Put aside the public appearances, everyone knows primary elections are won on the ground. So, why are the Clintons passing on two districts in that regard? Certainly there are still plenty of votes for them to be mined among the black community in South Carolina. Might they actually want the vote to be as skewed as possible along racial lines as Dick Morris suggested? In his positioning, Obama appears to have been campaigning across all demographics, even including going after Republicans. Who is it really that is injecting race into the Democrat primary?
Clinton aides refused to disclose exactly which districts they are targeting, but their descriptions of the four they are competing hardest in suggest that race also factors into the strategy.
The four congressional districts based in the Upstate region or with a significant coastal component are the four with the lowest percentage of African-Americans. According to the state Election Commission, these districts—the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th—have non-white registered voter populations ranging from 19 to 26 percent.
The other two districts, the 5th and the 6th, have significantly higher percentages of non-white registered voters. The 5th has a non-white registered voter population of 30 percent while the 6th District is 57 percent non-white. Neither are located in the Upstate or coastal areas, though there is some minor overlap.
Obama will walk away with the hearts and votes of SC dems. Not all black, not all dems, not all reps but enough to matter. Expect a domino effect here after. Well, maybe not Florida. Pity his mom isn't Filipino.
Posted by: Wahoo Willie Sez: | Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 04:41 PM