Kohut's article is interesting, but I'm wondering if he isn't missing a factor that he wouldn't have found in New York City politics. Democratic Party party primaries have usually been divided between "beer track" candidates and "wine track" candidates. Past beer track candidates have included Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale, and Al Gore, while past wine track ones were McCarthy, Gary Hart, Paul Tsongas and Bill Bradley. Beer track candidates are usually the Democratic establishment frontrunner with a foucus on bread and butter politics who draw their support mainly from lower income voters, seniors, union members and those w/o a college degrees. Wine track candidates are usually the "new idea" insurgants drawing support from professionals, those with advanced degrees and young voters.
It's clear that Obama fits the wine candidate role, while Clinton is this year's beer candidate. If Obama was white but fit a similar political profile, I would find it hard to imagine him beating Clinton among the same social groups that proved to be decisive in NH.
> New York Times - January 10, 2008> <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/opinion/10kohut.html>> > Getting It Wrong> By ANDREW KOHUT> Washington>
_________________________________________________________________
Share life as it happens with the new Windows Live.
http://www.windowslive.com/share.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_sharelife_012008