Um, whoops.  My bad.  From an AP article:

"One in four Clinton voters and about one in 10 Obama voters said race was an important factor in their vote."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/0 5/early_wva_exit_poll_highlights.php

A quarter of her voters...somehow that seems like a lot more than 20%, even though its only a 5% bump.

But I still don't think that's enough to sway things either way.

someday it'll be none, but forty years ago what would it have been. One of the great things about Barack's campaign is that it shows, we're not as racist anymore. We've moved beyond that, as far as individual racism. but we still have a lot in the criminal justice system, in school funding, in the loan industry and housing industry. I read today that mental cigarettes won't be as regulated as ones without menthol, and guess which group as a whole prefers menthol.  Hilary spoke in New Orleans about her plans and solution to right wrongs against African Americans.  She has a plan for investment in disadvantaged communities so jobs come there. she sees no reason why investors can't make money in these communities.  She really is a uniter.  I mean, he wants to be, but she's shown it.  

no it wouldn't.  that would be disgusting.  Even worse then it's not all about sex, race ought not be a factor and we ought not focus on something ugly like racism, we're dems.  He's won most African Americans and we know that's not racist. She wins working class folks without college degrees who struggle to pay their bills and if Barack wasn't in the contest, she'd be winning the same with poorer black voters. YOu have to wonder why he wins the professional classes over the working classes.  I think they trust her to take their concerns seriously, cause she's had enough time in public service to demonstrate it.  They're now saying he can win those voters in the GE cause of the more of the same. That was Kerry's line, and he didn't win running against the real Bush.  McCain is well liked by the people and he may not be that easy to beat. He has a dark skinned adopted daughter, and he's no racist.  He's got the wrong ideas, but to those voters he may seem stronger on national security and they have conservative values.  The bottom line is that we need to win the GE, and Barack doesn't come with a guarantee he'll survive the pug onslaught. she does ,she has.  

at 93 percent has nothing to do with race?  Come on, they just aren't admitting to it.

It is very unfortunate, for our Dem prospects, that Hil's supports have fought so hard to make it about race.

See the distortions and simplifications, of Wright's sermons, the "twisting of "typical white person"  the "hard working" slander.

thanks hampster

Unfortunately no.  Am I the only person who was depressed by the exit polls?  25 percent is an awfully high number AND we're talking about Democrats, AND these are the numbers who admited it.

The only thing I can say is that those of us who are Obama voters have looked at the electoral map, and there are a couple of states that you lose as the cost of running an African American.

If there was ever an election where losing those voters isn't fatal, this is it.

Seems like we often agree anna shane. :)

Hammer meet nailhead - well said Anna!

You're absolutely right.

And outside of Appalachia (and in the nation as a whole), Obama has been judged to be the far superior candidate.  

So your argument is that Appalachia scrutinized the two candidate's voting records and policy positions more closely than all the other states did?

agreed.  but sadly i do not think it can be addressed.  just like there are some sexists out there that would never vote for a woman.

Dunno. I know it's never a race problem when the AA community comes out strong for a Democrat.  

It's not silly, it's insulting. To try to spin and prevaricate to take political advantage of racism that is so blatant that 20% of a population (which by the way is the 20% that put Clinton over 50%) will openly admit that race played into their decision to reject the black guy...

there are plenty of racists, and sexists, and creeps and jerks, but blessedly most are pugs.  We have some, but we stand for equality and our platform weeds them out.  

Dukakis won West Virginia, just so you know. I'm sure he had some demographic weaknesses, but it wasn't enough to cost him WV.

STOP LYING.  Look, whether or not Obama is qualified DOES NOT AFFECT the question "is race an important factor to you."

There are racists in America, why refuse to acknowledge that?  Why pretend that EVERY SINGLE ONE of those Clinton voters (1 in 4 in West VA!) that said race is an important factor actually LOVE black people?  It's a joke!

You're having a problem with logic - if Obama's qualifications were the issue, that would be expressed as the answer to an experience question. The question in the exit polls was ONLY about race, and 25% of HRC's supporters said race was a factor in their decision to vote for Hillary over Obama.  There really isn't any other explanation other than   some degree of racism.

of white people are voting for Clinton and I will cry Obama a river.

I saw where she said it, but nowhere did she back it up.

I'm with you.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/c obb/stories/2008/05/13/mulligans_0514.ht ml

if I were you, I wouldn't be highlighting that glass house you're sitting in, either.

You respond to a reasoned post with ridiculous hyperbole.  But you need to come up with a better explanation for why Appalachia goes overwhelmingly for Clinton, when 25% of HRC's voters admit race was a factor in their decision.  You can spin all you like - but the answer is right there in that 25%, and it defied logic to pretend it isn't.

I am sure those poor ignorant people don't even own computers so they haven't see the Muslim video.

I was referring to a video in which a Clinton voter states that she refused to vote for Obama because he's a Muslim.

1. If they voted for Hillary they didn't really understand - it must have been for Bill.

It's not that they didn't understand, it's simply that they like Bill a whole lot better and probably wouldn't have voted for Hillary in his absence. I have no doubt, for instance, that John Edwards would've cleaned Hillary Rodham's clock in WV.

2. Only stupid people don't love Obama. They haven't learned about Rezko or his piss-poor record in the Senate, so they can't judge Obama's character.

The number of people who know anything about Rezko (which is pretty pathetic of you to bring up considering there's nothing there) or Obama's state senate record is tiny and even smaller, proportionally, in WV.

3. Everyone LOVES Obama except racists.

That's not what I said at all. I'm simply pointing out the fact that it's probably more than a coincidence that the demographics and regions of the country most likely to harbor racist sentiments seem to vote heavily against Barack Obama.

What a creepy post. Racial, nasty, totally weird.

And completely supported by objective survey data. If you doubt my conclusion, check out the CNN exit polls and the findings of the Pew Center.

Where would you like me to start?

Do you really beleive for AAs to vote for the first viable presidential candidate is racist?  And you do realise that at the start of the campaign the spilt was 60/40 don't you?  There is a reason that AA support deserted Clinton.