Hillary, Obama, and racial blocs

By Ed Lasky

Hillary faces an erosion of support from the black community due to the rise of Barack Obama. There is only so much help Bill (America's first black President) and a faux Southern accent can provide to bolster her appeal to the nation's black community. Already, some black political leaders have expressed surprise that Hillary has not courted their support.

Perhaps, the ace up Senator Clinton's sleeve is the support that will come from her close ties to Univision, which can narrow cast a steady stream of pro-Hillary messages to Spanish-speaking viewers.

Hillary could further seal the Hispanic vote by choosing a Vice-Presidential running mate with a Hispanic heritage. Bill Richardson would certainly be a possibility and would help garner her support not just among the nation's Hispanics. His presence on the ticket might also draw support from a part of the nation that may very well hold the margin of victory in 2008 and one that has increasingly become Democratic: the nation's Southwest and the West.

Richardson is well-known to the Clintons, having served in Bill Clinton's Administration. He also has executive experience - which Hillary lacks - having served as Governor of New Mexico. Since Bill Richardson is a moderate and leans to the right (with a tax-cutting reputation) he would offer some level of assurance that Hillary would not shift too far to the left were she to become President.

Given the possibility that the rivalry between Obama and Hillary will become increasingly bitter, the Clinton machine may be shifting to heavier reliance on Hispanic support and less reliance on blacks.