Thread: Blacks Alone

i think it is a cultural thing , will talk about this alot at work and due they truly will never say it is color but say he is the "first to speak to the poor" which is such a joke it makes me laugh for every politician panders to the poor.......

You know we all have bias, didnt like mccain voted for him because he served.... unless a vet turns into a Clark usually go with the flow for they are "like me" think this applies here also

I think it's fairly obvious that skin color is important, I mean common, 95% support...

Sadly, I believe that blacks overlook everything else in lieu of the man's skin color, as if the Golden Boy's skin color will solve all that ails 'em.

I believe the black community, by and large, is demonstrating a supreme level of ignorance. There are some who don't like what the Golden Boy is doing, but there aren't many. Honestly, I believe the ones who aren't among the ones who don't like what he's doing are stupid...

The 2008 US election actually got pretty good coverage over here in the UK. I hated all those people going crazy over Obama. Even before he even had a single coherent policy people were deluding themselves that he was some sort of saviour.

YouTube - Obama's speech South Park style and Randy is his NO. 1 Fan

Anybody who believes so thoroughly in any politican seriously needs to wake up.

Well, is this really a surprise? Blacks have been languishing under black caucus leadership for decades, most especially urban areas that underperform every other segment of society, go ask them who’s fault that is……you’ll get your answer right there.

Obama's decline in popularity is overwhelmingly among white independents and is complete predictable given the high unemployment numbers. Blacks like most Democrats have remained loyal to Obama. That African-Americans remain supportive of the first African-American president is hardly surprising; particularly since he has remained focused on the issues that are important to them and one should say all Americans.

Supporting and being proud to have finally seen a black man become President is one thing; 95% support despite anything he does is crazy. Even the black caucus about two weeks ago were complaining that Obama wasn't doing enough to help the black community. I mean imagine if there was a white guy who was president and every group had a higher disapproval rating of the President than approval, and yet among whites he had 95% support. White America would definitely be labeled racist on that account. I'm not saying that is what is going on, however, I find it hard to believe a President of any color can hold a 95% approval rating from any group of people for any substantial amount of time. I remember during the campaign I asked a couple of my black friends who they were voting for. Of course they said Obama. I asked them why and they basically said "I don't know I just think he'll be better than Bush". And here's the kicker: they were both extremely socially conservative southern Baptists. Why the hell else would they vote for an extremely liberal politician if they knew and understood the issues? Well they didn't, they just saw skin color.

Originally Posted by Chappy

Obama's decline in popularity is overwhelmingly among white independents and is complete predictable given the high unemployment numbers. Blacks like most Democrats have remained loyal to Obama. That African-Americans remain supportive of the first African-American president is hardly surprising; particularly since he has remained focused on the issues that are important to them and one should say all Americans.

Are you fucking serious? You REALLY believe ALL Americans should be happy about his actions? Are you seriously suggesting that only the blacks who support him have it right?

Whatever you're smoking, please share...

Race matters but party matters more.

For example, blacks usually don't vote for a black Republican over a white Democrat. The GOP tried that recently in PA by putting up black NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann. They voted almost 90% for Ed Rendell, a white Democrat, about the same percentage they usually vote for a Dem.

In a Dem primary, race plays a bigger role. That was a factor in the 2008 Dem primary, where a very noticable number of blacks voted Obama and whites voted HRC partly or mainly because of race. It's the same in many urban races where Dem primary candidates often pull their votes along ethnic lines (whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc).

As for whites regardless of party lines, they certainly aren't any purer on this subject on the whole. In fact, the GOP has gotten huge boosts from playing to white prejudice such as with the Southern Strategy, urban and suburban race dog whistle tactics against minority Dem candidates, dog whistles seeking out such sentiments in people in attempts to accrue their votes against Obama in the last campaign, etc. And insofar as races generally, it's fairly common for some to complain more about other races than the failings of one's own and/or find either fault or excuses as they fit one's race.

Race issues get continuously better as time goes on, but it's still a work in progress.

Originally Posted by Chappy

Obama's decline in popularity is overwhelmingly among white independents and is complete predictable given the high unemployment numbers. Blacks like most Democrats have remained loyal to Obama. That African-Americans remain supportive of the first African-American president is hardly surprising; particularly since he has remained focused on the issues that are important to them and one should say all Americans.

It's far more accurate to say that he is the first biracial president as he is biologically equal parts white and black.

I also find it a bit odd that blacks who have personally struggled against racism, or had relatives and ancestors who did, identify with a man who had it so different.

Obama is not the descendant of slaves. Growing up, he did not live with any black people except for a short time before his father abandoned him. He did not live in a black neighborhood. He did not go to a largely black school. He did not go to a public school. There were no gangs pressuring him.

Obama was isolated from blacks as he grew up. He had nobody living with him who was black. His neighborhood had few blacks. In fact, his entire state had very few blacks. Then his family moved to Indonesia, a place were blacks are almost non-existant.

Blacks appear to identify with a man that has almost nothing in common with them other than skin color.

Originally Posted by LJ2

It's far more accurate to say that he is the first biracial president as he is biologically equal parts white and black.

I also find it a bit odd that blacks who have personally struggled against racism, or had relatives and ancestors who did, identify with a man who had it so different.

Obama is not the descendant of slaves. Growing up, he did not live with any black people except for a short time before his father abandoned him. He did not live in a black neighborhood. He did not go to a largely black school. He did not go to a public school. There were no gangs pressuring him.

Obama was isolated from blacks as he grew up. He had nobody living with him who was black. His neighborhood had few blacks. In fact, his entire state had very few blacks. Then his family moved to Indonesia, a place were blacks are almost non-existant.

True, and I'd add that he also did not have a black parent in his life considering his father bolted when he was only 2 years old. He was raised 'white' in either a white family with his grandparents or a white and Asian family when his mother was married to Soetero and had Obama's sister from that union who is not black at all.

Originally Posted by LJ2

Blacks appear to identify with a man that has almost nothing in common with them other than skin color.

I wouldn't say that because he's also a Democrat and cares about many of the same issues they do. But it's also because he's perceived as a great role model for blacks too.

I've linked this before, and it's a fantastic speech all around even though it's focused on failings in the black communities:

YouTube - Barack Obama's Speech on Father's Day

It's especially so around the 11th minute regarding what he perceives as the culture of low expectations that's all too common in his view in the black community, and for which he also holds whites and others to task and even the government. But listen to it all, and you'll get a solid idea who he is and what he believes.

He gets this from his grandmother who played a key role in raising him, who was a driven woman who broke barriers at times when women were behind the curve and who rose from assembly line worker and secretary to a VP of a company. It's part of his personal drive in how he conducts himself personally and professionally.

For example, I recall watching CNN the night he won the Dem primary watching some black women crying in Times Square. When asked, they were crying because first they never thought they'd see a black candidate and were embarrassed for themselves that they doubted it was possible, and second, that he not only talks the talk of how to live one's life properly, he walks the walk of that talk. They were crying because they felt it was so emboldening to see a black man married happily with children living a successful life and reaching all the goals one can, wishing that more blacks could and would live like him.

I think this is a case where race matters more than party. Its a curious but accurate generalization to observe American Blacks haven't moved into the post racial world nearly to the extent whites have.

Originally Posted by Sulayman

I think this is a case where race matters more than party. Its a curious but accurate generalization to observe American Blacks haven't moved into the post racial world nearly to the extent whites have.

I see signs that they are to a certain extent. I can't find the story now, but I read that obama's support among blacks has fallen from 95% to 75%. It would seem that they are catching on as well. The fact that blacks are not 50/50 pro obama is a combination of racial solidarity and the seemingly backward politics of poor blacks who are, to a large extent socially conservative and fiscally liberal.