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Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both marched in Selma, Albama, and “made deeply personal appeals to voters in the sanctuaries of black churches”.
Hillary was supported by her husband Bill who was and remains incredibly popular among black voters. On the other there is, of course, Barack Obama who is black himself which should give him quite an edge.
As some others note, Obama’s speech was much stronger than that of Hillary Clinton. Here’s the evidence I’d like to submit (thank you Don):
Obama: “I’m here because somebody marched for our freedom. I’m here because you all sacrificed for me. I stand on the shoulders of giants.�
Hillary: “After all the hard work getting rid of literacy tests and poll taxes, we’ve got to stay awake because we’ve got a march to continue. How can we rest while poverty and inequality continue to rise?�
Obama: “If it hasn’t been for Selma, I wouldn’t be here. This is the site of my conception. I am the fruits of your labor. I am the offspring of the movement. When people ask me if I’ve been to Selma before, I tell them I’m coming home.�
Hillary: “We’ve got to stay awake, we’ve got to stay awake because we have a march to finish, a march towards one America. Poverty and growing inequality matter. Health care matters! The people of the Gulf Coast matter! Our soldiers matter! Our future matters!�
Obama: “I know if cousin Pookie would vote, if brother Jethro would get off the couch and stop watching Sportscenter and go register some people and get them to the polls, we’d have a different kind of politics. Kick off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes!�
It’s not even a contest. It seems to me that it will not take Obama long before having the support of the majority of African American voters.
Meanwhile, and this is something Obama has to keep in mind, he has to make sure that he presents himself as the candidate who is black and not as The Black Candidate. The former has a chance of winning, the latter most certainly not.
Sister Toldjah links to this interesting article at Townhall.com by Carol Platt Liebau who knows Barack Obama from Harvard Law School. A good read from a conservative who respects Barack Obama.
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