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| Pennsylvania Caribbean Nationals Decry Lack Of A Solid Voting Bloc |
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CaribWorldNews, PHILADELPHIA, PA, Fri. April 11, 2008:
Ahead of the April 22 show down between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, Caribbean nationals here remain concerned about the continued ignoring of West Indian voters across the country.
While the Presidential hopefuls are actively targeting African American and Hispanic voters, West Indians, who are largely lumped into the black, Asian American or Other categories on the U.S. Census, remain largely ignored.
As April 22 looms for the Democratic Presidential Primary in Pennsylvania, many will be casting their votes for either Obama or Clinton. Yet the targeting of West Indian voters as a bloc in this state, or nationally for that matter, has yet to occur. There are no ads on Caribbean radio, or in their newspapers or television programs to speak directly to the West Indian voter, and despite being millions strong across the U.S., to the candidates, they are still largely invisible as a bloc.
It is an issue that bothers Jamaican migrant Vincent Heath. The Philadelphia-based national says West Indians, regardless of nationality, must come together and stand up for issues of concern to them so that others will take them seriously.
Philadelphia resident Blane Stoddart agrees. `I’m upset Caribbean nationals are being ignored,` said Stoddard. `Caribbean nationals need to care about it and fight to make it happen.`
Donahue Bailey agrees. `We all need to rally as a group,` said the PA resident, who like Heath views the economy and the current slowdown as the major concerns for voters in this election. `America tends to blend us in with its population of Black Americans. The problem is that we have no vehicle and no voice to make (a West Indian bloc) a reality.`
But despite being lumped in as part of the African American bloc of voters, all three Caribbean migrants insist that come election day they will be at a poll to cast their vote for the candidates of their choice.
From 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 22, Democratic West Indian and all registered voters across the state will be able to cast their ballot. The latest Quinnipiac poll shows
Obama is catching up with Clinton in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary and now trails 50 - 44 percent among likely primary voters.
This compares to a 50 - 41 percent Sen. Clinton lead in an April 2 poll by the University.
In this latest survey, one of the biggest shifts is among women who went from 54 - 37 percent for Clinton April 2 to 54 - 41 percent for her.
Black voters back Obama 75 - 17 percent, compared to 73 - 11 percent while men are for Obama 48 - 44 percent, compared to a 46 - 46 percent tie last week.
Voters under 45 go with Obama 55 - 40, while older voters back Clinton 55 - 38 percent.
(Reported by Jason Brooks) - CaribWorldNews.com
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