by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright March 5, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

oing to Selma Alabama, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) hoped to stem a disturbing trend, watching African American support go to her chief rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.). Both Hillary and Barack helped commemorate the Edmund Petus Bridge crossing, where black protesters were beaten by white state troopers March 7, 1965—a watershed event in the civil rights movement. Last January, Hillary had a commanding lead with blacks over Obama, supporting her 60% to 20%. In what looks like a dramatic reversal, a recent ABC/Washington Post poll showed blacks now support Barack over Hillary 44% to 33%. “Of course 44% is a far cry from 85% of the black vote he will need to win, but it's quite a turnaround in the past month,” said former Clinton advisor and Fox News analyst Dick Morris, spelling trouble for Hillary. If the trend continues, Hillary won't be the frontrunner.

      Speaking at different churches in Selma, Obama and Clinton competed for black support. Hillary donned a southern drawl, something odd for the Wellesley, Yale Law School graduate and former Chicago native. Conspicuous mimicking appears patronizing, trying to relate to the largely African American audience. Every one knows Hillary's skin color. There's no need to play chameleon with this audience. Obama's “blackness,” had been questioned by former presidential candidate and civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton who indicates that Obama's half-Kenyan, half-white Kansan ancestry doesn't equip him to understand descendants of slavery. Sharpton has a bigger ax to grind after learning recently his great grandfather was owned by the family of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond (D-S.C.). Obama said his Kenyan ancestors knew the sting of racism in the former British colony.

      Barack spoke at Brown Chapel AME Church, sharing the dais with the Rev. Joseph Lowery, founder of the Southern Baptist Leadership Conference. Also on stage was civil rights pioneer Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who was beaten trying to cross the Edmund Petus Bridge. Obama talked about his grandfather's indignity in British Kenya of being addressed as “house boy.” At first sounding lawyerly, Barack loosened up, adopted the rhythms of a black preacher and delivered a powerful sermon, drawing approval from congregants packed inside the Church. While his ancestors were not descendents of slaves, Barack revealed uncanny sensitivity to African American's battle against racial inequality. Barack's otherwise colorblind attitude connected to the meaning of blackness, evoking subtle awareness of how his own journey benefited from the civil rights movement.

      Speaking at the First Baptist Church only a few hundred yards away from Obama, Hillary went overboard acting, speaking and mimicking southern black preachers. Her exaggerated drawl sounded peculiar for the New York liberal, whose only trace of Southern roots stemmed from her marriage to a son of Arkansas, William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States. Hillary also gave credit the civil rights movement for extending benefits to women. “Before Selma and the Voting Rights Act put equality front-and-center, it was illegal for Alabama law for women to serve as jurors,” Hillary told worshippers. “I know where my chance comes from, and I am grateful to all of you who gave it to me,” said Clinton, acknowledging the linkage between civil rights and women's rights. Hillary's sermon hoped to stem an eroding base of black support.

      Capturing white independents and crossover Republicans represents a formidable challenge for the junior New York senator. Her husband Bill counted on African Amercan support, something now challenged by Obama. As the campaign rolls on, Barack becomes more and more a household word to both white and black voters. Hillary can expect more black primary voters to throw their votes to Obama, seizing an unprecedented opportunity to see a black in the Oval Office. “From a national perspective, there has been an erosion in Hillary's support among Democrats and especially among independents, while Obama's numbers have risen among these voters,” said pollster Del Ali of Research 2000, a media polling firm out of Rockville, Md. Hillary's over reaction to losing Hollywood record and film mogul David Geffen triggered her downward slide.

      Acting like Colonel Sanders won't rescue Hillary's loss of black support to Barack. Instead of trying to out-preach the preachers, she'd be a lot better off showing more authenticity. All politicians try to connect with their audiences but acting phony winds up hurting their cause. Obama also doesn't need to act more black to satisfy Sharpton of any other critic, concerned that he lacks a connection to African Americans. When he entered the race, he displayed the right colorblind attitude, finding the common ground on which to address issues that affect all voters. Like Hillary's roots, Barack doesn't have to apologize for not sharing the same history as voters currently weighing his leadership skills. Cozying up to various groups, or worse yet pretending to act like the groups themselves, turns off voters and demonstrates the kind of desperation bound boomerang.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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