Racist Voting ???

[Wilbur]

I was listening to Fox News on the radio this afternoon on my drive home and heard an interview with a voting woman at a polling place (have no idea where).  She indicated her only reason for voting for her candidate was because he was African American.  That made me wonder:

1.  If you only vote for someone because they are a certain color, is that different then voting against someone because they are a certain color?

2.  If I'm white and vote for McCain only because he is white (and his opponent black), am I racist?

3.  If I'm black and vote for Obama only because he is black (and his opponent white), am I racist?

4.  if yes, equally on both parts?

5.  Why or why not?

6.  If the reason I vote for the black candidate is only because he is black and we've never had a black president before, am I racist?

7.  Even more or less so?

[mfox]

Yes, Voting for/against the color of a candidates skin is racist both ways and equal in anyway, shape, or form

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

I was listening to Fox News on the radio this afternoon on my drive home and heard an interview with a voting woman at a polling place (have no idea where).  She indicated her only reason for voting for her candidate was because he was African American.  That made me wonder:

1.  If you only vote for someone because they are a certain color, is that different then voting against someone because they are a certain color?

2.  If I'm white and vote for McCain only because he is white (and his opponent black), am I racist?

3.  If I'm black and vote for Obama only because he is black (and his opponent white), am I racist?

4.  if yes, equally on both parts?

5.  Why or why not?

6.  If the reason I vote for the black candidate is only because he is black and we've never had a black president before, am I racist?

7.  Even more or less so?

yes I heard that too.  then she went on to say "I want to vote for someone who represents our diverse society"

Really?

Obama represents asians, jews, latinos, etc etc?  Seems to be his "diversity" is about skin deep.

[nathanm]

quote:Originally posted by mfox

Yes, Voting for/against the color of a candidates skin is racist both ways and equal in anyway, shape, or form

There's no denying that in most cases (here, the exceptions prove the rule) that people brought up in a predominantly black community are exposed to significantly different ideas than those of us born into rural or small-city white society.

That's not good or bad, it just is. Obama is lucky to have traveled in many circles, which in my opinion provides a better basis for understanding where others are coming from.

[mfox]

quote:
There's no denying that in most cases (here, the exceptions prove the rule) that people brought up in a predominantly black community are exposed to significantly different ideas than those of us born into rural or small-city white society.

No matter where you are born, Voting by skin color is racist, My favorite color is green so if Yoda was running for president and I voted for him for his green skin, I would be racist.

[nathanm]

quote:Originally posted by mfox


No matter where you are born, Voting by skin color is racist, My favorite color is green so if Yoda was running for president and I voted for him for his green skin, I would be racist.

Yes, but voting for someone based on who they are is not. Who they are is shaped by their childhood.

[mfox]

quote:
Yes, but voting for someone based on who they are is not. Who they are is shaped by their childhood.

I agree, vote on who they are/what they stand for not color.

[cannon_fodder]

Exit polling data suggests Race helped him.  Of those that thought "Race was a significant factor" more than 60% voted FOR him.  Please note I am not claiming that was the deciding factor, just taking it at face value.

As racists as it may be (and I acknowledge that it is a decision on race and inherently racist, if not in the usual conotation), I viewed the color of his skin as a positive thing.  It draws in a segment of our population.  It looks good to the world.  Another white man has no such benefit.

But what an interesting development, who would have thought in VIRGINIA of all places, that being black would be an advantage?

[waterboy]

I didn't hear the comment but I'm not surprised by it. Most people are not too good in expressing themselves, especially when confronted with a microphone and a camera.

I'm betting that there was much more in her decision as to who she voted for and why. I doubt that if the candidate was black but espoused genocide against fair skinned blacks that she would have supported him. That would be racist indeed.

Her comment is more likely to have been one of a tipping point nature. IOW, there are many factors she may have considered, but in the end she identified with his color and felt comfortable in saying so. Just as Native Americans identify with their own tribes. Hell, just as white, high income, college educated, gambling ex Navy fliers identified with the white ex Navy POW. That's not hard to understand. But when you frame it as color it changes the immpression.

Racism and prejudice are separate issues. Had she said "I only vote for black people" thats racist.

[RecycleMichael]

I feel I am not racist, but I will admit to being a specist. I only vote for the human species.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

I feel I am not racist, but I will admit to being a specist. I only vote for the human species.

You make Yoda sad...

I believe Obama's race helped him and in the primaries much as Hillary's gender likely helped hers. Policy-wise there were a lot of similarities between these to and some of their white male counterparts.

I think in the general election is was pretty much a wash. You have the people who voted against him solely because he was African-American and people who voted for him almost solely for the same reason. I also think that since there was such a huge focus on heading in new direction, electing a president of a different race/gender/species was an obvious visual representation of that change.

All of the above is rascist.

I believe in the future, we should get a one page document listing qualifications and policy statements from each candidate and vote blindly in a series of double-elimination one candidate vs one candidate votes.

[Neptune]

When Webb won the Senate seat out of Virginia in 2006, it meant an end to "ruby red" Virginia.  And the Obama election in Virginia, went almost exactly the same way.  Northern Virginia is now big enough to offset southwestern Virginia, barely.

There is no way to tell what impact "race" had on this election, despite exit polls.  There is no way to gauge how many voted against Obama because of race.  There is no way to tell if the difference between the historical 90% African Americans that always vote Democratic, and the 97% Obama picked up, had anything to do with "race."

[cannon_fodder]

Nope, there is no way to tell for sure.  But our best way of telling is to walk up and ask people.  The next best way is to look at statistics.

Both suggest it had a positive influence.  We really don't know.  But I also don't really know if an election took place anywhere yesterday other then in my little world, but all evidence suggests it did.  I generally go with what all the evidence suggests.

[Neptune]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Nope, there is no way to tell for sure.  But our best way of telling is to walk up and ask people.  The next best way is to look at statistics.

Both suggest it had a positive influence.  We really don't know.  But I also don't really know if an election took place anywhere yesterday other then in my little world, but all evidence suggests it did.  I generally go with what all the evidence suggests.

You go with whatever points to "race" as an issue, you love a world where you can blame it on the Black Man.  How do you know whether or not a white Democrat wouldn't have won this election by 12 points?  You don't.

[USRufnex]

Well, Democrats already get around 90% of the black vote every four years no matter which white guy runs for Prez..... so, since LBJ got 94% of the black vote back in 1964, does that make Lyndon Johnson a black man?  And of course there was Bill Clinton who was proclaimed our "first black president"....

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081021/POLITICS01/810210428/-1/rss

...and since Obama is half-white, does that make the black folks who vote for him, "half-racist."???  [8D]

Could a black Republican manage to get over 90% of the black vote.... seems unlikely, since......

"A black man voting Republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders."

— J.C. Watts, Sr., to his son