ProgressiveDem: Labor Union Leader Addresses Racism In The Presidential Campaign
Labor Union Leader Addresses Racism In The Presidential Campaign
Last month I wrote a posting that asked why the spread between the poll numbers, Obama the higher, McSame the lower, was not wider and said: "Given the high crimes and misdemeanors committed by the Bush regime and the damage its had inflicted on this nation and its people, with McSame promising four more years of the same, there should be a larger expanse between at the high end and McSame at the low end.
Also included was this: "Juan Cole at Informed Comment posits that too many Americans are masochists...."Cole then reviews a litany of Bush regime crimes, scandals and scams including and concludes: "And in the wake of the greatest and most sustained act of systematic plunder since the Mongol hordes appropriated to themselves the riches of everyplace in Asia from Beijing to Isfahan, the reaction of the supine and slave-like American voting public is to scratch their heads and have a hard time deciding if they would like more of the same."
"Jonathan Tasini at Working Life offers another reason for why this election is so close: people who refuse to vote for a black person as president.
"Tasini writes: "Look, in the middle of this economic crisis and financial meltdown, you have to wonder: why is this election close? The answer is: race. All those negative answers to questions about whether Barack Obama has enough experience, or can be commander-in-chief or...whatever you want to choose, boil down to certain people won't vote for a black person for president. Simple as that."
KathyG..also writes about the race issue in this campaign and states:
"Below is a clip of Rich Trumka of the AFL-CIO speaking about working class racism and the necessity of electing Barack Obama. It's powerful stuff. After watching this, I understood why Trumka is one of the leading figures in the American labor movement. He pulls off something very tricky here: he names the racist opposition to Obama for what it is, but not in an accusatory, guilt-mongering way. I think it's crucial that Obama supporters speak openly about the racism that Obama faces, in such a way that causes the people who have racist thoughts about him feel at least a wee bit guilty about it. Yet at the same time, we don't want to get all superior and self-righteous about it, because that's a turn-off.
"I think Trumka strikes just the right balance in this speech. He calls out the racism for what it is, but doesn't say that those who harbor racist feelings are necessarily bad people. He frames racism as an evil, but also as something that can be overcome. In short, he appeals to folks' better angels, which I think is a much more effective way to go than castigating them would be. It's a moving speech, and he's an impressive rhetorician and speaker."
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