Economic Crisis Beats Racial Divisiveness
Perhaps the first sign that racism may not play a determining role in the general election was when the McCain campaign gave up on Michigan.
President Bush lost the severely economically distressed state in both 2000 and 2004. But some thought Sen. John McCain had a chance of tying Sen. Barack Obama to the scandal that cut short Kwame Kilpatrick's term as mayor of Detroit. (They're both black, y'know.)
But working-class Michigan apparently isn't as racist as some hoped. The McCain campaign last week abruptly pulled out of Michigan, telling the Washington Post that since Michigan is an "economic basket case," McCain can't possibly win there.
Racism, both subtle and overt, has not been hard to find in this election. But the economic crisis may be challenging racism in an unprecedented way. Instead of fostering scapegoating and deeper division, the urgency of the crisis is prompting a gut check in some -- to look past color and think about what is best for their economic security.
In September, the New Yorker's George Packer traveled economically-depressed Ohio. He found considerable racism holding Obama back, but also reported this eyebrow-raiser:
Dave Herbert was a stocky, talkative building contractor in an Ohio State athletic jersey. At thirty-eight, he considerably lowered the average age in Bonnie's. "I'm self-employed," he said. "I can't afford to be a Democrat." Herbert was a devoted viewer of Fox News and talked in fluent sound bites about McCain's post-Convention "bounce" and Sarah Palin's "executive experience." At one point, he had doubted that Obama stood a chance in Glouster. "From Bob and Pete's generation there are a lot of racists--not out-and-out, but I thought there was so much racism here that Obama'd never win." Then he heard a man who freely used the " 'n' word" declare his support for Obama: "That blew my theory out of the water."
Politico's Ben Smith relayed a similar anecdote:
An Obama supporter, who canvassed for the candidate in the working-class, white Philadelphia neighborhood of Fishtown recently, sends over an account that, in various forms, I've heard a lot in recent weeks."What's crazy is this," he writes. "I was blown away by the outright racism, but these folks are f***ing undecided. They would call him a n----r and mention how they don't know what to do because of the economy."
Recently, Time Magazine's David Von Drehle visited a Missouri exurb and found far less racism, with economic concerns driving support for Obama:
"I really wanted Hillary," said Holly Haggard, a purposeful young woman in tan slacks and running shoes. "Well," her husband Robbie quickly reminded her, "now we got Obama." He said this in a tone of voice that made me think he wasn't too happy about the fact.If this story had been written a few months ago, that exchange might have been the gist of it -- white working-class voters left cold by Barack Obama. But then Holly came back with exactly the thing Obama might hope she would say: "Yeah, and we got $3.74 gas too." For many Americans, the price of gas remains shorthand for a whole world of economic woes.
Robbie's response this time was almost a sigh of resignation. "Think I don't know that?" he said softly.
I soon gathered that six of the eight adults standing in that driveway planned to vote for Obama in November. Their support ranged from enthusiastic to reluctant. And of course, there's nothing scientific about one driveway. But I heard similar things throughout my trip. Among white voters, Obama appeared to be rising on a pile of empty wallets. Many folks in Lincoln County shared that impression.
"Who do you think will win around here?" I asked.
"Obama," Robbie Haggard answered flatly, and several others agreed.
"But Missouri's always been Republican," [Tammy] Pyle protested.
"I think Missouri's had about enough," Holly Haggard said...
...at this late stage of the campaign, after dozens of interviews across this toss-up state, evidence suggests that the issue that once seemed as if it would dominate this election -- Obama's race -- is not consuming the people who will actually decide.
Beyond the urgent nature of the faltering economy, what else is causing people to reassess race? Not the Obama campaign directly. While Obama delivered one the best speeches on race in American history, he has not been interested in continual direct confrontations about race. During the New Hampshire primary, when asked if he would lead a "national conversation about race," Obama replied, "I'm less interested in a conversation about race in the abstract. All the self-flagellation, it's not useful. African-Americans get all riled up, and whites get defensive."
But some are leading that conversation. Union members.
As the New York Times reported last week, union organizers are making peer-to-peer contact with their memberships, to bring racial issues out in the open and make the case that our economic problems are too dire to let skin color and false smears determine their vote.
Video of AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka speaking about how racism should no longer divide America's workers has made a slow burn throughout the blogosphere, and illuminates how bluntly union leaders are addressing race today:
In July at the United Steelworkers convention.
And in August during the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
It would appear that the union effort, quietly confronting the issue on a peer-to-peer basis, is making an impact, prompting more and more people to put aside racial bias and put economic concerns first.
Meanwhile, the voices of hate grow louder. For example, see this video of conservatives at a McCain-Palin event, showing people openly calling Obama a "terrorist" because of his "name" and his "bloodlines."
Other media reports at McCain-Palin events find crowd members shouting racist and even murderous comments.
The McCain campaign seems conflicted on to how deal with this dynamic. On one hand, the McCain campaign is continuing to play guilt-by-association games that have an unmistakable racial subtext. On the other, the campaign recognizes it needs a stronger economic message to turn the polls around -- evidenced in this week's debate by McCain's lack of smear-based attacks and unveiling of a new mortgage proposal.
If the crumbling economy is pushing America further past racism, McCain needs to tune out the disturbing hate coming from his unruly crowds and seek to beat Obama on who is best for the economy. To conclude that economically suffering states like Michigan are unwinnable for McCain is to conclude that the election is unwinnable for McCain.
Because none of the above is to say that only the election victory of Obama is proof that America is moving beyond racism. Only that the economic needs of America are proving to be paramount to most voters.
In the Democratic primary, sexism was prevalent. But in the end, Sen. Hillary Clinton was not held back by gender and was judged as capable to be president. The glass ceiling was shattered by her candidacy even if she eventually lost.
Similarly, we may be having an election where Obama is at least judged by most to be capable to be president, in particular in regards to the economy, putting the final decision back on issues where they belong. Because so far, Obama has been making his case, even to those uncomfortable with the idea of black president, that he has the superior economic skills.
McCain is a gambler, but it's a bad bet to cede the economic argument to Obama in this environment. Better to recognize that racial attitudes may be in the midst of a major shift, junk the old race card tricks, and make a stand on the economy.
Originally posted at OurFuture.org
Follow Bill Scher on Twitter: www.twitter.com/billscher
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Folks, as many of you as possible need to contact McCain, in every manner possible, to let them know that voters are disgusted by INCITING HATEMONGERING. If even an attempt is made to harm Obama, John McCain and everyone involved with his campaign will bear some responsibility, and they need to know that Americans are disgusted and ashamed of such behavior in an attempt to win an election!
McCain Campain website: http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/
McCain Senate Office: 202-224-2235
McCain Senate Office Fax: 202-228-2862
McCain Senate: website: http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
RNC Chairman: Chairman@gop.com
RNC Strategy Office Phone: 202-863-8889
RNC Strategy Office Fax: 202-863-8885
Reverend Wright
Wherever you are tonight, I reach out. I say thank you for the word you injected in this process. Thank you for the truth you brought to light. You spoke to the America that many try to deny. It does not matter the denial of deniers for as we can see there is a price to pay for woeful ignorance. Yours was not a message of hate it was a message of love. I am a single grain of sand but I felt the need to say this in light of all that is transpiring. I was only disheartened by your appearance at the Press Club where you allowed the weight of the push of bleak and desperate minds to rile your anger. I understood your lapse in calm, but I thought you missed an opportunity to teach. Now I say you did teach on that day as well. I also say who among us could withstand such pressure with such dignity.
Concerning Aids coming from a laboratory, I understand you were citing another source and I understand how this can be seen as a plausible consideration. This is what people miss about the OJ trial, absent Mark Fuhrman saying I love everybody, and then hearing him on tape saying “n****, n*****, n*****, OJ was toast.
Concerning chickens and God’s plans for America, a hand of justice came and smote him in his deceitful and grotesque posture of self-assuredness.
oops: McCain and NOT Obama
McCain can't junk the old race cards--that's all he has.
It's amazing how many people cry about how Obama hasn't fully addressed this and that issue--and then, when you point out that he has, provide the links, and point out McCain and Palin's issues, they insist that Obama is lying and that they can "trust" McCain and Obama. Their response, if you point out that the bad stuff on M and P is simple facts, with plenty of evidence, but the Obama smears are all thoroughly disproven on several sources, is to say you're using the race card.
Hint to idiots: it's not "using the race card" to point out that all of the bigoted folks are ignoring evidence and basing their complaints against Obama on the reality that nothing a black man says or does, no matter how many independent sources and facts prove him not what they believe him, will ever convince them that any black politician about whom a white one says some bad stuff is not a terrorist, nor a Muslim, nor unpatriotic.
Do you really think voters will actually use COMMON SENSE and not be driven solely by EMOTIONALISM? Emotionalism is "played like a violin" by Republicans.
Our families are going down with the crashed Republican policies, politics, attitudes. Republicans can't govern and don't want to.
how anyone can look at the current situation and
not reject the republican brand is insane! Maybe they enjoy the abuse?
Republicans threw the middle class under a bus while enriching
their corporate welfare queens with our tax money. Can we take 8 more years of THAT?
BOTTOM LINE: we CAN'T AFFORD Republicans any more.
They don't want to govern decently and THEY'RE TOO EXPENSIVE.
A tiger doesn't change its stripes!
No more years for republican corruption, lies, greed, destruction.
We can't afford Republicans any more. Enough is enough.
timely Information:
http://www.longislandpress.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=16636&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&S=1
if your family is truly going down wtih the Reps, maybe you are not working hard enough, Darling.
Seriously.
If that were my family, I'd be cluing them in to reality, asap...
I am someone who is fortunate enough to be in an income bracket where I WILL face a tax increase under Obama's plan and DOESN'T MIND because: 1) as Joe Biden said, that's what's FAIR... and 2) everything the Republicans have come to stand for in recent years is so morally and socially repugnant to me, I could never in good conscious vote for them,,,, even IF the old adage of Republicans being better on our pocketbooks were still true, which it's clearly not.
IT's gotten to the point where I have lost all respect for my now well-off "I"m a democrat on social issues, but I vote Republican for economics and national security" friends. I have greater respect for right wing fundamentalist Christians voting Republican! Because they're not going against what they believe in their very souls to be true. But not my selfish wealthy former-D friends. People who believe in Choice, in Separation of Church and State, Free Speech, etc, They've basically sold their souls.
I would LOVE a HuffPo bloggers to write a piece about this.
Obama is likely to be elected. He will be our President. You can't undo the type of filthy lies and racism that the McCain camp has set loose. it will hurt this country. It already has.
why dont you write it? I think you could do an excellent job.
I cannot believe how many people tell me, "If Obama wins, your taxes will go up." As if taxes were an evil in and of themselves, without the slightest idea that governmen must be paid for! Are we all so used to living on unpayable credit cards that we think putting our future in hock to China is more acceptable than paying for what we get?
Doesn't matter what color the guy (or gal) is in the foxhole next to you - everybody bleeds red - and everyone is hunkering down in a foxhole with this economy.
Doesn't matter whose hand reaches out to you when you are drowning
Mr Bill Scher :
Excellent Article and good gathering of Information about the subject of Racism.
I agree that RACISM is going to be defeated in this election.
The Obama Coalitions is going to win, probably by a landslide.
November 4 is an Intelligence Test for America and Ignorance and Imbecility wil be defeated.
Also Racism, Brutality, Smears, Bullies, Contempt of Others, Disrespect, etc ....
Obama will win. Look at the bets and the Polls. McCain can only win with the Help of International Terrorists.
The Obama Coalition is composed of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Multiracials, Non Whites, and also White Youngsters and other General People with PHDs, Masters, BSs. Many other Obama voters are the intelligent, cultured and educated. These last are the ELITE.
Imbecility will be the Great Loser on November 4. Also Racism, Macarthism, Guilt by Tenuous and Distant Association, etc ..
The World will be saved from and old, tired and exhausted man. That is also full of anger, hate, hatred.
An IRASCIBLE IMPETUOS IRRATIONAL man. That has proved many times that he has uncontrolled rages.
Obama is rational, intelligent, cool, gentleman, follows the high road, he seeks advice and makes only informed decisions. He confers and deliberates together with the BEST .....He will consult a lot with Joe Biden. The best possible advice for Foreign Policy.
A New Era for America.
Young Voters, Blacks and Hispanics are at the core of this BIG CHANGE :
http://milenials.blogspot.com/
http://tossUpStates.blogspot.com/
Vicente Duque
I'm no race relations expert but I think those who would not vote for Obama because he is a black man ALREADY constitute that 28% that support Bush no matter what and aren't anywhere near that "independent" group of undecideds. All hell is breaking loose, current workers for the forseeable 5-10, maybe longer, years may lose their savings and pensions and yet they support those who have increased retirement age, reduced pensions, reduced social security payouts, reduced healthcare, reduced wages, turned high paying jobs into Mcjobs, and they still support Bush. Why? Because those are the ones who hate what the Democratic Party stands for; justice for those on the lower economic scale and since some of them are minorities....weeelllllll, that they just can't stand. And so they support Bush, those 28%'ers and since they're already voting conservative they won't make a hair of a difference this election.
I find the union strategy particularly notable b/c our history is littered with examples of blue color whites voting against their economic interest because of racal issues. It is a tradition that needs to end and with the economy in shambles this may be the year that happens.
There is a bit of irony in the racial concerns about Obama. Fact is that there are more people with African ancestry who are classified as white than are classified as black in America. About one quarter of white americans could strictly be classsed as black, and most blacks have substantial white ancestry (20 per cent average). Most of the black 'whites' are those with the oldest American ancestry. Given John McCain's background, it is not unthinkable that he and Obama could have a lot more in common than is apparent.
I just heard Barack Obama and John McCain in the debate say that the economy would not get worse before it got better . . . politicians wouldn't lie to us would they?
WHOSE EARS WERE YOU LISTENING WITH.
"But Missouri's always been Republican," [Tammy] Pyle protested.
Missouri has NOT always been Republican, there was a time when Missouri voted for Democrats, like Harry Truman.
The most racist among us want Obama to win so they can eliminate affirmative action by saying "See, if America can elect a black man to the highest office in the land, affirmative action has been proven to no longer be needed." The number of people who won't vote for a black man, is therefore, quite small.
Im in SW missouri (branson area) and most people I talk to are solidly obama, especially the elderly
Awesome. Older and wiser.
These GOP guys are a hoot!
I am half black half white,racism always plays a part in fears. Having said that my father taught me that the only color that matters in America is "Green".
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