Tonight an email came for me from an old friend who apparently is suffering from election regret.
What surprises me is that people aren’t embarrassed to send this kind of email.
Are people really that bitter about the Obama victory?
Are we really this racist of a society?
Our cable box is kaput so tonight we sat down in front of the computer and watched “The Lee Atwater Story: Boogie Man”. It should be required viewing for anyone who pulls a lever or fingers a touchpad in an election. Racism and all the dog whistle calls to it have been a part of our elections for ages. When most people became too “genteel” to outwardly mouth it, Atwater and his suck-up Karl Rove finessed a way of selling it and promoting candidates who were willing to employ it. I’ll be rude and say we may have been lucky that Atwater met his demise before Clinton ran for Prez because you can bet that Atwater’s skills would be used on him. Rove isn’t quite the master as he proved election eve.
I think after hearing all the “Wille Horton” and “welfare queen” talk and seeing how successful all the smears and lies had been in the past, many white Americans, particularly Southerners, thought these tactics would be successful forever. But surprise! The demographics have changed and we’re a more blended and tolerant society and that makes the fearful and the bigoted all the more nervous. The silent or sly dog whistle isn’t enough. There’s a shout out – “are you with me?”, “are you one of us?” The call has become louder as the power slips away.
You really ought to publish.
Moon,
I’m confused, haven’t we been told that racism is gone and people don’t like Obama because of policy not color?
That’s what we keep getting told. You were on the phone with me when that email came in. I was shocked. I am shocked that people aren’t embarrassed. Are there just dead zones where some forms of political correctness don’t survive?
Most of political correctness is simply good manners. At least 75% of it is simply not making other people uncomfortable and really has nothing to do with politics.
Lee Atwater!
There have been many despicable people in politics, but
Atwater was the worst. I’m glad I missed the program,
because I might have kicked the telly machine into smithereens.
Actually if you were not so blind to it, you would see that Obama is no different than Lee Atwater. Obama just led the most racially divisive campaign in history, albeit from the non-white point of view.
Obama’s message was simple: the Republican candidate is white and rich and will cut off your federal assistance at the first opportunity to benefit his white friends; so vote the democrat ticket to keep your money coming and exact your revenge against these weathy white guys by taxing them to pay for your benefits.
Obama used economic insecurity together with racial stereotypes to create a powerful emotional response against his opponent.
The evolved demographics of the country allowed this new type of racial campaign to be successful, but make no mistake about it, his techniques were exactly the same as those employed by Lee Atwater.
Kelly,
Obama is not Lee Atwater. Here is the reality, it wasn’t based on Romney’s color, it was based on his so called buisiness experience of leading an equity firm. It was based on what ALL Romeny’s opponents in the Primary said about their own bretheren! Were they all racist too! Was Sheldon whatever his billionaire name is racist towards Romney? He financed a scathing attack ad against Romney in the Primary to help his preferred candidate Gingrich out.
No, given the national distaste for wall street tycoons, Romney had an uphill battle. Given his own massively stupid comment about the 47%, which, by the way, totally played into the narratve that people had about Romeny, he was doomed.
So I guess for the second time in her adult life Michelle Obama is proud of the country. That statement tells me volumes!
I am proud of her. She makes a lovely first lady and her daughters are just darling.
@Elena
Actually the Bain argument was designed to reduce the white, union vote that might be attracted to the Romney camp. Romney got over 60% of the white vote, so that line of attack was designed to create insecurity in blue-collar union workers so as to prevent more of the white vote from going to Romney. Even though that part was not explicitly racist, it still created an Us vs Them mentality similar to that used by Atwater so effectively.
I know your liberal mind cannot grasp that minorities an be racist also, but the arguments described above were not mine. It was Obama who proclaimed last week that his supporters should use their vote for revenge. If you want to have an open and honest discussion, then you should own up to the racial and divisive elements in the Obama campaign. The similarities to Atwater are striking.
Kelly, a bit of advice, stop insulting Elena and me. She doesn’t have a “liberal mind” whatever that means. I just think it is a way to demean her.
Absolutely other races can be racist. Where the hell have you been?
I am going to set revenge is a moderation word. Get over it. I am glad he said it. You are taking it out of context. The election is over.
There is a lot you don’t know about me. When I tell you that I am more than a good judge of racist remarks, from all sides, take my word for it. You might want to think about when I went to school and what was going on in Virginia about that time.
@kelly_3406
That’s not going to happen. All opposition to Obama is racist and hate because his policies are so sensible and pro-American. Those few white racists that oppose him are just the tip of the hidden Republican KKK that listens to these dog whistles and hidden messages. The black community has nothing but love for Romney. The racist statements by members of the Black community and the 99% voting block for Obama are just isolated outliers.
Kelly, embrace him. Obama has shown the way. 60 million voters and 12 million Republican non-voters have spoken.
Do you know how stupid you sound saying stuff like that?
Why concern yourself over the black community. Worry about the white community that would get f-ed over by Republican control. If you think you don’t know anyone, I volunteer to be the poster child. I pay federal taxes but other than that, I am pretty much 47%.
I own a few stocks. I pay a higher tax rate than Mitt does though because I don’t live off of them and I don’t make that much in dividend money….it is just pin money really.
Seriously, retirement money is taxed at a higher rate than capital gains. And you all feel sorry for the rich. God do you have misplaced values.
You people are scary.
Kelly, so lets see…is it your white male superiority that has taught you that it is ok to come on my blog to insult me? Cargo says I am brainwashed and you say I am blind.
I find that incredibly strange. You know nothing about me. I have never felt that the Obama campaigns were racists–not even when he ran against Hillary, who I very much supported.
I think the you are projecting, that is to say, judging others by your own feelings and projecting your beliefs on to others and then using it against them.
Why is the inverse not true? How come if you vote for Romney you aren’t doing exactly what you have accused Obama of doing?
For the record, I very much feared Romney cutting off my “stuff.” I didnt fear that because Obama told me to fear it. I feared it because the Republicans told me to fear it.Notice the word FREE is not part of this conversation.
Republicans told me that there were going to be major changes in social security, medicare and also that they were going to do something about public employee pensions. They further said that they were going to make zygotes and full grown women equal in the eyes of the law.
I don’t need Obama to tell me that a platform like this is totally unacceptable and one that I don’t need nor do my children.
I think you Republicans need to take a long look in the mirror. You want to control others at the same time you whine and cry over government intrusion. You want to take away benefits that some of us have paid into most of our lives. You have made being a public servant a dirty word and aking to toilet cleaners…scavengers against the hard working public.
Now you are ignoring your own words and trying to blame someone else. When I look around, middle class person that I am, I fit in a whole lot better with the Obama family than I do the Romneys. At least the Obamas would speak to me.
Finally, get over it. You have 4 years to plot your revenge, that is if your house of delegates doesn’t destroy the economy.
Did I leave off that all reproductive restrictions are directly related to economic conditions of women. So yea, its about the economy and I won’t say “stupid.” Bill already did. You probably felt threatened by him too.
@Moon-howler
I’ve seen the light. Let’s raise the taxes that you want. I’m not kidding. Raise them to whatever you feel is the fair share. Let’s do it.
I’m not “concerning myself with the black community.” I’m commenting on all these outcries of “racism.” You keep saying that the Black community voted 99% for Obama because of economic issues….OK. There’s any number of discussions that that statement could generate. There are many Black people that say they voted for Obama because he’s black. That is OK too. Everyone votes for personal reasons.
“social security, medicare and also that they were going to do something about public employee pensions. ” Yep. Trying to save SS and medicare. Public employee pensions are broke. They all need to be reformed. Except that, I think, under Ryan’s plan, YOUR SS and medicare wouldn’t be affected.
Making women and zygotes equal under the law. Well, like I said earlier, the basic argument is whether the unborn are a) a separate individual to the mother b) has a right to life. You stand on the “NO” side. But we knew that.
I never said the the black community voted for Obama because of economic reasons. That is a lie.
The elction is over. All public pensions aren’t broken. So why would I want to vote so others can’t get SS or medicare? I got mines……
@cargo
@Moon-howler
“Seriously, retirement money is taxed at a higher rate than capital gains. And you all feel sorry for the rich. God do you have misplaced values.”
The irony is that you are taxed by a PROGRESSIVE plan. The progressives invented this, designed it, and implemented it. We don’t “feel sorry” for the rich. In fact, I want them to be taxed more. Why not? More of them voted for Obama than they did Romney so that is what they want. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/obama-wins-8-10-wealthiest-154837437.html
Your retirement money, if it comes from some sort of tax-deferred plan is still considered normal income. Progressives designed this system. Guys like me wanted a national sales tax or a very low, simple flat tax (if we MUST have an income tax) in which savings aren’t penalized by taxes or inflation.
And you have retirement money? That must be nice to be able to afford putting something aside. I had to use my 401K money to pay bills since I lost my job in the housing crash.
My husband was unemployed. it isn’t that I don’t know what that is like.
No insult was intended, but I stand by my statement. Bill Clinton said that Obama played the race card in 2008. Clintion was silent on the matter this year because Hillary was not running. Somewhere Lee Atwater is probably rejoicing to see that his techniques are still effective, even if it brings victory for the other side.
What is your point Kelly. It isn’t up to you to decide if I am insulted or not. I don’t recall Clinton saying Obama played the race card. Maybe that’s what you thought he said.
The election is over. You need to adjust or you will be miserable.
I am struck by the effort to divide us and how successful that effort was. Romney should have known better. It did not take a genius to know that Obama and his crowd would expand the Chicago ward model in a national election. I think its nieve to think that Obama did not play – overtly play the race card in this election. Bain Capital was just a surrogate term for rich white, non union guy – non public employee guy too. . Its pretty clever actually.
But the divide is more fundemental than that. And the race card, once played is going to be hard to put back in the deck by blaming republicans – good effort so far though. No, I think its bigger than that and the little stuff like abortion, the Dream act, taxing the rich, cutting defense and the debt are just bit players. The attached article does it better justice than I can — iIgnore the title – that is not what its really about.
http://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2012/11/09/a_victory_for_creatures_of_the_state
Blue, who started the attack on Bain Capital? Surely you saw the second Jon Stewart skit?
The Republican primary season allowed the candidates to devour each other. Talk about softening things up for Obama.
He barely had to lift a finger.
Actually, even with the hatred of Obama for whatever reason…Romney didn’t stand a chance. He had already been crucified by his own kind. Actually, they weren’t his own kind. That was part of the problem. He had far more class than the others.
Dear People who believe they know everything (Cargo, Blue, Kelly, Slow, SA),
There is a social contract between the government and the people, Thomas Jefferson, an admirer of John Locke, new full well the exchanget that would be required for a true free people OF the government.
However, the best modern day capitolist to lead the way in understanding how that social contract worked was Henry Ford. What did he do? He gave huge pay raises to his employees so that they could buy his product.
If I am a liberal like Thomas Jefferson, than call me Liberal, I am damn proud to emulate his belief system.
You people have it ass backwards. The job creators are the people like me and you who buy the crap that other people sell. Without the purchasing power of the masses, capitolism languishes, just as we have been seeing.
There is this unhealthy admiration of those 2%, as if they are more valuable than the 98% of us, yes, you people are in the same category as the rest of schmucks, working the grind, trying to live a happy life.
Don’t forget to add yourself in that group, Elena. We voice our opinions. You voice yours.
You do seem to be a liberal like Thomas Jefferson. You seem to be a liberal as defined in the 20th century.
You admire Henry Ford for giving raises to his people. Great. And yet, Ford fought gov’t control of industry. He gave HIS money. He did not suffer high taxes and regulations. The modern day “capitalist” in big business has learned that getting government on your side is the way to win.
But, Elena, I now agree. Tax them. Tax them all. Hit the Banks, financial centers, entertainment, energy, all of it. Whatever you decide is a “fair share.” And then regulate them. Lets move to renewables right now. Start building the wind towers. The Blue Ridge has great wind. Put those wind towers offshore. I want every single Obama agenda item implemented. Every. Single. One. The majority has spoken. They want more spending for the safety net and investment in the country. They think we can spend our way into prosperity. As you say, who am I to disagree? I’m open minded. Let’s do it.
If we are the job creators, please…show me where the job creation is happening. I need one. If business doesn’t hire because of fear, then where do the masses get their purchasing power? Business is taking that “safety net” money and adding it to the profits. They are not expanding.
But, hey, that’s what the country wants. More safety net. More money in the public coffers. More spending. And I’m including Republicans in that too.
You do seem to be a liberal like Thomas Jefferson. You seem to be a liberal as defined in the 20th century.
Should read “You don’t seem to be a liberal like Thomas….”
European socialists are leftists not liberals; they are centralists. They are not strict constuctionists like Thomas Jefferson who was a Federalist. “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law,’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.” Jefferson wanted a very weak federal government, and believed very strongly that people should be responsible for their own selves, without government charity. This is hardly consistent with the new leftists who seek to have the government provide them with everything, just as infants seek sustenance from their mommies. You Elana are no Jeffersonian libertarian.
@blue
How do you explain all the well-heeled professionals who voted for Obama and don’t expect government to provide everything for them?
That tired argument is a dog whistle. Yo, Spot, Rover’s trying to steal all the dog bones after sitting in the sun on the porch all day.
@Censored bybvbl
Because they support the government providing for others. They’re willing to give stuff away, whatever you want to name it, with other people’s money. Free stuff: subsidies, welfare, obamaphones, extended unemployment payments, etc…. The Democrat party is known at the “benefits” party. They don’t mind spending and redistributing other people’s money. All progressives like to do that.
YOU think the democrats are the “benefits party.” Let’s enumerate what the democrats give away. Just what is it that they give away?
Bush started the phone thing so don’t go there. You just weren’t paying attention.
@Cargosquid
Do you ever take advantage of any of this “free stuff”? My husband used the G.I. Bill for college. Is it “free”? He served in Vietnam. Is Social Security “free” even after paying into for decades? Is a cellphone given to an abused woman (often donated by people like me) a “freebie”?
I was involved in a project that cost people money. One guy who paid an additional $100 in taxes because of this project bitched because the 100 feet of road in front of his house wasn’t paved. Duh. But 3/4 of a mile of road was improved so that he could reach his house – that part was maintained by others who paid their share to complete the project. His $100 wouldn’t have maintained the area between his mailbox and a close-by tree. But by taxing everyone, he was able to reach his house. Some things are best done collectively.
I still eant to hear about all this Obama free stuff. It has to be started by Obama in order to be Obama free stuff.
Did you notice that I did not add anything in my list that is not a welfare entitlement? Social Security is not welfare. The original unemployment insurance either. Military benefits are part of the earned deal. A cell phone donated by YOU is charity. A cell phone that is provided to poor people alone is welfare.
I don’t have a problem with taxes. Please, show me what we’ve gotten for an additional 5 trillion in debt. And was it worth that amount of money?
Notice, I have never said NO taxes.
Now, I say raise them. Increase taxes to whatever you want. Fighting this only gives bad press to the conservatives. So…let the Democrats own it. The conservatives ARE going to lose that fight. Even if the Conservatives win or even make a deal getting cuts to go with the tax increases, only the conservatives will get blamed for any perceived problems. So, they should pick their battles, vote “present” and let the sequester go forward. The Democrats want tax increases and the Republicans gave lip service to spending cuts. The GOP expects the Tea Party to take the heat for asking for more “realistic” cuts, saving the military, etc.
The Congress as a whole and the President arranged for the sequester. They refused to do their jobs. They own it. Let it happen. And when its not enough…let the Democrats raise more taxes….keep it going.
Oh, and yes. Its “free.”
I didn’t pay into it. It is a benefit. And it was provided by the Democrat party.
But educational benefits are part of the contract. And if they didn’t do it…I wouldn’t care.
@CArgo…what is this “it” you are talking about. If Obama gave it out, then I want to know what IT is.
Back to racism. This video shows how easily someone responds to dog whistles. He’s parroting all the points made by someone or some group whose interests (votes) and he serves. He gives a long list of accusations (breadth) and no depth (notice the crickets chirping when he’s asked: “What does it mean for you to be an American? What do we have in common?”
There’s no original thought. If it hasn’t been said on Fox, sent in an email, or read on a site that he – no doubt – favors, he’s at a loss for words. And then he finally comes up with all the cliches.
http://youtu.be/1WAWDtdy1FE
If this video doesn’t come up, maybe M-h can fix it for me.
Oh dear God!!! Where did that pathetic moron come from? Ignorance abounds.
Now, how do our conservatives see this twisted, burned out dude?
What would you say to him, Cargo? Would you correct him or start nodding?
@Moon-howler
I’m talking about the GI-Bill that Censored was talking about. I use it too. A Democrat Senator got it passed. A Senator Webb…..sounds familiar…you know him?
Not personally
@Cargo
What is different about the new GI bill compared to the old one?
@blue
What is it that Elena wants to give away?
I wantnto give away birth control. Why? It helps the economy. It will save money in the long run. Its a very good investment.
Wait a minute. The subject is racism, and I haven’t uttered a word? Now, that’s not right. Just ask George, why I’m the biggest racist there ever was, because I actually attempted to compliment white males in past history. THAT clearly makes me a racist you see, because the KKK also existed during that same time period. My only question is was the KKK a bigger threat to the black community back then compared to the threat from the inner city gang bangers and drug dealers of today? It’s ok, you can answer the question accurately based on statistics, and no one will call you a racist. It’s an honest question.
What is the objective of the KKK? What is the objective of drug dealers?
There’s your answer. How on earth did you come up with that one? You do see the irrelevancy don’t you?
@Moon-howler
I’m not sure of the details of the old GI bill… I think it was voucher system.
But the new one lets those that served on active duty, with funds prorated to the time served, get tuition and financial help. I get 70% since I had only 1 year, 6 months of active duty after 9/11. My previous educations benefits sucked, to say the least.
I’m eligible for 10 years from date of retirement and I have 36 months of benefits.
@Second Alamo
That’s actually an interesting question. And in some areas, the resident black people are STILL subject to gun control…just like their ancestors were.
🙄
My point in asking the question is to highlight the fact that the mention of the KKK is always treated as if all whites even to this day are responsible for their past existence, and yet that threat has long passed while the present black community is in an even more desperate situation facing threats of violence from their own members. Yet no one ever makes that comparison, because it would probably dilute the response and guilt that they hope to instill by bringing up the KKK during discussions of racism.
@SA
I sure don’t associate the KKK with myself. I am not responsible for their past existence. Where does that come from? I have never had anyone treat me like that.
You are trying to deflect. I put up an email that someone I know sent me. I didnt go searching for that joke on the internet. We aren’t talking about abstract situations now.
Tell me, SA, do you think there are people out there who don’t like the president because he is black? Or perhaps maybe people who would like him more if he kept his place and weren’t the president?
I know people like that. I can name you 2 right off the bat who I would have introducted as ” a friend” if I ran in to you and they were with me.
My point is, that there are people out there who feel that way. My other point is, I can’t believe they feel so free to publcially admit it. Maybe I am asking that people just be hypocritical. Actually I think it is really just a matter of manners.
Moon, I think that race relations between blacks and whites has taken a huge step backwards since Obama took office. That is exactly the opposite of what one would think would have happened when it took many white votes to make that possible. You would have thought that it would have ended all this race bating BS, because after all we elected a ‘black’ president. Instead it seems to have made black/white race issues that much more prominent for some reason. The last defense whenever someone is supporting Obama, but can’t do it on his record is to pull out the race card it seems. It also points out the fact that some groups will never be satisfied regardless of the number of gains that have been made until they are in total control, and maybe that is where the friction is forming. At that point it then becomes totally race based, and goes against every effort that has been made over the past 50 years to make society race neutral. At some point those who have truly tried to be race neutral will feel they have been duped.
SA, I agree that there are some groups who wont be satisfied …ever. I am not sure that even having it all would do it. You can see that everywhere and with all groups of people. Hell look at Palestine. How many times were deals turned down because someone wanted it all and was unwilling to compromise.
I would have thought the election of the first black president would have bridged the gap some…both from the white perspective and the black perspective. What has shocked me the most is the outspokenness I have seen. People say incredbily rude things (both races) that they just ought not say and are proud of it. I will have to say though, I have seen the rudeness more from white people than from black people. I have seen better manners out of black spokes people. I think many of the leaders see that there are white people more than willing to share the country on an equal footing. It behooves everyone to get along.
I put up that Denise one because that is almost verbatim what a former friend said on the same subject. Whoooooa. Where did that come from.
I would think things would be better ….everyone working together towards a better nation. Maybe it was too much to expect. Frankly, I was surprised when it did happen. I wasn’t sure everyone was ready for it. I guess the jury is still out.
I dont see Obama as playing the race card. I did see it once…over that situation that created the beer summit. He was wrong. I thought he was wrong. He thought he was wrong and apologized. Once a person apologizes and doesn’t do it again…what choice do you have other than forgiveness.
@Second Alamo
Who do you think benefits monetarily (or even in voting numbers) by having these racial tensions increase? Which party?
Obviously it’s the Democratic party. Right or wrong it is public opinion that minorities vote democrat. The democrats are looked upon as supporting government assistance whereas the Republicans support putting people to work to support themselves. Give a man a fish and he feeds his family for a day, teach him to fish and he feeds his family for a lifetime. Right now I’m feeding a lot of families in addition to my own, and I’m about out of fish!
SA, wasn’t it Bill Clinton who put people to work and pretty much ended welfare as we knew it? Wasn’t Bill Clinton a democrat?
The Democrats are looked on as supporting govt assistance? Not by people who vote Democrat. I very much believe in putting those to work who are capable.
Someone has sold you a bill of goods. I would think both parties would want the capable to be working. No one is served by having someone sit home eating bon bons.
someone has successfully dredged up an old Dem image from back in Lyndon Johnson’s time and tried to apply it to today’s times. The only thing, it isn’t true.
@Censored bybvbl
I don’t agree that it’s the Democratic party which financially benefits the most from keeping racial tensions in play. Look at the numbers. If they send out a message to African- Americans alone, they’re appealing to a small but growing population. However, if the Republicans send out a racial dog-whistle to their white supporters, they reach a larger share of the population. It benefits them more than Democrats to play racial politics.
The problem that the Republican party faces is that they sent out negative messages to Hispanics, women, younger voters, and other minorities. Soon those numbers add up – and it’s not in your favor.
Oops. I hit the wrong button. My comment is addressed to Second Alamo.
I would love to hear the reasoning behind the fact that minorities typically vote Democrat, and I would love to hear it from those voting and not the talking heads. Gather several hundred together and ask that question, and I doubt you will get a solid answer based on anything other than talking points. DC voted >90% for Obama … based on national policies you think? Really?
Why do white men typically vote Republican?
@SA?
Apparently at most only about half vote Republican, and so that question isn’t that interesting. I’m for enabling people to work so I don’t have to support them for generations. As I said before, I’m running out of fish!
SA, I dont want to supprot anyone else either. I only have so many fish also. Once the fish are gone, that’s it. I don’t feel that I endanger my fish voting D. In fact, I felt I would do better than with an R win. I feel strongly that the rich can proportionally afford to pony up at a little higher rate than I can.
When I had a bunch of kids at home, I only tipped 15%. That was all I could afford. In recent years, I have had a little more disposable cash. I tip 20% if the service is satisfactory. Same principle.
@Second Alamo
DC’s population is about 43% white, if I remember correctly. And I think almost half of the people over 25 have bachelors degrees. The median household income is about $58,000. Check the Census data.I think they’re voting based on national policies. There may be some voting based on race – just as a lot of old white guys are.
@Moon-howler
The question should be “why do 95+% of blacks vote Democrat?
Why shouldn’t the question be why do the majority of white men vote Republican?
You’re correct Cargo, I left out the race part. How un-racist of me! Shame. Shame.
Moon, we all know that Obama is big on social programs. You know, spread the wealth and all that. If those increased social programs were directly supported by the increased tax money from the wealthy, then I guess we wouldn’t be financially affected, but I doubt that’s the case. Higher taxes will burden us along with the wealthy. You can take that to the bank … or not.
I have no indications that there are any big social programs coming our way. The only thing we have coming a=our way is affordable health care.
SA, who pays now for people who cant afford medical care? We do. there are several ways we pay….medicaid, hospitals have to eat the costs, thus driving our premiums up, etc. If everyone had health care, then our premiums wont be skyrocketing. Its pay me now or pay me later.
If healthcare is unrestricted and less costly, then that is surely is a positive. The only thing that bothers me is that it was pushed through before anyone had read it. Who knows what evil lurks in the inner pages of Obamacare … bewaaaaaaahahahahahahah!
@Moon-howler
Because so many whites do vote Democrat, its not a racial thing. But with a 95% ratio, with blacks, it seems to be so.
I am not sure what you are really saying. It sounds like you are saying that blacks are racist because most of them vote Democrat.
Please tell me that isn’t what you are saying.
How about 95% of evangelicals vote Republican. What does that mean?
What about all the young people who voted overwhelmingly for Obama? They weren’t exclusively black or white. And women? How did Obama win states like Iowa and Missouri that do not have significant minority populations? It is a myth to state that only minorities voted for Obama.
@Moon-howler
I was thinking more in terms of them voting for Obama. But it could also be a group think thing…. based along racial terms since that is how it has been presented to them by the Democrat party.
@Starryflights
Um…no one said that only minorities voted for Obama…including in this thread.
Maybe I just need to stop watching FOX News and looking at the Drudge Report, but …my mind is boggled by the way some white people choose to see things. America is not a “ghetto” and the 47% who don’t pay Federal income tax include lots of good hard working people.
If people choose to see us as a nation in decline, overrun by non-white freeloaders, you or I can’t really stop them. If they choose to our current recession as something caused by a great non-white and liberal conspiracy rather than as the natural outgrowth of living beyond our means for a decade, we can’t stop them. Heck if they want to choose to believe something as absurd as the Bible literally and pretend that their God is real, and try to promulgate that into their worldview, and even try to elect leaders based on which ones connect to their absurd and irrational beliefs and worldviews rather than to maintain contact with reality, no one can stop them.
Watching some people’s reaction to the election, including occasionally breezing by FOX News, does make me ashamed of some of my fellow Americans. I’m pretty sure that a lot of people in America care more about jutsifying their own irrational beliefs, and minimizing their cognitive dissonance, than they do about this nation’s future. They can’t deal with reality and don’t deserve the privileges granted to them IMO.
I didn’t vote for either party’s candidate – I don’t trust or agree with either, and didn’t want voting for either man on my conscience. But listening to some of these people on the right speak, I’m reminded of why I disliked them so much for decades. I dislike diffident liberals also, when they are so saturated with propoganda and party rationales that they’ve lost contact with what’s real. But the people on the right, perhaps because they are the personality types who already fervently believe in religious fairy takes, take it to a whole nother level.
If anyone really feels that the 47% who don’t pay taxes are a bunch of freeloaders and that the people voting Democrat aren’t entitled to their vote, please either emigrate elsewhere, or maybe just kill yourself. A heaven awaits, presumably run by white people, where lowering taxes causes less debt and eating ice cream makes you thin. Just slit your throats already and go for it.
Whoever abducted Rick has brought him back!! Thank goodness.
Fox News is so….a proper word escapes me….it is horrible and void on anything remotely resembling reality.
The addled liberal who naively believes in global warming and a borderless America, and free welfare for all good souls, I disagree with and scoff at but don’t mind sharing a country with.
The type of brainless racist sheep who choose to see our nation’s problems as having root in non-whites’ behavior, I do mind. I understand that you’ve got a whole propoganda system set up to reinforce that crap into your brains, but that doesn’t mean I have to respect it. (I’m not talking to anyone on this board particularly. I’m angry about what I see on FOX News and things that I’ve heard people say). If you’re not willing to admit that lowering taxes has any connection to the size of our deficit, then you’re a f***ing moron. If you don’t understand that the working poor being able to get by is not arace-based issue, then you’re a f***ing moron. If you’re that stupid, please go cloister yourself in a church or whatever but please stop voting. Much less decrying that the rest of America doesn’t share your worldview. Please grow up or get out of the process.
No arguement here! Yea, Rick is back.
I’m not aiming all this anger at the majority of conservatives or Republicans. But some of them are, IMO, bad people.
I found the reelection of GWB in 2004 to be an absurdity. I knew it wouldn’t end well. But after he was elected, I did hope for the best. Anyone who doesn’t wish for the best, doesn’t want America to succeed – you’re not a good American.
Wish I could go back and edit that and make it shorter but – too late. As an impartial observer of American politics, I find it distressing that the two parties have spun their loyal supporters so far out of touch with reality.
FOX News is a blight. I agree with John Stewart’s perspective that the biggest problem America has right now is that 40% of its constituents are choosing to live in an alternate reality.
I used to think it was okay that FOX was biased and frequently absurd – to balance out the leftward bias elsewhere. But it’s gone way out of control. The conservative mindset when allowed to run rampant and to detach from reality is an ugly thing. The psychological projection that’s occurring, into this view of America as a failed state, coinciding with “the browning of America”, is not good in any way.
Then again, only FOX covers the real stories of our time – like this one – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8yZanauqFE