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The Democratic Strategist

Political Strategy for a Permanent Democratic Majority

Mr. and Ms. “Maybe He Can Win”

About a month ago I wrote about the phenomenon of African-American voters (specifically in SC) who don’t support Barack Obama because they are convinced white folks won’t vote for him, making him unelectable. I theorized that a strong Obama showing in the very pale states of IA and NH might take care of at least part of that problem.
Well, even a rise in the polls among white folks for Obama may be having an effect. As Kate Sheppard points out at TAPPED, the trend lines in the last two Rasmussen polls of SC Democrats show Obama narrowing a long-standing deficit to Clinton in that state, mainly because he now leads her among African-Americans by a 51-27 margin, after trailing her in that voter category 46-45 last month.
John Edwards, BTW, continues to be an afterthought among Democratic voters in his native state, pulling 13% in the latest Rasmussen poll as compared to 36% for Clinton and 34% for Obama.

2 comments on “Mr. and Ms. “Maybe He Can Win”

  1. edkilgore on

    skeeters:
    Sorry for the delayed response, but thanks for the info that Obama’s African- American “electibility problem” isn’t a new thing.
    Having watched (a long time ago)white southerners deplore Jimmy Carter as a liberal sell-out, before uniting behind him across every conceivable ideological line, I do think identity matters a lot more in the heat of a close electoral contest. (Another example is JFK’s crazy-high support among Catholics in the 1960 general election.). And if Obama looks like he could truly become the first African-American president, I’d be stunned if he doesn’t overwhelm HRC among black voters.
    Thanks for the comment.
    Ed Kilgore

    Reply
  2. skeeters on

    I think Obama has learned, there are those in the black community he will never reach. I will never get it. In my community, I collected signatures for his Senate run. And all different races were excited.
    I heard this call on the radio Saturday. Nate Clay, the only Liberal on a Chicago station.
    The woman called and ranted. Obama does not care about black people, he is the white candidate.
    Nate nicely asked her. Then why did Obama pass health care for minorites. Why did he pass jobs and housing bills for minorites. He could have become a lawyer right away, but he instead became a community activist in a very crime ridden community.
    Oh yeah. In Illinois we have had a problem with torture and putting innocent, minorities on death row. Half have been found innocent. What Obama did was pass a bill requireing interrogations were videotaped.
    And after this list the woman just kept screaming, he only cares about whites.
    Thank you for the post, I went a little off direction, but you did give me a ray of sunshine.

    Reply

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