Clinton Gets Nod from Iowa Newspaper; Obama Nabs Two Others, Including Boston Globe

Date: Monday, December 17, 2007
By: BlackAmericaWeb.com and Associated Press

According to the Courier, "Obama's personality comes across as calm, intellectual and diplomatic, yet firm, decisive and valued. These are all important qualities for our next president. The Illinois senator, at times, seems to project the image of an outsider seeking to reform foreign policy, health care and the economy." They characterized Obama as "a man willing to listen to the ideas of others, but unwilling to compromise America's values to appease enemy leaders or achieve a false peace."

"Although it is an overused phrase, America has reached a critical point," the Courier attested. "Threats from within, as well as without, threaten our values; and it will take an educated, steadfast and reasonable personality to overcome these obstacles. Barack Obama should be the Democratic nomination for president."

The Clinton campaign, buffeted by the Register's recent front-page story trumpeting its poll that gave Obama a slight lead over her (28 percent to 25 percent) among likely Democratic caucus-goers, has responded with polls of their own.

According to Mark Penn, a senior Clinton campaign strategist, an "ABC/Washington Post poll shows Hillary continuing to climb against Barack Obama and former senator John Edwards to a 30 point lead. The CBS/NY Times poll gives Hillary a 17 point lead. The AP/IPSOS poll a few days earlier had a 22-point lead. It is typical for polls to vary, especially when polling primaries, but these margins are all way beyond the margin of error."

But a Strategic Vision poll completed last week had Clinton and Obama in a dead heat, with 29 percent each and Edwards at 23 percent. The week before, an ABC News/Washington Post poll had Obama leading 30 percent to 26 percent for the former first lady.

"Let's just say it's very close in Iowa. Any one of the top three can come in first, and any one of the top three can come in third," said pollster John Zogby told The Washington Times.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Obama is gaining momentum with black voters two weeks before the Iowa caucuses on January 3.

"Barack Obama's rising poll numbers among white voters in Iowa and New Hampshire are having an unexpected ripple effect: Some black voters are switching their allegiance from Hillary Clinton and lining up behind him too," according to the Journal. "That could mean a further tightening of the Democratic presidential race, especially in southern states where blacks make up as many as half of Democratic primary voters.

"The evidence of movement is most clear in South Carolina, site of the first primary where black votes figure to make a significant impact," the Journal reported. "The black vote is likely to be crucial in the cascade of primaries that follow Iowa and New Hampshire next year. Blacks make up almost half of Democratic primary voters in South Carolina and Georgia, one third in Virginia and a quarter in Tennessee. They also make up a fifth of primary voters in New York and 15 percent in Delaware and Ohio."

Meanwhile, in a January 2008 issue cover feature in Black Enterprise entitled "Why Barack Obama Should Be President," the magazine identifies six key reasons he has risen in the polls -- and how he will win the Oval Office this November:

• A Message for All People. Obama has hit on universal themes that resonate with voters across racial, gender and demographic lines, an approach necessary for a black candidate looking to be elected. He’s also been successful in garnering support from divergent constituencies, including Hollywood, the Bible Belt and corporate America. In addition to the war, domestic issues, such as education and employment, resonate without the usual Beltway rhetoric.
• A Winning Team. Obama has assembled a multi-ethnic lineup of political strategists and an all-star team of more than 200 policy advisers, including heavy-hitters from the Clinton administration. His top-notch team is making sure his campaign speeches, debate appearances and policy statements set him apart from the other Democratic contenders, especially presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
• The Funds to Compete. Running for president takes loads of money, and Obama has demonstrated a keen ability to raise cash. Through the third quarter of 2007, he raised $80.3 million. In addition, his campaign has witnessed a surge in online contributions -- more than $20 million from small donors, those contributing $200 or less. "We have more small donors than all of the Democratic candidates combined," says Obama. "These are people who will definitely show up to vote."
• The Black Vote. Obama’s major challenge for the black vote lies with chief opponent, Hillary Clinton. She’s garnered enormous loyalty and name recognition within the black community, largely due to the popularity of her husband. But history may be on Obama’s side. African-Americans tend to embrace black candidates -- particularly democratic ones -- who speak to the general electorate and closely represent their agenda.
• Support from White America. Much has changed in America, with the emergence of several black mayors, governors, secretaries of state, and CEOs -- suggesting that voters have become more comfortable with African-Americans as leaders. Traveling with his campaign in Iowa, reporters witnessed first-hand how Obama’s universal themes connect with crowds. At events, Obama packs them in like a rock star: He drew 10,000 in Iowa City, 7,000 in Ames, and 4,500 in Davenport.
• America is Ready for a Change. Obama offers the change in leadership that many are seeking: Youth and vitality, an unyielding hope for the future, and a rejection of the Washington-inside mind-set. His independence also sets him apart, as he is the only candidate who has taken less than 1 percent of his donations from political action committees and none from lobbyists. He is also pushing for a transparent presidency, one in which voters are more involved with and informed about government activities via the Internet and town hall meetings.

"A lot of African-Americans in the South have questions about whether a black candidate can be elected president," David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which studies black issues, told The Wall Street Journal.

"Picking someone who is going to have a good chance to win is very much on their minds," he said. "If Obama shows he can win and that white voters can vote for him, there will be a lot of African-Americans who will be lining up to support him."