Black support may end up hurting Obama.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Barack Obama - Brief article

The enthusiastic turnout of African-American voters on behalf of Sen. Barack Obama (D.-III.) in the presidential primaries and caucuses could backfire, leading to defections from some white supporters, maintains Kerry Haynie, associate professor of political science at Duke University, Durham, N.C.

"I think these patterns are legitimate issues to raise in the campaign, as the Clinton camp [had] subtly and not so subtly done. They speak to the issues of his viability and electability," asserts Haynie, who is co-director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in the Social Sciences as well as co-editor of New Race Politics in America, Understanding Minority and Immigrant Politics.

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He contends that two historical patterns illustrate how and why race matters in the 2008 presidential election. He says the more African-American backing Obama receives, the greater the risk of his losing white supporters. Haynie cites research showing that whites, especially those with low incomes, often are less likely to vote for a Democratic...