The picture is from a campaign stop in Indiana. Note the large number of whites next to Obama. There is nothing unusual about it except that it seems to be more a reflection of a campaign strategy than a reflection of reality. FT’s Andrew Ward reports

 

About three-quarters of the 9,000 people who turned up to see Barack Obama at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday evening were black. Yet, the section of seating directly behind where he spoke was filled overwhelmingly by whites.The Obama campaign would not say how seats were allocated but it appeared as though a conscious decision had been made to ensure that television pictures showed the senator against a backdrop of white faces.

Image manipulation is hardly new or limited to the Obama campaign. But those who believed he is offering something new may have to do some rethinking.

As he has been proving time and time again, he is nothing but a highly manipulative politician.  We will see tomorrow how well it works.

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