Arkansas Blog

Yep, sad to say I know the answer.

Absolutely race is a factor over all. It is impossible for it not to be a factor. Gender is also an issue along with age. There is definitely a segment of society who views each candidate unfavorably mostly because of their race, gender, age. I don't know if it is enough to sway the election one way or the other, but it exists.

Some voters are more inclined to believe Obama is a Muslim regardless the evidence that he is not because he is Black. Some voters see Hillary as shrewish and difficult because she is a woman and I see McCain as dopey and senile. Is it because he is old? Is it because of his gaffs? Maybe it's all the above.

While Obama may not be a Muslim, the Rev Wright anti-American sermons on U-tube are a reminder that there are vast differences between the beliefs of blacks and whites in this country. Obama, in his book, comments on the deep influence that Rev Wright has been on his life, so not many people will believe him when he claims that he wasn't around any time that Rev Wright went on an anti-American tirade. It won't be long before we hear more about his relationship with the Chicago slum lord too. There will be a lot of white Democrats who will claim to support Obama in public, but in the privacy of the voting booth will pull the lever for McCain.

The 20% of the electorate who are rabid racist will find any excuse to justify their not voting for Barack. Thankfully, John McCain is the perfect storm for shunning the Repugs and thus despite the huge resevoir of latent racism that sadly infects our society at every level; Barack Obama ( assuming the Diebold factor is finally monitored ) will win in a crushing landslide! When he completes his 8 year term , racism will fade into a history where a Sidney Poitier or Tiger Woods or Arthur Ash is no longer GRUDGINGLY admired.

Looking for a big HRC win in Indiana.

And an even bigger BHO win in NC.

Excellent.

I don't think the race factor is as important as the simple fact of his name. George Washington, John Adams, Harry Truman, Bill Clinton--Barack Obama? It doesn't fit; he should've gone back to Barry and he would have a better chance of winning. Millard Fillmore is the only name of former Presidents that doesn't fit and he was only Pres. because Zach Taylor died.

I truly wish I could believe the comment posted by roym.....but, and this is a big but....I spend an inordinate amount of time in rural areas outside of Little Rock, all the way from Plainview in Yell County to Dumas in Desha County in places like coffee shops to feed stores and fertilizer/chemical dealers and farmer's shops and any time the Presidential race comes up the one common overriding comment you hear is "I ain't voting for no damn nigger." Cruel as it is and demeaning as it is this is how rural Arkansans feel about race. They will be nice to a black person in person and then laugh about it when they walk away. I've seen and heard it too many times to not think that this type of ingrained racism will not go away for generations. It will be a huge factor in the final analysis of the Presidential race much to my personal chagrin.

That said, I realize that rural Arkansas is not the entire country and those attitudes are not common outside the South but they are common enough to be a factor in the race. Just ask people who live in places like Detroit, New York City, Los Angeles or any other city where there has been an influx of black refugees from the South. They are just as racist as people in Arkansas, sory to say.

I just wish people would judge other people by the kind of person they are and not the color of their skin or what country they are from or which religion they adhere to or who they love. There's more to life than judging others.

Well I am not black and i am not religious but I find far more things to praise about Rev Wrights words than most other preachers words that have garnered my attention in the last few years. Truth to madness, spoken by an ex marine turned preacher.. Sure beats the heck out of pro Armegddon Hagees of the world or those who look for spiritual awareness and yet say nothing about our societies willingness to conduct torture and genocide across the globe.. That flat out disturbs me much more
At the very least Wright deserves credit for addressing these issues, because silence equals complicity.

I have no doubt the knuckle dragging bigots of Arkansas and much of the South will do their best to return to the days of the Klan... They would rather elect McCain "Bomb Bomb Iran" or Hillary "obliterate" Iran than try to take a look in the collective mirror and face the music.. about war, torture, loss of liberties at an incredible rate, energy policy, the fact iran is not a threat, the fact we incarcerate 25 percent of the worlds prison population and yet our country is only 5 percent of the worlds population.... we still cage African Americans instead of dealing with it for the most part. Instead of insisting upon some kind of higher education for all Americans and providing health care for each other. We would rather cut off our own health than risk providing care for all.. lets just keep building gates around our communities and barb wire around the poor.... The knuckle-draggers will always be able to pay a preacher enough money to tell them is the only holy thing to do and rewrite the Bible in a way to interpret it as Christ like.

If I were a bigot, i would still understand that Obama is half white and a Christian struggling with many of lifes difficult issues as we all are in one form or another.. and try to at least sympathize ... but that's not what knuckle-draggers do.

I'm optimistic because of the primary Dem numbers... Dems voted on triple the numbers of Republicans in PA alone.. The south still has long way to go in facing it's own demons .. and we need to look in our own AR mirror.... at Ross, Pryor and Berry's actions on divisive immigrant legislation they are all sponsoring right now... It's the latest fashionable place to direct bigotry outside of anti gay legislation.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR04088:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN02366:

My father-in-law (the typical 70-something Arkansan in my world) so hates Dubya/this war that he'd vote for a black man named Charles Eddie Smith from Searcy Arkansas. He won't vote for a black man named Barack Hussein Obama...especially given that he's convinced he's a Muslim (though we correct that lie over and over, he still thinks there's something 'foreign' about Obama.) So I think it's the Barack package, rather than the race factor alone, that makes Obama so foreign to so many; and to deny it because it's ugly doesn't make it any less the truth. But you're correct, too, Charles, racism is alive/well in much of Arkansas...and mostly escapes the pollsters.

On the other hand, every shop Bubba who works at hubby's place of business (mostly construction/steel work has a litany of nasty Hillary jokes and they just know she's a lesbian bitch. They, along with many men I grew up with tend to view women along these lines: 'If she'd keep her mouth shut she'd be hot.' (Can't count the times I've tossed back 'Well, I ain't keeping it shut and nothing you can do will make you appealing.')

Eureka:

So how is requiring employee verification and increasing the amount of border patrol agents "divisive"?

Red - The entire premise of the title alone is false and divisive. We in America need more nurses not "agents". We need to demand all workers, uninvited guests or citizens be paid and treated fairly and equally. We need trade policy with countries like Mexico that demand they treat their workers with equal dignity and pay levels, respect for environment, as we, before we deal with them. DL' Passports, Military ID's etc. are now and have been adequate for decades if an employer is slightly interested in not employing so called illegals". There are far more dignified, humane and cost effective ways to treat each other than building fences and prisons while spending piles of cash on Blackwater guards across the border.

We already have the most prisons, the most powerful military, at the highest expense imaginable, and it's not working. The knuckle-draggers are as scared and paranoid as ever, while the super wealthy laugh all the way to their banks in the Caymans..and the working poor are in dire straights. It's time to try another way.

Let's face it. Barack should sit down with Hillary and negotiate a truce. Brack for President, Hillary for VP. Then they could drop all the hoopla, put an end to all this stupid speculation and get down to facing McCain as the dream team. Done and done.

Eureka, you need to look at facts rather than parrott talking heads. Yes, we have more prisons, but since the '80's, we've had drastic reductions in murders, rapes, and violent crime because we've locked up more bad guys. So, if you're living in low income area, is it better to feel safe in your house, or cry about all the poor people in prison. Your choice--more prisons, less crime or less prisons, more crime. Pretty simple to me.

My choice would be to treat each other with much more dignity as a deterrence (particularly, food, health care, and education/vocation) to the problems which lead many to criminal activity in the first place...which lands them in jail and often insures a repetitious life of criminal behavior without any sincere effort to end the spiral.

Every country in the world imprisons less percentage of their population than we (how shameful!).. And many many countries have a lower crime rate.. Obviously there are many better ways.... Also for profit prisons are a huge $$$ lobby in DC now.. financed by profits they make from our tax dollars. Financing interests in a police state.. do not pass Go..go directly to fascism!

Bubba;

You said that crime has decreased "...since the '80's..." (I guess you had to include your sainted somnolent fool Reagan). But, if you'll use AlGore's marvelous invention you'll find that crime rates were stagnant throughout the 70's & 80's. It wasn't until the 90's that there was a reduction, incidentally, that reduction has tapered off during the oughts. Now, I wonder who was president when that dramatic reduction occurred, and why won't you, Bubba, give credit where it's due?

copy and paste the link: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/viort.htm

Y'all's comments had me pondering this recent and interesting article published recently on the inmate count in the US: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/us/23prison.html?scp=3&sq=prisoners&st=nyt

All the points I am making and a really good post on the failure of yesterdays atempted passage in the US Senate of the Lilly Ledbetter Act are in my opinion intrinsically connected to the divisive nature of race, gender, and class division in America today. (read about it at my name)
As 70% points out .. We really took a wrong turn with Reagan and have yet to turn it around.. Clinton tried, but for the large part failed or simply compromised with the GOPers and wealthy elite to much, imo. I think politically the best way to fight bigotry is through (roughly) points raised above.. It's about class disparity and basic dignity on a social service level for all.

Obama has an inspired an unique perspective to put it mildly.

He's seen the world and lived in a variety of situations.. .. From various parts of the US to Indonesia and Africa.

He's seen and lived the world from both African American and White eyes.

He's seen the world from both a Muslim and Christian perspective.. and obviously embraced Christianity... We desperately need a leader who understands these differences, now.

Despite his rather poor financial background and a myriad of other odds against him he has achieved a great deal on his own merit in his lifetime.

His studies include Constitutional Law and his actions have never been in pursuit of riches over the good of people. Lord knows we need some leaders who have actually read the Constitution, much more embraced it as Obama has.

He speaks to the issue of race as well as anyone has in the public eye in decades.

In many many ways I don't think I could write a better dream resume for a potential president than what Obama has lived through.

America really needs to seize the day... Confronting racism with Obama in the lead is just an added bonus. Ignoring it or rejecting Obama will not make it go away anyhow.

"Ignoring it or rejecting Obama will not make it go away anyhow."
by: Eureka Springs, AR

Jeez, get a room already!
Eureka!

70%er; I went to the website, and the highest rate was in 1980; it went down, then slowly up, then drastic down in the mid 90's, when prison space increased dramatcally. I don't bow down to Reagen, Bush or Clinton; I'm just looking at the facts. check your glasses and see how tinted they are.

I have no clue about the validity of the following I rec'd from some relatives. I hear them use the "n" word enough to know their inclinations. They move in entirely white circles and seem "polite" to a person of color. But then this comes along:

"This guy wants to be our President and control our government. Pay close attention to the last comment!! Below are a few lines from Obama's books in his words:

From Dreams of My Father: "I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."

From Dreams of My Father: "There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white."

From Dreams of My Father: "It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."

From Dreams of My Father: "I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela."

From Audacity of Hope: "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."

On the last quote we also note that our President George also stands with the Muslims, holds hands with the Muslims, and kisses the Muslims.

Your choice--more prisons, less crime or less prisons, more crime. Pretty simple to me.<<
Posted by: Bubba

Er uh, you missed a major consideration that always operates in America Bubber:

More prisons, more prison profits.

The USA is an economy, not a culture.

The actual Obama quote from the book is from page 261 and is as follows:

"Of course, not all my conversations in immigrant communities follow this easy pattern. In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."