Armey predicts Obama will hit blockade of 'Bubbas'

0 Comments | USA TODAY, September, 2008 | by Richard Wolf and Martha T. Moore

ST. PAUL -- The "Bubba vote" and underlying racism will hurt Democrat Barack Obama in key battleground states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, former House majority leader Dick Armey said Wednesday.

"The Bubba vote is there, and it's very real, and it is everywhere," Armey told USA TODAY and Gannett News Service. "There's an awful lot of people in America, bless their heart, who simply are not emotionally prepared to vote for a black man.

"It's deplorable, but it is real," said Armey, adding that he believes "Republicans would not encourage" such prejudices. He said the "Bubba vote" is "invisible" in pre-election opinion polls, because voters do not admit they would oppose a candidate because of race.

The "Bubba vote" is shorthand in politics for...