As some may recall, I have long been in the minority claiming that good old white racism plays, or will play, a bigger role in confounding the Obama candidacy than most in the media have suggested. An AP story, picking up on some confirming poll results, lends some credence for this, hinting that a "white flight" from Obama may have already taken place in Ohio: "Some analysts think it's possible Obama's heavy black support is nudging some working-class white Democrats into Clinton's camp. If true, it could be an important factor in a contest that remains remarkably tight after a year of campaigning..."Ronald Walters, a University of Maryland political scientist who tracks racial trends and is writing a book on Obama, thinks Obama's strong support from blacks made it easier for some whites in Ohio and Texas to vote for Clinton. 'There's some of that,' Walters said in an interview. He pointed to exit polls from Ohio, where 62 percent of all whites lack college degrees and many are anxious about their jobs in a weak economy. 'This is a racially sensitive group,' he said, referring specifically to whites who earn less than $50,000 a year and did not attend college. 'They are the quintessential Reagan Democrats,'" he said. "They feel they've been left" and their resentment can have social and racial overtones.
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Sadly, I've never had any doubt that racism and sexism would both be significant factors in the race. Indeed, isn't racism the dominant factor in the R's "southern strategy" ever since LBJ pushed though the Civil Rights Act?
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