Reply #6: Yeah, I'm concerned too, I have been for months

[zalinda]

I don't see the enlightened electorate either. Maybe if it was just young kids who voted, it would happen. But, there is still too much prejudice still left in the older folks. There are more over 50 crowd voting than under 30 crowd, and while the prejudice may be not as blatant here in the northeast, it certainly is still around. You can see it by the looks, when no one thinks that they are being noticed. I live in an urban area, around a college and it is progressive, but not as progressive as one might think. A couple next door didn't get their lease renewed, because "the house was being sold". Later, when talking to the owner, I found out it was because they thought they were selling drugs. Yeah, the interracial couple were very friendly to the neighbors who were walking down the street and knew just about everyone. And, yes, during the summer the porch would end up with about 8 or so people on it yakking away. But selling drugs, no. If it had been a white couple, the landlord would have just thought they were being friendly.

And, in Arkansas, my sister works at a local convenience store. The stories that went around about the hurricane survivors were just awful. My sister who wants to vote for Hillary, repeated these stories as if they were the gospel truth. Would she vote for Obama, no, she would stay home.

And you have a lot of people who wouldn't vote for a woman either, my mom won't. She has a visceral hatred for the Clintons and would never vote for either of them.

It took me a long time to get to my support for Edwards. I looked at all the candidates, and pragmatically, he was the only one that I thought would be able to win. And, to be honest, if Biden, Dodd or Richardson really had a chance, I think they could win as well. Richardson, only because he doesn't look hispanic and his name isn't hispanic sounding. Kucinich would never win the general, he would be thought of as the nerd at school that every one made fun of and no one respected. Yes, I know it's the pits, he should be listened to, but he would never get the chance.

Our country is scared, and they don't want to rock the boat. I knew Kerry was going to have a difficult time unless he produced a landslide, it didn't happen. And, no matter how badly Bush has screwed this country, the electorate is not going to give it to a woman or a black guy, especially with all the baggage (she's disliked/hated by way too many people, and he has the name muslim thing hanging over him) that they bring to the general election.

If you think that the electorate is above this sort of thing, you need to watch Jay Leno's man on the street to see the plain stupidity or lack of interest of people out there.

zalinda