Very Rococo

Originally posted February 2008 on Annual Gymkhana

Campaigners hastily taped blue promotional leaflets to telephone booths, bus stops and traffic lights in a last-ditch canvassing effort for their candidate, Barack Obama.

However, the steady stream of voters who passed into the Riverside Park Community building on 135th and Broadway had long decided who would get their vote in the Super-Tuesday election.

“My vote is Hillary,” said Ms. Celeste Contrearas, translated from Spanish to English by her aid. “I asked my friends and everyone from my church to vote for her.”

According to a recent poll conducted by Survey USA Clinton is the most popular Democratic candidate in New York with 56 percent of the vote. Obama is in second position with 38 percent, but will have to do more than depend on the three percent of undecided voters if he is to gain ground on Clinton in the Senator’s own state.

In a neighborhood where Hispanics account for 40 percent of the population, West Harlem seems like readymade Clinton territory. Clinton is popular with the Latin community and many believe Obama realized the importance of the Latino vote too late in the campaigning process.

Clinton’s win in the Nevada caucus, where she took 64 percent of the vote, was the first indicator of her popularity among Latino voters. Since then Obama has been scrambling to gain ground and make himself better known in Spanish-speaking communities.

“I like her policy and I like her husband’s policy,” said Ralph who declined to give his family name, but voted for Clinton. “Barrack? I don’t know anything about him. I mean it looks good to see his brown skin there, but I got to have more than that.”

A survey of early afternoon voters outside the Riverside Park Community, which asked people why they voted as they did, rarely returned answers that went beyond the rationale of “just liking” the candidates. But every vote for Hillary because she is well liked was matched with one for Obama for the same reason.

“Hillary has been here before, she needs to go home,” said Mr. Garrido, an Obama supporter. “We need someone who’s going to make change. We need someone who’ll fight for the people at the bottom and I think he can do that.”

Obama’s message of change and the duality of experience presented by the Clintons were cited as other principal reasons for pledging support to the respective Democratic candidates.

While some voters admitted to voting for Obama because he is black, Mr. Abraeu, a “moderate” Democrat who championed the changes made by Giuliani in the neighborhood, voted for Clinton.

“I’m sorry, but the negro guy, they don’t take care of the white people only black black black,” said Mr. Abraeu, who is white. “And how you want to put a black guy in this and all the black guys are going to be around him? What will they do about me?”

Originally posted December 2007 on Annual Gymkhana

There were no Hillary supporters in sight in Harlem on Thursday evening as hundreds of people lined 125th Street in anticipation of Barack Obama’s first official address to Harlem at the Apollo Theater.

“We’re here to see the first truly viable black president of the United States,” said Debbie who, along with her husband, braved the cold to stand in line for almost two hours, “It’s a history making event.”

The queue, which stretched around the block and into a car park on 126th Street, was more suggestive of fans waiting to see a platinum-selling musician than a politician.
“I support Obama and I wanted to see him at some point,” said Anthony who had queued for an hour, “I don’t know what he’s going to talk about. Maybe some jokes- it is the Apollo.”

Obama, who was introduced by Princeton professor Cornel West and comedian Chris Rock, didn’t need jokes to warm up the enthusiastic crowd of supporters that filled the venue to capacity. They applauded and chanted his name as he paced the stage repeatedly saying “Thank you.”
Oprah Winfrey, who recently pledged her support for Obama’s campaign trail, was not present at the event.

The choice of venue, the timing, and talk of racial injustice were perceivable attempts at canvassing for black votes amidst reports of Senator Clinton’s popularity with the black political establishment.

“I’m tired of reading about a justice department that doesn’t understand justice,” said Obama, “Your next president will believe in the constitution. That’s why I’m in this race.”
He also promised affordable and accessible college education and higher salaries for teachers, “I don’t want to wake up in four years and find out we still have more black men in prison than in college,” he said.

Senator Obama ended his address by asking the audience to stand up with courage and confidence for change. “Stand up with me New York,” he said, “I need you standing up.” The audience responded by rising to their feet, cheering.

Outside on the sidewalk, two women were selling t-shirts with the message: “Let the People Decide! Committee for a Harlem Debate between Clinton and Obama.”

The committee is protesting the lack of dialogue surrounding the Democratic presidential primary election, scheduled for February 5th, 2008. They are calling for both senators to participate in a forum at the Apollo, where they would discuss the issue of black political empowerment and who it makes sense for black voters to support.

“We want to encourage a debate,” said one seller, showing the flipside of the t-shirt that read, “Who decided Hillary is best for the Black Community?”

Whether Senator Clinton would be willing to participate, and whether Senator Obama would return to Harlem for the event, remains to be seen.