African
American Women and the 2008 Presidential Election
By
Leroy Jones, Jr.
Political Commentator & Columnist
As the
political hardball between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barak
Obama reaches an almost frantic pace, media pundits and others
are dissecting every tiny piece of the cause and the effect
of each move. Each group of voters seems to have been analyzed
and sized up.
The general consensus seems to be the surprise reaction that
Sen. Obama is receiving in the African American community.
There is absolute amazement over the outcry about his true
ethnic background and makeup.
Digging deeper within the African American community, which
most of the majority media usually tries to do, no one is
talking about the true key to the Democratic nomination, which
will be the vote of the African American women or what I refer
to as SAAW, "Strong African American Women". My
mother, Mayo Louise Jones, may God bless her soul, was the
first "SAAW" that I ever knew. She was the rock
that held our family together, including an extended family
of relatives. She had great political instincts, and a very
strong BS detector. She was part of this group of women who
refused to be ignored or limited by the ignorance of others.
Traditionally,
these women are ignored and pushed to the side yet are
always in the middle of the fight for the advancement
of their families and communities. "SAAW"
vote in large numbers and are heavily involved both
in the churches and other traditional organizations
with strong ties in their communities. These Great-Grandmothers,
Grandmothers, Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Aunts, Cousins,
Girlfriends, and friends are the heart and soul that
continues to push our community forward.
In the past, the men were out front while the women
held supportive roles. Those days have passed and now
these "SAAW" are in positions of power and
leadership in both the business and political arena.
They organize and vote. Their contributions are usually
lumped into the community at large. It has always been
easy to do so because of the lack of any real concern
to understand the political dynamic that shapes the
African American community.
In a Democratic Primary that features both a female
and an African American candidate, the twin issues of
gender and race will play a role in who gains the majority
of the support in the African American Community. Both
Senators Clinton and Obama have "SAAW" working
on their staffs in positions of power and influence.
So it would seem that they understand the need to tap
into that source of talent to help them win the nomination.
Clearly Sen. Clinton is not a stranger in the community
with her life long efforts on women, children, and health
care issues. She will be a formidable force and her
efforts to win this important bloc of voters will be
intense.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this campaign
will be the role of Sen. Obama's wife, Michelle. As
a member of the "SAAW", she is protective
and supportive of her husband, and has intimate knowledge
of the fears and aspirations of the voting bloc.
In
2008, if Senators Clinton or Obama, or any of the other
candidates chose to ignore or underestimate the power
of this unique and diverse voting bloc, the decision
could cost you the Democratic Party nomination.
Leroy
Jones, Jr., is the creator of PoliticalJones.com (www.politicaljones.com)
and a Political Commentator for "The Right Side
with Shelley Wynter" daily radio show on WAOK-AM
1380 (Atlanta/CBS), XM Satellite Radio and various other
media outlets.
Email Mr. Jones at ljones@politicaljones.com
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