Race a Central Issue for Clinton, Obama in Georgia

Emma Schwartz, U.S. News & World Report

Georgia has long held a special place for the Clinton clan. In 1992 it was the first state where Bill Clinton clinched a primary victory. But when the polls open here on Super Tuesday, Hillary Clinton may find it difficult to repeat her husband’s performance because of the growing popularity of one man: Barack Obama.

Georgia has an open primary and holds the sixth-largest number of delegates (103 for the Democrats) on February 5—and both front-runners are fighting hard for them. They’ve visited the state multiple times, campaigning and fundraising.

Yet the fiercest contest among Democrats in Georgia is for blacks, who represent nearly half of Democratic primary voters. Though Obama has tried not to make his candidacy about race, blacks have been a pivotal factor in his surge across the South, particularly in his victory in South Carolina. The demographic is expected to help him across Georgia as well, political analysts say.

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