OBAMA'S WHITE BOYS | 2008-02-05
Obama's White Boys
The media are reporting breathlessly that Obama is getting "white votes in the South." He is getting DEMOCRATIC white votes in the South. Those who think of themselves as white Southerners simply do not vote in Democratic primaries in the South.
One rule of politics is that the Party faithfuls are more extreme than the elected officials. Those who are still Democrats to the extent of voting in that primary are solidly liberal. It is easy to say that people with white skins in the South are voting for Obama. These are Hillary Clinton New South liberals. Obama is the new hero, so they are voting for him.
This has nothing to do with white Southerners in general. That's amateur thinking. The idea that this means that Hillary and Obama have won the hearts and minds of the South is childish, but the media will keep saying it. They want it, so it's true.
If you think hard-core Democrats at the primary level represent white Southerners in any way, you have been out of the loop for decades.