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Clinton, Obama court blacks
21/01/2008 12:44 - (SA)
Columbia, South Carolina - Hillary Clinton will pay homage to Martin Luther King on Monday in a bid to woo African-American voters ahead of this week's Democratic primary in South Carolina, where her top rival, Barack Obama, enjoys strong support in the black community.
The New York senator will take part in a church service and a march on the public holiday marking King's birthday, before clashing with Obama in a televised debate.
Heartened by another win in her White House quest, Hillary Clinton is making a major play for African-American voters, a vital Democratic powerbase leaning towards Obama.
On a perilous fault line of race and politics, the former first lady and the Illinois senator hoping to be America's first black president, delicately renewed hostilities on Sunday before the January 26 primary.
For Clinton, the contest is a chance to appeal to African Americans in the state and nearly two dozen others which vote on the closely contested Democratic race in a blitz of contests on "super-duper Tuesday" on February 5.
Must-win encounter for Obama
For Obama, who triumphed in the opening nominating clash in Iowa, but fell to Clinton in New Hampshire and Saturday's Nevada caucuses, South Carolina is close to a must-win encounter.
It is also his first chance to benefit from a large turnout of African Americans, in a unique position as the first black candidate with a realistic hope of the presidency.
Both Clinton and Obama attempted to symbolically frame the week of campaigning in South Carolina on Sunday, among African American worshippers.
In New York, Clinton accepted the endorsement of Reverend Calvin Butts, pastor of New York state's oldest African American Baptist Church.
Butts said someone asked him "why on earth as a black man in this country, I had chosen to announce my support for a white woman?"
"Well beloved ... this was not and is not and will not become a race based decision for me," Butts said.
'Walk with me'
Obama on Sunday made a symbolic appearance in Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, the launch-pad for civil rights icon Martin Luther King's crusade.
"I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine," Obama told the faithful.
"Together, we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all," he said.
African American voters - around half of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina - helped Bill Clinton to twice win the White House.
And the man often dubbed 'the first black president' is expected to try to recreate the mystique with a personal campaign swing for his wife this week.
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