FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Barack Obama crushed Hillary Clinton in Saturday's South Carolina primary, 55% to 27%.
His overwhelming victory was propelled by landslide margins among blacks, winning 78% of their votes. But when it came to the white vote, Obama received 24%, trailing both John Edwards and Clinton.
So far in this campaign, Obama's highest support among white voters came in New Hampshire where he got 36%. In Iowa, he got a third of the white vote.
Results from South Carolina also suggest that racial attitudes play a part in how effective voters think the candidates would be once elected. Whites were far likelier to name Clinton than Obama as being the most qualified to be commander-in-chief, likeliest to unite the country and most likely to win the general election. As for blacks, they named Obama over Clinton by even stronger margins in all three areas.
So despite his overwhelming victory this weekend, it seems like Obama is going to need to find a way to capture more of the white vote. Clinton continues to maintain a big lead in national polls. And, when it comes to the major Super Tuesday states like New York, New Jersey, California and others, she has wide, in some case double-digit, leads in the polls over Obama.
Here’s my question to you: What does Barack Obama have to do to attract more white support?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Robert from Connecticut writes:
As a white male living in Connecticut and from Texas (whose entire Democratic family and circle of friends has successively been turned off by the Clintons' divisive and untrue assertions recently), I think Obama does not have to do much. I think that all he needs is let the Clintons keep immolating themselves by reminding our party how divisive they are. Obama seems like he could unite not only our party, but possibly the country as a whole.
Beth writes:
What's being lost in this discussion of racial polarization is that 50% of the under-30 white vote is going to Obama. If it’s saying something about our country's view of race, it's saying something positive… that the upcoming generation (my generation), for all its flaws, is not as held up by race as our elders.
Carol from San Jose, California writes:
I am a white female and for Obama to get my vote, he would have to show me or tell me what he has actually done. I know he is an inspirational speaker, but how is he going to accomplish what he speaks. Details, please!
Jackie from Texas writes:
Barack Obama stands a good chance of getting more of the "white vote" by doing exactly what he's doing: campaigning with a message that crosses lines.
Kevin writes:
Nothing. I believe that in the more progressive states Obama will find more white votes of both sexes, especially if Bill keeps yapping.
Kurt from Denver writes:
Everyone needs to wake up and realize that this election is not about black or white, it’s about something bigger: the United States of America. As long as we keep viewing things as black, white, or brown, this country will never reach its full potential. Obama should keep himself true and honest to the people not just for white support but for the support from everyone.