Stuff like this makes me mad:
Many have discoursed on what an Obama victory could mean for America. We would finally be able to see our legacy of slavery, segregation, and racism in the rearview mirror. Our kids would grow up thinking of prejudice as a nonfactor in their lives. The rest of the world would embrace a less fearful and more open post-post-9/11 America. But does it not follow that an Obama defeat would signify the opposite? If Obama loses, our children will grow up thinking of equal opportunity as a myth. His defeat would say that when handed a perfect opportunity to put the worst part of our history behind us, we chose not to. In this event, the world's judgment will be severe and inescapable: The United States had its day but, in the end, couldn't put its own self-interest ahead of its crazy irrationality over race.
OK, let me take this piece by piece.
Many have discoursed on what an Obama victory could mean for America. We would finally be able to see our legacy of slavery, segregation, and racism in the rearview mirror. Our kids would grow up thinking of prejudice as a nonfactor in their lives.
Hopefully? That would be nice, wouldn't it, to finally put all of that in the rearview mirror. If we could be guaranteed that in writing, I might be able to get behind a 4-year Obama presidency just so "our kids would grow up thinking of prejudice as a nonfactor in their lives." But I really don't think that will happen, even if he is elected. I don't expect that much to change overnight.
The rest of the world would embrace a less fearful and more open post-post-9/11 America.
The rest of the world can stuff it, frankly. This sentence is crap. Having a black president automatically makes us "less fearful and more open"? Gag.
But does it not follow that an Obama defeat would signify the opposite? If Obama loses, our children will grow up thinking of equal opportunity as a myth. His defeat would say that when handed a perfect opportunity to put the worst part of our history behind us, we chose not to.
Let me put this in bold so you don't miss it: No, it does not follow.
There is more to the presidency than healing the wounds of slavery. That's not why we're doing this. Or it freaking shouldn't be. And if your children only think that whites and blacks are equal when there's a black president, you're not doing a very good job of raising your children.
In this event, the world's judgment will be severe and inescapable: The United States had its day but, in the end, couldn't put its own self-interest ahead of its crazy irrationality over race.
Again, the rest of the world can stuff it. And what a ridiculous last sentence that is. The author actually claims that we should get this race stuff out of the way instead of trying to elect the best equipped president. Heaven forbid the US act in "its own self-interest" to elect a good leader for the entire country; instead, we should be setting an example to the rest of the world that we like black people and want to give them a turn at being in charge?
That's what this boils down to: it's the black guy's turn, dangit. He deserves this. If you vote for the white guy, you're mean and you love slavery and wish it were 1860s Georgia again. Now let us have the black guy so other countries don't hate us.
Yeah, other countries don't give a rip. Plus, they're just as racist as we are.
And they're gonna hate us no matter what we do, healing power of ChangeHope or not.
I am so tired of being an insinuated racist. I would've voted for Colin Powell. I would vote for Michael Steele or Larry Elder. I respect the hell out of Thomas Sowell (pbuh). I am absolutely not a racist.
But I ain't voting for Obama. It has nothing to do with his skin color.
My big annoyance is that this presidential race is turning into Halle Berry's Oscar win. It's viewed as Something We Just Have To Do To Make Things Fair.
If Democrats are gung-ho about Obama because of the content of his character, then good for them. And if he wins, he'll be my president and I will marvel at how history was made. But I'm sick and tired of reading articles about how I'm racist for not voting for him. It's condescending to him and it's infuriating for me.
For the last time: It is not racist to vote for the Republican.
Posted by Sarah at August 24, 2008 06:12 PM | TrackBackHave you read the Matt Bai OpEd in the New York Times this morning, "The Race Isn't About Race"? He makes an interesting point about progressives scapegoating so called less educated white voters when the vote doesn't go their way. As someone who grew up in Texas to "less educated" working class parents and now lives in the south and tends to vote Democrat (but not always), this makes me very angry and frustrated. The Wiesberg article is disturbing and frightening for all its sloppy rhetoric and for how widespread his views are. I would give anything to be teaching college English at this moment--your post would have made a good example of rhetorical analysis.
Posted by: LeeAnne at August 25, 2008 10:01 AMWhat also chaps my ass is the display a few months ago on the view when Whoopie and the other liberals jumped down the blonde girl's throat all because she said "don't vote for him because he's black; that's ridiculous. Vote for him because you think its right, and you agree with his policies" Egad! Vote for someone because of their policies rather than race. You would have thought she'd said "let's hang the N__" the way those women reacted. And I was surprised because Whoopie is a pretty damn smart liberal, but she stooped low that day.
Posted by: Sara at August 27, 2008 04:12 PM