Obama challenges Hillary Clinton in her Harlem’s base ahead of Super Tuesday
New York, February 4 2008. Inside the bright orange Ralph and Son barbershop in Harlem, two black men are getting a haircut in a rainy Friday afternoon of early February. Ralph Nixon (photo Daniella Zalcman), the 63-year old owner, moved to Harlem in 1973 and opened his store on Lenox Avenue and 132nd Street in 1983. He still cuts hair for 13 dollars. But, the African-American has seen his world change in the last few years. “Two blocks from here, the just built million-dollar apartments, he says. Rents went up from $550 per month to $1250. People are moving out because they can’t afford to Harlem anymore, And that’s because of Bill Clinton”. Since the former president opened his offices on 125th Street, Harlem has undergone a deep transformation. Bill Clinton’s choice to go to Harlem helped him strengthen his popularity among Africans-American after he left the White House and his wife can count on powerful supporters in Harlem. On Sunday February 3, Charles B. Rangel, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Harlem’s leading politician, campaigned for Hillary Clinton in three churches in North Manhattan. Several other black elected officials from New York such as Representative Yvette Clarke, or David Dinkins, who was New York City’s first black mayor, also endorsed Senator Clinton. But with the race for the Democratic nomination tightening, Barack Obama has decided to challenge the former first lady in her Harlem’s base. On Lenox Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard, many shop owners have decided to show their support to the Illinois Senator by putting his sign on their store fronts. Ralph Nixon did it too. “I was born in North Carolina, I know what separatism is all about”, he says. “When I grew up, I saw signs “whites only”. I lived all my life under white rule, I need a change”. At Obama’s shop-front headquarters two blocks south of Ralph and Son barbershop, everybody is a volunteer. Stephanie Johnstone, a 25-year old composer, had just walked in that Friday. “My father is a minister, she says. For my family, it is unthinkable to vote for a pro-choice candidate. But I do believe in Barack Obama’s integrity. He knows how to inspire people and can bring us change”. Not everybody agrees. Shawn Robertson, an African-American woman from New York who recently moved to Charleston, SC, says she supports Hillary Clinton because “she has more experience and will fight for young women”. This Tuesday, 24 States plus American Samoa hold primaries and caucuses to help decide the Democratic and Republican parties’ presidential nominations. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama needs the support of 2,025 delegates at the Democratic convention in late August in order to secure the nomination. John McCain, Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee needs 1,191 delegates to clinch the Republican nomination. In the latest polls, McCain widened his lead over Mitt Romney and could win a decisive victory over his rival on Feb. 5. On the Democratic side, the battle seems to be far from over between two evenly matched candidates. National polls suggest Barack Obama and Hillary are running even and both candidates have already started making preparations for the Feb 12 primaries in Virginia, Maryland and in the District of Columbia. The next big date for the Democrats after that is March 4, when Texas and Ohio both hold their primaries. In January, Barack Obama raised a record $32 million in just one month. By the end of 2007, Clinton had amassed more than $115 million in contributions from individuals and political committees, while contributions to Obama were at $102.2 million, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission. These sums give hope to Obama’s supporters in Harlem. “We as black people do not have the money to give him, Ralph Nixon says. So it means other people believe in the man. They believe we really need change, baby”. Jean-Cosme Delaloye / New York Super Tuesday StatesBoth parties: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination: 2025 out of 4049 (Democrats), 1191 (Republicans). On the Democratic side, 1681 delegates are up for grabs on Super Tuesday. The Republicans have 1,023 delegates up for grabs on Tuesday. The largest States on Feb. 5 are Califonia (370 Democratic delegates) and New York (232 Democratic delegates). So far, Hillary Clinton has 232 delegates and Barack Obama 184. On the Republican side, John McCain has 97 delegates so far and Mitt Romney 92. A French version of this story was published on February 5 in Tribune de Genève and 24heures in Switzerland. CommentsYou must be logged in to post a comment. |
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