Rendell: Some Whites Won't Support Obama Because Of Race

The racial components of the 2008 Democratic Primary refuse to go away. On Tuesday, Gov. Ed Rendell, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter, told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that he believed some Pennsylvania voters would not support Barack Obama simply because of his race.

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," the Governor said, ironically, to a black reporter. "I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann [2006 Republican gubernatorial candidate] been the identical candidate that he was -- well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking -- but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so."

This is the second time in as many days that the topic of Obama's racial appeal (or, in Rendell's case, lack of biracial appeal) has been brought up by the Clinton campaign. Yesterday, the Senator herself suggested that Obama's weekend win in the Louisiana primary was the product of, primarily, the black vote.

"In the case of Louisiana," she said, "you know, a very strong and very proud African-American electorate, which I totally respect and understand."

Obama has, in his primary victories, picked up a vast majority of the black vote. But his margins among the white electorate have increased as well. In California, according to exit polls, he and Clinton were virtually tied among the later.

Comments

[bloomviews]

I live in PA in that conservative "T" between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. I am an avid Barack Obama supporter, and have been since his speech at the DNC. I have been equally offended by the Clinton campaign's thinly veiled racial slurs.

However, I think the criticism of Rendell's remark are way off base, when taken in the context of the full interview. It was balanced and fair, as a whole. Rendell knows his constituency.

Many of you are writing from urban centers. You don't have your finger on the pulse of these rural communities. Your knowledge is theoretical, not experiential. You have not seen the growing organizations of the "agents of intolerance" in the heartlands. You do not see the militia and tax protester groups trying to pawn themselves off as something other than what they are. You do not see how sophisticated they have become and how they are no longer isolated, thanks to the Internet.

You do not see their letter writing campaigns in the newspapers on a daily basis. You do not see the church groups organizing t-shirt campaigns. You do not see their rallies, because they aren't rallying where you live. You do not see the outside organizers moving into the communities. They are probably there in the cities where you live, but not up front and center like they are in the rural communities.

You know there is a nationalist movement because you read about it happening somewhere else. But it isn't in your personal space like it is in the heartland.

I live this every day and watch it growing with horror. I write and call national organizations, but no one comes to our aid. If they aren't burning crosses, they don't seem to care.

Ed Rendell knows what is going on in the counties outside of the urban areas. His comment was not meant to be racist. It came from a savvy politician who knows the elements operating within his state. It isn't an issue so much for the primary, but it certainly is for the general election.

[PhDcommonsense]

The problem as I see it with most of the people who want to see Bill and Hillary back in the White House so bad is that they forget that they are not privately speaking in a backroom or privately to others who think like them.
So when they do speak out because they want her to win so badly, they have to extricate their feet out of their mouths. Then we have an avalanche of Commenters on the various web sites trying to assure people that they are not racists or using racists remarks depending on who you are for. I say people should stop trying to defend people who are so zealous about their candidates that they will say anything.

What is striking is that most of these outrageous remarks seem to be comming from the Clinton Camp Surrogates, or maybe it just seems that way?

It appears, that the young people have figured it out and the old guard has not. For the most part, the country has moved on and I say Hooray for that!!

[PhDcommonsense]

The problem as I see it with most of the people who want to see Bill and Hillary back in the White House so bad is that they forget that they are not privately speaking in a backroom or privately to others who think like them.
So when they do speak out because they want her to win so badly, they have to extricate their feet out of their mouths. Then we have an avalanche of Commenters on the various web sites trying to assure people that they are not racists or using racists remarks depending on who you are for. I say people should stop trying to defend people who are so zealous about their candidates that they will say anything.
What is striking is that most of these outrageous remarks seem to be comming from the Clinton Camp Surrogates, or maybe it just seems that way?
It appears, that the young people have figured it out and the old guard has not. For the most part, the country has moved on and I say Hooray for that!!

[cynara]

My theory, he's secretly rooting for Obama. Why else would he say something so brash that can only make Hillary's supporters look bad?

[Lisette]

Hey Ed,
And, some whites aren't ready to vote Republican because of RACE-ism.

[Ginzaman]

I had a feeling that this was going to happen. And now I'm right.

Rightly so, a qualified person of color as President would be awesome in many ways. Now, reality:

The white power elite will never allow a person of color as President.

Now that it looks like Obama will get the nomination, his supporters have to get past the honeymmon phase and decide: do I really believe that Obama (a person of color) is the best person to be President?

If it comes down to Obama vs. McCain, who will people go for? McCain is 72, and aside from acting like he was the only POW in Vietnam, what else does he have? If he's so great, the why is he depised in Arizona?

The MSM has to face the fact that their dream candidate Hillary won't get the nomination. So what do they do. Do they say, sorry but she's a "non-viable" candidate and censor her like Kucinich and Gravel? Also, how will President Obama get away from the 24/7 label of being the FIRST African-American President? It's kind of like being called Academy Award winning actor ________. Nobody wants to talk about it now. But they will bcause they have to.

So, yes Rendell's comments are racist. Nobody will call him racist to his face. But that's exactly what they are.

[Svenson]

Some whites will never vote for a black man ....

Most black will always vote for a black man....

Some white and black will never vote for a woman.....

Is this not America?

[MyThought]

And - some insecure sexist men won't vote for a woman.

Ya, some won't vote for a black man, but some will.

A useless statement.

[LongTom]

Hey, let's not go overboard. All Rendell was saying is that five percent of the voters in his state are racially biased. Is`that so hard to believe? Have you ever BEEN to Pennsylvania?

And Hillary's comment, while not very smart given her recent narrative of Obama as the niche candidate (some niche! The candidate of the American People!), is true enough and not offensively put, either.

Let's lighten up on this stuff. It's not racist to say that a small number of people are racist, any more than it's sexist to say that a small number of people will vote based on gender bias.

[brwnizofmine]

Ok, OK, you have a point...

[VOTER]

No matter, it was an irresponsible statement for

him to say as the Governor of Pennsylvania.

And he was fully aware of the 'firestorm" his words

would bring about except as a Senator Clinton supporter

he has done more harm than good to her campaign.

[jcwtts1]

Ok, I think you have a point. I think Rendell has a pretty solid racial record in PA. I'm a little pissed that the Clinton talking points are once again focused on race but at least they stopped being crazy about it. I just don't understand how Obama's people never say," oh, well Hillary has the support of a lot of, you know, proud women, and that is the reason she won... ." I mean stating the obvious as a talking point makes me think something else is going on, but I'll take Rendell at his word. But he needs to cut the crap here.

J

[sarainitaly]

Seriously people, how is a man answering a question about how he thinks his state will vote, all of a sudden your worst enemy and the fault of Hillary.

Ed Rendell was asked on FEB 6, how he thought he state was going to vote. He gave a long answer, most flattering to Obama. He also said that some white people in his state are not ready to vote for an african american. He was giving an analysis of his constituents. Why don't you watch the video and see ALL the positive things he said about Obama, and the negatives about Hillary.

HuffPo just posted it. You can see the interview here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08041/855971-35.stm?cmpid=opinion.xml

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08043/856727-153.stm

He made the statement the day after Super Tuesday.

Sure seems that this quote was taken and misrepresented, and manipulated to be used against Hillary. The clip was edited, and does not have that exact line (i'm sure because of this very reason), but it has other things he said. There is more from that day here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08038/855229-35.stm?cmpid=opinion.xml

Something sure does stink about this whole thing, and it is not coming from Hillary or Ed.

[VOTER]

From the articles, I have seen HE is the one who

brought up the subject. No one asked him the

question.

[sarainitaly]

he was asked how the delegates in his state would go. he was being interviewed. did you watch the videos?

[MRb1000]

Gov. Ed Rendell him and Hillary are two peas in a pod. They are liberal bigots. I hope the people of PA make them pay. I grew up in PA. I hope the good people of that state speak out against this liberal bigot!!!!

[jcwtts1]

Easy, easy... racialized speech isn't the same as racist speech. Not a huge fan of the tactic but this is not the same level of bs that we had around NH, NV, SC. Rendell has a fairly good racial track record here in PA, but he also suffers greatly from foot in mouth disease. Just like Biden and the "clean" comment, it wasn't meant as a racial jab. I just don't understand what we're doing talking about race on a day when Obama got 59% of women, 55% of white men, 43% (maybe 42 can't remember) of white women, I mean if five percent aren't going to vote for Obama because of race... duh, we get it. The percentage that won't vote for Hillary because she is a woman? About five percent. I wonder if it is the same five percent? No wonder they never total out to a hundred percent. :- )

J

[watchingthings]

....So this Racist pig looks in the mirror and says......I can't see a whiteman vote for a black dude.....no friggin' way.....I'm the Gov so I know I'm right.

[mmic1101y]

I heard this story earlier today on my local NPR station (in PA) as a local story and my mouth fell agape. I was just dumbfounded. As a Barack Obama supporter, I have become far too used to hearing Clinton linked politicos raising the specter of race to let it pass as coincidence any longer. At this point, I imagine an early strategy meeting in the Clinton campaign, where Penn, and Bill and Hillary, Patti and a number of other nameless operatives brainstormed about Obama's negatives when someone, (and I'll reserve judgement on whom,) blurts out: "Hey! He's a ni**er!" Do not misunderstand, I do not use the word, despite the fact that I see several examples (in all races) of it's original meaning in the community I work in every day. I just cannot think of a better explanation as to why surrogate after surrogate after surrogate for the Clinton campaign invokes Senator Obama's race in a negative or patronizing manner. Living in "Pennsyltucky", it is not uncommon to come across "passive" racism. In other words, people who have fantastically outmoded ideas of race. (Which, by the way, is the classification that I assign to Gov. Rendell, which, unfortunately, will not be benign enough to secure my vote for his reelection.) I think that this is the sentiment best expressed as "I don't think enough white people will vote for him," all the while, not recognizing their implicit role in that sum of voters. There is also active racism in rural Pa. In talking to people in my area about Senator Obama, I've (far too) frequently encountered people who simply will not vote for him because he is black. But, at the same time, having an ear to the ground, I have heard stories of some "arch-Republican" businesspeople who are talking about voting Democratic for the first time in 20 years to vote for Obama (at least in the primary.)

Dispatched from Pennsyltucky, this 13th day of Feb., 2008 AD

[msmaggie]

Yeah, rural Pa is full of racists. Imagine someone making a similiar comments re blacks--oh say urban Philadelphia is full of black gang members. You would be in high umbrage.

Free advice-making this sort of fulsome and self righteous statement is a bit undermined by the slightly astonishing fact that you don't realize Rendell is limited to 2 terms.

Guess facts are a bit harder than opinion, huh?

[jcwtts1]

don't know that it is astonishing. don't know that it undermines anything. is urban Philadelphia filled with black gang member? no sure I get your point.

J

[mmic1101y]

Thank you for the advice.

[Seattlelite]

With every majority white state Obama's wins it continues to make people like this guy look more the fool. Thanks to Senator Obama these kind of old relics are going to find themselves out of office because they don't get it. This country has moved on. I think most people are waking up and seeing that political folks have allot to gain by dividing us makes it easier for them to win elections. The public is ready to elect leaders beyond race and religion.

[antaeus]

And because Rendell rolled out of bed, put his glasses on, and looked out the window and said, "Wow, there are a lot of bigots in my state!" you call him a fool for reporting what he sees? I fled that state because of those bigots, and if Obama carries PA, then I'm moving back there, cause it's damn expensive here in Henry Waxman's district. The fact is that PA is an elderly state, a largely rural state, a racist state. He is making a specific claim about what he sees, rather than drifting along in empty abstraction ("political folks," "the public," "most people")--but of course, abstraction is the favored medium of Sen. Obama.

[Seattlelite]

There are many people in the old "political establishment system" black and white that have a vested interested in keeping this country divided on lines of race. Makes it easier for them to figure out what to say on the stump in certain parts of town come election time. But thanks to Senator Obama that type of pandering will be a thing of the pass soon.

[Phaedrusnyc]

Okay, you're saying that when Obama is elected president, racism is going to magically end in the US?
My God, "cult" is too weak a word to describe this mentality.