RubySoho
Winston
Note To Barack Obama: Apparently, You Are Still Not White Enough
May 23rd 2008 16:25
Yep, that's how low some people will go...
I was reading Maureen Dowd’s column in The New York Times, and quite frankly, I found it rather depressing. The race issue, it seems continues to play a major role in this year’s Democratic election and could wind up costing the Democrats the election.
As you might know Clinton handed Obama a crushing defeat in the West Virginia primary, winning by a margin of 2 to 1. Clinton also won big in Kentucky. Yes, but Obama cruised to victory in Oregon and it looks pretty certain he will be the Democratic nominee so why is this a big deal?
Because there are many voters who vote Democrat and who say they will refuse to vote for Obama come November. Says Dowd:
He was dismissed not only by the voters Hillary usually gets, but was also edged out in blocs that usually prefer him — the under-30 set, college graduates and affluent voters.
Interviews with West Virginians leaving the polls showed some profound weaknesses that could haunt the Illinois senator in the fall. More than half said they would be dissatisfied if Obama was the nominee. Half believe he shares the views of the Rev. Wright, and more than half said he does not share their values. More than half also said that he is not honest and trustworthy. Just under half of the Clinton voters said they would not support Obama in the fall.
Two in ten white voters said race was important in how they voted, and more than eight of ten of these went for Hillary. This echoes an article in The Washington Post on Tuesday that chronicled the racism that some Obama volunteers found in Indiana and Pennsylvania.
The story quoted Victoria Switzer, a retired social studies teacher, who could take only one night on an Obama phone bank in the nearly all-white Susquehanna County, Pa.: “One caller, Switzer remembers, said he couldn’t possibly vote for Obama and concluded: ‘Hang that darky from a tree!’ ”
Interviews with West Virginians leaving the polls showed some profound weaknesses that could haunt the Illinois senator in the fall. More than half said they would be dissatisfied if Obama was the nominee. Half believe he shares the views of the Rev. Wright, and more than half said he does not share their values. More than half also said that he is not honest and trustworthy. Just under half of the Clinton voters said they would not support Obama in the fall.
Two in ten white voters said race was important in how they voted, and more than eight of ten of these went for Hillary. This echoes an article in The Washington Post on Tuesday that chronicled the racism that some Obama volunteers found in Indiana and Pennsylvania.
The story quoted Victoria Switzer, a retired social studies teacher, who could take only one night on an Obama phone bank in the nearly all-white Susquehanna County, Pa.: “One caller, Switzer remembers, said he couldn’t possibly vote for Obama and concluded: ‘Hang that darky from a tree!’ ”
I’m flabbergasted. These are Democrat voters saying this about the candidate who is almost certain to be their nominee. Let's absorb that shall we? Just under half the Clinton voters said they would not vote for Obama in the November election. I thought Democrats were meant to be the progressives?
Okay, you say, so some people are racist, right? Can’t be helped, but Obama will have enough support from other Democrat voters to get him over the line in November.
Well, then there is the issue of Obama’s alleged sexism. For those who are unaware Obama was accused of being sexist for snubbing a female reporter who was attempting to ask him a question as he visited a factory in Detroit. Here is a transcript of what he said:
VO [female reporter]: …but he never spoke about the workers' biggest concern—their future.
Reporter: Senator, how are you going to help the American auto worker?
Obama: Hold, hold on one second, sweetie—we're gonna do, we'll do a press availability…
VO: This sweetie never did get an answer to that question.
Reporter: But we're at the plant! How are you going to help workers?
Obama Staffer Offscreen: Okay guys, thank you for coming, guys.
VO: In Sterling Heights, Peggy Agar, Channel 7 Action News.
Reporter: Senator, how are you going to help the American auto worker?
Obama: Hold, hold on one second, sweetie—we're gonna do, we'll do a press availability…
VO: This sweetie never did get an answer to that question.
Reporter: But we're at the plant! How are you going to help workers?
Obama Staffer Offscreen: Okay guys, thank you for coming, guys.
VO: In Sterling Heights, Peggy Agar, Channel 7 Action News.
After the incident Obama contacted the reporter and left this message on her mobile phone:
"Hi Peggy. This is Barack Obama. I'm calling to apologize on two fronts. One was you didn't get your question answered and I apologize. I thought that we had set up interviews with all the local stations. I guess we got it with your station but you weren't the reporter that got the interview. And so, I broke my word. I apologize for that and I will make up for it.
"Second apology is for using the word 'sweetie.' That's a bad habit of mine. I do it sometimes with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect and so I am duly chastened on that front. Feel free to call me back. I expect that my press team will be happy to try to make it up to you whenever we are in Detroit next."
"Second apology is for using the word 'sweetie.' That's a bad habit of mine. I do it sometimes with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect and so I am duly chastened on that front. Feel free to call me back. I expect that my press team will be happy to try to make it up to you whenever we are in Detroit next."
It seems many Democrats who are barracking for Clinton refuse to accept this apology. On a prominent and influential feminist/progressive blog I came across these comments:
"It's lucky I don't live in a swing state. That way, if Obama's the nominee, I don't have to feel guilty about not voting for him".
"I live in Ohio too. I will not feel guilty at all when I don't vote for him".
"Yes, I am selfish. I care about my wife and my mother more than anything else (well, i love our kids just as much). So, when I vote, the very first thing I think about, before Iraq, Afghanistan, or anything else, is this: "what will this vote do for my wife and my mom? Voting for Obama would betray my wife and mom. By calling that reporter lady "sweetie", he called my wife "sweetie", he called my mom "sweetie." Fuck all the rest of the world. You just don't do that do my wife or mom. The rest of the world can simply go to hell before I vote for a man who disrespects two of the most important people in my life".
"denying our votes and other support to Obama is our best tool to show the fauxgressives that misogyny will be punished".
"Because of this incident, voting for Obama is an absolute impossibility for me. I will fight until the very end to ensure that Obama goes down in flames in November."
"It's your vote. It's your choice. I just beg you not to let him get away with it. Write in Hillary.
"if I choose to write in Senator Clinton or "None of the Above" I will sleep the comfortable sleep of one with a very clear conscience."
"I'm unsalvagable. I've writing in Hillary and I'm absolutely LUSTING for an Obama defeat in the general election".
"I live in Ohio too. I will not feel guilty at all when I don't vote for him".
"Yes, I am selfish. I care about my wife and my mother more than anything else (well, i love our kids just as much). So, when I vote, the very first thing I think about, before Iraq, Afghanistan, or anything else, is this: "what will this vote do for my wife and my mom? Voting for Obama would betray my wife and mom. By calling that reporter lady "sweetie", he called my wife "sweetie", he called my mom "sweetie." Fuck all the rest of the world. You just don't do that do my wife or mom. The rest of the world can simply go to hell before I vote for a man who disrespects two of the most important people in my life".
"denying our votes and other support to Obama is our best tool to show the fauxgressives that misogyny will be punished".
"Because of this incident, voting for Obama is an absolute impossibility for me. I will fight until the very end to ensure that Obama goes down in flames in November."
"It's your vote. It's your choice. I just beg you not to let him get away with it. Write in Hillary.
"if I choose to write in Senator Clinton or "None of the Above" I will sleep the comfortable sleep of one with a very clear conscience."
"I'm unsalvagable. I've writing in Hillary and I'm absolutely LUSTING for an Obama defeat in the general election".
Hmmm. Now I don’t want to downplay the issue of sexism. Yes, that was a major fuck up on the part of Obama. But he realised his mistake and he apologised almost immediately. Why continue to hold it against him? Are there really that many Clinton supporters who will rather stay home in November than see Obama elected to office? Is this what happens when a nomination campaign goes on for far too long? What concerns me is that when the Democrat nominee is finally announced, those who supported the unsuccessful candidate are going to consider the election lost and just give up on the fight for the White House. I'm seeing this on both sides. Obviously I wouldn't ask anyone to forgo fighting for the rights of women, but there is a difference between holding Obama to account and just saying, "well fuck him, I'm just not going to vote for anyone'. Same goes for Obama supporters re Clinton.
I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again: sometimes I just get the impression that the Democrats want to lose this election.
Ruby
References and links:
NY Times Raspberry for Barry
Shakesville: Tell Me He Did Not Really Say This
WXYZ Detroit: Obama Apologises to WXYZ Reporter
Image: original source unknown
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
haha
i actually think obama seems less sneaky than most politicians, he usually answers questions in a fairly straight-forward manner (ie not the annoying trend of just repeating the question)
i hope they both end up on the same ballot, i think combined they would be a dream team
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions
Combine Obama's obvious misogyny with his oh-so-apparent blackness, and it's clear that we can't possibly elect this monster. But we'd better starting preparing just in case, so that we can hide our white women!!
.................
OK, took a couple deep breaths, better now. I just have to keep telling myself, it's a minority of people who are this dumb, just a minority, just a minority.......
Comment by Jeff Musall
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Hi Winston, I'm sure the cases such as above are in the minority. My fear is that America has already experienced first hand how close an election can be and how important it is for people to vote. What really makes me angry is that its people on the left that often accuse the right of "single-issue" voting. The prime example being the Religious Right who vote Republican simply for their stand on so-called moral values.
But refusing to vote for Obama because he is black and/or sexist? Don't they see how ridiculous their own behaviour is? Those quotes above, saying the rest of the world can go to hell make my blood run cold. No one candidate can be everything to everyone. But surely its about choosing the best overall?
Hi Jeff. I love your passionate responses! I'm with you on this one, four more years of Republican values? I don't want to think about it and I live on the other side of the world. I can imagine how much your head wants to explode when you read some of the above. It's one thing if the Republicans turn out in droves to defeat Obama. It's quite another if the Democrats simply pull the rug out from under their own nominee.
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Still, 1 in 5 WV-ans admitting that race is an issue is troubling. How about all the people who are PC-conscious and aren't willing to reveal this information about themselves?
I agree with Morgan, Obama is unusually direct for a politician. I think he would make a fine President, 'sweetie' comment and attention to gay rights aside. Let's just hope people give him a chance.
I've been getting my news on the race for the Presidential nominee from a site called Viggo-Works (I know, how weird, but it's been quite effective, I assure you) which had a thread dedicated to news items and discussion of this topic, and one of the member's daughters who campaigned for Obama in Pennsylvania said that she heard a lot of misconceptions about Obama, like that he has Muslim affiliations, and other forms of thinly disguised racism.
I wish I could vote in this election, I really do...
I can't believe that T-shirt even exists... do you know where this photo was taken?
Comment by Jeff Musall
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
PoMo, these t-shirts were been sold at a bar in Marietta Georgia. You'd think that people in the South would have a little more shame and awareness considering their track record...
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Would it be bad of me to wish for their bankrupcy?
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
In all fairness it probably won't be able to keep being an empire so maybe just a christo-facist state?
As for the obama thing, amen.
Would be cool, just to tell the conservatives to stfu, 'we're voting for a black man with a funny sounding name cos we want to!'
Comment by Joseph R. Terrazzino
In depth. Interesting.
I never knew about the misogyny charge! I figured race would play into it all soon. I vacation in a Southern state and I've seen prejudiced T-shirts for sale. Kind of shocking that they are acceptable, hung on stands outside storefronts, in storefront windows, etc.
One T-shirt showed Martin Luther King in a sniper's sight and read "We have a dream too."
I am curious to see if there are enough open-minded Americans to vote Barack into office.
Black or not, he strikes me as just another spinster, charmer, vapid liar. The USA has no real choice in this election. It's same old, same old.
Pray for us lousy Americans. We need someone like . . . King Conan or King Aragorn or even Bilbo Baggins.
We already have Sauron and Gollum (Cheney and Bush).
Buh-bye!
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Yeah, Viggo for president! Nah, just joking... I don't remember what exactly turned me off his politics, but some of them (not most, mind you) were along conservative lines. Probably to do with the economy. Still, he might be better than Obama...
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
I know he is another flawed politician but I also think he is the better option.
"we have a dream too". i feel sick...
Comment by Anonymous
WHAT
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Terms like "sweetie" are viewed as offensive by many women who feel they are patronising and sexist.
Sure it's not even in the same league of fuckupedness but it still wasn't a good move, though I'm sure it came out without him really thinking about it.