Really? A couple days ago I received an email from the Obama campaign with that title as the header. And it totally depressed me. Basically, it is an entreaty to young supporters to talk to their older relatives about why they should put aside their fear of the "Schvartes" and see that the scary Black man is here to help them and not steal their purses. It includes a form email and basic talking points people should use when trying to get their older relatives to do something I thought I would never see in my lifetime, vote for a Black man in the Presidential race. It is kind of depressing because it seems that is what some people have to do. Everyone has seen the scary rhetoric of the past week at the McCain rallies. It is kind of naive of me to find this disturbing, especially since these people are saying these things in the Midwest, not the Dirty South. But I do. It seems Obama is comfortably in the lead but the theory of the Bradley Effect is in the back of my mind. So much so that I initially dismissed Obama precisely because I thought the country was not yet ready for this. I did not want to see how ugly it could get. I don't live in the most Progressive area so it wouldn't surprise me at all if a lot of people I know feel this way around here and would be happy to show it if/when McCain comes back. Thankfully, it seems most people are rejecting that sort of thing. But I have friends who have some not so enlightening stories of parents and relatives who have said and done some pretty horrible things vis-a-vis dating and casual racism. In my own family we are not immune to that sort of thing. Even Sarah Silverman has made a video on how the youngs need to go Florida to convince their Grandparents to vote for the Big O. Not to put too much into who I think Obama is, but maybe this is sort of like what JFK had to deal with regarding his Catholicism? Do I think the ignorance and stupidity is enough to overcome the lead that Obama has gained? No, but I also think with a savvier VP pick by McCain and the lack of a worldwide economic collapse (which was caused by giving loans to the Blacks and Mexicans, BTW), we might be looking at a much closer election than we may have in three weeks. And...... I just jinxed it.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Time for the "Talk"
Really? A couple days ago I received an email from the Obama campaign with that title as the header. And it totally depressed me. Basically, it is an entreaty to young supporters to talk to their older relatives about why they should put aside their fear of the "Schvartes" and see that the scary Black man is here to help them and not steal their purses. It includes a form email and basic talking points people should use when trying to get their older relatives to do something I thought I would never see in my lifetime, vote for a Black man in the Presidential race. It is kind of depressing because it seems that is what some people have to do. Everyone has seen the scary rhetoric of the past week at the McCain rallies. It is kind of naive of me to find this disturbing, especially since these people are saying these things in the Midwest, not the Dirty South. But I do. It seems Obama is comfortably in the lead but the theory of the Bradley Effect is in the back of my mind. So much so that I initially dismissed Obama precisely because I thought the country was not yet ready for this. I did not want to see how ugly it could get. I don't live in the most Progressive area so it wouldn't surprise me at all if a lot of people I know feel this way around here and would be happy to show it if/when McCain comes back. Thankfully, it seems most people are rejecting that sort of thing. But I have friends who have some not so enlightening stories of parents and relatives who have said and done some pretty horrible things vis-a-vis dating and casual racism. In my own family we are not immune to that sort of thing. Even Sarah Silverman has made a video on how the youngs need to go Florida to convince their Grandparents to vote for the Big O. Not to put too much into who I think Obama is, but maybe this is sort of like what JFK had to deal with regarding his Catholicism? Do I think the ignorance and stupidity is enough to overcome the lead that Obama has gained? No, but I also think with a savvier VP pick by McCain and the lack of a worldwide economic collapse (which was caused by giving loans to the Blacks and Mexicans, BTW), we might be looking at a much closer election than we may have in three weeks. And...... I just jinxed it.
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