Victimology continues in the identity-politics meltdown of the Democratic primaries. The Washington Post profiles racist incidents that young campaigners for Barack Obama have experienced, but fails to note that they occur within the context of a Democratic contest. Meanwhile, women continue to push for Hillary Clinton as a means of breaking through the ultimate glass ceiling, putting gender ahead of qualifications on the priority list.
Doesn’t this count as “distractions”?
For all the hope and excitement Obama’s candidacy is generating, some of his field workers, phone-bank volunteers and campaign surrogates are encountering a raw racism and hostility that have gone largely unnoticed — and unreported — this election season. Doors have been slammed in their faces. They’ve been called racially derogatory names (including the white volunteers). And they’ve endured malicious rants and ugly stereotyping from people who can’t fathom that the senator from Illinois could become the first African American president. …
Victoria Switzer, a retired social studies teacher, was on phone-bank duty one night during the Pennsylvania primary campaign. One night was all she could take: “It wasn’t pretty.” She made 60 calls to prospective voters in Susquehanna County, her home county, which is 98 percent white. The responses were dispiriting. One caller, Switzer remembers, said he couldn’t possibly vote for Obama and concluded: “Hang that darky from a tree!”
Documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy, the daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, said she, too, came across “a lot of racism” when campaigning for Obama in Pennsylvania. One Pittsburgh union organizer told her he would not vote for Obama because he is black, and a white voter, she said, offered this frank reason for not backing Obama: “White people look out for white people, and black people look out for black people.”
Obama campaign officials say such incidents are isolated, that the experience of most volunteers and staffers has been overwhelmingly positive.
Who were these volunteers contacting? Fellow Democrats.
They wanted to mobilize the registered Democrats to get them to vote in the closed primary, and received very ugly responses for their trouble.
Some of what the Post reports has nothing to do with racism, however, but it also involves violence:
The bigotry has gone beyond words. In Vincennes, the Obama campaign office was vandalized at 2 a.m. on the eve of the primary, according to police. A large plate-glass window was smashed, an American flag stolen. Other windows were spray-painted with references to Obama’s controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and other political messages: “Hamas votes BHO” and “We don’t cling to guns or religion. Goddamn Wright.”
As McQ notes, the media should remember this when it comes to accusations of racism and bigotry later in the general election.
As Ed pointed out, this is ALL Democrat On Democrat bigotry and racism. We’ve seen this bigotry and racism here in the posts from the left. I believe this is just one sympton of a larger illness.
Who were these volunteers contacting? Fellow Democrats.
The article says they were working phone banks and going door to door. How do you know that every person they spoke to was a Democrat?
I would imagine they were using their compiled lists as potential democrat voters. Why would they spend their time speaking to republicans? Remember, they don’t want the republicans crossing over and corrupting their primaries. Remember?
I would imagine they were using their compiled lists as potential democrat voters. Why would they spend their time speaking to republicans?
So Rocketman has discovered there are racists who are registered Democrats. I suppose that’s news: Republican racists are taken for granted.
Coming from Pennsylvania originally, I can vouch for James Carville’s assessment: Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Alabama in between.
Anyway, the Democrats are about to nominate the first black candidate for president in history, so if you want to get yourself all wound up over rednecks of the northern persuasion, knock yourselves out.
Hmm.. I think I need to post a ”Does Anyone Have Anything Good to Say About the Left” thread.
Well yes, they are good for humor, and if they are really really bad, they help me make sure the ignore button still works. But that is only for the trollish ones, many on the left are good because they make you examine your positions and like steel sharping steel help keeps you on your toes.
I enjoy many on the left here, not that I am likely to change their minds. But it is good to see how the other side thinks. (Those that DO think that is....)
Take it up with your party leaders (democrats). They are the racists.
Firstly, of course you’re right; the only racists left on earth are card carrying members of the Democratic Party.
Secondly, you are correct to think that I adhere strictly to the orders of my Democratic Leaders. After all, if I hold opposing viewpoints on issues which you hold most dear and assuming that you self-identify as a conservative christian, what else can I be but the night to your day? There are only two sides to this coin, are there not?
Take it up with your party leaders (democrats). They are the racists.
Firstly, of course you’re right; the only racists left on earth are card carrying members of the Democratic Party.
Secondly, you are correct to think that I adhere strictly to the orders of my Democratic Leaders. After all, if I hold opposing viewpoints on issues which you hold most dear and assuming that you self-identify as a conservative christian, what else can I be but the night to your day? There are only two sides to this coin, are there not?
Your first point is close. I was referring to the racists in our country, not the entire world. Democrats only.
Secondly, If you hold different views other than your party on any significant issues, then congratulations!
Take it up with your party leaders (democrats). They are the racists.
Firstly, of course you’re right; the only racists left on earth are card carrying members of the Democratic Party.
Secondly, you are correct to think that I adhere strictly to the orders of my Democratic Leaders. After all, if I hold opposing viewpoints on issues which you hold most dear and assuming that you self-identify as a conservative christian, what else can I be but the night to your day? There are only two sides to this coin, are there not?
Your first point is close. I was referring to the racists in our country, not the entire world. Democrats only.
Secondly, If you hold different views other than your party on any significant issues, then congratulations!
Two more points:
Firstly, are your blinders comfortable? Name a group. You will find racists among their number.
