OBAMARAMA

Lately, the media — left, right and center — has been falling all over itself to point out, ever-so-gingerly, that Sen. Obama does not in fact have a “lock on black voters.” Such “analysis” articles are an apparent response to the unspoken assumption (held by whom, it isn’t clear) that, because he himself is black, Sen. Obama is somehow automatically entitled to the votes of every African American.

Poll after poll shows that, among black voters, Sen. Hillary Clinton holds a distinct advantage over Sen. Obama. Add to this some soundbites from black political leaders in Chicago and the fact that Rev. Al Sharpton has been noticeably slow to warm up to the senator (despite having no visible familiarity with his record), and you have yourself a veritable media firestorm. Apparently, we’re supposed to be shocked that Sen. Obama doesn’t inherit the vote of every African American simply by virtue of being black.

(Interestingly, the media’s faith that this silent expectation exists is actually a mutation of conservative thinking. Intent on denting the Democrats’ overwhleming African American support, conservatives have for years viewed “the black vote” as a package deal, and black voters part of an unthinking monolithic block that has somehow been “duped” by Democrats and can be won back with smoke and mirrors. No chance the party’s backing of social policies that benefit African Americans could have anything to do with their support…)

Far from being shocked, however, most people are not at all surprised to find that there are as many political opinions as there are black voters, that they have established political loyalties, and that their votes are not determined entirely by something as superficial as skin color. In response to this media obsession, most people are largely indifferent, while some — including readers of this blog — find it insulting.

For me, the fact that Sen. Obama doesn’t currently enjoy the overwhelming support of African American voters — most of whom know Sen. Clinton much better and feel a fierce loyalty toward her husband — is not a cause for alarm. There are two reasons for this:

1. Speaking frankly, I believe the perception that Sen. Obama lacks African American support?will actually benefit him in the short term. For better or worse, a black candidate’s viability among white voters depends in part on him not being perceived to be “the black candidate.” See the Sharpton and Jesse Jackson candidacies for examples. As a group, white voters are not only the largest constituency, they are also terminally suspicious of leaders whose first loyalty they perceive as being to someone else. It is simply one of the perils of majority rule.
2. I don’t believe a lack of support this early among African Americans is an insurmountable condition. Americans generally don’t know Sen. Obama well enough, but that will change in the next year. As the voters learn about his positions and his values, the tides will shift. Among black voters, the symbolism and promise of a black president will only serve to enhance his appeal. I fully expect that the majority of African American support will realign itself behind Sen. Obama before the Iowa caucuses.