The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr.Abdul Ruff

Former Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney may have scored a breakthrough win over rival John McCain in Michigan on 15 January, but democrats fighting to outsmart the republicans also waged a racial war before promising friendly debate in Nevada-site of that party's next contest on Saturday. With 89 percent of the vote counted in Michigan, Romney easily led McCain by 39 percent to 30 percent, with Huckabee in third at 16 percent. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, desperately needed a victory in the economically ailing midwestern state to keep his White House hopes alive after second-place finishes in the first two contests to find a Republican candidate for the November election. Romney, a wealthy businessman who has poured millions of his own money into his campaign, was also beaten into second place in New Hampshire last week when he lost out to Vietnam veteran McCain.The Republican race now moves to Nevada and South Carolina. After that come the February 5 "Super Tuesday" contests in 22 states.

Democrats also held a primary in Michigan but a dispute over the date led the national party to strip the state of its delegates to this summer's presidential nominating convention, making the contest meaningless. Obama and Edwards were not on the ballot and Clinton, the only top contender listed, rolled to an easy win over Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel and a ballot listing for "uncommitted."

Like in Third word countries, poll in the USA also takes dangerous racist and, some times, anti-minority turns. In areas where the Blacks are the deciding factor in the poll, now the democrats found themselves washing dirty linen in public with Obama Barack - Hillary Clinton race for White House gets further intensifies. Obama's ultimate election would see the US having first ever Black American reigning in Washington.

US presidential hopeful Clinton took her campaign to black voters in New York on 14 January, a day after being engulfed in a bitter row over the issue of race with her Democratic rival Obama.

Visiting a group of African-American security sector workers in Manhattan, Clinton paid tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King-the very subject of her weekend clash with Obama. "Every day that you speak up for justice, you are the living embodiment of Dr King's spirit," Clinton said, a week after saying that King's dream only became a reality under legislation enacted by a non-Black democratic president Lyndon Johnson.

For much of the campaign in between, both Clinton and Obama seemed content to engage in increasingly accusatory campaign tactics. Campaigning in Nevada, Obama, said some of his opponents "don't seem to have anything positive to say about their own record. All they're trying to do is run me down." Obama, seeking to become the first black president, didn't mention Clinton by name. But the reference was unmistakable after controversy over race and the Iraq war and as her campaign arranged a conference call to criticize his record on abortion. In an interview on NBC, he was said the former first lady's campaign was seeking to stoke the race-related controversy.

The comments of Hillary comments sparked a furious row as African-American leaders, including some South Carolina powerbrokers, accused the New York senator of devaluing King's contribution to the civil rights campaigns of the 1960s. On 13 January she accused Obama's campaign of distorting what she had said, while Obama shot back that Clinton had made "an ill-advised remark" about King. The row came just days before the nominating contests in the presidential race head to South Carolina, in the deep South, where Clinton is expected to face a strong challenge from Obama, vying to be the first black US president.

Interestingly, Clinton is equally popular with black voters-her husband Bill was sometimes described as the nation's first black president-but African American voters are also attracted by Obama, the freshman senator from Illinois.

"We are undecided, we still are trying to make up our minds because Hillary has been a great leader as a senator and Obama is new, refreshing," said Mildred McGill, 68, one of those at Monday's rally in New York. "We like Hillary, but we still like Obama because he is one of us."

Supporters of Obama claim that many African Americans were still in the process of making up their minds. "The good thing about it is whether a woman or an African American is chosen as a nominee of the Democratic party, history will be made one way or the other," some one said, "It seems that African Americans under 45 are supporting Obama and it seems that those who have directly benefited from the civil rights movement seem to have more chances to support Hillary Clinton. Obama's relative lack of experience was not the issue, as other voters have suggested.

"Obama has his experience but Hillary Clinton will get a better chance to win," a democrat said, "It is not a black or white issue. She is the best experienced, she is the best suited for the job." There is a feeling among the voters that New York senator Clinton had been a supporter of the black community for years and has done a lot for the black community and the blacks are going to split the votes.

The former first lady did not mention the campaign's increasingly combative tone as she campaigned in New York. Obama's comments about the attacks on him came in Nevada several days after race became a subject of controversy in his contest with Clinton, who is trying to become the first woman to win the Oval office. The former president bill Clinton made several appearances on black radio programs to ease concerns, while his wife appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" and accused Obama's campaign of distorting her comments

Businessman Robert Johnson appeared to make a veiled reference to Obama's self-disclosed drug use as a youth - although he quickly disputed that was his intent. Edwards is campaigning aggressively in both Nevada and South Carolina, and his aides circulated a memo during the day saying both his rivals were "deeply flawed." It said both Clinton and Obama might be unable to win the White House in November, and that Edwards, alone, was strong enough to fight the Republicans and corporate interests all the way to victory.

Sensing danger in their racial arguments that would directly help the Republicans, democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama stepped back from a controversy over race, agreeing that a prolonged clash over civil rights could harm their party's overall drive to win the White House. The two leading Democratic contenders shifted course as Republicans pointed toward pivotal primary in Michigan on 15 January, where Mitt Romney and John McCain both pledged to lead a revival for a state and an auto industry ravaged by recession. Obama was the first to suggest a cooling of the rhetoric on race, calling reporters together to say he didn't want the campaign "to degenerate into so much tit-for-tat, back-and-forth that we lose sight of why all of us are doing this." Referring to Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards, he said that while they may have disagreements, "we share the same goals. We're all Democrats, we all believe in civil rights, we all believe in equal rights." Clinton's campaign issued a statement in the same vein about an hour after Obama spoke, saying it was time to seek common ground.

That was in contrast to the Republican campaign, where McCain and Romney, both are whites, battled in a Michigan primary that neither could afford to lose. "I will not rest until Michigan is back," said Romney, a native son who jabbed at his rival for saying many jobs among the thousands lost will never return. "We will create new jobs," insisted McCain, who also favors improvements in federal programs for laid-off workers.

"We have the innovation, the talent, the knowledge and the ability t to regain Michigan's position as the best in the world." Polls showed McCain and Romney in a close race, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee running third. Winner from the republican camp, Romney was most in need of a victory as he looked to restore at least some of the luster lost with defeats in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Several associates have suggested the former Massachusetts governor may quit the race unless he prevails. Now his position is safe. However, what is at stake is US brand of "democracy"!.