Evidence scant that Wright hurt Obama much in Ind., N.C.
— About nine in 10 blacks in Indiana and North Carolina voted for Obama, slightly stronger than his usual showing with them. It mattered little whether they said the Wright situation influenced them or not.
Pollsters said there was not enough data to draw conclusions about whether the attention on Wright drove people away from Obama, the Illinois senator, or drew some toward him because of how he denounced the pastor.
"With the singular exception of Wisconsin, we've seen these two demographic coalitions facing each other and enduring across every contest," said Democratic pollster Mark Mellman, referring to the groups of voters who backed each candidate.
Other than liberal Vermont, Wisconsin is the only state where Obama has won more than half of whites who have not graduated college.
It's true that in both Indiana and North Carolina on Tuesday, nearly half of white voters said Wright influenced their pick of a candidate. And of that group in each state, just over eight in 10 voted for Clinton — clearly more than the six in 10 whites who backed her overall.
Even so, those numbers did not seem to change how whites overall voted.
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Posted By: Rob-is-right @ 05/08/2008 2:08:52 PM
Comment: Shrillary has played the race card again!!!!!!
May 8, 2008
Clinton touts support from 'white Americans'
Posted: 12:03 PM ET
Clinton campaigned in Washington Thursday.
(CNN) ??? In what appear to be the New York senator's most blunt comments to date regarding a racial division in the Democratic presidential race, Hillary Clinton suggested Wednesday that "White Americans" are increasingly turning away from Barack Obama???s candidacy.
"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," Clinton said in an interview with USA TODAY.
Clinton cited an Associated Press poll "that found how Senator Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."
"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.
Exit polls from Tuesday's primaries in Indiana and North Carolina show Clinton won about 60 percent of the white vote in both states. That percentage is down from the Ohio primary on March 4, in which Clinton won upwards of 65 percent of the white vote. Meanwhile, Clinton garnered 63 percent of the white vote in Pennsylvania on April 22.
Speaking with the paper, Clinton rejected the notion her comments were racially divisive in any way.
"These are the people you have to win if you're a Democrat in sufficient numbers to actually win the election," she said. "Everybody knows that."
Obama spokesman Bill Burton called Clinton's statements "not true and frankly disappointing."
From: CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under: Barack Obama ??? Hillary Clinton
Posted By: Rob-is-right @ 05/08/2008 2:08:42 PM
Comment: Shrillary has played the race card again!!!!!!
May 8, 2008
Clinton touts support from 'white Americans'
Posted: 12:03 PM ET
Clinton campaigned in Washington Thursday.
(CNN) ??? In what appear to be the New York senator's most blunt comments to date regarding a racial division in the Democratic presidential race, Hillary Clinton suggested Wednesday that "White Americans" are increasingly turning away from Barack Obama???s candidacy.
"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," Clinton said in an interview with USA TODAY.
Clinton cited an Associated Press poll "that found how Senator Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."
"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.
Exit polls from Tuesday's primaries in Indiana and North Carolina show Clinton won about 60 percent of the white vote in both states. That percentage is down from the Ohio primary on March 4, in which Clinton won upwards of 65 percent of the white vote. Meanwhile, Clinton garnered 63 percent of the white vote in Pennsylvania on April 22.
Speaking with the paper, Clinton rejected the notion her comments were racially divisive in any way.
"These are the people you have to win if you're a Democrat in sufficient numbers to actually win the election," she said. "Everybody knows that."
Obama spokesman Bill Burton called Clinton's statements "not true and frankly disappointing."
From: CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under: Barack Obama ??? Hillary Clinton
Posted By: Rob-is-right @ 05/08/2008 2:08:31 PM
Comment: Shrillary has played the race card again!!!!!!
May 8, 2008
Clinton touts support from 'white Americans'
Posted: 12:03 PM ET
Clinton campaigned in Washington Thursday.
(CNN) ??? In what appear to be the New York senator's most blunt comments to date regarding a racial division in the Democratic presidential race, Hillary Clinton suggested Wednesday that "White Americans" are increasingly turning away from Barack Obama???s candidacy.
"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," Clinton said in an interview with USA TODAY.
Clinton cited an Associated Press poll "that found how Senator Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."
"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.
Exit polls from Tuesday's primaries in Indiana and North Carolina show Clinton won about 60 percent of the white vote in both states. That percentage is down from the Ohio primary on March 4, in which Clinton won upwards of 65 percent of the white vote. Meanwhile, Clinton garnered 63 percent of the white vote in Pennsylvania on April 22.
Speaking with the paper, Clinton rejected the notion her comments were racially divisive in any way.
"These are the people you have to win if you're a Democrat in sufficient numbers to actually win the election," she said. "Everybody knows that."
Obama spokesman Bill Burton called Clinton's statements "not true and frankly disappointing."
From: CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Filed under: Barack Obama ??? Hillary Clinton