Clinton stokes fears about Trump in appeal to black voters

Washington, Nov 4: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has sought to mobilise African-American voters in North Caroli state by stressing the potential dangers of a victory by Republican rival Dold Trump. “He has spent this entire campaign offering a dog whistle to his most hateful supporters. He re-tweets white supremacists and spreads racially tinged conspiracy theories,” she said on Thursday in a speech at Pitt Community College in Winterville, where a third of residents are black.

The former Secretary of State pointed out that Trump was lavishly praised by a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) — white supremacist organisation — newspaper, though the Republican’s campaign repudiated what many saw as an endorsement from the KKK, Efe news reported.

Participation in early voting among African Americans in North Caroli is down significantly from the level of 2008, when high black turnout helped Barack Obama carry the Tar Heel state on the way to becoming the first US President of African descent.

Clinton reminded the audience of repeated accusations that Trump discrimited against minorities in his real estate enterprises. “What would your life be like if he were in the White House?” she asked rhetorically. “And the truth is we really don’t have to guess. We just have to look at everything he has said and done in his career and this campaign, it’s a good preview of what would likely happen.” Clinton said.

Over 32 million voters have already cast their ballots by Thursday to choose the next US President, but mixed trends still leave much in uncertainty. Statistics gathered by the University of Florida show though overall early voter number remained steady, reaching 71 per cent of that in 2012, state turnout rates and early voter demographic have changed considerably, Xinhua news agency reported. In the key swing states of Florida and North Caroli, which are believed to hold the biggest sway in the outcome, early voter turnout has reached 101 and 84 per cent of that in 2012. (IANS)