Racism and Clinton's Victory in Ohio

I have four points to make about racism and the result in Ohio's Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday.

First, racism undeniably played an important role. CNN exit polling indicated that 20% of voters said the race of the candidate was important factor (undoubtedly a lower than truthful response), and 59% of those supported Clinton. As has been pointed out, that is a total of 249,299 votes, greater than Clinton's margin of victory. Clinton's greatest percentages were in the 6th and 18th congressional districts, in the rural and largely white Appalachian southeast. Her largest percentages by county were all in rural southern Ohio (e.g., 81% in Scioto and Jackson). This is the area where Gov. Ted Strickland's support had the most impact, but it is also the area where the confederate battle flag may be seen displayed in some windows and yards. Strickland admitted the role of race when deploring it to reporter Mark Naymik of The Plain Dealer ("There's no sense pretending that some prejudice and intolerance isn't there"). Clinton's biggest vote margin by number of votes was in Mahoning County (+23,095), which is 81% white and predominantly blue collar (median income $35,248, high school only 82%).

Second, the correct response to racism is to discuss it, not to ignore it. There is a pervasive, perhaps nearly universal tendency among whites to avoid talking about the distasteful topic of racial animus, and I see this reflected in much of the media analysis of the primary. This is wrong. Silence perpetuates racism. The only hope for dispelling racism is raising people's consciousness about it, and that can only come from conversation and awareness. In picking apart what happened in Ohio, racism should be addressed head-on. Let's have a thorough and public discussion about it.

Third, racism operates on a subconscious level. A common mistake, and a severe restriction on discussing the role of racism, it to conceive of it only in terms of conscious choice. In this instance, a conscious decision to vote against a candidates because his skin isn't white. This isn't the heart of the problem. The more widespread and insidious dimension of racism is subconscious, and is far more subtle. Awareness of racial difference translates into a powerful although unnamed sense of otherness. Whites who insist that they harbor no ill will toward other racial groups nevertheless respond to racial difference as a trigger for preconceptions and a reduced ability to relate to others as being essentially the same as themselves. This dynamic was heartbreakingly displayed by the unemployed white Ohio factory worker on 60 Minutes, who expressed discomfort with Barack Obama based on issues he was "not too clear on" about Obama's patriotism and religion:

Asked what they were, Schoenholtz said, "Well, I'm hearin' he doesn't even know the National Anthem, you know. He wouldn't use the Holy Bible. He's got his own beliefs, got the Muslim beliefs. Couple issues that bothers me at heart."

"You know that's not true," Kroft remarked.

"No. I'm just...this is what I've been told," he replied.

The worker didn't talk about race and probably didn't consciously think about it either. But awareness of racial difference made him susceptible to rumors that intellectually he doubted. It takes trust and identification to resist such rumors, and racism at a subconscious level inhibits the ability to trust and identify.

Fourth, racism played a bigger role in Ohio than other states because the Clinton campaign went negative. Commentators have noted that Obama fared less well among white Democrats in Ohio (27% to 70%) than in earlier states. There has been some chatter (see for example the comments here) about this showing that Ohio is more racist than other states. I don't think this is the story, or at least not the whole story. I think that the racial divide grew in Ohio because Clinton's attacks on Obama were more negative than in earlier contests. Clinton attacked Obama on trust, hammering him as hypocritical over reportsthat an Obama advisor told Canadian diplomatic officials to ignore Obama's attacks on NAFTA. She attacked Obama's integrity, sending out a mailer that accused him of refusing to stand up for workers at a closed Maytag plant in Illinois. She played on voter's subconscious fears with the famous red phone ad about the safety of children in their beds at night. Although Clinton didn't explicitly push the whisper campaign about Obama's religion, she failed the test when it came to authoritatively squashing it. (When Steve Kroft asked her about it on that 60 Minutes episode, she said that Obama is a Christian "as far as I know.") Clinton's attacks on Obama's character and integrity put the burden on white Democrats to overcome the inherent limitations on their ability to trust and relate to a black person. The racism was already in place, but negative campaigning brought it into play to a greater degree than in other states.

Cross-posted at my place, Ohio Daily Blog.

Comments

[Justis]

Thanks for posting this. The Ohio newspapers won't touch this topic and we're all supposed to believe that Clinton's strong showing in southern Ohio was due to her stance against free trade! Yeah, right.

Of course racism played a big part in her victory here. Look at the county results--Obama won urban black areas and college towns; Clinton did especially well in those areas hit hardest by her husband's free-trade agreements. It's pointless to pretend that this isn't happening.

Some questions to consider:

How many of those white blue-collar racist Clinton votes are from Reagan Democrats who, having dispatched the black candidate, will end up voting for McCain in the general election rather than see a woman--much less Hillary--become president?

Obama's victories in solid red states are impressive, but how do they translate to victory in November? If he can't carry key states like Ohio, what really are his chances?

[Zanti]

Good grief, Hillary won in Ohio. Live with it. Then again, it's pretty hard to deal with a shift in fortunes for your favored candidate. I mean, that amounts to having to cope with CHANGE.

There was a vote. People came and voted. Someone came out ahead. That's the way primaries work. No, really. I read that somewhere.

[Justis]

I think the policy difference between Clinton and Obama is pretty much a wash. If you bothered to read my prior posts, you'd know I really am not enthusiastic about either of these candidates.

I still prefer a Democratic president, however. If do too, you should be concerned about the effect of racism and sexism in key Democratic states like Ohio. If a significant number of Hillary's Ohio voters were motivated by racism, what's to stop them from switching parties in November, in favor of the male candidate? You may want to see how all these anti-Obama counties in Ohio voted in 2004. Can Clinton count on the votes that were less for her than against Obama? Likewise, if Obama can't carry key states like Ohio, what are his chances in November? Strong primary wins in South Carolina mean nothing if a lot of Ohioans won't vote for a black man.

[Intheattic]

This commentary is missing the obvious racism in support of Obama. He's been getting a crazy majority of the Black vote everywhere. I'm a Black Ohioan and I can tell you it's not that easy talking about my support for Clinton in a group of Blacks.

[Intheattic]

I going to add my opinion that this article is glaringly overlooking the obvious racism that's supporting Obama too. I am an Ohioan and a minority and I can tell you there's subtle pressure to vote for Obama just because he's Black. It's uncomfortable revealing my support for Clinton in a group of Blacks. We used a paper ballot in my county and once I handed in my ballot, it was looked at by a pollworker!!! In a black neighborhood with all black pollworkers and other voters, it made me wonder about her attitude afterward. Fortunately I'm not easily intimidated.
Obama's been getting a crazy majority of the Black vote everywhere; what's that about then??

[washington]

I am black and supported Hillary in October of 07', after she lost it and started acting like a Republican she lost my vote. My husband is a military man and is also black.He supportered her all the way up until January of 08 and recently changed his mind about her. Many soldiers here in Ft. Belvoir, Va are supporting Obama and they are white and black. Race is not an issue. As a woman I found myself feeling sorry for Hillary every once in a while, but I just snap back to reality. I am not supposed to feel sorry for my President. My President should feel sympathy for me, especially with this lump of sh*t of an economy we have. Let's not forget that Hillary was winning black vote for the entire year of 2007 and a portion of 2008. Obama was 20pts behind in states with a lg. AA population. She lost it when she and Bill started acting like fools!

[Zanti]

Your piece conclusively proves that, if we assume something to be true and proceed to wrap data around that assumption, we'll have a nice-sounding case for absolutely nothing.

Obviously, there can be no "thorough and public discussion about" racism if we're not allowed to deal with the theme critically. So much for honest examination.

[CApickiegirl]

Three cheers to Jeff Coryell!! This article has hit the nail on the head. I am one of eight civil rights attorneys working in the CA Attorney General's Office, and Mr. Coryell is the first person in the media to say what I have been saying for weeks now. Let's be clear, Bill Clinton's comment concerning Jessie Jackson winning South Carolina was a signal to whites with prejudicial insecurities that Obama only won that state because he is black. (Pat Buchanan also equated Obama and Jackson' s win in South Carolina, so what does that tell you?) Sadly, Hillary Clinton's award winning performance on 60 Minutes also played upon white fears that Obama may secretly be a Muslim. It is also unfortunate that in this country we must defend Obama by saying that he is a devout Christian, rather than simply say, why does his religion matter?
I recently when on a trip to Florida where I met many many people from across the country. Let me tell everyone that racism is alive and well in this country and is playing a part in this election.
I once met Hillary Clinton at a fund raiser and told her I thought she would make a great president. As a champion of women's rights, I am disappointed to say that I have changed my mind. Hillary Clinton started out as the president of the Wellesley Young Republicans. It seems that she has come full circle because she is running a campaign that appears to be a Republican campaign in almost every respect -- right out of "Rove's Playbook." Hillary Clinton keeps equating her experience with that of John McCain while dismissing the experience of Obama. Is this just another way of hinting that the whites have more to offer than a black man? African-American civil rights leaders and politicians need to wake up and get off the Hillary bandwagon before she sets the civil rights' movement back 30 years.

[HollyBrinee]

You know what, even better, NY, NJ, Cali, Tenn, Ohio, Texas, Mass, RI, NH, FL, MI.....they're ALL A BUNCH OF RACISTS!!!!!!

[Zanti]

LOL! Yes, these folks are some kind of trip, no?

I was born and raised in Ohio. During grade school, my best friends (chosen from my classmates) included Native American Indians, Polish Americans, and Mexican Americans. As a white person, I was a minority in my high school (which was about 35 percent Caucasian).

So, I really LOVE to learn, again and again, that as an Ohioan I've never seen a black person nor had to deal with any degree of ethnic diversity. I just smile and nod. Best way to deal with arrested minds, really. Smile and nod.

[CApickiegirl]

I live in California and my friends have told me that their Latino relatives will not vote for Obama because he is Black. I know white people in Pennsylvannia, Florida, and New York who won't vote for Obama because is Black and/or think he is a Muslim. Don't fool yourself, discrmination of all forms exists in this country in every state.

[Zanti]

Anti-female sentiments regarding Hillary are clogging up the Internet as we speak. Are racist sentiments regarding Barack clogging up the Internet as we speak?

Demonstrate as much, and then you’ll have a case. It's not enough to simply point out that racism exists in our country.

[TRex86]

The concept of race has no scientific validity. Mitochondrial DNA indicates that we all evolved from Africans. Caucasians probably lost their skin pigment during the Ice Age in Europe, needing to maximize Vitamin D metabolism with minimal sun exposure. The consequence of this mutation has been undue susceptability to skin cancers such as melanoma. In short, Caucasians are cancer-prone mutants!
American racism as a social phenomenon reflects its roots in the twin evils of chattel slavery and post-Civil War Reconstruction. It had explicit institutional expression in Jim Crow laws, but long after their demise it lives on as a cultural phenomenon that suffuses everyday life. Of course, it's not just about African-Americans. We practice racism towards all non-white people. Equal opportunity prejudice.
Moreover, in its modern form it is a proxy for top-down class warfare. The haves keep down the have-nots, filling prisons with young AA men for example. It leads to amusing contradictions like Mitt Romney's use of undocumented Hispanics to mow his lawn. Conservatives want cheap labor and closed borders at the same time. Follow the money, and one finds that racism is a vehicle to perpetuate economic exploitation. It pits those at the bottom against each other and distracts from the real enemy, the ruling plutocracy.
Racism is as American as apple pie.

[jvarga]

Such terrible science.

[Researchguy66]

I really think ya'll are on to something! Someone shoudl get this to the Obama camp PRONTO... calling every white person who doesn't vote for Obama a racist is a sure winning strategy. We can get Sharpton and both Jackson out to march with big signs, proclaiming SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. I'm also thinking maybe a boycott of the state of Ohio, because of the unmitigated power of racism in that evil state. This could be BIG, REALLY BIG!

[Silpat]

The following states have or will go to Hillary because they are filled with her uneducated, uncultured, racist base:

Tennessee
Ohio
Pennslyvania
West Virgina
Kentucky


Mark my words.

[Zanti]

You've already marked them beyond our ability to do so. I don't have my Lysol spray handy, anyway....

[1will]

As long as Obama was winning states columnists were writing column after column trumpeting how evolved Americans are and how we are putting racism behind us. Obama looses a state and it's all due to racism.

[globalcitizenlinda]

Racism is alive and well in Ohio. After the vote, I have been afraid of my what my neighbors are really thinking here. I do not know these people

[nolalily]

DING!!!! DING!!!! DING!!!!. Ding!!!!

[RealBlackGirl]

Finally some truth. Not one media outlet will have this conversation even after they report the exit poll statistics that say race was a factor. If I Iisten to one more panel discussion about gender, sexism and her as the victim my head will explode. Tina Fey is a talented writer, but spare me the crap! They make whoopla about needing an actor to play Obama, but they hire a non-Black actor and then use him as a prop. He is there to portray Obama and he speaks in mono-syllabic sentences and looks vacantly into the camera. A spoof of Obama that does not include lots and lots of words? She has manipulated apologies, reporter suspensions, extra reporter scrutiny against Obama for winning 11 in a row. She is the most privileged and indulged first lady on the planet. Who has examined her voting record in the senate? Have we forgotten how she became the senator from New York? Now she has moved the goal post to PA when the delegate gap won't change no matter how long they campaign. Moreover, we won't see the tax returns until the PA primary is over and she protrays herself as one of the people. She can't sell that narrative if we know that she can lend her campaign $5 million and have millions left over. She can't sell her anti-NAFTA rhetoric if we find out they have made deals with every country on the planet. After 8 years of privilege and loyalty ruining our country I thought we had learned our lesson. Her campaign in in chaos, her husband is uncontrollable and she wants the phone at 3 AM. Come on people!

[Citizenofreality]

Well just to make the Clinton camp happy let's not call this racism, let's call it otherism. A sly little attack that doesn't involve racism in any of it's old guises, instead it involves the clever implication that your subject is not quite American looking, that he MIGHT not go to the same kind of church you go to, that he doesn't look quite right does he?, that he has a funny sounding name and that he might be some kind of foreigner who doesn't have your best interests at heart. The Clinton camp didn't perpetrate any of these ideas, but they fed off of them and made them plausible by not defending Obama, a fellow Democrat. Clinton could have and should have said that she KNEW that Obama wasn't a Muslim, that would have been the ethical thing to do.

[kellybelle]

excellent post!

[RedBirdy]

So, Clinton can't go negative (like any politician does during elections) because it somehow increased racism? I'm black, and i'm not even buying that bullshit. Maybe people just don't like Barack, because he's Barack. Ever think of that? Just like people hate Clinton because she's Clinton. I don't like him, and it sure ain't 'cause of his race. I just think he's an arrogant, inexperienced politician, with a huge ego. He will eventually go negative. He's already started today. I don't doubt there's racism, but a white person can't NOT vote for a black person, for other reasons other than race?

[DRHoen]

Why are you so sure "it ain't cause of his race"? Blacks can't be racist? Regardless, racism is definitely a factor. How it affects the Clintons' behavior is a different story.

[Researchguy66]

reasoned response warning...

Obviously race plays a factor. African-Americans vote for Obama in the 80% range, while non-Africa­n-American­s somewhere in the 40%, 50%, 60% range - it varies. If race were not a factor, you'd expect to see those numbers much closer. The logical conclusion is that either Blacks inordinately favor Obama due to his race OR non-blacks inordinately disfavor Obama because of his race. I suspect some of the latter and a great deal of the former, but I can't think of a quick way to test that off-hand. In either case, race plays a role in choice.

[Zanti]

"The logical conclusion is that either Blacks inordinately favor Obama due to his race OR non-blacks inordinately disfavor Obama because of his race."

Logical? When you've removed from consideration all other factors? You're talking about one black candidate in one campaign, and then you're generalizing about the voting trends of whites vs. blacks. You're generalizing from generalizations, which is not very scientific. Generalizing works when it's done from detailed, specific information. Sweeping conclusions based on gross trends aren't worth the few seconds it takes to fashion them.

I take it your opening warning was sarcastic?

[mensa999]

you are certainly entitled to your own opinion. However just because your black does not mean that you cannot be a racist. There are many blacks who believe he is not black enough. He is in fact a mulatto. The funny thing is that more than have the country is mulatto. If I could take everyone's DNA they would prove this. The only arrogance I see is in Hillary. It's in her posturing, in her inability to dish it but not be able to eat it. I hope this country and really at least try to do what's in the best interest of our country and not what's in the best interest in the financial stability of the BUSH/CLINTON brand.