Social Issues Hold Sway Over Ohio's Black Voters

[PossumSqueezins]

Source: NPR

Social Issues Hold Sway Over Ohio's Black Voters

by Allison Keyes

September 8, 2012
Some black voters in the Youngstown, Ohio, area are expressing reservations about President Obama this year because of his stance on some social issues that offend their religious beliefs. It's unclear, however, how many will sit home or change their votes as a result.



Read more: http://www.npr.org/2012/09/08/160809074/social-issues-hold-sway-over-ohios-black-voters

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If you go to the link, you can listen to the story. They interview some Black Baptists in Girard, Ohio. I found it disturbing since I live in Ohio and I know how every vote REALLY counts here particularly with the Republican shenanigans underway. It's like a third world country when it comes to voting and I think the U.N. and Jimmy Carter should come here to monitor the election... Diebold machines, purging voter rolls, etc.

So anyway, I was driving and listening to NPR when this story came up and nearly crashed into a building when this man they were interviewing basically said that while he realized that Obama saved the auto industry AND HIS JOB that he would vote for Romney if the election were held today because of Obama's personal opinion about marriage equality. Nevermind that Obama's personal opinion doesn't really matter since he can't make it legal with the stroke of a pen....and nevermind that Romney's personal opinion doesn't matter since it will be decided like all civil rights issues in the courts. Never mind if Romney takes away his daughter's access to family planning or his grandchild's access to a school lunch. Nevermind if his mother has to come up with a $6000 copay to get her Medicare. Nevermind that all the things that matter to this man and that impact and influence his life will be worse under a Romney administration.

Apparently they feel we need to stop two lesbians from getting married at all costs. Who cares if there are jobs, a safety net or drinkable water?

[CheapShotArtist]

1. It's funny that the media likes to make a big deal over

a few black folks not accepting equal marriage, and also how they don't seem to discuss as frequently what other ethnic groups think about equal marriage. From what I've seen, I doubt most people really give a damn about this issue either way, and are mainly focused on which candidate has the better ideas to put people back to work.

[0rganism]

22. same thing happens when the media unearths a climate-change denial scientist

Never mind that the scientist is rarely a climatologist; suddenly, they've found the other half of the story, which simply must be given equal time. These amazing outliers show clearly that all consensus is fragmented, truth is entirely subjective, and everyone in America wants to go back to the way things were 28 years ago when St. Reagan was King.

[marmar]

2. Hmmm. So they find "some" (probably the couple they found) black voters.......

....... and try to to play this as some kind of bigger picture story. This is such a crock.

[DFW]

3. Trouble is, in Ohio, it IS a big deal

This is a state that, due to official fraud and Diebold/ESS faking results, gave Bush Lite a second term he never won. The corrupt Ohio Secretary of State in 2004 was one of those so-called "conservative" black guys, and the fact that this time the SoS is white doesn't change a thing. He is doing his utmost to disenfranchise Democratic voters, and only the threat of jail due to contempt of court has made him pause in his efforts.

In Ohio EVERY vote will count, especially the ones that actually get recorded.

[PossumSqueezins]

6. I agree. This isn't histrionics. It's a big deal

Because of the electoral college, Ohio and Florida play a HUGE part in what happens and have significantly for the last four elections. They are both purple states but when Republicans in those states are in power (as they are now), the states tend to vote Republican. Funny. in 2000, Gore should have been President. In 2004, Kerry should have been. http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0601-34.htm

Imagine if election counts had been accurate. I think we would be in a better place today.

Now look at November 2012.

My point is that the votes/non-votes of 20,000 or 30,000 evangelical apathetic, angry, or complacent votes DO MATTER.

It could make Romney the 45th President.

[ldf]

24. ask them to read ephesians 6:5....

and then ask them if they take every admonition in the bible literally.

i'm just sayin'....



besides, as i understand it, the old testament was nailed to the cross along with jesus. the NEW testament was the new guide, and this little admonition to obey their masters is in the NEW testament.

again, i'm just sayin'.


Ephesians 6:5

King James Version (KJV)


5. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

[nxylas]

4. You mean black voters are not some monolithic Obama cult?

Only the media would be surprised by this.

[Igel]

17. That's the intended take-away message.

A 98-2% split indicates deep and extreme divisions in a harshly factionalized community, and contra the usual perception there is no monolithic voting block there. No possible claims of identity politics, implicit racist thinking, or rallying around the melatonin.

A 60-40% split shows that (R) are absolutely locked in goosestepping to their fuehrer's beat and form an unthinking monolithic block of paleness.

The real takeaway is this: Different upbringings and cultures make different things important to the people. In some cultures, honor trumps truth. In others, wealth trumps ethics. In yet others, piety trumps wealth. You can make up different ways of categorizing these values, but any method in which something like piety or tradition do not figure on par with things like money are bound to fail miserably at predicting and explaining human behavior.

[iamthebandfanman]

5. i hafta fight the 'baby killer'

accusation all the time because of his personal pro-choice position..
nevermind the fact that he signed an executive order in 2010 to extend the Hyde amendment...which i always point out to people.. and they either ignore.. or just delete (if its a comment on someones facebook lets say)...

single issue voters are hoot... until u take away their one reason, and they attempt to look for other excuses

[Mkap]

7. Cuyahoga

I live in Lorain county which is next to Cuyahoga county where Cleveland is located. It's mostly catholic blue collar workers here with polish, Italian, germen, slovak last names. Very pro union. Sherrod Brown comes from Lorain county. I have no doubt it will go blue for Obama

Cuyahoga is obviously the most important county for Obama's win as it has the most population and has the most african americans. From what i heard on the cleveland plain dealer's website the churches and the unions in cleveland have register at least 25,000 new voters who are mostly pro obama. So their is reason to hope, i just hope they don't buy into myth that governor Kasich is making the state better and remember how he tried to destroy the unions and privatize the turnpike (which went no where due to complaints)

[nopedontlikeitatall]

8. If they hate gays so much they would rather be back in chains

that is their choice to make.

Stupid and Ignorant knows no skin color.

[Katashi_itto]

10. If they are one issue voters, then if Romeny gets elected they deserves everything they get...

Unfortunately they could kill us all, being so damn stupid. If it was just them, I could care less.

[qwlauren35]

28. I don't get your reasoning.

In fact, it's rather offensive.

If we didn't return to slavery after 8 years under W, I don't think it's going to happen now. I want Obama to win, and I think that electing Romney/Ryan will turn back the clock on women's rights to be sure. But put us back in chains?

That's absurd.

Please check yourself.

[SkyDaddy7]

9. Religion really does...

put a damper on critical thinking that has a real effect on the rest of society, especially in cases like this!

[chuckstevens]

11. Don't Believe This!

Last edited Sun Sep 9, 2012, 11:33 AM - Edit history (2)

I don't believe this at all! This is cover for why "the polls must have gotten it wrong" so that the Diebolt Machines can do their magic on election night.

Has anyone though (as a fuck you to the GOP) to call for UN International election observers in the USA on election day? If nothing else, we might give Sean Hannity an aneurysm, Rush Limbaugh a hear attack, or Bill O a stroke.

[starroute]

18. They tried to blame Prop. 8 on conservative black voters, too

These three stories suggest to me firstly that even though conservative, church-going black voters may be willing to vote for anti-gay initiatives, the extent to which they do so has been exaggerated -- quite possible for racist reasons. And secondly, that there is a well-oiled machine ready to rush in and produce distorted exit polls to use those voters to justify results after-the-face.


http://www.letcaliforniaring.org/site/c.ltJTJ6MQIuE/b.4863891/k.35FC/Driving_Factors_of_Prop_8_Vote.htm

Since the passage of Proposition 8, much has been said about the supposed dramatic opposition to marriage equality among African Americans, fueled by National Election Pool (NEP) figures based on sampling in only a few precincts that erroneously indicated 70 percent of California’s African Americans supported Proposition 8. The study found that when church attendance was factored out, however, there was no significant difference between African Americans and other groups.


http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-12/living/what.matters.bass.gay.marriage_1_ban-on-gay-marriage-gay-activists-lgbt?_s=PM:LIVING

Some in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community blame the passing of Proposition 8 last November on conservative, homophobic African-Americans voters.

Not true says California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, who has publicly spoken out against Proposition 8. . . .

ESSENCE.com: There are rumors that conservative blacks in California are responsible for passing the measure in the first place. As someone who is black and works in the state government, what would you say to those who believe we're the reason why this measure exists?

BASS: I resent that tremendously. I believe there was an element of racism there. I was shocked at how quickly White, gay activists blamed us. Within 24-hours after the measure passed, it was decided that black voters are the reason for Prop 8.


http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/05/tensions-between-black-and-gay-groups-rise-anew-in-advance-of-anti-gay-marriage-vote-in-nc/256695/

As North Carolinians head to the polls next week to vote on the fate of a state constitutional amendment to bar gay marriage and civil unions, the controversial measure can already claim at least one clear winner: The National Organization for Marriage. Exposed in March as seeking to drive a wedge between African-Americans and gay rights groups, the conservative group has found North Carolina -- which is 21 percent black -- a fertile playing field for its divide and conquer tactics.

Armed with both NOM money and strategic know-how, state level groups such as Vote FOR Marriage NC have deftly deployed the race debate to court black clergy and voters in their attempt to ensure that North Carolina is no longer the only Southern state whose constitution does not bar same-sex marriage.

[elleng]

21. Its likely true, to some extent.

Same issue arose when Marriage Equality arose in DC, several 'loud' African-American spokespeople roused their supporters to oppose.


BIGGER problem in OH may be entire plan to steal the election again.

[Kolesar]

12. That NPR segment was crap

They visited all of two churches to find somebody that they could use to validate this stupid thesis. I think that NPR just does not know how to "do" RW issues.

I'll rec' this thread for your comments

[thelarge]

13. Yeah, Right!

How many choir directors did they poll?! Heh Heh!

[mikki35]

14. Another single-issue voter

Isn't it amazing - the power and strength of homophobia??? That this person would even consider voting for a man who would have, and probably would in the future, cost him and his family dearly??? He's gonna vote for a man using every appeal to base racism, sexism, and elitism he thinks he can get away with - sliming and smearing his way through the most regressive artifact attitudes existing. But all of this is a-okay if he'll stop those homos from getting married!!! Good god. Sometimes I think there is literally no hope for this country.

[sofa king]

15. I guess the right to vote is a social issue.

Let's see... am I going to vote for the party that encourages me to vote, or the party that is trying to take my right to vote away from me?

Yeah, that's a social issue all right. A choice between a free society and a slave society.

[Kteachums]

16. I can't understand?

Is this a rumor or the truth? I cannot understand Blacks voting against the President because of social issues. He is just trying to right the many wrongs. Social issues have been upon Blacks for many years. Sometimes I wonder why the people in WV can vote against him because of coal when for years they have been talking about how the mines have robbed this state. Now, the Blacks in Ohio are voting against him because of social issues?

I am white but, if I were black I would be working my Black ass off for him! Don't you see the clowns want you to vote against him or better yet, not vote at all then they truly can cover up your identity and your rights!

[qwlauren35]

29. I think others have said it well.

African Americans are socially conservative. If there weren't so many OBVIOUSLY racist Republicans, lots of church-going black people would be Republican. Some are anyway. (A few of my cousins.) Many black people are trying to stay loyal to Obama because he's black (biracial...) but when Obama came out for gay marriage a few months ago, I knew it would turn off some black voters. I talked to a guy on Friday about this. He's definitely turned off.

That's the challenge of the Democratic party. To pull together many different groups of people in an effort to be inclusive when the different groups don't hold the same beliefs.

A LOT of black people are pro-life. Again, if Obama wasn't black, there would be more black people voting for Romney/Ryan.

[julian09]

19. Blacks aren't for same sex marriage or..... marriage

Obama told them to stay in school, and the fathers to get married and support their children, don't worry about who the person next door or anywhere else marries. They worry about gay marriage, when they have greater black issues, such as gangs, black on black crime. Not long ago they were against interracial marriage and many were hung for just looking at a white woman. There should be only one rule marry the one you love. Want to go back to the centuries old prejudices we overcame arrainged marriages.

[blkmusclmachine]

23. Alan Keyes, Clarence Thomas also won't be voting for BHO.

So??

[OnyxCollie]

25. People living in Youngstown, OH have bigger concerns than social issues.

Youngstown is an economic shit hole.

[RandySF]

26. Sure

African American will turn away from the first black president because of gay marriage. That must be why polls show Romney with 0% of the African American vote.

[bigdarryl]

27. Romney at one time supported gay marriage

So what do they do now

[johnlucas]

30. I'm Black. Any Black folks trying to stop the rights of Gays need to put themselves in check

Oppressors used The Bible™ to justify our slavery in the 1700s & 1800s since with our dark skins we were the cursed descendants of Ham. That was supposed to justify our degraded treatment & subjugation.

We don't have the luxury of denying another oppressed group their rights after all we fought through in this country to get our inherent rights recognized.
Those who feel different need to get their asses back to the plantation & start picking that cotton.
What's good for the goose is good for the MF gander.

That's all I got to say about that.
John Lucas