Villagers, we have talked in the past about social phenomenoms such as the Bradley Effect and the Vanessa Williams Effect.Consider this your formal introduction to the Obama Effect!
The Obama Effect is what we will call the coming deluge of African American candidates that will run AND WIN political races for governors and senators and future presidents.
Case in point: Rep. Artur Davis (D-Al). Davis, an early supporter of Barack Obama with uncanny similarities to the new president, announced his Democratic candidacy for governor Friday in a bid to become the first Black to win Alabama's top office.
Davis, a Harvard-educated lawyer in his 40s like Obama, ended months of speculation with his announcement, attended by a crowd of at least 100 people, made up largely of whites. That voting bloc will be crucial for Davis to win in 2010.
"Yes, this will be hard, but if we find our way, we can build a state like we have never known, not at some distant point called one day, but right now
, in our season," said Davis, 41, who chaired Obama's campaign in Alabama.Davis said his campaign will focus on the economy, not race.
"One of the things I have learned about race is if you talk about race, if you fixate on race, other people will join you in fixating on it," Davis said. "If you don't fixate on race, all the other issues that people want to hear about will come to the forefront."
What do you think of this idea of the 'Obama Effect'? Also, do you have any insights on Rep. Artur Davis and his hopes to become Alabama's first Black governor?
