| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:25 pm |
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Local News 
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Polls show Indians firmly back Obama for president TULALIP -- The vast majority of American Indian voters support Sen. Barack Obama for president, according to a poll by Native Vote, a national agency that works to engage American Indians in elections.Overall, 89 percent of all Indians polled support Obama. In Washington state, 94 percent of all Indians polled support the Illinois senator. Sen. John McCain's most supportive state, when it comes to tribal members, is Oklahoma, where he is expected to take 42 percent of the vote among Indians. Even there, he's tied with Obama. In Arizona, McCain's home state, 74 percent of all Indians polled support Obama, and just 14 percent support McCain. McCain, a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, was supportive of tribes until about three years ago, said Theresa Sheldon, coordinator for Native Vote's Washington state effort. That's when he began to recommend that tribal casinos be subject to stiffer regulation, she said. Illinios, Obama's home state, is one of the few states with no federally recognized American Indians. Still, the Democratic senator has promised strong support for tribes, beginning with establishing a Cabinet-level position to deal with tribal issues. "He's been very inclusive," Sheldon said. "It started off with him having a 'First Americans' page on his Web site. That was the first time we were ever on a list." McCain also has a page to sway Indian voters on his Web site, with a letter of support signed by former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a Cheyenne Indian. Indians have become a coveted voting bloc over the past four years. Their numbers and newfound interest in voting have made them critical electoral blocs in states where small numbers could swing elections. Native Vote, a branch of the National Congress of American Indians, a tribal support and lobbying group, has identified Washington as among a handful of states where Indians could decide local and national leaders. Health care and education are two major issues for Indian voters, Sheldon said. The Tulalip Tribes, like most other tribes, have a treaty with the U.S. government that guarantees free health care and education for tribal members. Tribal leaders say the federal government has failed to provide adequate levels of either. Any candidate that could better honor the treaties is likely to get Indian support, Sheldon said. Today, Tulalip tribal members and other Indian voters and tribal employees will gather for a daylong election party at the Tulalip Tribes headquarters. Voters who haven't yet mailed their ballots will be able to slide them into boxes that will be delivered to the Snohomish County Auditor's Office to be counted. Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com. |
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