By Eric L. Hinton - Oct 17, 2007
Headlines this week: Sen. Barack Obama and Vice President Dick Cheney Are Cousins; Obama Muslim Rumors Surface; Richardson Courts N.H. Latino Vote; Clinton Plays the Female Card
Each Wednesday, DiversityInc gives you a roundup of what top Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are doing, what they're saying, and issues of concern to you.
Sen. Barack Obama and Vice President Dick Cheney Are Cousins
It's a small world indeed. In a television interview, Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, said that while researching the Cheney family tree for a book, it was revealed that her husband was ninth cousins with Sen. Barack Obama, reports MSNBC.com. Will the revelation just provide more fodder for those who claim Obama isn't "black enough?"
Obama Muslim Rumors Surface
First, there were the countless questions over whether he was "black enough." Now, a rumor about whether Obama is Muslim is working its way across the Internet. An Alabama state employee was disciplined Friday for using a state computer to send an e-mail inside and outside of state government that was critical of Obama. The e-mail began by describing Obama's father as a Muslim and his mother as an atheist. It questioned whether his membership in the United Church of Christ is simply for political purposes and attempted to tie the Illinois senator to a Muslim conspiracy to destroy the United States, reportsThe Associated Press.
Obama a Hit on Social-Networking Sites
Community Connect, a leading publisher of niche social-networking communities, announced that Obama has created a member profile on each of the company's five sites in an effort to excite and engage potential voters. Since the profile went live on Oct. 5, the success of the campaign has become evident, with Obama's profile garnering more than 182,000 friends on BlackPlanet.com, already topping Facebook and MySpace.
John Lewis' Endorsement a Blow to Obama
Civil-rights-movement veteran and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., endorsed the presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton Friday, dealing a blow to the presidential ambitions of Obama, according to a report on EURweb.com.
Read Obama's blog.
What's Hillary Clinton's Promise to Black Voters?
Sen. Hillary Clinton drew a direct connection to her husband's time in the White House in a television interview broadcast Sunday, saying, "I want African Americans to feel that, when I'm president, it's another Clinton presidency." Her comments came in a taped interview with TV One's "One on One" program.
Clinton or Obama? Where Will Black Female Voters Turn?
The courtship for black women voters is in full throttle between Clinton and Obama, as they represent a critical constituency in South Carolina, which may hold its primary as early as Jan. 19. In 2004, about half of the state's Democratic primary voters were black (in Iowa and New Hampshire, black voters made up about 1 percent or less of Democrats). Twenty-nine percent of all Democratic primary voters here were black women, according to exit polls, giving them a pivotal role, according to MSNBC.com.
Clinton Plays the Female Card
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton suggested female voters could vault her to victory. Clinton kicked off a week of events highlighting her perceived appeal to women, as her campaign implied she could best exploit the "pivotal" voting bloc in 2008, according to a story on AFP.
Read Clinton's blog.
Edwards Not Giving Up On African-American Voters
Reforming healthcare, fighting poverty and fixing schools would appear to be messages tailor-made to win over black voters. But as John Edwards finds himself trailing Clinton, wife of the man Toni Morrison dubbed the "first black president," and Obama, who is black, does he really have a chance to win over black voters, asks CNN.com.
Read Edwards' blog.
Richardson Courts N.H. Latino Vote
One criticism against New Hampshire holding a tight grip on the first-in-the-nation primary status is its lack of diversity. But the state does have a small but growing Latino community looking for politicians to address their issues. Is New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson their man, asks a report nhpols.com.
Read Richardson's blog.
More Election '08 >>
