WFU rioto
Maya Angelou chats with Hillary Clinton.
Clinton
from page A1
Democratic Party and to the
country that we have such a
wonderful, exciting, passionate
contest going on."
Clinton was in town last
week for a campaign stop at
Wake Forest University with
poet Maya Angelou. a professor
at the school. After the two had
a hourlong "conversation"
before a crowd of 2,000 people
in Wait Chapel, Clinton told
The Chronicle that the long
winded and often contentious
contest between herself and
Obama has helped to resurrect
American politics.
"Politics had gotten sort of
ho-hum. People had given up,"
she Said. "Both Sen. Obama and
I have brought millions of peo
ple into this process."
After Clinton's victory
Tuesday in Pennsylvania, North
Carolina's May 6 primary has
become increasingly important
for both sides. The Clinton
campaign is making h clear that
. it will fight for every single
vote, even those of African
Americans. In addition to her j
appearance with Angelou, the
Clinton campaign has dis- ,
patched a bevy of black leaders
.across the state to lobby voters.
Among them are U.S. Reps.
Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) and '
Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas), e
the Rev. Marcia Dyson and s
"Living Single" actress Erika ,
Alexander.
Dyson, who was on hand
for Friday's event, is a native of.
Chicago who has known
Obama for more than a decade.
Yet, she is supporting Clinton,
whom she has known for only a
year. Why?
Dyson says she is voting her '
interests. She believes Clinton '
will worker harder to address 1
the issues that affect African- e
Americans and especially black e
women. Dyson was impressed
when Clinton stated during a
debate last year that the nation's
response to HIV/AIDS woukb
be stronger if the disease were
affecting white women at the
same rate as black women.
And she says the senator
showed her dedication to the
black community when she left
the campaign trail to appear in
Memphis earlier this month to
mark the 40th anniversary of
Dr. King's assassination and at
Tavis Smiley 's State of the
Black Union event in New
Orleans last February. Obama
missed both events and has
been criticized by Smiley. Dr.
Comel West and others for his
absence.
"It was not easy for her to
go back (to Lousiana for the
State of the Black Union) after
she was slaughtered there (in
the state's primary). But she did
it," Dyson said.
Angelou told the hundreds
gathered in Wait Chapel that
she was also drawn to Clinton
. because of her strength.
"I watched her be a woman
in times of stress and difficulty.
I watched her stand," said
Angelou. "I said, 'if this
woman ever runs for anything.
I'll put my hand behind her
back.'"
Both Dyson and Angelou
have prominent people in their
lives that do not share their
political preference. Dyson's
husband, author and commenta
tor Michael Eric Dyson, is a
diehard Obama supporter, as is
Angelou's close friend, Oprah
Winfrey, whom Angelou
referred to . as her "daughter"
^during Friday's conversation
with Clinton.
Asked after the event about
how she and Winfrey handle
their political differences,
Angelou said the topic rarely
comes up.
"She is a serious woman,
and she thinks profoundly and
she has come to that conclu
sion, and I am a serious woman
and I have come to my conclu
sion, and we respect each
other," she said.
Clinton said she is looking
forward to campaigning across
North Carolina in the weeks
ahead.
She is disappointed, she
said, that a planned debate
between her and Sen. Obama
may not occur. After the candi
dates' April 16 debate in
Philadelphia, Obama indicated
that he may not take part in any
more debates. Obama and his
supporters have criticized the
nature of the questions that
were asked during the last
debate.
When asked about that
debate, which took place two
days before her Winston-Salem
appearance, Clinton said
grilling from debate moderators
is par for the course.
* "1 think that we all get asked
tough questions. That is part of
the process of running for pres
ident," she said. "I know that
the people here in North
Carolina are anxious to have a
debate ... I have agreed to a
debate here in North Carolina,
and we will see if that can be
arranged."
Pundits have argued that the
longer the nomination process
goes on for the Democrats, the
weaker the ^party's candidate
will be when he or she faces
Republican John McCain this
'all.
Clinton disagrees. She says
he competition will make the
:ventual nominee and the party
tronger.
"I think it is good for our
lemocracy. It will be good for
tie eventual nominee of the
)emoratic Party." she said. "I
;now whatever differences
here may be between Sen.
Dbama and myself, the differ
:nces between us and Sen.
McCain and the Republicans
are huge. So we will go into this
Section as a unified party, and I
vill do whatever I can in what
:ver capacity to make sure we
:lect a Democrat."
NEWS@WSCHRONICLE.COM
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