The danger of oversimplification: ethnicity in the presidential election
So is Barack Obama benefitted in some ways by being black in the democratic primary? -yes.
Are there some voters that are voting for him solely because he is black- absolutely.
However there are also voters voting for Hillary because she is white, as seen in many southern poles and in Ohio exitpole data. There are also voters who are voting against Obama because of his middle name, Hussein. In many ways, black people who make up 12-13% of the general population, are probably voting to cancel out the small number of racist white, hispanic, asian or other ethnic people in the population (as we're multi-identity Mud-Sling-Tastic these days).
From wiki (on Ferraro): "Writing in Newsweek in December 2006, Ferraro announced her support for presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.[20] Later, she vowed to help defend Clinton from being Swiftboated in a manner akin to 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, and assisted with fundraising.
On March 7, 2008, speaking to a small Torrance, California newspaper, The Daily Breeze, Ferraro said regarding Clinton's nomination rival that "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position".[21] Ferraro had made a similar comment in 1984 about Jesse Jackson.[22] The comment drew heated criticism from the Obama side, and although Clinton did not call for her resignation from the campaign, she did express disagreement with its substance.[23] On March 11, again speaking to the Breeze, Ferraro remained defiant: "I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"[24] Further criticism from Obama's campaign ensued,[25] and although Ferraro refused to apologize, she resigned from Clinton's finance committee the next day, citing a desire to stop hurting the campaign.[23]"
First. I don't think Hillary is being swiftboated, as she has a lot of legitimate problems the media should focus on, as in just where are her tax returns? Second, I think Farraro probably did good things for women to advance us, however that does not mean she is liberal in regards to everybody. She's older, 72, and lived to see many bad political candidates who were minorities. This does not make her an expert on racial issues but a cynic- however cynicism is not why people are voting for Obama.
Third, is she racist? Possibly, in the way that many older black people are also racist as well as older whites: more out of touch, then haters. There are huge differences between the candidacies of Jesse Jackson and Obama: as Obama is seen as much more mainstream. Maybe it is also a function of the country itself changing but her words are out of step with current political realities, so I do not think she is owed an appology, she is the one who is in the wrong.
Are there some voters that are voting for him solely because he is black- absolutely.
However there are also voters voting for Hillary because she is white, as seen in many southern poles and in Ohio exitpole data. There are also voters who are voting against Obama because of his middle name, Hussein. In many ways, black people who make up 12-13% of the general population, are probably voting to cancel out the small number of racist white, hispanic, asian or other ethnic people in the population (as we're multi-identity Mud-Sling-Tastic these days).
From wiki (on Ferraro): "Writing in Newsweek in December 2006, Ferraro announced her support for presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.[20] Later, she vowed to help defend Clinton from being Swiftboated in a manner akin to 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, and assisted with fundraising.
On March 7, 2008, speaking to a small Torrance, California newspaper, The Daily Breeze, Ferraro said regarding Clinton's nomination rival that "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position".[21] Ferraro had made a similar comment in 1984 about Jesse Jackson.[22] The comment drew heated criticism from the Obama side, and although Clinton did not call for her resignation from the campaign, she did express disagreement with its substance.[23] On March 11, again speaking to the Breeze, Ferraro remained defiant: "I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"[24] Further criticism from Obama's campaign ensued,[25] and although Ferraro refused to apologize, she resigned from Clinton's finance committee the next day, citing a desire to stop hurting the campaign.[23]"
First. I don't think Hillary is being swiftboated, as she has a lot of legitimate problems the media should focus on, as in just where are her tax returns? Second, I think Farraro probably did good things for women to advance us, however that does not mean she is liberal in regards to everybody. She's older, 72, and lived to see many bad political candidates who were minorities. This does not make her an expert on racial issues but a cynic- however cynicism is not why people are voting for Obama.
Third, is she racist? Possibly, in the way that many older black people are also racist as well as older whites: more out of touch, then haters. There are huge differences between the candidacies of Jesse Jackson and Obama: as Obama is seen as much more mainstream. Maybe it is also a function of the country itself changing but her words are out of step with current political realities, so I do not think she is owed an appology, she is the one who is in the wrong.