Former President Bill Clinton, who is still wildly popular among African-Americans, campaigned for his wife, Hillary, in Oakland, California last week and met with black female religious leaders and the wives of local pastors who have created a group called "First Ladies for Hillary."
Clinton was in California to rally black women around Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid where, according to polls, the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is tightening. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) are nearly tied for the Democratic nomination in the latest poll of Iowa voters, according to the Wall Street Journal.
But a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows Obama trailing Clinton by nine percentage points -- 37 percent to 46 percent, respectively -- among blacks.
Obama’s wife, Michelle, an outspoken campaign advisor, said Clinton’s lead was only temporary and that blacks will eventually "wake up" and rally around her husband's candidacy.
"First of all, I think that that's not going to hold," Obama said of Clinton's poll numbers in an interview with MSNBC Monday. "I'm completely confident."
"Black Americans will wake up and get it," Obama said. "But what we're dealing with in the black community is just the natural fear of possibility. When I look at my life, the stuff that we're seeing in these polls is played out my whole life -- always been told by somebody that I'm not ready, you know, I can't do something, my scores weren't high enough."
"There's always that doubt in the back of the minds of people of color," she added. "People who've been oppressed and haven't been given real opportunities that you never really -- that you believe that somehow someone is better than you. Deep down inside, you doubt whether you can do it, because all you've been told is, 'No, wait.' That's all you hear."
Obama also responded to a story about an African-American flight attendant who told Michelle that her husband could not win the presidential election because he's black.
"That's right. That's the psychology that's going on in our heads, in our souls, and I understand it," she said. "I know where it comes from. And I think that is one of the horrible legacies of racism and discrimination and oppression."
This week, to coincide with Veteran’s Day, both Clinton and Obama, sought to position themselves as strong on foreign policy issues while offering support for U.S. troops overseas.
Obama announced the creation of his National Veterans Advisory Committee that will counsel him on issues concerning soldiers and veterans. And the Clinton campaign said there are more than 1,200 veterans and military retirees who have joined Clinton's national veterans' steering committees.
Meanwhile, President Clinton’s meeting in Oakland included nearly 50 women from across the Bay Area and was co-hosted by Bishop Ernestine C. Reems-Dickerson of Center of Hope Community Church and Mrs. Janice Mirikitani, wife of Rev. Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial Church.
"I am pleased that President Clinton is taking the time to meet with religious leaders to have a conversation on the issues that affect our community," Alice Huffman, president of the California NAACP, said in a statement.
"President Clinton and Hillary Clinton understand the importance of partnering with community and religious leaders to increase opportunities for African-Americans," said Huffman, who hosted the meeting. "They continue to demonstrate their commitment to our community."
According to the Clinton campaign, President Clinton outlined Hillary’s agenda for job creation, quality education, health care for all Americans, business growth in low-income urban areas and her plan to create more affordable housing in urban neighborhoods.
President Clinton’s meeting comes as political experts say black and female voters will likely play a major role in the 2008 presidential election. Women made up 54 percent of voters in the last presidential election.
Several black female members of Congress have already endorsed Clinton, including Reps. Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas and Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio. Mary Wilson, a former member of the Supremes, and poet Maya Angelou have also joined the Clinton bandwagon.
Yanick Rice Lamb, a journalism professor at Howard University and editorial director of Heart & Soul magazine, said for black women, choosing between Clinton and Obama could be a difficult decision and is becoming a frequent topic of discussion.
"From what I'm hearing, it will be a toss-up until the end," Rice Lamb told BlackAmericaWeb.com. "It reminds me a little of the debates surrounding feminism. Many African-American women ultimately decided that they could be strong on feminism and strong on race. Obviously, you can't balance both in an election with only one vote."
"For some black women, it doesn't seem to be as simple as going for gender or race in terms of choosing between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama," she said. "They are carefully weighing the records and expertise of all candidates, as well as their chances for winning. They don't want to waste their ballots or split the vote. Their dream would be a Clinton-Obama ticket, with Bill back in the White House and a black family, too."
Last weekend, Clinton picked up an endorsement from Togo D. West, Jr., a prominent black public official who is an expert on military affairs. The Clinton campaign has been aggressive comparing Clinton’s knowledge of foreign policy with what Clinton calls Obama’s "naive" views on world affairs.
In an op-ed article for Veteran’s Day, West, an African-American who served as Secretary of the Army from 1993 to 1998 and as Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 1998 to 2000, praised Clinton’s leadership.
"America has an unfinished agenda," West wrote. "Much still remains to be done to improve the lives of returning service members, veterans, and their families. African-American veterans and service members are particularly hard hit by the remaining inadequacies in support for those who serve and have served our nation. ... When it is time to stand for all of those who have stood for America, Hillary Clinton stands tallest."
Candice Tolliver, a spokeswoman for the Obama, said the Obama campaign "is not playing the endorsement race."
"We are focused on bringing a broad coalition of Americans together to change the direction of our nation," Tolliver told BlackAmericaWeb.com Monday. "We have a host of preeminent African-Americans from foreign policy, business, politics and grassroots that strongly support Sen. Obama's candidacy."
On Monday, the Obama campaign announced the creation of his National Veterans Advisory Committee that will counsel Obama through the course of the 2008 presidential campaign on issues related to the challenges facing U.S. troops and veterans.
The group will also take the lead on building the grassroots network of support in the veteran’s community in key primary states and in communities with large veteran’s populations across the country.
"Senator Obama has been a leader for veterans in the Senate, and has laid out the most comprehensive plan to care for veterans among the 2008 candidates," Major General Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a retired four-star Air Force general, said in a statement.
"I am honored to work with him to care for our fighting men and women, both when they serve and when they return home," he said. "I firmly believe Barack Obama is the best candidate for our nation’s veterans, and I would be proud to call him my commander-in-chief."
Peter C. Groff, a Colorado state senator, publisher of Blackpolicy.org and executive director of the Center for African American Policy at the University of Denver, told BlackAmericaWeb.com that even though Clinton is leading Obama in several ational polls, he questions the depth of her black support versus blacks who are considering supporting her because of their allegiance to Bill Clinton.
Syndicated columnist Earl Ofari Hutchinson says Bill Clinton’s legacy as president will be a major factor for voters during the campaign.
"Hillary also runs neck and neck with Obama in the race to net the overall votes of blacks," Hutchinson wrote in a recent column.
"It's no surprise why Hillary has outflanked Obama on the civil rights front. Start with Bill, that's hubby Bill Clinton," he said." "Despite his centrist, and at times very race-neutral and hostile policies, especially his emphasis on crime, middle-class tax cuts, and his proposals to overhaul welfare without significant boosts in spending on job, education and child care, Clinton was seen as the only president with the arguable exception of Lyndon Johnson who did more for blacks than any other president."
If Oakland is an indication of where some blacks in the Bay Area stand on the candidates, the Clintons are preaching to the choir.
"President Clinton gave us an exclusive look into where Hillary stands on issues that matter most to our community," said Bishop Reems-Dickerson. "What was clear from the meeting is that Hillary has a real compassion and love for the people of this nation, and I look forward to working with her to lead us towards a better future."
Oakland aside, Hutchinson believes black women across the nation are a lock for Hillary.
"When it comes to who they'll actually vote for, it's no contest," Hutchinson wrote. "Hillary gaps Obama with black women voters, especially lower income, working class black women. Nearly three times more black women say they'll back Hillary over him. She is a woman, mother, and most importantly is regarded by many black women as a strong advocate for health care and women's interests."
But Michelle Obama disagrees.
"This race isn't about race," Obama said during the MSNBC interview. "Mrs. Clinton's the front-runner, and my husband's the underdog. Everybody knows that. But I believe that as voters start paying more attention to the issues, my husband will be moving up in the polls among all Democrats."
