In 2007, during his contentious primary race with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama spent a week campaigning with Newark Mayor Corey Booker and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. The media continually highlighted the difference between these three young, African-American politicians and the generation of black leaders that came before them. A new book by Professor Andra Gillespie examines the new generation of black politicians exemplified by President Obama through the lens of Cory Booker's mayoral election and his tenure in Newark.

Last night, Latinos carried Harry Reid to victory in Nevada, while more blacks voted for Republican candidates than ever before. Black Republicans made gains in the House, though in the Senate, there will no longer be a black presence. Andra Gillespie, assistant professor of political science at Emory University, and Theeda Skocpol look at how Latinos and blacks shaped yesterday's elections.