# "African-American man urges McCain to 'take it to' Obama." **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332 "2008-10-10T15:45:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/21 "2008-10-11T00:35:06Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > And yet somehow merely describing someone as “African American” is WORSE than invoking The N Word and “darkies”? Oh, for fuck’s sake. It’s called “context.” Look it up. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/22 "2008-10-11T00:37:47Z")
Next week on Fox: “African-American man enjoys healthy, low-cholesterol meal!” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/23 "2008-10-11T00:41:29Z")
Don’t forget when Bill O’Reilly reported that they eat with forks in restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/24 "2008-10-11T00:49:54Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Don’t forget when Bill O’Reilly reported that they eat with forks in restaurants. Yes, and without screaming ‘motherfucker’ every other word! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/25 "2008-10-11T01:03:09Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Yes, and without screaming ‘motherfucker’ every other word! Well, they weren’t masturbating at the time… ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/26 "2008-10-11T01:06:36Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Well, they weren’t masturbating at the time… That’s because they knew they were going to stiff the waitress. ---
**Author:** ![Influential\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Influential\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Influential_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/27 "2008-10-11T01:29:33Z")
New Fox special: **Obama: Shuckin’ and Jivin’ Into the Oval Office** ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/28 "2008-10-11T01:40:10Z")
> [@Influential\_Panda](#): > > New Fox special: > > **Obama: Shuckin’ and Jivin’ Into the Oval Office** No, no–It’ll be Obama: Mr StepandFetchIt for the nation! (maybe he’ll have to change his name to George). ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/29 "2008-10-11T01:41:09Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s not just Fox that does this. The New York Times ran a similar story yesterday and I think I saw CNN do it too. It’s one of the most annoying parts of this year’s election coverage for me. The news seems to really struggle with the idea that people don’t act as monolithic blocs - people have their own opinions even if they happen to be minorities with the same skin color as one of the candidates. I’m not sure if it’s more insulting to the minorities in question, because it REEKS of tokenism, or to the viewer/reader. :rolleyes: CBS did the same thing. They had a panel of ten undecided voters from across the country after the debate, but the very first question was regarding the “That one” remark and the anchor directed the question to the black man in the group by name. You could see him process exactly why he was being called on, then force it to the back of his throat and answer the question civilly. Good for him, but hard to watch. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/30 "2008-10-11T01:47:40Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Anyway, my reason for starting the thread is to marvel at and mock the fact that Fox somehow feels it’s relevant to point out that the guy is black. Why on earth do they feel that is significant? Oh, come on. It is a pretty clear case of a “man bites dog” story. If “only” 99% of the black citizenry plans to vote for Obama, then any member of the 1% is news. (And you can change the numbers to 90/10 and the impetus for the story would remain the same.) If the black vote was split 60/40 or 50/50, pointing out the idiot’s race would be inappropriate, but in the current situation it fits nicely into the general habit of the news media highlighting the odd or unexpected. As **Marley23** pointed out (while posting closer to your opinion than to mine), even the _NYT_ and _CNN_ have reported that or similar stories. I would certainly agree that I see no reason for every person who is interviewed about the election to be identified by perceived race, but in the case of a loudmouth who is actually badgering McCain to get dirtier than he already has, it is news. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/31 "2008-10-11T02:32:25Z")
Hey, they found McCain’s black supporter. I was wondering who it was. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/32 "2008-10-11T02:40:27Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Hey, they found McCain’s black supporter. I was wondering who it was. It’s the one black guy in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/33 "2008-10-11T02:47:09Z")
Tonight on Fox: “African-American man lives in Wisconsin!” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/34 "2008-10-11T02:58:52Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Look, I understand that over 90% of eligible blacks in America favour Obama. On its own, this is quite understandable. On the otherhand I can’t recall of any political free election where a candidate has such a high percentage of the vote generally or from a significant segment of the population. Obama’s support among black voters is only a bit stronger than the support Gore and Kerry got from the same group: Kerry got 88 percent of the black vote, and Gore did almost as well if I recall. Obama may get a stronger turnout as well, but it’s not something that’s way out of the norm for recent history. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/35 "2008-10-11T03:18:50Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Tonight on Fox: “African-American man lives in Wisconsin!” You may remember that [UW Madison was caught](http://www2.jsonline.com/news/metro/sep00/uw20091900a.asp) a few years back digitally inserting a black guy into a crowd pic at a football game. They wanted to use the pic in a recruiting brochure and also wanted to recruit minority students. Very simple, really. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/36 "2008-10-11T16:57:38Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > chyron Thanks! A day without an obscure new word is like a day without sun. Might tax me a little to work it into the conversation, but I’ll be sure to apply myself. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/37 "2008-10-11T17:21:51Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Tonight on Fox: “African-American man lives in Wisconsin!” That made me laugh because I had a boss at Fort Campbell, a black Master Sergeant that was from Utah. When he told me where he was from I honestly thought he was lying. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/38 "2008-10-11T20:04:26Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Look, I understand that over 90% of eligible blacks in America favour Obama. On its own, this is quite understandable. On the otherhand I can’t recall of any political free election where a candidate has such a high percentage of the vote generally or from a significant segment of the population. Really? You can’t? Are you kidding me? How about 2000 [where 90% voted for Gore.](http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/results/index.epolls.html) Or, in 2004, where [88% voted for Kerry. Were they not political free elections or do you have an incredibly short memory or were African Americans less of a significant segment of the population 8 years ago? Admittedly, Clinton got 83% of the African American vote[url=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United\_States\_presidential\_election,\_1996”]1996](http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/US/P/00/epolls.0.html) and [1992](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1992). So maybe you don’t count 83 as a high percentage. Or Dukakis’s [87% in 1988](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEEDD173CF93AA35752C1A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all). ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332/39 "2008-10-12T07:14:30Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Hey, they found McCain’s black supporter. Whew. I was afraid he might have to wear the white one, and it would show through his dark-colored trousers. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/african-american-man-urges-mccain-to-take-it-to-obama/467332.md?page=1)