Racial Divide May Affect Election

AP-Yahoo News Poll Shows Troubled Race Relations May Cost Barack Obama The Election

(AP)  The Classic Creations barber shop sits empty, surrounded by drunks and shuttered storefronts just two blocks from the manicured lawns of Grosse Pointe Park. The contrast isn't lost on LaVar Anthony, a young barber who speaks in riddles of race, class and politics.

"What's already understood," he says without looking up from his Ebony magazine, "don't need to be explained."

But when it comes to race, what is understood? And what is misunderstood?

And how can it be that in 2008 - 143 years after slavery was abolished, decades after the civil rights movement - an AP-Yahoo News poll could find that racial misgivings could cost Sen. Barack Obama the election?

In search of explanations, two Associated Press reporters - one black, one white - listened to people of both races along Detroit's divides: Alter Road, which separates the city from the tony Grosse Pointes near Lake St. Clair, and 8 Mile Road, the vast northern border between a mostly black Detroit and its mostly white suburbs.

They found people of both races living just blocks apart who nonetheless spoke of each other like strangers. There was suspicion, contempt - and yet, for many, a desperate hope that Obama's candidacy might be the final step in America's long path to racial equality. For whites, their support of Democratic economic policies forces them to confront their racial prejudices.

It is here you meet decent people with much in common - both sides of 8 Mile Road are populated by blue-collar Democratic families. But many still can't get past their racial differences.


Whites say their neighbors consider blacks to be violent and solely responsible for problems in the black community.

Blacks say many of their own consider whites to be spoiled and condescending.

But nobody - well, hardly anybody - acknowledged their own prejudices. Both blacks and whites instead blamed "they," a vague and unaccountable surrogate for their own racial attitudes.

"They" are whites who say Obama is unqualified when they really mean he's black.

"They" are blacks who say all whites are bigots.

Anthony knows who "they" are.

"It's understood that there's still a lot of racism that goes on out there," the barber says with a nod out his window and a wisdom beyond his 30 years. "A lot of white people look down on blacks as being lazy or whatever."

Perched on a ragged leather barber chair closest to the door, his knees pulled to his chest, Anthony fixes his gaze on a white journalist visiting his shop. "The stereotype against whites is that they have all the advantages," he says. "They all look down on us. They're snobs."

[newslink]

Can you really judge the Election, on what these people say. The opinions of white people think that Blacks are violent. We feel the same way about whites, only we think that whites are thiefs, lazy and want to find loop holes. So we have so much in comman. So this may cost MCcain the Election. And this is from my assessment.

[khhammerle]

Obama''s biggest problems have nothing to do with the color of his skin. His socialist politics and questionable associates make him totally undesirable as President in my opinion. Skin color is just something used to justify bad positions on both sides.

[blackyowe]

Racism has effected every election, aaaaaaduh! There is not excuse to be anti-black in this day and age. It is pathetic and backward and VERY dangerous to America''s future! I am a white women and I am voting for Obama!

[dbaker13-2009]

we can only hope that left wing socilaist nut loses the election.

mccain/palin rock!

[minnick8-2009]

WHEN HE LOSES THE VOTE IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF AMERICA''''S INCURABLE DISEASE -- RACISM.IN THAT CASE,THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LOSE AND LOSE BEYOND OUR WILDEST IMAGINATION. THINK ABOUT IT.STICK AROUND -- YOU''''LL SEE.

Posted by miquiztli

There are some people who honestly and truthfully do not support the Democratic Party Platform. I just do NOT believe in the product the Dems are selling. The fact that they nominated Obama to carry their banner and uphold the platform has nothing to do with race. When voting in a presidential election, you don''t just vote for the candidate, you vote for the platform. I would feel the same way about the socialistic path the Dems want to take us no matter who they nominated for the presidential slot. I really get sick of hearing about the race card and how if the election is lost it will be because of all the bigoted Americans who just can''t vote for a 50 percent white man.

I suspect that the people who keep making those remarks are either on the west coast or the east coast and have no idea what the ideals are of middle America.

[minnick8-2009]

If anyone else can relate to the unfair reporting of Fox News I suggest that you join us in a boycott of this news station. PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG.

Posted by dicktracy200

I would like to know if any of what they have said is true. If it is true, then we will all be sorry if Obama is elected. However, in searching the net for the sources of the reporting, I haven''t found the sources. It would be nice if news agencies on the left or right would publish their sources along with their stories.

[dicktracy200]

I am writing this message to inform people of the injustice being perpretrated by Fox News against Barack Obama. For the past two weeks there has been nothing but negative reporting against senator Obama by the Fox News network, which is unfair to listeners and the candidate. This networks seemingly biased opinions are not of interest to us viewers. My concern is that negative reporting like this will influence voters that are undecided of which candidate best express their wishes. I depend on these news stations for fair, accurate and just reporting regardless of the outcome whether it be a debate or any other current event and if that cant be accomplished I feel that it is grounds for that station (Fox News network) to be boycotted until they learn and understand that those types of injustices will not be tolerated. If anyone else can relate to the unfair reporting of Fox News I suggest that you join us in a boycott of this news station. PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG.

[willubemyfrd]

OBAMA COMMITING TREASON
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/
2008/09/19/opinion/main4460105.shtml?sou
rce=RSSattr=Opinion_4460105

Thanks to reporting from Amir Taheri, the gist of which the Obama campaign has confirmed, we now know that while Obama is telling the American people he wants an end to the war, he has secretly negotiated with the government in Iraq to extend the U.S. military mission there. That is a black-and-white violation of federal criminal law.


Yet, during Obama%u2019s heralded trip to Baghdad in July, he asked Iraqi leaders to ignore Bush and delay resolving the legal status of our forces until next year - by which time the Senator hopes no longer to need a phony presidential seal.

Under the %u201CLogan Act%u201D (now codified at Section 953 of the federal penal code) it has been against the law since the late 18th century for U.S. citizens to carry on %u201Cintercourse with any foreign government%u201D that is aimed either %u201Cto defeat the measures of the United States%u201D or to influence the foreign government%u2019s dealings with the United States. Being a senator is no immunity from this statute - as any Republican senator would find out in a hurry if he dared to pull a stunt like this during an Obama administration.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW6lW8uD1ck&feature=related

[loyalto1]

This article is nothing more that a tactic to make you feel guilty if you don''t vote for Obama - its childs play.

[miquiztli-2009]

OBAMA CANNOT LOSE:I REPEAT:BARACK OBAMA CANNOT LOSE. WHEN HE LOSES THE VOTE IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF AMERICA''S INCURABLE DISEASE -- RACISM.IN THAT CASE,THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LOSE AND LOSE BEYOND OUR WILDEST IMAGINATION. THINK ABOUT IT.STICK AROUND -- YOU''LL SEE.