Apparently racism has ceased to exist.

[rinsd]

Because talking about it and its influence on voters is apparently the worst thing one can do.

Its race baiting to suggest that there are racists that won't vote for a black man.

Would it then be gender baiting to suggest that some men won't vote for a woman?

Or are both an unfortunate reality?

Just trying to get a handle on the latest double standard.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Some folks say that Rendell deserves all the criticism coming his way.

[rinsd]

4. Yes "some folks"! Excellent touch!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Right over the head.

Zoom! Off it goes.

[saracat]

2. And it isn't race baiting to say 80% of blacks will vote for Obama.

[rinsd]

6. No, its not.

[goldcanyonaz]

9. This primary has disgusted me to the point of planning a vacation in Mexico for the GE.

[rodeodance]

31. wish I has that option.

[MADem]

15. Not when the pre-vote and exit polls support the assertion, it isn't.

Any more than it is 'anti-religious' to suggest that a preponderance of GOP veterans will vote for McCain, or that it is 'fundie baiting' to say that a majority of GOP religious fundamentalists would vote for Huckabee.

[ProSense]

18. No it isn't:

Fun with exit polls

[sandnsea]

3. Yes. Give it a damn rest. n/t

[goldcanyonaz]

5. You're in the cool crowd if you're a woman hater.

[XemaSab]

7. I think it's a roundabout way of saying "Don't vote for Obama because he's black."

So yeah, I think it is racist.

[rinsd]

11. Casting people as racists who won't vote for a black man is encouraging people to vote against him

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in Tuesday's paper.

To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was — well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking — but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that (attitude) exists. But on the other hand, that is counterbalanced by Obama's ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool."

[w13rd0]

13. In context...

..his comments aren't as objectionable. But the fact that he is a Hillary supporter makes it suspect, simply because that 5% he says would have voted for Swann if he were white, instead stayed home. They didn't go and vote for the Democrat. And given the dynamic of McCain vs Obama, those that won't vote for Obama because he is black either were a) going to stay home anyway or b) were going to vote for McCain...can't say I'm shedding any tears over their not being on our team.

[rinsd]

16. Obama has shown the ability to overcome these racist margins(far overcome them).

To state that those racist margins exist is not heresy.

[John Q. Citizen]

10. You do know how desparate that sounds, right?

[MADem]

17. Are you trying to say "desperate" or "disparate?"

Two very different words, with two very different meanings.

Neither one really makes much sense in context, though. There's not much that is desperate or diparate about making a wry observation with ironic intent.

[dcindian]

12. People talk about things that are important to them.

Hillary being a woman or Barack being a black man has absolutely no bearing on whether or not they are fit to be president.

At least not to me.

But it is important to some people you probably know who those people are. Discussing those people in certain lights dictates whether such discussion is race baiting or as you put it gender baiting.

Discussing why those people feel the way they do and how to fix it is not baiting but a discussion.

Discussing whether or not someone should vote for a person because the effect those type of people might have is baiting.

This is my view of it at least.

[XemaSab]

14. I've figured out what it is: it's framing, and it's nasty.

"I'm not calling Obama a n*****, but...."

You're putting the frame of "n*****" in people's minds.

It's like Bill Clinton calling Obama the new Jesse Jackson.

Not okay.

[rinsd]

19. How so?

Here's the quoted text from the other thread.

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in Tuesday's paper.

To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was — well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking — but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that (attitude) exists. But on the other hand, that is counterbalanced by Obama's ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool."

[ProSense]

20. Racism didn't cease to exist, but you're trying to excuse race-bating by suggesting that

a significant number of people in this country are racists!

[rinsd]

22. "by suggesting that significant number of people in this country are racists."

Exactly.

A significant number of people in this country ARE racists.

What country do you live in?

That doesn't mean Obama can't win. Rendell even noted that Obama draws enough new voters that this should not be an obstacle.

[ProSense]

23. Obviously that theory sucks (and Rendell's comment too) since Obama is leading in the popular vote.

n/t

[rinsd]

26. So you are saying this country does not have a significant number of people who are racists?

And you are basing this upon the results from a Democratic primaries/caucuses?

[ProSense]

29. Even if you believe half the country is racist,

they're probably voting Republican because Dems, black and white, are champions of civil rights!

Rendell was race-baiting. Period!

[rinsd]

30. Rendell gauged maybe 5% of the PA electorate as racist enough to vote against a black man.

That was his point.

That Lynn Swann (a republican) suffered a 5% worse loss because of the color of his skin.

That racists do in fact exist.

[EffieBlack]

21. No - it's just that only white people are allowed to talk about it.

When black people point it out or suggest that we should move beyond it, we're "playing the race card."

When white people do it in the context of saying that black people just don't have a chance (i.e., "so vote for the white candidate if you want to win"), it's just "straight talkin'"

Yeah, right.

[rinsd]

24. Except no one said the black candidate doesn't have a chance.

This isn't a case of "Obama lost white voters, they must be racist" or "Obama can't win because of racists".

Obama did not lose amongst white voters because of racism though I am sure racists voted against him.

And while he may face racism as an obstacle to election, he has shown the ability to overcome that.

It is not (forgive the pun) black or white.

[EffieBlack]

25. Did you read what Rendell said?

[rinsd]

27. Even posted it several times in this thread

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in Tuesday's paper.

To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was — well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking — but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that (attitude) exists. But on the other hand, that is counterbalanced by Obama's ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool."

Perhaps you can show me where he says a black man can't win?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

28. Not yet, apparently.

[Hieronymus]

32. It appears to me that Hillary supporters are quick to cite sexism ..

I think that her poor performance has to do with her positions and Bill's.