Did you ever hear the old white folks and their fear on NPR before the election?

[PretzelWarrior]

Oh. My. God. It was a group discussion moderated by Neil Conan or someone about how everyone is reacting to the very real possibility that Barack Obama will be elected president in a few days.

They interviewed some older men and women from places like Iowa and Kansas and Ohio. These women had some kind of outrageous fear that 'if the blacks get the power, they're gonna take it out on all us white folks'.

That is the irony of people like them who charge liberals championing causes of minorities as suffering from "white guilt". That is their projection because despite their statements and outward expressions, they have deep seated guilt over the way their world view continues to support oppression of minorities. Kind of a manifest destiny for white people that we don't have to try as hard in life--we just naturally get the benefits of whiteness in this country.

Well, that same flock of sheeple are starting to go to these town hall meetings. They are afraid of black power. They are afraid of this black guy as president and what that's gonna mean for them. Throw in the fear that this whole bank and health care "socialism" is gonna take away their savings and take away their Medicare and/or social security, and you've got some really motivated, fear ravaged citizens blowing their stack.

The really sad part is the insurance companies and other disgusting death merchants who make billions on the backs of suffering Americans are laughing over power lunches about how these useful idiots are awesome foot soldiers in their bid to slow President Obama and the Democratic agenda down.

[BlooInBloo]

1. I heard it on NPR all the time during the primaries.

[PretzelWarrior]

2. I'm sure I'm getting unrec'd already because of who I am

and not because someone has read the entire post. Cool.

[KansDem]

3. NPR is enabling this kind of thought...

Just this morning, NPR ran as its first "Morning Edition" piece a report on the townhall disruptions. And it used an event "20 years ago" to illustrate how this had been done before when Rep. Rostankowski was confronted with senior citizens about some change in the Medicare law (remember when Rostankowski was "caught" in his car surrounded by senior citizens?). NPR replayed a recording of that confrontation including interviews with a woman who was there. I kept thinking, "Yeah, but what does this have to do with the interruptions today? They're two completely different things!" But NPR left us with the impression that this kind of thing has happened before just as it's happening now, and that it's successful because the part of the Medicare law that was changed was repealed a couple of years later... :shrug:

Overall, it was a slipshod piece of "reporting."

[PretzelWarrior]

4. I don't trust NPR's agenda quite often. Straight news I can handle

but when it gets into this "lets sit around and discuss the issues" they have a slant I am often not pleased with.

However, Car Talk is awesome.

[a kennedy]

11. that Neal Conan is a hack......

and I do give to my local Wisconsin Public Radio.....they're great.

[KansDem]

15. What really turn me off NPR was the campaign of 2000

One morning, Cokie Roberts came on with a "report" on the "Bush Charm Offensive." That's right! She "reported" on how Bush, if elected, would go to DC and get things done because he was "charming, oh, so charming." :puke:

And he liked to give nicknames, too. :puke::puke:

[bullwinkle428]

5. Yep - I heard the same report and was equally disgusted. Not ONE

mention of the corporate puppetmasters orchestrating these disruptions!

[Just-plain-Kathy]

14. People don't want to believe in conspiracy theories like Corporate America taking us down.

We can't even talk about conspiracy theories here at the DU.

[uponit7771]

6. Yeap, it's hard for me to donate to them if when this happens

[bullwinkle428]

7. Just last week, NPR was interviewing people in a town in Virginia

where the President was appearing for a health care town hall.

One guy...this was priceless...happened to be unemployed and receiving disability, and his kids were insured through the state's version of Medicaid, was crying about the notion of health care reform.

His claim was that it was a secret plot to take more money away from people like him, and giving to minorities and illegal aliens!!!!

[DrDan]

8. yeah - it is a darned good thing that the young in this country

are unilaterally united in the quest to end racism. And you can rest assured that youth would NEVER spout the lies of "socialism" and its dangerous undertows.

[PretzelWarrior]

9. sorry..but the numbers are quite solid. young aren't impervious to the influence of racism

but if you look at bigotry around race, sexual orientation, etc. it is clear a lot more young people have no hang ups about all that then their older counterparts.

[DrDan]

10. well - I would suggest that there is a strong strain of racism found in

most right wing orgs where youth reigns - military, etc. Listen to the callers on inSanity's show - many young calling in and clearly racist in their views.

I am not arguing that there may be more by percentage among the older citizens. But to suggest that racism is pretty much limited to older seniors just seems wrong based on my experience.

How about some real numbers in support of your argument.

[PretzelWarrior]

13. p.s. not saying there's no racism among young people. hardly.

the intent of singling out old people was primarily making a correlation between that group's fears prior to Obama's election and the ones of that group who are predominantly making the most noise at these manufactured "2 minutes of hate" sessions.

I don't have comprehensive stats, but just looking at the breakdown by age group of who voted for Obama vs. McCain and age group breakdown of who is okay with gay marriage and who isn't should make the point.

[DrDan]

16. but how were these groups targeted - or selected

the GOP wanted to make a point - and that point was made with seniors. To have a mob of youth arguing against an "end-of-life" counselor loses its impact. Lets face it - they were drafted based on their available time to protest, their interest in the future of healthcare (lets face it, more at stake here with seniors than with healthy youth - hence more emotion), the tendency to actually get out and vote (and therefore more impact with legistlators), etc.

And your basis for the "group's fearsprior to Obama's election" was based on a couple of NPR programs that you happened to listen to? I am sure you would agree that does not lend itself to a sound statistical conclusion.

How about the stats by age and feelings toward gay marriage and their voting preferences? Not just age and voting or feelings toward gay marriage and voting.

[rebel with a cause]

18. Having lived and worked in a University town

I can readily disagree with you. Many of the young people from this region and those attending the University are very conservative and/or racist. The liberals that I knew are equally found amoung the young and old. The political/racial values are based more on the person's personal ideals than on their age group. JMHO

[MADem]

12. There are all sorts of useful idiots. They come in all colors, and they're "used" by greedy

bastards who want their own way. They trade in fear.

What are people afraid of? Black people achieving power? White people putting multi-colered people down? Gays getting married and taking all of "their" benefits? Brown people taking all their "jerbs?" Having to wait in line for a doctor who one day just might give you a "big shot" like your old dog Blue?

They'll exploit it if they can. Any way they can.

[flyarm]

17. yes i did happen to hear it before the election on NPR..did you not?