There are tasteful ways to discuss racial and gender democraphics in this election....

[Maddy McCall]

There are unavoidable facts tied to each that we should be able to discuss in a rational, mature manner.

We would be stupid to ignore the role that demographics plays in this election.

I don't take offense to posts discussing the demographic category of race, and I don't take offense to posts discussing the demographic category of sex.

It's funny that some consider these taboo topics at DU during this primary season.

[NJSecularist]

1. I love to discuss racial and gender demographics as they relate to votes.

As I'm sure you do. Race and gender demographics are extremely valuable in exit polls and analyzing a candidate's base.

But I can't stand when people say that somebody is unelectable because of his/her skin color or gender. How about you?

[Maddy McCall]

3. I think that that's a fair discussion.

How does race impact this election?

That's a fair question. I don't think that it labels the person who posts it as a racist at all, unless he says, "In my opinion, because Barack is black, I won't vote for him."

There are articles in reputable newspapers every day analyzing how race plays a role in this election.

But if someone tries to discuss it at DU, they are shouted down as "troll!" "racist!"

[Warren Stupidity]

2. um uh err - well

I think mostly what people take offense at here is racist and sexist bullshit.

[Maddy McCall]

Calling Hillary a "c---" = sexist bullshit.

Analyzing how her gender plays a role in this election is not sexist.

Same with Obama.

When you're hitting that alert button, just be sure that what you're alerting on is truly sexist or racist and not merely a discussion of demographics.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. Aint no shortage at all. And she isn't a crow.

[Hawkeye-X]

4. Maddy - I have purposefully avoided going into racist or sexist thread(s)

because as a white minority (yes, a deaf man is considered a minority) it'll be looking from two different directions, and I don't WANNA go there.

Hawkeye-X

[Maddy McCall]

5. Racist and sexist threads should be shut down.

Threads that only wish to discuss the demographics of this race in a rational manner shouldn't be shut down.

[Mooney]

18. The problem is the grey areas.

What some people consider a rational discussion can sound like a Klan rally to someone else. There are also things said that some people are perfectly fine with while other people find them deeply sexist.

The majority of this stuff is subjective, and it just may not be possible to discuss this kind of demographic data without pissing somebody off. That may just be the cost of doing business, as they say.

It may be impossible to discuss this stuff, however rationally, without upsetting someone.

[Swamp Rat]

6. I'd be happy to...

over a table with crawfish piled 3 feet high and coolers loaded with ice-cold Abita. :9 :toast:

[Maddy McCall]

7. You've got a deal!

You and I live in the culturally rich South, so we're very used to having discussions about these topics with people--people of all colors, genders, ethnicities.

:hug:

[Swamp Rat]

9. Yeah you rite!

;) :hug:

[Maddy McCall]

10. Mmmmmm....

and to think I just ate a Whopper when I could have had that!

:toast:

[Swamp Rat]

11. A Whopper?!? ... Sacrilege!!! ... Heretic!!!

If yer gonna eat a hamburger, next time try using buffalo meat. It's 95% lean, tastes a lot better, and is 'organic', sold at Whole foods. Do you have a Whole Foods near you? If not, next time when you come to NOLA, bring a cooler and some ice, and buy a few pounds to take back with you. I garrrrrawwnteee you'll like it.

[sandnsea]

12. Oh.My.God.

I passed out just from the picture. That is a little piece of heaven right there.

[Swamp Rat]

15. I stuffed as much in me last Friday, and I'm gonna do it again THIS Friday.

plus 2 lbs of jumbo gulf shrimp. :9

[BlooInBloo]

13. Sure. All black folks think alike, and all women think alike. Who could possible take offense?

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. Us white men sure don't.

People have very little problem extrapolating how we behave as a demographic.

[BlooInBloo]

19. As a group we behave quite predicatably - more so than any other group probably.

[lumberjack_jeff]

20. I doubt that's the case.

Given our differing views of the world, I suspect that very little could be extrapolated about you from watching me and we live only 80 miles apart.

... exept perhaps our affinity for DU.

:hi:

[BlooInBloo]

21. (shrug) That's 2 of us. You only have 200 million more to account for.

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. I doubt we represent polar opposites. n/t

[kid a]

14. yep..and its called the ignore function on a select few.

[kwenu]

16. Oh Please! When I first came across you you were yelling sexism with no justification.

:rofl:

Who are you kidding?

[Hippo_Tron]

23. Here's my thoughts on the situation

Both Clinton and Obama have to overcome issues with gender and race respectively and a large part of it is due to portrayals in the mainstream media.

Clinton has to fight the perception that she's a cold hearted "bitch" more so than any man would have to fight such a perception because society expects women to be warm and friendly. We do expect male politicians to be friendly as well, but to to the same degree. Clinton does have to live up to expectations that male politicians do not have to meet.

On the other hand, this Rev. Wright crap would never be an issue if Obama wasn't black. There are countless liberal politicians that have ties to people like Wright. Fred Phelps used to raise money for Al Gore and Gore didn't break ties with him until the 1992 campaign. Yet you don't see anyone questioning whether Al Gore is a closet homophobe or secretly hates Jews. Because he is black, Obama has to prove that he doesn't hate white people, Jews, and homosexuals. With pretty much any white Democrat, we take that as a given that they aren't homophobic and anti-semitic.

[Umbram]

24. So far tonight I've seen a reference to the "affirmative action candidate" the "black agenda"

and the c-word. Good luck with that.

[Beacool]

25. What's to discuss?

We all already know the demographics and can probably recite them in our sleep.

Take care, Maddy.

:hi: