On the 2008 Primary and Black Anger

[babylonsister]

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=on_the_2008_primary_and_black_anger

On the 2008 Primary and Black Anger

The Clintons do not seem to understand that the kind of revulsion they are generating in what was once the heart of their base is not your garden-variety political frustration.


Terence Samuel | April 25, 2008 | web only

snip//

I have been taken aback by the depth of the anger, especially among people whose political maturity would have suggested a more measured response. The anger has gotten so visceral it forces the question not just of whether blacks would support Clinton in a fall campaign, but whether a Clinton win would lose Democrats the support of the next generation of black voters alltogether.

As I have said before, what the loser of the primary says after he or she drops out will be as important to victory in November as who the winner is. That was in February, however. Today, Clinton is almost certainly going to be the person making that all-important concession speech. Her all-or-nothing approach to the nomination suggests that she may not care much about her political career if she cannot be president, but, if she does, she is going to have trouble putting the old Clinton coalition back together without African Americans.

Clinton seems to believe that no matter how much damage she inflicts on Obama and the party to win the nomination she will survive because McCain will be fatally weakened by an ailing economy and an unpopular war. Clinton seems unwilling to pass up such a chance.

But the Clintons do not seem to understand that the kind of revulsion they are generating in what was once the heart of their base is not your garden-variety political frustration. It is born out of a historical anger that requires 25 minutes in the supermarket aisle or 900 words on the op-ed page of the New York Times to explain. The idea that Obama, having played by all the rules and won by all the traditional measures, could lose the nomination because of Clinton's argument that he is unelectable because he is black, is profoundly revolting to many black people.

The angst about white working-class voters and their influence in the battleground states has convinced many that, despite the seeming improbability of a Clinton triumph, Obama will not be allowed to win, because, in the end, he is black.

This is too cynical for me, but Clinton's argument that Obama is not electable because he does not appeal the working class white voters, feeds prejudices in order to benefit from them. Racism doesn't need racists to succeed.

Not that many black people are making that distinction these days.

[Taverner]

1. Clinton started the race game, not Obama

I used to respect her - but now....

[lisa58]

2. The Clintons really don't get it, do they?

I'm still thinking about what an angry Bill would have said to James Clyburn for 50 minutes after the SC primary.

[Maureen54]

3. agreed

I a 50 something white middle class woman ( should be a Clinton supporter) but can not envision myself voting for her if she were to win the primary. She is losing many voters of all races, ages and gender with her slash and burn techniques. She is a determent to the Democratic party.