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Over the weekend, as DNC Chairman Howard Dean worked to reach a compromise on the contested Michigan and Florida delegates, we were stunned by this video of Clinton-supporter Harriet Christian. Later, Christian appeared on Fox News, being interviewed by Neil Cavuto, where she dropped this line regarding Obama and the black vote: "Ninety-nine percent of the blacks don't even know why they're voting for [Obama]." Is Christian just one upset Clinton supporter or is her attitude indicative of a larger rift in the party?
Some pundits are now claiming this demographic of disenfranchised white women is Obama's next hurdle to unifying the Democratic party following a long, drawn-out, and at times nasty primary season.
They are lifetime Democrats who spurned him for Hillary Clinton in the primaries and now are threatening to stay home or even vote for Republican John McCain.A report earlier this week from the AP showed Obama with an edge in the youth vote of all races while Clinton's most popular demographic was, indeed, older white women. And a recent study by The Pew Research Center seems to further the claim, showing Obama's support among white women slipping considerably. But Democratic strategists suggest that such a gap will close as the general election draws closer.Amid all the talk about a first black president, some women are deeply disappointed, in some cases furious, that Clinton's own historic campaign fell short and that Obama's campaign undercut her along the way.
Her loss was painful for women who have encountered sex discrimination themselves, especially older women who saw her as the best hope for electing a female president in their lifetimes.
“There is some sense of the visceral investment with Clinton,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic strategist. Lake believes once the general election is under way, these same white women will gradually move away from McCain over issues, with the expectation that Clinton will campaign on Obama’s behalf if he is the nominee.
...
“There is no question that white women were — especially older women, not young women — Hillary Clinton’s base in the primary, and there is going to be some repair work that has to be done,” Democratic analyst Anna Greenberg said. “There is no reason to believe that these Democratic white women are not pursuable.
Photo taken from BarackObama.com's Flickr Stream
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okay. let's get it out of the way. i love obama.
however, if you align yourself with the democrats and you vote for john mccain, you are an idiot. i rarely utter stuff like that, because i think it's not nice and counterproductive. but, seriously. i would have been CRUSHED if obama didn't get the nomination. but to think that i wouldn't have turned automatically to support hillary 100 PERCENT is ludicrous.
what on earth are people thinking? watching john mccain is so painful in so many ways. first of all, he looks like a shadow of his former self. second of all, he looks so ghostly and gross next to a shining, youthful, radiant, passionate obama. thirdly, he looks weak in comparison to hillary, who i would have INSTANTLY supported had she gotten the nomination.
i can't believe there's even a question on this. let's see ... you're bummed that a man is getting the nom, so you're going to vote for *another* man who's also ostensibly against a bunch of other things that will screw you, too? i cannot get my mind around this.
take your days of mourning and then wake up and rally around your party like you've never rallied before. to even suggest one would vote for another party out of spite or bitterness is so 5th grade. ick.
Now he wants our white women!
*groan*
Is it true that women who had a visceral reaction to Hillary's campaign would then turn to McCain? That seems highly unlikely. Admitedly, as a lady, I had a strong desire to see a female in office. But watching both campaigns led me to vote for Obama in the end, despite my gender bias.
Why aren't they focusing on the white men who are flocking to McPasty in lieu of Clinton? The WSJ profile of the PA primary was pretty clear about the white male bias against Obama.
smussy...you said:
"first of all, he looks like a shadow"
"second of all, he looks so ghostly and gross"
"thirdly, he looks weak"
Looks like...looks like...looks like!
So, you are NOT voting for someone because of what he LOOKS LIKE?!?!
have you READ a history book in your life?!?!
Y'know...people used to not want to vote for someone with a skin color of Barack because of what he "looked like".
Shame on you for those comments!
If you don't vote for McCain then make it a policy reason or a tax reason...but PLEASE keep your backwoods-hick "looks like" comments to yourself.
Shame on you smussy.
To think I was just going to take Marcus (and I realize it's not just you - clearly the video has been on every newscast everywhere) to task for the insanity of using one person's rant as indicative of a movement. With that kind of reasoning Rev. Wright does speak for Obama.
Julene - I think the general feelings of anger, frustration, and disappointment that Harriet Christian felt was indicative of the anger and frustration a lot of Clinton supporters (and not just women) felt, though hers was probably much stronger than most and they obviously had the good fortune of it not being nationally televised. It shows the existing divide between the two campaigns and how heated the primary was. But by no means do I think she specifically "speaks" for Hillary or even other Hillary supporters.
@irishman. LOL.
first of all, my not voting for john mccain has nothing to do with what he *physically* looks like. i'm not voting for him even if he looks like johnny depp. my voting not voting for hillary has nothing to do with what she looks like. i WILL say that there definitely is something to the difference between hillary and barack's general demeanors and attitudes and all around "vibes" (i know i'm going to get slammed for that, but i don't know how else to describe it ... what my instinct tells me? my gut? the way i feel when i hear the both of them speak?) that makes me want to vote for obama right off the bat.
second of all, my point about mccain is this ... before this election cycle, when i'd see him do interviews even in entertainment venues like the daily show, he was possessed of a certain air -- a certain mind and presence that he conveyed through words and thoughts. thoughts about the president, thoughts about his feelings about the war and the troops. thoughts about bipartisanship and america. the very few speeches i've seen thus far have just creeped me out ... he seems very far removed from that old john mccain -- the same john mccain that actually *freaked out* the republicans. he just seems weird and robotic and disconnected from himself.
lastly, i'm human. it fine with me that i believe that when someone is secure and grounded in their beliefs and truly passionate about what they believe in -- that it *does* show in the way they carry themselves and in the way they speak. and obama's got everyone beat on that note, imo.
smussy
do you have to be the caricature, the poster person of a Goo Gooo mindless O'Bama supporter?
Can you at least find a issue that you support him on over Hillary? Any thing it dosen't have to be major! Because people like you are gonna make me vote Green!
More media bullshit. "How will Obama pull white women voters to his side?" Easy! Former pro-Hillary women aren't voting for a man like John McCain because he totally comes off like an ex-husband. Women also don't care for a man with a trophy wife.
There's Obama...your cool, laid-back uncle who easily and happily tosses off pearls of wisdom. And there's McCain, your tired grandpa who's too bored to even talk.
Think about every candidate who's lost a presidential election within the last 30 years. John Kerry, Al Gore, Bob Dole, George Bush, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, and Jimmy Carter. In this media-savvy age, the old fart always loses.
Smussy, I think it's interesting that you talk about "vibes", because that really is what Obama has going for him. Unfortunately, Obama and his boy Axelrod have successfully controlled the narrative, presenting someone with good "vibes" that voters want to have a beer with. People want change, so Obama talks about vague change without really explaining how he'll accomplish that.
I certainly won't tell anyone not to vote for Obama, but if you vote for Obama expecting that he's a different breed from the rest of the politicians, expecting that he will save the world, you will be disappointed. He might be the best viable candidate right now, but I'd still like all of our prospective leaders to be held to a higher standard.