Democrat Party Now Defined By Racism And Sexism
“It’s Alive!” - Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
WASHINGTON (AP) - Something happened to the feel-good, way-cool Democratic presidential contest in the months since a woman and a black man began their path- breaking race for the White House.
By the millions, black voters voted for the black candidate and women voted for the woman. White men seemed torn, by the millions.
Sen. Barack Obama has broken historic barriers, especially among the young, as the first black candidate with a serious chance at the presidency. Voters who might ordinarily balk at a female president have backed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in her pioneering effort.
Those gains have not been enough to erase divisions by race, a task perhaps beyond any mortal and any one election, nor lesser ones between the sexes.
And when the campaign moves beyond Democrats, the party of diversity, and into the general election, it’s questionable how much room is left for such progress.
A significantly increasing number of voters in Democratic contests have considered the race or sex of the candidates important— at least one in five in each case. That’s according to surveys of voters in about two dozen states across the country on and since Super Tuesday.
Whether clumsy, coarse or calculating, remarks by party stalwarts or hangers-on have brought race repeatedly into the discomfort zone, which is easy to do, suggesting a post-racial political consciousness is for a more distant future.
Weeks before Geraldine Ferraro argued that the color of Obama’s skin gave him an edge, fellow Clinton supporter Ed Rendell appeared to argue the opposite. The Pennsylvania governor, an important figure in the big April 22 primary, said “there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American.”
On the defensive about that, he added Clinton “has the same handicap” because some voters won’t vote for a woman.
By that accounting, backed by evidence in exit polls, polarized politics is still ingrained, taking bites out of “Yes we can” unity.
Clinton was an early crossover figure in one sense—blacks preferred her over Obama last year, while Obama was the pick of upper income whites.
But that changed after the Illinois senator scored a big win in mostly-white Iowa, and his movement was born.
In the South Carolina primary and beyond, blacks have powered his victories in states where they live in large numbers, joined by the young of any race—and by white men in varying degrees.
Women are credited with reviving Clinton’s campaign in New Hampshire and helping to drive her wins in Texas and Ohio.
David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a black think tank, says Clinton probably lost more black support than she gained among whites when supporters such as her husband began dropping subtle race cards into the debate.
“It has shifted the black vote entirely into Obama’s camp,” he said, and so far without costing him equivalent white support. He estimated Clinton could have held on to a third of black votes absent tactics that he said drove them away. As it is, he’s beaten her 83-15 percent among black voters, according to exit polls for The Associated Press.
That’s not to say most of her supporters necessarily have a problem with a black candidate, he said.
“White women are supporting Hillary because she’s a woman,” he said. “It’s not because Obama is black.” She’s held a 59-36 percent advantage among white women.
Racial divisions have been most evident in the South, although not exclusive to it.
A quarter of white voters in Mississippi’s Democratic primary said race was important in their choices Tuesday, and they voted heavily for Clinton. Thirty-seven percent of blacks said race was important, and nearly all voted for Obama.
In Ohio, 18 percent of white voters said race was important to their vote. Among them, 76 percent backed Clinton. She won by 16 points among women in Ohio and 29 points among whites.
In all, Clinton is winning the majority of white votes in Democratic primaries in which both candidates competed.
Obama has performed best among whites in liberal Vermont and his home state of Illinois, although he has also edged Clinton in the white vote in Wisconsin, Virginia, Utah and New Mexico.
All told, voter surveys suggest that Clinton ends up with more votes because she’s a woman than Obama nets because he’s black.
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And coming from the side who would have you believe they are against both, racism and sexism.
I cant stand either one of them, equally. And its about other things than the 2 mentioned above.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:35 amI have never bought into the speculation that the great majority of blacks were in anybody’s camp but Obama. If you’re a lib and you’re black, you get 85-90% of the black vote. Period. Guaranteed Hillary Clinton wouldn’t get 15% of the black vote if this were for the Presidency and the race only between Hillary and Obama. With the great majority of blacks, race trumps gender anytime, all other things being equal.
And Rev. Wright? America Wake the f… up. The vile heretic is representative of about 75% of the blacks in America. They are not interested in integrating and never have been. I’ve been saying that for years, mostly on deaf ears. Finally, some are starting to see the light.
I have a few black associates and they’re as ordinary as your typical white coworker. But are also professional, courteous, not hung up on the color of your skin, and definitely more conservative in nature. They actually love America. In fact, my black neighbors disdain most of black America and have told me as much. I guess that makes them an Uncle Tom couple (not in my eyes; it makes them intelligent).
If stating the obvious truth makes me a bigot in the face of our politically correct country, so be it.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:39 am“Snake Oil” shown for its true ingredients …
Question IS, how many [thinking] democrat voters (such as my Father) will walk away from the decades of hyped-phoney sales pitches?
You have a better success rate of “converting” when it is one-at-a-time.
I, for the last year or so, have been pointing out to Dad the doctrine and ideology the democrat party is “selling” is nothing more than socialism/communism … things he disdainfully disagrees with, especially if it subjects HIS retirement check to more government bites. And he hates government hand-outs and programs, affirmative action, and racial excuses and pandering. He IS so anti-democrat but he just can’t seem to see it. I think/believe MOST “union” people are too … They just can’t seem to break free of the socialist-democrat pimps that are the unions and have them junkie-hooked on the “for the working man” drug they sell.
It’s just real hard de-programing this lifelong “union man”/democrat from the democrat mantra that THEY are “for the working man, and the republicans are for the rich and big business” …
Dad, how can you NOT be for big business? Without it there would be NO working man …
Dad, how many paychecks in your lifetime has a poor man signed and handed you?
I tell him, “Dad, you’re basically a [JFK] democrat … Chances are, the way JFK thought and did things he would be a republican if he was around, like that, today … Might be a ‘moderate’, but a republican, nonetheless.”
March 15th, 2008 at 8:18 amThe wrong-reverend Wright controversy is very eye-opening. And not only for the obvious reasons.
I picked up on this yesterday when posting on another blog that is well-referenced here. An obvious lib dem commenter suggested I “move on” claiming her desire to focus on the “issues.” Ah, at long last a dem wants to focus on the issues instead of platitudes. Wonder why?
Then I read articles like the above one and it seems the dems are still infatuated with race and sex.
So which is it dems? Do we focus on race and gender or issues? Or is it more of the same lib hypocrosy — only turn the focus to the issues when race and/or gender has put your candidates in an uncomfortable position.
Give it up. To any American with the least bit of common sense, discussing the issues is not going to help your anti-American positions any better than the wrong-reverend Wright discussing his hatred of the white race and his hatred of the eeeevil joooos. The only issue dems care about is their Party mantra as highlighted in the above article; “Democrats, the party of diversity.” Er, unless you are white, patriot, Christian, conservative, Jewish, Republican, Military, Constitutional constructionist, etc, etc
March 15th, 2008 at 8:26 amYep … The lib/dems’ “issues” ARE based in their “gender/race platitudes” … And from those they construct the socialist mind-set acceptance for society.
Control, divide and conquer … and then blame the opposition.
March 15th, 2008 at 9:05 amdrllanwr, you know Bush caused this!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:14 amI don’t have a problem with someone because of their race or gender.
But I sure have a problem with someone who has a predjudice against *me* because I’m white and a man.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:16 amAs per usual, Charlie brings down the “Krauthammer” on these political bozos:
“Adventures In Identity Politics”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303168.html
March 15th, 2008 at 10:34 amIsn’t it interesting that the party that screams racism and sexism more than anybody else, is the party that practices racism and sexism more than anybody else?!!!!!!
It was an enlightning moment.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:53 amAs for older folks are concerned and many democrats that do not put much thought into their political reasoning, they do not even know why they are democrats. Just brainwashed I suppose. Been voting like that for years. Why change now?
It is like the people of Massachusetts, why do they continue to vote for that bum Kennedy? They don’t know. The Big Dig, ya, my uncle works on it might be a standard type answer. And he helped bring it to the state. Ya he helped fleece the rest of the nation.
I recently asked one of my New England young-lady relatives why she votes democratic; standard answer, “Well that is how I was brought up.” So I asked her a series of questions a low and behold to her surprise, she was a conservative.
If Obama wins the nomination…..
It will be the first time a black man has beat a white woman in public and not been imprisoned for it.
LOL srry had say it hehehe
March 15th, 2008 at 11:02 amAs for older folks are concerned and many democrats that do not put much thought into their political reasoning, they do not even know why they are democrats. Just brainwashed I suppose. Been voting like that for years. Why change now? … I recently asked one of my New England young-lady relatives why she votes democratic; standard answer, “Well that is how I was brought up.” So I asked her a series of questions a low and behold to her surprise, she was a conservative. It was an enlightning moment.
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I knowww!!! Really boggles the mind.
I was brought up democrat, in a big democrat family (both sides) … But saw the light about 20 years ago … and the Clinton years only strengthened my decision.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:31 amIf I could ask someone 3 basic questions to find out what side of political isle they would stand ,what are the best questions to ask??
March 15th, 2008 at 6:34 pm1) How much do you think the government should take from you in taxes?
2) What is the FIRST and PRIMARY responsibility of the Federal Government according to the Constitution?
3) How do you feel about “state’s rights”?
And here’s an extra …
4) How do you feel about the Second Amendment?
Anyhow, those are the biggies for me.
March 15th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
S.Dillion,
March 15th, 2008 at 9:24 pmSorry for the delayed answer. Been out doing my patriotic duty tonight.
I would like to add to your questions list:
1.) Ask what is their view on abortion.
2.) Immigration- i.e. illegal aliens good or bad for The U.S.?
These two are some of the biggies.
Thanks for asking.
Perhaps more undecided folks and “I really don’t know why I am a Democrat” people should take a litmus test to see where they are in the nation/world.
here’s the REAL test question…do you think that big brother can spend YOUR money better than you can? & the kicker: silly liberals, paychecks are for workers!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:31 pm