Clinton, Obama and the “Race Chasm”
Posted on Sunday, April 06, 2008
David Sirota on the “race chasm” in Democratic primaries/caucuses:
Sirota’s explanation:
Specifically, while Barack Obama has won states with both almost no black population and very large black populations, he has had trouble winning states with a modestly sized black populations.
…In super-white states, black-white racial politics barely exists, and therefore racism or subtle race-coded messages are not all that devastating a weapon against a black candidate — especially in a Democratic primary. In states with large black populations, black-white politics is very intense, but in a Democratic primary, the black vote can offset a racially motivated white vote. But in the states in between, black-white politics is equally as intense, but the black population is not big enough to offset a racially motivated white vote.
(Found on TMPtv)