by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright July 17, 2008
All Rights Reserved.

ending a rude wakeup call to the Obama campaign, a New York Times/CBS News poll showed that America has not yet evolved beyond race in the 2008 campaign. While 80% of black voters said they had a favorable opinion of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.), only 30% of white voters felt the same way. That 50% discrepancy is far greater than the 5%-10% attributed to the “Bradley Effect,” the actual loss of votes blamed on race. No political scientist—or psychic for that matter—has any way of predicting what will happen Nov. 4 when voters make an unprecedented decision to vote for or against the first African American president. Race slipped into the campaign before the Jan. 26 South Carolina primary when former President Bill Clinton told voters that Hillary could lose the state because blacks may vote for Obama. Clinton denied racial overtones but his message was unmistakable.

      When voters overwhelmingly backed Obama in South Carolina, Hillary was proven correct but not for the reason suggested by her husband. Barack beat Hillary in South Carolina by nearly 20% because black voters genuinely believed he was the better candidate, addressing their needs more than Hillary. Barack's Jan 3 victory in mostly white Iowa indicated he could compete in the Midwest and South. Despite his win, Barack couldn't get the same outcome March 4 in Ohio and Texas, considered a true test of his appeal to white voters. Despite picking up little ground in delegates, Hillary questioned Barack's ability to attract white votes. Trying to address the race issue, Barack delivered an impassioned speech March 18, only four days before Pennsylvania. When he lost Pennslyvania April 22 by 9%, more doubts were raised about his appeal to white middle class voters.

      Barack's March 18 speech attempted to lay to rest his party's concern about his performance with white voters. Instead of reassuring white voters, his speech provided a historical justification for Rev. Wright's hate speech. Voters offended by Wright's words cast their votes for Hillary. Heading into the convention and Election Day, Barck must set the record straight about the race issue. It's not enough to ignore race or hope that it goes away. The New Yorker's recent cover picturing Barack as an Islamic extremist and his wife Michelle as a 60s-style radical promotes the same racist stereotypes, steering white voters away from voting for a black candidate. When asked about his reaction to the magazine's cover, Barack refused to comment. Before he's swallowed up by the country's unconscious racial riptides, he must openly talk about how race should not influence the race.

      Running as a post-racial or post-partisan candidate doesn't mean Barack can ignore the issue. He must squarely confront voters who consider voting for or against him because he's black. White voters must know that Barack's agenda transcends race and goes to heart of what's wrong with the country. Today's sputtering economy hits minorities and particularly poor whites especially hard. Unemployment, poverty and disease are great equalizers, hitting all people without regard to race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Barack should remind voters not to vote for him solely because he's black. Neither should voters vote for or against Barack because of his race. There are too many pressing issues to that cut across the racial and economic divide. Ignoring the issue only makes matters worse. The New York Times'CBS poll indicates voters think a lot about race.

      When Rev. Jesse Jackson lashed out at Barack Jul. 10 while waiting to go on FOX & Friends, it was primarily due to his unexpressed anger over getting snubbed by the Obama campaign. Obama couldn't embrace Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton without alienating white voters. Jackson's crude remarks display why the Obama campaign viewed Jackson as radioactive. Barack has high regard for the civil rights movement but can't allow Jackson or Sharpton to upend his campaign to advance their agendas. No one at the Obama camapgin has figured out how to bridge differences with the Latino or Asian communities, where Hillary captured most the vote. Picking former presidential candidate, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson won't undo damage in the Hispanic community. Barack must address emerging problems in the Latino community to capture their vote.

      Barack's racial problem will only get worse unless he tackles the issue head-on. As November draws near, he can expect to see more, not less, of Rev. Wright's hateful sermons on the Internet. He'll also see more pernicious propaganda on the Web about his alleged Muslim past. Barack needs to deal with the New Yorker's racist magazine cover depicting he and his wife as Islamic radicals. “No comment!” doesn't address the active disinformation campaign designed to sabotage his presidential ambitions. No one knows the origins of the New Yorker's magazine cover, nor do they know which groups are responsible for fabricating virulent propaganda on the Intenet. If the New York Times/CBS poll says anything, it reminds voters about the powerful role of race in American politics. Barack must tell voters clearly that he's is not the African American candidate running for president: He's the Democratic Party's candidate who happens to be black.

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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