by Jason George
HERNANDO, Miss. – One learns a few things standing in front of a Mississippi polling location on election day. First off, today's good weather beats loitering in the cold – after a weekend of rare Southern snow, Mississippi is seeing blue skies and spring-like temperatures across the state this afternoon.
One also learns some other things in conversations with those voters leaving this polling location – a fire station, flanked by a trailer park and fallow fields. In a completely, unscientific sample of voters, these are a few themes that came through:
1) Mississippi Republicans aren't thrilled about John McCain as their nominee.
In fact, every Republican I spoke with expressed some concern about the Arizona senator, either with his maverick, non-GOP stances or his not wearing his faith on his sleeve.
"I did vote for him; I'm not staying home like some people I know," said Deborah Kellogg, 43, a teacher with a "Bush is Best" bumper sticker on the back of her SUV.
"I would've preferred Huckabee," she added, speaking of the former Arkansas governor who dropped out last week (but still appears on Mississippi's ballot today).
Dennis Morlok, 62, another GOP voter favored former Gov. Mitt Romney. "I personally don't like John McCain," he said. "I don't like that he was opposed to some of the issues George Bush was behind."
Still, Morlok voted McCain.
2) Sen. Barack Obama has been dominating Sen. Hillary Clinton with Southern black voters more than any other group, and the trend seems to be continuing today – every African American I spoke with here said they had just cast their ballot for Obama.
In the four states that border Mississippi – Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee – Obama horded support from more than 80 percent of black Democratic voters in two states (Alabama and Louisiana) and more than 70 percent in the other two (Arkansas and Tennessee.) If that trend plays out today, victory is almost certain, as 37 percent of Mississippians are African American – the highest such percentage in the nation.
For some local African Americans, race was an issue:
"I hope we're ready for a black president," said Evielean Bell, 71. "It's always a struggle here in Mississippi."
For others race wasn't an issue:
"I didn't vote for Obama because he was black," said Kennith Newson, 51. "I voted for him because I like him. I've heard some of his speeches about getting out of Iraq, and my thing is if we can leave we should."
3) Speaking of Iraq, the Democratic issues of importance heard here in Mississippi are the same as those voiced elsewhere across America: the war, gas prices, education and healthcare.
As Vicky Mann, a Clinton supporter from Nettleton, told me over the weekend: "Everybody thinks we're all different but we're not," she said. "We just talk funny."
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Comments
Unbelievable the spin in this piece. Jason George talked to two republicans and both of them said they voted for McCain. Had this been about the Obamessiah I have little doubt the sping would've been "everyone we talked to said they voted for Obama."
Posted by: Jeff | March 11, 2008 3:22 PM
In response to Ferrero's comments about this being a race thing. So if it is not a race thing then why are all the blacks voting for Barack Hussein Obama. If Hillary were a man, Barack Hussein Obama would be history by now. It is not only a race thing but a gender thing.
Posted by: Jeanette Johnson | March 11, 2008 3:45 PM
Of course it is about race as well as gender. But that is the problem; how can it be OK for Clinton supporters to say that Obama got where he was because he's black when Clinton got where she was because she is a woman? It seems in the whole campaign that the Clinton side keeps playing dirty first leaving Obama with no choice to play dirty back. That's just sad; shame on Hillary Clinton for not being confident enough in herself to fight fairly.
Posted by: Michael | March 11, 2008 5:02 PM
The reason why people are voting for Obama is because they believe that HRC is both a "bitch" according to her own admission (check SNL per her advice) and a Monster. So they are scared and want to vote for some one sane.
Posted by: Ram | March 11, 2008 5:03 PM
Geraldine Ferraro was right that this is a RACE thing. 80% of blacks are voting for Obama.
It's not so much a gender thing for Hillary as she is only geting about half of the female votes.
Posted by: mbs | March 11, 2008 5:16 PM
Jeanette Johnson, I am with you, everything I have read or seen on the news points to the fact that "this state has a large population of black voters, so Obama is expected to do well." How can Obama's team attack anyone that says it is a racial thing that Obama is where he is today? No matter how it is worded it comes out the same. Obama is being pushed by the black voters of this country. It is too bad that the women don't stand up for their own kind. It is time for a woman to break the glass ceiling.
Posted by: RFB | March 11, 2008 5:25 PM
A Tribune reporter takes time off from Obama 24/7 and talks to actual Republicans!!!!
Will wonders never cease?
Posted by: Medill | March 11, 2008 5:53 PM
What do you expect?The Clintons insult African Americans and then you cry racism when they don't vote for her...seems more like common sense to me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgxxWhzdhv0
Why doesn't the liar just give up now,before detroying the party/country/world ?
Concerned global citizen. UK.
Posted by: John London | March 11, 2008 6:24 PM
What does it tell you when 80% of African Americans vote for Obama? They know a good candidate when they see one.
Posted by: Tom O | March 11, 2008 6:52 PM
To Bad these people were not informed. The Truth About Obama's Voting Record
Posted by RollinTruth on Thursday, January 17, 2008 3:07:53 PM
The tendency of Barrack Obama to vote "present" on controversial matters during his time in the Illinois State Senate is getting some media attention lately, and his campaign has sought to dismiss the criticism by claiming there were good, sound political strategies involved in Obama's decision to avoid voting.
The most absurd aspect of the whole story is not his votes -- which are already pretty absurd -- but rather his attempted defense of those votes. Obama's defense of not doing the job he was elected to do? He couldn't vote on those bills, because his votes would've been used against him when he ran for reelection.
HUH? Since when is it a legitimate argument to say, "I didn't vote on that bill, because it would hurt my political future." Even worse is that much of the liberal press has actually accepted this ridiculous, indefensible opportunistic point of view. So, pretty absurd and inexcusable, right?
Oh, but wait -- it gets better! Not only does he admit his votes (or lack thereof) were based on purely political calculations, and not only does the mainstream media accept and defend his argument. Deciding to just take the ball and run with it, Obama and his supporters say that not voting out of personal political opportunism is in fact an example of true leadership on these issues he wouldn't vote on!
What is interesting is that during all this examination of Obama's record in the Illinois Senate, nobody is raising the issue of Obama's serial non-voting in Congress. Let's take a look at how he voted during his long one-year career in the U.S. Senate:
He skipped voting on 26 of 59 budget, spending, and tax measures – that means he didn't bother to vote on 44% of these measures during his entire career in the Senate. He skipped NINE out of fifteen votes on health related measures. He skipped voting on FIVE of six transportation measures in 2007. He skipped voting on FOUR of five welfare-related measures. He skipped voting on about half of environmental-related measures. He skipped voting on half of education measures. He constantly skipped out on votes relating to farm subsidies and agriculture expenditures.
He voted AGAINST a bill that would deny legal status to undocumented immigrants convicted of aggravated felonies, domestic violence, stalking, violation of protection orders, crimes against children, or crimes relating to the illegal purchase or sale of firearms. But then he voted FOR a bill reducing the number of guest workers. Now, regardless of one's view on immigration in general, if you had to choose between allowing in MORE criminals or MORE legal workers, which would you choose? That's all I'm saying!
He skipped voting on future military funding for Iraq, as well as multiple other Iraq funding measures, skipped voting on the Iraq Withdrawal Amendment, after first voting AGAINST it a few months earlier; and he also skipped voting on the measure designation Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. But he's been running around the country for months saying he opposes the war and that he'll end the war, while being unwilling to go on record about any of it. I'm not saying he should have voted for a withdrawal, I'm just saying he's like a lot of cowardly liberals who say something but are unwilling to actually risk backing it up with action.
Finally, in an apparent attempt to continue his strong record of leading by non-example from his grand days in the Illinois Senate, Obama skipped voting on two of three abortion-related bills in Congress. At least on this issue, his vote -- or rather, non-vote -- has remained consistent, I guess.
Well, that's one way to ensure the Republican candidate won't be able to attack him for his record in the Senate -- just avoid having one!
Posted by: PATTY | March 12, 2008 8:27 AM
Of course, it is a race thing, and anyone who says otherwise is just trying to be politically correct. Even the News announcer's play it. They act so higher than thou about not mentioning the fact that he is black and then turn right around and make the comment "he is expected to do well because 80 per cent of voter's are black! Geraldine Ferraro is not a racist, she is a realist! We are not far enough along in this country to NOT see color, and if you think that is not true, try being me, a white woman married to a black man who sees "the look" at least 2 times a day.!!! Although no one would ever say anything aloud to me or my husband, that would not be politically correct!!!
Posted by: Tina | March 12, 2008 9:47 AM