Refuge51

Commentary: No racism in the presidential election? - CNN.com
By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN
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SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- In claiming victory in West Virginia last night, Hillary Clinton reiterated her last best argument as to why she should be the Democratic nominee: because only she can win in November.


Ruben Navarrette Jr.: Hillary Clinton sounds less like George Washington and more like George Wallace.

Don't confuse that with what Clinton said in a debate just a few weeks ago about how she was confident that either she or her opponent could win in November.

How's that for chutzpah? She's arguing that the same person who couldn't win enough states in the spring against Barack Obama can win enough states in the fall against John McCain.

At least in West Virginia, Clinton chose her words more carefully than she did last week when she blurted out to USA Today that "Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again" and how whites who had not completed college were supporting her.

Clinton sounded less like George Washington and more like George Wallace. Imagine a presidential primary where, after more than 16 months, almost two dozen debates, hundreds of speeches, millions of dollars, and countless chicken dinners, the rationale for electing someone boils down to this: Vote for me. I'm white. I can win because other whites will vote for me.

Why, this could be the new affirmative action. Whatever happened to merit?

Clinton's message in West Virginia was smoother. "I'm winning Catholic voters and Hispanic voters," she told supporters, "and blue-collar workers and seniors, the kind of people that Sen. McCain will be fighting for in the general election."


Meanwhile, some white Americans are turning themselves inside out to come up with excuses for why they're not supporting Obama. It seems like just yesterday that these folks were arguing there is no racism in the immigration debate, and now they're insisting there is no racism in the presidential election.

Some want to know why it isn't racist when 70 percent of African-Americans vote for Obama but it is when 70 percent of whites vote against him.

The answer has to do with history. Over the decades, black Americans have had plenty of opportunities to vote for white people for president. And they have done so. But this is the first time that white Americans have a chance to vote for an African-American with a shot at the presidency. And what are they doing?

Many are responding quite well. Obama won the votes of many -- to borrow a phrase -- "hardworking white Americans -- in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming. But, elsewhere, as Obama said in a recent interview, people may need to get their head around the concept of an African-American even seeking the presidency, let alone winning it.

That's understandable. There are places in this country where white Americans are still raised to think of black Americans as inferior. And then comes someone like Obama who has performed off the charts -- from Harvard Law School to the U.S. Senate and now, possibly, on to the White House. It's going to take some time to get used to all that, especially for people who never thought they thought they'd see the day that an African-American would be elected president.

But understand this: They had better hurry up. That day may soon be here.

Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist. Read his column here.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

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I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
~George McGovern~

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I am listening to YET ANOTHER bozo on CNN say...his voice dripping with tsk, tsk...that the Clinton campaign is raising the race issue.

Hello?

I don’t even know what PLANET you people are on, much less what country you’re in.

I have achieved more than half a century of Life in this country. I am college-educated. I was raised in corporate America. I have been a registered Republican since I was old enough to vote, NOT that I voted for George Bush in 2004. I can’t remember too much about 2000.

NO ONE HAS TO PLAY THE RACE CARD AND YOU FUCKING KNOW IT. Or we wouldn’t have all kinds of legislation and programs to mitigate the effects of racism.

Racism has been prominently on the American table since I was old enough to see over the edge ot it.

You think we’re past all that, do you?

I took Amtrak from Los Angeles to the Iowa and back last December, to witness the Caucus Spectacle. Since then, I have driven from L.A. to Florida and back, with multiple weeks in Georgia. Things have changed, sure. But like Hoak said in Driving Miss Daisy, “things ain’t changed all THAT much.”

We’re over the racist thing?

Tell me then, how it is that Ahmedou Ould-Abdallahah comes to Washington to plead for support, one last time, before he will simply have to do what he has to do in Somalia. I don’t even know what that means, but I’d like to think you do. I know he ended by saying, “This is our country.” He’s taking it back, I think.

If we’re so done bein’ a racist nation, kindly explain AFRICOM. In particular, please explain how it is that an all-white panel delivers its expertise-minus-practical-understanding-and-authentic-perspective for the New Africa Command, headed by General Ward and headquartered IN FUCKING BERLIN. Our non-racist selves wouldn’t be carving Africa up, would we? Imperialism with a vulgar racist brutality, that’s so fifteen minutes ago.

Look at our prison statistics, for fuck’s sake. Look at the rate at which YOU allow black men to be fed into the meat grinder of Incarceration Incorporated, and tell me again that racism in this country isn’t as obvious as your abundance of baubles and your lack of bravery.

You are cowardly, opportunistic public sycophants who are turning a blind eye to McCarthyism, The Sequel...read that, anyone who doesn’t have a hard-on for Obama is a racist.

You better fucking think twice about eliminating HIllary Rodham Clinton, who I loathe, because the Neoconservatives will not HESITATE to eliminate Barack Hussein Obama.

The Democratic party should never have been anything but OVERWHELMINGLY united, with singleness of purpose, behind an eminently electable candidate.

However, comma, since the Democrats FAILED to press their advantage...shocker though that is...you better wait a little before you whittle your options down to one.

As representatives of the people, you are obliged to review our history in order to stabilize our present and safeguard our future.

Lords & Ladies

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Refuge51

Thank you and I agree 100%.

__________________
I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
~George McGovern~