GOP Southerners Fear Obama Wave

New York Times:

The sharp surge in black turnout that Senator Barack Obama has helped to generate in recent primaries and Congressional races could signal a threat this fall to the longtime Republican dominance of the South, according to politicians and voting experts.

Should Mr. Obama become the Democratic nominee, he would still have to struggle for white swing voters in the South and in border states like West Virginia, where he lost decisively to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Tuesday's presidential primary. In West Virginia, where more than three-fourths of white voters chose Mrs. Clinton, 20 percent of the white voters said the race of the candidate mattered in their choice.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[liberaldemdave]

this gives a whole new (and POSITIVE) meaning to that old phrase, "the south is gonna rise again!"...

i love the smell of schadenfreude in the morning!

i want the dixie chicks to play at obama's inauguration!

[qdog112]

You damn elitist you. You made me look up schadenfreude. Very clever post. I concur. The Dixie Chicks would be great to rub it in. (among others)

[jamo02110]

They better be Afraid! Obama will sweep the South like a Tsunami!

[BatMasterson2]

Oh come on, I voted for Obama in the Fl. primary and will do so again in the general. However to claim Obama will "sweep the south like a Tsunami" is just hyperbole. I'm glad you are excited and maybe Obama will pick up a southern state or two, hell maybe more but he will not sweep, okay. Things in the south are a lot more complicated than some of these simple minded post would lead one to believe. I plan to help Obama anyway I can, but would be surprised if he won here.

[Myshkin57]

Yeah. I live in Florida and for many reasons, I do not think Obama will win here. But neither do I think Senator Clinton would win here, despite what the polls say. Florida is all messed up. Trust me.

[PatrickforO]

You know, my wife used to live in Florida, and though she feels it might be hard for Obama to win there, she does point out that if all the African Americans in FL get out an vote, Barack could just win there. Of course, I know we all feel very, very comfortable that no one in Florida will try to rig the election in that state in any way...

[PatrickforO]

This reminds me of the old Steely Dan song, Changing the Guard. It seems to me that for a long time, the white establishment jealously guarded its power. Even the Civil Rights movement merely made these people grudgingly politically correct. The media is surely making lots of these working class white swing voters, such as the ones in WV who went for the white candidate in such huge numbers.

But as another song said, Things They Are A'Changin.­' What we're watching here is a huge shift - a redrawing of the political map. The case Hillary is presently making is flawed - she uses the argument that Barack cannot win the lower income, white, non-college educated working class vote. Maybe so, but his inroads into the west - to independents, and to a fairly significant (non-Limbaugh Operation Chaos) group of disenchanted Republicans, the youth and the African Americans - these newly mobilized members of a new Democratic coalition will offset those afraid of Barack's blackness and bring him to victory in November. And, the funny thing is that ultimately all of us, even those afraid of Barack's race, will be better off as he implements his policies.

[gd7277467]

GOD, I love West Virginia !!!

Ice cold beer, NASCAR, and daughter Brandi in the shower !!!

Don't be gettin mch beter den dis !!!

"Take me home, Mountain momma, Country Roads"

[disgustedbyitall]

Fear has always been the currency of the GOP, both internally and externally. It is the fundamental motivation of all reactionaries.

[mabinog]

Yep all good conservatives are afraid when minorities vote in large numbers. It threatens their power and ultimately their money.

I suspect that for many in the South,

GOP Southerners Fear Obama Wave = Oh my the ni@@ers are getting uppity.

Whether we want to admit it or not there are still plenty of racists in this country whose visceral reaction to uppity African Americans is akin to the fear of slave uprisings and the ugly stereotype of the rapist black man out to despoil the virtue of all white women.

[SaskiaStars]

I find it absolutely remarkable that those old GOP dinosaurs are so surprised that people of all colors are sick of their crap. The only reason they have been able to get away with "controlling" the masses in these Southern states is because they have been able to control the message. Things have changed- there is almost no excuse for ignorance anymore unless you are one of the crushingly poor people who really do not have access to accurate and fair information - like many of the good people of WV. This is why it is a COUNTRY that elects the president not just one state. There is such a "thing as low information voters" and it is that block of voters that the GOP has been feed on for decades. Well, the number of "low information voters" is decreasing almost by the day.

Hell, I was watching Countdown and Rachel Maddow (love her) was sitting in for Kieth and she had Chris Metthews on. Chris not only addressed the idiot James, he also talked about those one liners that get thrown out there to manipulate people like "appeasement" "cut and run" "Hitler" "WMD" Homeland Security" - he basically said tthat it was because "we (the media) didn't ask enough questions and press people enough before the run up to Iraq. This is Chris Matthews who is saying this - things are definitely changing.

[amiblueyoubet]

I watched last night. What has gotten into Chris? I couldn't believe my ears. We should all Email him and tell him of our appreciation.

[Syco]

he has gained my respect back

[bygollymissmolly]

I believe that Matthews has seen the handwriting on the wall. Also, he apparently has political ambitions (perish the thought) and he knows that the right side of the political aisle is heading to oblivion so he is aligning himself with the left side of the aisle.

[halyscomet]

The GOP is afraid - and they should be...

[SaskiaStars]

Be afraid you scum sucking, greedy, racist, fascist, power-hungry, dinosaurs - be very afraid.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

"20 percent of the white voters said the race of the candidate mattered in their choice."

well isn't that nice. I guess these people didn't get the memo that it was okay to flee to the republicans after the civil rights act. maybe having a black nominee, they will finally move to their true home.

[thepoliticalcat]

On the plus side, consider that the remaining 80 per cent didn't care. If the figures had been reversed, that would be worth getting excited about. Looks to me like what this statement means is, four out of five Democratic voters polled in West Virginia said they didn't care about the race of the candidate.

They voted for Hillary Rodham Clinton because they know who she is. Obama did not campaign extensively in that state because he's smart and knew Hillary would beat him decisively, so he wasn't about to throw good money after bad. Once they get to know Obama, four out of five of them will probably vote for him. Not a bad thing at all.

[ldsrapha]

You can't take the isolated poll of a state the size of West Virginia and think this applies to the rest of the country. Maybe 20% of the 1,154 people polled after voting felt this way, but statistically speaking this isn't even in the same ballpark as the rest of the country. Let's not worry about perceived racial issues and move forward with a positive message. Obama has never focused on this for if he had he would never have attempted to run for President. Take a state like Wisconsin where he blew Senator Clinton out of the water with the white vote on the same exit poll. We just can't let this distract us from the mission!!!!

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

I wasn't referring to anyone other than the people cited in the article: wv voters.

[Veman]

George Bush I to Prince Abdullah -

"What I wouldn't give for twenty more years! Here we are, protected, free to make our war and oil profits without Democratic oversight, the Justice Department and the F.B.I. doing our bidding, in partnership with a friendly government. We have our man, my idiot son, who wants to be President of the United States, and we have the cash to make it possible. Prince Abdullah, we're bigger than OPEC and US Steel put together."

...taken in large part from Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone in the Godfather II

[Canukistani]

I would submit that there's just no understanding these people. They put up with the discarding of the constitution and civil rights, with criminal wars costing thousands of lives and untold billions of dollars, with massive corruption of the justice system by the Administration, with pretty much anything, in fact. But they will not tolerate a black President. This goes beyond racism and even past insanity. How can this not come to a bad end?

[gladys46]

Like the fall of that empire!?

[kay]

The part of the article that is interesting is this: Childers, a white conservative Democrat running in a special election where Obama wasn't on the ballot, won his seat because of the doubling of AA turn out in his District.

Obama drove turnout and elected a white conservative Democrat.

Childers is white. AA voters turned out in huge numbers to support him.

It's sad that white Democrats would cite Obama's race as a factor in not voting for him, and they do. 1/5 of them in Appalachia.

Black Democrats got the white Childers elected. Black Democrats will vote for a white Democrat. Why will 1/5 of white Democrats not return the favor?

[ldsrapha]

They will return the favor and not because of the white / black issue. Obama win the election!! People are going to increasingly realize the hell that they will have to live through if we get 4 more years of Bush policy. HELL!!! Trust me McBush running will do more to repair any racial squimishness than almost any event in the last 40 years. NO ONE wants to see another term of GB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[libcharisma]

You must understand that these people aren't as ignorant as we are comfortable with saying. They realize that since a white guy has done such a horrible job(THEIR white guy no less), there's a chance that a black man could come along and undo some of the massive damage he's done. That could open the floodgates in the American psyche that maybe minorities can be in charge of something. Couple that with the next wave of Hispanic immigrants that are multiplying their way to a majority, we could see a long term "darkening" of our governmental system.

[gladys46]

Or the "browning of America!!" God forebid huh??

[Midnightrain]

You're spot on. The thought of black or brown intelligence or greatness threatens to undo centuries of calculated opinion making in support of white superiority. Thanks for this point.

[gbht12]

The democrats will vote for Obama when Hillary is not in the race anymore. That is a big mistake that the GOP is making if they think for one MINUTE that democrats would choose McBush and his same policies as this POOR excuse we have in office now over OBAMA. That will not happen. They are crazy if they think most people would EVER vote for MCCain. I could NEVER push a button for that crazy nut case. He is a replica of BUSH.

Some on this posting want you to believe that OBAMA will take away their gun rights , they are dead WRONG. His view on the second amendment has always been the same. Lawful citizens can bear arms.

Obama has the same view as normal americans, we don't want guns to get into the hands of crazy people. This is what democrats believe as a whole. The republicans want people to believe that we want to take your guns away. They play on that FEAR all the time.

They should be very afraid they are going to lose seats, the republicans have screwed up AMERICA.

[bygollymissmolly]

I believe it is mostly the Republicans who are perpetuating this myth. I'm betting that 70 to 80% of the hysterical posts here by supposed Hillary supporters, saying they would vote for McCain before Obama, are bogus.

I suggest we don't spend a lot of time trying to "educate" them. If you must respond to one of their posts, just respond with "You have the right to vote for whomever you want and you will have to live with the consequences of your choice."

[filo]

Who is James Pence? i have no idea. If you are a liberal left wing nut like me you will love these videos. If not ...tough.

If I were a Terrorist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1EXKLVgEx0&eurl=http://www.crooksandliars.com/

Warning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnMT1aMV7y0

Cindy Beer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fK6pGQZXN8

Annie Oakley And Barack Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7zl00fKOZc

Enjoy !!

[ignrnthllblly]

This underscores the point I've been attempting to make for weeks. This is merely one facet of the phenomenon that scares Repubs (and the Republican wing of the Democratic party). Clinton supporters still drum on the trash can of old inoperative demographics that they insist still apply. They do not. Obama has changed the equation fundamentally. Clinton supporters' absurd demand that supers act as bouncers and have Obama summarily removed deludedly ignore the fact that they would not keep the millions of new Obama voters nor his records amounts of money raised. No Obama--no Obama phenomenon. The Repubs mourn Hillary's candidacy because they had eight years to sharpen their sticks and make plans. The rise of Obama has them in complete disarray and they WILL fall back on a campaign of crypto-racism that can only but will out (and before the end of the first act). Clinton supporters made the same mistake. Look where that got them. The Repubs will do no better.

[gladys46]

It is interesting how Hillary and "repubs" would like to ignore this huge voter registration, hence, voter turnout .. and, do they not see the $$$$$ that Obama has accomplished!!?? Yeah, surely they see! Surely, they "wish" to hold on to that "old" map, that old means of roads to that white house even though that road is cluttered with shame!

[ldsrapha]

This is exactly why Hillary lost, she was ONLY focused on the old map and had no clue that a new map was being played against her. The Republican's are FREAKING out because they realize that the brilliance in which Obama ran his primary is only a prelude to the strategy that he is going to use to blow up the old map and run a 50 state campaign in the General Election.

[dollars2donuts]

To those expressing worry about the reactionary vote who will go to polls to prevent him from winning. It's a legitimate worry, but BO being a master strategist and organizer has already mapped out how to deal with this:

http://progressillinois.com/2008/05/11/features/obama-over-the-top

His main strategy is going to be MASSIVE voter registration and getting out the vote, especially of young people. The GOP must be careful, because the more racist and vicious their ads using Obama to stir racial fears, the more it gets AA's to the polls. They DOUBLED the black vote in Miss for Childers, who's a conservative white Dem; he knows that without massive AA turnout for an election where the congressional seat was the only thing on the ballot, that he wouldn't have won. Come on! We can do this all through the south and kick many Southern Rethugs out of their congressional seats, it's going to be soooo sweet!! :D

[rabiabidabi]

I believe the strategy will also backfire with the young voters you mention. Every generation gets a little less rascist.

[mhopgood123]

Yes, I believe if anyone can turn the vote out, it will be Obama. SI se puede!

[bygollymissmolly]

Playing the racist card will also get the young voters out there, not only to vote but also to work to get Obama elected.