How Obama Quietly Targets Blacks

Politico: Obama Camp Using Radio, Field Organizers, Celebrities To Court First-Time And Established Black Voters

(The Politico)  This story was written by Ben Smith.

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As Barack Obama trekked through the Philadelphia suburbs, Northern Virginia, and Greensboro, N.C., in recent days, his campaign was ramping up a massive parallel effort in big cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and Miami.

In the largely black precincts of those metropolises, radio broadcasts blast constant reminders to vote for Obama, field organizers swarm, and megastars including Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, and LeBron James have led massive rallies, working to reach not just the substantial portion of the black community who regularly come out to vote, but the younger people and others who have never before cast a ballot.

Though the rallies are publicized, much of the advertising directed at black voters isn't. Get-out-the-vote ads on radio and television aren't released to the media, and the number of new voters Obama has registered is a closely-held secret. He is, however, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to registering African-American voters. The campaign has, for example, a major initiative aimed at turning barbershops and beauty parlors into voter registration offices. This week, Kimora Lee Simmons' E! Network reality show, Life in the Fab Lane, carried a campaign ad at the bottom of the screen reminding citizens to register to vote.

Monday morning, the deadline for registration in several key states, Obama appeared on two of the most widely-heard African-American radio programs, where hosts implored listeners to register to vote and Obama directed them to his campaign's registration website.

"The African-American vote can be a game-changer in all sorts of states," Obama told host Steve Harvey. "In Florida, in Indiana, in North Carolina, in Ohio.. I just want people to look at the numbers."

Little of this targeted outreach has produced images of Obama addressing black crowds or mingling with black officials, and most has gone unnoticed by the broader electorate.

"If you didn't notice it, then you probably weren't the target," said Obama spokesman Corey Ealons of the targeted advertising. He described the campaign's general voter registration drive - which has focused heavily on young voters, as well as African-Americans - as "a very extensive effort and that's been one of the highlights and major focuses of the campaign."

Obama's campaign is led by two of America's leading experts on the subtle dynamics of race and politics, the candidate himself and consultant David Axelrod, who has made a specialty of electing black mayors and, more recently, the first black governor of Massachusetts. The model has been consistent: A media campaign that focuses intensely on white, swing voters and a massive push to bring to the polls black voters who need no convincing of the historic nature of the candidacy.

Indeed, Obama's pioneering status has allowed him to run a campaign that focuses almost entirely on those swing voters, and virtually ignores the base, at least in its public appearances. Obama doesn't do mega-rallies in a majority-black city like Detroit-and he's sometimes the only one who provides a measure of diversity to his television advertisements, which are peopled with the white voters he's trying to win over.

"What he has done is he's shunned black voters - but he knows that they know that he's black. And he knows that they know in our communities we have a certain feeling that he's got to do that to get those white votes," said Kevin Wardally, a New York City political consultant who worked for Hillary Clinton. "We inherently believe that what he's doing he has to do - he has to not be in Harlem to get those white votes."

Obama's holy grail is what Mark Blumenthal, the editor and publisher of Pollster.com, refers to as "asymmetrical black turnout": Obama doesn't just need black turnout to increase; he needs it to increase at a higher rate than white turnout.

"If that happens, it could be worth a point or two in stats like Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, and maybe Indiana, and the polls may or may not be picking it up," he said.

Of course, every four years Democrats and their allies build a massive field operation, and every four years they claim that their efforts to turnout the party's base will carry them over the top. But close observers of the African-American vote say this year is truly different.

[paris1969]

the black vote for obama is one of the most visible signs of racism in our country.

[jay1jay1]

BRAVO!!!....Obama

so Paris, how would you characterize the black vote for bill Clinton or any other democratic candidate that has constantly been 80%

[mkcscbs]

the black vote for obama is one of the most visible signs of racism in our country. Posted by paris1969

No different than all of the whites who will only vote white.

[mkcscbs]

Just like all of us you try and vote for who best meets your needs and values.

[mikeant50]

so Paris, how would you characterize the black vote for bill Clinton or any other democratic candidate that has constantly been 80%
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Posted by jay1jay1 at 02:38 PM : Oct 08, 2008

So where did that 80% go when the black man showed up? They dropped Hillary like a hot potato. Ha ha ha. You say that''''s not racists? Please.



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Posted by proisrael at 02:43 PM : Oct 08, 2008
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African-Americans have supported every white Democratic Ticket (Carter, Dukasis, Clinton (twice), Gore, Kerry). Now we decide to throw our support behind a candidate that is African-American, we are racist. That doesn''t past the smell test. We didn''t support Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton or Carolyn Mosely-Braun. We did''t support Hillary becuase we believe that Obama is the more qualified candidate. Your argument is flawed because Obama has a white running mate. No one complains when the majority of McCain''s support is white.

[eric-914]

I''ve grown up being told that targeting a group of people based solely on their race was, by definition, racist.

So what happened?

[redbds]

THAT ONE for ALL
ALL for THAT ONE

Posted by gun-tower at 03:03 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Yes the ONE the MESIAH. How disappointed you will all be if the ONE actually wins.

[briannorwood]

"I''''ve grown up being told that targeting a group of people based solely on their race was, by definition, racist."-eric-914

Oh, right. And the GOP targeting of white evangelicals is AOK by you?

[redbds]

Race should have nothing to do with who you vote for. The qualifications of the candidate should be the only thing that matters. But, if you think that is what is happening during this election then you are refusing to see the truth. Race is an issue. 95% of blacks that voted in the primary voted for Obama. If you don''t think that is about race then you are blind. I am not saying that all blacks voted for Obama just because he is black, but some did. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with that either. I think it is high time that a black man was elected president. But, I think that black man must be elected based on his merits and not on his race or some historical emotion. Obama is using race and the historical importance of his candidacy to get votes. Anyone who denies that is not being honest. If you think that I am a racist because I am willing to state this opinion then you are free to believe so.

[creeper00]

And they call whites "racist".

[kennergirl]

I don''t think anybody from Obama''s campaign has to try to get black folks to vote for him. They''re already there. I bet you won''t find one black person that is going to vote for McCain or anyone else for that matter. I thought seriously about the presidential election and I really would have considered Obama until the Reverend at his church came out with his outrageous hatred of America. If anything would be called "despicable" that would surely be.

I may be white but, I think this time, I''m right.

[engymass2]

BETTER THAN MCCAIN... HE HAS MADE "NO" EFFORT TO GET THE
BLACK VOTE !!!

[Cas2dy]

What''s the big deal? All politicians target the potential of underestimated groups of any segment of society and that''s fsir play. Had McCain sought to "target" the Black communties by endearing himself to those communties with genuine interest that goes back to his very roots, then he''d have this headline to deal with instead of Barack. What''s the problem? I know for a fact that the Black vote is not the only vote that will get this man into the White House...it''s a combination of people from different areas who happen to make up a whole that includes hardworking, honest citizens who''s labor and planning have gotten them nothing but fear of losing what they''ve earned due to the negligence and greed of the soon to be "past" governing body of America. McCain has never seen fit to associate with average Americans because his agenda was simply to hobknob with the elite classes and use that as his stepping stone...or should I say stepping over people stone?

[gettyleigh-2009]

In an interview before the Republican National Convention, Niger Innis, the spokesman for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) expounded that %u201CIt was clear that Barack Obama%u2019s ties to the left are familial, generational, and have lasted for several years.%u201D He went on to say that %u201Cas a black American, he was exceedingly proud at the American people%u2019s response to Barack Obama%u2019s candidacy,%u201D Innis expanded his perception by averring that %u201C. . . to deny that he [Obama] has long-standing ties to left-wing elements in our polity is to deny reality. If you want to be president of the United States, it is not racism if you ask these kinds of questions, and he has to come up with the answers, hopefully they will be the truth.%u201D

[kc629]

I don''''t think anybody from Obama''''s campaign has to try to get black folks to vote for him. They''''re already there. I bet you won''''t find one black person that is going to vote for McCain or anyone else for that matter. I thought seriously about the presidential election and I really would have considered Obama until the Reverend at his church came out with his outrageous hatred of America. If anything would be called "despicable" that would surely be.

I may be white but, I think this time, I''''m right.


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Posted by Kennergirl at 04:14 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Want to play the religion card?

have you read up on Sarah Palin''s church? oh excuse me she doesnt belong to one "in particular" thats just the one she goes to when shes home,

in case you havent noticed all faiths are "radical" to poeple of diffrent beliefs,

i agree that his comments are some that one would contemplate silently, not to be said aloud, and obviosly Rev. Wrights PERSONAL OPINION but you cannot deny that thought is entirely untrue, it is naive to say we are in good standing with the rest of the world

[praiseallah1]

Obama is a corrupt politician just like those criminals Barney Franks and Chris Dodd who caused this economic mess! Go watch the YouTube video "House of Lies: How Congress Failed Our Economy".

watch?v=Z5z9lD4C2Io

I have been a life long Democrate and Hillary supporter but I will be voting for McCain/Palin this election!

[palin0808]

Obama has been secretly playing the race card since the primary. He is good at it and affirmative action will do what it has done everywhere else in our country. Put less qualified people in posistions they didn''t earn

[dedede23]

During an inview Palin says Obama''s friends are fair game for the media and everyone needs to know who he is. Well who is Palin?? Where did she come from, Why the mediA could not ask her any questions for a month. All the media has said about, she brought on her self. Not answering questions and giving the wrong answer to simple question she should have know the answer to. She wants tough questions, yet can not answer the easy ones. They were putting the questions on her level

[grammawhamma]

African-Americans have supported every white Democratic Ticket (Carter, Dukasis, Clinton (twice), Gore, Kerry). Now we decide to throw our support behind a candidate that is African-American, we are racist. That doesn''''t past the smell test. We didn''''t support Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton or Carolyn Mosely-Braun. We did''''t support Hillary becuase we believe that Obama is the more qualified candidate. Your argument is flawed because Obama has a white running mate. No one complains when the majority of McCain''''s support is white.
Posted by mikeant50 at 02:56 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Just wondering...if the Democratic nominee was a Native American...would he/she have gotten 95% of the black vote?

[armydog2]

The posts on this board are absolutely ridiculous.If mccain had half a brain he would court the black vote. Obama does not do anything to be considered racist. He speaks to us all as American citizens, not white citizens, or black citizens or yellow citizens but American citizens. get over the fact that he is half black. He is intelligent and definitely presidential material. OBAMA/BIDEN 08 the only intelligent and logical choice for our Country!!

[wagjr64]

Election officials in states across the country are continuing to scrutinize questionable voter registration forms submitted by an advocacy group that was raided Tuesday by Nevada authorities investigating voter fraud allegations.

In Missouri, Jackson County''s top election official, Charlene Davis, says they''ve discovered more than 800 potentially fraudulent forms from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN.

She said they were bogging down work Wednesday, the final day Missourians could register to vote.

"I don''t even know the entire scope of it because registrations are coming in so heavy," Davis said. "We have identified about 100 duplicates, and probably 280 addresses that don''t exist, people who have driver''s license numbers that won''t verify or Social Security numbers that won''t verify. Some have no address at all."

Officials said one name was registered 10 times, all with different birthdays and social security numbers, but with what appeared to be the same signature. Officials said ACORN employees even tried to register a 12-year-old.

The nonpartisan group works to recruit low-income voters, who tend to lean Democratic. Polls show Republican presidential candidate John McCain with an edge in bellwether Missouri, but Democrat Barack Obama continues to put up a strong fight.

[wagjr64]

Election officials in states across the country are continuing to scrutinize questionable voter registration forms submitted by an advocacy group that was raided Tuesday by Nevada authorities investigating voter fraud allegations.

In Missouri, Jackson County''s top election official, Charlene Davis, says they''ve discovered more than 800 potentially fraudulent forms from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN.

She said they were bogging down work Wednesday, the final day Missourians could register to vote.

"I don''t even know the entire scope of it because registrations are coming in so heavy," Davis said. "We have identified about 100 duplicates, and probably 280 addresses that don''t exist, people who have driver''s license numbers that won''t verify or Social Security numbers that won''t verify. Some have no address at all."

Officials said one name was registered 10 times, all with different birthdays and social security numbers, but with what appeared to be the same signature. Officials said ACORN employees even tried to register a 12-year-old.

The nonpartisan group works to recruit low-income voters, who tend to lean Democratic. Polls show Republican presidential candidate John McCain with an edge in bellwether Missouri, but Democrat Barack Obama continues to put up a strong fight.

[wagjr64]

Jess Ordower, Midwest director of ACORN, said his group hasn''t done any registrations in Kansas City since late August. He said he was told three weeks ago by election officials that there were only about 135 questionable cards -- 85 of them duplicates.
"They keep telling different people different things," he said. "They gave us a list of 130, then told someone else it was 1,000."
FBI spokeswoman Bridget Patton said the agency has been in contact with elections officials about potential voter fraud and plans to investigate.
"It''s a matter we take very seriously," Patton said. "It is against the law to register someone to vote who does not fall within the parameters to vote, or to put someone on there falsely."

In Ohio, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Wednesday that local ACORN representatives told members of the Cuyahoga County elections board that they could not eliminate voter fraud from their operation.
On Tuesday, authorities in Nevada seized records from ACORN after finding fraudulent registration forms that included the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys.

[wagjr64]

In April, eight ACORN workers in St. Louis city and county pleaded guilty to federal election fraud for submitting false registration cards for the 2006 election. U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway said they submitted cards with false addresses and names and forged signatures.

Ordower said Wednesday that ACORN registered about 53,500 people in Missouri this year. He believes his group is being targeted because some politicians don''t want that many low-income people having a voice.

"It''s par for the course," he said. "When you''re doing more registrations than anyone else in the country, some don''t want low-income people being empowered to vote. There are pretty targeted attacks on us, but we''re proud to be out there doing the patriotic thing getting people registered to vote."

[wagjr64]

In April, eight ACORN workers in St. Louis city and county pleaded guilty to federal election fraud for submitting false registration cards for the 2006 election. U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway said they submitted cards with false addresses and names and forged signatures.

Ordower said Wednesday that ACORN registered about 53,500 people in Missouri this year. He believes his group is being targeted because some politicians don''t want that many low-income people having a voice.

"It''s par for the course," he said. "When you''re doing more registrations than anyone else in the country, some don''t want low-income people being empowered to vote. There are pretty targeted attacks on us, but we''re proud to be out there doing the patriotic thing getting people registered to vote."

Republicans are among ACORN''s loudest critics. At a campaign stop in Bethlehem, Pa., supporters of John McCain interrupted his remarks Wednesday by shouting, "No more ACORN."

[wagjr64]

There are at least 11 investigations across the country involving thousands of potentially fraudulent ACORN forms.

According to its national Web site, the group has registered 1.3 million people nationwide for the Nov. 4 election. It also has encountered complaints of fraud stemming from registration efforts in Wisconsin, New Mexico, Nevada and battleground states like Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina, where new voter registrations have favored Democrats nearly 4 to 1 since the beginning of this year.

Missouri offers 11 electoral votes; the presidential candidates need at least 270 to win the election.

FOX News'' Eric Shawn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[boycot-china]

Senator Obama is an eloquently tailored empty suit. No resume, no accomplishments, no experience, no original ideas, nothing but abstract empty rhetoric devoid of real substance. He has no real identity. He is half-white which he rejects. He''s mostly Arab which he hides. Only a small part of him is African Black from his Luo grandmother, which he pretends he is exclusively. What he isn''t, not a genetic drop of, is ''African-American,'' the descendant of enslaved Africans brought to America chained in slave ships. He hasn''t a single ancestor who was a slave. Instead, his Arab ancestors were slave owners. Slave-trading was the main Arab business in East Africa for centuries until the British ended it. He is the descendant of slave owners. I wonder why Obama lies so much about what he really is not. I have more African American in me than he does and I am from Puerto Rico.

[boycot-china]

Senator Obama''s proposed tax changes. Research yourself and see:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN = 0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples) McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.
OBAMA = 28% on profit from ALL home sales. How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.