"South Carolina state Sen. Robert Ford said yesterday he was backing Sen. Clinton's 2008 presidential run and that he was swayed, in part, by a personal call from Bill Clinton. Ford told The Post he also received calls from the senator.
"That made somebody like me feel real honored," he said.
It's the first direct sign that Bill Clinton - whom author Toni Morrison once dubbed the "first black president" - is interceding directly with officials who are on the fence for 2008.Sen. Clinton also picked up the backing of South Carolina state Sen. Darrell Jackson, who, like Ford, had been lobbied by Obama.
Support from African-American voters is key in South Carolina, where 49 percent of the Democratic presidential primary vote in 2004 came from blacks. The state will host the first Southern primaries for both Republicans and Democrats in 2008.
Bill Clinton is slated to appear at New York's black and Hispanic caucus meeting this weekend - which one supporter of Sen. Clinton said "definitely sends a signal" that he's looking to make sure her black support is secure.
Ford said he likes Obama, but "I think that African-Americans on a large scale are supporting Hillary Clinton because of who she is . . . This is her time, more so than anybody else who's running."
Clinton insiders said the former president has been making calls on her behalf to various people, not only black leaders, in the weeks since she declared her candidacy.
But his enduring popularity with black voters will likely be a boon to his wife, who already has strong black support in her own right.
While "centrist" Rudi is pounding McCain
Meanwhile, a new USA Today/Gallup poll showed Sen. Clinton stretching her lead over Obama, 40 percent to 21 percent, while Republican Rudy Giuliani is leading Arizona Sen. John McCain, 40 percent to 16 percent..."
There was a time when I'd have cheered just about anyone who stood in the way of the Manchurian Candidate but not this time.
COMMENTATIONS
For once I'm going to continue this post and comment in the open because it's something that bears revealing.
For those who've never met Giuliani, there really isn't any way to properly describe how canny the man is. Especially in person. He has the knack of being capable of telling a Nun that Jesus was a speedfreak and have her nodding along in agreement with him. He lulls you a semblance of serenity, well-being, and what sounds so much like plain old common sense that you feel outright foolish to disagree with whatever it is he is postulating upon. And he truly FEELS for those among us that really just don't understand how the universe runs. He's incredibly patient, willing to listen and nod, then listen some more, then agree on a minor point of contention as he turns the debate towards his way of thinking.
The man had liberals and conservatives alike wanting to crown him Mayor For Life And Then Some.
Now, as I've said, this works quite well in person. The next day you can read all about a speech he gave or a debate he was involved in, and wonder how in all hells you believed a word he said. This ability will assure his winning virtually every Presidential candidate debate he decides to be a party to. If it is Hillary on the other side of the podium, she'll look more than foolish, and that's the chance he has. To cause her to self-destruct. And if he really needs to, he can turn on the oily guinea charm and take away Hillary's only ace in the hole.
Her gender. The one thing that can turn a female loon into a believer is her falling for the old Mediterranean one-two punch of suave and smart, seasoned with more than a little dash of charm. I saw it with my own eyes. Bra-burning hagatha's caught like deer in the headlights. I can be so, so good for you, his demeanor tells them. I can bend and twist and move anywhere you want me to be because pleasing you is the right thing to do. Hey, I'm not a woman so how can I understand what they go through, let alone take away her right to choose. Let gays have civil unions, they deserve it, but lets keep marriage between folks like me and folks like you. For now. Guns? Oh come on now. Do you have any idea of how many poor families put food on the table that way? Making ends meet might be easy for you because you're so smart and so desirable, but please stop and think about those less fortunate. You bend a little and then I'll bend a little too. Isn't that what a good relationship is all about?
Trust me. If the country gets to see Mr. Smooth versus Ms HippoFeet side by side, it won't even be a contest.
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