The Politics Thread

[Roman]

With all due, when someone speaks for 14 million black Americans, I have a tendency to...disagree.

[DRW50]

I think there are many cases when black voters will not support a black candidate. There are times when the media all but begs them to do so, like with Michael Steele when he ran for the Senate in Maryland. He had major endorsements from some black leaders, there was all kinds of press attention focused on a white Democrat beating out a black Democrat in the primary, Steele supported affirmative action, he had a story that was supposed to resonate, and he even sent out campaign literature misleading people that he was a Democrat. Black voters still rejected him, soundly.

[Wales2004]

Reading something like this makes me sad because it's this way of thinking that makes race in America seem as if it's taken a great number of steps backwards. As long as every black person in America continues to be seen as nolthing but black then it doesn't matter how open minded, liberal, and charitable the people seeing them this way are. The message is still the same: "I'll like you, help you" or whatever else you may insert here "even if/though you are black because I'm a good/decent/liberal/open minded person but you're not a human like I am and the fact that I can look past your being black makes me a better person." This places the onus on black people to ignore the way they are perceived in society and that does not seem to be easy for some so it's a cycle. The more aware people become in terms of discussions and labels, etc., the more regressive society becomes.

Now you may not mean all black people but because you go on to mention enslavement which I think is a term that the segment of the black American population mires themselves in to their detriment, it seems that way to me. Barack Obama does not have any slave history.

Just like every white American isn't a descendant of the pilgrims, every black American is not the descendant of slaves. America has its share of non-enslaved black immigrants and even the black immigrants that may have slave ancestry have a different history than those black Americans with slave ancestry. All of this matters.

It's more likely that some black people support Barack Obama out of racial solidarity. People that are inclined to do that don't necessarily have to feel anything for the black person behind whom they've chosen to stand. What they are really doing is trying to defeat the white enemy which right now seems to be the Republicans who are perceived as persecuting Barack Obama.

Anyway, black voters in this country tend to be Democrats so it's still astonishing that anyone wants to make a big deal out of black people voting for Barack Obama. There's this need to ignore that there have been other black Presidential candidates running as Democrats who did not fare as well with black voters. It ignores the fact that a percentage of black voters supported Hilary Clinton before they jumped on the Barack Obama bandwagon. It ignores the fact that Barack Obama's team ran a good voter registration camplaign. And, it implies that if the Republicans ever have a Presidential candidate who happens to be black that the black voters would see themselves in him/her and cross party lines just to vote "black." Best of all, it makes the false assumption that white voters never vote on the basis of race.

I believe that those individual black Americans who are preoccupied with white people and busy believing they know what white people are thinking and reacting to it, will be better off when they stop. This preoccupation is what really holds a lot of people back and the more that I listen to people discuss race in America, the more convinced I am.

And just so I am clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having slave ancestry. The problem that I see is when people use it as justification for not trying. It can't be that people that were never born slaves whine and complain so much about their ancestors who had it so much worse. If they care so much about their ancestors then they should honor them by trying to make something of themselves. If Harriet Tubman sat around and complained about all the things that she couldn't do because she's black and how the white man is holding her back (and in her case it was physically true), there would have been no Underground Railroad. People are so mentally weak today that I feel sorry for the generations to come who are being spoon fed whining.

[Roman]

I must say that not only do IA with your statement, I thank you for how you stated it.

[DeeeDee]

LOL

[Wales2004]

You're welcome!

And now this is totally unrelated but I feel like bidding farewell to The Dylan Ratigan Show. I hardly knew ye but I shall miss the rare occasion when I would turn on MSNBC and see someone not talking about the same things as everyone else.

I cannot understand why that sycophant Toure is part of the replacement show.

[DRW50]

Going back to Marco Rubio, a lot of the hoopla over him is that he was found by the media. They want to prove they were right, and that he's a superstar. Does it matter if he actually says or does anything of importance? No. It never matters when "T-Paw" does, or when Michael Steele does, but the media loved them, so they still get time (even after Steele was essentially booted out of any GOP role a few years ago, Howard Kurtz still gave him a glowing profile as he and equally disliked Dem consultant Lanny Davis formed their own "no labels" PAC group).

Rubio is also the chief token for the GOP. Do you want to have someone sort of, kind of, give a view on immigration that is supposed to make liberals swoon and get all Hispanic voters to flock to the party? Then have Marco Rubio speak, because he's a minority, so that means he's going to get those dumb Dem voters right in line. Even when he basically goes on TV and says the Arizona law is just fine with him.

Meanwhile, more Republicans being honest about the reason for voter ID laws.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/06/pennsylvania_gop_leader_voter_id_will_help_romney.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

[DRW50]

Another incumbent gone. Oklahoma Republican Congressman John Sullivan, first elected in 2002, had alcohol problems during his tenure (going to rehab a few years ago), and missed a lot of votes. He was also reportedly not good at constituent service. He was caught napping this year and has lost, decisively, to Jim Bridenstein (who reminds me of Jackie Gleason or Kevin James or Brad Garrett). This is a pretty good ad, especially the boy "flying" around the hangar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT-JDZPmZKs

Edited June 27, 2012 by CarlD2

[DRW50]

This morning we'll find out how much of the health care law the Supreme Court throws out, and how much time Scalia is going to spend ranting and raving to his followers.

The Republicans have pretty much not offered any type of alternative health care plan (other than - don't go to the doctor). Or any alternative immigration plan. Their whole campaign is, "Shh, it's a secret...and we'll cut your taxes, and we hate the right people." Thanks to money and media, this is all it takes. Romney is spending his time bickering with the Washington Post over outsourcing while giving a big presentation at a plant which outsources, and yet he still seems likely to win.

[Roman]

SCOTUS upholds majority of Obamacare!

[DRW50]

I read that CNN said they had struck it down. Do you know which it is?

[JaneAusten]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-supreme-court-upholds-healthcare-law-as-tax-measure-20120628,0,1121469.story

It's been upheld

[Ann_SS]

Shocking decision, especially after that ugly courtroom drama. Roberts voted to make it a majority which is an even bigger shock.

[DRW50]

Looks like the Medicaid section was struck down.

http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2012/06/scotus_on_medicaid_states_cant.html

It will be interesting to see how long it takes the media to repeatedly tell us how good this is for Romney and the GOP, that now they can campaign full force on repeal, while those mushmouthed Democrats fumble for an explanation. The GOP kicks ass, et al.

All the focus went on Kennedy, although Kennedy isn't as moderate as many claim.

TPM was one of the few who predicted this.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/did-john-roberts-throw-a-wrench-in-major-argument-against-obamacare.php

Some are saying Roberts did this to help Romney win.

[JaneAusten]

Romney is already yacking on TV about repealing it.

I am not surprised at the Medicaid portion getting struck down.