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Obama Looks for Gospel Lift

But tour isn't attracting the young believers who fueled his early campaign

By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 29, 2007 7:30 PM CDT

(Newser) – Barack Obama's three-city South Carolina gospel tour kicked off over the weekend, with hopes that a little soul would lift his swooning numbers along with spirits. If the goal was, as one local supporter put it, to "get these young folks re-fired up," it wasn't happening at the first two concerts, the Washington Post reports, because the audience was largely "the retired and nearly retired."


At stake is Hillary Clinton's 20% edge over Obama among voters overall and 13% among blacks, including the early voting states, where Obama has not yet made inroads. That's why the candidate was present at the concerts only on video, and off campaigning in Iowa instead. That and the inclusion of singer Donnie McClurkin, whose past anti-gay rhetoric inspired protesters at the concerts.

Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at the National Summit on Agriculture and Rural Life at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevin Sanders)
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at the National Summit on Agriculture and Rural Life at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevin...   (Associated Press)
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama speaks during a campaign fundraiser Friday, Oct. 26, 2007, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama speaks during a campaign fundraiser Friday, Oct. 26, 2007, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)   (Associated Press)
Donnie McClurkin, takes the stage during the Embrace the Change  concert at the Township Auditorium, in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007, during the culmination of Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama's 40 Days of Faith & Family efforts. The Grammy-winning singer whose role in the Obama campaign event...
Donnie McClurkin, takes the stage during the "Embrace the Change" concert at the Township Auditorium, in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007, during the culmination of Democratic Presidential hopeful...   (Associated Press)
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at the National Summit on Agriculture and Rural Life at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevin Sanders)
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at the National Summit on Agriculture and Rural Life at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevin...   (Associated Press)
Protesters from the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement, lead by Bruce Coverse, front, march silently outside  the Township Auditorium, in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007 during a gospel concert promoting the Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Donnie McClurkin , a Grammy-winning singer whose role in...
Protesters from the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement, lead by Bruce Coverse, front, march silently outside the Township Auditorium, in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007 during a gospel...   (Associated Press)
Donnie McClurkin, takes the stage during the Embrace the Change  concert at the Township Auditorium, in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007, during the culmination of Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama's 40 Days of Faith & Family efforts. The Grammy-winning singer whose role in the Obama campaign event...
Donnie McClurkin, takes the stage during the "Embrace the Change" concert at the Township Auditorium, in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007, during the culmination of Democratic Presidential hopeful...   (Associated Press)
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