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Published: Mar 23, 2006

Could South Carolina Usher in a New President?


By Raynard Jackson
Thursday, January 17, 2008

Now that Sen. Barack Obama has proven he is “electable” by winning Iowa and placing in New Hampshire, what would be the excuse Blacks have for not supporting him in South Carolina?

Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have given Blacks permission to vote for Obama. Receiving 38 percent and 36 percent of the vote respectively in two of the Whitest states in the country, maybe America can move beyond race and elect a Black president.

The first hurdle Obama had to overcome was the issue of electability. He has met that challenge. The second hurdle he has to overcome is whether he can win in the general election. All the polls show him running competitively against all the Republicans. Another challenge met.

South Carolina is the first state where Blacks are a majority of the democratic vote, and Obama has a huge lead over Clinton within this block. What role will Black America play in the upcoming democratic primary?

South Carolina could usher in a new wave of Black consciousness and awareness not seen since the civil rights movement. Obama is an interesting figure in this campaign. In a lot of ways, Obama is an empty vessel (not in a pejorative sense). He is the vessel that people (Black and White) have filled with their aspirations of a better America. His ability to inspire has been the “icing” on the cake of hope. Blacks feel a strong pull to vote for Obama because of the historic nature of his candidacy.

South Carolina has about 2.25 million registered voters –Democrats and Republicans. Blacks are about 28 percent of the total voters registered. But they are about 50 percent of the voters registered for the Democratic primary election.

Unlike White women, who are more likely to think it is more important to vote for Hillary based on gender, Black women are more likely to vote for Obama based on race. If Obama becomes the democratic nominee, (as a Black Republican) would be hard pressed not to vote for him. He would have to give me a reason not to vote for him, as opposed to a reason to vote for him (I will deal with that in a future column.)

Finally, South Carolina is bigger than just being the first primary where Blacks have great influence. This is about Blacks showing an electoral maturity heretofore unseen, laying the foundation for a strategic strike that will alter the history of the world--a Black president.

Blacks should not allow emotions of times past (the fact that Bill Clinton made us feel good) to cloud their judgment about the times that could be (we could elect our first Black president.)

At this point in the election, neither camp has really spoken to issues of particular concern to the Black community. If Blacks attempt to force Obama to become a “Black” candidate, he will surely lose.

Even if he doesn’t specifically speak to a “Black” agenda, his experience as a Black will be seen in every decision he makes as president. What has Clinton said of substance to the Black community? Remember, the object in politics is to win, not to make a point!

As a Republican, I have no dog in this primary fight, but it’s high time that Blacks vote with their head and not with their hearts. Iowa and New Hampshire have already co-signed, now will South Carolina become the citadel of Black power?