact that the president sold it on a basis that was not true has undermined the foundation of his second term. I think it's rotting away," Romney said on NBC's Meet the Press. (Photo: Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
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More Bad News - In testimony at a Senate Finance Committee Hearing on Nov. 6, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that the health care exchange enrollment numbers coming out the following week are expected to be "quite low." (Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
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Action Required - According to a new report from the National Employment Law Project, unless Congress acts swiftly, 1.3 million Americans receiving long-term federal unemployment insurance could see their benefits grind to a halt between Christmas and the new year. (Photo: Jon Boyes/Getty Images)