Fear of a Black Planet
It really doesn’t matter what happens in the debates or on the campaign trail between now and November, how much of a liar and incompetent John McCain is, how big a crooked Christianist fool Sarah Palin is, or how much more likely the average American is to support Democratic positions than Republican ones. How does Barack Obama overcome this in less than 60 days?
40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks, and that includes many Democrats and independents.
More than a third of all white Democrats and independents — voters Obama can’t win the White House without — agreed with at least one negative adjective about blacks, according to the survey, and they are significantly less likely to vote for Obama than those who don’t have such views. . . .
Statistical models derived from the poll suggest that Obama’s support would be as much as 6 percentage points higher if there were no white racial prejudice.
If general attitudes toward black people among Democrats are this negative now, what happens after the real niggering begins later in the campaign? I’ll tell you what: Obama loses, and by a larger margin in the Electoral College than anyone imagines right now.
One irony is that Obama couldn’t be any more different from the theoretical blacks so disliked by respondents to the AP poll: “violent,” “boastful,” “lazy,” “complaining,” “irresponsible.” Another stems from the question of competence. The AP story about the poll contains a paragraph regarding voter doubts about Obama’s competence. While that may be a tactic by co-writer Ron Fournier, one of McCain’s BFFs, to tamp down the racism angle, it’s ironic nevertheless. If the racist opinions of the typical American voter are going to decide this election, they’ll do so in favor of a ticket that looks as if it will be less competent than the current administration, which has been screwing up one-car funerals since the day it took office.
Price of a one-way ticket from Chicago to Auckland, New Zealand, leaving tomorrow: $1,427.
Posted: September 20th, 2008 under Ain't That America, Obama, Racism.
Comments: 10
Comments
Comment from Josh Hammond
Time: September 20, 2008, 5:40 am
As I asked in LC’s recent post on race, where is the demographic breakdown so that we can sort this out. This survey is generic, no age, education, income, geography breakdown that I can see.
Also, if this is true, why didn’t Hillary win? And particularly why didn’t she win in “all white” states like Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana, etc.?
Comment from timr
Time: September 20, 2008, 8:53 am
My personal belief-as a native of far north Michigan(about 100 miles from the Mac Bridge) which was in an all white(with a small tribe of native americans) area. I believe that most white americans are not bigots. While a vocal minority are, most are simply looking for leaders who are smart and have some idea about what to do to get us out of the hole that the repig party put us in. I simply refuse to believe that 40% of white americans would refuse to vote for a black man. This is the same as those HRC supporters who switched to st john rather than vote for Obama dispite the fact that st john stands are the direct opposite of those of HRC. My feeling is that those who switched to st john did so simply because they would never vote for a black man-no matter how they attempt to dress it up it all comes down to that 1 thing that the HRC supporters can not get over. Obama is black and they are bigots
Comment from timr
Time: September 20, 2008, 10:40 am
JAB, I think that this will become more important as the next week wears on
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09192008/transcript2.html
Comment from Brick
Time: September 20, 2008, 3:25 pm
Some observations on the mess we’re in:
• Capitalism needs socialism to sustain itself, i.e., socialism meaning the poorest of the poor and the middle class must save the rich.
• Deregulation makes a mockery of the invisible hand, i.e., the invisible hand under the present establishment is robbing the poor and the middle class so watch out for your wallets folks.
• Suddenly, McCain and Bush are populists (remnants of Huey Long in the shadows). Lest the people wise up, they may pull it off (white fear of a black leader strikes fear in both Democrats and Repugs).
• Or as my Granddaddy in Texas used to say, the Republicans discover the poor every 4 years, and then forget them after Election Day.
• The Bush Administration is gaming the system, i.e., there’s money to be made in the collapse of the present financial system. Is now the time to plead for Social Security privatization? There is still some money left in those 401s and pension funds, so let’s get that while we can boys!
• Get out that Bank of China card and swipe it one more time, we must keep our wars funded! And the Saudis smile knowing they will get theirs!
Get real America, the more things change, the more they remain the same!
Comment from Leftcoast
Time: September 20, 2008, 6:44 pm
This is an incredibly difficult thing to poll as the majority of people who really hold racist views lie through their teeth when personally confronted with the questions. They know it’s wrong, but feel that way, anyway. It really doesn’t matter what the demographic breakdown is because the solution is isn’t likely to be demographically based. Obama can’t advertise or market hisway out of this.
The only, best hope for getting Obama into the WH is that economic pain is greater than racism. Tough call and don’t wish it on anyone. The margin going into Nov 4 has to be substantial enough to override Dem racists, and don’t forget those gamed voting machine in key precincts. Not pretty, not a surprise. And the reason I fought so hard against Obama’s nomination this time around.
BTW: Hillary didn’t win because she ran an absolutely shitty campaign–she deserved to lose. Had she got it together even two to three weeks sooner than she did and took the caucuses seriously, she might have won as she clocked Obama in the later primaries…
Comment from Shark
Time: September 20, 2008, 9:14 pm
Our country has had black Mayors of major cities, black Governors, black Senators, black Presidents of large corporations, even black managers of Major League Baseball teams (and it didn’t mark the end of the world). That has been the case for a long time and in the face of much more racism years ago. A black President could never have been elected as little as 40 years ago, but I think the possibly is much better today than itg was years ago.
Comment from timr
Time: September 21, 2008, 10:56 am
shark, don’t forget all the black NFL head coaches and the black quarterbacks, it could not have happened 40 years ago. Also black coaches in the NBA are fairly recent. My firm belief is that the generations under 30 are mostly not racists as they all likely know at least 1 person who is multiracial. My kids(and the vast majority of those under 30) don’t care at all what skin color or racial background someone comes from. I also believe that the current repig crusade against hispanics is only because they feel that the bad economic times must be the fault of those outside the WASP background. It can not possibly be their own fault and the fault of the repigs that they voted for. Illegals are just a convenient target.(gwb did nothing about the problem because big business liked the idea of paying very low wages) it was only when the repig base got fired up that bush took notice and began flailing around and p.o. all the hispanic voters-BTW, if current population projections hold, WASPs will be a minority by 2040-If hispanics are by then the majority, I wonder who will be president. Here in SA Tx the current hispanic population is 60% of the total. Yet most-not all, but most-of the local politicians are in fact white establishment long time(multigenerational) residents. Yet some of the hispanic families have been in this area for about 300 years. SA’s 300th birthday is coming up soon, it has been an established city far longer than most of the 13 original colonies towns. Just a factoid
Comment from SilkMaye
Time: September 23, 2008, 9:48 am
When most people hear the word racism, they think slavery or the civil right movement off top. However, there is racism still going on tooday. Especially between whites and blacks. Job descrimination, bad service, and just blatent disrespect to the opposite race are all forms of racism. I saw an interesting blog about this on http://www.urbanthoughtcollective.com check it out!
Comment from otter
Time: October 2, 2008, 8:41 am
As the great and prophetic LL COOL J once said… BAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT!
Wear your politics on your sleeve and on your t-shirt.
POW-MILF com
Comment from Dan Diaz
Time: January 9, 2009, 5:28 pm
hi
13ef6q0ink7c9298
good luck
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