I'm voting for Obama because he's black

[LBJDemocrat]

Blacks have been oppressed for centuries, and it's time to set things right by having a black man as President of the United States. Put an end to oppressive white rule forever.

I'm actually joking. But I see people saying the equivalent in support of Hillary Clinton. They say, "She's a woman, and it's time to have a woman in charge." We have Gloria Steinem openly saying that Hillary deserves to be President because women have suffered more injustice in the US than blacks have.

To all of this, I say, "No." If there's one thing we should put an end to it's this tribalistic bullshit identity politics. Women should vote for women, eh? So then blacks for blacks, men for men? And Baptists for Baptists, Jews for Jews? How about whites for whites? What will be left of the United States after that?

[GarbagemanLB]

1. I'm holding out for the gay jewish mexican woman candidate.

I guess I'll be waiting a while.

[Hepburn]

9. Only is she is 5'10" or taller...

...you know ~~ the age old discrimination against tall people. That's why Kerry lost, right?

:hi:

[maximusveritas]

2. People have always been voting for stupid reasons

There were lots of people voting for Bush because he seemed more down-to-earth than Kerry. It's a BS reason to vote, but people do it. Identity politics has always been there. Now it's just more clear because it's black/white, male/female.

[SoFlaJet]

7. no max

they thought he was the candidate that they would rather have had a frigging beer with. Who the fuck even came UP with that stupid premise?

[maximusveritas]

16. Yeah, that's what I meant

It was a part of the Bush campaign's strategy and was pushed by the media.

[asjr]

27. Go back to 2000. The media wanted us to vote

for GWB. Some of us did. Why should we vote for AL Gore, he who wears earthtones, or the Al Gore who "invented the internet", or was stiff and wooden and sighed a lot. No, they wanted us to vote for that good ol boy who wore boots and couldn't speak or read without moving his lips. Bet they all wanted to have a beer with that good ol boy! Right! They wanted "CHANGE". And they were so upset when they thought the Chimp was going to lose out to Al Gore. Candy Crowly cried! Antonin Scalia cried send it to us, the POTUS, we will fix it! And they sure as hell did.

[SoFlaJet]

3. or maybe

we're all voting for Obama because we think he's the best PERSON for the job to get us out of this war that's costing us 18 million dollars a day and/or without having been one (LIKE Clinton) to cast a vote supporting the next one they want in Iran.

[melody]

4. Amen

And further evidence that even Gloria Steinem can be an idiot at times

[cooolandrew]

5. Exactly which is the conrestone of his campaign and highlights the entrenchment of politics.

[Exultant Democracy]

6. Identity politics is pretty sad. I petty the HRC supporters that have their status as women wraped

up with a politicians campaign.

[Tarc]

8. A shame that that really is the mindset of the Obama camp

As they threaten black lawmakers to vote for him;

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4602387

[SoFlaJet]

11. now that's a perfect example

of someone talking out of their ass-writing in this case. Show us one case where you heard of the Obama camp THREATENING any black leaders. Clinton supporters and not only desperate but they are LIARS

[Tarc]

23. If you need help with English, I am not the one to assist you

Do you want to go down in history as the one to prevent a black from winning the White House?

is about as clear a threat that one can make, and that is precisely what Jesse Jackson Jr. is doing on Barack Obama's behalf.

[NashVegas]

24. The Guy Making The Threats Confirmed It

Is that good enough?

[rug]

10. I'm voting for Obama because he's charismatic.

[Blue_In_AK]

22. I'm remaining skeptical because he's charismatic.

I'll vote for him in the general, though, if he's our nominee, no question.

[amborin]

12. large literature on this

lots of legal literature on this...tying it in to the issue of affirmative action and definitions of race in this country

we still use the "one drop" rule in the us, to define a person as black legally

but a lot of blacks in america are furious that others are identifying as "black" and benefitting from affirmative action, when they did not experience any of the horrors of american slavery and ongoing discrimination....should carribean blacks, for example, continue to benefit?

and, obama is used as an example....he was raised in the way more racially tolerant hawaii, and did not descend from slaves.....

obama, in his bio, including the 2004 update of his bio, did not self identify as "bi racial"

in many ways, obama is as much white as black

[MADem]

13. Many people are voting for Obama because he's black. So what?

Many people voted for Jack Kennedy because he was Irish OR Catholic.

Many people are voting for Clinton because she is female.

And if you don't think there are Baptists who won't pick the Baptist candidate first, you're a fool.

And I am NOT joking.

To try to be so twistingly, absurdly politically correct to DENY the obvious is idiotic.

There's nothing WRONG with people from one group wanting to see a representative of their group do well. It's human nature.

For some people, it may influence their presidential choice. For MANY people, it might. It isn't MANDATORY, but it's certainly not SURPRISING when you break down a vote demographically, and see that members of a group supported their member running for office.

It's why we root for our home teams in sports, it's why people from Canada wave the CANADIAN flag at Olympic events, and not the flag of Zimbabwe. It's why we have ethnic celebrations, from St. Patrick's Day to Puerto Rican Pride Day to the Feast of St. Anthony.

People like seeing people from their groups do well, they like taking pride in belonging to groups. It's why they vote for the one who is most like them, in many cases.

[WillyT]

14. Kind Of Ironic...

While it is true that there are large numbers of women who will vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman, and likewise blacks because Barack Obama is black...

Most of the people I know personally, and many many people here, have moved past those particular markers, and are voting because of the candidates' philosophies with regards to the issues.

It will be great to have our first female president someday, or black president, or Jewish, or bachelor, or bacheloress (?), or gay man or woman...

But right now, I, and most people I know, are voting for the best person for the job.

:shrug:

[Exultant Democracy]

20. We have had a bachelor in the white house before

[WillyT]

31. Now Now... Bill Clinton Sleeping On The Couch Doesn't Count !!!

:evilgrin:

No seriously... who?

:shrug:

[Exultant Democracy]

32. James Buchanan, he did have a long time companion William King

but King died before Buchanan took office (while King was serving as the VP for Pierce.) In D.C. King was referred to as Buchanan's wife.

[Cha]

15. Yeah, that woman thing is

just stupid and I somehow knew your OP wasn't going to really be about voting for Obama because he's Black. I don't what color he is..we're damn lucky to have him at this point. Jeeze, if all we had was hilary..ugh and arg.

[sloppyjoe25s]

17. Barbara Charline Jordan in 1976 DNC Speech

"And now -- now we must look to the future. Let us heed the voice of the people and recognize their common sense. If we do not, we not only blaspheme our political heritage, we ignore the common ties that bind all Americans. Many fear the future. Many are distrustful of their leaders, and believe that their voices are never heard. Many seek only to satisfy their private work -- wants; to satisfy their private interests. But this is the great danger America faces -- that we will cease to be one nation and become instead a collection of interest groups: city against suburb, region against region, individual against individual; each seeking to satisfy private wants. If that happens, who then will speak for America? WHO THEN WILL SPEAK FOR THE COMMON GOOD?" - Barbara Charline Jordan

Exactly - we need to come together.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4616142

[Blue_In_AK]

26. Barbara Jordan spoke at my church in Pasadena, Texas

in the early '60s. She is one of the very few national politicians that I have met personally. What an amazing woman she was, and taken from us far too soon.

[NashVegas]

18. Chris Rock and Jesse Jackson Jr Would Be Pleased With You

"Cause you'll be real embarrassed if he won and you wasn't down with it. Say, oh man, I can't call him now, 'I had that white lady, what was I thinking?'" - Chris Rock, 11/30/07


"Do You Want to Go Down in History as the One to Prevent a Black From Winning the White House?" - JJ Jr. to Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, reported 2/14/08

[nomorewhopper]

19. amen

[stillcool]

21. too bad we just don't have...

a multi-millionaire white man, running against another multi-millionaire white man.

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.--Bob Dylan

[arcane1]

25. Americans don't want to vote for who they'd like to be president

they want to audition which actor they'd most like to play the role of president on tv

it's been that way as long as I've been alive, and at least as long as there has been television

sad but true :evilfrown:

[PetraPooh]

28. Here Here! Well said! nt

[Adelante]

29. People have all sorts of reasons, it's never one single one

If a candidate's being black or a woman or an armadillo, in evaluating the candidate this reason is added to the other reasons and the decision-making tilts, so what? Who cares why people vote for who they vote for, anyway? It's an individual decision.

[BlackVelvet04]

30. That's a better reason than most I've read here. n/t

[spooky3]

33. That's not what Steinem said.

Please read the piece yourself rather than rely on someone else's mischaracterization of it.

[LBJDemocrat]

36. I've read the piece

It disgusted me.

Thank you.

[emilyg]

34. Tell that to Michelle and Jackson.

[Auntie Bush]

35. Are you trying to suggest we don't already have blacks supporting blacks for the very

reason you just stated in your first paragraph?

"Blacks have been oppressed for centuries, and it's time to set things right by having a black man as President of the United States. Put an end to oppressive white rule forever."

That is soooo true. Not that I blame blacks..it's their first real opportunity...but you are in denial if you don't believe it.

[LBJDemocrat]

37. Of course there are

His campaign, however, is not run on that theme, unlike Clinton's.