Author Topic: proud moments West Virginia  (Read 8380 times)

Fido

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Re: proud moments West Virginia
« Reply #45 on: May 15, 2008, 07:54:29 PM »
Just about every justification these "people" gave sounded like coded racism to me. When someone mentioned Obama's lack of experience, I just extrapolated that they meant "his lack of experience [at being white]."

I got the same impression, Forrest.  While that piece may have been designed to give that impression, nevertheless it's striking just how many clues there were that that's what is going on in these people's minds.  How many other Democrats with a somewhat favorable view of Obama did they interview but not show in that clip?  From the looks of the West Virginia primary statistics, probably not very many.

It's striking to me just how similar Obama's and Clinton's policy positions have been in the campaign, and how significantly different they are from those of McCain.  If those positions were really the basis for the voting decisions of these folks, they wouldn't be throwing up this litany of sad excuses for their support for Clinton, e.g., I don't feel like I know Obama, he's not being forthright (too big a word for that crowd), he doesn't share my values, he doesn't hold American values, he's not patriotic, etc.  All have been attempts, so far apparently remarkably successful, at pinning various objectionable labels on Obama for minds that can't or don't want to listen to policy positions -- or who are looking for an opportunity not to admit to their own racism.  And we have the Clinton campaign to thank in large part for stoking those coals and providing just those excuses.  

If these people were my neighbors (in a sense, they are), I'd conclude that we're in for four to eight more years of conservative Republican rule.  I'm just cynical enough to believe that this country is still racist enough to tip the scales in McCain's favor in the fall, but I still hope that I am all wrong.  If Obama loses, I will probably draw that conclusion, since there are just so many overwhelming factors favoring the Democrats this year, incl. the economy, gas prices, the war and McCain's support for it, Bush's incompetence, poorly executed foreign policy, on and on.  What's worse, if Obama loses, he'll be blamed for screwing it all up and wresting defeat from the jaws of victory, however good a candidate and a campaigner he may be.

And another thing, I'm always trying to be open-minded about people who are labeled as hicks when I suspect it's an unfair, classist label.  (After all, I'm a middle class white guy from an unglamorous fly-over state, so I have a chip on my shoulder too.)  But then the damn dummies just do everything in their power to confirm that they really are dumbass hicks.  What can you do?

jed

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Re: proud moments West Virginia
« Reply #46 on: May 17, 2008, 03:37:16 PM »
"My president is going to be one half Don West, one half the singer from Venom, thank you very much, good day sir!"

John Junk 2.0

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Re: proud moments West Virginia
« Reply #47 on: May 17, 2008, 07:36:07 PM »
the idea that there's racism in West Virginia isn't exactly a lid-blower.  I feel that if Obama wins the nomination, it will be a historic event, whether or not he wins.  I think he'd have a pretty tough time beating McCain, just based on race and his perceived Other-ness.  Not only do a lot of white people not like black people, a lot of latino voters feel the same.  Plus at the eleventh hour you'd probably get a ton of "Is a Black Man Electable" anxiety coming from the media which will basically seal his fate with self-fulfilling prophecies.

That Obama's a muslim lady sure is a moron, though. 

Out of sheer willfull ignorance, I think it's kinda awesome when that one lady in the restaurant video tells the interviewer she's had enough of him saying Obama's name.