The Gray Area Of Race And Politics
Were The Candidates Speaking To The NAACP, Or To White Voters?
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McCain Courts Black Voters
John McCain reached out to black voters during a speech to the NAACP, where he offered praise to Barack Obama for opening doors for African-Americans. Jeff Greenfield reports.
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Photo Essay
Barack Obama
A look at the life and meteoric rise of the president-elect.
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Photo Essay
John McCain
Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
John McCain spoke to the most venerable black organization in America today - with words of praise for the candidate he'll be tying to defeat.
Today at the NAACP Convention, McCain said: "Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing, for himself and his country, and I thank him for it."
But, when he talked about school choice and economic opportunity and conservative alternatives to liberal policies, was McCain really talking to black voters? Or was he talking to white voters who might be uneasy about voting against a black candidate?
Professor Michael Fauntroy of George Mason University shared his views: "Most of the moderate Republicans do not want to be associated or rather do not feel comfortable being associated with a party that is being known as hard right, so McCain in speaking to the NAACP helps to take off some of the edge."
And who was Barack Obama speaking to on Monday when he once again hit the theme of black responsibility?
"I know that nine little children didn't walk through a schoolhouse door in Little Rock so that we could stand by and let our children drop out of school and turn to gangs for the support they are not getting elsewhere in the community," Obama said.
Fauntroy says, "In speaking and using the tone that he, has I think what he's really doing is trying to reach out to independent white voters, whom he has been leaking recently to say, 'listen, I'm not this scary black guy that you have to worry about.'”
The idea that both candidates at an African-American event may be aiming at white voters; and our new poll shows sharp divisions between whites and blacks about the state of race relations and is more evidence of how incredibly tangled this whole area of race and politics is.
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See all 97 Commentshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE06O7lZuPo&NR=1
and also check out what Nader has to say in general. The more I see both major party candidates flip flopping and waffling, the better Nader looks. He''s the only candidate who is going to look out for the American people. Isn''t that what we want in a president??? And if you don''t want to vote for him because he might not win, ask yourself, "why?" Why shouldn''t he win? He''s the only one who has consistently, all his adult life, shown any concern for the American people. Just give it some thought, and open up your minds long enough to look at Nader''s platform. And his history and resume.
"The Gray Area Of Race And Politics"
Why does it have to be gray?
why not some other color?
Are you picking on the gray community?
your 4th Amendment soon you can kiss the rest goodbye thanks to the Dumb downed voters.
Obama=Idealist Pacifist
Now wait a Second Here......No picking on the Gray community...............
I RESEMBLE THAT !
I was surprised to hear Obama tell blacks to ''be more responsible''. Think he would be caught telling that to white voters? LOL. He can afford to lose a few black votes considering how many white votes he just picked up. I plan to vote for Obama, but that was pretty calculating of him. If I were Jesse Jackson I''d be p*****ssed. Talk about talking down to blacks!
McCain''s speech was just ''aww shucks, I admire Barack BECAUSE he''s black'': obviously calculated to impress a black audience.
How is that for a tie to muslims you hypocrit wide stance nutjobs?
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Posted by WogerWabbit at
Actually that was the CLinton campaign. The Republicans have not done one new attack that the Clintons didn''t do first. If you want to see racism, look no farther then Hill and Bill
Posted by jedi080808 at 09:39 PM
Oh? So I guess I didn''t hear Limbaugh say: "A woman or black man as President? This is still the United States isn''t it?"
That must have been Bill doing a Limbaugh voice over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcdnlNZg2iM
And NOT ONE OF YOU OBJECTED!
And you''re whining over a satirical cartoon...that basically tells it like it is with these Chicago goons!
Whatta bunch of hypocrites!!!
Listen you conservative fascist.
You don''t speak for liberals. You only speak for the animals and morons that comprise the Republican Party, OK?
Given that hypocrisy is considered an attribute in conservative circles and the the truth is a joke to you people you should probably stop embarrassing yourself with lectures on virtue - which you clearly know nothing a about.
Posted by WogerWabbit at 09:02 PM
Exactly. At the core of every republican is a hatred of minorities, other races (besides their own) and most of all - gay people.
The party that wouldn''t even exist at all anymore except for their platform of hating gay people and anyone who doesn''t subscribe to their particular brand of religion. These days, being a "conservative" has nothing to do with being conservative fiscally, it just means you hate minorities, love war, fetuses (until they are born) and have no sense of fiscal responsibility whatsoever. The last eight years have proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Not drill for oil offshore
Not drill for oil in ANWR
Have no new nuclear plants
Continue to rely on middle eastern and central
american oil
Bail out everybody that can''t pay their mortgage with govt assistance for all.
Enact govt mandated healthcare for everybody.
Posted by jumkey at 10:11 PM : Jul 16, 2008
Oh wait.....we live in AMERICA and it''s a democracy and not a Republic or Dictatorship. Sorry.
Vote for McCain if you gotta Brain.
the discovery
obma refusing to address it
obama being hounded to respond
finally he did
but he never apologized
and the RACE (pun intended) was on.
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Posted by fenner at
Race became a factory in South Carlina when Bill opened his big mouth. The Clintons started every bad rumor about Obama their is right now. Not the right~!~
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Posted by vancouverboo at 10:57 PM : Jul 16, 2008
It all depends on the rims they put on their car. That is typically a good barometer. I actually applaud Obama for telling the black race in this country what they need to hear. Until they start stressing a tighter knit family unit, education instead of materialistic ideals (gold, chains, shiny rims etc.) and until they aspire to be police officers, doctors and other upstanding people instead of athletes or rap stars they will reside in urban slums at the bottom of society.
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Posted by vancouverboo
Obama adressed this issue before. He said he has always considered himself black because that is how everyone sees him. He doesn''t look white, he looks black.
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Posted by BajaJohn1
Im sorry, but McCain gets it way worse then Obama does. I''m for Obama but the media is in love with him because he is black and a dem. Its major reverse racism. The late night shows rip on McCain every night for lots of things including his age. Obama gets off with little or no negative press.
Everyone is soooooooo sensative because he is black. People need to lighten up, also The drive by media is more in the tank for Obama then any polotician I have ever seen. Its crazy!!
True- it is a hard call to know the future- but from what I have gathered from all sources- it is that the future depends on experiance- at the bottom line -that education does count- and that people have to understand that qualifcations do matter when it comes to leading a country- if nothing else.
Either you have it or you don''t- saying you do- is not "getting it" Change is real when it comes from experiance in life. MAC has it.
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Posted by rp44_63
If you can turn Tenn blue you should be Obama''s campaign chair. Don''t think that will happen though. Don''t worry though, the Dem''s don''t need Tenn. this year. Obama will win this thing in a landslide
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Posted by piotrek21 at 11:03 PM : Jul 16, 2008
It started out as a republic but over the course of the last 2 centuries has slowly moved to becoming a Representative Democracy. Semantics to be sure, but I guess when I say "Republic", I think and mean China or Russia. They are much different than us and it''s amazing to me that all the liberal posters on this site haven''t moved there as it is absolute utopia for their insane ideals.
When i hear Barrack Hussein Obama,
I SAY NO.
Everyone is soooooooo sensative because he is black. People need to lighten up, also The drive by media is more in the tank for Obama then any polotician I have ever seen. Its crazy!!
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Posted by jedi080808
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Couldn''t disagree more....the media gives mccain a pass on every single mistake he makes, but blows everything out of proportion when it comes to Obama.
If your in your twenties and not a liberal you have no heart. If your in your 40''s and your not yet a Conservative, YOU HAVE NO BRAIN.
Truer words were never spoken.
Ah, another true republican posts.
It''s important to see Republicans for what they are.
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Posted by S_Temper
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Isn''t your cousin waiting to go out on a date with you hillbillie?
Posted by cold777 at 11:13 PM
Thats because you get your news from CBS and MSNBC and think that people like Keith Olberman are reporters. Olberman is a joke and is not a reporter, but a campaign/pollster for the democratic party. Obama has until recently gotten a free pass. He won''t win the election so there''s really nothing to worry about.
He has no policies and never gets to issues, but tells stories that parse well. He won''t be president ...sorry.
If your in your twenties and not a liberal you have no heart. If your in your 40''''s and your not yet a Conservative, YOU HAVE NO BRAIN.
Truer words were never spoken.
Posted by cold777 at 11:13 PM
Thats because you get your news from CBS and MSNBC and think that people like Keith Olberman are reporters. Olberman is a joke and is not a reporter, but a campaign/pollster for the democratic party. Obama has until recently gotten a free pass. He won''''t win the election so there''''s really nothing to worry about.
He has no policies and never gets to issues, but tells stories that parse well. He won''''t be president ...sorry.
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Posted by cbville70
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Shhhh.....if you get too agitated, your mommy will make you go to bed early today.
Posted by cold777 at 11:20 PM : Jul 16, 2008
Truer words were never spoken.
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Posted by cbville70 at 11:20 PM
Interestingly enough it was the so-called liberals of the 30s who stood up to the likes of Hitler and his people. Excerpt from the Holocaust Memorial Museum regarding liberal opposition to the Olympics in Berlin:
Many of the liberal and left-wing political groups that denounced Hitler''s fascist dictatorship linked their opposition to the Berlin Olympics with the wider economic boycott of Germany.
Posted by cold777 at 11:20 PM : Jul 16, 2008
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Posted by cbville70
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So original.....
Posted by BajaJohn1
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It''s your call of course, but I have no problem letting the entire world know what a typical republican is...
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So original.....
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Posted by cold777 at 11:23 PM : Jul 16, 2008
Thanks now go to bed like mommy said!
Vote for McCain, because he doesn''t go to racist churches for 20 years.
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So original.....
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Posted by cold777 at 11:23 PM : Jul 16, 2008
Thanks now go to bed like mommy said!
Vote for McCain, because he doesn''''t go to racist churches for 20 years.
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Posted by cbville70
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cbville70=fascist toe-tapper
You ARE blind or stupid or perhaps BOTH!!!!
Opening up drilling sites - WILL TAKE AT LEAST 10 YRS
Uh sorry there but it would take considerably less than 10 years my friend.
BHO is on the record as being against nuclear power.
I apologize for your lack of inteligence.
It looks like you figured out which button turns the CAPS ON THOUGH! Good job.
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