When Democratic party presidential candidate Barack Obama ran for president in 2008, he attracted a huge 95% of votes from black voters, part of a wave of support that swept the senator from Illinois over the finish line to victory. Indeed, support among black voters for the president still remains high.
Amid the hubris of the most expensive election campaign in history, top Mitt Romney surrogate John Sununu in late October hinted that former Secretary of State Colin Powell may have endorsed President Barack Obama in part because the two men are the same race.
Are the president’s black supporters racist to vote for a (half-) black candidate?
An initial question to consider at this point is: Would you vote for an evangelical candidate such as Sarah Palin or Rick Santorum? If not, the reason may be, "because s/he is a religious evangelical." Fair enough. This position should not open you up to criticism.
Would you vote for a strong conservative, as opposed to supporting a more liberal candidate?
Again, if you wouldn’t because you don’t support conservative values, fair enough.
There are millions of Christians in America who vote for evangelical candidates like Santorum “because he's Christian” (and has Christian values). There are also Mexicans who vote for Latino candidates “because s/he is Latino”, and women (and men) who voted for Hillary Clinton "because she's a woman". Do these voting preferences open up these particular voters to charges of religious intolerance, racism or sexism? For some people, perhaps the answer is "yes."
Personally, I don't think so. Black voters’ support for president Obama needs to be interpreted and analyzed at a deeper level than just being a comment about skin color/pigmentation. I think the key point is that voter preference for political candidates is primarily based on 1/ identification (similar values), and 2/ which candidate a voter thinks best understands and is most capable of representing them.
Not surprisingly at all, this candidate is probably going to be someone who is most like the voter.
Which is the main reason I am not surprised or shocked by the groundswell of black voters who supported Obama in 2008, or the millions who are supporting him now.
Candidate Obama locked up the black vote in 2008. Is it realistic to assume many black voters would think that a rich white woman like Hillary Clinton or a wealthy white male like John McCain was best able to represent black communities and their issues as president? No. I believe they voted for candidate Obama precisely "because he was black" – and because they believed Obama understood and identified with many of their issues.
The pertinent point here is that due to the fact that race-related issues set many people off, basing a vote on a candidate’s ethnicity or skin color may look like racism on the surface, but when you dig a little deeper, I think it's easy to see it's nothing of the sort. In fact, one can substitute ”black” in "because he was black" with virtually any candidate/physical/human characteristic and you will have exactly the same dynamic occurring except it probably has a different name and either has more or less of a negative connotation.
Do the above make the black voters who voted for Obama racist? Not in my book. It simply means they identified with Obama and thought he best understood them and was the most ideal candidate to represent them as president.
And the kicker is: this is natural. Why would we vote for someone who we think is not like us or who we think doesn't understand us and the problems we face?
The key question now becomes: What is the difference between a black voter who chooses to support a political candidate “because s/he is black” and another voter who supports a candidate "because they are religious/Atheist/Mormon/Latino/male/female/white/rich/a war veteran/homosexual/green"?
Are they all "[fill in the gap]-ist" and now a prime target to be slammed?
I do not believe so. If we see fit to criticize them, we should criticize ourselves because we all do it.
Granted, there may be some race-based ill will that leads a black voter to vote for a black candidate, but it can be argued that there is equal if not greater ill will between voters on different sides of issues such as gay marriage, abortion and immigration.
The key point to realize here is that race is only one facet of the multi-faceted diamond of voter preferences. Which at the end of the day makes black voters who vote for black candidates just like the rest of us who vote with our hearts.
© Japan Today
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gaijinfo
Let's suppose I publicly say that I'm white, and I'm voting for Mitt mainly because he's white.
Now would you believe me if I said I wasn't a racist?
Serrano
For decades, blacks have overwhelmingly voted for the Democratic candidate. Gore got 95% of the black vote, Kerry got 93%.
tkoind2
It is actually racist to assume that people of color would vote for Obama solely on that point. Are all the white voters supporting Romney racists, voting for him only because he is white? This is absurd.
Was Clinton Black? Or any candidate that garnered the minority vote in the past? Or was it simply that these candidates better represent issues important to minority communities?
The simple facts for this election are these. Romney's ideas, beliefs and policies are patently unsympathetic to the needs of minority communities, women, working class voters, students and many other groups who would be better off under the policies of President Obama. Romney has made this patently clear through his remarks and policies. Especially in his quote damning nearly half the population of the nation as loafers.
Now if Romney was Black, I know hard to imagine but try, but had the same ideas he supports as a white candidate, and Obama a Utah born white American, would things change? I think you would have the same people supporting Obama and voting against Romney from minority communities based solely upon the ideas and policies of the candidate.
Racism is often the assumption that race is a key issue. Ponder that for a moment.
Sasoriza
So following this logic, is it correct to assume that if the average non-African American voter (Asians, Caucasians,etc) decides that a president from African descend won't be able to understand them and refuse to vote for him, it won't be racially motivated decision?
yabits
As the writer puts it: "Black voters’ support for president Obama needs to be interpreted and analyzed at a deeper level than just being a comment about skin color/pigmentation."
Evidently some are not able to interpret and/or analyze at that deeper level.
Yes, that would be a correct assumption.
Probie
Yes.
I've met black people who say they're voting for Obama just because he's black.
If they were white and saying that they'd vote for the white candidate, they'd be labelled racist faster than you could say 'swastika'.
Yeah, but there was no black candidate then, and Republicans don't like wellfare, and since there are a lot of black people on wellfare, they're going to vote for the people who will support them more.
fds
yes, its racist.
Wakarimasen
Yes racist and also pretty dumb as he hasn't done much for that particular constituency (I hate that it can be called a constituency, but seems it is).
Thomas Anderson
It's more ignorant but it's probably better than voting for McCain or Romney.
Thomas Anderson
Oh hmm, I wonder why wouldn't minorities vote for Republicans/conservatives? Oh that's right, because they despise minorities. Republicans in US are no different and no crazier than say, Ishihara is Japan.
bruinfan
I some cases perhaps. It works the other way too. Some people will not vote for Obama because he is black (but they won't have the guts to admit it). I'm not saying that all or even most people not voting for Obama are doing so for this reason, but it is a sizable number.
hachikoreloaded
Who votes for which candidate doesn't concern me. As a white American who voted for Obama, my issue is "What the heck did he accomplish?" The Presidential race, to me, always seems to be between 2 liars who REALLY only care about position & power but not "the people:" And don't get me started on how the candidates use their "convenient religiosity" to garner votes.
yabits
This is worth another examination, because there is a problem with part of the premise. A member in a minority group in most areas of a country are usually inundated with images, messages, stories and other symbols from the majority culture -- via schools, the workplace and media. Therefore, members of a minority are more likely to be able to understand and work with the majority culture than the other way around. The premise works better when members of two completely different minority cultures are involved -- as with, say, Korean-Americans and African-Americans, or between Hispanic-Americans and Chinese-Americans.
Jeff Ogrisseg
And then there's the meme credited to Toni Morrison (Nobel laureate) in 1998 that Bill Clinton was actually the first black U.S. president.
whiskeysour
shorter@Probiem-Fail Troll
Soooooooooooo 23+ million people are unemployed in America, not all of them are minorities.
Food Stamps and welfare are being used by caucasian, asian, black, white and spanish people.
Get your facts straight !!!!!
I have the facts please read and re-read again http://www.cnbc.com/id/31910310/The_Biggest_US_Welfare_States?slide=1
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/02/red-states-are-the-real-welfare-states/
Republican states, on average, received $1.46 in federal spending for every tax dollar paid; Democratic states, on average, received $1.16.”
AiserX
I was in my senior year of H.S during the last presidential election. All my black peers whom were eligible for voting said they were voting for Obama because hes black. When challenged on what exactly his policies were, none of them uttered a word.
Tell that to the same "classes" that you're delusional self believes Obama has somehow helped out. Students? not at all Obama has given them more Govt guaranteed student loans hence higher tuition's to higher student loan debt. Blacks? not even, things have gotten worse in their communities. Women? wrong. Employers are more terrified of hiring them now because of added cost and legal liabilities from regulations. Although in reality it's hard to imagine any difference with Mr. Romney.
Lowly
Ya, it's like really racist. Really really racist.
Because we all know he isn't half white at all. And we all know he was born and raised in Muslim(!) Kenya, a medieval empire of those black ppl. And we all know what Serrano said above about other dem pres candidates getting the same percent of the minority vote is just an outright lie.
The scary thing is, nobody knows about his secret blackification plans for America!!! If everyone knew that he was actually out to blackificy the entire American population, then there wouldn't even be a presidential race this yr, it would be Mitt by default!
That guy is so racist and crazy, that it's crazy. And therefore so are all those black-votin' black voters! And you know what, the white voters it's like, self-hatred. Really.
Lowly
(Since the mods sometimes miss things)
Full Disclosure: The above was meant as sarcasm, a way for ppl to laugh. Furthermore it was not approved by either the Mitt Romney campaign, nor the Barack Obama campaign neither.
Nessie
Actually, conservative Republicans do well with conservative Latinos.
jonobugs
Does it even matter? If it does, then the Republican party also has the right to champion a black candidate. Let them do that and see how many will change their vote.
pranavk
racist or not racist is not the Qn. Whites are not from god and Blacks are not from davils.though Blood is always thicker than water.If 100% blacks votes for B obama nothing is wrong. We all humans are basicaly by Birth racist more or less.
Nessie
Can we all agree that identity politics is for children?
toguro
I think that a bit of perspective needs to come into play here. Just imagine being a black American from the age of 30 + and growing up thinking that you would never see a person of your race/skin color elected POTUS, because of their race/skin color, and I'll spare everyone all of the details on the history of black Americans in the U.S. Then imagine having the chance to actually have that very thing happen, that you always thought you would go to your grave never seeing it happen. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm just trying to shed a little perspective on the topic, because it's not quite as simple as labeling people the proverbial "racist". With that being said, racists voting in the elections goes without saying, on both sides, with almost every racial group.
Probie
Wow, the apologists are out in force.
Maybe you should get some t-shirts that say "White Guilt" on them in large lettering?
Elbuda Mexicano
It is racist to think that all people of XYZ color will always vote for ABC guy/woman just because they happen to be of the same shade of color, many may vote for XYZ, but not all the world is in black and white like an old tv, we Latinos come in many different shades from black to brown to white and everything in between and I doubt you can say all people will always vote this way or that way, just plain silly.
sidesmile
Who cares? Just as long as he gets another term.
megosaa
how can you not vote / re-elect someone that's become a meme!
Lauren Gardner
Nothing is racist. Conservatives vote Republican. Liberals vote Democrat. Mostly everyone sticks with their party, although, there are some undecided. But I suppose there are also a couple of people who would cross party lines, just because of the color of ones skin.
Sensato
In the 1984 Democratic primaries Jesse Jackson captured 77% of the black vote. I'm not sure what the percentage was in the 1988 presidential election bid.
Ah_so
What a silly article. Blacks have always traditionally supported Democrat.
Had the Republicans fielded a black candidate and there had been an increase in black support for the Republicans, then perhaps the questions might be valid. Even then, it might be totally valid for a black person to feel that a black leader would be overall more understanding and empathetic to the needs of balcks.
Bartholomew Harte
The voters who voted Obama had no clue as to the man-he never had a poor day in his life so the only thing most people saw was the color of his skin.Racist?,,No-Dumbist ? -Hell Yeah!
Fergi2000
There are more white people on welfare than Blacks. Check the facts man!
irishosaru
I've always been somewhat sceptical of the argument that if you replace one word with another in a proposition, the central tenet remains the same (but is exposed for what it truly is).
I'm not sure that it is fair to say that because a voter casting their vote for a candidate only because the candidate was white would be considered racist, this means that a black voter casting their vote for candidate simply because they are black must be considered racist too.
There exists a history of white subjugation of blacks in the USA (and in most places around the world) which simply doesn't exist on anywhere near the same scale the other way round. A person voting for a white candidate because they are white is always going to be placed in the context of that historical injustice, whereas there is no similar context the other way round.
nath
nice direction with the article but, too many holes in the substance. also, to much repeating of the same information.....
Blacklabel
Yes it is racist. But it is also considered racist to bring up the fact that black people vote for Obama just because he is black. When black people vote for Obama it is because they are "for" him and thats fine. But when whites vote for the white guy they are racist because it is assumed they are voting "against" the black guy. Funny how that works.
I just want a president who knows what the hell he is doing and can make some jobs and get the exchange rate back to where we can actually buy something in another country. Dont care what color that person who can do that is.
Oh yeah and watch the "Original Kings of Comedy" DVD. Clinton WAS black. Even black people said so :-)
Laurenço Iscariot Shells
"Does it even matter? If it does, then the Republican party also has the right to champion a black candidate. Let them do that and see how many will change their vote"
The Party did but unfortunately the Godfather Pizza entrepreneur was caught with his hands in too many cookie jars
"Oh yeah and watch the "Original Kings of Comedy" DVD. Clinton WAS black. Even black people said so :-)"
Just because that cheeseburger gobbling saxophone playing embarrassment got his nutz off on some fat white lady, doesn't make him black.
Laurenço Iscariot Shells
I admit that I voted for him to piss off as many racists rednecks as I could.
Am I racist? No
Evil, malicious and spiteful? Yeppers
Noliving
Well to be fair Samual Jackson and Snoop dog have both said the primary reason why they are voting for Obama is because he is black.
Ya but the argument is that the sheer number of blacks that are voting this past election and this election is because Obama is black. In other words instead of 30% of blacks voting on election day it will be like 70% of eligible black voters will be voting. That is what the argument is.
Noliving
So the answer to Sasoriza question is that it would be a racially motivated decision and vice versa. Do you have any psychological or sociological studies that prove your theory answer?
Noliving
And even if you did Yabits it still doesn't take away from the fact that the decision was racially motivated.
Blacklabel
Black voter percentages:
1984 Walter Mondale 90% Ronald Reagan 9% 1988 Michael Dukakis 90% George H.W. Bush 10% 1992 Bill Clinton 83% George H.W. Bush 10% 1996 Bill Clinton 84% Bob Dole 12% 2000 Al Gore 90% George W. Bush 9%
So Obama got 95% and also a 2% higher percentage of blacks who voted to begin with, so its not "just because black people vote for Democrats"
Thomas Anderson
You conveniently ignored Kerry and Gore, 95% and 93%. It's called cherry picking.
Aliasis
This is stupid and not comparable, when you claim "what if I say I vote for Mitt because he's white", etc.
The fact is, black people (and other minorities and women, etc.) don't have equal representation in the government, and they statistically don't have the same privileges that white men have. In fact, racism is alive and thriving in today's society, and black people and other minorities face the brunt of it. If a black person votes for a black candidate, of course there should be more reasons than skin color alone, but they are essentially voting on a social issue - their own representation and equality. We sorely need equal representation in our government.
I recently read an article that America has in fact gotten MORE racist in recent years. In fact, a small majority of (white) Americans were found to have racist thoughts, whether consciously or sub-consciously. That is a huge problem and white people trying to call black people racist for wanting to see themselves represented when they are hardly, doesn't help.
Open Minded
US people basically vote based on what they have in their wallet. Regardless of black, white or yellow.
The few exceptions are the gays, the ultra religious and the Human Rights defenders. And these ones will make the difference on November 6th!
The environment defenders are dead since long (shame), even though Al Gore got a Nobel prize for that!
Open Minded
But I sincerely recognize that all the fundamentals of democracy are deeply installed in the USA people. This remain a world model. But the rich elites and corporates have toooooo much influence for a fair vote, based on fair self-mad opinion.
Open Minded
Sorry for the typo: you should have read: "self-made opinion"
Blacklabel
Yes I did forget 2004, it was an uneventful election for me. So let me add:
"Democratic candidates at the presidential level have traditionally received the overwhelming majority of black votes. In 2004, Kerry won over Bush among blacks by 88% to 11%." (source: gallup.com)
And my data list above had Gore in 2000 it was 90%. I dont know where you getting 95% and 93% for Kerry and Gore.
But whatever, not important. Point is when I tell people I am NOT voting for Obama they look at me like I'm a racist. I think he had his chance with that hope and change stuff and 41% of white males voted for him last time. I doubt he gets that level of white male vote again due to JOB PERFORMANCE (LACK OF), not color of skin. Cause if those people were racist they wouldn't have voted for him the first time.
zurcronium
Half of republicans do not believe Obama is an American. That is racism pure and simple. Republicans right now are attempting to stop blacks from voting all across the USA. For years there were no black representatives in the republican congressional delegation. Zero. It is no mystery why blacks vote for democrats. The republican party encourages racism against blacks. Fact is many white republicans are voting for the morman candidate that they do not really like because they want to vote against the black democrat. That is racism.
Fadamor
Blacks voting for Obama isn't racist just like blacks voting for Romney isn't racist. What's racist is newspaper articles pointing out how certain ethnicities voted for someone of their race, then implying (excuse me: "asking an innocent question") that the vote was based solely on the race of the candidate.
volland
What a question.... of course it is racist! And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. What else is a black person supposed to do, who had the tough luck of being born in that country?
Serrano
"What else is a black person supposed to do, who had the tough luck of being born in that country?"
That country where there are millions of people illegally living and don't want to leave?
DentShop
Its not really racist, but it is a mixture of government dependency and ignorance. Most blacks are poor and they would rather government which likes to give money to them. My goodness there are some misinformed comments on here.
yasukuni
Rather than being racist it's pretty normal.
" It simply means they identified with Obama"
They probably think they do, but there aren't many similarities between Obama's life and the average black voter's.
DentShop
I dunno. Most blacks are raised by a single mother, have benefited in one way or another from affirmative action and get their house paid for by the government.
MrDarryl
Well racism has a definition. It's not liking, or not liking, someone of a certain race. Black people have many reasons to vote for someone who understands their issues. A lot of those reasons are the same as why they don't want to vote for another white guy. That is a fact. All of our other presidents have been white guys. I have heard from many afam's that they are voting because they see more opportunity now, unlike before (when they didn't even vote). To me that is different than the white folks who have been interviewed and don't want to vote for the black guy without any regard to the issues. In 2008 there was a statistic that said nearly 30% of those voting republican didn't feel comfortable voting for a black person or a woman. That is pure bigotry and I'm sure some racists were in there too. I don't feel that there are no racist black folks, but I don't think (in America) that they will gain anything from having that view. Plus there is no real precedent for this. But racism towards blacks was the status quo in this country for years and keeping blacks uneducated and delegated to certain areas was the right thing to do. These ideals are hard to get rid of when some sold them as being ordained by god. The same god that many blacks worship today.
I think, for the most part, blacks voting for other blacks is a way to get SOMETHING out of a society that has been giving them nothing for as long as they have had the right to vote by law. You know almost a whole 65 years. They are just looking for a little more hope. It is not a coincidence that the POTUS used that as a campaign slogan in '08.
Sorry for the length.
TokyoGas
Whenever I see the "blacks supporting Obama" comments, they tend to skip the part about people not supporting Obama because he is half-black. If any writer is trying to get a real conversation about race in America, let he or she, produce an article from all sides.
Daffy_Duck
Some white men you mean.
Anyways, yes it can be construed as being racist, but what I find racist is the fact that people usually ignore Obama's biracialness and only just refer to him as black. Never understood why.
toguro
"Anyways, yes it can be construed as being racist, but what I find racist is the fact that people usually ignore Obama's biracialness and only just refer to him as black. Never understood why."
@Daffy_Duck:
That practice goes way back to the times of slavery in the United States. If you had the smallest amount of black blood, you were considered black, and still so it seems.
m6bob
You don't have to be black to cast a racist vote. Many Whites/Asians think they're so 'enlightened' and voted for Obama to be part of a perceived wave of 'enlightened' Americans. It's something like a positive discrimination thing. Many celebrities openly supported Obama to be part of this 'wave' and to be seen to be part of this movement. It's like Hollywood putting a black partner with a white actor in a police/detective TV drama or movie.
BenUriel
This is true. Mr. Obama's background is quite different in many respects from most of the African American community in the US. To suggest that people would only vote for him because of skin color I think badly fails to appreciate the political acumen of African Americans. I think it is fair to say he scored well there far more because he is liberal and democratic, both popular with the African American demographic. Had he been conservative and Republican (at least in 2012) as Mr. Cain's experience suggests he would not have automatically been able to count on African American support except for that of the part of the African American community that supports conservative viewpoints or rhte Republican party (and I am being neither pedantic or stupid, that demographic does exist and is increasing in significance). The only thing I would allow that unifies African American voters, the conservative minority and the liberal majority included, in a certain way is that they are unlikely to support a candidate with racist views or connections and that is certainly understandable. None of this diminishes Mr. Obama's significance as the first US president to break the color line. But let us give our voters black and white alike a little more credit.