The roll call vote is designed to allow supporters of Clinton to honor her with their votes before the convention formally chooses Obama as the first African American ever nominated by one of the majo
DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Sunday, August 24, 2008 7:00 pm
DENVER— The unspoken word.
“I think the support is coming; they’ve just got to get past that one stop sign,” Ken Mass of Omaha said Sunday.
The president of the State AFL-CIO didn’t want to identify the hurdle that stands in the way of support for Barack Obama by many normally Democratic union members.
Because it is race.
“They need to understand Obama would be a voice for working men and women,” Mass said, “and begin to feel comfortable with him.
“They need to come to realize there would be someone in the White House who cares for them,” he said.
“And I believe it will come,” Mass said during an interview at the suburban Denver Embassy Suites that serves as Nebraska’s Democratic national convention headquarters hotel.
As the presidential contest between Obama and John McCain narrows, Mass said, “labor could be the most important piece of the puzzle” in November.
Mass represents 45,000 union members in Nebraska.
One of Hillary Clinton’s strongholds — and Obama’s weaknesses — in this year’s primary contests in key states like Pennsylvania and Ohio was the labor vote. A substantial minority of Democratic voters have told pollsters that race is a factor in determining their votes.
Mass is the only unpledged member of the Nebraska delegation, but he said he’ll cast his first ballot vote Wednesday night for Obama.
The roll call vote is designed to allow supporters of Clinton to honor her with their votes before the convention formally chooses Obama as the first African American ever nominated by one of the major parties for president.
Mass originally favored Sen. Joe Biden in the 2008 Democratic contest, so he’s pleased Obama chose the Delaware senator as his vice presidential running mate.
“Joe Biden will help with working men and women,” Mass said.
“He’s my kind of guy. He’s tough. He’s a fighter.”
Biden will help attract the votes of working families, Mass said.
Clinton can rally their support with a memorable speech to the convention on Tuesday night, Mass said.
“She needs to nail it. She needs to say it’s OK, come aboard.”
Democratic State Chairman Steve Achelpohl of Omaha said Obama has “picked a great running mate with a wealth of experience” who will toughen the ticket.
“Biden’s a street-fighter with the ability to fight back” when Republicans attack Obama, he said.
Achelpohl expects “a very close election” in November.
“We live in a conservative country,” he said.
The racial factor is hard to measure and “makes predicting the outcome very difficult,” he said.
But what if Obama was elected? Achelpohl exclaimed during an interview at the hotel.
“Imagine what America will look like the morning after to the rest of the world. Imagine the changed perspective the rest of the world would have,” he said.
“We’ve lost our moral compass the last eight years. Obama can get it back for us.”
Mass said union members need to recognize the differences between Obama and McCain on health care, Social Security, trade agreements and the ability to organize in the workplace.
Anti-Obama traffic on the Internet, including the lie that he is a Muslim or unpatriotic, have undermined some of that support, Mass said.
Both Achelpohl and Mass said they believe Obama can win a presidential electoral vote in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District and could pick up a second one in the 1st District, which includes Lincoln.
“They are very obtainable,” Mass said, and labor is doing its part by registering voters.
“We absolutely can win in the 2nd District,” Achelpohl said.
“Obama will have a tremendous ground game in the 2nd District,” he said. The district is composed of metropolitan Omaha,.
Nebraska awards two electoral votes statewide and one to the winner of each of the three congressional districts.
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com