What can Edwards do to improve among African-American voters?

[draft_mario_cuomo]

This is killing him in the South. Edwards is within three points of HRC, and well ahead of Obama among white voters in SC but he is clobbered by them among black voters, with HRC receiving 47% of black support, Obama 31%, and Edwards a mere 4%. I also saw a national poll that had Edwards at only 3% among African-American voters. He needs to improve on this if he is to be competitive in southern primaries.

Edwards is doing well, all things considered, among Latinos. He has 12% support among Hispanics, which is on par with his national support but he is doing it with only 40% name ID among Latinos (Obama has 60% name ID and HRC, not surprisingly, nearly universal name ID), versus 81% name ID with the general public. As his name ID rises his Hispanic support should grow and this will help him greatly in Nevada, where he has already caught Obama for a tie for 2nd place. The recent poll of Arab-Americans had Edwards at 12%, again on par with his national level of support. So it isn't that he is struggling among minority groups but just among African-Americans, who backed him heavily in South Carolina in 2004.

[BuyingThyme]

1. He should bring them into the vote-caging fold.

Both factions need to get on it.

[SaveElmer]

2. Don't think there is much he can do in the near term...

Hillary is incredibly popular among African American voters, with good reason, both because of her name and what she has done herself. Obama obviously is appealing to African Americans not only because he is black himself, but is very well spoken and can appeal as someone that has shared what it measn to be AA in a society that still has many racist elements to it...

There just isn't anything about Edwards history, time in Government, or in his message that can probably overcome the advantages Hillary and Obama have...

The only way it can be reversed I think, is for Edwards to win some early primaries, including New Hampshire...then he would have the aura of a winner and might be able to reverse some of this...

[rhombus]

4. I have to agree. The demographics don't favor Edwards

Hillary is popular among African Americans, and so is Barack Obama. Edwards doesn't have a long, advocating history with African-Americans.

On a side note, Edwards' skipping the Selma, Alabama 'Bloody Sunday' event was a HUGE tactical mistake on his part. The coverage that event got within the African-American community was priceless. Edwards missed a huge opportunity to connect on such a powerful occasion.

[William769]

3. He needs to hammer away at Hillary and Obama.

He has the charm to do it.

[calteacherguy]

5. Well, if he could come across as not just another pandering white male politician...

Oh, I forgot...Edwards is that. Opps.

[rucky]

6. Two options:

Opt for that race-change operation, or change his name to Clinton.