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Race Didn't Defeat Bradley: He Was Too Liberal

And if Obama loses, it'll be for the same reason

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 20, 2008 9:27 AM CDT

(Newser) – If Barack Obama loses in November, the media will surely cite the Bradley Effect, the theory that voters lie to pollsters to hide racial biases. It’s named after Tom Bradley, the black mayor of Los Angeles who lost the 1982 governor’s race in California, despite huge leads in the polls. But Bradley didn’t lose because he was black, argues Sal Russo, who worked on rival George Deukmejian’s campaign. He was too liberal.

Inside the Deukmejian campaign, the results shocked no one. Their private polling showed the contest tightening in the race’s final days, as Deukmejian began attacking Bradley’s record on crime and gun control. As with Obama, a fawning media overlooked Bradley’s flaws. “Bradley was defeated because he was too liberal, not too black,” Russo concludes. Obama could suffer the same fate.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (2)]

In this 1983 file photo, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley appears with Queen Elizabeth II in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo, File)

Barack Obama pauses while addressing supporters at a rally in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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Tom Bradley enjoyed the same type of love affair from the media that Barack Obama does today. Both candidates have appeared larger than life and hardly fallible. But their flaws became apparent. - Sal Russo

In short, Mr. Bradley was defeated because he was too liberal, not too black. Mr. Obama was struggling in the polls until the economic news distracted voters from becoming more aware of how liberal he really is. - Sal Russo

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Race Didn't Defeat Bradley: He Was Too Liberal