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African-Americans key to South Carolina primary

Senator Hillary Clinton was to pay homage to Martin Luther King yesterday in a bid to woo African-American voters ahead of this week's Democratic primary in South Carolina, where her top rival, Senator Barack Obama, enjoys strong support.

Clinton will take part in a church service and a march on the public holiday marking King's birthday, before clashing with Obama in a televised debate.

Clinton is making a major play for African-American voters, a vital Democratic powerbase leaning toward Obama. For Clinton, the contest is a chance to appeal to African-Americans in the state and nearly two dozen others which vote on the closely contested Democratic race in a blitz of contests on "super-duper Tuesday" Feb. 5.

For Obama South Carolina is close to a must-win encounter. It is also his first chance to benefit from a large turnout of African-Americans, in a unique position as the first black candidate with a realistic hope of the presidency.

Both Clinton and Obama attempted to symbolically frame the week of campaigning in South Carolina on Sunday, among African-American worshippers.

In New York, Clinton accepted the endorsement of Reverend Calvin Butts, pastor of the state's oldest African-American Baptist Church.

Butts said someone asked him "why on earth as a black man in this country, I had chosen to announce my support for a white woman?"

"Well beloved ... this was not and is not and will not become a race based decision for me," he said.

Obama on Sunday made a symbolic appearance in Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, the launchpad for King's crusade.

"I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine," Obama said.

"Together, we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all," he said.

African-American voters -- around half of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina -- helped former US president Bill Clinton to twice win the White House.

A Mason Dixon survey last Thursday for South Carolina's State newspaper of likely Democratic primary voters gave Obama support of 56 percent of African-Americans, compared to 25 percent for Clinton and 2 percent for former senator John Edwards. Among whites, Clinton led with 39 percent, Edwards had 28 percent and Obama 20 percent.
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