Racists and sexists and votes, oh my!

[bain_sidhe]

Barack Obama will lose the votes of racists in the general election.

Hillary Clinton will lose the votes of sexists in the general election.

But guess what? The Democratic Party has already lost the votes of outright racists and sexists for the past 30-40 years or so. That's how long the Republicans have been working to paint the Dems as the party of "uppity blacks" and "uppity women" (not to mention "uppity gays" and "uppity hispanics" and uppity-whatever else strikes fear into the hearts of bigots).

IMvery,veryHO, what we're seeing in these primaries are not the outright racists/sexists voting. We're seeing those who are not really racist or sexist in the classical sense, in that they feel blacks/women are inferior. They are just somewhat uncomfortable with the "otherness." They are choosing which "other" makes them less uncomfortable.

But does anybody really think that their "other" discomfort is going to be stronger than their economic uncertainty? Stronger than their opposition to a needless, expensive and destructive war that kills their sons and daughters, wives and husbands for no reason? Stronger than their "discomfort" at the nagging suspicion that America has lost something very important to its soul in the last 8 years?

I don't think so.

Where I stand, for those who can't decide if they agree with me without knowing who I support: All in all, considering as many factors as I can fit in my tiny little brain, I have come to the conclusion that Obama is the stronger general election candidate... But Hillary ain't bad either. Although I've been less than thrilled with her campaign tactics of late, I think she's a good Democrat, and a good person, and she has worked for many years supporting causes I believe in. I'll happily vote and work for either one of them.

So, if I may be so bold as to issue a stern... er, suggestion: Chill out. Both our candidates are electable. They just have different paths to getting there.

[movonne]

1. They are both electable (maybe) if clinton gets it she will probably

lose most of the black vote and some of the youth vote...If Obama gets it he will lose the racist vote..and at this point I do not think hillary is a good dem...I just don't trust her...I feel she is a loose cannon..to say she would bomb Iran well you know..

[bain_sidhe]

4. Well, of course. If you're an Obama supporter

it's not in your interest right now to see Clinton as a good Dem, nor to have others see her that way. I believe that will change when the nominee is decided--whichever way it's decided.

Of course, I could be wrong. It's happened before...

[bigtree]

2. thing is, many of these folks that rabid Obama supporters are calling racist

. . . aren't.

And many of the folks's labeled by rabid Clinton supporters as sexist . . . aren't either.

[bain_sidhe]

3. I agree.

I do think there's a level of discomfort with the Other, but that it plays out more in terms of which issues they see as most important. And you know, discomfort with "Other" is a pretty widespread human trait. The trick is to help them overcome that discomfort--not by assailing them for it, but by making sure that their sense that the country is on the wrong track with Republicans in charge is more important to them than their discomfort with the "Otherness" of the eventual nominee.

IMHO, of course. YMMV.