Can Democrats get the votes they need simply because they're not Republicans? You might think so in this presidential campaign. African-American and urban votes are critical to any Democratic victory. Bill Clinton won two terms without winning the most white votes. His margin was the overwhelming support of black voters. George Bush learned that lesson; that's why his campaigns spent so much effort suppressing the black vote in key states like Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. His victory margin was the tally of votes suppressed or uncounted.
Yet the Democratic candidates -- with the exception of John Edwards, who opened his campaign in New Orleans' Ninth Ward and has made addressing poverty central to his campaign -- have virtually ignored the plight of African Americans in this country.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
This is HUGE! Jackson, a Chicago-centric Black activist, on Obama's turf, basically saying that Edwards is the Black candidate? That Obama is taking African-American votes for granted? This is huge for Edwards if it catches on. Jesse's definitely got his problems, but he commands a large audience and for him as a African-American Chicagoan to (possibly) endorse Edwards is just huge. HUGE!
Jesse Jackson is the kiss of death for a candidate.
From a broader electorate perspective, I think this works in Obama's favor. I think this makes Jackson look like a whiny bitch that isn't getting enough attention from America's first Black Candidate with a real chance of winning. If Obama were to embrace Jackson too much or try and play the "I'm black. vote for me, Black America" card then he would get crushed by the politcal hooligans. I think he knows better.
I agree with you, The (Baby's) Arm (Holding an Apple). Obama def. doesn't want to say "I'm black, vote for me" and too much attention from Jackson is the kiss of death for a Black candidate. That said, this type of press is great for Edwards, who has been basically shut out of the media, and probably considered a non-candidate by most Chicago African-Americans due to Obama's ubiquity in the city.
Post a Comment