# Will there be riots? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 1, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652 "2008-11-01T23:55:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/41 "2008-11-02T10:06:08Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The Republicans actively rely on racism to get elected; they plan on it, rely on it. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/42 "2008-11-02T10:13:02Z")
I don’t think there’d be riots for anything short of something perceived as fraud. And I’m amazed that anyone could see any justification at all for riots in response to people exercising their right to vote for whomever they want, for whatever reason they want. Predicting riots? Maybe. Saying you can see the rioters’ point? Appalling. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/43 "2008-11-02T12:44:00Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Cite? ONE. MORE. TIME. That’s what the Southern strategy IS. The racists are the sort of people they try to appeal to. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/44 "2008-11-02T12:55:34Z")
I’m gonna predict that if Obama loses, there will not be widespread riots. I think that in most major U.S. cities, the police are quietly gearing up for potential trouble and will be ready to swoop in and contain any civil unrest. ---
**Author:** ![PerditaX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@PerditaX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PerditaX)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/45 "2008-11-02T13:41:28Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > ONE. MORE. TIME. That’s what the Southern strategy IS. The racists are the sort of people they try to appeal to. **ONE. MORE. TIME.** **CITE?** You act as though this were an obvious statement like “the sky is blue.” It isn’t. I live as far South as you can get and I have _never_ seen/heard Republicans “try to appeal to racists,” unless you consider that appealing to Republicans=appealing to racists, to which I _again_ respond: **CITE?!** ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/46 "2008-11-02T15:22:49Z")
I don’t want to say the Republicans have a history of racism, because frankly, the Democrats do as well. I don’t believe there’s a Republican in the race anyway. I feel a little sheepish about this, but I am somewhat concerned that a not-insignificant portion of the people who vote for McCain will react violently and explosively to Obama’s win. The rich suburban hockey moms won’t do anything, but I’m concerned about the more vocal and scary people who appear to actually believe the McCain campaign’s stupid shit. I don’t know how to characterize them. Are they idiots? Unemployed? Remnants of our industrial economy who got lost in the shuffle? What processes are going on in the heads of people earning $45K per year that they can be convinced that Obama’s not renewing tax cuts for rich people is an attempt to steal their money? If they can believe that, do they believe the other stuff? Do they think Obama’s well-known habit of fellating domestic terrorists means that he’ll be inviting bin Laden to the white house to knock back a few malt liquors? That his lack of interaction with blood relatives who didn’t have any meaningful existence in his life means that he’ll … what? Continue to not interact with them? Rape our daughters? Usher in the End Times? How do people decide to vote for people who demonize their opponents the way McCain and Palin have done? “I’m glad I’m talking to real Americans who don’t want to destroy our country.” Did Obama’s people say things like that? From my admittedly west coast perspective, I’ve only heard them rise to the level of, “McCain is out of touch with the middle class.” I really don’t want to say that anyone in the race is actually evil, but Palin’s statements are consistent with what I’d expect a truly evil person to say. I’m still trying to think that she’s just overwhelmed, out of her depth and panicking because she made a wrong decision and is just trying to hang on for dear life. The things she says appear to be priming people to become enraged at the thought of Obama’s presidency. If they are expressing their true beliefs, why wouldn’t they get violent? Someone on this board said in another thread, “the only thing I know about Obama is that he’s in favor of gun control, and that’s all I need to know to despise him.” Really? Despise? Don’t we have actual enemies to deal with, without inventing imaginary ones? (Please note: Just in case: the comment about bin Laden is a joke, and the malt liquor was my attempt to be ironic). ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/47 "2008-11-02T18:51:03Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Out of mild curiousity, does the phrase “lynch mob” ring any bells with you? There hasn’t been a genuine lynching in the United States since the 1960s (discounting scattered applications of anti-lynching laws in situations not traditionally similar to the old fashioned racist lynch mob.) Might as well bring up the Leveller Riots back in England if you want to be so semantic. Whereas there have been plenty of black riots in America since the 1980s up until the present. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/48 "2008-11-02T18:57:59Z")
Maybe not a lynching but I don’t think the distinction matter much to the family of [James Byrd.](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27365080) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/49 "2008-11-02T22:54:30Z")
> [@groo](#): > > (Please note: Just in case: the comment about bin Laden is a joke, and the malt liquor was my attempt to be ironic). What about, “I don’t believe there’s a Republican in the race anyway”? ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/50 "2008-11-02T23:34:46Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > There’s been so much emotion lately that I would say it’s risen higher than one sees during the World Series. > > Remember Boston 2004. A long awaited victory > > Its entirely possible that an Obama victory will result in celebrations in the street. > > Celebrations that could get out of control. I don’t know about Boston 2004, but I know about Philadelphia 2008. [http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20081031\_Police\_maintained\_calm\_during\_revelry.html](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20081031_Police_maintained_calm_during_revelry.html) Note that most of those arrested were college students (and from the video I’ve seen, nearly all of those tearing up bus shelters, flipping cars, lighting dumpster fires, etc. were white). College kids don’t live year round in the neighborhoods they trash, so they have less incentive to behave. And as those of us who live near campuses can attest, some few of them can “get out of control” on any random Friday (Saturday, Sunday, Thursday) night. College kids are also, next to blacks, probably Obama’s most passionate fan base. Not only would I not be surprised if party-hardy college kids celebrate an Obama victory too enthusiastically, I’d be more surprised if they didn’t. Certainly such a historic event would be worth at least the normal “party night” quotient of broken stuff, overturned stuff, set-on-fire stuff, and vomited stuff decorating the sidewalks. But if by “riot” you mean _angry_ disturbances, no, I’m not expecting any. I don’t expect Obama to lose. As for the Obama-haters, I don’t think they’re numerous, or bold, enough to generate big mobs (and anyplace there _are_ enough haters for a mob, there are probably no likely targets for their rage). Some of the wingier nuts will climb in a truck with a few buddies and look for someone, preferably dark, to beat up; but others will just barricade the doors and sit up all night with a shotgun, waiting for “them” to attack. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/51 "2008-11-02T23:36:26Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > There hasn’t been a genuine lynching in the United States since the 1960s (discounting scattered applications of anti-lynching laws in situations not traditionally similar to the old fashioned racist lynch mob.) Might as well bring up the Leveller Riots back in England if you want to be so se Actually, I suspect very few people who participated in or witnessed the Leveller Riots will be voting in this election. However, there are many people, not get senile, too! who actually remember the 1960’s (even the _ **1950’s!** _), who will be voting. There are many more to whom stories of fathers, uncles, and grandfathers being lynch is not distant history, possibly because there still exist pictures of people picnicking under the dead body. Our society did not spring into being less than 50 years ago, but over 400. If that is too long for you to reflect on, perhaps you could stretch back a hundred or so? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/52 "2008-11-03T00:01:19Z")
> [@groo](#): > > I really don’t want to say that anyone in the race is actually evil, but Palin’s statements are consistent with what I’d expect a truly evil person to say. Nah. [These](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=487681) are the things a truly evil person would say. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/53 "2008-11-03T00:09:03Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Cite? I have to agree with Der Trihs that asking for a cite in this case is either naivete or will obtuseness. Anyone who’s paid the least attention to the politics in this country for any significant time would see that racism is one of the Republican party’s strongest, if not most openly acknowledged, platform planks. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652/54 "2008-11-03T02:40:33Z")
> [@PerditaX](#): > > **ONE. MORE. TIME.** > **CITE?** > > You act as though this were an obvious statement like “the sky is blue.” It isn’t. I live as far South as you can get and I have _never_ seen/heard Republicans “try to appeal to racists,” unless you consider that appealing to Republicans=appealing to racists, to which I _again_ respond: **CITE?!** A quick google came up with [this wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy),[this article from the Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/13/AR2005071302342.html) and a bunch of other links. The Southern Strategy isn’t exactly new, or secret. > [@wikipedia](#): > > In American politics, the Southern strategy refers to a Republican method of carrying Southern states in the latter decades of the 20th century and first decade of the 21st century by exploiting racism among white voters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-riots/470652.md?page=2)