Obama’s Rise Strains Loyalty on Clinton Turf

[BeyondGeography]

The NEw York Times
April 24, 2007

<Only a few months ago, the vast majority of black elected officials in New York were expected to support the presidential candidacy of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. But no longer.

In a series of interviews, a significant number of those officials now say they are undecided about whether to back Mrs. Clinton or one of her main rivals for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the only black politician in the race.

The officials described themselves as impressed with the strength of Mr. Obama’s campaign in recent weeks, saying it reflected a grass-roots enthusiasm for Mr. Obama that many noticed among black voters in their own districts. And that could signal trouble for Mrs. Clinton, forcing her to devote precious attention to her home state, where blacks made up 20 percent of the Democratic primary vote in 2004, just as she has had to scramble to keep black support nationwide.

Facing a potential drift of black support, the Clinton campaign has recently taken several steps: dispatching former President Bill Clinton to speak before black and Hispanic lawmakers in Albany earlier this year, and then to address the Rev. Al Sharpton’s group, the National Action Network, in New York last week; using Bill Lynch, who was a top political adviser to former Mayor David N. Dinkins, to corral black support in New York City; and enlisting heavyweights from the black political establishment like Representative Charles B. Rangel, Democrat of New York, to help Mrs. Clinton court black leaders.>

<...Assemblyman N. Nick Perry, Democrat of Brooklyn, said many black politicians were mindful of what happened in 1988, when overwhelmingly large numbers of black primary voters in New York supported the presidential candidacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, to the surprise of black politicians who supported his rivals. He said that “there was a lot of atoning that had to be done” afterward among those politicians.

“This is bigger than Jesse Jackson,” Mr. Perry, who remained undecided, said of Mr. Obama’s candidacy. “When you look at Obama, his potential seems quite explosive.”>

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/24/us/politics/24clinton.html?hp

[AtomicKitten]

1. The audacity of Obama.

He rocks.

[rinsd]

12. He certainly does. Our cup runneth over with good candidates to vote for!

[William769]

2. Good for Him!

The Primaries should not be a cake walk for anyone. But in the end I know Mrs. Clinton will be our nominee, I just want to see a good primary season.

[onna no hito]

6. Sen Clinton will be the nominee-barack in 2016-if he plays his cards right

The only question I have is will Barack's supporters be good sports
and support her, or will they do what the self destructive naderites did in florida in 2000?

I know that Barack will give a classy concession speech because he is a classy young man-like Rep Harold Ford. But he needs mucho mas experieence before he is ready to weather a withering national
presidential campaign.

. It would be historically unprecendented for a two year junior senator to win the white house
on the first try-and lets face oit folks, the age of karl rove marks the end of Jimmy Carter miracles.

Barack will likely get probably 60%, and absolutely no more than 70% of the A-American vote in the primaries. Mondale and Mc Govern got much higher percentages of the AA vote-which puts the NYT article in perspective.

As for the comment somebody made that 48% wont back Hillary...don't they realize 48% cannot stop her?? Her negatives can't go any higher-unlike Barack, everybody in america has made up their minds about her-for better or for worse-

she has been through two grueling presidential campaigns against the gop character assassins, with her team of James Carville, Mandy Gruenwald, and Paul Begala. She wont wilt in the heat of the campaign, or make fatal gaffs like John Kerry,a good and decent man.

-the gop tried to kill Hillary in NY with Rick Lazio(funny) Even Sean Hannity and Limbaugh together cant raise her negatives any higher-

So its really hilarious that some of the posters on this board think matt drudge' "southern fried hilary" joke will cost her votes. not.

fyi: 99% of the people who vote dont read the pundits, nor do they care if she kisses babies, pretends to like bagels and speaks bad yiddish in Brooklyn. Or eats turnips in tennessee
and goes to a nascar race.

They are interested in healthcare, SS, the environment, winding down the war, etc.

its gonna be fun- but its really all over but the shouting.

To barack fans: cant we all get along?? we cant have mormon mitt in the whitehouse, appointed Orin NutHatch to the next supreme court vacancy-if you want freedonm to choose, civil rights laws enforced, and protections for the environment to be upheld against big business lobbies.

[Colobo]

8. I can get along with everyone fine. I will vote for Obama anyway.

[onna no hito]

9. no problem; I'll vote for him too-if he's the nominee

we just have to stick together after the primaries.
Ill vote for any dem excpet joe liberman or
zig zag zell miller-who is really not a dem anyway.

Yes, selma was a great day for barack.

but today, alabama is a red state-and neither hillary or
barack can take that one-under any set of circumstances.

[Captain_Nemo]

13. Given the crisis our country and the world is in

are you sure he can solve the issues? There are no second chances on these issues

1. Global Warming
2. Iraq (nuclear weapons being lobbed on Iran by Israel)
3. Our economy

I worry that the same excitable love for Nader is pushing the Obama train.

[enough already]

10. The tide is most definitely turning

The grass roots is going to be heard loud and clear in this election. It's starting...

[mrgorth]

11. Well he'd be running against whatever thug

beats Hillary to death in the general in 2012.

[illinoisprogressive]

3. It is that Black voters know who is presidential material. Obama!

Just ask any of his black supporters in Illinois. Or, for that matter his white, young, old, rich, poor, city, rural,ect. supporters here. This state loves the Senator.

[goclark]

4. GObama!

[bigdarryl]

5. they all will be getting a call from Bill I guarantee that

[Colobo]

7. Viva Obama!