Racists For Obama?

Politico: Obama Coalition Appears To Include Whites With Negative Views Of African Americans

(The Politico)  This story was written by Ben Smith.

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New polling and a trickle of stories from the battleground states suggest that Sen. Barack Obama's coalition includes one unlikely group: white voters with negative views of African Americans.

Race has become the elephant in the room of the 2008 presidential campaign, with Obama’s prospect of becoming the first black president drawing some Americans closer to him while pushing others away. At times, the contest has slipped into a familiar dynamic of allegations of racism and outraged denial - but it's also challenged some easy assumptions about race, racism and prejudice.

“What you see is it’s perfectly possible to hold a negative view of at least one aspect of African Americans and yet simultaneously prefer Obama,” said Charles Franklin, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "Racial feelings are not as cut and dried - not as black and white - as people often say."

Franklin explored those contradictions in a large, national survey taken in mid-September, when the Illinois Democratic senator's rival, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), led in many polls and the nation’s economic woes had not yet produced a deep crisis. The poll asked voters whether they agreed with the statement that "African Americans often use race as an excuse to justify wrongdoing." About a fifth of white voters said they "strongly agreed." Yet among those who agreed, 23 percent said they’d be supporting Obama.

"This result is reasonable if you believe that race is not as monolithic an effect as we might easily assume," Franklin said, noting that 22 percent of those who "strongly disagreed" said they'd be supporting McCain.

Anecdotes from across the battlegrounds suggest that there’s a significant minority of prejudiced white voters who will swallow hard and vote for the black man.

"I wouldn’t want a mixed marriage for my daughter, but I’m voting for Obama," the wife of a retired Virginia coal miner, Sharon Fleming, told the Los Angeles Times recently.

One Obama volunteer told Politico after canvassing the working-class white Philadelphia neighborhood of Fishtown recently, "I was blown away by the outright racism, but these folks are … undecided. They would call him a [racial epithet] and mention how they don't know what to do because of the economy."

The notion that there might be "racists for Obama," as one Democrat called them, comes against the backdrop of a country whose white voters largely accept the notion of a black president.

"The economy is trumping racism," said Kurt Schmoke, the dean of Howard University Law School and a former Baltimore mayor. "A lot of people who we might think wouldn’t vote their pocketbook because of race - now they are."

"If you go to a white neighborhood in the suburbs and ask them, 'How would you feel about a large black man kicking your door in,' they would say, 'That doesn’t sound good to me,'" said Democratic political consultant Paul Begala. "But if you say, 'Your house is on fire, and the firefighter happens to be black,' it’s a different situation.

"The house is on fire, and one guy seems like he’s calm and confident and in charge, and that’s the only option," he said.

That is, in less dramatic terms, more or less the campaign’s official talking point, a version of the longtime Democratic hope that class will - or at least should - matter more than race.

"Voters are less interested in the hot button and are more interested in the cooling economy," said Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), an Obama ally who is as on-message as his father is off.

But other, more nuanced, questions of race are also in play.

One senior congressional Democrat mused about prejudice among his own supporters. "They’ve all got one black friend,” he said, “and they won’t stop talking about their black friend."

"That's Obama," he said.

And some argue that elements of Obama’s story and persona make him specifically acceptable to voters who hold broadly negative views of African Americans.

"Not all whites associate the generic African American with Obama," said Ron Walters, a longtime student of race and politics and aide to the senior Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns. "They give him credit for having half a Caucasian ancestry, and give him credit for his education, and give him credit for his obvious ability to take complex subjects and parse them."

The geography of racial conflict and tolerance has been a strong overlay of the electoral map. Obama has run better than past Democrats in prosperous states with little history of tension, such as Colorado and Iowa, and worse in working-class states in the Appalachian belt. His campaign has been structured around this dynamic and may actually have overestimated the number of white Democrats in the region unwilling to vote for him because of his race. Obama had ignored West Virginia, for instance, until a spate of positive polls prompted him to start advertising there this week.

Obama has also ignored Southern states with a history of deep racial division, from Arkansas to Missisissippi, in favor of those that have seen an influx of new voters from the north -  Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.

Until this fall, both campaigns viewed Michigan - a heavily Democratic state, but one with a history of tension between Detroit and its white suburbs - as Obama’s Achilles’ heel. In 2006, the state was deeply divided by a referendum to ban affirmative action. The measure was opposed by most African-American voters as an assault on hard-won gains, but it won broad support among whites and passed by a double-digit margin.

But earlier this month, McCain gave up the state for lost as economic concerns appear to have trumped racial ones.

"Obama’s personality - his speech, his look - he provides [white voters] with a non-threatening way to move forward on this issue, and that’s a very positive development," said David Waymire, who led the unsuccessful opposition to the anti-affirmative action initiative. "He is not Kwame Kilpatrick," he said, referring to the Detroit mayor who resigned last month after pleading guilty in a sex and misconduct scandal.

For black observers of American politics in particular, Obama’s ability to win over voters who harbor negative views of African Americans at large is a complex, but hopeful, sign.

"I didn't think the election itself is necessarily going to transport a lot of people, but I’ve been changing my view on that a bit lately," said Walters. "I’ve been in personal circumstances where I said to myself, 'I wonder if this person sees me differently because a black person is about to be the president of the United States?'"

[shadejford]

"98%of white America will vote for McCain because he''s white?" What evidence have you used to arrive to this conclusion,moso 333?

[moso333]

Mlind52, 98% of white america will vote for mcCain because he''s white, and I don''t see you saying anything about that. Also, many are questioning Powell, asking if he''s backing O''Bama because he''s Black. I don''t see ANYONE asking mcCain if all his high-powered backers are voting for him because he''s white. People say that O''Bama would not be where he is if he weren''t Black; but I beg to differ: He should be further ahead, but has lost votes to racists, and people who lack confidence in him because he''s Black. Don''t be so narrow-minded. Be open to change, because although i don''t support McCain, if he wins he''ll need my support and he''ll have it. You see, as an African-American, I haven''t had a choice, the world was white, and we were second-class citizens. You had choices, but I had to accept what was there,read white newspapers, magazines, television shows, etc. No diversity. I realize that it will be harder for you because you''re used to everything being and looking like you. I guarantee you that I''m voting on issues, and not color. If McCain believed in what I believe in, then I''d have no problem voting for him, as the two percent of Blacks are. There''s something not right with the Republican party when there''s no diversity, and most important, the candidates are NOT reaching out to a more diverse audience, and seem to put down people and incite hate at their "KKK"-like rallies. You must open your eyes, and take a good look at that Mlind 52. Come down from the clouds, with love.

[parrots121]

There is just way to much evidence pointing in that direction.
Posted by hbevis at 02:02 PM : Oct 19, 2008


You gotta be an Imbecile .... even McCain told you to stop this nonsense. Dumb Repug !

[actornaught]

I have voted for black candidates, one of them is named Barrack Obama...
Posted by mlind52 at 04:03 PM : Oct 19, 2008

Imagine that, a dishonest politician. I accepted the lies long ago, it''s in their job description, and there''s actually good reasons for it. So voters pick their poison. The neocon/reagan/gingrich/rove experiment in mix&match self-serving political "theories" MUST come to an end. I''m easily willing to give control back to the dems now, expecially since they''ve consistently showed much more fiscal responsibility.

And further on dishonesty, you voted for someone when you can''t even spell his name?

[mlind52]

To actornaught: I have voted for black candidates, one of them is named Barrack Obama, and he promised all kinds of things for the state of Illinois. I believed him, especially what he proposed to do for education, guess what? promises were not fullfilled, he had bigger agenda, apparently he thought after two years in the senate he was ready to lead a whole country, forgot about the promises he made to us, but now he is making more of them, he may be inspiritional, and I fell for it once, but not twice. I''ll get my inspiration on Sunday from my church, we need action and solutions, not preaching from the president.

[actornaught]

Posted by mlind52 at 03:55 PM : Oct 19, 2008

I''m sure you know the explanation to this, so the only conclusion is you''re distracting people with idiot points. Otherwise, there''s a whole loooong list such gaffes from John. Should we go there?

[mlind52]

Yes, phantasek, it also might be a good idea for Obama, who knows constitutional law, to know that there are 50 states, not 57. Hmm makes ya wonder doesn''t it, how he got into Harvard...but there seems to a mystery to that as well.

[actornaught]

I am confused, 95 percent of the black voters are for Obama, and that is not racism?...
Posted by mlind52 at 03:44 PM : Oct 19, 2008

Nope, it''s discrimination. Think about it. Refusing to vote for someone just because of their race is racism. Voting FOR someone because of race is discrimination. Try not to let hate radio non-logic be such a challenge to decency.

Blacks have always voted for whites. Have you ever voted for a black guy?

[mlind52]

I am confused, 95 percent of the black voters are for Obama, and that is not racism? I am sick of being called a racist, because I am not for Obama, I am tired of the double standard. Do not vote for change just for the sake of change, that could be catastrophic

[sbelknap01]

for ajk: Bumper Sticker: Rapture is not an exit strategy.

[actornaught]

ALL BLACKS ARE...
Posted by texreport at 03:06 PM : Oct 19, 2008

I realize this''s been popularized lately for the neo-conned. It''s part of the hate radio racist apologist''s comedy routines.

BUT, just to reinforce what most people reading this blog will know anyway, YOU are a POS, and your post verifies what i''m saying about pandering rationalizations to dirtbag racists such as yourself.

And to further make a point for the more intelligent among us, blacks have been voting for whites since the beginning.

[wevehadenuf]

""People are going to believe what they want to believe.
Some are so desperate for change that they will vote for anyone to get that change.
Obama is a Muslim and there is not way to get around that point. And there is a very good chance that he was not born in any part of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

There is just way to much evidence pointing in that direction. "


This must be the incoherent crazy hair lady from the rally who called Obama an "Arab." Yeah evidence like Obama being a vetted U.S. Senator. Please do us a favor and re-take 5th grade Social Studies.

[wevehadenuf]

Most people are prejudice in some way. Bottom line is that smart people will vote for Obama. Because your economic well-being is more important to you than you intolerance and prejudice thinking. It''s hard to believe there are racist people out there who would rather not afford groceries, not have healthcare, and not want to see their kids go to college because they don''t want to vote for a black president. Safety is another factor. The rest of the world will look more favorably on our country with Obama. We really can''t afford more wars. Go ahead and vote for another 4 years of George Bush and watch your hopes and dreams go down the toilet. This is the kick in the as* America has needed for some time, the only thing that will get us to change for the better.

[phantastek]

It will be nice to see Obama in the White House, if for no other reason than he has actually read the Constitution. When a president swears to defend something, wouldn''t it be nice to know he has read it and understands it??? I think it should be a requirement for presidential candidates that they take Constitutional Law before running for office. Oh, and that they vet their VP picks properly.

[hbevis]

People are going to believe what they want to believe.
Some are so desperate for change that they will vote for anyone to get that change.
Obama is a Muslim and there is not way to get around that point. And there is a very good chance that he was not born in any part of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

There is just way to much evidence pointing in that direction.

[hbevis]

People are going to believe what they want to believe.
Some are so desperate for change that they will vote for anyone to get that change.
Obama is a Muslim and there is not way to get around that point. And there is a very good chance that he was not born in any part of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

There is just way to much evidence pointing in that direction.

[hbevis]

w

[actornaught]

....white supremacists voting for Obama ---
Posted by psy_war at 12:25 PM : Oct 19, 2008

Who said that? Stick with your point about low IQ types shifting their vote, as the article suggests. As for KKK types, well, not worth mentioning.

[preed1962]

Remember, your boss is smarter then you? Please, give me a break!
Remember Obama is smarter then McCain. This is the ony thing I will be thinking on election day.
Having trouble ignoring skin color? Just repeat after me "President PALIN". Nuff said.

[gohan31]

to the prejudiced American, Barack is going to end affirmative action and minority preferences because its the wrong solution. Rightfully so I might add, sitting next to white skin didn''t make me smart. Hard work did.