Let's wait and see what the actual women's support for Obama will be. It may be wise not to disenfranchise women as we did during the primaries but to continue lobbying for their support. I'm all for venting after the election though.

Dr. Martin Luther King (a true hero) said in his "I have a Dream" speech that he "...hoped his children would grow up in a nation in which a person was judged not by the color of their skin but by the contents of their character..."

If white people are voting for a white person solely because of the color of their skin, THAT IS RACISM. SHAME ON THEM.

If black people are voting for a black person solely because of the color of their skin, THAT IS RACISM. SHAME ON THEM.

We should be voting on character, on policy, on the ideal of doing the right thing, of doing something greater than our individual self.

Color should be off the table.

In choosing between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton, I did not see a black man, nor did I see a white woman. I looked at who I thought would be the best American to lead us out of the tragedy that these last 8 years have become.

If you ask me to support Sen. Obama solely on the color of his skin, then the dream of MLK would in part have died.

I will not allow that dream to die. I cannot allow the dream to die. The stakes are too high.

As President Clinton said, I still believe in a place called HOPE.

What white people?

I'm white. I love Obama - he is everything I want in a president. He's so calm under pressure, he is so smart and he really cares. He has great ideas and he is our future. I think he's fucking gift to this country.

And many white people feel just like I do.

Many.

the sheriff's a ni$$er.

I know white people in their late 60's and 70's in Virginia who are lifelong democrats who say they just can't bring themselves to vote for a black man.

They'll get the president they deserve. This giant swath of hopelessly vapid voters young and old don't want to be informed. They want to be entertained.

Secession may be the only answer. If you are a democrat and live in a red state move to a blue state.

This will get ugly. And judging from the no talent American Idol candidate Palin we'll probably end up with McCain and Palin and they can inherit the biggest economic shitshow since the great depression. Fuck them and anyone who votes for them. They deserve each other.

This post has shamed me and, as I speak for all white people, I will now confidently proclaim our unanimous support for Senator Obama.

But wait! The shame is so great that I will now go on record for all white people of Illinois and admit to a complete boycott of the Obama-Keyes Illinois Senate race in 2004. We had nobody we could vote for due to our collective racism.

My (our) apologies.

What is it that a black president might do that people object to? Can anyone name one thing that a black would do but a white would not?

You know what, Bel? I can never figure white people out either.

And I'm white.

Keep hope alive, though. Cause we're learnin'. And we'll get there.

I really don't think people who would've voted for Hillary in the general election are jumping ship. I'm sure their crowds have been getting juiced by evangelicals and curiousity seekers, but any woman who is going to vote for McCain/Palin wouldn't have voted for Obama (or Hillaryin the GE) anyway.

Before and during the primaries I viewed the Democratic Party as facing the perfect dilemma:

1. Vote with tradition: for a white --

who happened to be female.

Or:

2. Vote with tradition: for a man --

who happened to be black.

The perfect opportunity for progress, and no way over, around, or under it.

Unprecedented progress, regardless outcome: elect a black, or elect a woman.

So what's the beef?

On the "experience" canard:

Obama has as much experience as did a person named Abraham Lincoln when he became president.

Which matters more? -- experience, or judgment? Give me good judgment, and the experience will follow. McSame has "experience," but his judgment, if it exists, SUCKS.

Bel,

An Obama administration scares the hell out of people who see themselves as the last bulwark of white political control of this country. Sadly, it's not just the members of my political party who believe this; the Clintons repeatedly riffed on this theme with some success during the primaries. As I'm old enough to remember the sixties and seventies, I remember when the governing experience bar was set lower for white presidential candidates. Based on today's so-called standards, Bobby Kennedy was "too inexperienced" to run for office.

The "Bradley Effect" is real and I doubt that the so-called McCain bump would exist if McCain had picked Bobby Jindal as his running mate. Also, I suspect the real reason why the Obama campaign avoids direct confrontation with McCain/Palin surrogates is to avoid having Obama labeled as the "scary black guy" who attacked a white Christian hockey mom.

witty1,

As a former Mormon, I have to disagree. A core tenet of Mormonism is the establishment of an LDS temporal and spiritual theocracy over the entire world starting within the United States. The Saints weren't driven out of Independence, Missouri or Nauvoo, Illinois because of their neighborly habits. Try researching information on the State of Deseret and the Mormon colonies in Canada and Mexico. Then read up on the "White Horse Prophecy" and Mitt Romney's family history in the Mexican colonies. For all practical purposes, Utah was and is a theocracy (with the exception of a few pockets of resistance). The political power and influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is far greater in this country than most non-members can even comprehend and Romney is far more dangerous than you'll ever know.

If you're asking this question non-rhetorically, you've chosen the wrong board to post it on.

I'd be willing to bet 98% of white posters here support Obama, including myself.

If you're asking the question rhetorically, I can't imagine what kind of response you're fishing for.

I can tell you that living in a small city outside of Columbus Ohio and I am seeing overt racism in the reaction of some people toward Obama and this is something that is not being talked about and why I think he will have a hard time being elected president. I am an Obama supporter (and a white 47 year old male) and am very troubled by what I am seeing and actually confronted someone at a local community event in August who had written on the back of his SUV "Fuck Obama." This guy told me he was a proud redneck and that if the guy was elected someone would kill him before he would be sworn in. Also in Upper Arlington Ohio, a white, affluent, subdivision of Columbus a woman had sprayed painted on wall in her drive way kill Obama after she had an Obama sign placed in her yard. If you want a historical context to add to what has already been mentioned, remember the women's movement split when black men were given the right to vote after the Civil War because some in the movement were angry at the fact that black men got the right to vote before women did.

I cannot speak for all West Virginians/Appalachians, but I believe that the “racism’ element here is due more to life experience ignorance as opposed to mental ignorance/stupidity or a “hatred” of others unlike themselves.

I am a proud and loyal West Virginia, born and raised, the beneficiary of an underrated and tremendous West Virginia public education system which gets little of the credit it deserves, holder of a business degree and law degree from WVU (long before the Manchin/Bresch/ Garrison fiasco). I have also had the benefit of living and working outside of WV for 15 years, including ten in Miami, Florida, a microcosm of the world, and a fabulous part of my life. I have worked in small town, big city, for the federal government, and for one of the best corporations in the world. I have traveled to Europe a couple of times. I have a mix of values that others would describe as conservative and liberal, which I describe and will argue with anyone as common sense.

I love this state in ways not possible had I not satisfied my own worldly curiosities first. I love the ocean but it does not compare to the substance, spirit and love that comes from the strength of family that living in our mountains, hills, and hollers has cultivated for most of our people.

I personally have been a supporter of Barack Obama since I heard his speech at the 2004 Democratic convention. The more I watch him and listen to him ( I actually listen to full length speeches as opposed to sound bites ) the more I am convinced that Barack Obama is our only choice for the change that this country needs at this time and place in history.

The latent but substantive racial element that I see and feel is the product not of racism for the sake of racism but of not knowing blacks and others different from 95% of other West Virginians. I can admit to having to leave WV before fully realizing that we are all truly born equal. Most West Virginians I know in today’s world who actually live and work with neighbors of different color treat them as equal. Obviously, those demographic numbers are small.

There are other factors that might affect West Virginians' thought processes. Except for our capital city’s morning newspaper, the Charleston Gazette, the state’s political coverage is either Fox News or Fox News like or the AP and otherwise conservative. There is a serious socio-cultural-historic divide between the northern half of the state and the southern half of the state: large numbers of third generation Italian/eastern European.Roman Catholic immigrants in the northern half and multiple generation Anglo/Scot/Irish Protestants in the southern half. The southern half is hugely dependent on coal mining with the northern half of more mixed economy. Sadly, many of our college educated have left the state over the last 30-40 years for better economic opportunities. Throw in the pressure of the media and the peer pressure of some, Barack Obama’s failure to spend little time or money in WV ( which I was disappointed to see), the primary election was for many West Virginians, I will admit, an unfortunate exercise to vote for the white woman over the black man.

However, one should not assume that WV voters will do the same thing in November and automatically vote for the Republican McCain over the black Democrat. West Virginians as a whole are smarter than the rest of the world thinks and many understand the stakes. Many of us feel defrauded by the Bushies and West Virginians have a high proportion of their sons and daughters in the military. Although the state voted red in 2000 and 2004 many will this time around are better educated as to the propaganda that has been foisted upon us the last eight years, and many will recall their historic Democratic Party ties. No doubt some voted strictly on racial lines and they will support McCain in any event.

Given enough effort and education by the Democratic party going into November, many Hillary supporters and independents will vote blue. West Virginians historically have pledged allegiance to the Democratic party and it is still difficult for a West Virginian to vote for a Republican. The question will be, as with any swing state, is what the voters do inside the election booth. I believe, contrary to the opinion of many, West Virginia’s three electoral votes are still in play. Anecdotally, I have been quite surprised at a number of people who quietly, but confidently, tell me that they have had “Enough” and will vote for Obama.

The following poll, conducted by a former staffer for twice elected Republican Cecil Underwood (1956 and 1996) is supportive of my views:

http://www.wsaz.com/political/headlines/28118604.html

17% undecided is a big number around here, and many of us are working hard and gearing up for this last push to get them to vote for Obama.

It is not time to panic and there are plenty of places around the country ripe for surprise. Besides, we don’t like lipstick on our pigs around here either.

I agree with you . I have relatives in Canton, Ohio and the attitudes are much the same among white, working class voters like my family. Now with McCain's running mate it's likely white, working class women will again become their own worst enemies. The nomination of Palin allows bigotted people to justify a vote against their own interests. This election is revealing the ugly truth about our collective national character. Down deep we are still struggling with our racism. The dishonorable tactics of the McCain and his campaign have been tapping into this everyday, all day. A black man calling a white woman a pig? Can you imagine the outrage expressed in little white community coffee shops all across the land? Where were the major Democratic women's voices during the media frenzy yesterday? Every woman with a feminist bone in her body should be expressing outrage everyday, all day at Palin's brand of feminism. Now the election has gone beyond race to the very real possibility that working class women will aid and abet angry,white men, through the false promise that Palin symbolizes, to the less enlightened 1950's America.

I agree with you . I have relatives in Canton, Ohio and the attitudes are much the same among white, working class voters like my family. Now with McCain's running mate it's likely white, working class women will again become their own worst enemies. The nomination of Palin allows bigotted people to justify a vote against their own interests. This election is revealing the ugly truth about our collective national character. Down deep we are still struggling with our racism. The dishonorable tactics of the McCain and his campaign have been tapping into this everyday, all day. A black man calling a white woman a pig? Can you imagine the outrage expressed in little white community coffee shops all across the land? Where were the major Democratic women's voices during the media frenzy yesterday? Every woman with a feminist bone in her body should be expressing outrage everyday, all day at Palin's brand of feminism. Now the election has gone beyond race to the very real possibility that working class women will aid and abet angry,white men, through the false promise that Palin symbolizes, to the less enlightened 1950's America.

I agree with you . I have relatives in Canton, Ohio and the attitudes are much the same among white, working class voters like my family. Now with McCain's running mate it's likely white, working class women will again become their own worst enemies. The nomination of Palin allows bigotted people to justify a vote against their own interests. This election is revealing the ugly truth about our collective national character. Down deep we are still struggling with our racism. The dishonorable tactics of the McCain and his campaign have been tapping into this everyday, all day. A black man calling a white woman a pig? Can you imagine the outrage expressed in little white community coffee shops all across the land? Where were the major Democratic women's voices during the media frenzy yesterday? Every woman with a feminist bone in her body should be expressing outrage everyday, all day at Palin's brand of feminism. Now the election has gone beyond race to the very real possibility that working class women will aid and abet angry,white men, through the false promise that Palin symbolizes, to the less enlightened 1950's America.

I agree with you . I have relatives in Canton, Ohio and the attitudes are much the same among white, working class voters like my family. Now with McCain's running mate it's likely white, working class women will again become their own worst enemies. The nomination of Palin allows bigotted people to justify a vote against their own interests. This election is revealing the ugly truth about our collective national character. Down deep we are still struggling with our racism. The dishonorable tactics of the McCain and his campaign have been tapping into this everyday, all day. A black man calling a white woman a pig? Can you imagine the outrage expressed in little white community coffee shops all across the land? Where were the major Democratic women's voices during the media frenzy yesterday? Every woman with a feminist bone in her body should be expressing outrage everyday, all day at Palin's brand of feminism. Now the election has gone beyond race to the very real possibility that working class women will aid and abet angry,white men, through the false promise that Palin symbolizes, to the less enlightened 1950's America.

I'm white, pro Hillary. Barry Hussein Obama, the son of an African drunk! John McCain war hero, son of a US Naval Admiral.

McCain/Bimbo 2008; Clinton 2012.

John McCain war hero, son of a US Naval Admiral.

What did John McCain do that was heroic during the war?