2008 Woodie Awards
Blacks put stock in Clinton, Obama as future president
Ralph B. Everett/NNPA Special Commentary
Issue date: 12/9/07 Section: Politics
With the presidential primary season now moving into high gear, how do African Americans rate the current crop of candidates? According to a survey conducted recently by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies with support from the AARP, black voters want change - and they believe Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are the most likely to deliver it.
The results of this poll - which is the most comprehensive effort to determine the political preferences of black voters - show that African Americans are paying close attention to the presidential campaigns and the positions of the candidates. Eighty percent of likely primary voters said they are closely following news coverage of their party's candidates and two-thirds said they are extremely likely to participate in the upcoming primaries and caucuses.
As for the favorite candidates of black voters, Sens. Clinton and Obama are in a category of their own, with Clinton being viewed favorably by 83 percent and Obama by 74 percent. Among a total of eight candidates mentioned to survey respondents, only Clinton, Obama and former Sen. John Edwards received higher favorable than unfavorable ratings, with Edwards being rated positively by 45.1 percent.
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was the best known of the Republican candidates to black likely primary voters, but was viewed unfavorably by 42.7 percent, compared to 27.1 percent who viewed him favorably.
So, if you look at this as a two person race for the black vote, why does Sen. Clinton seem to fare better with African-American voters than Sen. Obama, who thus far is arguably the most successful black presidential candidate in the nation's history?
On one hand, Sen. Clinton is likely benefiting from long experience in the public arena - not to mention her association with an administration that was highly regarded by African Americans and during which black income increased significantly.
Indeed, the Joint Center's poll shows more respondents named Clinton over Obama as having the best position of the Democratic candidates on three key issues of concern - affordable health care (47.3 percent to 18.7 percent), strengthening Social Security (41 percent to 18.6 percent) and, by a narrower margin, on dealing with Iraq (35.4 percent to 22.1 percent).
The results of this poll - which is the most comprehensive effort to determine the political preferences of black voters - show that African Americans are paying close attention to the presidential campaigns and the positions of the candidates. Eighty percent of likely primary voters said they are closely following news coverage of their party's candidates and two-thirds said they are extremely likely to participate in the upcoming primaries and caucuses.
As for the favorite candidates of black voters, Sens. Clinton and Obama are in a category of their own, with Clinton being viewed favorably by 83 percent and Obama by 74 percent. Among a total of eight candidates mentioned to survey respondents, only Clinton, Obama and former Sen. John Edwards received higher favorable than unfavorable ratings, with Edwards being rated positively by 45.1 percent.
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was the best known of the Republican candidates to black likely primary voters, but was viewed unfavorably by 42.7 percent, compared to 27.1 percent who viewed him favorably.
So, if you look at this as a two person race for the black vote, why does Sen. Clinton seem to fare better with African-American voters than Sen. Obama, who thus far is arguably the most successful black presidential candidate in the nation's history?
On one hand, Sen. Clinton is likely benefiting from long experience in the public arena - not to mention her association with an administration that was highly regarded by African Americans and during which black income increased significantly.
Indeed, the Joint Center's poll shows more respondents named Clinton over Obama as having the best position of the Democratic candidates on three key issues of concern - affordable health care (47.3 percent to 18.7 percent), strengthening Social Security (41 percent to 18.6 percent) and, by a narrower margin, on dealing with Iraq (35.4 percent to 22.1 percent).
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
avraam jack
posted 12/09/07 @ 8:09 PM EST
-----CLINTON SLEEZE FATIGUE WILL INVIGORATE GOP, DISPIRIT DEMOCRATS AND SINK DEMOCRATIC TICKET-----
-----EDWARDS/RICHARDSON TO WIN-----
It is possible that Senator Clinton is the best candidate. (Continued…)
kaka
posted 12/09/07 @ 8:18 PM EST
The Rise and Fall of Hillary Rodham Clinton
Ms. Clinton is history. Through all of 2007, she ran the Democratic race as if she was the inevitable nominee for her party. (Continued…)
Jim Howard
posted 12/12/07 @ 2:47 PM EST
Believed a year ago that the most successful and deemed globally responsible President/Vice President ticket would be Clinton & Obama.
Both bring an exciting, knowledgeable, responsible dimension and vision to government that Americans badly need to re-establish international credibility and domestic confidence in their leaders. (Continued…)
understanding compassion fatigue treatment
posted 10/29/08 @ 12:56 PM EST
@ Jim Howard - I agree. With all the faith Europeans in general seems to have in Barack Obama it will be interesting to see if there's a shift in attitude towards US as a whole if he gets elected
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