Nutter: Just Cause I’m Black Doesn’t Mean I Can’t Support a White Lady
Mayor Michael Nutter is probably going to get grilled more than most Hillary Clinton supporters in Pennsylvania over the next six weeks, for the sole reason that his pledge to back her automatically leaves him vulnerable to the question of whether he’s disrespecting his black constituency by not bouncing over to Obama.
First up to question the mayor about the issue is the Associated Press. In a piece headlined “Philly Mayor Sticking With Clinton,” which hit the wires a few hours ago, Nutter gives the appropriate hell-to-the-naw response, translated in the story as “This notion that somehow there is a monolithic black vote is just a myth.”
To probe whether Nutter’s stand could hurt him in the city, the AP dusts off former mayor Wilson Goode (Obama supporter, righteous), who says it’s way too early in Nutter’s tenure to have something like this completely destroy a reelection bid. Then the AP throws in a wildcard quote from Cam Carson, a 62-year-old Philadelphia lunchcart owner, who breaks it down like this: “Rallying support of a candidate is sort of tantamount to saying that this is the way he feels the people feel. And I don’t know if that’s the case.”
Maybe Mayor Nutter should think real hard about his decision this time around — losing the lunchcart-owning constituency in this city could be devastating.
Philly Mayor Sticking With Clinton [AP]
March 10th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
“Just Cause I’m Black Doesn’t Mean I Can’t Support a White Lady”…that’s what Kobe Bryant, OJ and Michael Strahan said and look what happened…
March 10th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
What’s up with Nutter? A brother has a chance to be president, and he can’t even support his own kind. I better rethink my support for him when he’s up for re-election. Or, maybe he’s just hoping for a cabinet level position.
Either way, this brother ain’t down for the struggle.
JR
March 10th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
This is not suppport for Obama. This is mob rule with a black face! My African American ancestors didn’t sacrifice their lives for my right to vote, so that I could be circumscribed by such an irrationally-narrow-minded point of view, posturing as some sort of authentic Black political thought!
March 11th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I can understand you not supporting a candidate just because he/she is black. But please tell the American people who you can support a candidate who has used race to win the election? How can you support someone who made the voters of Ohio and now Pennsylvania think less of you as a black person so they would get hyped and vote for her?
March 11th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Wow and I thought we had it bad in Florida. To make it a slap in his face, everyone who is able to vote should come out for Obama just to prove that Mayors do not speak for the entire state. I am fed up with the endorsements on both side.
March 12th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
only reason he supports HRC is because of the Chaka Fattah thing during the election.
but his stubbornness is not going to pay off in the long run. obama will win big in philly and nutter will look out of touch
he should let bygones be bygones.
alternative explanation: rendell is somehow forcing him to come out that way.
March 18th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
For a primary not based on race it is amazing how much pressure is being put on blacks to support Obama simply because he is black. The right to vote is about choice not skin color, a point Obama has stressed throughout the election. The Mayor made his choice on personal history as well as credentials and a win for HRC in PA regardless of what happens in Philly is a win for Nutter.
March 23rd, 2008 at 1:28 am
You gotta be kidding me! I’m black and support Obama, but when peopele criticizing a black mayor for not picking the black candidate is just absurd. That makes it seem like his only reason for success is his color. Which is not true, people, respect this man.
March 30th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Nutter doesn’t give a darn about philly!
nutter is working for a cabinet position!
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:52 am
Michael Nutter obviously had no influence on the people of Philadelphia, which showed preferance for Obama.
To say this election is not about race is foolish. Of course it is. Black people shouldn’t vote for Obama simply because he’s black, but because he represents a side of the black man that America has ignored for too long: intelligent, charismatic and most importantly capable of handling an important position, even one as important as the Presidency.