April D. Ryan

The First Family including the Obama children and the First Grandmother toured the monument with two of Dr. Martin Luther King jr.’s children: Reverend Bernice King and Martin King III before the President sat on the Podium.  President Obama could be heard asking the King family, “Are ya’ll happy?. ”  Martin King III could be heard saying yes!”  President Obama returned saying, “That is the most important thing.”   The President was referencing the controversy about the statue.  Some of the controversy centers around the statue being made in China and the Chinese workers who assembled it were not paid.  Some other including poet Maya Angelou do not like the statue.

Friday night the First Family took an unexpected trip just down the road for an up close visit of the King Memorial. The family spent 20 minutes at the monument. In recent weeks, the Presidential motorcade took the President and Mrs. Obama, at least twice, by the MLK Memorial. Sunday, First Lady Michelle Obama and the first Children will accompany President Obama to for the dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial, where he will deliver the keynote address.  White House sources reveal a reception will be held at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. following the ceremony for Civil Rights leaders and Congressional Black Caucus member. Obama officials say all CBC members were invited to the reception. Some of the members will not be attending. White House sources say an invitation was extended to Congresswoman Maxine Waters. She will not be at the White House reception. According to Obama Administration sources she is being honored in her home district of Los Angeles, California.  Meanwhile, Many contend the moment of the Monuments dedication by a Black President is monumental.

Obama Campaign insiders say the numbers from the 2008 Presidential election have fallen; but, support is still very strong. The Campaign is leaning heavily on the facts of tehe Public Policy Polling results from early September. In fact, Obama Campaign officials say African Americans were a “95 percent vote share for Barack Obama in 2008 national exits.” Public Policy Polls in September 2011 showed the Presidents numbers dropped slightly in head to Head matchups against GOP candidates, but “are still within the margin of error.” Obama campaign officials find the President currently has strong black support, “91 percent against [Mitt] Romney and 94 percent against [Rick] Perry fall within the margin of error.

An Obama 2012 campaign source also says the “2008 Hispanic exit poll numbers of 67 percent are still intact.” Although the numbers right now are sound, there is more to this.. . A High ranking, unidentified Obama Campaign official contends the President’s black approval numbers dropped a bit from the high 90 percentile range. But, a campaign source affirms the numbers are still strong. But, there is a concern about the black intensity. That issue has some in the campaign working harder to sure up the black vote as black America is experiencing crisis unemployment numbers of 16 percent, almost double the overall jobless numbers. On the flipside the source finds the alternative is not better saying “blacks are not happy with what they are seeing from the opposing political party.”

A relevant concern is the 2012 black voting intensity issue. In 2008 people stood in lines for hours to cast a vote for the possibility of the first black President of the United States. Now, the concern is will the numbers of African Americans go to the polls like before and will they have the drive as before? One question about black intensity centers on unforeseen issues on Election Day. An example, if it rains, would crowd’s brave nature to stand again in the hours long lines as before for Barack Obama? Washington insiders believe Intensity is important as it is part of the formula directly linked to the voter turnout numbers on Election Day.

Internally there is a difference of opinion on this, another high ranking source contends with 13 months out from election day it is too early to judge black voter intensity.

The Obama Campaign is working to sure up all loose ends as other factors are against them like working to fix the ailing economy. In the past Democratic Pollster Cornell Belcher has said the President’s “approval numbers are directly tied to the middle income pocketbook.” There is complete agreement among the President, the Obama 2012 Campaign and other Democrats, “this will be a hard fought election.” That fact is based on polling statistics that show President Obama’s lead over top Republican contenders is dwindling. In recent weeks Public Policy Polling conducted a study in early September where President Obama led Mitt Romney by four percentage points and Rick Perry by 11 percent. Public Policy Polling found the president is leading by a smaller margin than when he beat John McCain in the National popular vote three years ago.

The PPP study is recognized by the Obama Campaign. The findings also have broken down poll data by race. If the Presidential contest were held between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney 91 percent of African Americans would vote for Barack Obama over six percent for Romney and 2 percent undecided. The black vote with an Obama Perry match up shows African Americans would vote for Obama over Rick Perry, 94 percent to 4 percent with only two percent of those polled undecided.the Rasmussen Reports Poll shows President Obama with 39 percent of voters against Black GOP Presidential contender Herman Cain’s 34 percent. The poll was taken after Cain’s upset win in the Florida GOP Straw Poll recently, where he beat Republican front-runners Mitt Romney and Rick Perry.

As the new numbers are released the President is said to be working hard to win this re lection bid as he is called “fiercely competitive.” The Obama campaign is working to sure up its base. In recent weeks, President Obama has met and or officially addressed African Americans, Latinos, and the LGBT community, groups. But, polls indicate the base is not a sure bet for the nation’s first black President. African Americans are most upset about the disparate in the unemployment rate, Latinos have constant questions about how the President will reform immigration laws and the LBGT community wants the President to finally evolve on the issue of same sex marriage, in support of their cause.

The issue of black support for President Obama is being studied by many. David Bositis, Senior, Research Associate for the Washington-based Center for Political and economic studies currently has a study in the field in three cities on the black Obama support. His report will be released in about a month.

Other polls have even given black Republican Presidential Candidate and former pizza franchise owner Herman Cain a slim margin between him and the President. Obama U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk,”I find it curious. I would ask Herman Cain to pay close attention to what happened to Michael Steele before he gets too enamored with all the attention directed his way right now. “