Down in the comments of a prior post, Commenter barnstorm expressed concern about the potential for racially motivated violence directed at Barack Obama. This was met with incredulity and rather accusatory admonishment. I confess I was rather surprised at the turn in the conversation. Not offended. I just didn’t see it coming.
I’d like to leaven the conversation a bit here and in the process open it up a bit. We probably ought to discuss this. I have heard the concern that barnstorm expressed from very early on in the primary phase and as recently as last week (sometimes expressed as a belief) by people of color I know pretty well that Obama would be assassinated if he got close to winning. These are not hysterics, this is a product of their experience and beliefs. These individuals expressed this with a matter-of-factness that I find a bit disconcerting.
In the last several days, the media has broadcast – not only instances of flagrant bigotry mentioned here on our blog from Palin’s rallies – but one egregious incident that made McCain himself raise his eyebrows and puff out his cheeks in a wince of surprise during one of his speeches, where some male shouted something out as clearly as you need to hear it. He appeared momentarily flabbergasted, and did nothing to address it. [Incidentally, I recall a comparable incident where a female supporter in a You Tube Moment asked McCain point blank (in reference to McCain friend Hillary Clinton) "how do we stop "The Bitch"?", back when Hillary was the front runner for the Democratic nomination.]
And, I’ve heard white males joke and state with a degree of seriousness in my presence that they believed that Obama would never make it to the White House, clearly stating he’ll be shot first. Let me be clear that I’ve never personally heard anything that I thought remotely resembled a real threat to Obama, so I don’t need to talk to the Secret Service. Speaking of whom, I firmly believe has too much pride and mastery of its mission to permit anything to happen to Obama or anybody else they’re charged with protecting.
These are things I have heard with my own ears, often enough that there is simply no denying it. Racism is alive and well in America, as is sexism, btw.
IMHO When Barack Obama is sworn into office, it will deal a fatal blow to the cause of bigotry, as JFK’s did for the Irish and Catholics.
This is a subject that is at a minimum fair game. Please discuss, responsibly.
This is a completely sad commentary on America. Some of us have not moved beyond what you look like to who you are.
I’m the type of person who meets people and often really can’t describe later what race they were (I’d be a terrible crime witness). But it is truly that unimportant to me so I have such a hard time seeing why the color of skin makes any difference. I focus more on eye color because that is what I look at when I talk to someone.
But I wish I had watched last night because I guess even McCain made a comment that showed his racist side against Obama when he called him “that one.” Not even good enough to be part of the human race with a him or a he. Sad.
It isn’t simply that he’s black that has me concerned, though if one listens to talk radio the cause of the current financial situation is the Community Reinvestment Act which was favorable to black people, but it’s the nature of the rants against Obama. The claims that he’s affiliated with terrorists, that he’s unAmerican, that he’s a communist. In many ways talk radio and Palin remind me of the radio announcer in Rwanda who incited 1000s of people to kill millions of people. The only difference is in America the announcers and politicians don’t use the word Kill. Go to a mainstream right wing media company (Washington Times, FoxNews) and read the comments. Skin color makes it easier, but Tim McVeigh, Eric Rudolf and a host of others weren’t trying to kill blacks, they were “protecting” america. I have little doubt that if the polls show Obama as the presumptive winner a week before the election a major attempt will be made to assassinate him, if its unsuccessful we may not know until after the election but there are too many zealots out there who see the election of Obama (and most Democrats) as the beginning of the end, the anti-Christ and the Manchurian candidate all wrapped as one.
Sarah Palin is a dangerous person who is using race baiting, done not so subtly, in an attempt to promote the McCain/Palin campaign. She appeals to Joe Six-Pack, the type of person she believes won’t think very critically, but who will instead blindly accept her ideas because she puts on the act of talking the way he talks. More to the point, Joe Six-Pack likes her because of her physical attractiveness. Her attractiveness ends at that though because she has some ugly approaches in this campaign.
We don’t need such a common person in a leadership position in D.C. or anywhere else. The times are so difficult and frightening that we ought to be seeking the best this country has to offer. Lest anyone say it, I do not believe that Obama/Biden are the best that the Democrats could have offered, but they are head and shoulders above McCain/Biden.
Personally, I’m voting against Obama’s white half.
Sarah Palin needs to take her racist self back to Alaska and hide out until h— freezes over. She is nothing but trouble. For a man who professes to love America, introducing her was the worst thing he could have done for the progress that has been made since MLK Jr. I trust nothing McCain or Palin has said since Palin came into the picture – and this from someone who was a McCain supporter prior to that.
#5: Ignorant remark. (Your remark doesn’t deserve any more than that.)
#5 is a prime example of the ignorance and bigotry that McCain is looking to exploit in his base. Disgusting.
I shall repost my comment from another thread because I think this is all disgusting in what is supposed to be a progressive country and we are still living in the dark ages!
I am a republican and I cannot even imagine anyone suggesting such a thing. While I do not agree with Obama on many levels I for one would hope that no one even thinks of something like that. The Only people that stupid and dispicable enough to do something like that are those who are complete racists and biggots. They have shown themselves before and have caused much harm to those who are not of supreme being. Of course I havnt met a supreme being in my lifetime so Im not quite sure what that might be. That is a horrible thought for anyone to even play with in their mind let alone speak or post it in public forums. The man is running for office because he can and because we live in America it gives him every right to do so. I dont know a single republican that would even wish such a thing on Mr. Obama .
this is really scary. I didn’t even go to this site but it came up through Google:
http://www.theassassinationofbarackobama.com/
I, too, am concerned and offended by the racism CMC points out, but I’m offended, too, that any, ANY criticism of Obama is seen as having an element of racism. Attack his economic policy? – racist because his policy is aimed at helping poor and minorities. Attack his foreign policy? – racist because he wants to talk to muslims. Attack his record? – racist because he was a community organizer in the black community. Attack his constitutional qualifications to run for President? – racist because we’re not examining NcCain’s in the same way. Even voting against Obama is considered racist. If criticizing Obama is not racist, then it’s considered an “assassination of his reputation”, as #10′s link suggests. (Read the press release for the art exhibit). So no matter what, disagreement with Obama is not only racist, it’s per se “assassination”.
The police already got one group, with weapons, outside the convention, who were clearly KKK and upset by an Obama candidacy. Comments at the time included some anonymous quotes from law enforcement that they were not smart enough to be much of a threat.
There are rational intelligent people who know that there is a danger for any candidate and it is probably greater for Obama. Some of these people work for the secret service and work very hard to make sure nothing happens. We can only hope that we have progressed far enough that there will not ever be a serious attempt to hurt any candidate, or elected official. Experience tells us there are people out there, for whatever twisted reason, are willing to try.
Is it just me, or has the McCain/Palin campain turned into the Nazi party. I wont say quite as direct as Hitler was. But yet appealing to all those proud white Americans, you know the KKK or the Arayan brotherhood.
Just like some angery Germans, all we need is the right amount of blame and a good push.
Racist Palin belongs back home with first dude and her shot gun—-we do not need this kind of person representing our country.
Obama is aq breath of fresh air—-we need someone interested in “regular people” not just the corporate big shots.
I was a McCain person before Palin–now I will cast my vote for Obama.
See Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post–NOTE SHE’S A CONSERVATIVE COLUMNISTS—As long as people like her speak up there’s some hope
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100702436.html?nav=hcmodule
Thanks, sono resident; I wouldn’t likely have seen that article had you not provided the link. It is a treacherous game that Sarah Palin has begun, and I hope it results in her loss of all credibility with mainstream America. However, I do believe that she is going to fortify the racial feelings of some of our people who are throwbacks to another era.
Sarah, is this what Jesus would do?
Sarah Palin is a bigot whose looks have more to do with where she is now than her intellect or even her hutzpah. She’s playing with fire with her words and innuendos, inciting division and hatred; she’s an arsonist and America needs more firemen/women. McCain I could have voted for; McCain/Palin, never.
So, no one here thinks that Obama is a racist, by virtue of his 20 year association with Jerry Wright?
#18-you certainly cannot say that here on this blog or anywhere else because we are led to believe that anything the republicans say is untrustworthy and we are scumbags but the dems are pure as the driven snow. Obama panders to those who otherwise would not get out to vote and it is quite evident by the findings at ACORN this morning. The Atty General of Navada who is a democrat was on tv this morning and said that voter fraud is rampant throughout the country and he for one will put an end to it in Nevada and hopefully others will follow. So many dead people so many votes…and inmates are being used to man voter registration banks. Boy now this is fair and balanced news!
Blah blah blah reverse discrimination blah blah blah liberal media blah blah blah voter fraud blah blah blah (fill in with another whiny Republican complaint here) blah blah blah
Now that the shoe is on the other foot it doesn’t feel so good, does it? Or is it the bootprints on your hiney from getting your asses kicked that hurts more?
My comment above was in no way racist. I don’t care if Obama is black, white, green, purple, rainbow or polka dotted, he is a Marxist. If you think things are bad today just wait until he taxes the snot out of everyone. Yes, he said he would tax only the wealthy…in a country where the business tax rate is 30 percent…who exactly will benefit from a higher business tax rate? Certainly not me as a business owner. I will consider moving operations to China, India or Dubai. The people I employ will be out of work. Who among you will see any benefit trickle down to you? I would venture to say none of you. He is tricking the masses. He’s going to help the common man yet his half brother sits in a hut in Kenya subsisting on $6.00 a month. I don’t believe it for a second.
A Marxist!?!?! ROFMAO! Are you living in the 19th century? Wake up and smell the cat food sweetie. You need to wash the taste of Republican koolaid out of your mouth with a hard dose of reality.
God, I laughed so hard milk came out my nose. Sheesh…
Oh, yeah. I guess a government buyout of mortgages is how the GOP used to describe a liberal (and Marxist, to boot) welfare society. Funny how the Right spin can make it sound all patrioticky and wholesome.
I don’t agree with the mortgage bailout either, or the continued war in Iraq or the financial bailout but I will not cast my vote for a Chicago politician who can’t even remember that he’s not a Muslim anymore.
Hope you can get that nose leakage fixed.
#18, I teach my children that in the eyes of the law, you are guilty by association so be careful who you hang out with but I have to admit that as friends and colleagues, I am much more lenient who I associate with. It doesn’t mean (and here with go again with another thread on here) I am friends with people, but I am friendly towards them. I am tolerant and respectful, even if they may not in some eyes deserve it. And the 20 year association with Jeremy Wright has been severed.
Crabby, your posting #5 is racist.
lots more like this if you google: Obama will stop at nothing to get votes even raiding homeless shelters and soup kitchens
http://www.healthiertalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=161242&sid=89dd7818669497a55e4e371e7a4378d3
I am heartened to know that even the homeless are allowed to vote in the good ol’ USA. Of course, the GOP would rather they not, since the underpriviledged classes usually vote Dem.
As far as taking advantage of the Ohio law that allows them to register and vote on the same day? What’s wrong with that? No laws broken, and they even gave them a ride to the polls. Sounds like democracy in action to me.
Uh, Obama went to a black seperatist church for 20 years- one that demands reparations. His right hand man Jeremiah Wright is in lock step with the preachings of Louis Farrakhan.
It isn’t that Obama is black, but because he is a black radical.
People do a lot of talking about who they’re going to vote for, but then they get into the voting booth and that’s when reality hits.
There’s a lot of people out there who might LIKE what they hear coming from Obama. But how many of these same people are ready to ACCEPT a black President? One that may indeed have a black Cabinet?
Sorry, folks. I’ve lived in this country all my life, through the Freedom Rides and the lynchings and the Civil Rights Act and the Affirmative Actions. I’ve seen it and I’ve heard it, from everyone – friends, relatives, coworkers, strangers in grocery store lines, my kids’ friends and their parents, the PTA and PTO and Band Parents and more.
And I can tell you right now, truthfully, there are a lot more people out there who “talk the talk” but I would bet my life on the fact that they will not be “walking the walk” come Election Day.
You don’t seriously believe that Barack Obama would have a Black cabinet. Would he have Black members of the cabinet? Possibly. White presidents have done it.
I will have no hesitation about voting for a Black president. Yes, I am White.
Lance is full of something unpleasant.
Why wouldn’t it be conceivable that a black President would want to have a black Cabinet? Would that be a reason not to vote for him if that’s what he was planning? Why would you vote for him if he was having a racially mixed cabinet, but not if he was having an all-black one?
What was McCain thinking Meg Whitman for the treasury? Yes she went to Ebay cause Hasbro was showing her the door,most of the work in RI went to China.
#32: There is absolutely no reason to think that a Black president would want to have a Black cabinet. Is it possible? Yes. Does any one of us have a reason to think it’s even remotely likely to happen? No. The better question is: Why would you think Senator Obama would want to do that?
By the way, the cabinet a president selects couldn’t affect my vote because he selects it after he has been elected.
You clearly don’t understand. Blacks want the best people just as Whites do, regardless of race. Senator Obama has worked with more Whites than he has Blacks during his lifetime, and since his mother and her family were/are all White, since he associated and collaborated with mostly White classmates in college and law school, as well as in the Illinois state legislature and in the Senate, it is safe to say that he is perfectly comfortable with Whites.
#33: At the debate, the candidates would have been far wiser to respond that identifying someone for Secretary of the Treasury is not something to do while in the heat of a debate. It requires very careful thinking and equally careful vetting. These quick answers usually lack quality.
#28 – Uh, McCain sat on the board of a group of anti-semitic right-wingers who privately funded death squads, while their own US government pursued an different foreign policy.
Palin’s husband was until recently a member of a secessionist party, and Palin herself gave a characteristically perky address to the same party’s convention last year.
Palin attends a church that *twice* hosted a speaker who believes Jews are killed in Jerusalem because they don’t believe in Jesus. Also, she thinks Earth may be only 6,000 years old.
So that means he is a Nazi, she wants to divide the union like Jefferson Davis, she thinks Jews are punished for not accepting Jesus, and she thinks the Fintstones is a documentary? Please…
No, it just means that both are much farther to the right than they would have the public believe through the spins and lies their campaign and supporters are promulgating.
Both are dangerously far outside the mainstream. We have seen the same thing happen with the Bush administration: during the campaign leading up to the 2000 election, Bush was “a uniter, not a divider,” and Dick Cheney came across as a warm and fuzzy grandfather type in the media.
Look what we got instead.
CEOs of major corporations are now black, brown, gay or female. I don’t see any of those folks stacking their boards or exectuve suites with people based on superficial characteristics of race or gender. I have no reason to believe that Obama will do any differently — especially since he can bridge both the black and white “culture” easily.
My hope in having a black-ish president is that it gives some pride to black kids growing up in America. SO far, the only role models they see are sports figures and entertainers — pretty flawed in some cases. How great for moms and dads to be able to point to someone who looks like them in the highest office of the land. I think it’s the boost that so many blacks need to keep plugging away at (what’s left of) the American dream. I’m white and I can’t think of a more positve outcome for America than to have a black president instead of another white guy in a suit(except maybe to have a woman — but that’s another story.)
I admit to disliking Michelle Obama when she made her speech about how it was the first time in her life that she was proud of her country. Maybe she didn’t mean to say it, but it caused quite a stir.
Last night, I saw her interview with Larry King, and she came across as a very classy person. Unlike Sarah Palin and Cindy (husband-stealer) McCain, Michelle Obama spoke as professionally and articulately as the best of our First Ladies. She expressed neither anger nor upset about the vicious political attacks; to the contrary, she said that she doesn’t take them personally. She did a great job and my opinion of her has changed.
To describe me you would probably say that I am:
1. Gay (you’d know only if I told you)
2. A minority
3. A professional
4. Educated and articulate
5. A caring human being
I hope that you would start with #5, but most people would start with the sexual orientation. It’s okay.
The point is that in my professional life, it would never occur to me to surround myself with gay or minority people; in fact, I would never even consider either to be a qualifier or a disqualifier, nor would I give any preference to either. I would look for caring, intelligence and professionalism.
Barack Obama, would no more likely choose a cabinet based on race than I would on race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
Unfortunately, we have heard others make remarks about Obama that border on reportable to the Sercret Service. It really makes you wonder why Republicans are so comfortable, that they can say these things, or that it is something we should take for granted. I recall a time when I was in the polls on election night in 1992 when it was apparent that Bill Clinton was winning. We were taking the numbers off the voting machines and a prominent Republican made a remark that Clinton would not outlive his first term. He said this to the Republican moderator and felt very comfortable saying it without any rebuke forthcoming.
I say these are signs of desperation.
Also, why are McCain and Palin so comfortable spouting incendiary lies about Obama when it insites the crowds to yell “Terrorist”. They know what they are doing. Creating fear. Is this what a leader does? Are these the people we want leading our country? I don’t think so.
Norwalk Voter:
What is ironic is that Sarah Palin so openly professes to be a born-again Christian. Born-again Christians aren’t supposed to slander. And it is slander to exaggerate the relationship of Obama to Ayers because it damages Obama’s reputation.
So add “hypocrite” to her resume.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/08/david-brooks-sarah-palin_n_133001.html
Hypocrisy is probably the biggest hallmark of the McNasty/Six-Pack campaign. They seem to behave as alcoholics are reputed to: “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Of course, coming on the heels of a dry drunk’s administration – one that excelled in character assassination and dirty tricks, despite prolific Bible beating and flag waving – what else should we expect?
Hopefully none of you believe that all democrats are preparing to vote straightline democratic or that all Republicans are going to vote straight line republican because if you do, you are sadly mistaken. The American people are not that stupid. I know many repubs that are voting for Obama because they are disappointed in their nominee and GWB, I also know many dems who will vote for McCain for reasons like he is more experienced, they don’t buy into the Palin lipschtick and because they are disgusted that Hillary has been left out to dry.
#44: Anyone who votes for the Republican ticket because Hillary didn’t get the Democratic nomination makes no sense to me. If the McCain/Palin ticket represented anything similar to Hillary’s platform, it would make sense, but there is no similarity at all. For starters, consider their views on:
1. abortion
2. the economy (although McCain is all over the place on this these days)
3. Iraq
4. the role of religion in government
Anyone who votes the democratic ticket just because Obama is on it and they just want to elect the first black/bi-racial president makes no sense to me. Do we want to make history or do we want to elect a president who has the experience and know-how to put this country in the right direction. If you think that Obama will do this…I beg to differ. Obama is not running against Palin here folks…he’s running against a man who has more experience than Obama and palin put together.
I read this blog regularly, and I have never seen any postings that even suggest that anyone is voting for Obama because of his race. John McCain may well have been around a long time, but he is erratic and temperamental; these are dangerous qualities in someone who is going to lead our country. Experience alone isn’t enough. I have a lot of experience singing, but I don’t do it very well, and so I chose a different line of work for my paying job. John McCain has done some crazy things during his Senate career.
By the way, it isn’t that Palin ought not to be a consideration because she could very well become our president. McCain chose her because the right wing of the party wouldn’t allow him to have Joe Lieberman, a liberal.
“it isnt that Palin ought not to be a consideration because she could very well become our president.”
Are you serious? What other reason is there that she shouldn’t be a consideration besides the fact that she is a) subscribes to evangelist extremist religious tenets; b) is undergoing an investigation in her home state for possible ethics violations; c) she panders to and foments racist and homophobic extremist tendencies in the far right-wing base; d) she is completely unqualified from a policy perspective, both domestic and foreign.
I am sure I could go on but the day only has so many hours.
#48: You misunderstood my posting, probably because of its double negative. I said that it ISN’T that she ought NOT to be a consideration; in other words, she OUGHT to be a consideration. I should have avoided the awkward construction.
You and I are in agreement on the issue of Sarah Palin.
that democrats have all the answers..I think I’ll run right down and change my affiliation!
Yeah Right! We better send all the republicans to school so they can be as edjicated as the dems.
I like being independant/unafiliated so I don’t fall in these categories.