Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst
Can we just call white voters white voters?
OK, I'm not trying to be the race guy, but these labels are driving me nuts!
Earlier today CNN aired a piece on Joe Sixpack, and not a single African American, Hispanic or Asian was interviewed.
Now, do these groups drink six packs? Yep. But don't we know that Palin isn't talking to them? Yep. So why not just say it?
We even played a soundbite of Palin saying Joe Sixpack and hockey moms. Trust me, she's not speaking to anyone who looks like me!
But there are other terms that have been thrown around by candidates, political strategists and the media, and no one wants to be honest as to who we are talking about.
Wal-mart moms. Soccer moms. NASCAR dads. Small town America.
Seriously. Read all of those phrases, and when you think of who candidates, political strategists and the media are talking about, who immediately comes to mind? I can tell you no one black, Hispanic or Asian!
So, can we just stop the nonsense and say, all at once – WHITE AMERICANS.
I just think it's so obvious, but it as if we – the collective media – just doesn't want to say it.
But to further explain the Joe Sixpack stuff, I saw an interview on American Morning with with Jackie and Dunlap, two redneck comedians. So essentially we're going to two country white guys to define Joe Sixpack. Need we say anything more as to who Joe Sixpack is?
Now they were hilarious, and I love 'em – got Larry the Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy on my iPod – but it's as if the white elephant is in the room and we close our eyes and act like it's not there.
See, if we're discussing black, Hispanic and female voters, we just say, "black, Hispanic and female." But we try to be cute and not say what we really mean.
Lastly, can someone tell me the last time you heard McCain or Palin say inner city? Maybe those aren't the voters they care about.
Editor’s Note: You can read more from Roland at RolandSMartin.com
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Dear Roland...
Amen! Great article. I am an...American...who happens to have white skin... I am sick of labels....and it has reached the point where I am beginning to feel more like the article of clothing I wear ... than a person, a human being. I just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone in your thinking...it is so sad to me. I have thought before that we might be better off as a country....if we were all blind...God forbid...but...
Thank you for all you do...you are greatly appreciated!
Race is not at the forefront of my decision for President. Thank GOD that I see the man and do not decide not to vote for him because of the color of his skin. This race is landsliding to the left and there isn't much that can stop this force right now. The only thing that could help McCain would be another attack on US soil. People don't want to hear that but it is true. If the wars we have created would escalate by the Republican President's hand that could shift support to McCain also. Short of a catastrophe this election is over................
Obama/Biden 08
It is quite disturbing that race is even a consideration with the shape of the economy. It's 2008 and not 1958...it's time to get past this nonsense. Mr. Martin, unfortunately, you are correct in your opening statement and the race card is out in the open.
How sad for Brian writing that "there are people in this country who just cant stand the thought of a BLACK man in the WHITE house and that you should stop pissing and moaning about it"....well, guess what Brian.....we aren't, we are just asking that people be accepted for who they are and not what color their skin happens to be. It's the people with the same mindset as you that have the problem. It seems that those of you should stop "pissing and moaning" and get over the fact that we, as a race of people, are just as educated, just as smart and just as qualified.
Barack Obama has not once identified himself with any 'group of people' like Joe six pack or soccer moms...his only identification has been with the people of America. We are Americans.....not Black American or White American or Hispanic American....just American!
hi Roland.
I totally agree with what you said but the problem is I am not White,black, Hispanic or Asian. I am an Arab-American and 100% Obama supporter. i don't see neither parties talking to me, instead they try to avoid talking about us as much as they can. And i just want to make it clear to all Americans that not all Arabs are Muslims. there are also Arab Christians , and Arab Jews.
Are you equally offended when Obama uses the phrases "bamboozled", "hoodwinked", or "okie dokey"? For such a well educated man, why would Obama reduce himself to using such dated street slang? Maybe because he's trying to appeal to one particulared audience, and it's not the white middle-class.
Roland, I appreciate your unbiased views. As for McCain, he has direspected Obama in both debates, first one was when he would not even look at him, he stated that "HE COULD HEAR HIM", and last night when he referenced him as "THAT ONE". These are all racial undertones, just like on the job when you are passing one of your co-workers , and they either put their heads down, or look up in the ceiling , anything not to acknowledge you.
Cindy..
Do you know a black "Joe Six-Pack" or Do you know a "black hockey mom?"
thought so.....
I totally agree. I hate the references to Joe six-pack, soccer moms, NASCAR dads, etc.etc. I am an Asian female in her early twenties. What about me?
Terrence @ 10:07 – what the...?
Gergen wasn't being racist, he was reporting that many people still are (and it's true) and that a university study showed that Obama is losing possibly as much as six percent of the vote he would otherwise get because of his race. He mistated the premise a bit – he said 'if he were white' and the study actually said 'if race were not a factor'. I took this to mean that the six percent is the difference between the number of people who will NOT vote for him because he is not white and the number of people who WILL vote for him because he is black.
I further took this to mean the six percent did not include people who would never vote for the democratic candidate in any event.
What is wrong with David Gergen pointing out that Obama is ahead in spite of an endemic six point handicap?
Rolland,
As you can see this is an issue that no one wants to deal with, but now the fact still remains this campaign is really starting to show its true colors. I thought Mr. McCain was an honorable man I never doubted Sarah Palin (she is just plain Ignorant so you expect that from her) I knew she could resort to this kind of tactic.
It’s embarrassing because the world is watching and just last night while watching the debate Sen. McCain was asked about democracy in other countries and how he would deal with it.
You can’t expect other countries to respect us if we continue down this road of domestic issues in our own country. We are always trying to police up other countries with humanitarian efforts and we have this dirty little secret that is going to only get bigger if we are all unwilling to address it. I was hoping that race would not be an issue but, I am surprised we have not heard the N word yet!!!
However, we still have time and I’m sure it will slip out sooner or later. I am a veteran and right now I’m not proud that I defended this country. The attitudes those folks are displaying is one of the main reasons the world has ostracized us, and want to Bomb and destroy us.
Intelligent people, whether black or white, don't refer to themselves as Joe Six Pack, they feel that's derogatory. Joe Six Pack is described by the educated as someone who drinks beer all day and not too intelligent. I wouldn't put this label on anyone but Palin has done it.
I am sickened by the fear and hatred drummed up by the Republican party. Where are the Christ-like members of members of the Religious Right in this campaign? It seems they are getting poised and ready to (falsely) push this into a religious Christian/Muslim battle as well. You know, Bill Maher was totally correct in his new movie RELIGULOUS. You should go see it. Its disturbing.
McCain and Palin are down in the polls and desperate. I am disgusted but not surprised that Palin did not contest the "kill him" rant from one ignorant admirerer of hers. This is very revealing of Palin's values.
The McCain and Palin campaign illustrates exactly why I have not trusted politicians in the past. They disgust me and continue to disgust me more and more daily. They are preying on the ignorant, narrowminded, uninformed Americans that will believe anything that is said without researching the facts on their own. They will get votes but they will not win the election. There are too many intelligent, informed, ethical voters to elect scums like McCain/Palin. Go Obama!
I was at my son's football game last night and it occurred to me that I was indeed a "football mom". I am also a "basketball mom". From those statements you might infer that I am Black. I am. But there were a lot of white people at that game also supporting their kids. I wonder how many Black kids are involved in hockey. Clearly Palin chose to describe mothers by a a sport that would allow us not to make a mistake on who she was reffering to when she says hockey moms. Why not just say White moms of America, otherwise why not just say sports moms if she didn't mean it that way. I think it is very naive for many white people to say that race does not matter, and it only exist when we talk about it. In a perfect world it should not matter, but despite white america's effort to sweep it under the rug, Black America knows that it is still an issue. I think that white people don't want you to know just how racist a lot of them are so when asked by pollsters who they will vote for I think they lie about it. Especially if they are Democrats. How else could they explain not voting for Obama. I am afraid that when they get behind closed curtains they will vote their true selfs, and Obama will lose, despite having a double digit lead going into the vote. I guess then we will know that we really have not come that far from the racist 60's as white americans have fooled themselves into believing.
Palin is just a Joke ! I think the only reason we listen to her speak is the shock she leaves behind when she is through. Send her Home , She needs some lessons in telling the truth and the fact that she is a mother is starting to scare me. Leaving for Italy – can not wait to her some international views on this Election.
Roland – you are dead on – I am in the South and when I walk out of my door every day I see all the colors of the rainbow – it doesn't matter where I go – the supermarket, the drug store, the bank, etc. – I hear many languages being spoken – since this is the South we don't have hockey but the fields of softball, baseball and football are also a rainbow of beautiful children's smiling faces
I personally don't know any Joe six-packs since many here would rather have six pack abs
McCain is pitiful because he is allowing Palin to go out on the trail and spew hatred and lies – the beauty of America is its diversity – it should be celebrated -
If it hasn't been made pretty clear before that "McBush" is a racist, then last night's debate should have made it crystal clear. In addition to the "THAT ONE" comment he made about Obama, an equally racist comment he made was when he answered a question by Oliver Clark who queried on how the bailout package was going to help the people having a difficult time. A portion of his answer was, "...But you know, one of the real catalysts, really the match that lit this fire was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I'll bet you, you may never even have heard of them before this crisis..." How insulting is that? I guess in his limited line of thinking (SARCASM ALERT) there's NO WAY that a black man can know anything about Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac because black people don't actual buy homes and properties that require them to obtain loans and know about credit histories and FICO scores, etc. It's exactly that kind of condescending and backwards thinking and ideology that "McBush" will bring to and perpetuate into the White House.
Lastly, can someone tell me the last time you heard McCain or Palin say inner city? Maybe those aren’t the voters they care about.
-
I don't think for one second any candidate would not care about a voter or a vote. Not in an election this close. Maybe Sen. McCain & Gov. Palin just realize no matter what they say or no matter what plan they put on the table, they will not get the inner city (excuse me- black- call it what it is) vote. 90% plus of the black vote is going to Obama. That is about the most racist statistic out there this election season. Call it what it is. Voting for Obama because he is black, is not loyal, it is racist. Call it what it is.
I'm White, a woman over 50 and don't give a HOOT about what color this one is or isn't. I'm voting for Barack Obama because he's a breath of fresh air, with his thoughts and beliefs. I don't care what happened to who or who they associated with, in the past. The Bible tells us to always LOOK FORWARD to keep Walking Ahead, not back.
So the candidates all need to stop this mudslinging BS (it's getting real old and btw, McCain was the one who started it) and discuss why they are the BEST for the job.
Have a GREAT DAY ALL and God Bless America
Wow. I had never thought of that! But its true, isn't it?!! Joe six-pack and hockey moms. White voters. I had heard one other peice on TV talk about 'code words' and just passed it off (apparently because I don't know what code words to look for) but it is true! What an eye opener. And Thank you Roland for exposing this for what it is.
PS. The entire staff was HOT last night after the the debates! John King Rocks! And David Gergen as always – the best.
I have realized from Day One that Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's running mate was just a "desperate" PLOY to get Women's votes! If Sarah is as intelligent as they want us to believe (because–afterall, she was mayor of Wasilla and is governor of Alaska) then, in her "quiet time"–perhaps just before she falls asleep at night–she KNOWS that she is BEING EXPLOITED! And the truly SAD thing is that these "Wal-mart moms, Soccer moms, and all of the other women she refers to and who talk about how much they "admire her" are CONDONING McCain's EXPLOITATION OF PALIN! Come on women–get your head out of the sand! Are you–like McCain, so desperate for a Republican victory that you will allow one of us to be EXPLOITED like this? I guess so! We (women) HAVE come a long way, but we are taking a GIANT step backwards when you support exploitation of a woman by a man as McCain is exploiting Sarah Palin!
I look at Sarah as she makes these speeches, slinging mud, making accusations, saying what she has been told to say. McCain is having her do the "dirty work." Isn't that suppose to be the "man's job?" I see her as a "puppet" whose strings are being pulled by McCain and his camp! At this rate, Sarah Palin will not have one iota of self respect left by the end of this campaign! How sad!
I just pray that the Wal-mart moms, Soccer moms, NASCAR dads, Small town America, and Joe Six Pack that Sarah Palin refers to repeatedly (and let's not forget Jackie and Dunlap), will join me and put "Country First" by voting for the CHANGE that Barack Obama will bring!
I'm an African-American woman of 45 years of age. I never ran into a joe sixpack or a hockey mom who were African-Americans. McCain replaced "You People" with "That One". McCain is out of touch and he is a racist on man,
Rahni, Connecticut
Let's face it folks. Race matters. Always has. Always will.
The thing is, it doesn't just matter to Americans. Most of the world is "racist," in the sense that they put their own kind first. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Wow! Thanks for the insight on this. As a 65 year old white woman, I didn't think "Joe Sixpack" included me–nor does "hockey mom." And, I don't see it as any group I'd want to be a part of. It's rather insulting even to the small group of people who might relate to those terms. I've thought of several songs that could be an introduction to Palin. "I'm a Red Neck Woman;" "Harper Valley PTA;" and probably "Pretty Woman." Thanks for helping me read between the lines on this as related to race.
Thank you Roland for finally bringing this subject up. I think that Carol and Christina said everything that I would have said. I do think that you should make sure that CNN gives this subject more coverage. Palin and McCain are desparate to win by any means necessary and their hidden racial remarks do nothing to move this country forward. By the way, where are the people of color at the McCain and Palin rallies? Their rallies do not look like the America that I live in.
You go Roland! Please keep this issue in the media because I don't see anyone else discussing it. It's subtle and that makes it dangerous. I'm Asian American and I live and grew up in the inner city. I had never heard of "joe six pack" before Palin said it. I find it interesting that Palin was selected because she could rally the Republican base with her ultra conservative views, but she's also suppose to represent the common everyday person. How is that possible? The Republican base and the common person are not very similar. Am I the only one who sees this discrepancy?
Why does Sara Palin think that people want to be referred to as "joe six pack"? And,... "say it aint so joe", Is this the kind of language we need comming from a united states representative? At one time, I might have considered voting for mccain. When I first saw her, I thought I was looking at a lady..., until she opened her mouth.
John, John. You used poor judjment in your selection for V.P.
THANK YOU ROLAND! It's about time someone called it like it is. the veiled racism of this wacky right wing woman is appalling. In selecting her, McCain shot himself in the foot.
First of all I would like to start by saying I watch CNN because of their somewhat objective view on politics, but what I saw tonight was quite alarming. The post-debate analyzing is the best on all TV, however the comment Senior Analyst David Gergen spoke tonight was quite frankly "sickening". For Mr. Gergen to state on national television that the polls may suggest that Sen.Obama's "blackness" may indeed effect the accuracy margin of actual polls conducted was quite disgusting to me. Now, I understand today's society especially in the media when everyone must scale across that fine high wire line like great exhibitionist of old and try to appear objective when actually they are anything but. This statement deeply disturbed me as an American that the very thing we find so despicable in the back of our minds in today's society we continue to keep bringing it up....the "race" card. To follow up that statement with a Stanford University poll made it even worse. I may be a bit forgiving than other Americans in the case that I will continue to watch CNN with hopes that this type of blatant behavior does not repeat itself. The fact is that its just too sensitive of an area to interject into an election of this magnitude at this time. No, I'm not blind to the issue of racism in this country, nor do I allow that racism to dictate or influence my beliefs and values that I have been raised on. I am sure that Mr. Gergen understands the weight he carries as a respected analyst, but he must also carry that same weight evenly into that medium of television so many tune into everyday.
Well Roland, hats off to you, it is about time that someone calls it like it is.
I am a white American and if I am offended by the narrow-mindedness of comments such as you have pointed out above, I can well imagine how the rest of my brothers and sisters of ethnicity feel.
And we thought that we had come so far? Not so much!
I was horrified last evening when McCain called Senator Obama "that one over there". HORRIFIED! There is NO TIME for this under any circumstances, let alone in a political debate. My God, what was he thinking? I have not been that disgusted since LBJ lifted his poor dog by the ears. Sure tells once and for all what we are dealing with. That mess in the White House is unconscionalble. Word!
Leave it up to you to pull the race card ONCE AGAIN Roland. Over half of your posts on this site are about whites being racist towards all other races, when your own web page is nothing more than an African American activist site that does nothing other than try to spread the word of a rise in black power across the nation. You are such a closed minded individual, anything that you don't feel is about "including black people" or furthering african american strides in our country is racist. Do some homework. There are multiple black hockey players. Black people play and watch soccer. They shop at Wal-Mart (more black people shop there than whites here). Small town America is not just white people, contrary to your "almighty" belief. Wake up and see that it is people like YOU who create racism in our world by writing this GARBAGE to try to turn some heads and put your new best friend Obama in the white house. Not everyone is as ignorant or closed minded as you, and I hope they do their own homework and don't take your bait. Get a clue people.
Hi, what happened to the guy ,who sugessted that instead of the bail out of the stock market, that the gov. give $250, thousand to every American who is 18 and over? The more I think about it, the more it feels good to me. I think the housing market would reverse. Bills would be paid. And I for one would be happy and so would you. I would pay my morgage off for one thing.
Roland,
I think you hit the nail in the head. It is the elephant standing in the corner in this campaign. I found it fascinating last night that hands down, the CNN focus group of undecided Ohio voters thought Obama won the debate. They thought he was more presidential, etc. etc.. They had nothing bad to say about Obama at all. The green and orange lines during the debate were highest when Obama was speaking. The twist came at the end when Solidad O'Brien asked the group who they would vote for for President and the majority said McCain! I think Solidad and the other commentators were taken aback by this. The question in this campaign is how many white voters (especially in Ohio, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina) will agree that Obama is the better candidate, more qualified, etc. but they are not ready to cast their vote for him because of his race. David Gergen touched on this last night and he is exactly right. I'm not sure that this factor can be accurately measured in the polls. There is a possibility that if McCain can pull within 3 or 4 percentage points come election day, the race will actually be a dead heat.
Thanks for your great work.
I used to be Joe six-pack, then I quit drinking. I agree with your story all the way. But Joe six-pack cares more about being able to pay his mortgage these days. I think he will choose to be helped by Obama over hating Obama. The labels definitely are used to disguise and not have to say out loud "white vote". But, if the "minority vote" could come together and strong for Obama it really wouldn't matter. Obama would win. Latinos need to understand that voting Obama in to the White House does so much for all the minority groups. Not to mention that Obama is the only candidate who cares about the minority vote. The hockey moms will vote for Obama even if their Joe six-packs don't. My mom rarely votes the same as my dad. She is voting for Obama. Many NASCAR dads may not even vote this year. McCain is looking very bad.
WHY is it OK for certain people to vote for Obama BECAUSE HE IS BLACK.......
But it is not OK for certain people NOT to vote for him BECAUSE HE IS BLACK............
This is a 2 way street ..... like it or not, there are people in this country who just cant stand the thought of a BLACK man in the WHITE house.......
They will only change when they want to, you are not going to change their minds with pissing and moaning about it.
Good article Roland
Sonia, I can't believe someone shouted "kill em" and Palin did not say anything, and that story has not picked up any ground in the media. That is outrageous. It is for reasons like that I pray constantly for Barack and his health, and safety. Furthermore, it is also for reasons such as the one stated above that even if Barack is elected president, America still would have a long way to go in terms of racial reconciliation.
All I can say to this article is "THANK YOU". My sentiments exactly. I am an African American, though biracial (white/black) haven't felt that the McCain camp is reaching groups of people other than White Americans. The media expresses that Obama is in the lead partly because of the economic situation and that people tend to sway Democrat during hard times. This is totally not the case. I am also not voting Obama because he is black.
Palin came to California....Orange County which is considered to have many "wealthy" families...I was really hoping to hear or see inner city or something. It only confirmed more what the McCain camp stands for....the wealthy and the middle class and lower income can wait.
I'm glad someone addressed Joe Six Pack cause honestly as an African American amd just as a person, I'd never heard this term before so I knew it had nothing to do with or at least very little to do with and address African Americans. And hockey moms....I have never seen a Black Hockey Mom son who plays hockey.
Bottom line McCain camp has made a mistake and a costly one at that.
Watching the news and bits of these rallies it really looks like kkk meetings. I am a white 32 year women and I can NOT believe what I hear "treason" "terrorist" and "kill em"! Why did Palin and McCain just keep talking? You can see that they heard the comments. And isn't the media talking about this more? This is serious! I hate to say the race thing is an issue but Palin and McCain are coming off very racist. I have a couple friends who are black and republican, but after the past week they are voting for Obama. People are offended{we can read between the lines}. So Roland can you push this issue and make cnn talk about the hate rallies that are going on. My own granfather told me that these rallies look like the 60's all over again. I cannot tell you how angry voters are about this. I live in Pittsburgh and we don't like this at all! Please Roland keep this in the news. PENNSYLVANIA FOR OBAMA or should I say THAT ONE
Roland,
Whether you know it or not there are soccer moms who are black! There are Joe six packs who are black! For someone who wants to keep race out of this election you sure do bring it up all of the time! Get over it! Most Americans have why don't you!?
Cindy...Ga.
I agree, Mr. Martin. Call it like it is. The media will say "the black vote" or "the hispanic vote" all the time but there are so many labels for "the white vote" that I can't keep up.
McCain spews talk of reaching across the aisle and him being a maverick to his own party; however, I have not heard once how he will reach across the street to help "the middle class." Or, maybe they don't have middle class in the neighborhoods where he has his many residences? Maybe McCain's idea of "the middle class" is someone who has four homes instead of nine?
Palin has promoted a view that America consists of hockey moms and joe 6-packs. I was under the impression that America was a diverse nation of people from all walks of life, with a far broader scope of interests and ideals not limited to watching hockey and drinking beer. It's not only offensive, it shows the other side of small town mentality that nobody has discussed – the "we don't like outsiders" crowd. I have no doubt she connects to hockey moms and six-packers, and that is unfortunate.
Dear Martin: I totally agree with you. I wish politicians would just talk straight and tell it like it is, but I know it won't happen. I am a white, middle-age, middle-class female who dislikes all the labels being thrown at us, especially by the repugnant republicans. McCain and Palin care nothing about the inner cities, or the middle class for that matter. It's always the rich.
McCain is so racist. As he answered Oliver Clarks’ question he referred to Alan’s’ American Dream. Why would he not point Oliver’s American dream. Is it that Black people do not have a right to the American dream? He was condescending and racist.
Exactly Roland. I am glad someone finally has the balls to say this in public media. Race is and should be irrelevant when you go to the polls to vote. The fact that this country puts so much emphasis on whether you are white/black/hispanic/ etc. really illustrates how civilized we really are. Couple that with reality television, some of these campaign ads, and NASCAR, you may begin to see and understand why so much of the world views us as a bunch of barbarians.
she ain't speaking to me either, i'm a WHITE AMERICAN and i can assure you, i am not "joe six-pack"
To think that Sarah Palin is only reaching out to white voters is political suicide. This article spins it that way to create some level of division that is not real. She did not win the Governorship of Alaska with just the white vote. You sir, are writing a racist article here. It is unfortunate for you to continue such negativitiy. One would think that someone as educated and successful as you would want to continue that success by writing something with more honesty and fairness.
Senator McCain and Govenor Palin's insidious slide into Hoover-style politics is more frightening than both the war in Iraq and the finacial crisis. Their campaign seems to be pining the good ol' days of Jim Crow, perhaps just to win an election, but nonetheless inciting volence. A man in the crowd at a Palin rally shouted, "kill him," when Palin began her standard association of Senator Obama with Ayers in her stump speech.
Please, journalist of American, citizens, put a stop to this. We do not need an internal race, religion, and class war in the middle of the most challenging time this country has seen in a long while. We have come too far to slip back into this type of discourse and this type of intollerance. TELL THEM TO STOP! Expose the consequences of this type of strategy, if you can possibly call it that. Ask the McCain campaign to make their case for the highest office in the land on the issues, not by turning the clock back fifty years.
Inner city? What color would that be? Why does color matter, sex, age, economic status?
Frankly...I find the "lack of" trying to weave their message to: inner city, suburbs, mountains, valley's, race, age, economic status, personal billiance-a big breath of fresh air.
As a former lifelong Democrat–I'm now I'm and independent?
Because to join a local caucus in my town–I was unable to find one consisting of middle-age white men. The black, hispanic, young democrats, women, asian-pacific Americans, and native Americans all shunned my presence and ignored my contributions to the party–or society.
A hard look at the Democratic Party–especially in this season–shows striations, in-fighting, power/message struggles caused by it's attempt to segregate different segments of the population–and steer them left. Truly–it's inability to look at all Americans as equal in the eyes of government and their elected representatives–is their Achille's heel.
I'll be voting for McCain. Because he makes no attempt to wed himself to ideals that divide the nation among ethnic, racial, gender lines–instead continuoulsy refering to all Americans–and the blind equality of our constitution and bill of rights as his guiding principle of fairness, equity, freedom, and liberty.
Thank God–he's failed to divide–but instead prefers to unite.
Roland,
I wish it were possible in my lifetime to "loose" all the damn labels, but I really believe it's all part of human nature. As much as I deplore racism from all sides, no matter what the heck you do, somebody is gonna see the other guy or gal as "different." If we hear comments or an ideology expressed, we may momentarily consider what was said, but then we also "evaluate" the messenger. It is a myth to believe it will EVER be different simply because we've all been taught throughout our lives that we are "individuals" and that makes us "different" no matter what. And as for your inner city thought, the only thing McCain or Pailin will ever consider is how to drive around it to get from point A to point B. After all, the inner city is not representative of the world they live in...is it?
Hi Roland,
I have a concern about the tone this McCain/Palin campaign is taking, yesterday in Florida an person shouted "Kill Him" in response to Palin's discription of Obama paling around with terrorist. I have not heard this addressed on the National news and I am afraid of where this rhetoric is headed.
Here is the report from the Washington Monthy:
"Also yesterday, Sarah Palin repeated one of her unusually stupid attacks, rehashing the nonsense that Obama "pals around" with terrorists. One man in the audience, responding to Palin's smear, shouted, "Kill him!" Palin also did not comment on the remark."