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Barack Obama vs. John McCain
Shasta542:
I expect some people said that about Wilson, FDR, and Ike (Normandy commander) Truman, and Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon ..... some of them had many more losses. The buck has to stop somewhere, and to say that the leaders don't care -- I can't believe that of any of them.
Lynne:
--- Quote from: ednbarby on May 27, 2008, 12:19:51 pm ---I think there are still too many ignorant people in this country. I can't tell you how often I hear "I just don't know that having a Muslim president is a good idea." And from people I thought were well-educated and intelligent! Not only is he not a Muslim, it wouldn't matter if he were. Muslims are not the problem. Religious extremists in all factions are. I really think that people who say this are at heart anti-black, and feel that it's a more "politically correct" admission to hate/fear Muslims than, certainly, to hate/fear blacks. And that thought chills me to the bone.
The longer I live in this country, the more I want to leave it. And that is no exaggeration. I really worry about what will happen when McCain wins. I don't see the Draft as being too far in the distant future, for one thing. My son is now 6 1/2. 12 years and thousands of more lives later, he could very well find himself facing it if we keep electing war mongers like Bush and McCain into office.
--- End quote ---
That's a good point about a draft, Barb. The Afghani and Iraqi fronts have our forces stretched near to breaking. I don't think it's at all outside the realm of possibility.
Regarding the racism...what do people think about the 20% or so voting in West Virginia, Kentucky, elsewhere, who supported Hillary over Obama and cited race as a factor in their choice? My cynical self was wondering which prejudice would be stronger - that against a black candidate or that against a female candidate. Though I have to say that I didn't really expect race to be as high a factor in the primary process as in the general election. Or maybe I didn't think people would have the wherewithal to admit it openly. Disappointing, IMO.
Brown Eyes:
--- Quote from: Lynne on May 27, 2008, 01:23:20 pm --- My cynical self was wondering which prejudice would be stronger - that against a black candidate or that against a female candidate.
--- End quote ---
I think there's a lot of both kinds of prejudice out there with regard to this primary. Sometimes these prejudices seem to be broiling just under the surface and sometimes they seem to come to a head. I think both Obama and Hillary have had to deal with the negative consequences of prejudice, but the issues may emerge differently in different places and issue-to-issue.
Differences in how racism and sexism have manifested historically and in terms of politics are fascinating and disheartening. I mean women (all women) had to wait much longer to win the right to vote on a national level than did African American men, who were granted the right at least technically by the 15th amendment at the end of the Civil War. But, of course it took the Civil Rights era in the 1960s to see that those rights were fully accessible without intimidation (etc.). So, it's so complicated to see how sexism and racism have had two parallel and sometimes rather different histories (in terms of politics).
It's an unfortunate reality that our society hasn't moved beyond either form of prejudice. And, watching how it's all playing out in this unique primary situation is also fascinating and disheartening. It's such an extraordinary situation to have the first major and viable African American and female candidates running at the same time against each other. Who would have ever predicted this? But, that fact that their campaigns are now a reality, and both have had successes, is something to take comfort in I think.
Shasta542:
Put Ageism in there with Sexism and Racism. That's the one that's used on Senator McCain. I know there have been older candidates who've been elected and no other races or women, but I've still heard a lot of discussion about him being 72 by Jan. 2009. Youth is worshipped. Age is not very respected.
LauraGigs:
What will be interesting is when running mates are chosen. Those choices are crucial for balancing out what are seen as the liabilities of the principal candidate.
A Southern, white and relatively hawkish running mate for Obama might quell some of the reservations people have about him.
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