How much will racism hurt Obama if he's the Dem. nominee? (and a WV hijack)

There have been GD threads on his electability (example) and Pit threads on racism and his campaign (example), but if there’s one strictly about how his being biracial will affect his electability I can’t find it.

I’m not going for White Liberal Guilt look-at-me points (because I really don’t have much if any White Liberal Guilt) when I say that Obama’s racial heritage is neither a positive nor a negative to me, at least not in general. A part of me admits that it’s another point in his favor because biracial from a working class background is as far aways as you can get from Bush without throwing in female and single-mother, and another part of me says “About damned time” to the notions of a viable non-white presidential contender, but generally speaking if he were whiter than Barry Manilow and Julie Andrews’ lovechild or if he was the half brother of both Flavor Flav and Maya Angelou he’d still be my favorite candidate.

I like Obama because I think he’s an extremely intelligent critical thinker capable of having lofty ideals but also capable totally pragmatic on the ground action, because I think he’s by far the most likely candidate to get Dems and Reps to work together rather than completely predictable Dem%/Rep% votes on major issues, because he knows what Sunnis and Shi’ites are, because I think that in a 24/7 media age great oratorical ability and charisma are WAAAAAY more than just gravy (as we’ve been reminded for the past 8 years), because he has the energy of youth to help put out the fires that have started under the Dubya regime (I will admit that while it’s not enough to stop me from voting for him, McCain’s age does weigh heavy against him to me- the next president has got a job ahead of him/her that “no merciful God would allow”), because I think he’s the least likely to use cabinet positions as rewards for his business buddies, because I think he’s close enough in time to when he had to clip coupons and count pennies to remember the feeling yet at the same time a graduate of an Ivy League school that was not a legacy admission, because I think…

Well, I could go on and on and on, but the point is I like Obama because I like Obama. I actively like him as much as I actively dislike Hillary and McCain (nothing personal against them, wouldn’t surprise me to know that they’re both great neighbors and wonderful parents and the like, but I’m not electing a neighbor or parent).

The fact that he’s half African (o.t., but I get irritated by the number of “half African-American” comments- he’s 100% American but his father was African) is a major plus in at least one way: it galvanizes the black vote more than any candidate in many years if ever, and they are historically the most likely to sit out elections and they are also most heavily concentrated in historically red states which means that combined with the white Democratic vote there’s a chance that some Deep South states might go blue for a change. However, as his debacle in West Virginia and expected big loss in Kentucky (though that’s not yet come to pass) demonstrate, there are people who are not going to vote for a black man. Period. Doesn’t matter who he’s matched against. (I don’t dispute for a second that there are legitimate reasons to favor Clinton over Obama for the Dem nomination and that to do so or to favor McCain over either does not make one intellectually inferior, but the Clinton landslide in a state with one of the lowest non-white percentages (5.4% WV v. 24% national), the nation’s lowest college graduate percentage (16.9%) and one of the lowest incomes ($35,800, number 42/51), it’s no more coincidence they voted for the white candidate than is the fact most black voters vote for Obama.

So, back to the OP, how much will the “racist” vote hurt Obama if he’s the Dem. nominee? (By “racist vote” I’m not talking about people who vote for McCain or independent candidates for ideological or political or economic reasons but those of any demographic who will not vote for a candidate who’s not 100% white [and I’ve no doubt there are many Democrats and “liberals” who fall into this category])? Short question, do you think that there are enough racist voters to swing the election to McCain?


And now for something completely different- a hijacking [though semi-relevant] of my own O.P. as an aside to those who live or have lived in West Virginia:

On the news (and on the Daily Show) last week they showed several clips of West Virginians who openly admitted they weren’t voting for Obama because he’s black, “because he’s a Muslim”, “because he’s a Hussein”, etc… Okay, being from Alabama I’m very much aware that people who’ve never lived here woudl think we’re all toothless Bible “tornado bait trailer trash”* Bible thumpers if you knew us only from TV. Is this the case in W.V., or are there really a disproportionate number of ignorant rednecks {two terms that are not redundant} there?

*To forestall any “trailer trash is elitist and that sounds like white trash and that stands for above-the-ground pool” recreational outrage comments,[that’s a movie quote] for those who aren’t familiar.

In America, he’s *not * “half-white” or “mixed” or “African”. He’s black.

Not by a long shot. More people are coming out in droves to vote democratic this year. I think his chances are very, very good in the fall. Especially after he settles in as the nominee. I venture to say quite a few people will vote for him, enough to elect the man.

Finally! I never thought I’d see the day when I am in total agreement with something ElvisL1ves says, but there it is.

Hmm…no flying monkeys or anything.

I don’t think it will be ‘racism’ exactly, but a less-defined nervousness about him being different than the traditional image of a President. It will be very powerful, and probably decisive, unfortunately, in my opinion. In the wake of comprehensive bureaucratic incompetence, people will ultimately prefer (the image of) a “safe” choice.

It’ll give him an excuse if he loses, and no doubt his surrogates will be delighted to accuse those who don’t vote for him of racism.

And the MSM can go out and try to find someone who won’t vote for Obama who is willing to say 'nigger" on camera. Then they can shake their head sadly if he is behind in that state.

Regards,
Shodan

It will have an effect in a few Southern and Appalachian areas but not across wide swaths of the rest of America. In some areas it will hurt him but those places were unlikely to go for any Northern state politician with a liberal bent anyway. In others the racially inspired votes may offset each other.

He has, for most of us, succeeded in being an American who happens to be Black, rather than the Black-American. His identity may include “Black” but that is not what defines him.

Of all the peopel I work with there are a few who would not vote for him because he is black. But I think they are all in the camp of not voting for him because he is a democrat. So he isn’t really going to lose any of their votes; he never had them.

Personally for me it is “anyone but a republican”. My office runs 95-98% republican.

I hope there are enough open minded people to elect him. Despite the racial issue which is not inconsiderable, I think he’s the best choice we have. I do not think HRC is electable.

I worry a little bit about McCain’s own generation, I expect most white Americans over 65 will vote for him. I figure there are about 31 million.

I think his race will have an impact in Appalachia. In states like Mississippi and South Carolina, though, I think the votes of white racists who would never vote for a black guy will be far outweighed by a massive increase in African American turnout. I suspect you’ll see a lot of first-time black voters in this election.

Nowadays, most – not nearly all, but most – white Americans who would never vote for a black for POTUS would likewise never vote for a Dem for POTUS. It was not always so, but after Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act in 1965 (declaring at the time, "We [the Democrats] have just lost the South for a generation), and Nixon employed his “Southern Strategy,” most of the hardcore racists of the “Solid South” migrated over to the Pubs – in some cases, by way of Wallace’s American Independent Party. (Nixon’s vote share in 1972 was approximately equal to his plus Wallace’s in '68; he picked up the Wallace vote.)

Obviously the white racist vote won’t go to Obama, but as just stated above how many of those people were going to vote for any Democrat anyway? There will also be black racists who have never voted in their lives who will show up this time only because a black man is on the ticket. Does anyone doubt Obama will take 95% of the black vote? Does anyone doubt the black vote will be the largest ever cast by far?

Some people in other threads have argued the polls are skewed in favor of Obama because people are saying they will vote for him in order not to look racist. I doubt this. I think those people will just say they are voting for the opponent. Look at WV where race was thought to play a bigger role than normal. The results of the primary were right on with what the polls showed. There was no group of people claiming to support Obama, but voting for Clinton. The polls currently show a close race between Obama and McCain. It’s very early and a lot can change between now and November, but one thing that won’t change is that Obama isn’t going to get any blacker. The racist vote is already decided.

What remains to be seen is if latinos will be willing to vote for Obama.

I’m the first one to say the race problem he’ll have isn’t with whites. Most of those voters are Republican.

He does have a problem with Hispanics and Asians.

I’ve heard language from Hispanics describing Obama that would shock the Grand Wizard of the KKK.

Mostly the vote between Hillary and Barack has been close. When you get to the West Virginia vote it was 2/3 Hillary. Race was surely the reason. This was not repubs against a dem. It was dem against dem in what is a fairly close election. I do not know to what degree bigotry will factor in the election but I know it will. We are still a racist country. If Obama got in and did a good job it would go a long way to easing racial problems in America. I hope it happens.

This 'toon nails it!

and

I respectfully assert that you both are a bit off the mark. As I’ve mentioned in other threads during these interminable primaries, there are many white democrats who won’t vote for Obama and are very vocal that his being black is the primary reason. Although admittedly anecdotal, in this post in the handicapping PA primary thread I advised my opinion, based on first-hand interaction, to support my thesis. I’m not talking about Republicans here. And yes, I believe it will be a problem for Obama. Insurmountable? I don’t think so, but very real.

Uh-huh. Well, I see it a little differently. If Obama gets in, no matter how successful he is with his agenda, there will be not an insignificant number of whites who will look at this as something else the blacks have taken from them.

I hope the “significant” number of whites who think this way is small. In my Dem Split thread I eluded to this, and it pains me to even think about it, no matter how much truth there is in it. Just a jog into the blogosphere is enough to see racism rear it’s ugly head.
But “blacks taking another thing away from whites”? That sounds a bit crude for those who believe the words, no?

I’m not saying you are crude, quite the contrary :D. But people who think blacks will be taking something away from whites if Obama gets in is scary.

Jesus…when did we lose our spine to stand up for what’s right instead of what’s convenient? Why are we leaping around clutching our pearls screaming “The racists are coming! The racists are coming!”? If there is a significant enough number of citizens of this country that won’t vote for a black man because he’s black and “that’s another thing the blacks have taken from us” then we deserve exactly what we’ll get: another Republican who will extend the disastrous policies of George W. Bush. At that point, I’d have to seriously consider whether I want to continue to be a citizen of the US, not because McCain will be president, but because my fellow citizens are ignorant idiots who don’t know their own best interests from their asses.

Edit: Onomatapoeia, that’s not really directed at you, so much as the whole mindset of the people who are touting the “He can’t win! He’s BLACK!” meme. Also known as the “don’t you people realize the sheriff is a n*****r?!” meme (from Blazing Saddles).

That’s okay, sometimes I am crude :slight_smile: …but then I feel sad :frowning:

This reminds me of when Tiger Woods blasted onto the scene and there were peals of “Now they want to take golf too?”