Racism and the Race »
Posted By Aidenag 4 months, 4 weeks ago in NewsThis is supposed to be the Democrats' year of destiny. Bush is hobbling out of office, the economy is in the toilet, voters are sick of the war and the party' s wunderkind candidate is raking in money hand over fist. So why is the presidential race a statistical dead heat? The pundits have offered a host of reasons, but one in particular deserves more exploration: racism.
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Aidenag
Photographer by day, news junkie by night. My main areas of interest are politics and the environment. If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions ...
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Comments So Far: 171
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mackiemesser4 months, 4 weeks ago
This coincides with what I've been saying since the early primary results were published. Race will be a major factor in spite of denials from most quarters. I saw the votes that Clinton received and the ones that Obama received and saw that race was a major factor. Over 90% of black voters voted for Obama (race was not a factor?) and gave him the victory in several states. Clinton won in states where the black votes could not overcome the white, blue collar workers who voted for her (again, race was a factor). I thought then and think now that Clinton would have had an easier chance of winning the Presidency than Obama. McCain has shown himself to be a racist (in spite of recent denials) and it would not surprise me that he would win the election because of the race factor. Racism is alive and well in America today.
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cushi4 months, 4 weeks ago
Yes, you really ARE confused! Prove your contention! You have made an assertion here, it's up to you to back it up with facts, not more opinion giving!
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cushi4 months, 4 weeks ago
As an African American who has been keenly aware of racism since I was rudely introduced to it at the tender age of 4, I've always known and always said that racism was at the root of the problem with Barack Obama's candidacy. The loud mouthed, foul mouthed, rabid racists are just the tip of the iceberg! The hypocritical, covert racists are the ones who's numbers cannot be gaged, and they will be critical in this election.
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It is just too pitiful that America is so infected with the disorder that it can and may prevent the brightest hope this country has seen in many a day from even getting a turn at the plate!
If anything destroys this country, it will be the ungodly plague of racism that is once again spreading and metastasizing pretty much unchecked, and threatens to devour us all rom the inside out!
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Natureboy4 months, 4 weeks ago
Of course racism is a factor -
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A button sold at the Republican Convention in Texas said "If Obama is elected, will we still call it the "White House?"
A tee shirt sold at the same venue depicted Obama in a turban and compared him to Osama Bin Laden. Playing of course on his foreign sounding name to equate him with a radical Arab muslim.
The ultimate hypocrisy is the Republicans handwringing and crying "Obama played the race card" when they them selves play it in any way they think they can get away with.-
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Tangent0014 months, 4 weeks ago
In a way, yeah. Jewish people are 'allowed' to tell Jew jokes.
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Obama has not said, "Vote for me because I'm black." The black community might well prefer a black candidate because it's hard for a white person to understand exactly what being black in today's society means. They may believe Obama is better able to address social issues affecting blacks more than another old rich white guy might. Heck, they're probably right.
The only time I have seen anything close to playing a 'race card' is when Obama mentioned the tactics the right might use against him (funny name, not looking like the presidents on money, etc.). When I see Fox referring to Michelle as Obama's 'Baby Mama', or time after time on these boards when posters use Barack's full name, or call him 'Osama', I can't help but think he's not far off the mark. -
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mesodude4 months, 4 weeks ago
"It's OK for him to play the race card because he's black. Only whites aren't allowed to do that."
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--In what comparable context would it be appropriate for McCain to make a comment regarding his race?
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TLovesTeddyComment removed: User banned.17 Replies
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tiredofwhiners4 months, 4 weeks ago
I couldn't put my finger on it, but now I know why Obama can't put away McCain - racism. Of course. Never mind his inexperience, not wanting to drill for our own oil, wanting to raise taxes, national health care and his ultra liberal record and friends. Obama should now bring that up in his campaign and try to convince all those racists to do the right thing and vote for him and stop being racist. I don't know what he can do about the 90% of black voters who are racist, because he doesn't want them to change. I don't think he will be able to change the vote of the KKK or Nazis though, although he did get terrific audience in Germany. I wonder how many of them there are? Don't forget sexism too because he beat a white woman. He warned us that they (the racists) would try to make us scared of him because he doesn't look like all those guys on the dollar bill (meaning he doesn't have a beard or a curly white wig). Another strategy would be to call himself white when speaking to mostly white audiences and talk about guns and religion. After all he is half white and that would be correct. He wouldn't lose the 90% black vote because they are smarter than the typical stupid whites.
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mesodude4 months, 4 weeks ago
"Never mind his inexperience, not wanting to drill for our own oil, wanting to raise taxes, national health care and his ultra liberal record and friends."
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--Your comments merely confirm that you know how to regurgitate right wing talking points. On what basis do you claim these are concerns expressed by the public (not just cons) at large? It's nice that you *feel* that all Americans have the same unfounded fears that you do about Democrats (about fiscal responsibility, for example) but where's the beef? ;-( -
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Tangent0014 months, 4 weeks ago
"...the 90% of black voters who are racist,..."
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Hmmm, is supporting a candidate who has the potential for FINALLY addressing the issues of black America racist? I think not. There IS institutionalized racism in America, and Barack is the only candidate willing to address it. Is it by virtue of his color? Again, I think not (okay, I'm inviting the comment that ALL liberals 'think not'). Obama may be the only candidate willing to discuss racial issues, but I don't think it is because he is black, though I DO think his race lends him more credullity.
1 in 4 black American males is incarcerated. That's a HUGE problem, largely ignored. Possession of crack cocaine carried a sentence 10 TIMES that of possession of powder cocaine until very recently, by what rationale? It may not have been 'racist', but it was certainly classist.-
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CovalentBond4 months, 4 weeks ago
“1 in 4 black American males is incarcerated.”
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The problem with most liberal “facts” is they are not true.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSm41HNQFk
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tiredofwhiners4 months, 4 weeks ago
This story touches on a real issue to most Americans. Discussions about the energy crisis, unsustainable national debt, excessive federal spending, high balance of trade deficits, global warming, the war in Iraq, socialized health care and all that isn't really important. It affects 15% of Americans, except a few guys like Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, Walter Williams et al, but they don't count because they are conservative Republicans.
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StillUnashamed4 months, 4 weeks ago
This article is very one-sided. Yes, race is an issue. Had a white democratic male won the nomination with the exact same positions on issues as Obama, that man would be so far behind that McCain would win in a landslide. The only reason Obama even has a chance is because he is billing himself as the first Black candidate (even though his mother is white).
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Yes, there are people who WILL NOT VOTE for Obama because he is black, but there are many more white people who WILL VOTE for Obama out of fear of being called a racist, thus the racial advantage is to Obama.
The loudest racists are those who are preparing to blame Obama's defeat (if he loses) on racism. After all, since Obama is black he is immune from being critized for his politics.-
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jovial4 months, 4 weeks ago
Actually Hillary Clinton had very identical positions on a lot of issues that Obama is running on. If she had won, she might even be doing better than Obama is right now. So i can't agree with you on that point.
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willottica4 months, 4 weeks ago
"but there are many more white people who WILL VOTE for Obama out of fear of being called a racist, thus the racial advantage is to Obama."
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Sure, that argument works when the vote is a show of hands. When the vote is anonymous, there's no fear, you don't have to reveal your vote to anyone, so all the (let's not call them racists) negrophobes and islamophobes can safely vote for McCain, and no-one will be the wiser. -
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Tangent0014 months, 4 weeks ago
"Had a white democratic male won the nomination with the exact same positions on issues as Obama, that man would be so far behind that McCain would win in a landslide."
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You can't say that with any certainty. Given the current polls, where close to 3/4 feel America is off track any candidate offering real change and a message of hope would have done well.-
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miklkit4 months, 4 weeks ago
Sure. It can be said that if it wasn't for the fact that Obama is 12% black, he would have a huge lead because of his positions.
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beavith14 months, 4 weeks ago
WILL VOTE for Obama out of fear of being called a racist?
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WTH?
how will anyone know how someone else voted?
that's a weak argument -
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Natureboy4 months, 4 weeks ago
"Yes, there are people who WILL NOT VOTE for Obama because he is black, but there are many more white people who WILL VOTE for Obama out of fear of being called a racist, thus the racial advantage is to Obama."
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Purely ludicrous. Nobody knows what you do inside a voting booth uness you tell them. So from whence comes "the fear of being called a racist?"-
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Tangent0014 months, 4 weeks ago
It is an actual phenomenon. My girlfriend is a sociology professor and has done this experiment on a number of occasions:
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An extensive series of photos of racially diverse people doing different activities is assembled and distributed to two classes, the sociology class itself, and another of unrevealed subject and location, to privately and anonymously give each photo a positive to negative 10-to-0 rating. Examples: an interracial or gay couple kissing, a white policeman arresting a well-dressed black man (and vice versa), a woman performing surgery, a priest with his hand on the shoulder of a young boy, etc. Some images are 'charged', some are not.
After the responses are turned in, the sociology class views the series again. Simultaneously, each student shows a card numbered 0 to 10 to rate each image, this time viewable by the whole class, to compare against the private, anonymous results given by the other class. The results are recorded and compared.
The class is astounded by the variance their public results had against the private responses of other class. There are clear examples of prejudice and stereotyping in the private sample. They are haughty about the 'progressiveness' and 'tolerance' exhibited by their public responses and deride the other class ("Must be an Economics class." or "Is that from the MBA department?" or "Are these kids from Georgia?"). Well, until it is revealed that the comparison they did was against their OWN private, anonymous responses. Stunned silence is known to occur.
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mesodude4 months, 4 weeks ago
"Yes, there are people who WILL NOT VOTE for Obama because he is black, but there are many more white people who WILL VOTE for Obama out of fear of being called a racist..."
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This sounds like fantasy. Even if there was some way to verify this, I can think of lots of other reasons people should be (or should have been) worried about what others thought of their voting criteria (for instance, people who lied and voted against Kerry for "flipflopping" in the wake of four hellish years of the Bush administration and those who are planning to vote for McCain now even though you know he represents everything you despise--except he's white, he *reeeeally* wants to be President and he calls himself a Republican). I guess the question I would ask is what makes you think only cons can be "stillunashamed"?
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Formidable4 months, 4 weeks ago
" 1. Race. The idea that Obama was going to win in a blowout was always preposterous, says former Nebraska senator and onetime presidential hopeful Bob Kerrey, an Obama backer. A big piece of this, of course, is whether white people are going to support a black guy If [Obama] is a tall, skinny white guy named Paul Jones it's a different story.
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2. Obamas strength in Virginia may be overhyped. His chances of ending the Democrats 44-year losing streak in the commonwealth are pretty good thanks to the explosive growth of the liberal D.C. suburbs, and a 147,000 spike in voter registration sure to benefit Democrats. But Obamas aides privately concede his odds in Virginia are probably no better than 50-50 and that the state is far from a lock-solid hedge if he loses Ohio and Florida.
3. Michigans in play for McCain. In the year of the downturn, the hard-hit upper Midwest should be prime Obama country. Instead its a potential minefield. Obama is still ahead by two to five points here similar to margins of victory enjoyed by Gore and Kerry in the last two presidential contests but McCain has quietly crept up over the past month and could vault ahead if he anoints ex-Gov. Mitt Romney. Simmering tensions between predominantly-black Detroit and its white suburbs could hurt Obama. And McCains surrogates were handed a gift in the jailing of Obama supporter Kwame Kilpatrick, Detroits mayor.
4. Bad times could be good for McCain. If anger helps Democrats, fear advantages Republicans. A growing number of Democratic strategists worry that some swing state voters may opt for McCain if the economy veers from merely awful to downright terrifying. The typical political calculus that bad economic times will deliver the White House to Democrats may not hold if people start viewing the downturn as, essentially, a national security crisis that cant be entrusted to a novice. And that was McCains underlying message in his Paris Hilton ad: Bank failures, soaring gas prices and plummeting house values are forms of economic terrorism and hes an all-purpose anti-terror warrior. -
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Formidable4 months, 4 weeks ago
5. Where have you gone, Ross Perot? Bill Clinton, the lone two-term Democratic president since FDR, wouldnt have been elected if independent Ross Perot hadnt siphoned 19 percent of the vote in 1992. Former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr, staging an indie bid from McCains right, has little cash and doesnt seem to be a factor in competitive states.
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6. The Legacy of LBJ, Jimmy and Bubba. Barack Obama would have been a trailblazer no matter what but the Democrats trail to the White House has been remarkably narrow since 1960, accommodating only southern whites with border-state strength: Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. (Add Al Gore if youre counting the popular vote.)
7. Americans may want divided government. Some Democratic operatives think a possible landslide for their party in congressional races could backfire on Obama.
Fairly or not, folks think he is pretty liberal and nobody wants a pair of Pelosis running things, says a New York-based Democratic consultant.
Adds Bob Kerrey: The country's still pretty divided people may want a divided government. They want change but I'm not sure that the Democratic agenda has the support of a majority of Americans."-
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greenmac4 months, 4 weeks ago
Yes Form..... I see Obama as your new leader. It will be great to see that, as the US hasn't had a leader for several years now. I know this upsets you and a few others that are blinded by your past political beliefs or stereotypes. As the election draws near I expect to see more and more desperation in some of the posts .....
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Its sad how racism is being used as a tool to discredit a voters ability to see the future. You may say blacks vote for Obama because Obama is black. You may say whites vote for Obama so they don't appear racist. These may hold true in a very small percentage of the population. I do believ though that there are many whites that will not vote for him because he is black ...... I find that obscene in todays world .... yes there are still dinosaurs out there.-
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realyconfused4 months, 4 weeks ago
up yours. what does he stand for?///// you dont know do you if you do tell me i cant find anything exept he doesnt want to drill for oil here where we have alot of it? it will take away from the money the gov. gets if we do they r getting 3timews the amount of proffits the oil companys r makingwhy would they want to stop that check it out for yourself see how much they r getting in taxes?
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mesodude4 months, 4 weeks ago
To my way of thinking, this is made all the more obscene by the fact that those most likely to vote against him based on race are the very ones who repeatedly lie about why we need to stay in Iraq (hint, it's not for the purpose of establishing peace among the Iraqi people as they love to claim).
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bigurn4 months, 4 weeks ago
Very few things would please me more than to see a person of color as President. I watched the black vote swing forcefully and repeatedly to Obama during the primaries, and I wondered aloud how two people whose platforms are so similar could split the vote along racial lines like that. The answer is simple: racism. Remember that racism is "Discrimination or prejudice based on race". (American Heritage Dictionary) African Americans are deciding that Obama is the better choice because of his skin color. My friends are all saying it, and we've discussed it over dinner more than once.
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My children will vote for the first time, and we've talked in depth about the issues at hand this year, and race is one of them. Neither of them can understand why anyone would vote for a candidate's skin. They want to see how the candidates beliefs and values match theirs and their plans for their future. Right now, they don't like either choice very much.
Ultimately, if a vote is cast for a one-issue topic like race, is it substantively any more ingratiating than any other one-issue vote? And if it's not does it deserve any more recognition?-
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jovial4 months, 4 weeks ago
You don't have a clue do you? Blacks voted fro Clinton in 92 and 96. Blacks voted for Kerry and a sizeable amount voted for Hilary Clinton as well. Black people in America almost always vote predominantly for the Democratic candidate. Only now is it being made such a big issue, because the candidate is black also. In recent history it's always been fairly easy to dismiss Black candidates for President as being to radical or finding some controversy in their background to make them look like a raving lunatic. It's worked efeectively everytime until now! Now in spite of the Antichrist rantings, the "Obama is a Muslim" fallacies, The Wright controversy, Obama remains a strong contender. This is extremely unsettling to a lot of white people. When they are called on their racism, they try to point to it being about the issues. This is true in some cases, but I fear there's a significant portion of cases where that's not the case.
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newbie04204 months, 4 weeks ago
"Blacks voted fro Clinton in 92 and 96. Blacks voted for Kerry and a sizeable amount voted for Hilary Clinton as well. Black people in America almost always vote predominantly for the Democratic candidate."
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And Obama won over 90% of the black vote against another DEMOCRAT, not republican.
You can deny it all you want but blacks in this election are letting race influence their votemore than anything, if Obama were 100% white he wouldn't have had a chance against Hillary, see John Edwards for proof of that.
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