On Covert Racism

from HA

On its surface the Bradley Effect, whatever its mechanism or evidence, appears to be a reasonable enough explanation for at least some of what we saw in New Hampshire, and if Democratic primary voters believe it to be true, it could influence their vote as well, not because they are racists, but because they perceive a substantial number of their fellow Americans to be racist themselves.

First, I do NOT think NH was mostly a Bradley effect. I think it was mainly a “she-looks-like me” effect. This is consistent with the votes of older females in NH. The SLLM effect is like a Bradley effect in that few women will admit to it. Ask them who they want and they are likley to say the best person. Unlike Black folks who can wear the O with pride, a woman who says she is voting for HRC out of girlpride looks .. well, kinda out of season .

Second, I am REALLY concerned that the discussion of this is nopt only racist but Rovian. The Clintonistas are not immoral shits like the Bush crimne family, they would not pull a Willy Horton or Playmate on the phone trick. BUT,

listening to Bill esp., there is NO way that the emphasis on race is an accident.

Third, with all due respect to the Clintons, this whole affair smells badly of “white liberalism.” I suspect they really are as condescending as they appear and that neither Clinton understands the vast difference between their rather role in the civil rights movement and the all out commitment and moral example of a Chavez, King, Gandhi. etc. Hillary’s carear as an advocate of women is one thing, her belief that she has advocated for Black women is .. well rather condescending. here are a few examples:

a. As FL, she chose to put Chelsea into the friends rather than a DC school. While that is understandable, her justification of it was self serving and hurtful to the effort to reform the DC schools.

b. As a candidate she panders to the NEA. I do not think you will find anyone in the AA community who appreciates our current approach to education, including the lack of critical judgement of teachers.

c. His/Her advisers have, AFIK, never had the sort of professional status as the AA advisers chosen by others. The recent comments by Rice, Powell, and Brazil come to mind.

d. The continued role of Ira Magaziner in the Clinton coterie. This is exactly the sort of do-gooder liberal that turns many AA off. I do not know if he has any role in rel to AA ..he is managing the AIDS/Africa effort. but I worry about this sort of choice.

e. The Magic Johnson tour. This was a very, very odd choice. Many AA take sexual behavior seriously and would not want Johnson as a role model for their kids. Equating Johnson with Oprah wa .. well …. ?? step’n’fetchitism comes to mind.

Personally, I think, she has handled BHO very badly. Too many high level folks support BHO for his apparent competence not to be real. Yet, when the opportunity has arisen to show respect, she is condescending.

As one example, in a debate the discussion of her supposedly vast experience came up and someone asked what HE would do if SHE lost. BHO said he would hope she would still help! HRC, responded by smiling, A much smarter answer would have been tor reverse the compliment.

So .. is this racism on the Clintons’ part? Yes. That ought not to be the question. A better question is what level of racism is acceptable? Is arrogance from a white liberal implicitly racist?

Here is more: HRC simply can not get ti through her head that she is not black!


Reporting
Marcia Kramer NEW YORK (CBS) ― The Democratic presidential candidates have been squabbling for the past few days about the race issue, but the timing couldn't be worse. The South Carolina primary, where half the voters are African American, is Jan. 26.

Hillary Clinton tried to put it behind her at a Martin Luther King observance in Manhattan on Monday.

It didn't start off well. Clinton was reminded by The Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, "that we would not be where we are today it not for Dr. Martin Luther King."

Sure, she clapped, but the comment reminded everyone of the reason she was at an event dedicated to the Civil Rights leader -- to make amends for saying Dr. King's dream of racial equality was realized only after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"How many of us ever could have dreamed that we would see the day when a women and an African American are running for the presidency of the United States?" Clinton asked.

.........

"This is a vote for a dream that no one perhaps thought would happen in their lifetime," said Baruch College professor Micheline Blum.