Would this have made a difference?

This is coming from a McCain supporter :)

I do agree that it’s childish. I will admit, I have thrown some Obama jokes around, but all in good fun. The reason why I didn’t vote for him was because I don’t agree with his ideas and goals for the future. (nanny state? no thanks.) Although some Republicans made have made their choice on reasons such as race, not all have.

I think more Republicans AND Democrats would have voted for him if he were white. (google “Bradley effect) There are still racial stereotypes out there, and it doesn’t matter what political party you’re in, you can still be biased in that sense.

Personally, I don’t care if he’s snow white with a nice accent and a lovely name. No matter his packaging, he’s smells like a socialist for me. I’m proud to say that I didn’t vote for him.

No, because tons of people voted for him because he was black.

@Magnus

Geez, that is SO true.

Ask any of the dumb students @ my school, “why did you vote for Obama”, and 80% say “well, he’s black, we need a black president.”

On the OTHER hand, if anyone said “I’m voting for McCain because he’s white”...haha watch that person get torn apart.

Double standards I tell you! It’s total BS.

@seekingwolf
Do you think McCain would have done things differently that Bush?, being the “Maverick” he claimed to be? I am not trying to be sarcastic, so if it seems like that is my tone, then I am sorry. I am just curious that if you feel that maybe Bush wasn’t making the best decisions then why vote for someone who has a lot of the same associations of the decision making crowd that have been around for awhile. Also, what makes him as oppose to almost any other democrat out there “smell like a socialist”?

@Magnus
Are you referring to minority neighborhoods voting for Obama because he is black? Because usually they vote for Democrat anyways according to polling, so I don’t get what your point would be unless you meant something else.

Well, if by socialist state you are referring to the 700 billion dollar bailout of the financial services industry orchestrated by a Republican president, then, you are right.
Barack Obama could offer to spend 1/10th of that amount on health care for the uninsured, and be accused of being a socialist, but, paying out huge sums to stupid bankers who generated the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, that’s A-OK. Please stop spreading tired rhetoric about socialism.

Let’s take away Obama’s name and skin tone. What are we left with nothing but a graduate from one of the top law schools in America (with honors), a John F. Kennedy persona, a community organizer an author and a powerful speaker with a message that things in Washington need to change and the confidence to say he is the man that can do it. If Barrack Hussein Obama had two white parents named Mr. & Mrs. Smith and if he was as pale as Nicole Kidman he still would have beaten Hillary, McCain and Palin hands up.

I think it’d be a bit wiser to break down your question into two questions:
1. Would Obama have gained more votes if he had a more American sounding name?
2. Would Obama have gained more votes if he had white skin?

The reason I think it’s wiser to break it down is because they are two different issues.

In the first question, the frequency or effect of his name being misused as Osama Hussein would certainly have been reduced. And that might consequentially have eliminated the number of Islamic references regarding him, such as the rumours of him being a Muslim. However as Obama did study the Muslim religion, I’m sure the Republicans would have still tried to exploit his Muslim relations as they did in the past election. So ultimately I don’t think his name being different would have eliminated the xenophobic aspect.

As for the second question, I would conclude based on no actual evidence that the number of people who voted for Obama because he was black outweigh the number of people who would have voted for him if he was white but did not. As well, consider that if he was white, his black supporters would probably be reduced in quantity.

I would have voted for Obama if I was an American. While I understand that socialism is basically the exact opposite of the American Dream, Canada does have socialist tendencies, and I have to admit that it’s not the PANIC! CRAZY AWFUL INSANE! thing people put it out to be. Yes, I would sure rather have my money so as to purchase my own amount of health care, as I am young and thus am paying to support older people basically as I don’t get sick often. But compared to the atrocity that is the American Health “Care” System, I am glad I live in a place where I will not get into crushing debt because of a broken leg (or worse, if I was in an accident and someone else caused it, how it can be that someone else causing your accident can cause YOU to be in debt is a bit outlandish).

@RandomMrAdam

Yes, I do think McCain would have done things differently than Bush. Believe or not, I do agree with many (not all) but still many stances that Bush holds on things. I believe he did not execute things well. He was too idealogical. I believe McCain is more pragmatic and less ideological and would have done better.

I’m sorry, but the “spread the wealth” around comment just KILLED it for me. I personally think all democrats smell of socialism, I never said they didn’t. But Obama seems to be particularly socialist and I believe it’s going to hurt the economy, not help it.

I know I put my neck out by saying my Republican opinion on the internet (where it seems that many vocal users are dems) but I don’t want this question hijacked. I’m not answering anymore questions about my beliefs on here. Contact me privately.

The world is full of stupid people, simple answer to a not so simple question

@seekingwolf
I have nothing against Republican views, as a lot of my friends are Republicans and I am a Democrat. What I do not see happening though is Obama further hurting the market as you put it. Why would someone more educated on the economy and it’s structure (Obama) be less qualified than a War Veteran who learned his policies from the current administration who allowed further deregulation (McCain) to help this economy? Who did America turn to last time the world was going through a depression? Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Roosevelt created the New Deal to provide relief for the unemployed, recovery of the economy, and reform of the economic and banking systems through various agencies. This helped fix the problem, did it not? Now, many referred to FDR as somewhat of a socialist too (especially when he brought about Social Security) , but it worked for us at the time. You’re right though, I would rather the market fall and collapse than have a socialist plan fix our problems. Are Republicans that stubborn?

@RandomMrAdam

As I said before in my previous post, I’m not answering anymore questions about my political beliefs in public. This thread was not meant to be a dem vs republican and I’m sorry if you want that, but no. I already get enough crap from my democratic friends, not to mention the frequent “zomg u dontt support obama u r racist” It wears on my nervous.

Like I said, if you have issues, contact me privately.
And yes, I am stubborn. But so are democrats, particularly when they feel they aren’t being paid enough for being disadvantaged.

No offense seekingwolf, but if you don’t wish to continue talking about your political beliefs (which I respect fully), you might want to respect the beliefs of others and not make inflammatory comments like the last line in your most recent post. Your comment would have sufficed, if not been more clearer, had you left your final line as “But so are democrats.” To me, that last line gives the impression that you just had to get that last little sneer in. And I don’t see any difference in you sneering against Democrats and other posters sneering against Republicans. A sneer is a sneer, and sneers almost beg for a reply. Like this one :)

@seekingwolf
Please see http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/266.html

Yeah I guess it was a little inappropriate. :( Sorry, I make a lot of poltical sneers @ college to combat those of the dems. Doesn’t make it right here though, granted.

Just frustrated because I don’t want to answer any questions about my beliefs anymore. I’m sick of being picked apart by people who don’t know anything about me, or how I grew up, and how that influences me.

And johnpowell, I don’t even have to click the link to know that it has something to do with..oh, taxes! Probably about how much taxes have actually gone up with Bush as president? Let me repeat again, I AGREE with Bush on lower taxes. I think where he failed was the execution of these goals. I don’t agree with how he did things, and those tax raises are one of those things.

In getting back to the original question….

Yes, I think he probably would have received more votes from whites if he were white (racisim) and I think he would have received fewer votes from blacks if he were white (reverse racisim).

I’d say it was a wash.

As to the election, I didn’t like either choice. However, I didn’t vote for Obama. It had nothing to do w/ his skin color.

i’m an obama supporter, but i mean, everyone makes petty politician jokes. however i definitely think that race played a huge part in the election, regardless of whether obama won or not. there were a lot of people who didn’t end the racism at snide remarks and carried them all the way to the polls, which i find pretty disgusting.

I voted for intelligence. I could care less about gender, color, age, names, religious leanings. For me, that was the appeal of the Clintons. I don’t want Joe Six Pack in the White House; I want him remodeling my house, fixing my car, serving on my city council.
I want intelligent big picture thinkers running the show. If we had that for the last 8 years, perhaps things would not be so dire.