The thinking about runoffs goes like this: A black candidate in the South could easily win a multi-candidate primary, as long as they get most of the black vote, which could be as high as the mid-to-low 30s. But in a one-on-one contest, the potential to add to that total is diminished.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who made the abolishing runoffs a cornerstone of his unsuccessful 1984 Democratic presidential campaign, said "Historically, and in many instances today, whites support white candidate regardless of how qualified an African-American candidate is.
"Even if Mike Espy does make it to the runoff in Mississippi it is unlikely that he will win the runoff--whatever runoff system is used in Mississippi" despite having the highest percentage of African-American residents in the country at 37 percent, Jackson said.
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The above quotations are from State of Mississippi Politicians: Archives.
Click here for other excerpts from State of Mississippi Politicians: Archives. Click here for other excerpts by Rev. Jesse Jackson. Click here for a profile of Rev. Jesse Jackson.
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