WP,pg1: Obama's Appeal to Blacks Remains an Open Question

[DeepModem Mom]

Obama's Appeal to Blacks Remains an Open Question
By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 25, 2007; Page A01

....The question of how Obama chooses to define and approach race looms large as he moves closer to formally launching his campaign next month. Although he rides a wave of enthusiasm among Democrats who like his vision of a different kind of politics and see him as an alternative to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), it is not clear that his multiracial message can excite black voters hungry for affirmation of their top concerns.

Melissa V. Harris-Lacewell, a Princeton University professor who has followed Obama's political ascent, said that he may be forced to choose: "You can be elected president as a black person only if you signal at some level that you are independent from black people" -- a move she said would be "guaranteed" to make black people angry. "He is going to have to figure out whether there is a way not to alienate and anger a black base that almost by definition is going to be disappointed," she said.

Already, that balancing act is causing some strains. Some of Obama's longtime black supporters in Illinois are grumbling about the largely white crowd of advisers who now surround Obama as he gears up his national campaign. "Who does he represent? That is what people are worried about," said Lorenzo Martin, publisher of the Chicago Standard newspapers, a chain of black-oriented weeklies that circulate in the southern suburbs. "When you look and see who is surrounding him, you are not going to see too many brothers. What you see is the liberal left."

Complicating matters is that Obama appears certain to encounter fierce competition for the black vote from the other leading Democratic presidential contenders. Black Democrats prefer Clinton 3 to 1 over Obama, and four out of five of black Democrats view her favorably, much higher than the 54 percent who have a favorable view of Obama, according to combined findings from two Washington Post-ABC polls taken in December and January. Clinton also enjoys close ties to top black elected officials, and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, remains extremely popular among African Americans.

Former senator John Edwards (D-N.C.), who launched his presidential campaign from New Orleans's devastated Lower Ninth Ward to highlight his commitment to attacking poverty, is also expected to make a strong appeal to black voters. And waiting in the wings is another African American, Al Sharpton, a candidate in 2004 who is considering running again....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012402032.html?nav=hcmodule

[sandnsea]

1. Whenever I see 'Clinton'

and 'concern' for the chances of another Democrat - I think MEDIA PROPAGANDA.

Put Michael Fletcher on my list of writers to watch.

[Erika]

2. Al is running again?

Fantastic. Obama is as much white as he is black and that should be noted.

[FrenchieCat]

3. I realize that its good to know what the corporate press is writing....

But I'd prefer to hear the truth...and those articles will only give us selective sources and CW. That's kind of not good for us to be on the Internet and following this closely what the Corporate press reports...in particular, the horserace that they themselves created.

These corporate stooges know nothing about the Black community...except for when they see it when the pass it on the freeway! Give me some truth...please!

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

4. Barely scratching the surface

I don't usually get worked up about this nonsense, but...

ITS MOTHERFUCKING NAME RECOGNITION YOU FUCKING VOIDS OF FUCKING JOURNALISTICALY COMPROMISED FUCK.

And John Edwards is name droped as being a big draw for African American voters, but they don't even have any fucking numbers worked up.

Why not, "BREAKING NEWS: Tom Vilsack draws remaining piddling African American support from Obama, Obama legally changes name to Joe Lieberman Jr."