"Next Tuesday’s US Elections in Black and White"

[Number23]

One damn interesting read.

"Next Tuesday’s US Elections in Black and White"
Posted by Al Giordano - October 27, 2010 at 2:15 pm

Snip:

"But back to the Senate contests: Why are enough Democratic US Senate seats likely to remain Democratic while in those very same states US House seats are going to the GOP? It’s because they can’t redistrict state lines to separate the whites and the blacks. And those who blab on about an “enthusiasm gap” between Democrats and Republicans obviously talk only to white folks, because among African-Americans there is no lack enthusiasm or voter participation. If anything, they’re more enthusiastic to turn out and vote this year than Republicans and tea baggers. And since African-Americans are the reliable core of the Democratic “base vote,” white liberal pundits and bloggers who whine that “Obama hasn’t fired up the base” obviously have the same problem a lot of white politicians have in that they don’t have much exposure to black folks in daily life. They certainly don’t have a clue as to who makes up “the Democratic base.” The biggest demographic sector of “the base” is already fired up and ready to vote.

So who is not as likely to vote? Young white people, mostly; those cell phone voters we identified last week in California who are likely turning out there because Proposition 19 to legalize and tax marijuana is on the ballot, but who don’t exactly identify with the political culture of Washington of which Democratic politicians, like Republicans, too often resemble wind-up Ken and Barbie dolls with strings pulled by lobbyists and special interests. They look the same, they sound the same, and they say the same empty phrases over and over again whenever their strings are pulled.

These folks turned out in record numbers in 2008 because presidential candidate Barack Obama didn’t look or sound the same. And he’s still different, and still popular (more popular than Reagan or Clinton were at this point in their first terms) and no matter how it goes down on Tuesday he’ll likely still be reelected in 2012, because then everybody will turn out to vote.

...There is no doubt that Democrats will suffer losses next Tuesday. Almost always, the party in the White House loses some Congressional seats during the midterms. That’s the contrary nature of so much of the American electorate: If I can’t find my socks this morning, it’s the fault of the party in power. But whether Tuesday is the electoral blow-out that so many in the media are predicting, or closer to a normal midterm result, is not up to Obama, and will not be because of “what Obama did or didn’t do,” and anybody who comes around next Wednesday or beyond trying to sell that used car will get interrogated from this corner: How many phone calls did you personally make? How many voters did you personally turn out? Hit the phones, or pound sand. Armchair presidents need not apply."

Go get'em, Al!

[nofurylike]

1. K&spirit-R!! woohooo!! outstanding, Number23!! powerful and

moving!! beyond words...


"trying to sell that used car" INDEED!!
"How many phone calls did you personally make? How many voters did you personally turn out?"

thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!


peace and solidarity, always!!

[Number23]

2. You know, nfl I may be a million miles away but this election is so important to me

I am absolutely disgusted by a) the number of people who are voting out the Dems "just because." Just because it's what's been done before. Just because incumbents usually lose at midterms. Just because they believe that since the Dems are in power, then putting in the Repubs will bring about positive change. It blows my mind that there are people so stupid that they will throw out incumbent Dems who may be the better candidate by a mile and a half, "just because." :grr:

And b) I'm just too through with any idiot who thinks that not voting for Dems will "force them to go left." Anyone who has read ONE news article or seen ONE news report in the last 15 months would plainly see that the voting public is up in arms, convinced that the Obama administration is made up of "radical leftists" determined to "pull the country towards socialism." :eyes: How the HELL anyone thinks that Dems losing will benefit the LEFT is an idea or a belief that can only be conjured up by a brain so naive, so uninformed or just so damned STUPID that you wonder how they have the sense to do anything beyond chewing and swallowing. Anyone who thinks that the Dems losing the House and/or the Senate will not pull the country even further to the RIGHT is just a fool. There's really no other way to put it.

[nofurylike]

3. Hear, Hear, Number23!! very well said! i share your fierce

disgust and frustration!

the way this country impacts the world, everyone has a stake in how well we get a grip on the poisons - environmental, economic, and social - coming from here, no matter how many million miles away.

you make a very important point about the huge error the radical left is making. it is true, the more they sabotage democratic efforts, the more right the country swings (of course, there are leftist factions that want that very outcome, as they want the failure of this government as ferociously as the far right does).

we have to work within our party to evolve it. and with congress for change.

thank you for discussing!


peace and solidarity!

[goclark]

10. Hear, hear ditto

[nofurylike]

11. thank you, goclark!

:hi:

i hope you are well!!

:hug:


peace and solidarity, always!!

[Cha]

4. Thank you, Al Giordano & Number23!

This is the very same coporatemediawhoredom that gave us 8 years of bushcheney and the war on and made sure the midterms in 2002 stayed republicon..until it got so bad that the People came out and voted out repubs in the 2006 midterms.. and voted for Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2008.

Media-blogwhores haven't changed but they're hoping people have short memories. I'm hoping there are enough voters coming out Tuesday on November 2, 2010 who are capable of cognitive thinking without the blathering US celebrity slavering "media" telling them how to think.

[Number23]

5. That's exactly right, Cha.

And Al's point about the racial impact is an interesting one. Minorities are going to do everything in our power to make sure that the Dems stay in office.

There was an article recently that said gay voters may sit out this election. Buried almost to the end of the piece, was a statement where someone acknowledged that within the black, Latino and minority segments of the gay community, Obama and the Dems still had SIGNIFICANT support. (Unfortunately there was no mention of Asian support.)

That is something that I think is almost deliberately being overlooked right now. I bet if you were to even poll the wealthiest blacks and Latinos in America (the folks most likely to vote Republican) there would still be much more support for the Dems than amongst the mainstream wealthy. So Al Giordano's point that people hollering about an "enthusiasm gap" show their lack of regular contact with people of color is a profound one and should not be discounted.

[Cha]

6. Yes it is and I identify with those voters, enormously!

Turns out they're the smart ones, imv.

We'll see how the Asian support goes over here in Hawai'i..we have Neil Abercrombie running for Gov who was a friend of the President's parents at the UofHawaii and has know him his whole life. We are treated to Pres Obama delivering a message of endorsement on tv for Abercrombie and Colleen Hanabusa who is running for Neil's former Congressional seat.

Maybe some Gay voters will sit it out but not the ones I know..they are quite capable of seeing what all the President has done since he's entered Office.. ah, here's a list now.

Obama's GBLT accomplishments

Reversed an inexcusable US position by signing the UN Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Endorsed the Baldwin-Lieberman bill, The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009, to provide full partnership benefits to federal employees

Signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act

Lifted the HIV Entry Ban effective January 2010

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harvey Milk and Billie Jean King

Appointed the first transgender DNC member in history

Issued diplomatic passports, and provided other benefits, to the partners of same-sex foreign service employees

Conceived a National Resource Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Elders -- the nation's first ever -- funded by a three-year HHS grant to SAGE

Testified in favor of ENDA, the first time any official of any administration has testified in the Senate on ENDA

Signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded existing United States federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability -- the first positive federal LGBT legislation in the nation's history

Hired and appointed a record number of qualified LGBT Americans, including more than 10 Senate-confirmed appointments

Sworn in Ambassador David Huebner

Named open transgender appointees (the first President ever to do so)

Banned job discrimination based on gender identity throughout the Federal government (the nation's largest employer)

Dispatched the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to call on the Senate to repeal Don't Ask / Don't Tell, in the meantime dialing back on discharges

Launched a website to gather public comment on first-ever federal LGBT housing discrimination study

Appointed long-time equality champion Chai Feldblum one of the four Commissioners of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Eliminated the discriminatory Census Bureau policy that kept gay relationships from being counted, encouraging couples who consider themselves married to file that way, even if their state of residence does not yet permit legal marriage

Produced U.S. Census Bureau PSAs featuring gay, lesbian, and transgender spokespersons.

Instructed HHS to require any hospital receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds (virtually all hospitals) to allow LGBT visitation rights.

:bounce: :hi: B-)

[Number23]

7. Ah, yes. Asian Hawaiians

The same folks that ran of Ms. Sarah when she was ummm..."matriculatin' at the schools there! :rofl:

They earn my undying respect and admiration for that reason alone! :hi:

[MadMaddie]

8. I think an important statement in the article is

<snip>
But whether Tuesday is the electoral blow-out that so many in the media are predicting, or closer to a normal midterm result, is not up to Obama, and will not be because of “what Obama did or didn’t do,”
<snip>

I like Jon Stewart and I love my Liberal Progressive folks, however; I am going to say something that sometimes is not said allowed and will make people feel uncomfortable.

What the Stewarts and others don't understand and aren't willing to understand is that in this 2010 society that we live in, the unrealistic expectations that are expected of Obama lie in this countries history.
Blacks/Minorities, Women and others have to succeed at a higher level. Expectations are pushed to a level that sometimes only get achieved by miracles.

Notice that the naysayers say he hasn't achieved anything, but according to the historical records he has achieved more success than any president since WWII? Why is that? I again say the underlying issue is the tone of his skin. Hero's in the good ole U.S.A cannot be dark skinned in the naysayers minds.

I say this from personal experience, I know that I am succeeding at an extremely high level. Yet, there are managers that continue to fail everyday and they still retain their positions. In these cases the managers are white males. I dare not screw up like these guys because I know I won't get passes like these guys.

If I offended anyone that was not my intention but I don't think my view is unusual.

MadMaddie

[Number23]

9. "Hero's in the good ole U.S.A cannot be dark skinned in the naysayers minds."

Sad, isn't it? It's also revolting. And it's also true.

This whole "Obama hasn't done anything" or the equally bull-shitty "he's done things but they've ALL BEEN WRONG/BAD/MEDIOCRE/INEPT" is repulsive. Disgusting. And people are amazed that most people of color can see right through this crap (regardless of which side of the political spectrum it's coming from) and see this mess for exactly what it is.

[Born_A_Truman]

12. MM, you didn't offend me!

Every word is true. And the GOP plays of the fears of these same people; we saw that with affirmative action.

[goclark]

13. MM you didn't offend me either and I

am African American.

At first when people said (or whispered to Sarah Palin and Co.) that Obama was not acceptable because he was Black, I got offended.

Offended because it hurt to think that the color of ones skin is still an excuse to say negative things about that person.

Now I am beginning to understand that "Skin Color" is an excuse for many in America to put him down - my race down because it somehow makes them feel more secure.

When they put him down they are stupid enough to think that makes them a better person.

If I tried to walk in the shoes of a Teabagger I would be mighty scared to know that millions of people all over the world and around the world are comfortable with a Black man being President. And, there are millions of people all over the globe that believe Sarah & Co are finished fools.

I am mighty proud to know that so many of my friends here at DU are so beyond "the color of skin" that it's hard to imagine
that the " fight goes on" not just for Blacks but for the good of all people. :patriot:

[Number23]

14. Great post, goclark

Good seeing you again, darlin'! You have been missed! :pals:

[goclark]

15. Thanks ~ I love being here to

see the good work being done by my DU friends.
The fight goes on ~ let's win the battles.