Obama’s race problem in “liberal” South Florida

[Cyrano]

There are many retirement communities here in Palm Beach County and I have an elderly friend who lives in one of them. This is an area that is overwhelmingly Democratic. But my friend tells me that if Obama is the candidate, most people he’s spoken with in his community won’t vote for him in the GE if he wins the primary. Why? Because he’s black.

My friend has been bouncing off the walls trying to talk these people out of their prejudices and has ended up alienating many of them. He’s been at it for a couple of months now, and I get the impression that he’s just about turned himself into an outcast among them.

He’s told me that he's used all the arguments as to why we must get a Dem into the White House, (whether it’s Obama or Hillary). He’s talked about the Supreme Court, the war, how McCain would be another four years of Bush, (whom they all hate), but he seems to be banging his head against a stone wall. Most of all, he’s talked about the economy which is a critical issue to people living on fixed incomes. As incredible as it seems, Obama’s race trumps their own financial security.

In order for any Dem to win Florida, they must carry Palm Beach County (as Gore did in 2000 before the Supreme Court stepped in and screwed us all). It seems that this time around, the elderly people here are bound to screw themselves if Obama is the nominee.

I have a feeling that what my friend has told me is as true in the other senior communities as it is in his. Most of these elderly people seem to still be living in an era when racism was "normal." Unfortunately, they make up a large portion of Palm Beach County voters.

Perhaps I was naive to think this kind of crap couldn't or wouldn't go on down here. I guess I was an idiot. Now I'm a totally disgusted idiot.

[GarbagemanLB]

1. Lucky for us, Obama's road to victory doesn't go through Florida.

[NJSecularist]

21. Another state to write off due to Obama's unelectability.

Florida and now Ohio. If he's so electable, why does he give us very little chance in both states?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

44. The last time Dems won Florida was in 1996 with an incumbent Pres.

Who lost the state to GHWB in '92, BTW, and still won that election.

Screw Florida. Let them go for McCain. I'm tired of wasting untold resources on a state with a heinously corrupt electoral system, only to see in not go in our column anyway.

Screw Ohio too.

[Cyrano]

55. Sorry to disagree, but the last time the Dems won FL was in 2000.

However, Scalia & Co. didn't like the outcome, so they changed it.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

58. That's where the "heinously corrupt" part comes in. nt

[JoFerret]

63. This was true...and not just the SCOTUS gang were to blame

Clinton has a shot.

Obama hasn't a hope in hell.

Is that fair? is that right? No, and no.
Is it true? Probably.

[EFerrari]

52. See, that's what I thought. "Unelectability" is code for black.

Thanks for answering my question. Now, welcome to the list.

[SparkyMac]

36. I bet President Gore would disagree

[MadBadger]

2. I've heard differently

I was in Boca last week and talked to a number of people. They are ALL for Hillary, but there number one concern is getting a democrat in the WH, so they will vote for Obama.

[Cyrano]

7. That's not unusual.

Most of the people I know will vote for any Dem. My OP referred to what I was being told about senior citizen communities and there are many in Palm Beach County.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. In Sun City AZ, a big retirement community

Some Democratic voters refused to sign the nominating petition of an African American candidate. :(

[leftofcool]

4. I am hearing this right here in Maryland too

and this is a blue state. I am worried about this but Obama says race wont be an issue in the election so there ya have it.

[MadBadger]

5. Obama will win in Maryland easily.

[leftofcool]

6. If he is the nominee, I hope he does

there are some other factors in play here though, that have nothing to do with race

[Cyrano]

9. Of course there are other issues.

And it's why I have avoided this forum like the plague. I can really do without the bile I've seen here.

My OP is not pro or anti either Obama or Hillary. I was merely relating what I've been told is going on here.

[leftofcool]

11. I was specifically referring to other factors here in Maryland

[Cyrano]

13. Oh, sorry. No insult intended.

[leftofcool]

15. No problem

[movonne]

18. There are some that would not vote for a woman...so what is the point..

[jwirr]

8. Talk about voting against your own best interests.

:sarcasm:

[CherokeeDem]

10. I Have Heard the Same Thing From Broward County, Florida...

An friend of mine who is now in his late 60's is extremely pro-Hillary and hates Obama...refers to him as the snake-oil salesman. He tells me that everyone he talks to in Broward will not vote for Obama in the GE. I have also tried the Supreme Court, etc arguments and nothing works. Even my very liberal 81 year old mother here in KY is very anti-Obama, my 82 year old dad is leaning toward Obama. Maybe it is just a generational thing but it is very disturbing.

[IsItJustMe]

49. People choose their own deamons. If it's not one thing, it's another.

[Coexist]

12. Yeah, "liberal" Naples is all about Clinton

and Sarasota, geesh - you can't get those Katherine-Harris-lovin' progressives to shut up about world peace!

[ej510]

14. Is it really surprising just go back to the 60's there were

a shit load of racist then they were younger people then they are old now please believe they have not changed. These were the people that were using racial slurs and killing black people.

[Coexist]

38. I lived in Naples, I was being saracstic - that side of S.Fl is NOT liberal

by any stretch of the imagination. They would not vote for Hillary either. The OP might mention that the only blue bloc of Florida is the SE coast, not all of south Florida.

[movonne]

16. Maybe people like that should not vote...people who vote should

look and this country and see what is best for it and l00 year war would not be one of them..if mc cain gets it then that is exactly what we will have..

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

17. If Palm Beach County has liberals

they were all hiding when we moved to Boca Raton from Oregon.

Back in Oregon now!

[Cyrano]

19. The Congressman for Boca and the surrounding areas is Robert Wexler

You don't get much more liberal than he is. He started an Impeach Bush movement a while back and has a website that keeps pushing it. (Can't remember the name of the site offhand.)

He's also introduced an Impeach Cheney petition on the floor of the House.

[FrenchieCat]

34. Robert Wexler Backs Barack Obama.....

OP-ED

Why I back Barack Obama

By Robert Wexler Published: 01/28/2008

Barack Obama is a staunch supporter of Israel and knows how to work across the aisle to produce results, U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler says in making the case for the Illinois senator.

There are many reasons why I support Barack Obama for president. He offers an opportunity to end the divisive politics of the past and reconnect Americans to the political process by bringing all voices to the table on contentious issues and working out common sense solutions. He is committed to making sure every American has access to quality health care and to ending our dependence on foreign oil, and he has a proven ability to develop bipartisan coalitions to achieve his goals. He had the judgment to oppose the Iraq war from the beginning -- and he has a sound plan to end it.

lotsa more......
http://jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/news/article/2008012820080128obamawexler.html

[Cyrano]

50. I've heard that Wexler often speaks in the senior communities and

tells people not to base their votes on race or gender.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

61. Thx for the heads up

I can't really complain, as we were in FL for less than a year, missed the dangling CHAD controversy at what *would have been* our voting precinct (Del Ray Beach), and missed the anthrax mailed to my old office! Still, the area where we lived seemed extremely conservative. The local crowd sure didn't like us walking in on their early-bird specials, and municipal services like public transportation and sidewalks seemed to be afterthoughts.

We're spoiled by Oregon.

[glowing]

20. I don't know... maybe, maybe not.. Don't forget.. we are still in Primary

there is a lot of dis-info going on.. Also, the man is half white. He has family that is 1/2 white. He is not some scary, angry man who is going to make them pay for their guilty actions they partook in back in the day.

[TragedyandHope]

22. We have to keep working to convince people

not to vote against their own interests. If anything, that could be said to be the genius of the Neo-cons, who have made an art out of convincing people to willingly, even eagerly vote to screw themselves.

[galaxy21]

23. They'd rather risk being broke than vote for a black guy?

Wow. If mccain wins these people get what they deserve.

[Cyrano]

26. Yep. It seems there's just no way to get through to them.

Unfortunately, ignorance like this could end up screwing us all.

[stillcool]

24. Some people have always seen race..

as a problem. It is amazing that he has the most delegates, and the most votes considering how important an issue it is, and has been for so many here at DU. You would think they were implying that he is 'unelectable'.

[NJSecularist]

25. In 2000, Gore won Broward County 67 to 31 percent

He won Miami-Dade County 52 to 46 percent.

He won Palm Beach County 62 to 35 percent.

Those 3 counties consist of the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is our only big Democratic stronghold in that state. Running up the margins in that area is the only chance we have of winning the state. Obama won't even come close to those margins in 2008.

[madrchsod]

28. yup ---they won`t vote for obama because he is a "black man".

they will vote for hillary because she is a "white woman"

so if obama gets the nomination they will vote for "senior moment john" ..ya i could see them doing that.

[NJSecularist]

29. How do you know they won't vote for him because he is black?

That is your assumption. Perhaps they won't vote for him because he has very little experience?

[goldcanyonaz]

32. Cuz, if you do not vote for Obama you are a racist.

Get with the program already.

[madrchsod]

27. oh well .....guess we`ll have to work harder

to change peoples minds or get the young people to out vote their their grandmothers and fathers....

[oviedodem]

30. I hope you Hillary folks realize that this "un-electability" argument that the MSM is

pushing has NOTHING to do with policy, Wright, Ayers,etc it is all this concept of race and they know it.

[Cyrano]

39. "... you Hillary folks..."???

Nowhere in my OP did I mention my preference. I will vote for Obama, Hillary, Mickey Mouse, or any other Democrat in the GE. I have tried to avoid any Obama/Hillary bashing in this thead -- which is my first (and probably only) posting in this forum.

Can we please keep it out of this thread?

[oviedodem]

48. I am not talking to you specifically, This is about this stupid electability

argument the Clintons keep pushing.

[galaxy21]

31. I think we might have to write off Florida

Along with KY and WV.

There are just some people that won't vote for a black man under any circumstances. Mccain could be revealed as a cross dresser, and they would still vote for him.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

33. I Respectfully Differ

My aunt (white) who paased away at 98 voted for David Dinkins and lots of African American candidates in NY because they had a (D) after their name...

Most older Democrats will vote for Obama...If they are miffed it is because they loved the Clintons... The Clintons just were popular with older folks, including my aunt...She adored Bill and Hill...

[galaxy21]

35. For every liberal old person, there are about 5 more that cling to the past

Most old woman flinch whenever a black man passes them in the street, so how can you convince them to vote for an African American?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

40. Those Votes Weren't Ours Anyway

But the older white Democrats who are were conditioned to vote straight Democratic out of habit...

I will say that Hillary would be the sentimental favorite among older white Democrats regardless of who she was running against... In fact she would be the sentimental favorite of older African American Democrats if she was running against anybody but Barack Obama...

It's said to see the Democrtic party so polarized...

I also think if Obama gets the nomination he won't seriously contest Florida... It's too big a state with too many media markets to contest if you don't think you can win it...

[galaxy21]

43. I think people like to think all racists are republicans

But how many people have said while they'd gladly vote Hillary they'd never vote for a black guy? Despite them being virtually the same policy wise.

Honestly, racism just doesn't exist in the red states.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

46. Sure, There Are Racist Democrats

Racism is such an amorphous concept it's hard to say who is and who isn't, unless they are wearing a sheet...

I'm just saying that older folks like Hillary because they liked Bill and remember any Democratic president fondly...

[JustAnotherGen]

37. Not to be crass or anything

But most of these people are going to be dead in a few years. So - they don't really care about any of the young people in this country and what they might want.

If Black (as in the case of the original posters insight) is critical to them - I kind of half to write them off as Dixiecrat Reagan Democrats. Of no value to the Democratic Party.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

42. Dixiecrats In Palm Beach County?

Most of the older folks there are retirees from NY, NJ, PN, and MI...

[Cyrano]

54. You're exactly right about the retirees in PBC.

Very few are from the South. There's also a very large contingent from Massachusetts, perhaps the most liberal state in the country. That's why it's so difficult for me to understand why they say they won't vote for Obama if he's the nominee.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

57. I' ll Give It A Try

Most , not all older Democrats love Hillary...I know this empirically and anecdotally... My aunt adored Hillary and Bill...

It's like when a fan's favorite sports team loses...He "hates" the team that beats his team and wants revenge...Revenge is sometimes served by seeing the team that beat his team lose... That's the phenomenon we're dealing with IMHO...

I know politics isn't a game but the psychology is the same...

Failing to contest Florida helps the Republicans in two ways... They get the delegates and they can focus their resources elsewhere...

Where in SoFlo are you?

My uncle lives in Boca but not the ritzy part...I'm in Orlando though I graduated from NMBSRHS... I prefer the slower pace and the Winter where it actuallly gets a bit cool...

[TexasObserver]

41. White people Hillary's age and older trend that way.

For every white person Hillary's age and older who will vote for Obama, there are two who will not. Those people grew up in a totally segregated society, and they tend to have the same old racist attitudes that prevailed in the 1950s and early 1960s. They tend to resent black people, particularly those who have overcome the prejudices of those years to achieve. They hate blacks who haven't achieved, but they hate blacks who have achieved even worse.

Old white people are simply afraid and hateful towards black men of success, as a group. Thankfully, a minority of older whites are not that way, but they are in the distinct minority.

Unfortunately, Hillary knows this, and has done all she can to capitalize on it at the ballot box, by her racist themes.

[galaxy21]

45. You'd think living through the civil rights era would make you less racist

How can anyone be resentful that Blacks got even the most basic rights?

[SoCalDem]

47. There are still racists in America? I'm shocked, shocked I tell ya..

Racism will never "go away"...and I don't think that Obama is all that worried about the yahoos & rednecks who would never vote for him.. Fortunately, they are probabaly shrinking in number with every passing year :)

Obama does not "need" Florida...those same old white racists are probably "hot" for McCain anyway... or "Miss Hillary"...

[EFerrari]

51. Some people are hopeless, they always have been. Maybe

your friend should start tell these "democrats" that Obama's grandparents are WHITE. :shrug:

[OHdem10]

53. It is a sad commentary, but did we not all realize there are

pockets of people all over this country who still have a problem
voting for person who is black.

I was led to believe on this website, that was of no concern, Obama
could overcome it.

On the flip side yelling Racists and Racism digs these people in deeper
and they work harder to bring people to their side.

[truth please]

56. I know the Democratic Party wants to win but at what cost!

This race has turned into something truly ugly. I knew it was going to happen but hoped with all my heart it wouldn't. I am tired of which group of white people won't vote for Obama. I am sick of the code language for bigots. I am sick of a party that should believe in and fight for equality showing that it is just as sick with bigotry and racism as the other party. I am sick of women saying it is okay for the racists to win just as long as a woman can win. The win at all cost will cause damage for years to come. It is time for people to bring this racist shit out into the open and deal with it once and for all. As long as it is hidden it can be perpetrated on people. It is not okay to hate anyone as long as you don't have to suffer from it and this is coming from a black woman that had a great-grandmother who was white and would not acknowledge her own grandchildren because she hated black people so much. A woman who would not talk to her son's wife or children that were a part of her. How sick is that? When her son died, came to the funeral would not talk to us as children. We went over to talk to her and she walked away. I was 9 years old. Great memories, you think? I felt like there was something wrong with me for a long time, not that there was something horribly wrong with her. She took her hate to the grave.

[Cyrano]

60. Truly sad. Racism is a disease that must be fought on a constant

basis by every enlightened person who encounters it. I have relatives with whom I haven't spoken in years because of their views on race. If I won't tolerate it from people of my own blood, I'll be damned if I'll tolerate it from anyone else.

[TTUBatfan2008]

64. This is something that I am absolutely ashamed of...

the fact that people are so obsessed with winning the White House that they think it's more important to win the White House than to confront Obama's supposed unelectability, which is based almost entirely on something that it shouldn't be based on. It's time for this country to own up to it and get this shit out in the open. I don't care if he loses 70-30 to McCain. It's time for the media to stop asking "why can't Obama connect with working class white voters?" and call it what it really is. It's time for the party to stop using fear of racism as a reason for not nominating him. This is like if people had said "you can't allow Jackie Robinson to play in the MLB because there will be race riots all across the country" and other issues of integration throughout history. If you keep using this fear of racism as a reason for not nominating a guy that is 1000 times more electable than the likes of Jesse Jackson, then this country will NEVER move forward and truly reach Dr. King's dream. It's absolutely despicable that people would rather avoid the risk of nominating a black person instead of confronting the problem. Besides that, Hillary's chances of getting elected aren't very strong to begin with. She is no shoe-in herself with 60% unfavorable ratings, so that argument is pretty ridiculous. I'd rather confront this issue, even if it means losing the election, than let this sentiment continue. It wasn't until whites saw blacks getting beaten on TV that they finally realized how wrong the system was and that change was needed.

[Pisces]

59. No worries, he will have a strong white male candidate as his VP to pick up these votes.

[JoFerret]

62. I don't think there is even the remotest chance

that Obama could take Florida in a GE.

Now that is very unfair and all that. I very much agree. But I think it is a reality.
Once the GOP have painted him as a racist anti-Israel Farrakhan lover and all the rest of it. No way.
Even Clinton will struggle but I do think she can take Florida.

[dansolo]

65. Fuck Florida

Demographically, it favors McCain over either Obama or Hillary. Even though I believe in the 50-state strategy, I make an exception for Florida. And with the FDP screwing things up for us because of their little power trip, I believe that Florida is a lost cause this election.

[crankychatter]

66. It's OK because I'm sure we can depend on GEORGIDUH and FLORIBAMA

to make up for it