Iowa Won
The Hutchinson Political Report
Media Release
January 2, 2008
for Immediate Release
Contact: Earl Ofari Hutchinson
323-296-6331
While an Iowa primary win or big showing is important for Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama, Iowa is still an aberration among the heartland states, says political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson, author of the forthcoming book, The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House. Iowa is moderately Democratic leaning, has a mild populist tradition, and voters are known to be independent on candidates and issues. These are the exact opposite traits of the other heartland states which are traditionalist, deeply conservative, and rock solid Republican. No white Democratic presidential candidate has managed to crack them in recent elections, and that includes Bill Clinton. He won not one heartland state in 1996.
Obama, contends Hutchinson, will do even worse than any Democrat in those states. Even if Obama is able to speak the language of white voters in Iowa, and convince them that he's a color neutral presidential candidate, that won