Looking Glass
Passed through as Alabama blacks are advised to vote Hillary because she’s white, and she’s Bill’s wife:
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama’s major black political groups have split their endorsements for president, with the Alabama New South Coalition giving its support to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday.
The Alabama Democratic Conference, the black wing of the state Democratic Party, endorsed New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in October.
Obama received the majority of the votes when the predominantly black Alabama New South Coalition met Saturday to make its endorsement. Coalition officials did not disclose the exact outcome of the private vote.
U.S Rep. Artur Davis, state chairman of Obama’s campaign, said he was pleased the group put aside doubts, expressed by some black political leaders, about whether a black candidate could get enough white votes to be elected president.
“That doubt, that cynicism could have been written to prevent every piece of progress we’ve had in our lifetime,” said Davis, D-Ala.
Before the endorsement vote, Perry County Commissioner Albert Turner praised Obama’s qualifications, but urged the group to support Clinton.
“The question you have to put forth to yourself is that whether or not in this racist country a black man named Obama — when we are shooting at Osama — can win the presidency of the United States?” Turner said.
Turner said Clinton is the Democrat most likely to win in November “because of her husband and because of some other things, mainly because she’s white.”
AP, perhaps a little uncomfortable, buries the lede. The question is, does this mean Alabama’s black Democratic leaders are making calculated unemotional moves in their own self-interest, or that black Alabama Democrats are happy to sit in the back of the bus? This black-on-black racism with sexism on the side is a little more complex than the last case of blatant Democratic racism we encoutered. All of that apart from racism as a matter of government policy.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:19 am on Sunday, December 2, 2007
7 Responses to “Looking Glass”
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December 2nd, 2007 at 10:50 am
They are endorsing The Glacier™ because Bill is America’s First Black President™.
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:04 pm
We’ve certainly come far, haven’t we? I wonder if the individuals in these coalitions were promised 40 acres and a mule.
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:46 pm
Americans, including white Americans, are fully prepared to vote in a black man or woman for President. In 1996 the Republican nomination was General Colin Powell’s for the asking, but he (or his wife) decided he did not want to run. The American people just are not prepared to vote in a lightweight, obviously not ready for prime time candidate like Obama. To attrribute such a rejection to racism is a lie. Let Obama serve out his Senate term, and maybe another, get elected governor and serve a successful term as such, and he’ll have a very good shot at the nomination and the office in 2012 or 2016. He’ll still be only 50 or 54, so he’s got lots of time to get relevant experience. In the meantime look for Bobby Jindal to run for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:29 am
It isn’t the general rejection of Obama that is racist; it is the attribution to the rejection of Obama to his race that is racist.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:39 am
“The question you have to put forth to yourself is that whether or not in this racist country …”
If their position is that Obama is not “black enough”, that’s funny. He racially self identifies with the side of his parentage that abandoned him for the political advantage he feels that must give him. So if being black gives you a politcal advantage (even a percieved one), doesn’t that drive yet another nail in the old America as “racist country” shibboleth?
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
It isn’t the general rejection of Obama that is racist; it is the attribution to the rejection of Obama to his race that is racist.
What he said :)
(also what Michael Lonie said)
(With the caveat that Colin Powell was never presidential timber to begin with. However, presidential timber seems in short supply across the board)
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:02 pm
He certainly looked like Presidential material in 1996. I was prepared to vote for him. Unfortunately when he refused to run Bob Dole, a worthy man but elderly and a lackluster candidate, got the nod as a matter of “Buggins’ Turn”, and that doomed the GOP against Slick Willie. Even then Willie coul\dn’t get over 50 percent of the vote. I think Powell could have won easily, and would have done a better job than Billery for the next four years.
For those not familiar with the phrase, Buggins’ Turn refers to the slow promotion in the British Army between the world wars. Officers got promoted and assigned on the basis of seniority, not ability, for the most part. “Whom shall we give the Fourth Division to Freddy?” “Let’s give it to old Buggins, Reggie. It’s his turn after all, and he’s waited long enough for it, God knows.”