Blacks Support Clinton?

By Joe Sims
Newspaper headlines can be so misleading. One I saw this morning really got my goat. It read, “Blacks Prefer Hillary”. The article however, told a completely different story, namely that Obama enjoyed great support from African Americans, but feared he was unelectable because of racism. Senator Clinton on the other hand was seen as the most electable of the Democratic candidates. Widespread apprehension and cynicism about racism was therefore turned into a “preference” for the Democrat's now favored candidate, a telltale twist indeed.

The findings published in an article in a St. Louis on-line rag, were based on a poll taken by the Joint Center for Political Studies. Noted Black scholar Ron Walters, commenting on the findings stressed the importance of the upcoming Iowa vote. According to Walters, Iowa was a “must win,” for Obama. African Americans, in his view, will draw long-term conclusions about the viability of the Illinois senator’s campaign. If the numbers hold up, and Obama maintains his lead, Blacks will see this as providing great heft to the campaign. Objectively it would be a great blow against racial intolerance. Black support bolstered by such a victory would then view Obama as a winning alternative, as opposed to an insurgent protest vote. Should this happen, all bets might be off. Watch out, South Carolina!