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N***er Lovers 21st Century Style
Valuable Washington Post piece on Obama staffers encountering bigotry in the field. For me, this begs the question: are "white working-class" voters Obama's problem, or is race their problem? In other words, why are apparent voter patterns (though I question how these will hold in a general election) always cast as the candidate's failure? Clinton has not failed to connect with African American voters-- if she became the nominee, 90% of African Americans would vote for her just like that community has voted for the Democratic candidate in at least the last ten presidential elections. The real failure is our superficial discussion-- cast in terms of Rev. Wright-- of the bigotry that remains a salient, but ignored, feature of American life.
Comments (7)
Its been a few years since I have had REAL racism in my face. And wow it just brings back memories. I had previously wondered if workers for Obama would begin to tell stories of what they see on the campaign trail.
What is more interesting, on Washington Posts, none of the internet trolls are slinging over the actual posts.
And none are here commenting on this either.
May 13, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, exactly! Thanks for pointing this out. The term I prefer for it is "white supremacy," which clearly still exists in America, on a broad, pervasive scale.
Things happen fast here, so you may not have noticed my more extensive post on this topic this morning, "Is Hillary Clinton a White Supremacist?." Hope you like it, as I did yours.
macon d
stuff white people do
May 13, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama's campaign really wants to downplay these instances. I expect a lot of such stories to come out after the campaign if he eventually loses the White House. Hell I expect a whole book on it.
Imagine what pollsters will run into when canvassing deep in GOP country...
May 13, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Between what some consider the mischaracterizations of Clinton statements, the confusion between surrogates, pundits and supporters and all of the stuff that Obama's people are experiencing in the field, we'll probably get several books out of the deal. Heck, I've even considered putting together an analysis, myself.
May 13, 2008 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's going to get worse:
"Cobb bar protested as racist for Obama T-shirts"
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/05/13/mulligans_0514.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
May 13, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
This whole thing is painful but important. It's an opportunity to take the lid off, let the light in, take a look at what's real in our society. When there is a public discussion about race today, people quickly point to the progress that's been made since the 1950's and 60's -- as if it's all over, it's all fine now. Blacks are only allowed to say how it really is in private... or maybe in church. You're seen as an Al Sharpton if you mention any feelings of discrimination or intimidation. Details of unfair treatment are met with "Well, maybe that's not what they meant... "
Recently I listened to an archived edition of Public Radio's "This American Life" about the long ago election battle of Harold Washington, Chicago's first (and only?) black mayor. I found some clues there. (I highly recommend it, especially for workers on the ground.)
Chicago had been run by the machine for years, and treated black sections of town as if they were third world nations that they had no relationship with or responsibility to. Public services were appalling -- the roads, the garbage pickups, schools, housing -- everything was subpar, everything was better in the white sections, even the poor white sections.
So when Harold ran there was a FEAR that if he won, he would turn around and do to them, the whites, what they had been doing to the blacks. They were absolutely sure of it. He had a thing that he would say, "I'm going to be fairer than fair." And when he won (stunning everyone), he was. So much so, that there were some in the black community who complained privately that he was being "too fair". There were no perks just because you were black.
But I think that that fear is very deep in the American psyche, and yes, even from way back when. After slavery, the fear was retaliation, and today, in pockets like West Virginia, it is the same. A woman in that article says something like: He'll take care of his own, that's it.
It's hard for some to imagine a world view that doesn't include mean-spirited paybacks.
May 13, 2008 1:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
(to continue) I think Obama is right not to focus on the negatives, and to keep moving forward. THINGS DO CHANGE. The world does change. At the end of the "This American Life" story they spoke to whites who didn't vote for Harold who in the years since, can imagine they'd support a black candidate next time around.
Well, this is the next time. This is the next generation. This is the time, this is the mission. Don't focus on the few, focus on the millions who have already "Yes" to the future.
May 13, 2008 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
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