I really don't care for Obama. Does that make me a racist?

[Jillian]

Before you answer, you need to know that I am in a mixed marriage.

Just because someone doesn't like Obama, doesn't make them a racist.

[SeattleGirl]

1. Exactly, Jillian. And just because someone doesn't like HRC,

that doesn't make them sexist.

Thanks for a sensible post amid all this insanity in here.

[saracat]

9. And I agree with you too SG.

[Blondiegrrl]

101. Word to that. n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

2. No, it does not.

[scheming daemons]

3. No ... it doesn't make you a racist...... not unless you make comments like....

"the only reason he is where he is today is because he's black".



Disliking Obama is fine.... and you can quit with your straw man.

Nobody is accusing every Clinton supporter of being racist.... we are accusing Geraldine Ferraro of making a racist statement.


That's it.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Saturday]

18. Maybe the 90% Black vote for Obama is the reason he's

where he is today. If Blacks are voting for him because he's Black (which seems to be a predominate reason) then being Black sure has helped him.

[scheming daemons]

27. He didn't start getting 90% of the black vote until SC... when the Clinton campaign started with ...

..the race baiting.

Back in January.... everyone was saying he wasn't BLACK ENOUGH and that Hillary had a substantial black constituency.

What happened?

Hillary and her campaign decided to piss away their black constituency so they could paint Obama as "the black candidate" and nothing more. It was a cynical attempt to marginalize him.


Blacks in this country aren't stupid... they saw what the Clintons were doing, and they left the Clintons in droves.


Blacks aren't voting for Obama in 90-10 numbers so much because of what Obama is or has done... they are doing so because of what the Hillary campaign has done and has become.

[Saturday]

40. I don't agree with you so I guess that makes me a racist.

Blacks have come to the call of Michelle who said (I paraphrase) "they'd wake up and get it". Blacks are going to Obama because he's Black not because of anything Hillary did or anything Bill said. Reverse racism. Wrong either way.

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NDambi]

78. lol

[Hoof Hearted]

84. Personal attacks enhance your credibility. Not so much.

[democrattotheend]

43. He had to get through Iowa first

And she has benefited way more from being a woman than he has from being black. Women have been the majority in EVERY Democratic primary, while blacks have been the majority in only a few.

I did a little analysis of this before but it got buried: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5041080&mesg_id=5041080

[hfojvt]

49. you did not point out the states though where blacks are less than 5%

and population really does not matter. In Kansas, blacks might only be 10 or 15% of the population. However, only 30% of the population are registered Democrats (or left-leaning independents). Then add to that the fact that less than 10% of registered voters actually went to the caucus. The voters in the primary represent then only 3% of the state's population (10% of the 30%). Thus blacks can have a significant impact on a primary even if they are only 15% of the population, especially if they are motivated, as they seemed to be in Kansas.

[democrattotheend]

86. Blacks are 2.5% of Iowa's population

So maybe 5% of the Democratic primary voters at most. You can't possibly claim that Obama won Iowa on the strength of African American voters.

[hfojvt]

99. Why 5% of the primary voters?

2.5% of almost 3 million people is 72,500, perhaps 35,000 of voting age. Not counting the college students from Illinois. Obama won with about 45,000 votes (I cannot find results any more, they just give state delegate counts). His margin of victory was only 7,500 votes. How do you know that there were not 12,000 African Americans at the caucus? That would only be 1/3 of the potential voters. You cannot assume that groups will caucus in the same proportion as their percentage of the population. Or at least if you do, be aware it is an assumption and not a demonstrable fact.

But Iowa was after the media annointed him as the number one contender to Clinton, and also after Oprah did her endorsement. Did that endorsement have nothing to do with race? Did it have no impact, other than tons of positive media exposure? And Iowa is not the sole factor on where he is today.

[NDambi]

73. What's the reason behind the large latino vote for the HIllster? What does that make her?

[NDambi]

76. Btw, he's beating here in states with little black vote..so blacks aren't the only ones helping him

[angie_love]

92. so when blacks vote for white presidents its ok, but its not ok when blacks vote for black

presidents. OK, got it now. Thanks for clarifying. And yes 90 percent of black voters vote for white democratic candidates.

[MonkeyFunk]

22. She didn't say the only reason he is where he is is because

he's black.

But I know this lie is too far ingrained to bother spending much time trying to disabuse the haters.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

33. "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position,"

But please, continue trying to defend this crap.

[MonkeyFunk]

53. I'm merely correcting the quote

She didn't say "the only reason..."

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

64. Oh, come on. It amounts to exactly the same thing.

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position,"

So according to Ferraro, if Obama was exactly the same as he is now, but white, he wouldn't be in this position. Therefore, according to Ferraro, being black is the one and only reason that he is in that position.

[MonkeyFunk]

100. No, it really doesn't

but I don't care anymore. I realize people here are utterly incapable of thinking in anything other than black & white terms. No gray, no nuance, no subtlety. Just black and white, good and evil.

[Zhade]

94. "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position" - stop lying.

NT!

[hfojvt]

42. that's not quite what Ferraro said.

She said he would not be where he is today if he was not black. I don't even see how that's false, much less racist.

[babylonsister]

4. No, that doesn't make you a racist. You can't like everyone.

I really don't like Clinton, but don't consider myself sexist because of it.

[Two Americas]

69. that misrepresents racism

Racism is not about liking or disliking people as individuals. That is, however how racism has been re-defined by the right wing propaganda mills. This has led to such things as a wholehearted embrace of tokenism, which services the purpose of placing a handful of people in power and using that to ignore and deny systematic and institutional racism and to reassure whites that more progress is being made than actually is true, and to such destructive and erroneous concepts as "reverse racism."

I don't care if someone likes me, so long as they do not have power to harm me.

Racism is about power and economics, not personal tastes or preferences. It is a bout a group of people being oppressed, not about the success of a particular individual. It is about shared assumptions and premises in the white community that have many expressions, some obvious and some not so obvious, not about the statements of a particular white person.

What if I made this outrageous statement — ”Clarence Thomas would not be on the Supreme Court if he were white.” Obviously, the placement of a Black person in a particular position is not necessarily a blow against racism, and can in fact represent the exact opposite.

[Bullet1987]

5. No...that doesn't make you racist

Just like me not givig a damn about Clinton doesn't make me sexist

[saracat]

6. I agree absolutely. I don't see the 'obligation" to like Obama.

[goldcanyonaz]

7. In the real world? No. Around here? Good possibility.

[Drachasor]

39. Given how everyone has responded, it seems you are mistaken (nt)

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

8. of course not. but you'd never take up for Ferraro either, right?

[slick8790]

10. No, but someone who doesn't like Obama just because he's black is a racist.

Or someone who implies he's been essentially given electoral affirmative action is racist.

I know a good deal of people who prefer Hillary over Obama. They're not racists, much like how the vast majority of Sen. Clinton's supporters are not racists. But the ones who are the loudest and most annoying tend to be (I'm looking at you, Geraldine).

[Clovis Sangrail]

11. only if the reason you don't is because of his skin color

which I doubt... so no.

[libnnc]

12. NO

But if you believe that the only reason he's a success is because he's black THAT IS RACIST.

[Mz Pip]

20. It's not only racist

it shows an amazing amount of ignorance (which is what a lot of racism is based on).

[Occam Bandage]

14. No. On the other hand, if you spout racist bullshit while saying why you don't like him,

then you might be a racist.

[AlCzervik]

15. not at all.

[AndyA]

16. No, it does not.

And not liking Hillary does not make a person sexist.

I don't care for either one of them, and it has nothing to do with their skin color or gender. I just don't find either one of them to be the best choice to fix the mess Bush has made of this country.

I want real change...not just lip service. And I don't see anything in either candidate's history that indicates to me they are going to bring real change. It's just a slogan.

[kid a]

17. NO. Why, do you feel racist?

[BumRushDaShow]

19. Absolutely not!

I expect many of the supporters of all the other candidates (former and current) don't like him either (I didn't initially and had been a Kucinich supporter).

The issue is not whether you "like" the person or not. It's whether you seek to take that dislike to another level by then denigrating the person by invoking imagery (whether via words or pictures) that play on recognizable and tired old stereotypes that have a long history here in the U.S.

[knixphan]

24. Correct.

[wndycty]

21. No, and I'm insulted by 2 types of people on this issue

1) The type of folks who accuse someone who does not like Obama of racism

2) Self loathing folks who think all Obama supporters accuse those that don't like Obama of racism.

[Armstead]

23. Nope. Just as not liking Hillary doesn't make one a sexist.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

25. I don't support Clinton. Am I a traitor to my gender?

And BTW, being married to someone of another race doesn't preclude someone from being racist. I'm not saying you are, but that's a specious argument.

[Cant trust em]

26. Of course that makes you racist

jump on the bandwagon or go back to the Klan rally.

:sarcasm:

Sorry, but I'm so sick of talking about racism/sexism that I can't even hang in on conversations over it anymore. Humor is the only escape. Being heavily involved on DU recently I feel like I've feasted on negativity in the last two months. I've eaten enough at this trough and am moving on.

[emilyg]

28. Absolutely not.

[onenote]

29. I like Obama more than Hillary. Does that make me sexist?

So the answer to your question is no. And the answer to my question is no. Agreed?

[JimGinPA]

30. Not Necessarily, But I Would Question Your Judgement...

:rofl:

[NoBorders]

31. No, but that is not similar to the Ferraro situation.

If she simply didn't care for him, she would say I don't care for him.

That's not what she said.

[TheWraith]

32. Nobody ever said that it did.

Show me where an Obama supporter has called someone racist just for not supporting Obama.

As opposed to the Clinton people, to whom anyone not supporting the Annointed One is a woman hater.

The "disagreement with Obama = racism accusations" thing is solely pushed by Clinton supporters.

[Hieronymus]

34. I don't like Hillary. Does that make me a sexist? No.

[oviedodem]

35. No it does not. And that is not is what is going here from a minority of people.

What is coming into question is the defense by some of some of statements that have been bandied about. You are certainly entitled to back whomever you wish.

[cali]

36. No. And no one suggested any such thing. What a straw man.

I'm in the same situation re Hillary. I don't care for her at all. Never did. I wouldn't post anything as inane and baiting as your OP

[MethuenProgressive]

51. Yes, they do. Every freaking day here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5037023

[cali]

55. No they don't and that thread doesn't demonstrate that they

do. And sorry, there are racist remarks posted here, just as there are sexist ones. If you deny that, you are blind.

[DesertFlower]

37. absolutely not.

some have said that i should support hillary because she's a woman.

[PurityOfEssence]

38. No, but you might get purged anyway...

Hell hath no fury like the zealot wronged.

Many people are a hairs-breadth away from seeing some of their most cherished dreams come true, and it's a bit difficult to hold them to the usual standards of civility.

I seriously think that if both of them were a little less tainted with some questionable actions, inactions and allies, then their supporters wouldn't be so damned shrill. Much of the amplification of the outrage is to shout out their own nagging qualms.

Neither is a skunk, and neither is a saint; in truth, their policies, characters and tactics are irritatingly equivalent, so their more juiced-up zealots have to shout ever harder to dispel the reality.

Al Sharpton had an interesting observation in one of the "debates" last cycle where someone said something laudable about the poor. He said that wealth or poverty didn't necessarily reflect on character, saying that he'd met many good rich people and many poor who were cold and hard.

It's funny that in a dust-up over race, so many people DEMAND that the world be accepted as black-and-white. It's not; life is a very analog grey, and not addressing that fact is the root of much crap.

There are plenty of reasons to like or dislike him or Senator Clinton, and those who refuse to see any distaste as anything but crypto-racists might look in the mirror themselves.

[Cha]

41. No, it makes you condone hilary and her

lyin' fucking racist, asshole gambits. It makes you either blind or on board with racists if hilary is your girl.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

44. Yes. n/t

[Recursion]

45. No, it just puts you in the national minority

:)

[stillcool]

46. Do you dislike him because he is black?

I have a sister. We grew up in two different families, two different worlds. She voted for Hillary Clinton because Obama is a black radical Muslim, with a large family. She did not know where he stood on issues and policies. She did not even know what issues and policies there were to concern herself with. She is in her fifties, has worked at the same job, in the same school district since she was 17. She watches no news. Reads no newspapers. Lives in a segregated town, and has never left the area or the environment that produced her. She hates Latinos and Italians, and she has raised two children. I have my work cut out for me.

[taught_me_patience]

47. Nope, doesn't make you racist

and, I think, the overwhelming majority of Obama supporters would agree. However, if you don't like him for the simple fact that he's black, or you defend other racist comments from Clinton supporters, then, I believe, you are racist.

[Bad Thoughts]

48. No, it doesn't

But then again, just because someone harbors no prejudice doesn't mean they aren't above exploiting it.

[MethuenProgressive]

50. "Just because someone doesn't like Obama, doesn't make them a racist." Well...

..not according to this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5037023

[Jillian]

62. Unbelievable!

[endarkenment]

52. no.

But according to the various idiots here, opposing Clinton proves you are a sexist pig and opposing Obama proves you are a racist asshole.

On the other hand, if you refuse to vote for Obama or Clinton in the general election then you are simply a fucking idiot.

[jmg257]

54. Of course not.

[Alexander]

56. Depends. If he was the same but white, would you care for him more?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

57. It depends on WHY someone doesn't care for Obama. Your question cannot be answered in the abstract.

[krkaufman]

58. No way of knowing unless you state all the reasons why you don't "like" Obama

Pretty straightforward, really.

[jgraz]

59. Not unless you use that silly straw man to justify the real racism coming from the Hillary campaign

Is that what you're doing?

[frazzled]

60. Who the hell ever said it did?

Answer: no one.

Discussions of racism here are based on racist (or sexist) remarks or undertones in the reasons for disliking a candidate.

Your question is entirely specious, and wins the Evasion of the Real Issues Award for the day.

[Growler]

61. No, of course not

as long as I can dislike Clinton without being sexist.

[blues90]

63. I don't like either Hillary or Obama

What that makes me is a liberal not a racist or sexist .

People need to get their heads out of their asses with this insanity .

I suppose people can claim anything they want , but just because I don't like either one has nothing to do with race or sexual issues .


This is the entire problem with this entire election process nd the people out there voting it always has to be an issue of some sort and the real problem is the people who vote and bring up there issues .

Does this mean there are no racists or sexists , certainly not they can be found everywhere .

For either side whether Obama or Hillary they are the ones who play these games whether they want to admit it or not .

If it's all about winning which is the main goal for Obama and Hillary then both are not for the people but for their own mission in life and they make me absolutely sick for it .

People are illusional if they think either one will pull this country back from the edge of the cliff .

[JerseygirlCT]

66. I didn't need to know about your marriage to answer that.

I just need to know why you don't care for him. If it's for any reason other than "he's black", then you're not a racist.

Likewise, if I dislike Clinton because of her character and especially the way she's run her campaign, that doesn't make me a misogynist. You don't need to know I'm a woman to know that.

Is it really that difficult?

[rox63]

67. I don't care for Hillary. Does that make me a sexist? n/t

[Umbram]

68. Only if you criticize her for any reason. (nt)

:crazy:

[anonymous171]

70. Of course not.

Just like how disliking Hillary doesn't make you a sexist. But when people like Ferraro say things that try to brush off all of Obama's accomplishments as the result of his blackness, then that is racism.

[canuk1]

71. AND YOUR POINT IS

What does that have to do with the subject at hand. No one is saying you can not dislike Obama. The Clinton campaign is using race to increase the white vote. Its very simple. She is down to about 10% back vote. She will need most of the white vote. Therefore, make white voters see Obama as appealing only to blacks. You do this by creating this back and forth discussion over the treatment of women versus blacks etc...You can not argue that Ferraro was acting on her own when she continues to go on TV. Once was not Clinton's fault. But she continues to do it. It is so obvious.

[NDambi]

72. Nope doesn't make you racist anymore than dislike of Hillary makes me sexist!

btw, I'm a woman

[Vinca]

74. Of course you're not a racist - unless you dislike him because he's black.

I can't stand Hillary, but I'm not a sexist . . . no matter how many times I'm called that on this board.

[Political Heretic]

75. Absolutely not.

If that's all the info I have, then of course not.

[dcindian]

77. strawman

lol

[Cali_Democrat]

79. Yes you RACIST!!!!!

just kidding. Of course not.

[anonymeme]

80. No. It Doesn't.

No. It Doesn't.

I'm not a racist, I just think Obama is a slick, smooth-talking con-artist.

Con-artists know no color. Con-art is a state of being.

IMHO, Obama is a Con-artist.

[jaybeat]

81. If Obama were white, would he still get 90% of the black vote?

If Obama were female, would (s)he get 90% of the women vote?

If Obama had not gotten 90% of the black vote, would he still be ahead? (No matter what his race or gender.)

If Obama, Clinton and Edwards were ALL black, who would have gotten most of the black vote?

Saying that race is a factor is not racist. Saying someone *should not* be President, or isn't *qualified* to be President, *because* they are black, or green, or whatever, is racist. But I don't think anyone has said that.

Well, OK, Hannity probably has, but who gives a shit?

[styersc]

82. I've been following Obama supporters on DU...

and yes if you do not support Obama, you are a racist. I was very surprised to find that I am a racist also. Why have I been supporting for an fighting for civil rights all of these years? Had I been aware that I was a racist I could have had a much better time of it during my years in rural Mississippi and South Carolina.

[AZBlue]

83. If you said that to me in person, I'd have to ask "Why don't you like him?"

If you told me there are issues you don't agree with him on or specific fact-based instances in which you disagree with him, I'd never think you were a racist. But, if you hemmed and hawed and said there's just something about him, I'd have to wonder. I wouldn't say definitely you were a racist just because of that, but it might be in the back of my mind until I found out a little more about you.

Just because I don't like Hillary Clinton, am I sexist?

[ecstatic]

85. Depends on why you don't like him

And your mixed marriage is irrelevant.

[NastyRiffraff]

87. No, but it DOES mean you're not a Democrat...

or a liberal, or even a good American. You MAY even be a traitor, but only the most extreme Obama supporters would say that.

:sarcasm:

[Zhade]

88. Of course not, anymore than it makes those of us who oppose Clinton sexist.

NT!

[gmudem]

89. No it doesn't.

But Clintonites seem to think anybody who would dare say a negative word about Hillary is sexist. It's disturbing behavior.

[kwenu]

90. No. But just because you're in a mixed marriage doesn't mean you're NOT racist EITHER!!!!!

Remember that guy...what's his name....STROM THURMOND!!!!!!!

Strom had a daughter with a housekeeper who was Black. Racist whites have been having sex with black people for years. 1 out of every 3 Black males are descended from a white male. Racism is not logical and love damn sure isn't.

[ginchinchili]

91. I'm afraid that's where this is headed.

[angie_love]

93. No get a clue, nimrod.

[sfam]

95. No, but if you don't like Hillary, you're clearly a misogynist, which is worse!

As we all know now, being a misogynist is far worse than being a racist. This of course implies that Obama supporters are intrinsically worse than Hillary.

[ZombieHorde]

96. No, you are a racist for totally different reasons.

Just kidding, I don't know you.

[Tennessee Gal]

97. Thank you. You are correct.

[IndianaJones]

98. I think he's a bigot. And I'm not white. nt.

[sueragingroz]

102. In the Obamaverse....

well let's see what the response is to your post...