Race and the Presidential Election

Townhall.com ^ | May 10, 2008 | Bill O'Reilly

[Kaslin]

Well, Barack Obama should be one happy guy. His big victory in North Carolina has pretty much locked up the Democratic presidential nomination. Now it is virtually impossible for Hillary Clinton to defeat him in the popular vote or in the elected delegate category.

Thus, Obama has the nomination won unless another Rev. Wright crawls into the picture. Spinners who talk about re-votes in Florida and Michigan are dreaming; that will not happen. The Obama campaign would be foolish to participate. They played by the Democratic Party's rules and won. They're not going to sanction do-overs.

Also, as Al Sharpton told me, any kind of superdelegate shenanigans will lead to massive demonstrations at the Democratic Convention in Denver, which would be disastrous for the party.

So Obama seems to be in.

Now comes the hard part, convincing Americans that he is the best choice for president without all hell breaking loose on the race front.

Thanks in part to Wright's now immortal "the U.S. of KKK" remark, the race factor has emerged big-time in this election. If you don't believe me, just look at the vote in North Carolina and Indiana.

About 60 percent of whites voted for Clinton, as opposed to an astounding 90 percent of African-Americans pulling the lever for Obama. And working-class whites went even bigger for Clinton. No question there is a race divide.

Accepting that, Obama has two basic problems in the race arena. First, militant blacks reinforce negativity on race issues, and these pinheads just keep popping up. In addition to Wright, Philadelphia preacher Derick Wilson wrote in the Philadelphia Daily News that Obama is a "house Negro" for not supporting Wright.

Of course, that is insane, and a responsible newspaper would not have printed the lunacy. But in this hyper-partisan country, race-baiters will find a forum, and every time stuff like that gets exposure, racial animus comes back.

Obama's second dilemma is convincing skeptical white voters that he and his wife are sympathetic to their concerns. Let's be honest, few white Americans would tolerate Wright for five minutes, much less 20 years. And Obama's comments in San Francisco about blue collars seeking refuge in guns and church hurt him badly.

So, the senator must clarify his philosophy without belaboring the issue. Even with his verbal eloquence, that will not be easy.

I do not expect Obama or Sen. McCain to dwell on race, but surely some of their surrogates and the media will exploit the issue to the fullest. Any kind of perceived racial comment will be splashed all over the place.

That, of course, will be bad for the country and bad for the candidates. But it's coming. No question.

[bronxboy]

What a shame the republicans are running such a weak candidate. What ever happened to principles?

[Eurale]

Nobama is really between a rock and a hard place. How does he attract white voters without being branded as an Uncle Tom by his overwhelmingly black supporters? I still believe that Shrillery has a surprise for Mr Nobama, but she’ll have a hard time getting the DBM to give it traction.

[Popman]

About 60 percent of whites voted for Clinton, as opposed to an astounding 90 percent of African-Americans pulling the lever for Obama.

Well, duh. This is a primary.

Blacks have an historic opportunity to pick their party's nominee and they will.

Also, Hillary isn't Bill Clinton and I don't think blacks are as enamored with her nearly as much as they are with Bill, so that makes her a weak opposition candidate to Obama in the primary.

McCain to his credit has been reaching out to the black community and the voting blacks,not the hip hop gangsters, still have a strong social conservative streak in them and just might pick McCain over Obama for all the right reasons, like they understand Obama is an empty suit and not competent to run the country

JMHO

[kjam22]

Obama is going to get beat bad. It may even be bad enough to swing the Senate back to the republicans.

[samtheman]

Let's be honest, few white Americans would tolerate Wright for five minutes, much less 20 years.

Let's be honest. Obama didn't just "tolerate" Wright. He sat his kids down in front of that madman and forced them to listen.

[Piquaboy]

I hope the Rats do end up with this youngest,stupidest,Muslim America hater to run for president.

[Piquaboy]

Barack has all his former Chicago gang member friends going for him also.

[Kaslin]

I hope the Rats do end up with this youngest,stupidest,Muslim America hater to run for president.

Isn't he already running?

[AlphaOneAlpha]

“Let’s be honest. Obama didn’t just “tolerate” Wright. He sat his kids down in front of that madman and forced them to listen”

The very, very most disturbing thing about watching the repeated Wright sermons was the horid reaction of the black
parishoners. Laughing, shouting and have a good old time listening to racist comments and denigration of their country. And all the kids, like Obamas were there just drinking in the scene. That turned my head around.
Yeah, lets have a discussion about race, starting with personal responsibility in family and neighborhood.

[aruanan]

Isn't he already running?

Right now he's running for the Democrat nomination. If he gets that, then he'll run for president.

[Old Badger]

"Let's be honest, few white Americans would tolerate Wright for five minutes, much less 20 years."

Lets be more honest. A person doesn't attend a "Black Liberation" church that spews nothing but racism unless they believe in what's being taught. B. Hussein Obama is a "Closet Racist" pure and simple! If America elects this piece of work, he'll make this country look like Zimbabwe after he and his ilk finish looting and plundering the treasury and its citizens. Reparations would definitely be on the table.

The talking heads avoid saying this like the plague, Bill O'reilly included! Rush Limbaugh has come close but has yet to to really speak out on this issue and the rest of them talk around it saying he's, Obama, is just a nice but somewhat naive guy. We're stuck with McCain ........ G_d help us because that idiot McCain won't!

[samtheman]

You are absolutely right, Old Badger. Every word you just wrote is absolutely correct.

[aruanan]

Laughing, shouting and have a good old time listening to racist comments and denigration of their country.

That's what happens when racism is described entirely in terms of one race and another is given a pass because, according to the reigning philosophy, to draw attention to their own racism would be racism. And so, the Wright racism has been allowed to fester and infiltrate a culture without opprobrium out of fear of being called racist. And so, in this particular culture, because there has not been much attention draw to it, the racism isn't subtle or sophisticated but blatant and almost cartoonlike in its simplicity and lack of thought. For instance, when I was in college a black friend was telling me how bad the black guy from Zimbabwe was because he wouldn't take part in their "black emphasis month" at school. He said he was there for an education, not politicking. She and others looked on him as being an enemy to others of the color of his skin because his skin was black and he wouldn't fall into their scheme of looking at the world. I tried to explain this to her and told her about another friend from Micronesia who looks black but who is from an entirely different culture and linguistic background. She said that because his skin was black he was "a brother." In this case with Obama, who has ZERO cultural and racial connection with the so-called American black experience (though he tries as hard as possible to cash in on superficial appearances he enjoys through no effort of his own) is being supported by over 90% of American black voters simply because of the Kenyan half of his parentage. Unfortunately, this is as childish as the little kid who thinks because his parents drive a Chevrolet and his parents are good that anyone else who drives a Chevrolet must also be good and pose no danger to him.

[Piquaboy]

I know that but the fat lady has not sung yet. I suppose I should have said won the race against Hillary.

[Old Badger]

This is why in Pennsylvania, and other states, those blue collar workers that are street wise realize he is just trying, and may succeed, in "Shuck-n-Jiven" his way into the White House. Most of the so called "highly educated" group are dumb as a post on this and probably are voting for him because they have been brainwashed into a guilt trip.

I've never owned a slave ........ but was one for a substantial number of years until I received my emancipation papers (divorce). :O)

[samtheman]

But I bet when you were emancipated YOU had to pay the reparations.

[Old Badger]

“YOU had to pay the reparations”

More like a ton of reparations. That's why I know we wouldn’t have that proverbial pot when this guy left office if this country still existed!

[Nuc1]

The reason BHO stayed with Wright for twenty years or so is because he believes what Wright preaches. Quit giving this guy a pass. Quite refusing to believe the truth in front of your eyes.

[Fishrrman]

“The very, very most disturbing thing about watching the repeated Wright sermons was the horid reaction of the black
parishoners. Laughing, shouting and have a good old time listening to racist comments and denigration of their country.”

I’m going to be blunt:
Why would this “disturb” you any more than watching the [now suppressed] videos of Islamic women ullulating in joy at the destruction of the World Trade Center?

It is less shocking than it is revealing: revealing the truth about “how these folks really think”, and that the fundamental beliefs they hold close [as blacks] are significantly different, and in many ways diametrically opposed to, as those that we Euro-Americans cherish.

Recall, if you will, the earliest days of the Clinton presidency. Remember “gays in the military?” Suddenly, a lot of voters who had been hoodwinked by the Clinton’s promises and panderings got a “real taste” of the true mindset of the new administration.

And so it will be with the vast majority of Euro-voters once an Obama administration gets up to speed. Reparations will be just the beginning. A weak-willed Democratic congress will be loathe to oppose Hussein, for fear of being labeled “racists” or traitors to their party. And those Republicans left in congress by then? Fuggedaboutit.

I predict that - for whites - an Obama presidency will resemble nothing less than the Reconstruction-era “black ruled” governments of the south - nothing short of disastrous. Jim Crow turned 180 degrees.

This is why in some previous posts, I’ve stated that I don’t believe the time has come yet for a black to serve as president. It’s less a question of what a black president “believes”, than what his primary constituency will believe and expect (and we know who that “primary constituency” is comprised of).

For a large part of that constituency, the values they espouse seem quite out-of-line with the values that most Euro-Americans still hold dear.

- John
(disclaimer: in years past, I recall voting at least once [twice, I think] for Gary Franks for congressman in my district. Mr. Franks was a Repubican. He also was black.)