Quote:
Originally Posted by Honeykiss1974
Is anyone else listening to NPR right now? One of the topics was why blacks have been relunctant to support him (siting how major mainstream black orgs such as the NAACP, etc. have not came out publicly to support him).
One reason (I believe it was Clarence Paige that stated this) given was that blacks were waiting to see if he was truly "a black leader" (Jesse Jackson-esque) or that we were still enamored
with the Clinton administration (hoping that Hilary will bring the same type of admin).
What do you guys think?
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I think that's lazy thinking on Clarence Page's part. Iowal and N.H. are two of the whitest states in the nation, so there hasn't been much chance yet for Af-Am voters to actually "show support."
Also, Af-Ams are pragmatic voters, who, if anything, may be waiting to see how white voters wrestle with themselves in determining whether they are truly ready to support a Black man for president in what may be a close election in November. (I say close becuase if a true social/moderate emergeson the Republican side (Huckabee? maybe McCain) they'll draw the attention of a good number of Af-Am voters.)
Basically, it's worth observing whether Obama will have true crossover appeal. Have Iowa and New Hampshire shown Black voters that Obama is "palatable" enough
to white voters? Who knows?
As far as the NAACP, I think they're shown themselves to be politically irrelevant for several years now, and think fewer and fewer people take their "cues" from them. I don't.