Clinton, Obama battle for black voters

by Samuel King (king@wsbt.com)

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Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill.

Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., shakes hands after speaking at a town hall meeting in Salem, Ore., Friday, March 21, 2008.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Mar 24, 2008 at 4:18 PM EST

Story Updated: Mar 24, 2008 at 4:48 PM EST

SOUTH BEND — President Bill Clinton, his daughter Chelsea and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend all stopped at the Elks Lodge on South Bend's west side for Solidarity Day celebrations. It was a chance for them to interact with black voters, who make up a key base of support for Democrats.

The Clintons have long enjoyed support from the black community, but black voters have overwhelmingly thrown their support behind Sen. Barack Obama in most states.

“I'm really feeling Obama,” said Wanda Dudley, a Democratic voter. “In the beginning, I was very much a Clinton supporter, so I'm kind of back and forth.”

The recent revelations of controversial comments made by Barack Obama's former pastor have rekindled the issue of race in the campaign. But many black voters told WSBT News that controversy and even President Clinton's speech were not enough to sway their support.

“No, it's not going to change my mind one bit,” said William Bonner, a Democratic voter. “I think Clinton was a good president, but it's not going to change my opinion.”

President Clinton argued his wife can garner black support. He used the example of Arkansas, where Sen. Clinton won 70 percent of the vote in the Democratic Primary.

“She got an enormous percentage of the African-American vote there too, because they know her and they have seen her change lives,” President Clinton said. “That's why she won Harlem too. They know her.”

Other voters we spoke with said they thought race was too much of an issue in the campaign.

“I think race is a factor, because it's a visual image. It exists, it is what it is,” Wanda Dudley said. “Unfortunately I think it is taking away from some of the issue we need to contend with.”

There are still six weeks until the May 6 primary in Indiana, so there is still plenty of time for the candidates to fight for black support.

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