S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag down the rest of the party

by PhillyGuy, Tue Feb 13, 2007 at 10:14:13 AM EST

Two black leaders in SC, State Sens. Robert Ford and Darrell Jackson, endorsed Hillary Clinton today. Although the endorsement itself was a little surprising considering that they endorsed John Edwards in 2004, I was more shocked by the harsh words that they used to describe Obama's candidacy.

(AP Wire) "Then everybody else on the ballot is doomed," Ford said. "Every Democratic candidate running on that ticket would lose because he's black and he's at the top of the ticket, we'd lose the House, the Senate and the governors and everything."
"I'm a gambling man. I love Obama," Ford said. "But I'm not going to kill myself."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/13/ap/politics/mainD8N909A80.shtml

Those words are pretty blunt. I wonder if their sentiments are reflective of the prevalent attitudes among black voters in the south or simply a figment of their imagination. Either way, Obama still has some work to do.

Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton (all tags)

Comments

27 Comments

Sort by

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

Where does your blockquote come from?

by dblhelix 2007-02-13 10:25AM | 0 recs

permalink

yeah a link

would be pretty nice.

Clinton will get the lion's share of black endorsements - particularly at the local level.

Obama has not really reached out to the black community outside of Illinois.

I thought it was odd he had his springfield announcement the same day as one of the largest black conferences of the year .

by TarHeel 2007-02-13 10:31AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: yeah a link

It still amazes me they think a moderate to conservate White woman will do more for the black community than a progressive black man or a white man whose BIGGEST campaign theme is the working class.

by yitbos96bb 2007-02-13 02:59PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: yeah a link

surprises us all...

by TarHeel 2007-02-13 05:58PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

Sorry here's the link http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/1 3/ap/politics/mainD8N909A80.shtml

by PhillyGuy 2007-02-13 10:39AM | 0 recs

permalink

thanks (n/t)

by dblhelix 2007-02-13 11:02AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

Voting in parts of the south is still highly racially polarized. For example, one of the reasons Democrats (or Republicans for that matter)in Mississippi have trouble electing black officials statewide despite nearly 40% of the voting age population being black is because frequently 80-90% of the white vote will break Republican if there's a black near or at the top of the ballot.

by blueflorida 2007-02-13 10:37AM | 0 recs

permalink

still, expect

HIllary to twist arms and rack up as many black endorsements as she can and expect the media to pick up on it.

by TarHeel 2007-02-13 10:41AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

It's in The State, SC's main newspaper.

by domma 2007-02-13 10:40AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

Question -- do these two state senators actually represent "key" endorsements as the post states?

by dblhelix 2007-02-13 11:00AM | 0 recs

permalink

if the media picks up on this

and some of these comments , it might not be good.

these are not soft words of choosing someone else.

"Then everybody else on the ballot is doomed," Ford said. "Every Democratic candidate running on that ticket would lose because he's black and he's at the top of the ticket _ we'd lose the House, the Senate and the governors and everything."

"I'm a gambling man. I love Obama," Ford said. "But I'm not going to kill myself."

amazing the political machine the clintons have, not only do they get black endorsements but they slam the black american opponent in the process.

by TarHeel 2007-02-13 11:08AM | 0 recs

permalink

Speaking as a resident of SC,

the facts are that the GOP already runs the state.

It's not going to change anytime soon no matter who tops the Democratic ticket.

by Sam I Am 2007-02-13 11:52AM | 0 recs

permalink

This so came out of left field

Do they even understand what their comments imply?

I guess they have no aspirations to run for higher office!

by optimusprime 2007-02-13 11:18AM | 0 recs

permalink

the implication

fits into Hillary's "electability" meme

by TarHeel 2007-02-13 11:30AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: the implication

Sniff Sniff... There's CLinton stink all over this. Well one thing you can say about her... she goes for the jugular. If she is attacked in the General, she's not letting it go like Kerry did with the Swiftboats. That chick has claws and she will use them.

by yitbos96bb 2007-02-13 03:02PM | 0 recs

permalink

Obama will drag down the rest of the party

Somebody had to say it! It's the sad reality.

Personally, the thought of the FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT of the United States makes my heart leap but we have to be realistic and in how we can actualize that goal.

by NCDemAmy 2007-02-13 11:22AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Obama will drag down the rest of the party

The best way to actualize the goal of a black presidnet is.....to nominate Barack Obama in '08.

SC is not going give its electoral vote to ANY Democrat.

by Sam I Am 2007-02-13 11:54AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Obama will drag down the rest of the party

Notice how this line of thought keeps coming form States who usually vote Republican in the General.

by yitbos96bb 2007-02-13 03:03PM | 0 recs

permalink

South Carolina

Hillary's team is pressing the African-American community hard to get behind her at this stage, because they know there will be a slow but significant drift of black voters to Obama as he gains more visibility, and they want to keep the damage to a minimum.

by gin pahit 2007-02-13 11:34AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: Another reason I support Edwards

I ask myself often: Which candidate at the top of the ticket would help Nancy Boyda the most, or hurt the least?
HRC- hell no
Obama- ?
Edwards- probably

by jallen 2007-02-13 11:35AM | 0 recs

permalink

How much did Hillary

pay them for saying this?

Ridiculous. Obama might not win the racist SC vote, but these people are not in love with Hillary either.

by Populism2008 2007-02-13 11:40AM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama

It's ridiculous. Like Hillary will win South Carolina. GMAFB.

It's hard not to call these guys Handkerchief Heads, so I will.

by rikyrah 2007-02-13 01:23PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

Well, at least they came out and admitted he was 'black.' Hard to credit, isn't it? No doubt this is the the fell hand of the Empress-in-waiting, would someone please tell Hillary there is no room on Mt Rushmore for a head as big as hers.

Having said that, I am more interested in what their black constituents think about all of this.

by Shaun Appleby 2007-02-13 03:15PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

yitbos has expressed what confuses me. Some blacks say Obama is not 'enough'. fine. but, then to look to an old, white, center rightest candidate who they think is makes no sense. I don't understand that.
I also don't understand why they think Hillary, who is into the corporate and free trade crowd would care or address their concerns.
And Obama who was a community activist and civil rights attorney would not.
Confusing.

by vwcat 2007-02-13 04:14PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

I agree - but there must be something there for them to gain...

I'm from Illinois. It's going to take some time for Barack to make the rounds. Hillary can't hold a candle to him in many arenas. I read that outside of Illinois, he doesn't have much sway yet. Yet. :)

One thing is for sure, it's gonna be quite a ride!

by sick of it all 2007-02-13 04:57PM | 0 recs

permalink

Re: S. Carolina black leaders: Obama will drag dow

sick of it, i am from Illinois as well. I think once people get to know our senator things will change.
He acts different from most pols and reacts to attacks in a new way as well.
People underestimate him and as we both know, you cannot. He surprises.
We've been thru it before and everyone outside Illinois have not and so think in conventional terms in re: to Obama.
Oh, and BET poll, Black women choose Obama over Hillary by a large margin.

by vwcat 2007-02-13 06:28PM | 0 recs

permalink

Obama will drag down the rest of the party

Maybe Matt Stoller can add another paragraph to his diary on the State of Black America and the manifestations of internalized racism. This type shallow and opportunistic endorsement is not going to do Hillary any favors. It lacks courage and substance. It sounds like a craven attempt to be on the winning team. As a candidate, I would be embarrassed to get this kind backhanded support.

by Kingstongirl 2007-02-13 07:14PM | 0 recs