It might be seen as patronizing, but I'm grateful for African Americans support of Democrats

[CreekDog]

Their overwhelmingly reliable and patient support of the Democratic Party has made the party better, has made the party do many things that have improved the USA, for all people, including white, male working folks like myself.

Credit where credit is due.

I don't mean this as a racial stereotype, but it seems like voters who belong to groups that have endured wrongs on the basis of things that they cannot change (their race, national origin, religious background for example) have voted most reliably for things that help all of us. It sure seems like the people who have gotten more from this society are much stingier when it comes to voting to make sure that all receive the benefits.

I just feel this needs to be said because the last few months have minimized or discounted this critical community's support of the party.

The other night while listening to Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech that his dream made my life better and opened doors everywhere for people to participate in this society. I've recently thought that as a nation we didn't earn or deserve to have benefitted so much from a man who this nation mistreated so badly and yet we did.

When I look at it this way, it makes me think that when this nation takes the risk and votes to make this nation freer and fairer that we don't need to be afraid that the result will be worth the risk. Our whole history says that the reward is always greater. So when we take a chance that people will vote for the better candidate and enough of us will stand with him and not be distracted by his race --imagine what good can come from that.

My two cents for what it's worth.

[BlooInBloo]

1. You should see what Clinton supporter websites say about black folks.

[CreekDog]

3. in January I *nearly* bought into the logic that Obama couldn't win

because other people would hold his race against him.

but I couldn't in good conscience vote against him on the basis that *other* people would not support him because of his race. it's like not hiring a black salesperson or spokesperson because your customers won't accept it. in a way, that would be worse, because in this case, *I* know that is wrong.

so I voted for the best candidate, Barack.

when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act, he said, "We have lost the South for a generation" and the most consummate politician of politicians DID IT ANYWAY!

he was right. we are right.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Yup. They will hold - and ARE holding his race against him.... Thing is....

that's what THEY do. Doesn't mean we have to do the same.

[CreekDog]

6. i'm a pragmatic voter, but i have never felt so good as when I voted for Obama

I have never sent my absentee ballot in as early as I did for him (I always hold out in case I have to change my mind) except this time.

I really felt like I chose my quite rational hopes over my fears.

These past few weeks have been really tough, to be scared that it could slip away, that *hope* was a fallacy or a bad word. But I finally just thought about it and reminded myself:

If this nation is going to be the kind of nation I'm voting for it to be, then I have to believe my hope is not misplaced.

And if this nation is not going to be that kind of nation, a cunning pragmatist like Hillary Clinton cannot overcome a nation that's given up on hope.

And I also thought about how FDR said, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself" and how hope is how you begin to solve our problems. Hope IS the pragmatic thing to do because it takes courage to risk change.

[BlooInBloo]

7. Hope is just NOT the opposite of pragmatism.

[CreekDog]

11. this is the year I realized exactly what you just said

it took a long time.

on my 30th birthday, 12/12/2000, i stopped being an idealist when the Supreme Court decided our election. i didn't think i could ever phone bank again and say, "your vote counts" as I had said numerous times volunteering for Gore/Dems here in Northern California.

i think i'm getting my idealism back.

[BlooInBloo]

12. :) Be a pragmatic idealist. Or an idealistic pragmatist. See? You have *2* choices!

:rofl:

[CreekDog]

16. What would Yoda say?

Hope, the most shrewd thing to do, it is.

[cboy4]

9. Who cares about what they say? How do you know they're

not Republican infiltrators?

Now then, how about you stick to DU and tell us what Clinton supporters say about black folks here.

Oh yea, you can't find anything, ha BlooInBloo?

[newmajority]

18. A major racist Hillbot got 'stoned earlier today.

In accordance with DU rules, I won't mention her name, but her every post dripped with the kind of venom that Ann Coulter would only dream of.

[cboy4]

19. Actually, one of your Obama fan colleagues posted

the name -- even started a thread about it.

But that was someone very new.

You don't want me to start talking about all of the venom-dripping, race-baiting newbie trolls who on your side....do you newmajority?

Of course you don't.

[LVjinx]

10. Obama has essentially won. Comments like this serve no useful purpose.

Unless making Democrats angry at each other is a useful purpose!

Obama and his supporters need to reach out to Clinton supporters. Many Clinton supporters are bitter about how this campaign has proceeded. A gracious victory, and an outstretched welcoming hand, will take some of that sting away.

Now is not the time to try to promote more anger and divisiveness.

[CreekDog]

14. we didn't start the divisiveness and it's not stopping by our ignoring it

if anything the backlash against the racial tactics used so insidiously over the past few months have pierced the conscience of many and spurred them to listen to their better angels in response.

it is appropriate to be divisive when you are dividing against people who are using race against our candidate, or against any person for that matter.

[knixphan]

22. I agree - those Hill-shill sites are downright bigot-friendly...

[roguevalley]

31. I know. I have. I am glad our party is a rainbow of colors and

ideas. that is what makes us dems and I love it.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. I drop down on my knees in gratitude before African American voters.

They didn't have to support Obama. But they did.

It's time for the white people of this country to grow up and realize that we don't deserve the reins of power just because of our skin color.

[CreekDog]

5. Americans are lucky that despite mistreatment

that so many of the mistreated work hard to make our nation better.

If only more of America's lucky ones acknowledged this.

[TheDonkey]

8. k&r, well said.

[Renaissance Man]

13. CreekDog, you rock!

Just to add to your OP, the reason why African-Americans have always supported the Democratic Party (since the institution of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts), is because the community (notwitshtanding the 8% - 10% that have embraced the bigots in the GOP) has always been Progressive, and left leaning.

There are a good number within our community who are wealthy and upper middle-class (and a lot of people tend to forget this) that could reasonably benefit from a Republican platform (low taxes -- if we were selfish), but many of us choose to continue to vote Progressive, because if America doesn't progress (and that extends to something outside of our community), then we don't progress. Period. Whether or not you are white, working class living in rural America or an African-American living in substandard conditions in urban America, the problems are pretty much the same, and we face a common threat -- corporations that like to pit us against each other.

I am a law student, and I came from an upper-middle class family, but that doesn't mean that I take any of my privilege for granted. When Senator Obama talks about extending broadband lines to rural America, that makes me excited because he wants to tackle common problems in both inner city and rural America.

Our dreams don't come at the expense of each other.

You rock! K&R

[CreekDog]

15. well said, of course

when i was in high school in 1988, i remember hearing from relatives that Jesse Jackson would "only help the blacks" and I heard that again and again. back then, I was a big fan of Reagan and the Republicans and yet I remember stopping to watch Jackson's speech to the convention and as he recounted the nation's challenges and intoned, "I understand", I thought, "he wants to help all of us, he really does" and I realized how unfairly his candidacy had been treated (yes, he had his flaws of course), but we know that he didn't lose because of his flaws --he lost because of misconceptions related to his race.

i only realized that when i saw him speak to the convention. that was the slow beginning of me questioning the rightness of things I heard about my country.

i remember it like it was yesterday.

[Cha]

17. "patronizing"? Heck no...

I'm grateful too..we're all in this together. I don't care what color we are. There's the low information voters and there's those who don't want bush in a pantsuit.

[newmajority]

20. I'm grateful for all of the "usual suspects" who have voted for Democrats.

African Americans. LGBT people. Jews. Women. The working class. Liberals. Even sane moderates.

All of whom have stuck with this party despite being thrown under the DLC bus at one point or another over the last two decades.

Well, we won tonight.

We ALL won. Whether you realize it yet or not. And we ARE all in this together.

We have a chance to change the fucked up direction of this country, and a President who every instinct I have tells me will listen to us.

Change from the bottom up, as Obama says. We define the change. Those who WE send to represent us had better act on it.

Or next time, they will be rejected like the DLC status quo.

[truth please]

21. As an African-American I have really benefited from

the Bush tax policies. Since Bush has been in office I get back more money than I ever did under the Democrat's. I continue to vote Democratic for the same reasons that Barack and Michelle do, caring for the poor. I could be selfish and join the Republican party but I could not look at myself in the same manner if I didn't do my best to help others. That's the message Barack brings to this election, the kind of message that should touch hearts. That's if you have one.

[knixphan]

23. There ya go.

Because we know that the ability to create personal wealth comes in part from access to the commons. Many of the Bushies seem to forget this when it's time to throw the tax burden on those beneath them...

[Renaissance Man]

24. Kicked!

Again...

[VotesForWomen]

25. apparently they'll only support *white* democrats when there isn't a black democrat running. nt

[nomorenomore08]

26. Well, up until now they've essentially only had white candidates to choose from.

And now that there's a choice who ISN'T white, some people think it's SOOO unfair that he's actually getting the AA vote. The lack of proportion and perspective is astounding.

[CreekDog]

32. holy cow

you just smeared an entire race of Americans.

[Justitia]

27. Working w/the AA constituency in my neighborhood for Obama was eye-opening.

They endured some of the most vile shit you can imagine and didn't flinch or budge.
I don't know if I could have withstood some of it, & I think I'm pretty tough.

When it came time to caucus, my AA Obama compatriots tenaciously hung on, longer than anyone else.
When our caucus stretched to 12 hrs I asked if everyone was ok staying and one woman said
"Sister, it took me this long to get here, do you think I'm going somewhere now?" LOL

Our elected state delegate is a handicapped black woman in a wheelchair. I cannot tell you the access hardships she endured during all the various processes, all cheerfully and with a smile - even when she was getting the crap kicked out of her chair in the crowds.
She attended EVERY SINGLE TRAINING SESSION, in various locations, all over town and on her own (& she was the only one to do every one of them).

At the end of the caucus night, she & I were the very last to leave.
It is so good to have such dedicated Democrats on our side and it very nearly made me weep w/gratitude.

[democracy1st]

28. I look forward to working with you this fall creekdog

between the election and football this will be one hell of a year

[barack the house]

29. K&R

[barack the house]

30. K&R