Candidates battle for support of black voters

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As the race for the party's presidential nomination moves beyond Iowa and New Hampshire, which are predominantly white, into states with sizable minority populations such as South Carolina and Missouri, the tone of the race is changing as the candidates make appeals to a more diverse pool of voters.

That was evident yesterday when retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark criticized front-runner Sen. John Kerry for remarks he made 12 years ago that were widely interpreted as expressing reservations about affirmative action.

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The Rev. Al Sharpton, who had virtually no impact on the Iowa and New Hampshire races, expects to be a factor Tuesday. The lone African-American candidate in the race, Sharpton has said he intends to win Democratic National Convention delegates in South Carolina, Missouri and Delaware. He has spent most of his time campaigning in South Carolina but paid a visit to St. Louis earlier this week.

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Black voters and political leaders say the issues that will sway them to vote for a particular candidate are largely the same as those that concern white voters, particularly jobs, education and health care.

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