Politics

Clinton made early grab of black support

Ahead of Obama, the senator has traded on longtime ties in Florida.

By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer
Published December 9, 2007

The caller had a question for Al Lawson: Would the state senator endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton for president?

Lawson was stunned. It was Sen. Clinton on the phone.

"I didn't know I was that important," he said, "but she acted like I was."

He had not made up my mind, Lawson told Clinton, leaving out that he was leaning toward Sen. Barack Obama.

Clinton kept calling. Obama's campaign never did.

Five months later, Clinton counts the state legislator from Tallahassee among her African-American supporters in Florida.

Clinton and Obama have jostled for the black vote in key states, their targets torn between deep affection for Bill Clinton, a man Toni Morrison once called "our first black president," and ethnic pride. For many, it comes down to who can win.

Any advantage Sen. Clinton may have in Florida is all the more important if she suffers losses in earlier conteststates, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, where the race with Obama is dramatically closer.

All three black members of the Florida congressional delegation have endorsed Clinton, a coup that underscores her dominant lead in the state as judged by numerous polls.

"I felt the pull to support Obama," said Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar."I knew I would be criticized in certain circles.

"But it boiled down to friendship. Sen. Clinton called well before she announced and asked for my support. To this day I have not - other than to shake his hand - had an overture from Obama or his functionaries."

Hastings has known Clinton since the early 1990s and once traveled with her to Israel. He realized her potential when she took on health care during Bill Clinton's first term. Although Hastings faults the furtive development of the ultimately failed plan, Sen. Clinton's command of the issue left an impression.

'Absolutely brilliant'

"This lady is absolutely brilliant," Hastings said.

No doubt Obama has support in Florida. He is backed by numerous black state legislators, including Sen. Tony Hill of Jacksonville and Sen. Frederica Wilson of Miami, as well as local officials across the state.

"Certainly Barack is a role model for African-Americans, especially those of us who hold elected office," said Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch. "But the more I hear from him, the more I like him regardless of color. The substance of his ideas and leadership would serve our nation well."

Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, who is white, is among the most prominent backers of Obama in Florida. He has chided his friend Hastings for not supporting Obama, knowing how much pull Hastings has in the black community.

Wexler was an ardent defender of Bill Clinton during the impeachment proceedings, so he knows the loyalty that name brings. But he thinks Obama can better unify the nation. "The beauty of his campaign is it transcends race and ethnicity," Wexler said.

Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, is from the same mold as Obama. Young and ambitious, he is one of the rising black politicians in Washington. Obama insiders privately say they were most upset at not winning his endorsement. (The third black member of Congress is Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville.)

Part of leadership

"Whichever way it goes, Obama is going to be part of the leadership structure of this country," Meek said. "I just believe very strongly that Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the best candidate." Meek has fond memories campaigning with the Clintons in 1992 when he was an aide to then Lt. Gov. Buddy MacKay.

Just as Clinton's gender has been a delicate issue - she has drawn heat for appearing to play the gender card - Obama has had to navigate the complexities of race. Mostly he has sought to define the campaign beyond the racial line, yet he recognizes the importance of his background.

Meek understands the pressure of being boxed in. "As a black leader myself," he said, "I don't want to be defined as the African-American candidate."

A national poll conducted in October and November by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies shows black voters giving Clinton an 83 percent favorable rating and Obama a 74 percent favorable rating.

In South Carolina, a key early primary state, Clinton and Obama had been tied among black Democratic voters. But a new poll shows Obama pulling ahead.

And a poll last week in Florida showed Clinton 36 points ahead of Obama overall. The survey did not look at race, but Quinnipiac University pollster Peter Brown said common sense says Clinton is winning the black vote. And he attributes it to her husband.

"Bill Clinton is the single most popular Democrat in America, and his wife has been a mainstay for the Democratic Party for 16 years," Brown said.

[Last modified December 8, 2007, 23:15:54]