Obama: The race factor
Posted: Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:12 AM by Mark Murray
The New York Times’ Nagourney looks at how much Obama's problems have to do with race. "While arguably critical to determining the viability of Mr. Obama’s candidacy, the role of race is difficult to disentangle from the other strands of the political debate surrounding him, encompassing topics like values, elitism, ideology and experience. Although some polling evidence hints at the depth of racial attitudes in this country and the obstacles Mr. Obama faces winning white voters, it has historically proved challenging to measure how racial attitudes factor into voter decisions. (Respondents do not tend to announce to pollsters that they will not vote for a candidate because he or she is black.)”
“It is also hard to discount that Mr. Obama has arrived at this place in his candidacy after winning big victories in very white states. The crowds at his rallies are as white as any at a Clinton rally, and many analysts in both parties believe that racial attitudes in this country are changing at a breakneck pace, particularly among younger voters, making it risky to impose models from even four years ago on this unusual election."
Ex-Virgina Gov. Doug Wilder, an Obama supporter, offers some advice to Obama. Most importantly, be prepared for folks to continue lying to pollsters due to race. That said, Wilder is confident about Obama's chances and thinks if the GOP gets seen by the public as if they were race-baiting, they'll be in trouble.
Here's a story the Clinton campaign will be moving around a lot today. The LA Times: "Obama continued accepting donations from oil company executives and employees last month even as he aired ads in which he stated he took no oil company money, his campaign finance reports show. Obama has taken at least $263,000 from oil company executives, family members and employees since entering the presidential race last year, including $46,000 last month. At least $140,000 has come in chunks of between $1,000 and $2,300, the maximum permitted under federal law."
Fitch-gate? "An Abercrombie & Fitch spokesman said the placement [of three young men in the company's apparel behind Obama during his concession speech] was nothing more than coincidence, although he acknowledged fielding several calls from friends, relatives and an investor wondering the same thing. 'We don't pursue product placement as a company at all,' said spokesman Thomas Lennox." More: The Obama camp also denied any paid sponsorship from the company. Indeed, campaign finance records list just one individual donation from an Abercrombie & Fitch employee, for $500."
“Since the fall, pro-Obama street art has popped up all over the country, primarily in urban areas such as New York, Chicago, Seattle and LA. In several cases, the Obama campaign has been directly responsible - although it has very carefully kept plausible distance, for the purposes of "street cred" and obeying the law.”
