Black voters tilt toward Clinton: study
By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton is overwhelmingly popular with black voters, drawing higher approval ratings than the only major African-American candidate running for president, according to a study released today by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
Clinton's own record as First Lady and New York senator -- along with her marriage to former President Bill Clinton, who is very popular among black voters -- earned her an 83 percent approval rating among likely black voters, compared to 75 percent who ranked Illinois Senator Barack Obama positively, the study said.
It's not that black voters don't like Obama as much, said David Bositis, senior research director for the Washington-based group. But African-Americans -- especially those in the South -- haven't seen black candidates do well statewide, and are concerned Obama can't win, Bositis said.
By a two-to-one margin, black voters said they valued ``commitment to change'' over experience in public office, a trend that would seem to favor Obama, who has cast himself as the agent of change in the race for the Democratic nomination. But Clinton, seen by voters as the stronger candidate to win the general election, still scored higher, according to the poll of 750 African-Americans who said they were likely to participate in primaries and caucuses.
Clinton is ``probably in New England Patriots territory, in terms of being the favorite'' to win the nomination, Bositis said. ``But Philadelphia almost beat the New England Patriots,'' he added, referring to the Eagles' close game against the undefeated Patriots.
If Obama wins the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3, however, he will have a more ``level playing field'' that will lead all Democratic voters -- not just blacks -- to take another look at the Illinois senator, Bositis said. ``It would become a real race,'' he said.
Republicans fared poorly in the study; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was best-known among African-American voters, but was viewed unfavorably by 43 percent of those polled. Just 27 percent viewed Giuliani favorably. Bositis said the major issues cited by the respondents -- the Iraq war, health care and jobs -- tended to favor Democratic candidates, while issues touted by GOP candidates were barely having an impact among black voters.
None of those poled mentioned taxes as an issue, and fewer than two percent mentioned either terrorism or immigration as being important to them, the study said.
I wish our governement and our media were as color-blind as the rest of us Americans. As long as they continue to talk about it, the ridiculous divisions of color will never go away. Let's just ignore them whenever it's brought up. In fact, on the next form you fill out that asks your race, tell them you're a human, just like them!
Black voters are justified in supporting Hillary Clinton - but they are missing an opportunity. Barack Obama has brought legitimacy to the idea of an African-American running for President. He is not a self-serving single issue candidate and he bridges the gap of being both African and American.
Ohg
http://thefiresidepost.com/2007/10/11/obama-the-soul-of-black-folk-incarnated/
I don't trust Obama, what has he done for black people?
To get my vote you have to earn it and I don't see Obama earning it. Obama might be a good Senator for Illinois but he doesnt' stand and fight for any hard issue...for some reason he's always absent.
Yeah, Obama is a person of color and cute but what has he fought for, where does he stand...He love to quote MLK but Martin fought and fought and didn't hide or was absent from the fight, like Obama has done time and time again.
I am a traditional black voter. I trust and support Obama all the way. I despise Hillary Clinton. All you black vote calling bill clinton the first black president that is an insult to our black men. How is he black, did his momma sleep with a black man? Well, that's the only way that he could claim to be black; How could something that white be mistaken for black. However, if Obama is elected, then he will hold that honor as the first black president; not that sex addict bill clinton.
Black voters are NOT justified in supporting Hillary Clinton. Just exactly how many years did she spend hoofing it in depressed Afr-Am neighborhoods trying to get better jobs into their communities, get their streets cleaned up, their houses cleaned of toxins, better educational opportunities for inner city kids. Obama spend YEARS doing this before he ran for political office. He has worked with depressed communities from the ground-up and knows the challenges FIRSTHAND, compared to Hillary Clinton whose "experience" is basically staged visits to black churches and rhetoric. Obama's efforts are poorly covered by the media - intentionally. How many blacks know that just in October, it was Obama who first stood _ALONE_(later joined by Feingold) , challenging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, opposing the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky, architect of some of the worst voter suppression schemes in decades, to head the _Federal Elections Commission_. Google it for yourself. LEARN about your candidates, don't go for the media narratives!
Anyone looking for some new Hillary video from an SC stop and an interesting commentary on how race is impacting that primary should try: http://goupstate.us/index.php/lanefiller/2007/11/27/hillary_and_the_black_men_of_god
Hillary is beating Obama among black voters becuase black voters are rightfully more concerned with qualifications as opposed to race. Nobody dislikes Barak Obama. But he has hardly any experience, where-as Hillary has years and years.
As for Oprah...she will make as much of an impact as a fart in a hurricane.
"I am a traditional black voter. I trust and support Obama all the way. I despise Hillary Clinton. All you black vote calling bill clinton the first black president that is an insult to our black men. How is he black, did his momma sleep with a black man? Well, that's the only way that he could claim to be black; How could something that white be mistaken for black. However, if Obama is elected, then he will hold that honor as the first black president; not that sex addict bill clinton."
People like you are the reason that "Black" voters have such a bad title. The truth is that not ALL people are color sensitive, which clearly you are. Black people have minds too, they will vote for the best candidate not just the one that matches their race.
am a black man. i despise racism which has become the weapon of this election. Clinton is good, Obama is also a great guy. let us support and vote for credibility and not color. let us support the best candidate that can bring positive impact and NOT whether the candidate is black or white
Well if she had so many "years" as opposed to Obama, then she should have long ago run for President. The year after her husband!
Ulagious's (#4) comment made me truly sad. Vote someone for president just because they are Black? That is a true act of racism. Unfortunately, I know many people are just like this person... Please, vote based on issues and principles. NOT race, NOT sex.
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