Posted on 02/17/2007 10:44:13 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Obama: U.S. ready for black president
By JIM DAVENPORT, Associated Press Writer 13 minutes ago
White House hopeful Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record), taking a fellow black lawmaker to task, said Saturday voters are ready to elect a black president.
"At every turn in our history, there's been somebody who said we can't," the Democratic senator from Illinois told a nearly all-black audience of about 2,000 at Claflin University.
"Some people said we can't do this, we can't do that, so we shouldn't even try. If I have your support, if I have your energy and involvement and commitment and ideas, then I'm here to tell you, 'Yes we can.'"
The comments drew the loudest ovation during a question-and-answer session in his first campaign swing through South Carolina, an early voting state.
The first-in-the-South contest here is seen as a test of candidates' abilities to reach black voters. Half of the state's Democratic primary voters are black.
Obama responded to comments this past week by Democratic state Sen. Robert Ford of Charleston, who helped mobilize black voters for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards in 2004, but has switched to Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2008 presidential race.
Ford said Tuesday that Obama, a first-term senator, has much to prove. "The media made this guy bigger than life," Ford said. "This guy isn't tested and they made him a rock star."
Ford said one reason he was supporting Clinton, the New York senator, is that he is skeptical Obama can win the presidency and worries his nomination could hurt other Democratic candidates.
"Every Democrat running on that ticket next year would lose — because he's black and he's top of the ticket. We'd lose the House and the Senate and the governors and everything," Ford said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
this guy has zero chance of winning. the DNC knows it, but they have to have someone for HRClinton to wrestle with. Otherwise it just looks like they anointed her (which they will).
and with hillary for the dems, guiliani and mccain will not win... mainly because they will not pull significantly from her base. meanwhile, romney will pull the female vote directly from her base and potentially some of the liberal vote (he did win in MA).
btw, applying the same filter to romney's religion, i do not see him making his religion a major issue. since it's not a major issue with him, i do not see it conflicting with my religious issues (which are few)... as our religions are different.
so far, i see romney as the only conservative candidate with a chance.
Better Steele that Hussein Obama.
By the way I didnt know Obama was black.
Isnt he Mulatto?
Why has he forgotten his white half, Was his mother that bad? Why did he forsake his Grandparents who raised him?
I think Maybe Hussein picks and chooses which color he wants to be according to what it will do for him politically. He thinks his dark side will win him election to the presidency I think he is full of crap.
You mean half black?
Hmmm - those are good points!
This is what this is going to turn into. It's a question of whether America is ready for a black president--with who is most qualified going on the backburner.
Just like the Super Bowl
Reporter: ....how does it feel to be the first black coach?
Coach: Well, it's great, but I'm doing this for my team and my God...
Reporter: Yes, but you're Black! How does it feel?
I still think Romney is the most qualified. I'm just not sure how much that's going to come up.
"Alan Keyes"
My thoughts exactly. Thank you.
Obama should note and take a lesson from Dr. Keyes. Dr. Keyes never played the race card. Many of us wanted Dr. Keyes to become president because he was brilliant and was for "we the people."
You, Obama, are a racist, addle-brained, and from all appearances, a crook. It has nothing to do with your skin tone.
I'm ready - just not for Barack.
Yes, and her name is Condoleezza Rice.
Or Condoleeza Rice, if she would run. Definitely NOT Obama Osama.
Good points & I agree. I have seen pictures of him with his grandmother from Kenya but none of his 'white family'. I know his mother is dead. I don't see where Obama has done anything much....He surely doesn't represent anything that I would want in a president. ~~P~~
Bingo, Sarge!
I'm still trying to figure out what that has to do with him.
and clean too!
Obama is Not black he is Grey.. or Offwhite..
We had one. He got impeached. Can't have another "first black president."
I heard a caller say that people used to pray for then-Gov. Romney to protect them from the corrupt legislature.
After Romney left office, they were praying for the corrupt legislature to protect them from the newly elected idiot governor. (Already abusing an SP helicopter, and canned the Crown Vic for a pimped-out Caddie)
Romney did not give early support to his then-lt. gov that was running to replace him.
Lots of other things too.
I'm not saying that I won't support Romney, but I'm hoping for better conservative candidates.
Whatever happened to J. C. Watts?
You can't dye a black shirt.
No, not Clarence. We don't want him replaced on the SC by some liberal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.