The Democrats try, but fail, to transcend race

[Herman Munster]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d84185f6-c1f6-11dc-8fba-0000779fd2ac.html

Barack Obama’s emphatic win in Iowa 10 days ago was widely portrayed as a historic moment in America’s political story. The fact that a black American could win in the overwhelmingly white state of Iowa was seen as a tipping point. But that may prove to be a premature – as well as historically glib – judgment of what took place.

First, it has happened before. Jesse Jackson, who was a much more overtly African-American candidate in 1988 than Mr Obama is now, won 11 primary elections in his ultimately losing bid for the Democratic nomination, including the largely white state of Vermont.

Others, notably Douglas Wilder, the first black governor of Virginia, which was headquarters to the Confederacy during the civil war, flirted with a presidential run in 1992. And in 1996, 80 per cent approval ratings suggested that the White House was Colin Powell’s for the asking. Mr Powell turned the offers down (but not because he believed his skin colour would prevent him from winning).

More importantly, though, the Iowa-breakthrough narrative has already been put into question by what has happened since then. Many attribute Hillary Clinton’s surprise comeback in New Hampshire last week to her emotional interlude in a diner, which some believe helped bring women voters out in droves the following day. Certainly Mrs Clinton won many more female votes in New Hampshire than Mr Obama (46 to 34 per cent) having lost that gender battle to him in Iowa five days earlier.

But a number of pollsters have put out a more disturbing explanation for why they got their New Hampshire forecasts so badly wrong: the so-called “Bradley effect”, named after Tom Bradley, an African-American Democrat who lost California’s gubernatorial race in 1982 after opinion polls showed him leading by a wide margin. A number of highly respected pollsters, including Andrew Kohut, head of the Pew Research Center, believe New Hampshire’s voters, too, may have said one thing and voted another.

[origin1286]

1. The Hillaryites try, and succeed, at racialization

Would be a more apt title.

[Mass]

2. But this is not noted in the exit polls, which show Obama winning white men.

[AGirl]

3. Obama is not black or white..hes bi racial... *sigh*

[Barack_America]

4. You've started 5 or more threads about race this weekend...

...would you consider yourself to be one of the Democrats that has "failed"? Think about it.

[tekisui]

5. Failed or fighting against us transcending?

[goldcanyonaz]

6. Is there something equivatlent to the Bradley effect for women?

[Proud2BAmurkin]

7. I would say Barack Obama's campaign failed, not Democrats eom

eom

[thunder rising]

8. The weight of voting is tremendous

You last and final thoughts are about all the candidates, then make your choice. Even people that know going in who they will vote for reflect on the decision.

Democrats will have to face their personal prejudices (and we have them) and the conversation will make people across America reflect. This is good, no matter who wins the primary and on to be the President.

The "race baiting", "gender baiting" and the answers that follow are instructive. I am not a perfect person, but I work at it. And, for me Obama is a great candidate. I'm tired of the division, and I just want peace now. Electing Obama would show the world that America is reborn and finished with the old characterization. The world is allying away from us, dollar is declining, our credit is bad, and we are in a war spending money we don't have. The world is waiting for us, pleading with us to change direction.

Be sure that we are so in debt that we need a brilliant negotiator to keep us solvent as a nation. If we re-elect an establishment President, the next four years may be very exciting.

[OHdem10]

9. TheRecords will show the first bit of Racial Discussion

was M. Eric Dyson, a promoter of Obama and frequent guest on Hardball.
Immediately after the Admission of Bad Polls , Dyson was on Hardball
pushing the idea of the Bradley Effect. (White Peole fibbing to pollsters
because they do not wish to admit they would not vote for an AfricanAmerican)

That very evening he was on AndersonCooper 360. Before it was over
he was making strong implications that Clintons' use race or in
other words Clinton's are racist.

Here is a sad truth , In SC when Race becomes the issue, it usally
harms the black if there is any fall out.

I have been blown out of my mind that no one including the Media
have ignored this.

[thunder rising]

10. Across the south race and gender will be an issue

And across America the same.

Having spent a few years 1969-1973 in southern Alabama I can tell you how it plays out.
Edwards is the great white hope.
Hillary is a woman and getting older and well you know.
Obama now he's an interesting fellow (no way in hell).

As you see in post above I support Obama. And the southern states will be a challenge. But you know what, I thought Iowa would choke. And for whatever reason is the truth behind the 2 point loss in NH, Obama is still in the hunt.

[hayu_lol]

11. Race issues are a matter that we all tend to tiptoe around...

not because the issue is real, but we generally do not like hurting people for such a trivial matter.

Years ago, I would have gladly voted for Shirley Chisholm. I admired her for being a fighter. We could use her today as House Speaker. And then, there was Barbara Jordan. Probably one of the great speakers of the last century. She would have made a dynamite President.

There are places in this nation where color is not important. There are people to whom color is not important. The reverse is also true.

Perhaps in this century, black kids will not feel the automatic sting of color problems from an early age. That they will be 'just plain kids' and can get on with their lives.