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Racial Politics Inside the Democratic Ranks
By Mike Gallagher
Friday, May 16, 2008

It had to be one of the single dumbest questions ever asked in the history of network television.

Diane Sawyer was chatting up James Carville, the irascible Clinton loyalist, about the West Virginia Democrat primary. She turned to Mr. Carville and, with a glint in her eye, asked something that almost caused him to fall flat out of his cushy 'Good Morning America' chair. At least I know I certainly would have keeled over had I been asked the same thing.



US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) answers questions from the media aboard his campaign plane May 14, 2008. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008

Referring to the much-reported exit polling in West Virginia that suggested that one out of five Clinton voters said that race was definitely a factor in their decision, Ms. Sawyer, who makes approximately 12 million dollars a year to ask questions on ABC-TV, said the following: "...should Sen. Clinton say she is rejecting the votes of anyone who votes based in any way on color of skin?"

I swear to you that Carville looked at her as if she had just suggested that a tiny alien creature was living in her left high-heeled shoe.

I'm glad that in the middle of his rambling, stumbling answer to possibly the goofiest question he's ever received, he managed to sheepishly point out that there were "probably a few black voters who have voted for Sen. Obama because of race as well."

A "few"? A FEW???

Surely Carville has seen the same data we all have regarding the racial component of Democrats who have cast votes for Obama and Sen. Clinton. And a die-hard liberal Dem like James Carville isn't about to admit on national TV what has turned into the not-so-secret secret of this Democrat primary season: black Democrats are overwhelmingly voting for the black candidate.

The story has been revealed state after state: 92% of the black vote in Mississippi for Obama; 91% of the black vote in Wisconsin for him; 84% of blacks went for Obama in Maryland; 87% in Ohio; and on and on.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Clinton captured 55% of the white vote in Texas; 64% of white voters in Ohio; and 66% in New Jersey, just to name a few. So while Sen. Clinton has garnered a fairly even percentage of white and black voters, blacks are simply voting in overwhelming percentages for Sen. Obama.

In a contest between two Democrat candidates with nearly indistinguishable policies, this is astoundingly alarming. continued...

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