Comment

Comment by warreno on August 21, 2008 at 12:55pm

Okay, these are some good points. You're right about the misperception of the parties; it's the Republicans themselves who have painted Dems as tax-and-spend, and Repubs as the tough kids who beat back the bad guys of the world. They've had the megaphone for so many years, and the Dems are so terrible at counterpropaganda, that they've basically guaranteed the persistence of that stereotype.

I'm not so sure about the media coverage of racism, though. While it's easy to target egregious examples, there are lower-key forms which, if they're mentioned at all, tend to be buried deep in the article.

I agree that issues are more significant, and are being largely overlooked. If that discussion wee had, there probably wouldn't be a dead heat right now. I'm not really sure what the rationale is, apart from the artificial extension of coverage being good for their commercial sponsors.

Comment by IsThatLatin on August 21, 2008 at 12:36pm

While I will acknowledge that racism clearly exists, I see no evidence that it's racism, specifically, that is single-handedly keeping Obama tied with McCain in the polls. I don't think there is a 'seething, subtle' racism in 'White America.' There is definitely a subtle racism, even amongst those who do not believe they are racist and genuinely mean well. I myself come from an interracial family and have (a number of times) found myself relfexively having thoughts or ideas that some might consider racist. It's as big a shock to me as to anyone and it can only be explained by a certain societal conditioning that we're all subjected to. It's not inherent in us, but we have, over generations, built it into our society.

That being said, to say that race is the issue is ignoring a plethora of other issues. There's a lot at stake in this election. Like with racism, there are deep seated perceptions of both parties that, it seems, no amount of education is going to eradicate before November. People still seem to think that Dems will raise your taxes and Republicans are good with foreign policy and security. Nothing could be further from the truth, but for some stupid reason, people fall back on those sterotypes. There's also the whole kerfuffle with Hilary--that's alienated some Dems. There are problems with the economy; there are bullshit social issues.

You said that 'the major news outlets refuse to face this reality; they want it to be about issues.' To me, nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, when racism rears its subtle or misconstrued head, the media jumps on it like maniacs, then they beat it into the ground in the most fluffy and unproductive way they can think of. Then they get back to covering political strategy, not the issues. In fact, I rarely turn on the tv and hear them talk about issues, which is why, I'm sure, America is still stubbornly stuck in their party stereotypes--they just don't know any better because the media covers it so badly. That, to me, makes more sense than the racism.

Comment by warreno on August 21, 2008 at 10:16am

While I appreciate that, I wonder at the implicit tone of defensiveness I think I'm reading here. Do you have an alternate suggestion that explains the neck-and-neck nature of an election that shouldn't even be in contention?

Comment by Mark on August 20, 2008 at 7:24pm

Then maybe it's not such a good idea to be saying that "reality points to an ugly, inner truth." All you have here is speculation.

Comment by warreno on August 20, 2008 at 7:04pm

To be fair I don't really know; but it's about the only thing I can think of that explains what the poll numbers seem to say.

Comment by Mark on August 20, 2008 at 7:01pm

How do you know?

Comment by warreno on August 20, 2008 at 2:13pm

This isn't meant to be gratuitous. There is a seething, subtle racism in white America, and unless we're willing to face the fact that Obama's presidential bid is threatened by it, we'll never be able to deal with or expunge it.

What's holding him back is the mass of Americans that use the phrase "the n-word". What's holding him back is white America's fear of what a black president might represent. Had Hillary Clinton got the nod, we'd be having precisely the same discussion about her vagina, in exactly the same careful way we are now about Obama's skin color.

The major news outlets refuse to face this reality; they want it to be about issues. But the reason the polls show Obama and McCain in a dead heat is about nothing more nor less than racism.

Atheism has nothing to do with racial slurs; it's all about facing reality with fearlessness, even when that reality points to an ugly, inner truth. Especially then. And as long as we ignore our racist past and present, we'll never be free of it.

The fact is that Obama is threatened by all the "n-word" hating white quasi-liberals out there. And if we don't figure that out and face it, McCain will win, and the US will be plunged into at least four more years of intolerable madness.

Comment by LogicalMind on August 20, 2008 at 10:16am

WTF is wrong with you??????