Those Racist African-American Voters Who support Obama
Some Hillary Clinton supporters point to the 90% vote that Obama gets among African-American Democratics as a sign of "race-based" voting. They imply that the "block voting" may be racist in origin. Blacks are merely voting for the Black guy. Blacks feel that it is their turn.
Of course, Obama was not Black enough to run against the wife of the first Black President when the Presidential campaign began.
If one goes back to the start of the campaign season, we find that Senator Clinton had a 2:1 to 3:1 advantage over Senator Obama among African-American Democrats. Her position was similar to that of Al Gore in his Presidential campaign. Gore had 66% of the African-American vote at the start of his campaign. Gore's main opponent, Bill Bradley, had the bulk of the rest. The message to both Sen Clinton and VP Gore was "We like Bill , but who are you?" both Clinton and Gore had to work for African-American support.
Were African-Americans racist by giving 66% of their support at the beginning of the campaign season to Clinton and Gore? Were African-Americans racist when they gave more support to Gore than Bradley during the Primaries, giving Gore the victory?
Senator Clinton, meet Bill Bradley. Gore won the African-American vote, Obama is winning the Black vote. African-Americans looked at Gore and Bradley and choose Gore. They looked at Clinton and Obama, and are choosing Obama. Bradley, has recovered from his defeat and now supports Obama.
Were African-Americans racist when they failed to rally around Al Sharpton in his Presidential bid? Sharpton lost the African-American vote in his native New York City.
Blacks have voted for Caucasian candidates in overwhelming numbers. Majority Black Baltimore, Maryland elected a White mayor. The mayor later became Governor. The MD Governor got the overwheming support of the African -American community even though he ran against a moderate African-American GOP candidate.
To suggest that African-Americans selecting Obama over Clinton is race-based and not a phenomenon that is best called the "Clinton Condescension Effect" represents a truly racist point of view along with a large degree of cerebral ossification.
Of course, Obama was not Black enough to run against the wife of the first Black President when the Presidential campaign began.
If one goes back to the start of the campaign season, we find that Senator Clinton had a 2:1 to 3:1 advantage over Senator Obama among African-American Democrats. Her position was similar to that of Al Gore in his Presidential campaign. Gore had 66% of the African-American vote at the start of his campaign. Gore's main opponent, Bill Bradley, had the bulk of the rest. The message to both Sen Clinton and VP Gore was "We like Bill , but who are you?" both Clinton and Gore had to work for African-American support.
Were African-Americans racist by giving 66% of their support at the beginning of the campaign season to Clinton and Gore? Were African-Americans racist when they gave more support to Gore than Bradley during the Primaries, giving Gore the victory?
Senator Clinton, meet Bill Bradley. Gore won the African-American vote, Obama is winning the Black vote. African-Americans looked at Gore and Bradley and choose Gore. They looked at Clinton and Obama, and are choosing Obama. Bradley, has recovered from his defeat and now supports Obama.
Were African-Americans racist when they failed to rally around Al Sharpton in his Presidential bid? Sharpton lost the African-American vote in his native New York City.
Blacks have voted for Caucasian candidates in overwhelming numbers. Majority Black Baltimore, Maryland elected a White mayor. The mayor later became Governor. The MD Governor got the overwheming support of the African -American community even though he ran against a moderate African-American GOP candidate.
To suggest that African-Americans selecting Obama over Clinton is race-based and not a phenomenon that is best called the "Clinton Condescension Effect" represents a truly racist point of view along with a large degree of cerebral ossification.
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Now you've done it...using bare facts, you've gone and made heads explode across the country. I'm sick of people telling me I'm racist for voting for someone that the other candidate pretty much pushed me towards. Clearly, since I'm black there's not a chance that I've actually done research and listened to each candidate.
It's pretty sad that these people who say that we are racist for supporting Obama (and remember for the most part, it has NOTHING to do with his skin tone), are using the same argument as the GOP. That alone turns me off of them, especially when many of the same people who accuse me of racism, turn around and say "It's time we had a woman president" as their reason to vote for Clinton.
April 21, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Want to see Hillary and Bill's racism in action?
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/clinton-accepts-aid-from-a-div.php
April 21, 2008 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, and I am tired of folks trying to call Wright the equivalent of a white supremacist as well.
This Tim Wise excerpt has it right:
"Indignation doesn't work for most whites, because having remained sanguine about, silent during, indeed often supportive of so much injustice over the years in this country--the theft of native land and genocide of indigenous persons, and the enslavement of Africans being only two of the best examples--we are just a bit late to get into the game of moral rectitude. And once we enter it, our efforts at righteousness tend to fail the test of sincerity.
But here we are, in 2008, fuming at the words of Pastor Jeremiah Wright, of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago--occasionally Barack Obama's pastor, and the man whom Obama credits with having brought him to Christianity--for merely reminding us of those evils about which we have remained so quiet, so dismissive, so unconcerned. It is not the crime that bothers us, but the remembrance of it, the unwillingness to let it go--these last words being the first ones uttered by most whites it seems whenever anyone, least of all an "angry black man" like Jeremiah Wright, foists upon us the bill of particulars for several centuries of white supremacy. "
http://www.counterpunch.org/wise03182008.html
April 21, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, the obvious has shown up, amazing!
April 21, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I heard Ed Rendell say that he got 94% of the AA vote in his PA Governor campaign against former Steeler great Lynn Swan. So, I don't want to hear about a black racist voting pattern.
April 21, 2008 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
1. What group of voters suffer most from racial inequality in this country?
2. Which candidate shows the greatest promise to begin racial healing for all Americans?
Who should the voters in point 1 vote for? Obviously the candidate in point 2.
One doesn't even have to mention race to understand why African-Americans would vote for Obama, should vote for Obama. This is not identity voting, this is hope for the future voting, on the most serious issue African-Americans face today.
April 21, 2008 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I'm tired, I'm tired..." Come to me, little children, lay down your heavy burdens, find solace in me, for I am the light and the life.... There are more here, you know.... Sleep, sleep, little ones.
April 21, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought you were frying or grilling fish.
Since you have been misinterpreted before, and I am not fluent in gibberish, why not try English sentences to communicate your thoughts?
April 21, 2008 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
African-Americans are just like any voting bloc in the U.S., sure, they might be predisposed to liking a candidate who looks like them, or shares a similar background as them, but in the end they will vote for whoever they believe is the most capable and has their best interest in mind. If that weren't the case then Alan Keyes would get enormous black voter turnout for him every time he runs. its ridiculous on its face.
April 21, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am one of "those" black voters who voted for Kerry, Dukakis, Clinton, Mondale and all I get is being called a racist if I vote for Sen.Obama? Simply amazing!
April 21, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Correct, I was too young to vote for Mondale.
April 21, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know what's really weird about this?
All of my life (I'm a 43 y/o AA from Indiana) I've been told by Whites that they consider the Democratic Party as the 'Black" Party and that's why they (Whites) tend to vote Republican...
Can't begin to tell you how often I've heard this over the years...In fact, it just popped up in conversation last night.
Was wondering if anyone else has run into people that see things that way...
April 21, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Although I've no doubt that many whites feel this way, I (although white) have never heard anyone admit it. I'm surprised that they'd admit it to you.
April 21, 2008 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is half white and half black,so everyone can vote for their half,so what is the problem.If the whites are afraid that if Obama becomes president he will some how make things better for black people they can rest asure that will not happen,the system is stack against them and it will take more than Obama and years to change that.Obama is their boy, some black people are only voting for him because they are told that he is black which automatically makes him the underdog and they know what it's like to be the underdog he is going to have a very hard time,they are going to crucify him before the election is over.It's going to painful and interesting to watch.
April 21, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink