Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell: Some White Voters ‘Not Ready’ to Elect Black Candidate
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Ed Rendell, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most visible supporters, said some white Pennsylvanians are likely to vote against her rival Barack Obama because he is black.
“You’ve got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate,” Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in Tuesday’s paper.
To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.
“I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was — well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking — but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so,” he said. “And that (attitude) exists. But on the other hand, that is counterbalanced by Obama’s ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool.”
Rendell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2000 and previously Philadelphia’s mayor, endorsed Clinton on Jan. 23.
Pennsylvania holds its primary April 22.
Several figures in Clinton’s campaign, including her husband, the former president, have been criticized in recent weeks for raising Obama’s race. In response, Bill Clinton has said he will stick to promoting his wife, rather than defending her.
[...] Clinton party line and saying that Obama can carry Pennsylvania even though six weeks prior he had said that some white voters in Pennsylvania might not be ready to elect a black president — her base has started to accept the possibility that HRC won’t win this thing. This [...]
this is a racist remark .. why no media (where is Fox News) make a case out of it? instead of blow out Wright’s sermon (black churck culture)?
because it is Clintons’ dirty campaign tactic. They with the help from Fox News & media, cherry pickted Wright’s sermon in order to kill Obama chance. Clintons are doing any thing to win and back to WH; they are thirsty for power.
If a black man is elected president of the United States, it will not be because the blacks elected him. The last time I checked, they were still a minority. It will be because the younger white voters are tired of the same old, same old from the politicians in Washington and have joined the immigrants and the blacks in electing with a hope for change. Of course, any intelligent human knows that change is not an option as long as the old goats,i.e., Ted Kennedy and his ilk are in the driver’s seat. They are so busy keeping the rich rich and the poor poor that they no longer represent us, they represent their peers and big business. We are again a Nation of people paying taxes without representation. It will take another revolution to unseat the people that do not represent us and I fear we will never like each other enough to unite for any cause.
Quote from a previous post:
‘I absolutely agree. I refuse to vote for a black man. This is the highest office in our country. I don’t think he will promote a fair agenda. His being black will always influence his views and they probably aren’t mine.’
If this comment is true, does that mean that all of these years we have been subjected to an unfair agenda that does not promote our well being? Does that mean his being white will always influence his views and they probably aren’t mine?
(African-American Female)