Real Race Issues Don't Get Addressed In Primetime

Tonight's NBC candidates debate was like being in two places at once. First, a third of the debate was spent with three seasoned journalists chasing days old stories about Clinton and Obama campaign supporters comments about racial politics. As often seems to be the case, the two white male journalists asked their questions, and the female journalist read questions submitted over the internet (too general an observation-- sometimes the female gets to take audience questions.)

The kicker was when Brian Williams asked Senator Obama about inaccurate emails on the internet claiming he is a muslim, and Senator Obama's emabarrased laugh as he clarified that he is a Christian. Then to the sponors before a straight -faced second segment on the economy and the war in Iraq.

What is going on here? A muffled voice in the audience called out "this is race baiting," several times before stopping or being stopped.

In the final hour of the debate an amazing thing happened. In response to a question about the dropout rate of African American students, Senator Obama talked openly about race. He talked about the high dropout rate of African American and Latino children, and the imprtance of early childhood education. He said there is a need to spend billions of dollars on childhood education, saying every dollar spent on this produces a ten dollar return. Obama talked about the need for after school and summer school programs because minority youth don't have that kind of supervision. "I was raised by a single mom and grandparents," said Obama. "African American fathers all too often are absent from the home," Obama continued, speaking "as someone who was raised without a father."

As Tim Russert began to ask the next question, Senator Clinton jumped in. "This is a black brown debate and we really haven't gotten to those issues. I commend Barack for taking on the full range." She went on to talk about her work on these issues with a debate sponsor, and Edwards was then asked by the moderators to respond as well.

Russert went on to his question about homicides and gun control, the final question before the last break and final minutes remaining.

The candidates had to push the moderators to stop asking about the politics of race and force a discussion on actual challenges faced by minorities. That single question and answer was brief and not followed up on despite all three candidates obvious desire to take the discussion further.

Imagine if the moderators had taken this train of thought further and ad-libbed some questions about what it is like for minorities growing up in America and how to create a sense of the equal opportunity outlined in our Constitution. Imagine if they had discussed the challenges faced by single mothers of all races, or of working mothers trying to balance work and childcare needs. These issues would have been natural follow-ups but they were not asked. Instead, the issues of race and gender were put back in their box with no new ground broken. And tomorrow, the headlines will be not about the issues related to race and gender inequities that effect all Americans. They press will continue to press forward the superficial issues of the campaign tactics related to the politics of race and gender instead.

What a lost opportunity.

Comments

[gregjones]

Blacks learning
Hillary Was AGAINST the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Feel Deceived !


A March 12, 2007 article written by acclaimed Washington columnist Robert Novak sheds a very revealing light on the true sentiment of Hillary Clinton during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement.

In an attempt to attract black support Hillary Clinton regularly shares her 'civil rights experience' during every speech given to blacks audiences. Novak writes of one such speech at Selma's First Baptist Church on the 42nd anniversary of the "bloody Sunday" freedom march there, where Sen. Clinton declared: "As a young woman, I had the great privilege of hearing Dr. King speak in Chicago. The year was 1963. My youth minister from our church took a few of us down on a cold January night to hear [King]. . . . And he called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the civil rights pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union." But Novak's article states that there's a big problem with her statement.

The fact is, in 1963, the same period of time she speeks of at all black church appearances, not only was Hillary Clinton a republican, but she was also a staunch supporter of republican Senator Barry Goldwater, well known as a segregationist and adamently against the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is why he lost in his presidential bid to Lyndon B. Johnson. Novak writes "...how then could she be a 'Goldwater Girl' in the next year's presidential election?" He continues, "...she described herself in her memoirs as 'an active Young Republican' and 'a Goldwater girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit.' (Hillary worked on Goldwater's presidential campaign)

Novak adds, "As a politically attuned honor student, she must have known that Goldwater was one of only six Republican senators who joined Southern Democratic segregationists opposing the historic voting rights act of 1964 inspired by King. Hillary later headed Young Republicans in college.

Greg 'Peace Song' Jones
(Google: 'Hillary,King,Goldwater' to read Novaks original article)

[LeftCoastLefthandedLefty]

As an African-American male, I believe the biggest issue we need to deal with as a society is not racism but classism.

Poor Black, Brown, and White people have far more in common with each other than with their wealthy counterparts.

The problems of poor communities across the country (substandard healthcare, education, crime) hurt the nation far more than any single ethnic groups issues.

I know it isn't sexy to discuss the disconnect between the haves and the have-nots but until we address this issue and stop conflating it with race-bating and other forms of ignorance, we will continue to be stuck in neutral as a society.

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

I don't want to criticize Hillary at every turn (she usually beats Obama in these debates), but Jennifer Donahue quotes her one comment last night that sounded the most out-of-touch and condescending:

"This is a black brown debate and we really haven't gotten to those issues."

It looks better in print than it sounded, but I asked myself-- doesn't the Iraq War, the housing crisis, the Energy Bill (which I was sad to hear that Obama voted for), the changing of the tone in Washington, the way candidates handle race in a campaign, don't all these things affect blacks and Latinos too?

Yet Hillary had put all these in a tidy little box called "black brown debate." She told the same story about going door to door in Las Vegas (not Los Angeles, Brian) and meeting hard-working people, people who lost their jobs, even Latinos! Imagine, she's *meeting* people. She must really care!

Hillary is very smart and cares about the big picture, but she can't speak outside of the bureaucratic lawyer-speak that has been her four walls for so many years. Edwards personalizes everything to the point that he makes it sound like he's bent over in deep agony about the Jones family down the street, who are sick and and out of work, even while he's eating his cornflakes in the morning-- and somehow this empathy is his weakness.

Obama was a community organizer working with troubled youth. He voted to end racial profiling in Illinois. He knew how to go out in the neighborhoods of Chicago and talk to blacks and Latinos. He knows what racism is.

It's not just the way people talk. Reading Hillary's story we know she cares about women, children, racial equality. The problem is she has so often been found in the wrong places-- the first woman on Wal-Mart's board, creating power-broker relationships with Republicans at Senate morning prayer breakfasts, her husband's pro-globalization administration-- that we just can't trust she has our best interests at heart, rather than some big corporation's.

[YcCoSQ]

what does it tell you when the corporation that is holding the debate excludes those whom they think are unelectable? Wonder if obama was deemed unelectable if they would exclude him?

[newworldman777]

The candidates can talk about it all that they want to about racial tolerance, but not much will change, because racial tolerance cannot be legislated. I am a Native American (Indian) living in America, and this is what I must deal with in my own homeland.

We live in a country which not only tolerates, but approves of and indeed sanctions the racial epithet "redskin" -- the Indian counterpart to the blacks' "n" word. The name of the professional football team representing our nation's capital is called the "Washington Redskins."

When I was a student at Mississippi State University, one of my art professors cost me my college degree when he framed me by setting me up to make it appear as though I had stolen a slide projector from the art department in 1981. The art department head refused to do anything about the harassment, so I made an appointment with the Dean of Arts and Sciences. On the appointed day, while I sat in the waiting area waiting to be called into his office, the guilty professor walked in and proceeded to harass and intimidate me. When the dean called me in, the professor sat outside the dean's office door, listeniing in to our conversation, after the dean refused to close his door (even after I asked him to do so). The dean's office had illegally forewarned the professor about my appointment, allowing him to meet me there to harass me. I asked the chief of campus security to investigate the crime, but he refused, saying, "This is an adult world, and things happen." When I began posting fliers around the MSU campus exposing the crime and coverup, the security chief sent two armed campus security officers to my trailer, which was off campus and out of ther jurisdiction, just to hand deliver a letter concerning my fliers -- an illegal act of harassment and intimidation. Heads should have rolled, but the entire incident -- the crime and coverup -- was silenced and erased from all records, and no one was ever punished. I dropped out because of the harassment.

[gopindrag]

America is one sick old dog and how much is the family willing to spend to return the old dog to health. ........ I want a puppy! A puppy with a future and wig waggy tail!

[DCIndependents]

THE CLINTONS AND BOB JOHNSON NEED A BLACK REALITY CHECK --- Unfortunately for Bob "All About the Money" Johnson, many African Americans feel and know he has insulted them for over 20 years with degrading, stereotypical and low quality so-called "Black" cable television programming. Before this former chief executive hustler of Black trash TV throws stones at presidential frontrunner Barack Obama, he should know that many who expected better of Johnson over the years realized that BET was an abbreviation for brain empty television.

Though Johnson sold Black Entertainment Television to Viacom, his legacy of disinformation, ignorance and low expectation programming lives on in its continuing lack of substantive daily U.S. and global Black news or political coverage " on a so-called Black oriented television network. Get real Bob, being Black is also about the content of YOUR character and deeds too.

Moreover, if Bob Johnson wants to be the last Black man standing on the Clinton political plantation, that's his right and choice. Obama may or may not ascend to the presidency, or be my only candidate consideration. However, Clinton and Johnson must respect the fact and reality that the rest of us who are aware and informed prefer to be the political ex-slaves moving forward with someone of real integrity and vision.

Someday, HillaryClinton and Bill Clinton will realize the vast majority of African Americans are not naive, uninformed, shallow, dazzled, or just plain stupid. Former BET huckster Bob Johnson should already know better. And, yes, we also know about the Clintons" symbolic and rarely used Harlem office space on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (125th Street).

When you operate from a paradigm believing you're entitled, delusion usually follows. Blacks rarely delude themselves about the motivations of Liberal, Conservative, Democratic, Republican or other White politicians, regardless of what they want to believe about most of us. Beyond political or party labels, their character and commitment to real action toward equitable empowerment is our bottom line.

Dennis Moore, Chairperson,
District of Columbia Independents for Citizen Control (DCICC) Political Party
http://www.DCIndependents.org
[e-mail]

[AnninCA]

I'm not following the logic of this blog. It seems to me that the candidates tried to discuss the real issues.

Race is less important than programs and opportunities, and that is most definitely within the sphere of influence by a president.

That's a great deal more relevant than intellectualizing over race issues, real or imagined.

[nihilon_x]

The problem is that many in this nation don't want to discuss race issues -- they want to argue over them. I've been posting on race issues for nearly eight years now, from Stormfront.org to Allhiphop.com to the Yahoo Message Boards to right here on this forum and what I've noticed is that people on ALL sides of the fence would rather complain about the various problems than try to find common solutions. There is rarely any real dialogue on how to resolve these issues for the good of all concerned -- there is just finger-pointing and blame. The recent fiasco over LBJ's remarks was a great example of this -- "how dare this white woman demean MLK's legacy" on the one hand, "how dare that black man miscontrue her statements" on the other...when in fact, both candidates share the common goal of resolving racial differences.

Meanwhile, there is no real discussion about the fact that King's dream has NOT been "realized" -- despite LBJ's actions -- and that SOME African-Americans are in many ways are worse off now (inner-city violence and gangs, fatherless homes and unwed pregnancies, failing schools hampered by No Child Left Behind, etc) than before the signing of the Civil Rights Act. People are so busy arguing over the who was responsible for the "realization" of the "dream" that they won't step back and admit that THE DREAM HAS NOT YET BEEN REALIZED. We still are a very racially polarized nation and we still have some way to go before King's dream of equality and fairness for all becomes reality.

Yes, we have made great progress, but arguing over who did what in the past without any discussion of who is doing what RIGHT NOW gets us nowhere, and gives the illusion that somehow we've already resolved these issues, when nothing could be further from the truth...as many of the forums that I have visited prove on a daily basis.

[furion4865]

While the candidates seem committed to increasing the funding for public education, it would also be nice if they would commit to demanding the enforcement of civil rights legislation intended by Congress to aid minorities in gaining a "real" equal opportunity to good paying jobs once they have acquired the required skills and education. True equal opportunity for qualified women and minorities are still a pipe dream in this country and the federal judiciary under George Bush has flatly refused to enforce any legislation that promotes equality in the workplace. Why do we still tolerate women and minorities making .75 cents on every dollar a white guy makes for doing the same job? And please people start asking for supporting data to justify standardized testing, everytime women and minorities gain the required skills and education to enter a particular profession or skilled trade, white guys come up with some type of standardized test that has to be passed in order to work in the field in which the woman or minority received training. Moreover, nine times out of ten the results of the standardized tests can't be verified, the exams are scored by the white guys currently occupying the field and there's no correlation between the tests results and a person's ability to perform the job, just another artificial barrier to self-actualization. Everything about this country is smoke and mirrors, nothing is what it appears to be and oppression is the order of the day.

[sofia]

I have concluded that Russert wants to be the news. He does not care to inform or educate the public. It is time we tell MSNBC that they can and should do better.

[LarBear]

I thought the 3 Candidates handled the "Talking Heads" (Moderators) very well... Clearly the "T H's" wanted to stir up a fight over Race... The opening questions were designed to give the Media more fodder... The Media has done their best to keep the Race Baiting and Race Card going, but the Candidates opted out... I agree with the Candidates... Overzealous Campaign Talking Heads (staffers) were partially responsible for the conflict in the First Place... Hopefully the 3 Candidates have reigned them in... Likely, Bloggers and Candidates supporters will attempt also to keep the rhetoric going... Why deal with actual Facts when Lies and Spins and Partial truths can be said?

[elkabong]

If we change the frame of the discussion from race to class, it would serve to unite all of the disenfranchised. It would further serve the righteous cause to make race irrelevant. The class frame is the one "they" are hoping we don't use.

I fear that parties on all sides of race issues are too comfortably familiar, no matter the misery it sustains, to leave the frame that exists.

Replace the talk of race with talk of class, you win. Otherwise, everyone is on their own.

John Edwards '08

[Ides]

Obama's response was illuminating and telling, and his history of Civil Rights work pretty much shone on that exchange. He pointed out the plight of blacks and Latinos but was quick to bring in "poor of all races" to show that what seems like a simple black and Hispanic issue is a universal challenge for the underclasses.

Not that anyone voting gives a damn, but it was interesting to see how his reflections on the situation were so different than Hillary's race-focused follow-up.

[Tellmethetruth]

Very good point, how we all would have appreciated a "Katrina" moment when we could really see the plight of African Americans in this country, and take a good look at the problems and how consider what we need to do.

Good article.

Seems like "race" has been treated like incest, or alcoholism within "families" - something we don't talk about. I guess it back into the closet again.

Shame....

[January]

"What a lost opportunity."

Indeed. Race and gender are issues only exceeded in significance by war and money. We have candidates in the Demo party who are capable of enlightening us. Instead of the superficial twists of race and gender found in advertising and Hollywood, the Demo primary is a real chance to educate the electorate.

However, as with the old adage of not talking about religion and politics with your friends, for fear of losing them, our lips are zipped by the exploitation that honesty is subjected to by the MSM.

It's too good a chance to miss, but it hasn't a chance of working, even after HRC and BHO are elected.

[AsaNisMasa]

when I hear calls to "throw the bums out" I often ask myself if that includes the press.

its sad. I wanted to go into journalism and I was good at it. My college newspaper advisor encouraged me to continue with it and has spent a lot of breathe trying to change my mind. And while I appreciate what a lot of the internet journalists are able to achieve, it just seems like such a depressing occupation to be in these days. That is if you actually have a soul and conscience.

[Pippen]

Doesn't surprise me at all. We have a woman an black male running for the most powerful position in the known free world. We're lucky they talk at all and they often don't when they're not forced too.

Why? Because Americans are cattle. As long as they have their cell phones, their SuVs, and their job they dont care....about anything.

Soon they'll have trouble with the job issue but 9 out of 10 people can lose their job from outsourcing or offshoring to grunts who will work without epa standards at $5 a day and the 10th American still will not accept that there is a job loss issue in the country. Optimism ? No,...more like blissful ignorance an saturated arrogance.

This country has become saturated with both elements to the point that we'll deserve what we get. Whether it's an old white man who thinks we should "reshape" the U.S. Constitution to parallel God's word or a middle aged black man who's experience in congress is less than any other running candidate and has almost no foreign policy experience in the time of growing world war, and has a voting record that looks like a dropout, or a white woman bent on stickn it to the republicans who's personal life is the aftermath of a bad trailer park movie......doesn't matter. We'll deserve what we get.

Had we been doing a duty as citizens and informing ourselves about issues and turned the TV OFF when media tries to tickle us with salatious and outrageous emotional gossip instead of the issues. If we would contact the auto companies who try to sell vehicles during TV segments that do nothing but bait human emotion instead of drive home issue related debate.

No, we're only concerned about American Idol.

Why ? Because the rich always win.

Some day the cattle will wake up but not as long as 6 old fat white men own all of the media in the country and a conservative rightwing who thinks its perfectly ok to twist all facts until they sound republican.

[DietrichMoody]

Real Race Issues Don't get Addressed in a PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN or any Campaign. political accomplishments are political accomplishment. Hillary talked about LBJ's political accomplishments on race - during a CAMPAIGN....wrong move.

[Forwhatsitsworth]

so true!