None Dare Call It
Racism. In the days since the PA primary, the news has been full of exit poll results that show a group of democratic voters who say "race is an important issue" (18% of them) and, among them, a group of around 40% who say they will not vote for Obama if elected. Now if you factor in some self-falsification--in deference to the common supposition that you're not supposed to admit to being a racist--it would be safe to conclude that about 10% of total voters, or close to 20% of Clinton's supporters, in Pennsylvania are in fact classic white racists. This is not a surprise.
The analyses of exit polls are pretty much in unison on the basic contours of this racist bloc. They are overwhelmingly older, disproportionately Catholic, and mostly working class. Having grown up in Ohio, I know a lot of people who fit this description, and am related to more than a few by blood and marriage. They don't wear the hood, don't burn crosses, and don't chase black folk out of their neighborhoods (though few black folk live there anyway). They consider black folk different, don't like them, and don't want them running the show. Just because they're black. This is racism; I have no trouble calling it that.
So why do the mainstream media? Read through the reporting on race post-PA, and you won't find the word racism or racist. Instead, you'll find a kind of furious campaign on the part of everyone to deny "playing the race card."
Race has always been metaphysical in the US--there's no such thing, if by race you mean biological difference. Racism, however, has never been metaphysical. It's always been a material set of practices. Sometimes its explicit and sometimes it's not. Since 1965 or so, it's always manifested itself in politics under some kind of disguise--the confederate flag, or the campaign against public schools or affirmative action. In democratic party politics today, racism hides behind the word "electability." Why can't Obama close the deal? Because he can't win white, Catholic, older workingclass voters.
It's all about race. But isn't it really all about racism?
Racism. In the days since the PA primary, the news has been full of exit poll results that show a group of democratic voters who say "race is an important issue" (18% of them) and, among them, a group of around 40% who say they will not vote for Obama if elected. Now if you factor in some self-falsification--in deference to the common supposition that you're not supposed to admit to being a racist--it would be safe to conclude that about 10% of total voters, or close to 20% of Clinton's supporters, in Pennsylvania are in fact classic white racists. This is not a surprise.
The analyses of exit polls are pretty much in unison on the basic contours of this racist bloc. They are overwhelmingly older, disproportionately Catholic, and mostly working class. Having grown up in Ohio, I know a lot of people who fit this description, and am related to more than a few by blood and marriage. They don't wear the hood, don't burn crosses, and don't chase black folk out of their neighborhoods (though few black folk live there anyway). They consider black folk different, don't like them, and don't want them running the show. Just because they're black. This is racism; I have no trouble calling it that.
So why do the mainstream media? Read through the reporting on race post-PA, and you won't find the word racism or racist. Instead, you'll find a kind of furious campaign on the part of everyone to deny "playing the race card."
Race has always been metaphysical in the US--there's no such thing, if by race you mean biological difference. Racism, however, has never been metaphysical. It's always been a material set of practices. Sometimes its explicit and sometimes it's not. Since 1965 or so, it's always manifested itself in politics under some kind of disguise--the confederate flag, or the campaign against public schools or affirmative action. In democratic party politics today, racism hides behind the word "electability." Why can't Obama close the deal? Because he can't win white, Catholic, older workingclass voters.
It's all about race. But isn't it really all about racism?
posted by jnerone at 1:32 PM
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