"But is racism even what the public wants to focus on right now?
This could bring a backlash. Similarly, I don't think it's good for Obama to become the candidate of racism.
I'm not even sure the Richardson endorsement is all that good, esp. if people start seeing him as VEEP. The party might split itself along the lines of minority groups aligned on one side with all the whites on the other?"
For most, of course it isn't. but obama didn't introduce the topic. and if fellow dems hadn't now, it would have been later by non-dems.
as to your last para, that would be a sad thought, and rather painting all whites in a catagory who would split off. perhaps i am ever too hopeful, but i dont think that would happen, unless perhaps enough fermenting was done. but...
as to 'racism' being the topic, or a topic... i have been rereading MLK Jr speeches tonight, focusing on the times he draws the relationship between poor whites (especially southern) and blacks, and that they are actually natural allies, split apart by naitivity of those whites (and blacks) who were swayed by the invective that keeps them both down to the benefit of... none other than big business. is there still not truth in that? i have heard over and over these last few days not talk of whites in general on the news shows but of 'working class whites'... oh, how those stupid poor whites will react and lash against obama now. but them non-poor whites with education will not? same old game all these years later. one thing i liked best in obama's speech was his reaching out and beginning to make the same connections MLK Jr worked to make, and to show it is the people, black/white/brown/etc, who need healthcare, whose jobs are going overseas, who work 50 hour weeks at back-breaking jobs for a pittance while the boss rolls in luxury, the veterans returning (of whom such a large portion, again regardless of race, come from the lower class) from war yet are shunted aside, etc etc etc. who have a stake in this together. and the middle-class does now, also. they are being driven to extinction.
there is a reason many will try to make this election about race, imo, and hope that them 'ignorant' working-class whites fall for it again and get angry at the black man, who is angry at the white man, who is angry at the brown man, and so on and so on... when all of them are struggling towards the same goals, and all of them have a govt. who has been disregarding them and big bizness that wants profits and, in general, could care less how any of them lil workers are faring, again regardless of race. |
