Monday, May 12, 2008 11:32pm EST
Make this your Home Page | RSS 
The challenge of unifying Democrats
Basil Smikle | Posted May 7, 2008 1:19 PM
Democrats need to be concerned. The Party was never really prepared for the phenomenon that would become the Obama campaign. Now Democratic leaders must find a way to bridge the gap in a potentially deep chasm within the party.
Basil A. Smikle Jr. is a political strategist and an adjunct professor at Columbia University and City University of New York.
Tuesday night's presidential primaries in Indiana and North Carolina will not produce a clear winner in a prolonged and, for some, agonizing race for the White House. The split victories between both candidates will be followed by the perfunctory assertions by the press that Senator Clinton has no real path to victory while Senator Obama has ridden the Black vote all the way to the convention. The veracity of those statements notwithstanding, a trend among the electorate is developing that the Democratic Party must address to be successful in November and beyond.
Professionals in politics like me are actually thrilled with the ongoing primary process. More votes and more states have counted now than ever before. According to many published reports, more than 3.5 million new voters have engaged this process as a result of stellar candidates on the ballot. Take a look at the campaign rallies. Thousands of people are attending to hear their candidate of choice and voting in record numbers. For the Democrats, this could be a sign of a healthy and exciting time, but if not handled well, it will cause irreversible shifts that could damage the party for a generation to come.
Many in the media have cautioned against ghettoizing Obama's campaign. They are implying that it is not myopic in view and appeal or lacking in sophistication. That is certainly correct. Respecting race and ethnicity, remember that many African Americans who fully support Senator Obama now, were hesitant to do so only a few months ago. South Carolina could very well have been the turning point.
But in three and a half long months since that January 19th referendum, both campaigns have solidified a base of support that is defined less by race and more by class.
A careful look at Senator Clinton's results over the last few months will show that in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana -- places with a heavy industrial heritage -- she does very well among white working class voters. She's even doing well with white working class men- a group with which she had some difficulty dating back to her first Senate race in New York. Bear in mind that a large number of her previous base still supports her. Despite the number and size of Senator Obama's victories, when Hillary has won states, she maintains a good portion of her base among Blacks and white women while picking up increasing blue-collar support along the way.
In fact, her argument for staying in the hunt for the nomination is predicated on this trend. She can say that these Democrats -- many of them rural -- are exactly the type of voter needed in the general election. She's correct. The areas where she has picked up support are analogous to the same geography in which Senator McCain relies on the Republican side. These are the same voters who could potentially vote for McCain in November should Hillary lose the nomination.
What's more, Barack's base of support has always been among young people and those with higher educational attainment spanning race and ethnicity. His support seems to be getting stronger among wealthy suburbanites.
Democrats need to be concerned. The Party was never really prepared for the phenomenon that would become the Obama campaign. They had no clue how to deal with the third of new Black voters registering as Independent, signaling no distinct affiliation to any major party. Democratic leaders were also unaware of the growing trend among younger African Americans and Latinos who are increasingly more in step with their white counterparts than their parents.
Republicans have an uphill battle also. Remember the images of New Orleans after Katrina? Among the many heart-wrenching Black faces were a good number of poor and disenfranchised whites who will remember that a Republican Administration let them down. Strangely enough, it's a successful Republican that Democrats should look to as a best example of what to avoid.
In the 1968 presidential race, Richard Nixon, after a bruising first campaign against John Kennedy in 1960, sought to find his voice among his own Republicans who thought he was out of step -- a relic of the past. He seized on the political unrest surrounding the Civil Rights movement and pointed to the actions of Kennedy and Johnson as evidence that the Democrats were turning a corner in acceptance and support for Blacks and people of color broadly. Nixon went south to the disaffected Democrats, affectionately called Dixiecrats, to convert them to what we now know as the Republican South.
We Democrats have a valuable lesson to learn. As this primary season comes to a close, whomever the victor will have a long haul toward unifying and galvanizing support to win in November. The seemingly indefatigable media has become weary of covering the race for Democratic gold and is calling for the process to be over. But that will come soon enough. Democratic leaders must find a way to bridge the gap in a potentially deep chasm within the party. It must also look forward and grow its base, being careful not to neglect the very people for whom it once stood.
- Clinton's new message: I've got the white vote (40 comments)
- Rev. Wright diagnosed with Jealous Negro Syndrome (37 comments)
- An obituary for the Clinton campaign (36 comments)
- Take It To The Finish Line (25 comments)
- Here we go again... (23 comments)
-
Anybody but Hill/Billy 08! commented on The challenge of unifying Democrats:
Hey Purl, I know its boring living where ever you people live, hence these weird threads and links ... -
Anybody but Hill/Billy 08! commented on The challenge of unifying Democrats:
Hey Purl, I know its boring living where ever you people live, hence these weird threads and links ... -
Purl Gurl commented on The challenge of unifying Democrats:
"Some say that before Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama sets foot in Florida in a coupl... -
Purl Gurl commented on The challenge of unifying Democrats:
"The answer, I think, is political legacy. Clinton wants to be remembered as the candidate who went ... -
Purl Gurl commented on The challenge of unifying Democrats:
There is increasing hue and cry of Americans being robbed of their votes. I agree. This is a good a...
May 7, 2008 1:49 PM
1. There is no "We" Democrats.
2. Team Hillary Clinton has no desire or interest in unifying.
3. Going forward everything is focused on Hillary Clinton in 2012, let the Black man go down in flames.
Hillary 2012!
May 7, 2008 2:06 PM
Not going to happen, Bill and Hillary will never do a thing to make sure Obama wins in November. They like all the Hillary voters will vote for McCain and then complain about how bad it is and yet, don't want a change and Bill and hillary will do everything they can to make sure McCain wins, we all know what time it is and what kind of people they both are, along with thier race baiting supporters.
And, I think the poster is right, she will be back in 2012, too bad she won't win then either. The public is sick of the Bush/Clintons.
May 7, 2008 2:53 PM
Basil, yours is an exceptionally well written article. I am pleased to read such good balance in opinion. Yes, democrats have a serious problem.
Basil writes, "These are the same voters who could potentially vote for McCain in November should Hillary lose the nomination."
This is the very heart of the problem challenging our democratic political party. Keeping this simple, Clinton commands the salt of the earth, Obama commands the sugar of the earth.
Clinton holds the core voters needed to win fifty percent of Americans. Obama holds the peripheral voters needed to push the democratic party over the fifty percent mark needed to win our general election in November.
Problem is Clinton holds our swing voters, a majority of whom will not swing over to Obama. These slightly left of center voters will swing over to McCain to reject Obama's far left stance.
Statistics exemplify one-fourth to one-third of Americans still support George Bush. These are mostly right wing evangelists. These votes are already in the pocket of McCain, this is an almost certainty. McCain only needs to pull in about another third of American votes to win the election. I think McCain can do this. I think McCain can pull in the "Clinton" blue collar swing vote then defeat Obama.
Looks to me we will have another McGovern, Mondale, Gore and Kerry type of liberal elitist defeat for our democratic party if Obama wins the democratic nomination.
Much to my dismay, I am projecting McCain as the winner of the general election if McCain runs against Obama.
I much enjoyed reading your article, Basil. Well done!
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
May 7, 2008 3:58 PM
Basil, I think you have articulated the problems of the race for the democratic nomination very well.
It is impossible for Clinton to come from behind and pass Obama in the popular vote. It is also not likely the superdelegates will reverse the will of the people and give overwhelmly support behind Clinton. The question that must be asked, why does she stay in the race? What is her motivation?
The longer she stays in the race the further behind the Democrats are in addressing the race for the White House against the Republicans.
Edward A. Murray, Jr.
Registered Republican
May 7, 2008 5:01 PM
This was a well written article covering Tuesday nights presidential primaries. Senator Clinton must bow out gracefully. It is now time to see McCain and Obama fight for the seat. May the best man win!!
May 7, 2008 6:39 PM
I don't see any unity at all, its now about race and class, the two most explosive things in this country. And, the one point I have yet to see in nay polling in your essay is where she "maintains a good portion of her base among Blacks." I haven't seen that since the start, and, now 1/3 of blacks say they won't vote for her, which I think is not true, but, the 50% of whites who say they won't vote for Obama is true.
Good analysis, and, the Clinton's have their wish, Obama will be beat, and McCain will be elected, they played the race card better than even both Bush's and Reagan.
May 7, 2008 9:43 PM
I am one of those Reagan democrats. I voted for Reagan, Clinton, Clinton, Gore and then Bush. I do not relate to the far left of this party. I will not be voting democratic this year, I will be voting for John McCain. He is a well known centrist and that is where I am. In the middle, I can not relate to Obama at all just like I could not relate to Kerry.
May 8, 2008 9:55 AM
God Bless Pure Gurl and Kmr, how do they sleep at night God help em because they test my religion?
They remind of the day I was watching the Heraldo show and the Ku Klux Klan member on the panel called Roy Ennis an Uncle Tom and the fighting started. That was a good show they should re- air it.
May 8, 2008 10:42 AM
Well, Ramses, they can vote for whom they want, but, I always get a chuckle at the so called Reagan Democrats, they were never Democrats, since Reagan got into office with race baiting and fear of blacks, the only thing I remember about him was starting his race in Philadelphia, Mississippi, spoke volumes to his lack of character or moral compass and the voter he wanted. The really need to just fess up, they vote GOP because they are anti-black, and, I have no idea a to why they are ashamed to admit it, the GOP voter in the deep South isn't.
They don't need prayer, the hate in their hearts is not ever going to change and will end up where Saint Ronnie is, and that isn't heaven!
May 9, 2008 7:03 PM
Jon I could of have said it better St. Ronnie rode his horse off into the sunset and these fools are still paying for the deficit he left and suffering....trickle down economics ..They did not realize they were the down.
May 10, 2008 7:27 PM
There is increasing hue and cry of Americans being robbed of their votes. I agree.
This is a good article which outlines how our constitutional voting right is being subverted.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_deb_dell_080510_its_not_about_the_pa.htm
Should Obama not agree to allowing the votes of Michigan and Florida to be counted, if Obama does not agree to allow all Americans cast their primary votes, I will amongst the first to cry out far and wide, "Obama rigged the primaries."
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
May 10, 2008 7:38 PM
"The answer, I think, is political legacy. Clinton wants to be remembered as the candidate who went down fighting for the rights of all Democrats to have their votes counted.
She wants to be known as someone who battled for the party faithful even when her own race was lost. She wants to be seen not as a candidate who stayed in the race too long and damaged Obama but as someone who stuck around until she got justice for voters who were being treated unjustly."
- Dewayne Wickham
http://www.baxterbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080510/OPINION01/805100310/1014/OPINION
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
May 10, 2008 7:44 PM
"Some say that before Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama sets foot in Florida in a couple of weeks, he needs to make a full-throated call for the national party to count the state's delegates at the nominating convention.
But after watching him boycott the nation's largest battleground state for nine months and dismiss our presidential primary as meaningless, I'm looking for more than lip service."
- Beth Reinhard
http://www.miamiherald.com/418/story/527972.html
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
May 10, 2008 8:49 PM
Hey Purl, I know its boring living where ever you people live, hence these weird threads and links all day and night, but, do you really think anyone is going to click a link from you that is in all likelihood a white supremacist site or a virus???? Just a thought boo that most here are smarter than you think....
May 10, 2008 8:50 PM
Hey Purl, I know its boring living where ever you people live, hence these weird threads and links all day and night, but, do you really think anyone is going to click a link from you that is in all likelihood a white supremacist site or a virus???? Just a thought boo that most here are smarter than you think....
And, what a crock from that Florida chick in the post, not the link,, umm, boo, you broke the rules and your state is going to vote GOP anyway, so, why the whine, need some cheese to go with it??