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Why does the media talk about votes Obama can't get?
The media talks about Obama's supposed inability to get white working class votes - as if the primary votes are linked to the general.
Using that logic, why doesn't the media ask why Clinton is getting beaten 90% to 10% among the African American vote - including similar percentages among women - and ask how she expects to win without the black vote, which is the Dems most loyal base.
The assumption is that the black vote will come running for Hillary, but that the white Dem "working class" vote won't. They call that Obama's "inability to connect to the white working class", yet no one suggests that Clinton can't get the black vote in November.
Hmmmm....
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Comments (4)
It's a fair question. More than fair.
Basically, the media is allowing Clinton to completely drive the narrative. Part of the scrutiny is due to Obama being the frontrunner, but this doesn't account for the way they allow Wolfson et al completely drive the narrative the way they do.
Like you said, the ugly assumption is that the black vote doesn't matter, and will just come back regardless. Only "white working class" voters matter, and that the assumption that there is a "problem" between them these voters and Obama is never explored beyond looking at exit polls.
None of this matters except for how it plays to the remaining superdelegate's ears. The thing Clinton is trying to accomplish is pushing this meme to the pubic at large, and potentially give any fence sitting supers a reason to believe that the public wouldn't crucify them for taking the nomination away from the person that had done the work throughout the process to earn it. Good luck with that one Hillary.
April 24, 2008 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, Clinton supporters and pundits never extend their logic to any of the groups that go heavily for Obama, like educated, informed voters.
April 24, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
The assumption is that the black vote will come running for Hillary, but that the white Dem "working class" vote won't.
Yes. But according to many Hillary supporters I'm the racist one for voting for Obama.
April 24, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Before the polls closed on Tuesday, MSNBC released some exit polling data. One stated that 58% of the voters were women and 42% were men. US Census lists women as 51.4% in PA. This suggests to me that about 5-6% of men did not vote. Is that because there is a higher percent of women in the Dem party; or that a substantial number of men did not support either Obama or Clinton and did not vote?
I totally agree that HRC campaign is controlling the issues and assumptions of this race. Example: why don't we hear "HRC must win North Carolina to show that she is the stronger candidate"; instead it's Obama must win IN.
April 24, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
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