Whether we like it or not, race is the elephant in the room.

[Avalux]

If Obama were a middle-aged white man and his name was William Edwards (or something sounding really white), there would be no question he would be elected president. BUT....

He isn't white, he's black. Why can't Obama talk about the relevance of it - the GOP is playing on the racist beliefs of a lot of Americans in very subversive ways? I found this post on a site called godlikeproductions.com:

"If we end up with a president whose child has dreds, as obama's does, I'm moving out of the fucking country. Yhe last thing we need is a couple of little niglets running around our WHITEHOUSE. It would never work anyway, because there is no way the secret service is going to escort the obama family to walmart at 3 am everytime he gets paid."

This post is hateful but it's real - it's what Obama and those of us who support him have to deal with. Are we not allowed to talk about it? It is better to pretend as though there aren't people out there who think this way?

The GOPers are using race to manipulate the ignorant populace of this country. Obama has every right to point it out and if they want to feign disbelief he called them on it - too fucking bad.

[eleny]

1. I agree

My posting from a few minutes ago.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6570758&mesg_id=6570869

What we're up against is "fright and flight". I don't know how to reach down to that part of what makes some people tick. But my gut tells me that running from it, denying or ignoring it isn't going to work.

[JoFerret]

2. It is. But

it's not the only one.

[dbonds]

3. I think you are missing a point...

If he "were a middle-aged white man and his name was William Edwards" there would be some other divisive issue brought up to alienate him from some voters. It is always going to be something. This time it will be race with some voters, but they wouldn't vote for a democrat anyway. The reason a lot of the south is republican is because of the LBJ and the civil rights act in the 60s. But you are right that he should point it out when they try to use race as an issue, although to anyone that is racist they aren't being swayed one way or the other.

[Westegg]

4. A "white sounding" name? ...

...You mean like "Dwight White"? ;)

[Marrah_G]

5. Err like "John Edwards" or "Joe Biden" you mean white guy names like that?

Oddly those guys with white names were easily beaten by the guy with the foriegn sounding name.

[zanne]

6. They want to isolate him because of his race....

But they don't want to be called on it. Quite a racket they have going there..."Are you calling me a racist"? YES, dammit!

[Bluerthanblue]

7. that's the exact point that needs to be made- THEY can only "play the card"-

Obama, and all people of color aren't "playing" anything. Life is not a game, and a persons race is not an option on the menu.

McCain uses his age when it suits him, but if others who are not as ripe as him raise the issue, they are 'playing' on the chance that what they say might alienate people.

What were McCain's- (the non-celebrety candidate :evilgrin:) punchlines on his appearances on SNL and Leno and Letterman if not "age"?

Has Obama "played" the 'age' card on McCain?

McCain IS old. Obama is black. who is playing games with reality here?

[blues90]

8. People have to be stupid not to know that race is

being played from both candidates. Obama brings it up telling the people what the other side will do ahead of time and McCain uses it as well in other ways.

It does exist as did the sexist card exists. we did not suddenly become a cleansed country.

One way or the other this will come to a head.

I don't need Obama to tell me this nore McCain to tell me that.

These are issues that have been here since dirt. This is not some mind blowing new discovery.

Beside this, race is not just between the african americans and the white americans.