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Barack Obama and the Politics of Blackness

University of Maryland

This analysis assesses the debate over the relevance of the strength of Barack Obama's "Blackness." Defined as the cultural cues in his personal identity, his "Blackness" exists as a modulating factor in his capacity to attract support from potential Black voters. Yet the link between his cultural identity and the representation of Black interests is complicated by the emergence of his campaign in the center of the American electorate and the structural requirements of fund-raising and the interests projected by White voters. The campaigns of other Black presidential candidates posed no such problems because they emerged from the Black community at the margins of the American electorate. Therefore, the author concludes that although cultural identity is important, the ultimate strength of Obama's appeal to Black voters is vested in the effectiveness with which he resolves the center position of his campaign with the interests and expectations of Black voters.

Key Words: Blackness • Black issues • Black campaign • presidential campaign • Black politics • trust • political Blackness • Barack Obama

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