Comments on: The mammy vote http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/ Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:50:32 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Susan http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-12325 Susan Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:18:09 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/#comment-12325 Lacewell's commentary is ridiculous. If Obama were not in the race, she would have been leading the charge for Hillary. Instead of just admitting that she preferred Obama, she feelt the need to demonize Hillary because a strong debate on the issues was not to Obama's advantage. Instead she diverted the subject to Scarlett and Mammy. Newsflash: Hillary is not Scarlett and black voters are not Mammy. This is not political discourse. This is tantrum throwing. Where are the important discussions about healthcare and the economy? Where is Cornell West! To Carlos Vasquez: The whole Latinos are "racist" meme was just the media projecting its own history of race onto Latinos. If you look at the exit polls by state, Obama lost the white vote, and not just in the South. (See link below.) But the media don't report that. Latinos pushed him over the top in states like Florida and New Mexico, but also in unexpected places like Virginia and North Carolina. Bottom line: white liberals and blacks do not make up a big enough voting bloc to win Presidential elections. Latinos were integral to Obama's win, and will probably be integral to his reelection. Let's see if he delivers. http://www.slate.com/id/2204464/sidebar/2204528/ Lacewell’s commentary is ridiculous. If Obama were not in the race, she would have been leading the charge for Hillary. Instead of just admitting that she preferred Obama, she feelt the need to demonize Hillary because a strong debate on the issues was not to Obama’s advantage. Instead she diverted the subject to Scarlett and Mammy. Newsflash: Hillary is not Scarlett and black voters are not Mammy. This is not political discourse. This is tantrum throwing. Where are the important discussions about healthcare and the economy? Where is Cornell West!

To Carlos Vasquez: The whole Latinos are “racist” meme was just the media projecting its own history of race onto Latinos. If you look at the exit polls by state, Obama lost the white vote, and not just in the South. (See link below.) But the media don’t report that. Latinos pushed him over the top in states like Florida and New Mexico, but also in unexpected places like Virginia and North Carolina. Bottom line: white liberals and blacks do not make up a big enough voting bloc to win Presidential elections. Latinos were integral to Obama’s win, and will probably be integral to his reelection. Let’s see if he delivers.

http://www.slate.com/id/2204464/sidebar/2204528/

]]> By: CarlosVasquez http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-6411 CarlosVasquez Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:22:27 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/#comment-6411 Of course, it’s not just black women. Race the gender are infused into the analyses of the voting patterns of almost all demographic groups. Perhaps that’s one reason this is such a fascinating race. Race and gender are always simmering just beneath the surface. I think it was Chris Matthews who was speculating about why lesser-educated voters preferred Hillary and he let it slip out that it was because they were more likely to be racist. Perhaps it’s true, but it was stated without a shred of evidence. Then there are the Latinos, whom the mainstream press quietly assumes are anti-black. It’s usually stated that Latinos are strong supporters of Hillary. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. From a statistical perspective, there’s no doubt that race and gender are major factors in the choice of candidate across the board. Blacks are voting for Obama over Clinton in extraordinary numbers. However, lest we forget, previous black candidates for president never garnered numbers like this from black voters. It’s not just that Obama is black. It’s not just that he is viable. It is because he is extraordinary. If we assume that there is a certain amount of racism in whites and Latinos against Obama, imagine the kind of numbers he would be getting if he were white! Of course, it’s not just black women. Race the gender are infused into the analyses of the voting patterns of almost all demographic groups. Perhaps that’s one reason this is such a fascinating race. Race and gender are always simmering just beneath the surface. I think it was Chris Matthews who was speculating about why lesser-educated voters preferred Hillary and he let it slip out that it was because they were more likely to be racist. Perhaps it’s true, but it was stated without a shred of evidence. Then there are the Latinos, whom the mainstream press quietly assumes are anti-black. It’s usually stated that Latinos are strong supporters of Hillary. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

From a statistical perspective, there’s no doubt that race and gender are major factors in the choice of candidate across the board. Blacks are voting for Obama over Clinton in extraordinary numbers. However, lest we forget, previous black candidates for president never garnered numbers like this from black voters. It’s not just that Obama is black. It’s not just that he is viable. It is because he is extraordinary. If we assume that there is a certain amount of racism in whites and Latinos against Obama, imagine the kind of numbers he would be getting if he were white!

]]> By: john tomasic http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-6403 john tomasic Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:16:27 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/#comment-6403 Yeah-ya! There <strong>is</strong> that in the heart of the argument and probably part of the reason why it hasn't been stated so baldly elsewhere! But I think also implicit is that, according to the logic of the mainstream analysis, black women who choose to vote for Clinton have moved beyond racial politics— maybe only as far as gender politics but still somehowe moved beyond. Whereas black women who choose to vote for Obama are viewed as merely considering race. I like how strongly Lacewell makes the point that for black women in particular, perhaps, the two issues are intertwined and have to do with issues of power and history, especially in a figure like Hillary.... ?! Yeah-ya! There is that in the heart of the argument and probably part of the reason why it hasn’t been stated so baldly elsewhere! But I think also implicit is that, according to the logic of the mainstream analysis, black women who choose to vote for Clinton have moved beyond racial politics— maybe only as far as gender politics but still somehowe moved beyond. Whereas black women who choose to vote for Obama are viewed as merely considering race. I like how strongly Lacewell makes the point that for black women in particular, perhaps, the two issues are intertwined and have to do with issues of power and history, especially in a figure like Hillary…. ?!

]]> By: fishman http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/comment-page-1/#comment-6402 fishman Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:41:59 +0000 http://www.popandpolitics.com/2008/02/12/the-mammy-vote/#comment-6402 Lacewell's article in quite interesting. The only thing that concerns me is her unstated implications about those African American women who ARE voting for Clinton. She writes: "But those who claim that black women are ignoring gender issues by voting for Barack just don't get it. Hillary cannot have black women's allegiance for free. Black women will not be relegated to the status of supportive Mammy, easing the way for privileged white women to enter the halls of power." Her well taken points about the over-simplification by the media in their analysis of the Black female vote notwithstanding, one can only the conclusion that she feels those who support Clinton are unwittingly placing themselves in a subservient position by assisting a privileged white woman to attain the Presidency. This seems to dismiss out of hand the notion that some African American women might be think that Clinton may be best able to end the war, expand health insurance, improve schools, etc. Lacewell’s article in quite interesting. The only thing that concerns me is her unstated implications about those African American women who ARE voting for Clinton. She writes:

“But those who claim that black women are ignoring gender issues by voting for Barack just don’t get it. Hillary cannot have black women’s allegiance for free. Black women will not be relegated to the status of supportive Mammy, easing the way for privileged white women to enter the halls of power.”

Her well taken points about the over-simplification by the media in their analysis of the Black female vote notwithstanding, one can only the conclusion that she feels those who support Clinton are unwittingly placing themselves in a subservient position by assisting a privileged white woman to attain the Presidency. This seems to dismiss out of hand the notion that some African American women might be think that Clinton may be best able to end the war, expand health insurance, improve schools, etc.

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