Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell...what an arrogant racist f**king a**hole. F**king SWINE.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell stands between Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama before the start of the debate at Drexel University Tuesday, Oct. 30.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Gov. Ed Rendell, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's most visible supporters, said some white Pennsylvanians are likely to vote against her rival Barack Obama because he is black.

"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."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23134717/

[AX10]

1. He's pointing out a fact!

[jefferson_dem]

20. He's promoting a lie.

n/t

[conservdem]

26. His kind of statement makes it seem acceptable to have that view.

He could have denounced it.

[radfringe]

42. I live in PA

moved here from Mass about 11 years ago

was taken aback at the level of racism I have come across - and from seemingly intelligent people

and it is a fact - there are some very conserviative WHITE voters here, and not all of them are oxy-rush ditto heads or red neck that WOULDN'T vote for a black man or woman if their lives depended on it

[moosen]

2. Leave Rendell alone, he's a good Gov.

and he may be right!

[harun]

18. He is a good Gov (I live in PA) but that was not a nice thing to say

He is just trying to help the Hillary campaign by using their policy of playing the race card.

[Eurobabe]

23. I am surprised Eddie would say such a thing

He's my Gov. and I am ashamed of his perpetuation of this ridiculous meme. Shame on you Rendell!

[harun]

43. He knows better, not sure what the hell he was thinking (n/t)

[johnnydrama]

46. also

leave Shuster alone, he's a good reporter, and he may be right.

doesn't sound so good coming at it the other way right?

[tritsofme]

3. He's probably right.

I'm sorry that makes you upset.

[Kahuna]

25. Do you think there will be any people who won't vote for Hillary because she's a female?

Too bad he forgot that part.

[A_Titanic_Mess]

4. Blacks are voting for their own...

and why wouldn't they, this is the first real opportunity the black community has ever had at the presidency. The sad part is he may not be the most capable candidate, but for many blacks, that is secondary to his skin color.

[GodlessBiker]

17. Because they are not ready to vote for a white candidate?

[EffieBlack]

51. Black voters have been voting for white candidates for decades

even when black candidates have been in the race. So obviously, we are quite ready to vote for white candidates and we don't vote for black candidates just because they are black.

[GodlessBiker]

57. You got that right.

[Unsane]

5. Thanks for helping Obama, Ed!

[jaysunb]

11. Bingo !

n/t

[Kahuna]

29. It was a gift for sure. nt

[islandmkl]

6. kind of like "them boys was better behaved before they got all them crazy ideas...

from books and teachers and stuff."

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

7. Why did you cut-off your selection there, instead of including the following paragraph?

I think we all know.

[Skinner]

8. Isn't he saying that some voters in Pennsylvania are racist?

Is it racist to say that voters are racist? People say that here on DU all the time.

[Kahuna]

27. What about voters being misogynists? That's a fact of life too? But people

just don't point that out as often. I don't know why. Maybe you have an answer for that. :shrug:

[Skinner]

35. That's a good question.

I think it might be because sexism seems to be more acceptable in our society than racism.

But again, pointing out that some voters are sexist is not, in itself, sexist.

[Kahuna]

38. True. But my whole issue is that it's just very bad form for govenors

to call their constuents racists. You see what I mean? Not cool.

[Skinner]

54. I'm not saying it was a smart thing to say. It was probably a mistake.

But it wasn't racist.

[OzarkDem]

37. Not much taboo on being a misogynist

Some people build their careers around it, sadly. Rush and his right wing ilk have desensitized Americans to sexism. Its now considered hip by many, especially the younger generations.

[OzarkDem]

31. No,

Recognizing racism in others doesn't make one a racist.

[Kahuna]

34. Agreed. But govenors don't usually call their constiuents racists..

LOL! It just isn't done. Even the one who really are racist won't take kindly to that.

[MH1]

49. So, he's insulting his constituents.

That's okay, he can't run for another term anyway, who cares about the next Democrat to run.

:banghead:

[LisaM]

9. I think he should not have said that

No matter what he meant, he can't make it sound right. I think he is a good guy too but I wish he hadn't said that. Whatever the intent, it does sound kind of racist.

[BlueStateGirl]

10. Dupe n/t

[Exultant Democracy]

12. He might have just delevered PA to Obama, no one wants to be seen as racist.

[EffieBlack]

53. I was just thinking the same thing

[QC]

13. So you don't that some some whites are anti-black racists?

:shrug:

[TheWraith]

14. I don't think that that's racist.

He's acknowledging that there's a certain group of people who won't vote for a black person, and that they're largely conservative Republicans. That's a truth.

[GodlessBiker]

19. Then his statement is nonsensical, since conservative Republicans don't vote for Democrats at all.

[TheWraith]

47. It's not nonsensical. If the racists had come out and voted for the Repub nominee...

...i.e. if the Repub nominee weren't black... then his margin of victory would have been lower due to more votes on their side.

[jackson_dem]

21. Racism no longer exists. Obama's "hope" wiped it away

Therefore anyone who makes a statement like Rendell is a racist! :mad:

[adabfree]

15. While vile..what he say's at its base is true..

some white people will not vote for a black man, or woman for that matter.

As one journalist said: Pennsylvania is: High Pittsburgh, Low Philadelphia and all Redneck in between...lol

In Rendell's case though, I think he was famously known all over PA...Swann was a former beloved football player, not as well known on the political stage.

I wouldn't be quick to call Rendell a racist, and I'm black. I've traveled through Pa, and still often (I live in south jersey, right next door), and it's really is a tale of two states..honestly.

[Kermitt Gribble]

16. Most conservative

whites I know are racist. I see it everyday. I think Ed was pointing out a fact.

[tishaLA]

22. Rendell is a lot of things....

ioncluding some not so flattering things, but he is not a racist. He is simply pointing out an unfortunate fact about the state I called home until I went to grad school.

[Danger Mouse]

24. Hmm....

Bigotry will be a problem...

[Catherine Vincent]

28. He's not racist for saying that.

I think it's true. And you all know it.

[David Zephyr]

30. It's time for the Clintons to exit the stage of their endless ambitions.

Good grief, Ed Rendell has now sunk into the sewer himself.

[Kahuna]

32. The drama is really draining, isn't it? I can't take four years of this crap. nt

[David Zephyr]

45. Draining would be a good word, Kahuna.

This is just another sorry episode of the drama that never ends.

[jedr]

33. Previous thread...good discussion;

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4558430

[anigbrowl]

36. Get a grip

his remarks are ill-judged, but calling him an asshole and a swine just makes you (and by extension, the Obama campaign) look angry and foul-mouthed. We'd do better to let him stew in his own juice, and let voters draw their own conclusions over whether this kind of thinking belongs in our political calculus.

His remarks are ill-judged because he's not a neutral commentator, but an ally of Hillary. And what voters are going to take from it is that he and Hillary derive some of their electoral success from people who 'wouldn't vote for a black man'. In other words, he's saying that Obama can't bring in the cracker vote for the Democrats.

Well, good, as far as I'm concerned - I'd rather work harder against the GOP than owe any of my success to that demographic. Rendell probably didn't mean badly by it, but it's going to bite him (and the Clinton campaign) in the ass anyway, without any need for us to get worked up on Obama's behalf.

[Kahuna]

40. Good post. Welcome to DU! nt

[Thrill]

39. This was planned. As usual the Clinton Supporters always start the race crap

Its a shame.

Don't fool yourself. This was planned. He did this on a day they knew Barack was going to have the headlines. And they needed to turn the attention once again back to his race. Its pretty damn pathetic

[BeyondGeography]

41. He doesn't come off as particularly bright sometimes

The man is a governor and he needs to set an example. Know when to forget the political game and stay above the fray. Instead, he trades in stereotypes that only insult and inflame people. And to what end?

Dumb mistake.

[AnnieBW]

44. He lost because Lynn Swann

was a complete neophyte who was put up by the Repubs to run because he was black.

That's not to say that parts of PA aren't racist. They are. Remember that it's Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Alabama in between. And before you flame me, I grew up in Pittsburgh and moved to Maryland in 1987.

[RunningFromCongress]

48. back off. there's competitive campaigning and there's ripping the party apart, be careful which side

you're on

[WinkyDink]

50. I love my Big Ed. Nothing will change that, sorry!

[jlake]

52. How DARE You trash a great Democrat!

Another sacrifice at the alter of St. Obama

[Kermit77]

55. Would it be ok if he said "some people won't vote for a gay candidate?"

I don't think so. So it's not ok for him to say people won't vote for a black candidate and as an African American, I am offended.

I hope he loses in his next re-election bid.

[QC]

56. Yes, it would be OK to say that, since it's true.

Lots of people will not vote for a gay candidate. It's one of the few forms of bigotry that's still acceptable.