It's not about race

[emilyg]

HomeDiariesBreaking BlueE-Wire 2008It's Not About Race
by TexasDarlin, Tue May 13, 2008 at 08:03:28 PM EST
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/5/13/20328/3717


It's all over the blogosphere, the cable TV shows, the newspapers, it's tonight's top talking point from Obama surrogates.

It's Obama's rationale: Defeats in West Virginia (and Kentucky next week) are because those white folks got a problem voting for a black man.

But, sorry, that's wrong. Not only is it wrong, it's hugely offensive to fair-minded white people. That's right, most "hillbillies" and southern folk do not discriminate. Imagine how all those white people who voted for Hillary Clinton today feel having their votes explained away due to racism. It's not going to help in November if Obama is the nominee, that much is for sure.

I just saw a FOX News exit poll statistic that 77% of the people in West Virginia said race was NOT a factor in their

[gabeana]

1. ever hear of the Bradly effect

Yeah I trust that 77%
I guess that southern strategy was just my imagination

[bigtree]

2. people responding to just that one poll, in that one state

. . . are lying?

The rest, which support whatever view you hold, I suppose, are accurate and credible?

[gabeana]

8. avoid what I Presented

what is the Bradley effect and the southern strategy that plays right into WV? come on answer

[dsc]

13. actually that isn't the Bradley affect

the Bradley affect was people saying they would vote for Bradley when they didn't. When the polls have been wrong they have underestimated Hillary's vote not overestimated Barack's.

[gabeana]

17. what polls? because Poll outfit like SUSA overestimate

Hillary and under Obama, Zogby is reverse
and the Bradley affect has become synonymous with not telling ones true feelings on a black candidate as not to be viewed as racist

as to your statement on polls go to real clear politics, look at all the races overall the majority overestimate hillary

[dsc]

21. and again, that isn't the Bradley affect

it is a very specific affect which would lead to an overestimation of Obama's support. That hasn't happened in any state from what I can tell.

[doc03]

3. Gee I saw black folks in the audience when Hillary

made here speech tonight. Are they racists too?:popcorn:

[Kittycat]

4. MyDD is not a legitmate source for anything.

Just sayin'

[emilyg]

9. Unless it's a pro-Obama article. Right?

[Kittycat]

12. That has nothing to do with it.

Race hate, RW talking points research & support of people like Hannity, O'Lielly, et al - makes it so.

[DAGDA56]

5. Then what do you believe WAS the factor...I'm not disagreeing with you...

...I just want to know what made such an overwhelming number of people in a particular place vote for a particular person. Were they aware that their vote would probably not change the ultimate outcome?

[GrpCaptMandrake]

6. I wish you were right

Exit polling here in West Virginia reveals that 20% of the white voters who voted for Hillary did so because she's white.

I wish it was otherwise.

I'm a West Virginian and I'm about on the verge of vomitting. 20% of West Virginians voted for Hillary because of the color of her skin.

Damn. Just, DAMN.

I'm so ashamed.

[aquarius dawning]

15. Is it about race when Black people vote for Obama?

[doc03]

19. No that's different, only Obama supporters

can call people racists. If we had say Edwards and Hillary running and no Obama I am sure neither one would have received 95% of the black vote. But when Obama carries 95% of the black vote race has nothing to do with it. I'm sure Hillary isn't getting 95% of the female or the white vote, so who is showing the most racism here?

[GrpCaptMandrake]

20. I hold ANYONE in contempt

who votes for a person based on skin color. That's not racism, that's STUPIDITY.

But to answer your question more precisely, yes, there's a difference. When white people, especially here in a state that's almost lilly-white, vote on skin color it carries all the freight of 400 years of bigotry and hatred. It's not like whitebread West Virginians have a legacy of great government by white folks compared to bad government by black politicians to fall back on. That 20%? Those are votes based on fear that, in turn, is grounded in the worst of our nation's history.

By the way: what happened to the half of Obama that's white? Just curious.

[lisa58]

7. feel better?

[William769]

10. It's always been about race,

Its just some people here will admit it and a whole lot won't. I for one welcome a race about race.

[iamthebandfanman]

11. i bet 77% of republicans say iraq was a good idea

does that make it true?


of course people arent going to say they are a racist. gees.

[Hansel]

14. It's about Bill.

If WV has one of the lowest average incomes in the US and they remember that things were much better under Bill Clinton, wouldn't you think that Hillary being married to him might factor into it? Exit polls seem to imply that Bill factored into their decision to vote for Hillary. I think financial security is also the reason that such a high percentage of seniors vote for her. They just like the idea of Bill being back. I believe this because at one point I was supporting Hillary because I wanted Bill back at the reigns and that is the ONLY reason.

Even though there is probably a small percentage that would not vote for a black man, I don't think that accounts for the bulk of the gap.

[pinkpops]

16. Clinton's words:

"You know, there was just an AP article posted that found how Senator Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans is weakening again and how the whites in both states (Indiana and North Carolina) who had not completed college were supporting me and in independents, I was running even with him and doing even better with Democratic-leaning independents. I have a much broader base to build a winning coaltion on."

[Occam Bandage]

18. Okay. Will you say the same about Obama's margins among blacks?