The election will bring to the surface the misogyny and racism that still exists in this country.

[trumad]

We've seen it bubbling to the surface the last couple of years and it is starting to overflow with announcement of Hillary and Obama running for President. It will be blatant and shocking and will leave us dismayed at how far we've fallen with those issues.

Be prepared to be disgusted quite often in the next couple of years.

[Joanne98]

1. I think you're right...

[mike_c]

2. while I suspect that you're right I do hope that folks can recognize the differences...

...between genuine misogyny, racism, and political disagreement. Keep in mind that opposition to Hillary Clinton is not necessarily misogyny-- there are lots of better qualified female politicians out there. Likewise, some will oppose Barak Obama because they disagree with his stands on issues that are important to them, not because of his race.

But yes, I think you're right-- we're going to be hearing the roar of collective knee-jerking a lot in the coming campaign.

[salin]

3. ya think it 'will start'? I think it already has.

[TahitiNut]

4. Clearly, people who support Obama will be called misogynists and ...

... people who support Hillary will be called racists. What to do? What to do? Woe is us! Which molehill of self-righteouness is one to climb?

[mike_c]

18. best. response. today.

:rofl:

[TahitiNut]

22. "Short people got no reason to ..."

"... run." (A DLC update of Randy Newman's song parody.) :evilgrin:

[omega minimo]

30. Smug white males are already on top

of "molehills of self-righteouness" :hi:

[JackBeck]

33. best. response. today. n/t

[shadowknows69]

34. I'm probably voting for neither of them

so call me what you will. both I suppose? :eyes:

[hiaasenrocks]

38. Wait for it.... (n/t)

[undeterred]

5. Translation: Republicans will float to the top of the mess

[Jackpine Radical]

6. I keep telling myself that the only voters who would be swayed

by racist or sexist factors are people whose votes won't matter anyway.

Then I regain my perspective & realize I just got caught up in Progressive Delusion #227.

Yeah, you're right, Trumad. A sizable majority of Americans say it doesn't matter, but in the privacy of the voting booth, all the fakery falls away.

[trumad]

10. I think---no I hope that this country will rise above it...

[etherealtruth]

7. There's no doubt about it

The racist and sexist attacks against their candidacy have already begun (No, I am not implying that everyone that takes issue with them is a racist or a sexist ... but, we all know they're there) ... I shudder to think what it will be like as we approach the elections and passions are really inflamed.

[BlooInBloo]

8. Damn that racisism!!!! lololol

[trumad]

20. WOW! A sweet little spell Nazi has entered my thread.

Ha Ha...

[skipos]

If Richardson is able to crack into the "top tier" with HRC, Obama and Edwards

prepare for even more ugliness.

[BlooInBloo]

9. It's not racism/sexism if white folks/men refuse to acknowledge it....

... since they're the ones who get to decide, naturally.

[Madspirit]

11. "... since they're the ones who get to decide, naturally."

Right On!! You nailed it.
Lee

[brazos121200]

12. The Repubs will make SURE thet these issues are brought to the

surface, you can be sure of that. Of course, they will not be brought up by good, upstanding Repub politicians or citizens, it will be brought up by third party groups such as the swift boaters. The politicians of course will decry such actions, meanwhile wryly smiling in private that such things should go on in America. If Hillary or Obama or any other member of a minority gets the nomination the Repubs will make sure that every prejudiced individual in the country will get to the polls and vote against these 'libruls', in fact,it's already started. Rednecks here in Texas are champing at the bits to go and vote against either Hillary or Obama, they can't wait.

[Deja Q]

13. I like Obama. Hillary is an iffy... but in the end the Dems need to think for themselves.

In 2004, somebody else decided for the Party to throw in Kerry for whatever drugged-up trippy reason and the debates proved once and for all he was disingenuous. You don't tell people "You'll NEVER become a millionaire". We already know the chances are infinitesimal, but that's not the point.

And the fact Kerry couldn't respond to ANY of the "flip-flopper" accusations clinched it. Bush had no right to make half those statements as stuff's out there that renders him a flipper as well! (Nor did Kerry capitalize on those, which only adds to my belief he was disingenuous...)

Point being, in 2004 Kerry - who was just about last place managed to skyrocket to the top in a oddly short period of time. Few questioned the nuances of this paradigm shift.

When something works, you keep using it.

Ergo, Election 2008 will indeed be a popcorn-fest. Let's not get fat and fatigued by eating too much popcorn and falling asleep at just the wrong moment.

The media should not be picking our candidates.

[jpak]

14. Ayyyuh

n/t

[hiaasenrocks]

15. It will also bring to the surface a hyper-PC attitude among some.

It is possible to not vote for Clinton or Obama and not be called a racist or a misogynist, isn't it? Please? Do we still have some freedom of thought?

My top two candidates are Biden (because of his being a central, knowledgeable leader against the Iraq war) and Gore (because of his depth of experience, his anti-war stance and his strong environmental record).

I guess I might be seen as a racist, woman-hating pig in the minds of some folks. And if someone makes that determination about me...oh well, tough shit, I don't care. They can believe whatever their feeble minds demand. Intelligent people can debate honestly without resorting to hysteria about racism and sexism.

:hi:

[BlooInBloo]

17. roflmao!

[trumad]

19. Jesus Christ...

There's always one---or maybe two in a thread that will take an Op and make it personal. I'm not talking about you and what your political opinions about Hill and Obama are--- I'm talking about the O'Reilly's and Kristols of the world.

Are you not clever enough to get that?

On Edit: I forgot to add an S to Kristols name and thought I should change it before BlooInBloo pulls his Nazi Spell check guide out of his hip pocket.

[hiaasenrocks]

24. LOL

With some of the specious claims of racism and misogyny I've seen on DU, I'm starting to lump them all the vague ones together in the bullshit file.

The sad thing is that blanket accusations (or poorly stated, vague ones like yours) the legitimate examples suffer.

Carry on.

[trumad]

32. It's only vague to knee jerk flamers

who have a great deal of trouble comprehending the subject at hand.

[hiaasenrocks]

37. Nah. It's the OP's responsibility to clearly state their position/meaning.

It's not my responsibility to dissect bad writing and ascribe an unstated meaning to it.

I'm sure we'll come to no agreement on this matter, so I'll simply stand by my original response and the ones that followed.

[salin]

21. I don't think it is a choice of candidate that brings out the charges

of racism or misogyny - it is the way of putting down other candidates, or dismissing comments made by candidates that are tinged with one or the others as not being offensive - that leads to the charges.

Those who like Biden -but didn't feel the need to dismiss others who had concerns and negative reactions per the "bright and articulate" statement - aren't condemned for liking Biden. However those defending Biden, who are dismissive of the reasons that some folks bring to the conversation about why/how that phrase is received by others - do leave themselves open to some criticism per that dismissiveness.

[hiaasenrocks]

26. The OP didn't explain it very well.

That's probably part of the problem here.

That, and the fact that I've already had an experience with the knee-jerk reaction.

Example:

I'm on a mailing list of about 100 people. Just an informal political e-mail discussion, comprised of friends and their friends and so on. Someone raises the topic of the Obama candidacy, and asks others for opinions. I say that I have yet to see anything that interests me, and that my two candidates at this time are Biden and Gore, and I gave the same reasons (in more detail) that I gave in the post above.

The response I get: "Are you white?"

Now, why do you think someone would ask me that? Race was never an issue. The person posing the question didn't mention it, and I didn't mention it in my response. The person who e-mailed that question is an avid Obama supporter and after a few back-and-forth e-mails, this person finally apologizes and admits that she believes people are against him because he's black. That's it. That's the depth of her political thinking. Black/white, racist/non-racist. It's pathetically shallow and stupid.

[Katherine Brengle]

28. Biden voted Yes on the IRW.

:puke:

:eyes:

[hiaasenrocks]

36. I don't think anyone is disputing that.

What's funny is to listen to Obama supporters touting his anti-war stance as somehow pure. He's voted to fund it. He's in the loop, too. The question now is how to get out. Biden's the best hope to answer this.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[derby378]

23. Most gun owners won't give a damn about race or skin color...

...they'll only care whether or not their candidate is friendly to Second Amendment issues. I don't have the luxury of being a single-issue voter (I'm a Democrat, y'know), but gun rights are a big thing with me.

[VelmaD]

25. Bring to the surface?

That's funny. :rofl:

I was under the impression that it was mostly still right out there in the open where anyone could see it.

But I think I understand the point you're making. It's going to get uglier.

[omega minimo]

27. On the bright side, nuclear and/or environmental annihilation

(avoiding those) will help us realize our common humanity! :thumbsup:

[Clark2008]

29. I've been saying that for weeks, trumad.

And, yet, some people - many here - tell me I'm mistaken or that I'm being somehow racist or misgoynic.

They must live in cocoons.

[demrabble]

31. Also The Religious Triumphialism That Exists

This next election will also cause the religious triumphialism that exists in this country to ooze and seep to the surface.

We've already seen some of it when people refer to Sen. Obama's middle name.

[AspenRose]

40. Or that he (Obama) isn't the "right kind of Christian."

Yep.

[SoCalDem]

35. "...how far we've fallen..."

I maintain that we never really got "above it". As a society, we just shoved it all under the rug for half a century. And now somebody's about to shake that rug, and expose the piles of hate we have been hiding there.

Women in the workforce (women's lib) has always been made fun of by the powers that be..

Minorities are "tolerated" as long as they are grateful enough for the largesse extended to them (stay in their own "new" place)

There are no more signs that say "white land-owning men only" or "colored" or "gals"..but the signs are etched into our collective psyche, and aren't really even needed..

All that's needed is a "look..a word" from the "ones in the know", and that invisible code might as well be written in the sky..

[Chantico]

39. Already on the surface, perhaps you meant:

Volcanic Eruptions of unadultered vehement misogyny and racism?

Actually, I find the level of misogyny and racism and other "isms" ad nauseum to be in full supply on liberal message boards.

Not enough hatred of "other" I say. Maybe there needs to be a good South bashing thread just to remind us we're a big tent?

:sarcasm:

[depakid]

41. I just said that to someone on Friday

I don't think there's any question about that... or that the corporate media will play along.