According to a Stanford study, negative stereotypes that some white voters have about African-Americans may keep Barack Obama from winning the election if it is close. http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-obama-race
It's hard to believe that a voter would be stupid enough to apply stereotypes to a guy who is a graduate of Harvard Law School. Are people really that ignorant? We'll see in November.
And speaking of ignorant, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof reported in today's Times that 13% of registered voters believe, according to polls, that Mr. Obama is a Muslim. This is, of course, false. As Mr. Kristof points out, Mr. Obama is much more involved in his Christian church than John McCain is involved in his.
Even worse, reports Kristof, in conservative Christian circles and on some "Christian" radio stations, the rumor that Senator Obama is the anti-Christ.
Maybe they can burn a few witches or hold an exorcism or something. Oh, and stay home on election day, along with the white voters who apply their stereotypes to intelligent, repectable men.
10 comments:
"It's hard to believe that a voter would be stupid enough to apply stereotypes to a guy who is a graduate of Harvard Law School."
Not for me, it isn't.
"Are people really that ignorant?"
Yes, they are. And then some.
Go to wikipedia, or Google, and look for The Bradley Effect
There have been multiple examples of black candidates doing less well than they polled, and some of it is attributed to whites voting differently than they tell pollsters they're going to vote.
In this election I'm hoping that the under-representation of cell phone only voters (who favor Obama) may cancel that out.
"Not all whites are prejudiced. Indeed, more whites say good things about blacks than say bad things, the poll shows."
Umm, isn't basing your feelings about a group of people on color kind of prejudiced, even if you're saying nice things about them?
Both the subterranean and msm campaigns the Republicans have been running are highly repugnant. But also highly effective sadly enough. McCain's the populist "Regulation" guy? Are you shitting me! If wasn't for bigotry (and American's anti-intellectual stance in general) this race wouldn't be even close. Appalling, absolutely appalling.
And I hope this financial crisis finally puts to rest the high regard for Pres. Reagan and Ayn Randian philosophy in general. Free markets are not "self correcting" people!
Isn't Palin the Anti-Christ?
p.s. that's a good point about cellphone voters. My parents, with a landline, get dozens of calls about the election, but I've only gotten calls from the Obama campaign and that's only b/c I gave 'em my #.
It's the twenty first century. Does anyone really believe that they might be accused of racism simply on the basis of their chosen candidate?
The sad thing is, I've had to have this conversation with people in my own family about how Obama isn't a Muslim and how he's not hiding a secret black agenda. It's sad.
I wish I could say that study was eye opening but I can't.
Yeah, well, I thought Ronald Reagan was the Anti-Christ and I was mistaken, it could happen to anyone.
Bubs-
When I was taking a Political Science statistics class years ago, they pointed out that the poor in general are underrepresented in polls to begin with because phone service is often the first thing to go when people can't pay bills.
I saw an article yesterday about the number of people who have no land line. I did it myself for a couple of years when it was just me and Adam here, in order to save money. The assumption is that the people who have cell phones only are mostly young and mostly Obama voters. Let's hope.
RE: the Bradley Effect-- I'd read about it years ago and forgottten about it! Let's hope the cell phone effect more than balances out the Bradley Effect.
Lulu-
"(Fill in the blank) are some of my best friends!"
Macguffin-
This country's anti-intelletualism is rich and appalling, isn't it? I think the evil genius of the right is that they get the working class to imprison themselves with prejudices against people and political ideas.
Hoover kept saying, for months and then years, that the markets would take care of the Depression. Fortunately, Roosevelt got elected in 1932.
Erik-
Touche!
I've gotten very few telemarketing calls over the years on my cell line, which I've had since 1994, and get none on my Vonage internet line. Interesting.
Deadspot-
It's interesting-- I've read some things where people go on and on about how they oppose Obama on the issues and not his race. And then they proceed to quote long-discredited information as to why they oppose him.
Samurai-
A few months ago, my father, who's now a staunch Obama supporter, emailed me because his neighbor, who's from New York (my folks now live in Tennessee) had told him that he'd heard "on good authority" that Obama's a closet Muslim. I emailed my father a couple of links, but am left with the bufuddlement as to how badly a large portion of the US voting population wants to believe outrageous lies-- Obama is a Muslim, wouldn't shake hands with US troops in Afghanistan, John Kerry made up the stories to get his Purple Hearts, etc. A huge portion of the US lives in a bizarre fantasy bubble that is fed with a steady stream of whacked out lies and disinformation. I think it was assumed that the internet would open up the truth to everybody. Unfortunately, a lie can be spread just as easily via the internet as the truth.
Natalie-
Sad, isn't it? Hard to believe it's 2008 and not 1958.
Mnmom-
Wait-- he wasn't? ; )
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