Disheartening news from NJ...

[Thepricebreaker]

I was at a party yesterday. I was talking to a bunch of people I always counted on for spirited debates about politics. I could not believe the level of racism and sexism that is very secretly held by a lot of people. Five of the people are heavy in to politics and despise Bush. All Gore and Kerry supporters.

I amazed that ALL of them are voting for McCain. As an Obama supporter I was distressed. I was obviously confused on why they would want to vote for someone that acts almost like the man they despise. They all said the idea of the Mc"same" is simply not a good argument, because how he battled Bush on a lot of issues. They feel Obama is simply the T-shirt or Flavor of the week, and it will fade when the polish and newness simply becomes the norm. They didn't have much to say about Hillary - some people just didn't like her. When it was all said and done it was "I'm not ready to vote for a woman or a black man".

I was like what the hell is going on? Did McCain stop by and sprinkle fairy dust under your skirts?

This is NJ.. I would have never expected to hear such things from people who live in such a blue state, a blue county, and are very blue voters.

I have very little doubt that our candidate will win NJ, but to hear very hardcore democrats tell me they are voting for McCain really makes me wonder what is going on in the rest of the country.

[marylanddem]

1. Perhaps you need to party with some sane people?

[Thepricebreaker]

2. No these are good friends.. i was SHOCKED.. I needed a drink after I heard what they said..

[movonne]

37. I think you should worry about them...do they really want a 100 year war??

[monmouth]

40. I was raised in Freehold, heavy duty Repug town. Remember how the

repugs had control of the Freeholders for all those years?? North Jersey identifies pretty much with NY while South Jersey identifies a great deal with Philadelphia.

I probably knew most of those people you were with, they're stuck in a rut, it's more comfortable to stay where they are. They don't really care about this election, my repug relatives in East Freehold are more or less "phoning it in." They know that the Dems have '08.

[ej510]

3. Exactly!

[azmouse]

4. When the GE campaign starts

the negatives will come out about McSame. He'll lose.... by a large margin.

[marylanddem]

12. Or maybe the ticking time bomb of his bad-vibe anger

management problem will erupt in full view before then...He is despicable for many reasons.

[azmouse]

21. Exactly.

When things stop going McSame's way all the time and the Dems start pushing back at him, he'll lose his temper and it'll all be over. I can't wait.

[woolldog]

5. What surprised you?

Racism is widespread in this country.

[butterfly77]

6. They fail to realize that..

we all will go down together if McCain is guiding the ship...

[AllentownJake]

7. Maybe when they see that

Gramps is starting to get a little senile they might change their mind. On a serious note I worry for the guy. The last couple times I saw him on TV he didn't look that good.

[Diamonique]

8. Unfortunately I'm not surprised

I used to think McCain was ok... back before I learned the truth by hanging out on the internet. I had bought into the MSM hype about the "maverick". But it's just not true. He may have spoken against one or two (certainly not more than that) of Bush's policies, but when it comes time to vote, he goes along with the rest of the wackos.

Most people aren't political junkies. They go by what they're told on the news. So they believe McCain is what the media tells them. It'll be up to us to show them the real man behind the facade during the GE campaign. Maybe when the rest of the voters learn what we already know, he won't look so good.

ETA: As a Black woman, I always knew that racism and sexism were alive and well in the good old USA. No surprise there either.

[Faygo Kid]

9. Wish I had been there. How many have family in the Iraq War?

Have they forgotten??

[Thepricebreaker]

13. One had a husband that did 2 tours... he is fine...

[TML]

10. Not surprising

I once made a remark that the difference between Republicans and Democrats is that one group is up front with their racism and sexism, and it's not ours.

[lisa58]

11. I'm in NJ too and I understand your concern...

...we have a guy that works for us every now and then (we call him a rent-a-son) and he and I were talking a couple of months ago. His friends are all red-necks and they hate McCain, hate Hillary and hate black people (so Obama doesn't even get a chance). He voted for Hillary in the primary but made me feel he could never vote for Obama.

I was shocked - but there it was.

[Aloha Spirit]

19. I cannot wait for the day when racists like that have to live under a half-black President...

This November will be one very intense party.

[lisa58]

22. I'm with you on that

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. All media attention is on the fight between Clinton and Obama

and McCain has had a basically free ride. He stands above the fray and acts "presidential". The MSM paints him as a "maverick" "independent" of Bush and his policies. Instead of telling the truth about McCain, which is hard enough to get out because of media bias, our candidates are weakening each other with attacks that only strengthen and embolden the GOP.

[abbyg8r]

15. I'm not worried. Most of the Republicans I know said

they are willing to considering voting for Obama in the general. They all hate Hillary.

Think of it this way, the Dems are nominating the candidate that has the best cross-over support. He's our best chance.

[marylanddem]

20. McCain is extremely unlikable...he will fizzle out in the general

[abbyg8r]

25. I completely agree. n/t

[jasmine621]

38. "willing to consider" does not = "will vote for." nt

[PM7nj]

16. Welcome to NJ!

There is a lot of racism in this state. I don't know why... but it is all over the place.

[mamalone]

17. "Hardcore" Democrats?

I guess I wouldn't call anyone who would vote for a person like McCain a hardcore Dem... and I know I wouldn't call anyone who would say they "weren't ready" to vote for someone on the basis of either their gender or their race one. The Democratic party is the party of inclusion, so how could such regressive thinking be part of the party?

[HCE SuiGeneris]

18. "Some people say..."

Yawn.

[redstate_democrat]

23. Well I know plenty of people who say they can never vote for McCain

because he is a crook, liar, senile (sorry, some people are ageist), a kiss ass, stupid like in severe cognitive limitations due to his performance in school and his inability to recall simple and well known facts, and a fake POW (some people really said this! I was SHOCKED!) and they also said they couldn't vote for Hillary for obvious reasons.

Wow.

[otohara]

24. He's Half White

don't that count?

[Thepricebreaker]

30. Everyone is calling him the 1st African American Candidate.. so... I assume not?

[Aloha Spirit]

31. Haha, I can imagine this conversation with an undecided voter

me: please vote for Obama blah blah blah..
undecided: I'm undecided. I hate black people and women equally.
me: But Obama's only half black!
undecided: Really?
me: Yep. And his white granddad served in Patton's Army. That's totally relevant, isn't?

[otohara]

33. Such A Different Standard

my kid is half Japanese - father is 100% - me, I'm a little Hispanic, Irish, English and American Indian. No one considers him Japanese - he's this white kid as far as his friend are considered.

But if you're half African American, then that makes you 100% AA.

[ScarletSniper]

49. That's a special rule for us black folk....one drop of black blood and all that...themz da rules..

been set up that way...

shame ain't it?

[Leopolds Ghost]

45. 'e's only 'ALF black, wot! (hush you!)

Monty Python alert :-)

[melody]

26. The constant media attack is on Obama -- most Democrats hate Hillary anyway

Thanks to Hillary, McCain is getting no coverage.

Things will change -- your friends should be ashamed of themselves even so. Tell them to check out McCain's record on
choice and other social issues.

[crankychatter]

27. We NEED a Second (Strom Thurmond) Exodus to the GOP

Corporatist Vichy Dems (not true Centrists... not Coalition builders or legislative pragmatists... just corporate whores)... need to go where they belong - they benefit by keeping the Party small

We need to GROW or we will GO

We have to register new voters (previously cynical) and invite our progressive and independent brethren HOME TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

where they belong

As far as I'm concerned your friends need to go register Republican

fuck 'em

[RaleighNCDUer]

35. Yep. Invite the DLCers to leave, and invite the independent progressives

and Greens to join us.

They would more than balance.

Return to being a progressive populist party.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

44. I agree. I'm tired of the party wasting resources on these dumbasses.

They have a D by their name, but other than that, don't embrace any of our values. I do a lot of canvassing and I run into these DINOs every day. Here in AZ they rant and rail about the illegal immigrants, sounding just like Lou Dobbs. Then they go and vote Republican.

Lou Dobbs Democrats. We don't need 'em.

[thoughtcrime1984]

28. They can't be that "heavy into politics" if they'll throw away

their Democratic principles for a McCain Presidency. Utterly disgusting.

[crankychatter]

29. "makes me wonder what is going on in the rest of the country?"

What's going ON:

Obama led by double digits against McCain in the National Polls until CLINTON WENT ROVE on his ass

HER negatives went UP, Obama's went UP, and she STILL LOSES

Hurts the Party, Hurts the Nation, HELPS NO ONE

that is what's going ON, in the "rest of the country."

what's with the Reaganesque, anecdotal BS?

[dailykoff]

32. Time to preach the word brother

These guys are living next to NYC which is MSM central which means well you know what it means. They don't know shit about Obama yet so somebody just has to explain to them that Caroline Kennedy was right, he's one in a million.

[RaleighNCDUer]

34. Wait till McCain picks his VP.

Since that's the guy who will really be running the country, THAT might shock them back into sanity.

[bigwillq]

36. How many people?

:shrug:

You really can't judge the thoughts of everyone in the state by one party that you go to.

Chill out. Relax. Breathe.

[L0oniX]

39. Must be something in the drinking water or something in the air ...

after all ...it is NJ. :evilgrin:

[saracat]

41. There is a lot of that going on. Obama is not all that and chips to many Derms.

I know many hardcore Dems that will NEVER vote for Obama. There are some that will not vote for Hillary but waay more that are offended by Obama. DU doesn't represent the real world and neither do many polls.Just saying.

[stillcool]

42. It depends on whose 'real world'.

Thank God I don't live where some of you people do. Well..I wouldn't though would I?

[Danger Mouse]

43. Don't be discouraged...McCain has gotten a free pass so far and has not been defined.

Once he has been defined, and his ugly nasty temper comes to light...he will look a lot less appealing. He's a loose cannon, and all but the insane right wing will be terrified of what he can do once they get a look at how fucking crazy he really is.

[ScarletSniper]

46. Sounds like Jersey to me...I live here. It's really not that progressive.and it's set up like Ohio.

and PA, urban areas and back woods areas...city sophisticated, quasi-educated and country bumpkins...north, central and south; all rolled into one giant populus.

I've traveled it extensively for a number of years and I know it and the people.. There are places in NJ where I as a black woman feel like I'm in deep KKK terrority in the 60's and places where people look at me like what's a woman doing in your position, black, white, red or green?

Sad really.

[IsItJustMe]

47. Sounds like a bunch of dead enders to me. Time to pick your aquantencas more wisely.

[Stinky The Clown]

48. You know you're going to get slammed for this post, right?

It is against the rules to be a concern troll. (<---- sarcasm)

And you're clearly a Hillary supporter, no matter what you say. (<---- sarcasm)