WP, pg1: Blacks in Congress Torn Over Candidates: Some Weighing a Shift From Clinton to Obama

[DeepModem Mom]

Blacks in Congress Torn Over Candidates
Some Weighing a Shift From Clinton to Obama
By Shailagh Murray and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, February 16, 2008; Page A01

African American members of Congress, many under enormous pressure from their constituents, are grappling with the question of whether they should abandon their support of Hillary Rodham Clinton and back Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

On Thursday, Rep. John Lewis (Ga.), a civil rights icon who endorsed Clinton last fall, wavered publicly in his backing of her after a series of private conversations with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). He and his aides declined yesterday to say whether he had formally withdrawn his endorsement or plans to support Obama in his role as a Democratic superdelegate, but colleagues said such doubts are echoing throughout the CBC.

"A lot of members who made commitments a year ago based on prevailing thought are having some real trepidations," said Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), who has remained neutral in the race. Clyburn, a senior member of the House leadership, said he had spoken to numerous CBC colleagues in recent weeks who have questioned their support of Clinton. "It's emotionally a problem for all of us," he said, adding that he had dreamed of a black president decades ago when he was a civil rights activist. "This is a moment I thought about sitting in a Columbia jail in 1961." But Obama needs to continue to rack up wins through March 4 contests in Ohio and Texas before a large number of black lawmakers who back Clinton will switch sides, Clyburn said. "After that, if current trends hold, then you'll see movement," he predicted....

***

The tensions that have begun to surface are part of a generational shift within the ranks of black political leaders. For older figures such as Lewis, the prospect of an African American president was for many years unimaginable, because most black politicians of his generation hit the ceiling of their political ambitions in majority-black cities or congressional districts. But younger black politicians "look in the mirror, and they see Barack Obama's face. They see their futures," said David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "I, quite frankly, am surprised this hasn't happened sooner."

One turning point, many CBC members said, was Obama's overwhelming victory in Virginia on Tuesday, in which he beat Clinton 50 percent to 49 percent among white voters overall and won white males by an even larger margin -- 55 percent to 43 percent -- according to exit polls. "That was the last thing that black leaders thought -- that Obama would be the stronger candidate among white men in a Southern state, the group that had been the most resistant to their agenda," Bositis said.

Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.), an Obama backer and one of the younger CBC members, predicted that his colleagues will eventually abandon Clinton because they will not want to "be on the wrong side of history," but also because of their own political interests....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021503756_pf.html

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. i've thought the same thing as Rep. Davis....

I think it's good that some of the CBC remain behind Sen. Clinton, but they (especially SD's) should really think hard if this goes to the convention; and that appears that this is where it's headed.

[John Q. Citizen]

2. I don't think it will make it to the convention. My guess is that after 3/4 it will be

obvious to everyone that Hill can't mathimatically win a majority of the elected delegates, and tremendous pressure will be exerted on her to drop out.

If she doesn't do it gracefully, then super delegates will begin annoucing for Obama, delegate switches from Hill to Obama will happen, and she will then drop out.

Nobody in the party wants it to go to the convention. People like their jobs, after all.

[Cha]

4. They don't want to see a Democratic

Presidency slipping from their reality?

[Cha]

3. Things change..for the better..

One turning point, many CBC members said, was Obama's overwhelming victory in Virginia on Tuesday, in which he beat Clinton 50 percent to 49 percent among white voters overall and won white males by an even larger margin -- 55 percent to 43 percent -- according to exit polls. "That was the last thing that black leaders thought -- that Obama would be the stronger candidate among white men in a Southern state, the group that had been the most resistant to their agenda," Bositis said.

[democrat_nanny]

5. What about Women in Congress?

When are the Women in Congress going to take a clue from the CBC and weigh a shift from Obama to Clinton so THEY won't be on the "wrong side of history."

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Thanks for your first post, democrat_nanny -- welcome to DU!