By: Michael H. Cottman, BlackAmericaWeb.com
A day before Tuesday’s crucial Pennsylvania Democratic primary, many African-American voters in the Keystone State say they're poised to support Sen. Barack Obama in his unprecedented journey to become the nation’s first black president.
Michael Days, editor of The Philadelphia Daily News, said the newspaper’s recent polls show Obama has cut Sen. Hillary Clinton’s lead to five percentage points, with a five-percent margin of error.
"One could argue this is a dead heat," Days told BlackAmericaWeb.com Monday. "From what I’m hearing, African-Americans will overwhelmingly support Obama."
Days said Pennsylvania is experiencing record voter registration around the state and in suburban Philadelphia, where Obama has worked hard to court voters who may be more inclined to support Clinton. There is also an unprecedented number of new voters registered in the state.
Days added that many Pennsylvania residents have told reporters they are angry about the current economic climate and impending recession, even though Obama has been criticized for comments he made saying small town Americans are "bitter" and "cling" to guns and religion.
"The bulk of Pennsylvania is made up of small towns, and that’s where the battle is being waged," Days said, adding, "He may do better in Pennsylvania than people expect."
Indeed, even Obama says he wants to keep Tuesday’s race close, but does not expect to win. Ever the unconventional politician, Obama predicted Monday that Clinton would get the critical victory she needs in Tuesday's primary, but said his goal is to keep it close.
"I'm not predicting a win," he told Pittsburgh radio station KDKA. "I'm predicting it's going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect."
Clinton aides tried to downplay expectations, insisting they would be grateful for a single-digit win. While the New York senator began the race with a hefty 20-point lead in several polls in the state, Obama's extensive campaigning and heavy ad buy have significantly cut into it.
She told supporters in Scranton, "We really need to bear down in these last few days. The whole world is watching."
Michelle Bernard, a black conservative, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Independent Women’s Forum and a political analyst for MSNBC, said Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Pennsylvania could prove to be the resurrection or end of Clinton's presidential bid.
"Recent polls show a margin of difference of approximately five to six points between senators Clinton and Obama," Bernard told BlackAmericaWeb.com Monday. "This difference, which is within the margin of error, coupled with a record increase in Democratic voter registrations in Pennsylvania, could help Senator Obama cut into many of the votes that are presumably going to Senator Clinton, making victories in Indiana and North Carolina even more important to her candidacy. "
Clinton was hoping a big win could boost her chance at the nomination. A loss would increase pressure on her to exit the race, with Obama leading in delegates and the popular vote.
Pennsylvania is the largest of the 10 contests remaining, with about 4 million registered Democrats and 158 delegates up for grabs in the primary.
According to The New York Times, "polls suggest that in the suburbs, Mrs. Clinton is still battling low favorability ratings. It was telling the other day at a forum at Haverford College when she was asked what canvassers should tell voters on her behalf. "Oh, just knock on the door and say, ‘She is really nice,’" Mrs. Clinton said, "or you could say, ‘She is not as bad as you think.’"
Meanwhile, the Clinton campaign Monday unveiled a new TV ad detailing how tough the job of president is and asking voters who they think is ready to step in and handle it. The ad, "Kitchen," is 30 seconds long and includes images of Osama bin Laden.
"It’s the toughest job in the world," the ad says. "You need to be ready for anything -- especially now, with two wars, oil prices skyrocketing and an economy in crisis. Harry Truman said it best: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Who do you think has what it takes?"
Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama, told The New York Times, "It’s ironic that she would borrow the president’s tactics in her own campaign and invoke bin Laden to score political points. We already have a president who plays the politics of fear, and we don’t need another."
Both candidates planned final appearances in Pennsylvania's largest urban centers -- Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Both also had extensive national schedules, taping interviews with all the network morning shows to be aired Tuesday. Clinton also appeared Monday evening on MSNBC's "Countdown" and CNN's "Larry King Live," while Obama appeared on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."
According to The Washington Post, "The Pennsylvania race has forced Obama to rewrite his script from earlier contests, with the result being a more aggressive tone and style in the final hours of this campaign than had been the case in previous states. Far more than at any other time in the campaign, Obama has applied pressure to Clinton, both on the stump and in his increasingly negative advertising."
But Days told BlackAmericaWeb.com that Obama has energized the electorate in Pennsylvania and he could make it a close contest.
"We’re waiting," he said, "to see how this plays out."
Associated Press contributed to this story.
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