Is racism a factor in the 2012 US Presidential election?

There is a good 35% of the population that’s been in a frustrated apoplexy sine January of 2009. It started with Rick Santelli and it flourished as the Tea Party. There has been a thin veneer over the blatant racism of the Republicans, the birthers, and the Tea Party for four years.

And this year they just feel a lot more comfortable expressing it.

Here are a couple of beliefs held by Republicans I know very well.

1) Obama is an affirmative-action hire. His secret college transcripts hide his mediocrity and people just voted for him because they wanted to seem “cool”.

2) Obama is a racist for marrying a black woman. Successful black men always go for white women. Obama chose Michelle only because it was “politically correct” and earns him votes from white liberals.

Yes, these arguments are ridiculous to a normal person.

But no kidding, I had to endure lengthy discussions about this nonsense.

Those are just my first-hand stories. From upper-middle class voters in a very Blue state.

Racism is alive and well in the United States, it’s just a little more subtle and doesn’t walk around with a sign that says Whites Only.

No, it’s not a factor. And John Sununu wasn’t serious when he said Collin Powell only endorsed Obama because they’re both black.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

@Adirondackwannabe
”And John Sununu wasn’t serious when he said Collin Powell only endorsed Obama because they’re both black.”
The cons on sodahead certainly are serious when they say that. In fact, they say that about all blacks who vote for Obama. And of course only if you vote for Romney are you a non-racist black.
So of course racism is a factor in the elections.
The entire birther nonsense is nothing but.

The biggest factor in all politics is ego. Not denying closet racism exists, but…c’mon….it’s ALL about who postures the best, Stupid puffed up birds they are.
@bkcunningham LOL…perfect!

Thank you, @Coloma. I’m proud you “got” it.

all those that have falsely attacked republicans as raciest, need to give equal credit to the democrats who are feeding at the same trough, starting with Obuma

@DrBill, I have to ask if you read the details to this question and the articles linked to it?

Poor capitalization, misspellings… hard to take seriously.

I think race is a straw man. These people hate Obama because he isn’t a batshit extremist Conservative, and are just tacking race on as an afterthought.

@jerv, I wish it were that simple. The AP study suggests otherwise that racism is quite real.

@DrBill What racism are you speaking of? What trough? The Democrats have not called out any imaginary racism, it’s pretty much out there. Are you saying Sarah Palin’s remark was not race tinged? Donald Trump’s birther statements? Orly Taitz’s four years of continuous lawsuits? Repeated Republican “oh it’s just a joke, they’re so sensitive” pictures of watermelons and white face Obama caricatures and monkey references?

Racism is alive and well and living in Red states, and evident in blue states too.

@Hawaii_Jake

majority of Americans express “explicit anti-black views” — even if they don’t realize their prejudices. The poll showed 51 percent of Americans expressed such views — up from 48 percent before Obama took office

yes, I read it, my comment was more aimed at the few who took the opportunity to wage an attack rather than address the question. Unfortunately racism is alive and well in this country, and will remain rampant until it is no longer promoted by everyone.

@zenvelo

I speak of the same racism you are, except I am aware that because a person is racist, it does not make them republican. They could just as easy be democrat or independent, or green, or any other group. A racist is a racist, period.

Thank you, @DrBill. I was just checking. You are correct. Racism knows no political allegiance as the AP study rightly points out.

If you’re white, and you aren’t racist, then you will vote for Obama. If you are racist, you’ll vote for the white guy, no matter what he stands for.

There. I said it.

Racism is a factor in every election. Why would it be any different today?

@wundayatta

That is the most prejudiced statement I’ve heard in a long time.

Yup. Yes, it is.

In eeh-merry-ka pockets of racist neanderthals surely exist, but that’s no different right across the globe, sadly.

@DrBill I know, right? I learned from the best. Copied the conservatives. Just reversed the names. Pretty clever, huh? ;-)

Racism is very real in the United States, despite the fact that overt racism was outlawed in the 60’s. The right-wing conservative Republicans & the Tea Party members are very racist & Congress vowed early on (after Obama was elected) to get him out of office no matter what they had to do. They display their racism by overt actions against undocumented immigrants & their minions (the various Law Enforcement agencies) practice racial profiling on a regular basis. It is clear that racism has not faded from the conservative element in politics.

I think republicans would hate Obama just as much if he were a white guy, but because he is black democrats see any and all opposition to him as being blatant racism. I’m sure there are places in America that are very racist still, and if it does crossover into politics, it’s only a very, very small %.

@cheebdragon I hope you’re right. And I do not have any personal experience with anti Obama racism. But I read news stories from the South and from certain groups of people, and it seems like the fact that he’s Black makes it worse.

The whole birther thing seems very racist. If he were white and his grandparents were from Kenya, I don’t believe there would be this fight. In addition, there’s the Muslim thing and his radical black Christian pastor thing. People use these things as code words to talk about blackness, and to appeal to people’s natural mistrust of others who do not look like them. It’s subtle in some cases, although it is probably pretty blatant in other cases.

@cheebdragon Do you see the impact of those two examples? Do you see why they probably wouldn’t exist if Obama were white?

The AP study points to a majority of Americans being racist and not a “very, very small percentage,” as you state, @cheebdragon.

@wundayatta

It is prejudiced no matter who said it, and it does not make you clever, it makes you just as prejudiced as they are by repeating it.

So 4 years ago the majority of Americans voted for a black president, but have since then decided that they don’t really like African Americans or Hispanics, after all? Seems legit…~

Funny how AP didn’t actually mention the questions that were asked in the poll. Or the fact that there were several questions asked this year that weren’t even asked 4 years ago, leaving little room for any increase. If you read the entire poll you will see how misleading the article was. I wonder why they didn’t mention that there was a higher number of democrats participating in the poll this year…..

Yes, @cheebdragon, that’s exactly what the study is saying. Here is the actual academic analysis of the poll.

In summary, the study found:

According to both explicit and implicit measures of racial attitudes, it appears that the Obama Administration has not been a time of decline in anti‐Black attitudes in America. Indeed, these data suggest that anti‐Black attitudes have become slightly more prevalent over those years, especially during the last two years.

I do not believe the article was misleading.

It would be so good if there was a source that would report things the way they are, and not slanted in either direction.

It’s very misleading to say that the majority of Americans are racist, when in fact the majority of only 1,071 Americans answered “Neither like nor dislike” to almost every fucking question in the poll.

@cheebdragon, I don’t understand your hostility. Using profanity does not enhance your ideas.

I looked through the entire poll and “neither like nor dislike” is not a choice on the questions directly relating to the different races.

The fact a group of only 1,071 people took part in the survey does not negate its findings. That’s the nature of polling, as I’m sure we’re all aware.

Wow, @DrBill! You’re logic is so breathtakingly convoluted, that you have won the argument. I can’t make head nor tail of what you are saying, and thus can’t refute you. Hats off. You’re a wonder. Do me a favor though. Let me know when you are coming near, so I can stay far enough away for you not to sell me a bridge I don’t really want.

But I’d love to be a fly on the wall when you’re trying to sell yourself something.

@wundayatta you won’t have to worry about it, I avoid prejudiced people.

@Hawaii_Jake [Removed by Fluther]
“Irish, Italians, Jewish, and other minorities overcame prejudice and worked their way up. Blacks should do the same without special favors
2010
2012
Strongly disagree
8
7
Somewhat disagree
10
10
Neither agree nor disagree
32
32
Somewhat agree
28
25
Strongly agree
20
21
Refused/Not answered
3
6
It’s really a matter of some people just not trying hard enough; if blacks would only try harder, they could just be as well off as whites
2010
2012
Strongly disagree
12
11
Somewhat disagree
16
13
Neither agree nor disagree
38
35
Somewhat agree
22
22
Strongly agree
9
11
Refused/Not answered
3
7
Generations of slavery have created conditions that make it difficult for blacks to work their way out of the lower class
2010
2012
Strongly disagree
27
27
Somewhat disagree
19
21
Neither agree nor disagree
27
26
Somewhat agree
16
15
Strongly agree
8
5
Refused/Not answered
2
6
The Associated Press Racial Attitudes Survey
October 29, 2012 Page 24
Blacks are demanding too much from the rest of society
2010
2012
Strongly disagree
12
10
Somewhat disagree
15
12
Neither agree nor disagree
35
35
Somewhat agree
23
23
Strongly agree
12
13
Refused/Not answered
3
6
Over the past few years, blacks have gotten LESS than they deserve
2010
2012
Strongly disagree
19
18
Somewhat disagree
19
20
Neither agree nor disagree
45
42
Somewhat agree
11
10
Strongly agree
3
4
Refused/Not answered
3
7
Most blacks who receive money from welfare programs could get along without it if they tried
2010
2012
Strongly disagree
8
7
Somewhat disagree
14
12
Neither agree nor disagree
38
35
Somewhat agree
26
25
Strongly agree
11
14
Refused/Not answered
3
6
Government officials usually pay less attention to a request or complaint from a black person than from a white person
2010
2012
Strongly disagree
14
15
Somewhat disagree
18
16
Neither agree nor disagree
40
38
Somewhat agree
20
17
Strongly agree
6
7
Refused/Not answered
2
7
Over the past few years, blacks have gotten more ECONOMICALLY than they deserve
2010
2012
Strongly disagree
16
14
Somewhat disagree
18
13
Neither agree nor disagree
44
47
Somewhat agree
14
13
Strongly agree
5
7
Refused/Not answered
2
6”

Wow. That was helpful!

Probably not, sheeple don’t know how to change their mind. He was only looking for people to agree with him, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so quick to try and shoot down any opposition. Ask questions because you want opinions, not because you want to know that everyone has the same view as you. Save that shit for Facebook, not everyone on fluther is a mindless idiot who believes the first thing they are told.

“If you’re white, and you aren’t racist, then you will vote for Obama. If you are racist, you’ll vote for the white guy, no matter what he stands for.There. I said it.”
How could you have possibly learned that from republicans? Have republicans been calling themselves racist? I highly doubt they are calling democrats racist for voting for obama. Maybe you should think that through again…

@cheebdragon well said.

The majority of only 1,071 Americans answered “Neither like nor dislike” to almost every fucking question in the poll.

@cheebdragon A majority did not give that answer to any question you quoted above.

The first one, for example:

32 Neither agree nor disagree
46 Agree (25 Somewhat agree plus 21 Strongly agree = 46)

I have a problem with the first question, why would it be racist to think African Americans are capable of succeeding on their own, but it’s not racist to think they must need special help?

This gives another view on the AP survey.

↑ is something worth actually reading.

@cheebdragon you understand that the article was impeaching the data you introduced in the first place. Are you saying you now retract the study?

The article supports many of her arguments.

@bkcunningham I’m really confused. Why would she use a study that is not worth the pixels it is made out of, according to your link. What am I missing here? The article completely debunks the study. Yet she was citing the study, or so I thought. Maybe I misunderstood.

I guess the poll wasn’t very accurate after all….It’s Shocking!~