- How big of a roll is racism going to be in the next election? Pretty big if you look at the polls. :: Much evidence points to racial prejudice as a factor that could be large enough to cost Obama the election. That warning is written all over last month’s CBS/New York Times poll, which is worth examining in detail if you want a quick grasp of white America’s curious sense of racial grievance. In the poll, 26 percent of whites say they have been victims of discrimination. Twenty-seven percent say too much has been made of the problems facing black people. Twenty-four percent say the country isn’t ready to elect a black president. Five percent of white voters acknowledge that they, personally, would not vote for a black candidate. Five percent surely understates the reality. In the Pennsylvania primary, one in six white voters told exit pollsters race was a factor in his or her decision. Seventy-five percent of those people voted for Clinton. You can do the math: 12 percent of the Pennsylvania primary electorate acknowledged that it didn’t vote for Barack Obama in part because he is African-American.
- Will Barack Obama be Charisma Boated? Don’t bet against it.
- Obama’s economic policy :: Senator John McCain’s economic vision, as he has laid it out during the presidential campaign, amounts to a slightly altered version of Republican orthodoxy, with tax cuts at the core. Obama, on the other hand, has more-detailed proposals but a less obvious ideology.
- 8 years ago Obama’s political career was going nowhere. What changed? :: When arrived at the Democratic National Convention eight years ago, he was a politician in need of clout. He had just been trounced in his bid for Congress. His credit card was rejected at the car rental counter. He couldn’t snare a floor pass, so he ended up watching most of the speeches on TV monitors in the arena. And he went home early.
- Why pick Joe Biden? :: First of all, he has a love of and public service. He never tried to get rich from his role, even though he has been in the Senate for decades. He is a fancy dresser–given to stick pin collars and French cuffs–and yet he is an unassuming son of a car salesman who takes the train home to Wilmington almost every night.His personal story is compelling: a riches-to-rags family background; a first wife killed in a car crash; a devoted life with his second wife; a passel of grandchildren whom he adores as much as they adore him. And he’s never had a hint of financial or sexual scandal. Biden is a Catholic–a demographic must for a Democratic ticket eager to get swing voters in heavily Catholic states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. :: He has some other strengths as well.
- It’s a short list but George W. Bush did get some things right.
Contextless Links
Aug 23rd, 2008
by Jordon.
Posted in: Contextless Links.
Tagged: Barack Obama · George W. Bush · John McCain
