AFP: Does Obama ease or worsen US race relations?

[Kadie]

Does Obama ease or worsen US race relations?

by Mira Oberman Mira Oberman – 1 hr 58 mins ago

CHICAGO (AFP) – Nearly a year after Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, the euphoria that prompted pundits to proclaim a post racial society has been dampened by the reality of rising tensions.

Several prominent white preachers have urged followers to pray for Obama's death. Hate groups are growing. And a wave of anger-charged protests of Obama's domestic policies has set people on edge.

"It's quite scary out there," said Mark Potok, who investigates hate groups with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

"There's a lot of anger. A lot of guns. A lot of hateful ideology in a kind of witch's brew that could well give rise to domestic terrorism."

There has been a sharp uptick in hate crimes in the wake of Obama's November 4 victory, Potok said, such as the man with a swastika carved into his forehead who shot three black immigrants the day after Obama was inaugurated.

"What is remarkable about this reaction is the real desperation it reflects," Potok said of the extremists and white supremacists who feel marginalized by Obama's election.

"The truth is these people have lost. Nothing they can do will turn history around. This country is going to become a genuinely multiracial democracy and there's nothing they can do."


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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/uspoliticsobamaanniversaryracism

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Answer - neither.

Obama is not doing a damn thing but existing. It is the racists who are getting more active.

Yeah. I know. The headline is shorthand for 'Does the Obama presidency ease or worsen US race relations', but as written it makes the target of the hate the origin of the hate.

I hate that.

[sui generis]

2. A good thing is

this quote about racists and extremists:

"The truth is these people have lost. Nothing they can do will turn history around. This country is going to become a genuinely multiracial democracy and there's nothing they can do."

I will point out though that there were a disconcerting number of people who voted for Obama largely because he was black, which is as close minded as voting for someone because they are white.

I don't think it's about "race relations" - that soundbyte is from someone who is mono-cultural. It's about getting over our discomfort with change.

In the end it's about performance, pure and simple. I think everyone recognizes that the "extremists" with the most power to harm are mostly partisan, and not racial.

And "those people" lost a long time ago. You can't put toothpaste back in the tube, but you can sure make a mess trying to do so. You only try once, and that time was over some time ago.

[marmar]

3. "as close minded as voting for someone because they are white"

I agree to an extent ..... but it doesn't come from the same energy.

[sui generis]

4. agreed: one votes to keep away from change and the other for change.

I do believe most people voted mostly for the message, those that listened.

[jbnow]

7. Disconcerting number of people who voted for Obama because he was black?

You must mean the primaries because I'm not sure what extra votes he got for black in general election.
He didn't get a much higher percentage of blacks than any Democrat does but more of them made sure to get out and vote. He did much better with the young but I think his youth and message did that far more than his race.

In primary I think he got more of black vote than he would have if he were white. He started out way behind with them but gained support as his candidacy looked stronger. If you like both candidates a lot and think both would be good presidents that is likely the safest time to use race or gender or whatever variable. Clinton also got more women votes than she would have as a man...and in the general would have picked up more too.

Obama got a lot less of the white vote than he would have if he were white...both in the primary and the general

[sui generis]

8. good observations

Another good observation is that in the coffee / cream department "white" people could as easily have voted for Obama because he's "white" by any blind standard, self-identification notwithstanding.

The whole thing is silly to me - most pointedly, remember that Chappelle episode with the blind white supremacist who was black? It's not about skin color. It's about the ability to see skin color. ;)

[Igel]

11. It's a fair reading of the polls.

A decent percentage of people said that race made a difference in how they voted.

However, the percentage of people voting for Obama that said race mattered was far greater than the number of people who voted against Obama that said race mattered. And this was after factoring out non-European-Americans from the stats.

The distribution varied a bit across the country. In some places, those voting at least partially against his skin color outnumbered those who voted at least partially for his skin color. In other places those voting black outnumbered those voting anti-black or pro-white. Overall, those voting for Obama citing race outnumbered those voting against Obama citing race.

And, yes, the overall poll numbers overall matched the poll results. No sighting of the mythical Bradley effect.

[OHdem10]

5. Could it be simply, there are people who fear what has been referred

to as the "browning of America". A term describing the situation
occuring as more (especially Hispanics) become citizens and
have families here. There will be more minorities with darker
skin than white Americans.

Could it be that the election of Obama, and more and more people
who are not white. obtain positions of pouer, simply confirmed
in the mind of some that "browning of America" is upon them.
When I observed those women sobbing can screaming "we are going
to take our country back" this how I saw it. We have some people
who are gripped with fear as they struggle to believe that change
is taking place. A change which they never thought they would
live to see.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. I keep hoping that what we're seeing now

is like lancing a boil. In the end, getting the poison out is a good thing, but it's awful while it's happening.

Perhaps I'm overly optimistic.

[Zoeisright]

9. I hope you're right.

I never thought this country would have enough character to elect a black President, and I'm glad we did.

But I am appalled at the knuckle-dragging Repuke reaction and backlash since. All we can do is keep reporting the cretins to the FBI and Secret Service and hope the wingnuts die off faster than they are being replaced.

[Hansel]

10. Neither. His presidency has lanced a festering boil and now

everyone can quit pretending.