 |
|
| |
|
|
|
 Acknowledging the Race ChasmPosted on May 8, 2008By David Sirota When it comes to race, American politics is as polarized as a red and blue election map. On one side are those who try to distract from the issue; on the other side are those who work to sensationalize it. As this campaign season shows, what unifies both is bigotry. Take the reaction to my recent In These Times magazine article about Barack Obama winning states with either very small or very large black populations, but losing most states in the middle. Those results, while troubling, aren’t surprising. In very white states, racial themes are simply not part of the political dialogue, and a black candidate therefore faces fewer inherent disadvantages. In states with large black populations, race is a major political force, but the African-American vote is big enough to offset a racially motivated white vote. It is in the Race Chasm—the states whose populations are more than 6 percent and less than 17 percent black—where race is a political issue but the black vote is too small to counter a racially motivated white vote. The trend continued in the last few weeks, with Obama losing two states in the Race Chasm (Pennsylvania and Indiana) and winning one outside the Chasm (North Carolina). Nonetheless, the response to this phenomenon by some in the intelligentsia has been willful ignorance. The Atlantic Monthly’s Reihan Salam said the data are not driven by race, but by Hillary Clinton’s “waitress-mom sensibility sell[ing] well in these regions.” The New America Foundation’s Michael Lind said the evidence does not reflect America’s historic black-white divide, but instead Germanic and Scandinavian migration patterns (I’m not kidding). This is typical behavior from the Establishment’s “serious” thinkers. When confronted with race, they become ostriches and shove their heads in the sand. The news industry and politicians, on the other hand, are happy to discuss and exploit race, whether by manufacturing controversy (think Jeremiah Wright) or by promoting racists (think MSNBC hiring Pat Buchanan, or Republican senators re-electing Trent Lott to a leadership position). The media and political elites aren’t ostriches—they behave like minstrel show producers, portraying African-Americans as subhuman, alien and unimportant, except for their entertainment value. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, for example, differentiated between “regular people” and black people. Pundits refer separately to the “working class” and to African-Americans—as if they are mutually exclusive. Hillary Clinton this week claimed that “Obama’s support among working, hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening”—the implication being that nonwhite Americans are lazy. These terms—“regular,” “working class,” “hardworking”—have become euphemisms for whites, who are subsequently billed as the only ones that matter. Think I’m imagining that last part? Then you weren’t watching ABC’s “Nightline” last week. The Jeremiah Wright brouhaha may be roiling the black community, correspondent David Wright said, “but the real question now is what do white voters think.” That’s right—according to “Nightline,” painful questions in the black community aren’t “real.” Such denigration happens all the time, and you can tell it is rooted in bigotry because the black vote is—by any mathematical measure—crucial. Political scientist Tom Schaller notes that if Clinton had won slightly more African-American votes, she might be winning. And black turnout for Democrats could decide general elections in many key swing states. Yet, we are still told “the real question” is only what white voters think. Some will read this and go on pretending the Race Chasm doesn’t exist, while others will keep insisting that the black vote is irrelevant. Both sides will claim they aren’t prejudiced. But racism, whether from ostriches or minstrel show producers, is racism—and it will persist until we recognize it and reject it. David Sirota is a best-selling author whose newest book, “The Uprising,” will be released in June. He is a fellow at the Campaign for America’s Future and a board member of the Progressive States Network, both nonpartisan organizations. His blog is at www.credoaction.com/sirota. © 2008 Creators Syndicates Inc. Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment
|
HOME|Digs|Reports|Arts & Culture|Uncovered|Ear to the Ground|A/V Booth|Cartoons
Bazaar|Podcast|About Us|Contact Us|User Agreement|Privacy Policy|FAQ: Comments and Moderation 
A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2009 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved. |
Joe the Plumber to Report on Gaza—Seriously
Email
Print
Share
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Fark
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Mixx
MySpace
NewsVine
NewsTrust
Reddit
SphereIt
StumbleUpon
TwitThis
YahooBuzz
Jump to Comments
By Aegrus, May 12, 2008 at 10:58 am #
If you’ll start reading in context, I’m not telling people to shut up. Rather, I’m trying to convince people like you to get out and start a new dialog to overrun the stagnant cesspool of racial politics in America and across the globe. Don’t be a whiner, be a change agent.
Report thisBy Kiwi, May 11, 2008 at 1:18 am #
As you say there are:
Report thisA)Gross inequalities.
B)Feelings of Resentment.
C)Concerns for Community Development
And when most people say “Im sick of hearing about these arguements” They mean “Shut up and keep quiet” about these issues. notice how it is almost said by Europeans. In my country the same sort of people are sick of hearing from Maori regarding the same issues. Aren’t we all New Zealanders? It usually means “Be like us Pakeha/ think like us” then we wont have a problem Keep talking folks until the problems truely are solved. Then is the time to stop talking
By felicity, May 10, 2008 at 2:07 pm #
Years ago we lived in a rather small Orange County CA enclave. The majority of the residents were graduates of and (rabid) football fans of their alma mater, a private LA county university.
Blacks made up at least 90 percent of their cherished alma mater’s football team. Black football players (and others) were forbidden residency in the enclave.
Challenging them with championing their predominately black football team at the same time as disallowing them home ownership in their neighborhood, one was met with a blank stare.
Racial prejudice needs airing. It exists. The only way to get rid of it is to acknowledge it.
Report thisBy Hammo, May 10, 2008 at 10:09 am #
Yes, Obama’s ethnic background it an issue. How it plays out with voters is still unclear.
Hillary and Republicans will try to use it against Obama.
But, will voters fall for it. For example, in the upcoming West Virginia and Kentucky primaries, we might see interesting developments.
Some of these elements explored in:
“Many in West Virginia, Kentucky might ‘kin’ Obama”
AmericanChronicle.com
May 10, 2008
http://americanchronicle.com/articles/61415
and
Joint Recon Study Group blog site
Report thishttp://jointreconstudygroup.blogspot.com/
By yours trulyj, May 10, 2008 at 9:11 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
On November 5th Barack Obama will be elected president in a landslide.
“And the racial divide?”
“Nonexistent.”
“What instead?”
“Unity.”
“Forged how?”
“Through our struggle to end the Iraq War, negotiate with Iran plus turning things around here at home.”
“And then what sort of world?”
“It’ll be up to us.”
Report thisBy cyrena, May 9, 2008 at 4:34 pm #
Purple Girl…
Thanks for keeping it real.
Wonder if the media will ever do that again?
Maybe that’s why god made the Internet?
(yeah, yeah…I’m still an agnostic, but I thought I’d throw that in…works on my nephews when I tell them that God made headphones so I wouldn’t have to listen to their music).
Report thisBy jbart, May 9, 2008 at 4:23 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Hear Hear Aegrus,
Report thisGreat prospective. Thank you.
By Aegrus, May 9, 2008 at 3:31 pm #
Part of the reason we are still so polarized about race is because we slice up the population according to race. I’m really sick of these arguments. Yeah, there are:
A)Gross inequalities.
B)Feelings of Resentment.
C)Concerns for Community Development
But not a damn thing is going to get better as long as we allow every group to be that, a fringe group to be discussed monolithically and homogeneously.
Blacks will do this, whites will do that. Pfft. Bah to it all. If we treated people like Americans instead of groups to pander to, the political sphere might start to turn towards progress. So, soo tired of this topic.
At the end of the day, what have you accomplished by discussing this topic in this narrow spectrum? You’re not finding solutions, you’re being a reactionary do-nothing. Create the dialog. Discuss how to take control of the conversation, and work for progress!
Most people already acknowledge the “race chasm.” So where do we go now? Feels pretty good to be able to call out the media on something major authors, talk show hosts and journalists have exposed for years, eh?
Ugh, I don’t even get why this has to be an issue. All you have to do is be confident, know your facts and go out to your community, your representatives, your media outlets and talk about your convictions with positive language. Don’t get caught up in ideology, get caught up with any kind of progress you can make.
Victim bait is in every neo-conservative fascist’s mouse trap, and it’s divided America by race and gender for years.
Report thisBy Purple Girl, May 9, 2008 at 3:21 pm #
the media has proven they have not stepped out of their offices in about 40 yrs- Just the way the Neo Cons like and want to to be.
Report thisUnfortunately for Both- we have been Over satiated with their Lies and Propaganda. Granted Racism still lives (amongst All Races), but only in the groups who have intentionally remained hermets in the Sociological Woods.
It is a Lie that there remains a pervasive ‘White Fear’- even among older generations who grew up before Civil Rights ( my 75 yr old ‘scarity’ Life long Repub, Mom & Dad are supporting Obama and They are not the only older citizen I’ve meet here In ‘Rural’ MI, while stting in the bar having a BUD). Nor is it true White working class woman are supporting Hillary. It is lies being perpetuated to explain Her refusal to give Up. She has proven she is nothing more than a Neo Con in blue. ‘Crown Royal”?....No No No Jack Daniels! also US blue Collars noticed all the suits in that Bar, can pump our own gas (even when dressed Up) and sure as hell have worked enough coffee machines! Nor do we want to get involve in another War with a country that also does not a Clear & Present Danger to US (since it’s Our Kids being recruited (conned).and work side by side with people every day of various race, gender, Religion and Sexual orientation. We actually Live out Here and Have No Prejudicial Fear!
The Media lies everytime it opens it’s mouth- Dead give away “Reagan Democrats” - Union Buster, Will to Work Laws (Truth speak Rhetoric)...WE hated Reagans Regime Too!Cheney’s et als first Big break into Political Power- Nixon was just the warm Up, Ford the intermediate level and are finally reaching the Pinnacle of their (mal) Pracitice with Hillary.- Teh Devil in the Blue Dress, a Cheney Protege and Cohort acting as acovert operative for at least the last 6 yrs.
By RdV, May 9, 2008 at 11:20 am #
I actually heard Matthews sputter on about the significant white votes, and one of his guests, without missing a beat, asked, “don’t African-Americans count?” It never occured to Matthews and he should should be run out of town on the same rail as the Clintons.
Report thisThe question I have is where will the African-American politicians who continue to support Clinton, draw the line?
By Eric Barth, May 9, 2008 at 5:41 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
The other thing that hasn’t been discussed too much lately, with the exception of the Supreme Court’s upholding of Indiana’s voter I.D. law, is VOTER SUPPRESSION. This was borne out in the most glaring terms in both the 2000 and 2004 elections. Black voters will turn out for Obama, but will many of them be allowed to vote? There’s a whole system (legal and extra legal) from faulty or insufficient voting machines in minority districts, to police and vigilante type intimidation, misinformation to voters, etc., etc. going back years. Just read Mark Crispin Miller’s FOOLED AGAIN or Greg Palast’s book about Florida in 2000 or the Conyer’s Report about 2004. The Right will stop at nothing to hold on to power.
Report this