Senator Barack Obama, Congressman John Lewis, Senator Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge COMMEMORATING the 1965 'Bloody Sunday' Voting Rights march March 4, 2007 in Selma, Alabama. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
There is more bad news for Hillary Clinton. Some African-American leaders are rethinking their support for her.
Congressman David Scott of Georgia says he's defecting from the Clinton camp and will instead support Barack Obama. Scott says he has to represent the wishes of his constituency. His district voted more than 80% in favor of Obama on Super Tuesday.
Also, the New York Times reports that civil rights veteran Congressman John Lewis, also of Georgia, is switching his superdelegate vote to Obama.
They quote Lewis as saying "In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit. Something is happening in America, and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap." Lewis' spokeswoman says the story is inaccurate, that the congressman has left the option of changing his superdelegate support on the table, but hasn't decided yet.
Barack Obama was asked about this today. He says, "I think increasingly the superdelegates that I talked to are uncomfortable with the notion that they will override decisions made by voters."
What this shows is there's a growing sense among some of the party's black leaders that they shouldn't stand in the way of Obama's historic run for the nomination... and that they shouldn't go against their constituents' wishes.
One black supporter of Clinton, Missouri, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, describes some of this. He says Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, an Obama supporter, recently asked him "If it comes down to the last day and you're the only superdelegate... do you want to go down in history as the one to prevent a black from winning the White House?"
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean if some African-American leaders are rethinking their support for Hillary Clinton?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Dean writes:
It means that many Americans, black or white, are re-thinking their support for Hillary Clinton. Just look at the last 10 primaries. Obama is winning people over, and electability is starting to become an issue. Obama can beat McCain in November, while polls show Hillary may not. Hillary as nominee does us no good if her high negatives cost us the general election in November.
Lawrence writes:
I'm a black, 42-year-old retired Naval Officer. I personally think it's wrong to switch a vote based on color or sex. However, I do think that at the end of the day, Obama will have the popular vote and all superdelegates need to side with a winner. If this primary is taken from the candidate with the country's democratic support, brace for true shock.
Rob writes:
We say racism is dead, yet 80% of blacks vote Obama while whites are split 50/50. It seems to me the roles of the past have changed and now this black delegate business only confirms the facts I have just stated. People are not looking at who is the most qualified, connected and experienced, but instead - just like the majority of this country fell for Bush’s promises - they now seem to be in a spell under Obama’s sweet talk.
Daniel from New York writes:
Of course they are rethinking their support. Many of them signed up because they thought they were on the train going to the final destination. Now that it looks like that train won't make it to the station, they realize the got on the train too early.
Justin from Florida writes:
I don't think it's racial, I think it's a sign that like everyone else they are tired of the same old. It's a new time, a new day, and time for a real change not just in the look, but in the way of thinking. Who else inspired a nation like this?
Darrel writes:
It means they see that Hillary is very insincere in her words and body language and Obama is charismatic and puts forth a lot of ideas. The real question is: who cares? No one is beating McCain unless his vice president pick is Bud Selig.