# Will there be riots if Obama loses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 22, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750 "2008-09-22T22:35:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/1 "2008-09-22T22:35:50Z")
I’m thinking along the lines of Rodney King only on a national level. Also are the big cities (LA, Detroit, NYC) preparing for such an outcome? I wasn’t sure if this belongs in GQ but the way the political threads go I figured it would end up here at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/2 "2008-09-22T22:41:06Z")
Can you expound on your OP a bit? Why would you think there would be rioting? Do you really think Democrats are that violent? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/3 "2008-09-22T22:49:40Z")
I’m pretty sure the OP means blacks. I realize democrats only whisper that word late at night, deep in their basements, behind locked doors with salt spread around doorways and windows. Blacks. Say it with me. Blacks. There, see? Nothing happened. You okay, **Amp**? Me? Nah, I don’t see it happening except in small, scattered areas and only if there is the perception of gross injustice or unfairness, like evidence of vote tampering or Obama only gets 5% of the vote or something. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/4 "2008-09-22T22:51:54Z")
> [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](#): > > I’m thinking along the lines of Rodney King only on a national level. > > Also are the big cities (LA, Detroit, NYC) preparing for such an outcome? > > I wasn’t sure if this belongs in GQ but the way the political threads go I figured it would end up here at some point. Actually, I think a lotta pink people will be mad as heck and might riot since they would make up the majority of Obama voters. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/5 "2008-09-22T22:55:59Z")
Will there be riots if Palin…I mean, McCain…loses? ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/6 "2008-09-22T22:58:38Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I’m pretty sure the OP means blacks. I realize democrats only whisper that word late at night, deep in their basements, behind locked doors with salt spread around doorways and windows. > > Blacks. Say it with me. Blacks. There, see? Nothing happened. You okay, **Amp**? > > Me? Nah, I don’t see it happening except in small, scattered areas and only if there is the perception of gross injustice or unfairness, like evidence of vote tampering or Obama only gets 5% of the vote or something. Yeah, you’re aiming that at the wrong guy here my friend. I knew what the OP was trying to get at, I’ve read about all the riots by the “brothers” or the “niggers” that are going to happen if Obama loses on other message boards. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/7 "2008-09-22T22:58:52Z")
Only if there is **blatant, overt, proven** theft of the election, would this maybe occur. Y’see, we’re conditioned to accept the results of legal elections around here - even if we don’t like them. Sure, there would be a ton of whining and bitching and proclamations of doom if Obama lost the election (fairly), but the level of rioting would be zero. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/8 "2008-09-22T22:59:47Z")
> [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](#): > > Will there be riots if Obama loses? Yeah, blood in the streets, **just like Denver**. [Dick Morris: “Blood in the streets” if Hillary wins](http://bearingdrift.com/2008/05/01/dick-morris-blood-in-the-streets-if-hillary-wins/) Fortunately, Nibiru will kill us all in 2012, so we only have to put up with riots for a few years. ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/9 "2008-09-22T23:03:17Z")
I wasn’t nessesarily thinking of black folks specifically. I was thinking more along the lines of mass protests/destruction. I live in the SF Bay Area and any time there is some sort of protest/semi-riots it is always, let us say, left-leaning, anarchy, fuck the government people. I don’t think I have ever seen any of the downtown business people knocking out windows, looting, and starting fires. The people I’m thinking of are generally younger politically active types. One of Obama’s constituencies. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/10 "2008-09-22T23:07:46Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Fortunately, Nibiru will kill us all in 2012, so we only have to put up with riots for a few years. Nibiru? Que? ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/11 "2008-09-22T23:12:09Z")
No. The internet bitching by whichever side loses is going to be deafening, but actual violence? No way. The anarchist fuck the gov’t people you mention are pissed no matter who wins because in their eyes both parties are the same (and they’re not far off). Nice try on equating people “looting and starting fires” with “One of Obama’s constituencies” though. ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/12 "2008-09-22T23:14:13Z")
Damn, here I try specifically to keep race out of this and within 2 replies there it is. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/13 "2008-09-22T23:16:15Z")
Oh, pardon me for misreading “along the lines of Rodney King.” ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/14 "2008-09-22T23:26:26Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Oh, pardon me for misreading “along the lines of Rodney King.” It was the most recent riot I could think of. ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/15 "2008-09-22T23:33:25Z")
I don’t know, but maybe we should all vote for Obama just to be safe from his potentially riotous supporters. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/16 "2008-09-22T23:36:55Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > Nibiru? > > Que? Planet X of [this current thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=484527) Pictures of Niburu destroying the Earth are [here.](http://www.illuminati-news.com/ufos-and-aliens/html/nibiru_and_the_anunnaki.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/17 "2008-09-22T23:55:33Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Oh, pardon me for misreading “along the lines of Rodney King.” > [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](#): > > It was the most recent riot I could think of. How about [this one](http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0121-01.htm) instead, then? No muss, no fuss, no unintentional reference to one of the most racially charged riots in modern history while trying to avoid talking about race. It’s even a fairly on-point comparison. ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/18 "2008-09-23T00:02:28Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > How about [this one](http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0121-01.htm) instead, then? > No muss, no fuss, no unintentional reference to one of the most racially charged riots in modern history while trying to avoid talking about race. It’s even a fairly on-point comparison. Even better. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/19 "2008-09-23T00:31:41Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Only if there is **blatant, overt, proven** theft of the election, would this maybe occur. Y’see, we’re conditioned to accept the results of legal elections around here - even if we don’t like them. Sure, there would be a ton of whining and bitching and proclamations of doom if Obama lost the election (fairly), but the level of rioting would be zero. Problem is lots of people have low standards of proof for propositions that support their prejudices (witness: lots of threads on this very message board). I’m mildly concerned about someone agitating for riots among blacks and the poor but I’m not planing on taking drastic measures against such an eventuality (just keeping the shotguns a little closer that night). ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750/20 "2008-09-23T00:39:51Z")
They are getting ready. the 3rd infantry division has been removed from Iraq and is assigned to domestic operations. They are being trained for crowd control and domestic violence.The use of non fatal weaponry is part of the training. not to worry,all is well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots-if-obama-loses/464750.md?page=2)