Barack Obama is a highly qualified, charismatic, visionary leader. I passionately believe he represents the best hope for America's future in this crucial time. As the weeks progress, it is increasingly clear that the Democratic nominee WILL NOT be a white man. Accordingly, I am thrilled that Black voters are rallying behind Obama's historical candidacy.
First in New Hampshire and now in Nevada, Obama had tight races with Hillary Clinton. In both of these races, Obama has eked out one delegate "wins" from popular vote "losses." However, the Nevada tallies hold some discomforting news for Obama. The Latino vote broke 2 to 1 for Clinton. If those ratios hold in the Western states (not to mention Florida), it will be tough to take the nomination, even with Black voters going 3 to 1 to Obama.
Obama's pick up of another key endorsement from the president of a strongly Latino union is promising, however, the endorsement was not from the union itself. Rather, it comes from the influential union president, Maria Elena Durazo who has taken a leave from her duties to support Obama's efforts. It remains to be seen if Latino voters will support a Black candidate in significant numbers... even a candidate as magnetic and racially ambiguous as Obama.
Andrew Sullivan notes a focus group respondent who "guarantee[d]" that the Latino members of Nevada's Culinary Union that officially endorsed Obama would not vote for him in large numbers. Though he offered no explanation, his passionate expression left little doubt that the issue at hand was race...
First in New Hampshire and now in Nevada, Obama had tight races with Hillary Clinton. In both of these races, Obama has eked out one delegate "wins" from popular vote "losses." However, the Nevada tallies hold some discomforting news for Obama. The Latino vote broke 2 to 1 for Clinton. If those ratios hold in the Western states (not to mention Florida), it will be tough to take the nomination, even with Black voters going 3 to 1 to Obama.
Obama's pick up of another key endorsement from the president of a strongly Latino union is promising, however, the endorsement was not from the union itself. Rather, it comes from the influential union president, Maria Elena Durazo who has taken a leave from her duties to support Obama's efforts. It remains to be seen if Latino voters will support a Black candidate in significant numbers... even a candidate as magnetic and racially ambiguous as Obama.
Andrew Sullivan notes a focus group respondent who "guarantee[d]" that the Latino members of Nevada's Culinary Union that officially endorsed Obama would not vote for him in large numbers. Though he offered no explanation, his passionate expression left little doubt that the issue at hand was race...
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