Why black voters shifted

BY GLENN THRUSH.glenn.thrush@newsday.com; Staff writers Letta Tayler and Melissa Mansfield contributed to this story.

January 27, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. - All day yesterday, the women breezed in and out of the Bride's Corner on Marshall Avenue for fittings, gown pickups and a little gossip, but not a single one admitted to voting for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"The Clintons, their time has come and gone," said Robbie Jenkins, who has owned the shop for 25 years and conducted an informal survey of his clientele in the predominantly black north side of town. "It would have been a lot more competitive if she had been more visible than Bill. And I didn't like how negative they were. People have been turned off by them."

Barack Obama's impressive victory here yesterday wouldn't have been possible if he hadn't overcome skepticism among African-American voters.

But his magnetism and message weren't the only reasons he was able to loosen the Clintons' grip on the votes of black South Carolinians. Interviews with two dozen African-American Democratic voters showed the defection was also propelled by frustration, even disgust, with the Clintons' hardball tactics - Bill Clinton's attacks on Obama and, to a surprising extent, Hillary Clinton's display of emotion in New Hampshire.

"It was that whole crying thing that pushed me to Barack," said Jane Beale, who said she voted for Obama before working the afternoon shift at a Sunoco near I-26. "I had been thinking I was going to vote for her, but that bothered me. I don't know if that was for real."

Minnie Dinkins, 54, a business analyst and distant cousin of former New York Mayor David Dinkins, agreed. "Tears? Please. Women are very emotional but she didn't need to do that."

As recently as December, Clinton was neck-and-neck with Obama among African-Americans here. Since then, her support has faded to white. Black supporters were scarce at several of her events last week, with nearly all-white crowds flocking to see her in Charleston and Anderson, cities with big percentages of black Democrats.

Many former Clinton supporters attributed the switch to the widespread belief that the Clintons subtly played the race card.

"I was a Hillary supporter but she's telling lies. Barack speaks the truth," said Shoun Caprise, 29, an employee trainer for an insurance company. "When she started to bring race into the game I was like, 'No, it's not about black. It's not about white. It's not about gender. It's about what's right.'"

Like many blacks who backed Obama, Samantha Ferguson said her opinion of Clinton has diminished but that she'd still vote for her against any Republican. "She kind of started all the ugliness," said the 29-year-old law student. "But whatever happens, she'd still be a lot better than Bush."

Staff writers Letta Tayler and Melissa Mansfield contributed to this story.

Key test in the South

Floridans from both major parties go to the polls Tuesday in a key early primary contest before"Super Tuesday" next week. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has staked much of his campaign future to Florida and the many former New Yorkers who live there.

About Florida

Florida United States

Population 18.1 million 299.4 million

Percentage white 61.3% 66.4%

Black 15.8% 12.8%

Hispanic 20.2% 14.8%

65 and older 16.8% 12.4%