What Will The Neighbors Think?

I would vote for Colin Powell or Condi Rice in a heartbeat!!! How dare you insinuate racism twd anyone who doesn't buy this dangerous charade known as the Obamas???? There are two major reasons I would never vote for this guy: 1) the man he is 2) the man he isn't. PERIOD - It is HIM - NOT ME! GET IT???

I believe in the philosophical idea that all things have an innate love of themselves. Thusly we love things that are like ourselves. This is why people that hate themself are mean to others, and those that love themself are kind. I think racism comes from this idea. We see something that is not like ourself, and we discount it as less than us. Wolves run in packs of wolves, you won't catch a bear in there with them...

Racism will always be a factor in life, as long as people are different from each other. The fact that as a species we cannot overcome these base feelings and look at larger issues appals me. That we divide ourselves on lines as rediculous as color is just that, rediculous.

Let the Punks hate the Socialites, and so forth, I can understand this. They also look different. Men and women look different as well.

Henry Ford said that the hardest work is thinking. I think he was right. I also kind of think he was a facist... but at least he was white.

Oops. I didn't mean to post that three times. My internet messed up.

I am an upper-class, white Georgian. I am a member of a country club. By all rights and demographics, I should be Republican. I am not.

However, as someone who spends a good portion of their social life around many Southern, white Republicans and Democrats alike, I can say that I feel this article is 100% on target. It is at once horribly depressing and incredibly sobering. These people who are influenced by race are not imaginary demographics created by the media. They're not horrible baby-eating monsters, like people imagine when they hear the word "racist." They're normal people, who make up their minds just like everyone else. However, there's a subtle bump in their thought process that DOES consider race, and is turned off by Obama's darker skin.

It won't manifest as "I hate black people." It comes out when people say he "looks shifty," or they "just don't feel like he's one of them." Or some people might even have real reasons, like disagreeing with tax policies or energy goals. But if he were white, sometimes they might overcome that. For some people, the subconscious skin color factor is just enough to push them over into voting against him.

You can like McCain all you want, but even his supporters should be able to admit he's -not- an ideal candidate by any stretch of the imagination. The technological ineptitude, the hard-headedness on economics, etcetera. I'm not going to trot out his myriad of flaws as a GOP nominee here, because the article above lists them. It's a problem.

It isn't entirely racism, to be fair. There's a book I suggest many of you read called "What's the Matter With Kansas?" It's about how the Republican party convinces lower-middle class workers to vote AGAINST their economic interests, based on social issues. The Republicans are simply better at playing politics. Maybe the democrats are too much of the idealists too often. But here is a neat fact: You know those rural, die-hard red areas that claim to want smaller government, and less taxes? Federal dollars spent on aid, infrastructure improvement, assistance packages, and propping up failing school systems are overwhelmingly spent on Red areas. In fact, the more Red/conservative/republican the area, the more money it receives. An ironic correlation. It makes you worry about the American voter, that they can vote AGAINST their own best interests.

So no, you people need to get over the "Oh, Europeans like Obama, we should knee-jerk and not like him because we don't want Europeans to tell us what to do." or the "Obama might sort of be muslim?" or the "He's a socialist." You know what? Our 'fiscal conservatives" that we supposedly elected for 6 of the past eight years have done a miracle of running our economy into the ground. How many signs do you need?

He is making a far fatched argument that Obama will only lose because people who are voting for John McCain are racist regardless of other factors like experience,values,patriotism that make John McCain more atttractive candidate. Does the author believe Obama got the democratic nomination because he is black? Obama will lose the election not because of his skin color but becuase of his inexperience.

As I read Mr. Weisberg's essay, I was struck by the rhetoric that tries to once again play the race card nobody but the media is using. It seems, at least to Mr. Weiseberg, that if Mr. Obama loses the presidential election in November, it will be because of his race, and that somehow he is entitled to the higest office in the land, again because of his race. I for one am basing my vote on the most able and experienced candidate and I resent deeply the inferrence that if I don't vote for Mr. Obama, I am a racist. Shame on you Mr. Weisberg.

I find it interesting that Mr Weisberg points to Obama's skin color as a reason he may lose the election but then later uses his skin color as a reason to vote for him. Could it be if Obama loses in November it won't be because he's a person of color but it will be #1: because he's too Liberal and/or #2 because he has no experience? Whatever the reasons, people like Jacob Weisberg, no doubt, will blame racism.

Or maybe Obama will lose because Americans do not want a socialist as President and not because he is half black.Frankly , US citizens vote based on what they collectively think is the best person for President, not what Europe or the rest of the World think.

we all know that the liberal media, thats in the tank for oboma, will say that the reason oboma lost was because of race. no, no, it would be because of 1. liberal/leftist voting record 2. inexperience

but they'll say its because of race. just like when gore & kerry lost, they said it was because they didn't "get their msg out"....no, no, we heard the msg, and we didn't like it....sorry liberal media, thats the truth.

Classic Karl Rove tactics at work here.....All these Obama Celebrity ads the McCain campaign keeps trotting out, are meant for the Democratic base to get riled up, and push Obama to get angry at these non-issue commercials....Then the contrast of a Black man getting angry at a White War Hero will have been drawn, and the Repugs will milk that until the end of this election. Look for the McCain campaign to push McCain's ultimate 5 1/2 year sacrifice he made for the country he loves theme.

I completely disagree with this. I started out an Obama fan when I read "Dreams from My Father" 4 years ago. I am now not a fan because history has shown that prosperity flees high taxation. If his economic policies aligned with what I believe would make the United States prosperous, he would get my vote.

McCain is imperfect, to say the least, but his economic policies are more likely to help the country than Obama's current economic platform.

McCain uses Vietnam ordeal against jibes over wealth
REUTERS by Andrew Gray Aug. 25, 2008

BURBANK, California (Reuters) - John McCain, who often invokes his ordeal as a Vietnam war prisoner to show his devotion to his country as he runs for U.S. president, drew on the experience again on Monday -- this time to deflect sniping over the number of houses he owns.

McCain's Democratic rival Barack Obama last week accused the Republican senator of being out of touch with ordinary people after he was unable to say in an interview how many houses were owned by him and his wife Cindy, a wealthy heiress to a beer distributorship.

In an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, McCain, 71, said his priority was to keep Americans in their homes in tough economic times.

Then he recalled his Vietnam experience.
"I spent 5 1/2 years in a prison cell without -- I didn't have a house. I didn't have a kitchen table. I didn't have a table. I didn't have a chair," he said.
"I spent those 5 1/2 years ... not because I wanted to get a house when I got out."

U.S. HOUSING WOES
Rising energy prices and the faltering economy have become central issues in the race for the White House. The next president will inherit problems including a mortgage crisis that has cost many Americans their homes.

McCain said he was prepared to deal with that and sought to play down the controversy over his family's assets.

"I'm proud of my record of service to this country and it has nothing to do with houses. What it has to do with (is) putting Americans in houses and keeping them in their homes. And that's what I know how to do," he said to loud cheers from the studio audience.

On the show the Arizona senator listed four homes he and his wife have -- one in the Washington area, two in Arizona and one in California. Media reports and Democrats have said the couple have at least seven properties when investments are included.

McCain said he was proud of the way his wife's father had built up a large business after fighting in World War Two.

With the Democrats engaged in their convention in Denver this week that will formally nominate Obama and the Republicans due to meet next week, polls show the two candidates locked in a dead heat in the popular vote. McCain predicted a tight finish in the November 4 election

Obama's house in the affluent Chicago neighborhood of Hyde Park is worth more than $1.5 million, and he has made millions from the publication of two autobiographical books.

It does not matter win or lose the purpose of this presidential run is to acclimate people to a candidate of color, character and intelligence. By ,Whites will be the minority anyway so everyone should just get used to seeing more diversity in their candidates across the spectrum. It would be great if he wins though!

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An excellent article, Jacob. The more you know, the less you fear. The less you know, the more you fear. McCain's principal appeal is to people's fears.

In the "What Will the Neighbors Think" article, Jacob Weisberg makes an interesting but totally erroneous assessment.
He contends that if Obama wins, it is because he is a shining standard of excellence among all men...black and white, and ...if he loses it is completely because of his being only half white.
This has got to be the most absurd position I have heard in this whole distorted election process. But it did succeed in giving me some great laughs.
There are a couple of outstanding facts that Weisberg should think about before he writes his next article. The first being Obama classifies himself as black. He had two parents of different races and could rightfully claim either...he claims the black half with which to identify. Using Weisberg logic, if white folks refuse to vote for a black man then black people will refuse to vote for Obama because his mother was white. Absurd logic Weisberg...absolutely laughable.
The next major issue not mentioned is Obama's liberal positions and his liberal voting record.
As for me and my friends we don't care if the candidate is green with purple polka dots and 150 years old; we will vote for the candidate that best aligns with our own personal ideals and beliefs about what is best for our country.
Obama's problem, Mr. Weisberg, is not the color of his skin; it's the far left ideology and radical issues with which he agrees. Your article shows your fear that Obama can't win on issues...it shows you are trying to force people to vote for a man they can't identify with because you pulled the race card. I think you're going to have a tough time shaming people into voting for a man who does not share their values and principles.
As for me, they say laughter is great for the health, so Mr. Weisberg, I'll be waiting for your next article to appear.

In the "What Will the Neighbors Think" article, Jacob Weisberg makes an interesting but totally erroneous assessment.
He contends that if Obama wins, it is because he is a shining standard of excellence among all men...black and white, and ...if he loses it is completely because of his being only half white.
This has got to be the most absurd position I have heard in this whole distorted election process. But it did succeed in giving me some great laughs.
There are a couple of outstanding facts that Weisberg should think about before he writes his next article. The first being Obama classifies himself as black. He had two parents of different races and could rightfully claim either...he claims the black half with which to identify. Using Weisberg logic, if white folks refuse to vote for a black man then black people will refuse to vote for Obama because his mother was white. Absurd logic Weisberg...absolutely laughable.
The next major issue not mentioned is Obama's liberal positions and his liberal voting record.
As for me and my friends we don't care if the candidate is green with purple polka dots and 150 years old; we will vote for the candidate that best aligns with our own personal ideals and beliefs about what is best for our country.
Obama's problem, Mr. Weisberg, is not the color of his skin; it's the far left ideology and radical issues with which he agrees. Your article shows your fear that Obama can't win on issues...it shows you are trying to force people to vote for a man they can't identify with because you pulled the race card. I think you're going to have a tough time shaming people into voting for a man who does not share their values and principles.
As for me, they say laughter is great for the health, so Mr. Weisberg, I'll be waiting for your next article to appear.

Issues of racial discomfort aside, Weisberg's bottom line is that Obama represents an opportunity for us to elect a leader who understands the challenges facing our country, and has the 21st century worldview to address them. If we were to elect McCain, who so obviously represents a continuation of the Bush/Cheney worldview, it would be the definition of stupidity (doing the same thing and expecting a different result.) It's like that old saying about fooling me once -- but the third time would be shame on U.S.

The only racism being exhibited here is that of Jacob Weisberg. He apparently believes that Barack Obama should become our President "for a simple reason: the color of his skin." He won't even allow that there are those of us who disagree with his policies or object to his slender résumé. I look forward to the day that a black American represents this country as our President, and I will gladly and proudly cast my vote accordingly. However, that person will only get my vote if he or she also represents my values.

By the way, I don???t give a hoot what the neighbors think, and believe you me, as an American, I would never, EVER cast a vote in order to please (or appease) any other nation.