General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA confession from a liberal idealist.
I voted for Barack Obama twice. I believed, I truly believed, that electing a black man as President would be good for our country and for the world. Finally, we were making progress - we were putting racism behind us.
But now, it seems that the country is more divided than ever. Racists are coming out of the woodwork. The Republican Party, through their coalition with the racist-based Tea Party, have joined the parade, although many of them use code words to express their sympathy for the Tea Party movement, and secretly support racists like Ol' Cloven Hoof Bundy and Donald Sterling, owner of the LA Clippers. As you may have noticed, most Republican leaders have been silent about the recent episodes of racism.
The sad truth is that these racists and their supporters will never support a black man for President. Neither will they support a woman for President. If Hillary becomes the next President, they will treat her little differently than they have treated Barack Obama.
The only person they will accept as President of the United States is a white Republican male. Any idealism, I may have had, has wilted on the vine.
(This is the first time I have posted in a while but this overt racism cannot be ignored.)
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)I think most of the people you are talking about are going to lay into any Democratic president.
Although the racism lately has been pretty troubling.
Bryant
tridim
(45,358 posts)And the media happily gives them a platform.
I believe the overall number of racists in the country is falling fast, and has been for quite a while now.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)by their hate for minorities.
Hate doesn't have an "upper boundary".
They hate Obama as much as they hated Clinton, plus another huge chunk because he is black.
And it is a sizable chunk. President Obama, and his family for that matter, do not fit the stereotype of a black family that the GOP absolutely thrives on.
And it drives them absolutely insane.
alsame
(7,784 posts)baseline for hatred. Let's face it, he was as close to the GOP base demographic as you can get - a white, Southern, Christian male.
So if we assume that the vitriol leveled at him was based on being a Democrat, that we can assume that any Dem President will automatically have that same level of hate directed at them.
Then we add the other goodies with subsequent candidates - racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, etc.
So yes, you're right.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)each and every one of them is just a Republican. They are the same people, the same Party, they have always been racist, sexist, homophobic and otherwise bigoted, this is not new and it is not just 'some of them'. It is all of them. This thing we see is just the Republican Party being the Republican Party. Same as it ever was.
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)Before it will heal.
OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)we finally have an answer to the question: "Are we ready for a black President?".
The answer, sadly, is no.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)the GOP simply does not recognize the right of Democrats to be elected to office, period.
But with a black man in the WH is it just more obvious.
coljam
(188 posts)They are heartless