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Racist Incidents in the Obama Campaign
I was sent this somewhat depressing article from WaPo this morning. I guess we were all hoping that this kind of thing was a thing of the past....
Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause
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Comments (5)
It's suprising how little attention racism and sexism have gotten so far. But, I'm sure we will see more in the General Election. Probably there will be some incident caught on video that will dominate coverage at some point. We should shine a light on overt xenophobia rare though it is, but I think something much more important is happening in private. In the decision process we are consciously or subsconsciously exploring our bias and prejudice and in doing so weakening or removing a barrier between ourselves and those who are different. I think the impact of this election will be far reaching regardless what vote counts or polling shows.
May 13, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, and when McCain rides the race card all the way to the White House, will you say, "Oh, but look how much we learned about ourselves. That was our victory: we brought a discussion of race into the Presidential election. So salutory, really."
Pfff.
May 13, 2008 7:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are racists in America. This is not news. That in some places it's more explicit than implicit is not news.
Whether or not is as common as the article suggests is questionable. So far, the media has over-exaggerated every issue in this campaign. Looking to create story lines.
This is also not news.
A majority of people are moving this country forward.
Ironically, those hitting the brakes the hardest are now the minority.
May 13, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
excellent points.
May 13, 2008 6:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I canvassed for Hillary Clinton in her 2000 Senate campaign, I went into some fairly depressed (hardworking, white American) areas in western New York, near Buffalo and in the upper Hudson Valley. People hated her and what she stood for (what? liberalism? progressivism? the mind reels) that they spit on us as we were doing our jobs. They spit on us, cursed at us and threatened us with physical violence. I do not pretend that this is the same as what Obama campaign members have faced, but I do think it comes from the same dark place.
This is why Hillary's pander to bigots is so hurtful. I had thought that she knew what it was like to be on the other side of that hatred and resentment, but it turns out she's only happy to marshall it for her own purpose if she can profit from it.
I don't know what disgusts me more. The bigotry, or those that will amorally benefit from it.
May 13, 2008 7:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
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