A Obama victory would confirm racism

Benedict XVI

It has been mentioned in a few threads here that the black vote will be mobilized and will register and vote in huge numbers for Obama because he is a black man running for president.

If this happens and Obama wins as a result of a huge surge in the black vote then will it not confirm what everyone is saying, i.e. that racism is still a big problem in America

Blacks voting for Obama just because he is black is just a racist as white people not voting for him because he is black.

bill_ashmount

Racism exists everywhere. In every country and every single part of society.

White people are going to be a minority in America soon anyway. It'll be interesting to see when the first Hispanic president is elected.

geuro

it would be a monumental, historical achievement for the first black person to become the president of the USA. Given the history of civil oppression and inequality for American blacks, i can imagine that they would feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction if a black man bvecomes president. It would be the final chapter in their struggle for social opportunity, acceptance and stature. If the colour of Obama's skin sways some of the black voters to stand behind him, it probbaly would not be the post pragmatic reason to lend their support. But i don't think it's racist either.

BenjAii

I would say Benedict that when an oppressed minority support themselves it cannot be equated the wrongs done them historically by the majority. They are two fundamentally different impulses.

So an Obama victory won't be a victory for racism, just another nail in its coffin.

Hobbes

Benedict XVI wrote: »

It has been mentioned in a few threads here that the black vote will be mobilized and will register and vote in huge numbers for Obama because he is a black man running for president.

o_O''

Funny because someone was saying that due to racism that Obama will lose?

You mean he can't win on the platform he is running on? Now that is racist.


Oh and incidently, the black vote has nearly always gone to the democrats. So it wouldn't be anything to do with him being black.

irish_bob

geuro wrote: »

it would be a monumental, historical achievement for the first black person to become the president of the USA. Given the history of civil oppression and inequality for American blacks, i can imagine that they would feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction if a black man bvecomes president. It would be the final chapter in their struggle for social opportunity, acceptance and stature. If the colour of Obama's skin sways some of the black voters to stand behind him, it probbaly would not be the post pragmatic reason to lend their support. But i don't think it's racist either.

very well put if i may say so

KerranJast

Benedict XVI wrote: »

It has been mentioned in a few threads here that the black vote will be mobilized and will register and vote in huge numbers for Obama because he is a black man running for president.

If this happens and Obama wins as a result of a huge surge in the black vote then will it not confirm what everyone is saying, i.e. that racism is still a big problem in America

Blacks voting for Obama just because he is black is just a racist as white people not voting for him because he is black.

If you look at the demographic map of the US you'll see that the vast majority of Black voters live in urban areas in States like New York, California, Michigan, Texas etc. Most of those states were going Democrat anyway (California & New York) and the others are so big that it would take an 80% plus turnout of Black voters to turn around the inherently Republican leanings of those states (Texas). Obamas race will have some effect but not a huge one which is a good thing really because the contest should be about issues and ideas not racism on one hand or affirmative action on the other.

rowlandbrowner

IMO people assuming that there will be anything over a small fraction of black voters voting for Obama because “hey, he’s black too” and not based on an intelligent and informed decisions is a racist opinion. Most black Americans live in places and in conditions that Obamas policies would address problems in far more than McCains, similar to the way Clintons policies helped him commanded a high proportion of Black voters too… ow wait, no, maybe it was because he played the Sax.

Mal-Adjusted

well, most black people in america are pretty much demacrat anyway, aren't they?

it's a bit naive to think someone will vote for him just because of their skin colour. if anything...surley it's because of his polocies and issues. anyone (black & white) who will vote based only on race is probably too lavy to get off their ass and go to the voting station anyway.

Just my opinion:D

Victor

Benedict XVI wrote:

A Obama victory would confirm racism

Wouldn't such a victory also confirm sexism? The democrats have a very ppor record of running women for president.

turgon

Benedict XVI wrote: »

If this happens and Obama wins as a result of a huge surge in the black vote then will it not confirm what everyone is saying, i.e. that racism is still a big problem in America

So what is your solution: that blacks shouldn't vote for Obama even if they like his policies cause he is also black? That is racism.

Benedict XVI

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

well, most black people in america are pretty much demacrat anyway, aren't they?

it's a bit naive to think someone will vote for him just because of their skin colour. if anything...surley it's because of his polocies and issues. anyone (black & white) who will vote based only on race is probably too lavy to get off their ass and go to the voting station anyway.

Just my opinion:D

Of course there are black people that will only vote for Obama because he is black, there will be thousand who will only vote because he is in the race, they could not give a hoot about his policies.

turgon wrote: »

So what is your solution: that blacks shouldn't vote for Obama even if they like his policies cause he is also black? That is racism.

I am not offering a solution, it's just an observation.

From what I have observed so far it seem ok for blacks to vote for a black man because he is black but if a white man said he was voting for McCain because he was white he would be branded a F**king racist.

Mal-Adjusted

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Of course there are black people that will only vote for Obama because he is black, there will be thousand who will only vote because he is in the race, they could not give a hoot about his policies.

Ah, benny, you put too little faith in the american populace. they're not the loud, stupid, fat people that they're steriotyped as

Overheal

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

Ah, benny, you put too little faith in the american populace. they're not the loud, stupid, fat people that they're steriotyped as

U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

/crush a beercan on my face

Mal-Adjusted

Overheal wrote: »

U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

/crush a beercan on my face

ha ha! Brilliant!:pac::pac::D:pac::pac:

Still, would a loss for Obama be just as much racist as it would mean all the white men voted for Die Hard because he's a white guy?

Bottle_of_Smoke

AFAIK Blacks only make up 13% of American population

CPT. SURF

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Of course there are black people that will only vote for Obama because he is black, there will be thousand who will only vote because he is in the race, they could not give a hoot about his policies.

A racist assumption. In fact, this is practically the very definition of racism. Assuming that a person will act in a certain way or do a certain thing based on nothing other than the color of their skin.

Benedict XVI

CPT. SURF wrote: »

A racist assumption. In fact, this is practically the very definition of racism. Assuming that a person will act in a certain way or do a certain thing based on nothing other than the color of their skin.

So in that case all the people who will shout that racism is rife in America when Obama loses (i.e for electing a white man when there was also a black man in the race) can themselves be called racist for Assuming that a person did act in a certain way or did a certain thing based on nothing other than the color of their skin.

maryo'dee

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Of course there are black people that will only vote for Obama because he is black, there will be thousand who will only vote because he is in the race, they could not give a hoot about his policies.

the vast majority of people vote without giving a hoot about policies.
here in ireland the swing vote is always only about 20%. 80% of people are going to vote ff, fg or labour no matter what and never change over their whole life. they don't care about how good or bad the policies are.
I suspect its the same in the usa.

dave2pvd

CPT. SURF wrote: »

A racist assumption. In fact, this is practically the very definition of racism. Assuming that a person will act in a certain way or do a certain thing based on nothing other than the color of their skin.

Nevertheless, it's frequently true. There have been many radio and TV interviews with blacks who say they will vote Obama because he is black. I have had conversations with blacks who sometimes say as much - others admit they know folks who will vote the same way, for the same reason. More than anything, the polls bear this out. His percentage of the black vote is what? 80%? Can that be based on his policies alone? I think not.

Personally, I am going to vote for him. I think it would be great to have a black president. But that's not why I am voting for him.

Having said all of that, I can see why Obama is a huge source of pride to so many black Americans. Finally, here is a guy who has actually made it to nominee and is possibly on the cusp of the presidency. It only took 143 years after the 13th amendment was passed to happen, and 43 years after Jim Crow was eradicated.....

Craft25

a person votes entirely in their own personal interest, this is the whole basis of liberal democratic systems: to enable essentially selfish creatures to live together in an orderly peaceful society

it is in every single black persons interest to vote for obama as the symbolic significance of his election will lead to a huge increase in their opportunities and raise exponentially the heights to which they may aim in life

average whites on the other hand stand only to lose by voting mcCain, they have no skin based barriers at present so can only make choice on other factors.. essentially economic issues

therefore blacks arent voting to keep any group of people down, rather solely in their own / their childrens interests

zero_the_hero

It's a question of context. It's not racist for the same reasons that we would frown on the notion of "straight pride" or "masculinism".