A recent trend in primary politics is worrying Obama supporters, and giving Clinton supporters a cause for hope. Could a new kind of voting bloc help Hillary keep her edge in Texas and Ohio, or even lift her into the nomination in states beyond?
Although "Obamacans" are unique to this primary season, the potential effect of their support on upcoming primary elections has caused a trumpeting joy across popular liberal blogs and news networks alike.
However, an even newer rogue constituency is emerging in the final days of this Democratic contest, and it may give pause to early champions of the candidate of unity and change.
We welcome the support of any voters at all, whether they be black, white, Latino, Evangelical Christian, Texan, Ohio-an, American, or any other kind.
-- Clinton Campaign Memo
Yes, evangelical Christian conservatives, long a firm bastion of right-wing republican support, are appearing in numbers to support a surprising candidate this time around.
Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton is not turning down any support as polls show her in a statistical dead heat with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois in key upcoming states. Moreover, Clinton appears pleased to reach across the aisle in a way characteristic of her opponent.
Senator Clinton has begun taking notice of her new contingent in recent stump speeches, even nicknaming them "Clintvangelicals". In a much applauded line Senator Clinton goes on to describe how they approach her to lend their support. Says Clinton:
"They come up to me and they say:(whispering) 'I'm supporting you for President', and I say 'Thank you... why are we whispering?', and they say,'because God might hear us', and I say 'Oh right, OK, probably better for me anyway'".(audience applause)
The unexpected uptick in conservative Christian support for a political figure historically reviled by that group is causing some bloggers to question the authenticity of their support. There does seem traction to the idea that religious nut cases might be supporting Hillary according to a complex logic of their own:
I had a scary call phone banking the other day with an older woman who said she was undecided. After talking with her for a few minutes she asked me if I thought Obama could be the antichrist.
- Obama phone banker
However, some Clintvangelicals appear to be genuine supporters who aren't afraid to say so:
When Hillary started out with that arrogant air of inevitability with echoes of an intrinsic system of patriarchal inheritance, I kind of pricked up my ears. At this point, Hillary isn't really very realistic about her chances of winning the nomination and that sense of denial in the face of hard numbers and incontrovertable fact really appeals to me too. Recently her ads playing on my fears sealed the deal. If she keeps this up I think I'll vote Clinton in the fall too.
- Bob, a proud Clintvangelical
Whether or not the Clintvangelical vote will be powerful enough in the Democratic primary to counter-act the Obamacan insurgence is impossible to determine. A chief Clinton campaign manager thinks so:
We think that the evangelical support will be the straw that breaks the camel's back of the Obama Campaign.
-- Howard Wolfson, Clinton Campaign Chief Spokesman
But with so little poll information focusing on the voting trends of Democratic right wing conservative evangelicals, their support really is the X factor in the upcoming contests for Texas and Ohio.