Race in US Political Primaries
Black - White Divisions Turn Up Again in American Democrat Elections
Voters' desires aside, race and racism have become issues in the USA Democratic presidential primaries. The color of a candidate's skin has rejuvenated old separations.
It appears it was inevitable that race would raise its ugly head sometime during the 2008 Presidential election. Some people feel that any of the three Democratic candidates would be excellent nominees; however, they also feel Obama’s race has reignited polarizing racial issues. Beth Fouhy of the Associated Press wrote: “Racial politics, quietly simmering for months, have burst into the open in the Democratic confrontation….” The culturally different candidates take the issue to the South Carolina Primary.
The Struggle
African American candidates have run for President many times in the past. Shirley Chisholm in 1972; Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988; and Alan Keyes, 1996, 2000, & 2008; all ran in their respective party primaries. None of these candidates were considered elect-able even though they had varying degrees of success.
- Shirley Chisholm became the first African America to run for President of the USA; she won 162 delegates but was never considered significant. John Nichols of The Nation wrote: “Chisholm's run was dismissed from the start as a vanity campaign….”
- Jesse Jackson received 6.9 million votes and won 11 contests in his bid. In April 1988, R. W. Apple Jr., of the New York Times wrote: “Whether or not he is elected President…the world is likely to remember 1988 as the Year of Jackson....” But Jackson too was dismissed. In his book New Perspectives in American Politics, Lucius Jefferson Barker says: “Their principal argument…was that Jesse could not win….”
- Alan Keyes has fought for inclusion several times. Review America said on September 14th; “In 2000, [Keyes] was acknowledged by commentators at Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN as the winner of the…primary debates.” However, on November 27th 2007 CNN political director Sam Feist e-mailed the Keyes campaign; “CNN…established objective criteria for inclusion in the debate….Ambassador Keyes has not met the...requirement.”
The Perception
Black People can not win Presidential Elections in America! According to Alec MacGillis of the Washington Post: “A strong undercurrent in the Democratic primary…on the question of whether Barack Obama could actually be elected president….Months ago; many voters doubted that prospect and so were wary of getting excited about his campaign.”
Deroy Murdock of the National Review wrote, “Democrats may lose their iron grip on the black vote….” The latest Rasmussen Poll shows that “39% of American [voters] believe an African American can not win the presidential election.”
The Division
The United Kingdom’s Telegraph asked its readers on January 4th; “Do you believe America is ready to elect a black president?” The overwhelming response was; “The USA is ready for a black President but not this one.”
- SurveyUSA poll #13215 conducted for WSPA-TV Greenville and WCSC-TV Charleston said; “Obama today gets 3 of 4 black votes….Clinton today gets half of white votes.”
- Reuters’ reporter John Whitesides reported on Jan 24th that Obama was a distant third, of three, among white voters in SC.
- A Rasmussen Poll indicates: “By a 43% to 31% margin, African-American primary voters say that most Americans are racist. By a 57% to 22% margin, white primary voters in South Carolina disagree.”
- Whitesides reported, pollster John Zogby said that Monday's debate had shifted sentiment among voters in the southern state. “Since the debate…Edwards has been rising….There is definitely some movement here."
The reality for the American voters are that race has become an issue in this election. The divisive, polarizing issues of the past have returned. Once again blacks are leaning heavily toward the black candidate and whites are leaning toward white candidates as both sides views the future of race in politics.
