See, as somebody who cynically thought, at the start of the campaign, that Obama's race would automatically disqualify him (unfortunately) with a lot of voters, I have to say, I'm stunned by how well he's doing, and I'm actually slightly ashamed of myself for writing off his chances earlier. Let's not forget, Obama's hugest wins have been in the reddest of red states - again, Idaho was the nationwide headquarters of the Aryan Nations for decades, and they voted for Obama by nearly 90 percent - which indicates two things to me:
People are finally so sick and tired of the way things are that they're willing to make almost any change, no matter how far it might take them out of their usual "comfort zones."
People hate Hillary Clinton so goddamned much that even rich white conservatives would rather see a black man in the White House than her.
Putting this into a more personal perspective, even my 83-year-old white grandma, who lives in Riggins, Idaho, and thinks that "Negroes" is still the appropriate term for black people (she doesn't mean anything bad by it, but ... yeah, you know), switched parties to vote for Obama in the primaries.
None of which is said to dispute the mainstream media's inexcusably shabby treatment of black voters, but as has increasingly been the case, I would argue the actual citizen response will render the media's position irrelevant.
As for the remaining conservatives for whom Obama's race will be an issue, they're pretty much fucked, because the only choice they have left is John McCain, and as I've discussed in previous posts on my own LJ, far-right conservatives hate McCain worse than they hate the Clintons, and they consider the Clintons to be Satan. In short, I think the conservatives have lost the solidarity that gave them the advantage over the liberals for so many years, and I think a lot of them will simply sit this one out in disgust, thus handing the Democrats the election.
Unless Hillary is the nominee, in which case, we're all screwed.
And on a closing note, I have to say that Obama is the first electable presidential candidate, in my lifetime, whom I could actually see myself respecting as a human being. Jimmy Carter doesn't count, because while he's a great man, he's great for everything he did after being president. He was literally too good for the office.
And that's why I said I need to wait until November. I know primaries are important, but they're just primaries, they don't elect a president. They elect/determine a nominee. And I already went into the reasons why Obama's electability is bothersome, and he's been conspicuously silent on many race issues, which makes him "safer" and more palatable than the previous two/three black candidates because it didn't let white america off the hook for it's shabby treatment of her minorities. Obama, at the moment anyway, has.
And then there's Michelle, who is GANGSTA and is probably pulling in her own fair share of votes. I know for my sister she is Obama's saving grace.
But again, I'm excited, but only to an extent, and because I'm scared that should Obama get elected, many white people will think racism no longer exists because a black man was elected president. Well, Deval Patrick is governor of MA, and I can guarantee there's still racism in this state.
Here's the deal: Regardless of a candidate's race, gender or political positions, they will always get elected for the wrong reasons.
I voted for Bill Clinton because I wanted to see an end to the social, environmental and economic policies of Reagan and Bush Sr., but I know for a fact that most people voted for Clinton only because a) the economy was finally doing so badly that even they were suffering (because they wouldn't give a shit if it was just everyone else who was hurting), and b) in spite of his considerable intellect, Clinton managed to fool a whole lot of rednecks into thinking that was precisely the sort of good ol' boy that I wouldn't have voted for.
Hell, you said it yourself; while Kennedy was the better choice for president than Nixon, he was still the right choice elected for the wrong reasons (ie. his camera-ready charisma). People will do the right thing, but most times, you have to trick them into doing it for the wrong reasons. That actually has very little to do with race, and a whole lot to do with humanity as a whole. That's what "politics" means; otherwise, instead of being a "democracy," we'd be living in a "meritocracy."
And I'm agreeing with you, but it's bothersome that only , basically black people/women are being called out on it when the voting for "wrong reasons" has happened since elections began! I've read the history books, it's never been "voting on the issues", but it the way you listen to the media and talk radio (which I admit I do occasionally), you'd think the only people who do are people with a lot of melanin and/or no penis.
Oh, absolutely. That's always the problem with the majority, though; it doesn't have to abide by the standards it sets for others, precisely because it is the majority, so it can do whatever it wants.
That being said, in a perverse way, I'd argue that Obama is actually benefiting from a double-standard that was set up to disenfranchise blacks, because, as you say, a black person has to be twice as good as a white person to be considered equal ... however, because of Clinton and Bush Jr., people have become so jaded that they actually want their presidential candidates to be amoral, ignorant, self-serving rednecks, and if Obama was white, his integrity and intelligence would make him as unpopular as Gore or Kerry. However, because of racist double-standards, he's actually succeeding, even with racists, precisely because of the same honorable characteristics that caused Gore and Kerry to fail.
Yes, but he's succeeding now. Right now he's not the nominee; right now, he's not an official contender for the White House. I mean, even Hillary is doing not so subtle race politics in her campaign to derail him, so if SHE is doing that, I'm really afraid of what the other side could/would do should he win the nomination. And it doesn't even have to be from the Republican candidate *eyes Swift Boat Debacle*, but I'm very willing to concede my cynicism, but too many times have we thought things were copacetic and things blow up. To this day I can't figure out how Kerry lost, so if HE can lose . . . Lord have mercy!
Kerry lost because he has all of the charisma of a plank of plywood - the man made Gore look accessible and kinetic by comparison - and even he could have beaten Hillary for the nomination, because Hillary is such a shrill, mean-spirited, unlikable bitch that I'd pay her money to switch parties, because she's the absolute last person I want agreeing with me. If Obama wins the nomination and presidency, it won't be because everyone has suddenly become enlightened about race - which, you're right, is not going to happen - but rather, it will be because he has a better personality than Hillary and the Republican nominee ... which will be McCain, because if it's not, then it'll be a sign that the Republicans have catered to their base at the expense of appealing to moderates. I have a lot of lingering respect for John - he's a goddamned war hero, and conservatives can't stand him - but he's got a very contentious, prickly personality, which will not play well against Obama's more polished poise. See, I'm banking on the American people's shallowness to win Obama the race. :)
If Obama wins the nomination and presidency, it won't be because everyone has suddenly become enlightened about race - which, you're right, is not going to happen - but rather, it will be because he has a better personality than Hillary and the Republican nominee ...
See, I'm banking on the American people's shallowness to win Obama the race. :)
That is if someone doesn't kill him first. Yeah, I said it. *looks at Malcolm and Martin and Medgars and RFK and even JFK anyone else who started to build a coalition of people against the status quo*
I wish it was an awful, abhorrent, and ridiculous point, but alas. And I WANT to be wrong and I WANT you to be right, too. There's a reason the man got the Secret Service at the earliest point in any presidential race in history.
- People are finally so sick and tired of the way things are that they're willing to make almost any change, no matter how far it might take them out of their usual "comfort zones."
- People hate Hillary Clinton so goddamned much that even rich white conservatives would rather see a black man in the White House than her.
Putting this into a more personal perspective, even my 83-year-old white grandma, who lives in Riggins, Idaho, and thinks that "Negroes" is still the appropriate term for black people (she doesn't mean anything bad by it, but ... yeah, you know), switched parties to vote for Obama in the primaries.None of which is said to dispute the mainstream media's inexcusably shabby treatment of black voters, but as has increasingly been the case, I would argue the actual citizen response will render the media's position irrelevant.
As for the remaining conservatives for whom Obama's race will be an issue, they're pretty much fucked, because the only choice they have left is John McCain, and as I've discussed in previous posts on my own LJ, far-right conservatives hate McCain worse than they hate the Clintons, and they consider the Clintons to be Satan. In short, I think the conservatives have lost the solidarity that gave them the advantage over the liberals for so many years, and I think a lot of them will simply sit this one out in disgust, thus handing the Democrats the election.
Unless Hillary is the nominee, in which case, we're all screwed.
And on a closing note, I have to say that Obama is the first electable presidential candidate, in my lifetime, whom I could actually see myself respecting as a human being. Jimmy Carter doesn't count, because while he's a great man, he's great for everything he did after being president. He was literally too good for the office.
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And then there's Michelle, who is GANGSTA and is probably pulling in her own fair share of votes. I know for my sister she is Obama's saving grace.
But again, I'm excited, but only to an extent, and because I'm scared that should Obama get elected, many white people will think racism no longer exists because a black man was elected president. Well, Deval Patrick is governor of MA, and I can guarantee there's still racism in this state.
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I voted for Bill Clinton because I wanted to see an end to the social, environmental and economic policies of Reagan and Bush Sr., but I know for a fact that most people voted for Clinton only because a) the economy was finally doing so badly that even they were suffering (because they wouldn't give a shit if it was just everyone else who was hurting), and b) in spite of his considerable intellect, Clinton managed to fool a whole lot of rednecks into thinking that was precisely the sort of good ol' boy that I wouldn't have voted for.
Hell, you said it yourself; while Kennedy was the better choice for president than Nixon, he was still the right choice elected for the wrong reasons (ie. his camera-ready charisma). People will do the right thing, but most times, you have to trick them into doing it for the wrong reasons. That actually has very little to do with race, and a whole lot to do with humanity as a whole. That's what "politics" means; otherwise, instead of being a "democracy," we'd be living in a "meritocracy."
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That being said, in a perverse way, I'd argue that Obama is actually benefiting from a double-standard that was set up to disenfranchise blacks, because, as you say, a black person has to be twice as good as a white person to be considered equal ... however, because of Clinton and Bush Jr., people have become so jaded that they actually want their presidential candidates to be amoral, ignorant, self-serving rednecks, and if Obama was white, his integrity and intelligence would make him as unpopular as Gore or Kerry. However, because of racist double-standards, he's actually succeeding, even with racists, precisely because of the same honorable characteristics that caused Gore and Kerry to fail.
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See, I'm banking on the American people's shallowness to win Obama the race. :)
That is if someone doesn't kill him first. Yeah, I said it. *looks at Malcolm and Martin and Medgars and RFK and even JFK anyone else who started to build a coalition of people against the status quo*
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