Comments on: Liberal racism: a possible explanation for an Obama loss in 2012? http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/ History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present Wed, 22 May 2013 00:46:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Harris-Perry to Joan Walsh: we are so not friends! : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-879073 Harris-Perry to Joan Walsh: we are so not friends! : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:50:01 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-879073 [...] “Black President, Double Standard:  Why White Liberals Are Abandoning Obama,” which we discussed here last weekend.  (H/t to thefrogprincess, who originally alerted me to the Joan Walsh response in the comments on [...] [...] “Black President, Double Standard:  Why White Liberals Are Abandoning Obama,” which we discussed here last weekend.  (H/t to thefrogprincess, who originally alerted me to the Joan Walsh response in the comments on [...]

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878387 Historiann Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:11:08 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878387 I know you weren't making the argument, Roxie. I just am so over that <i>Roe</i>mance! But we should expect the same old, same old next year, for sure. I know you weren’t making the argument, Roxie. I just am so over that Roemance! But we should expect the same old, same old next year, for sure.

]]> By: Roxie http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878346 Roxie Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:34:21 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878346 Note that I didn't say the SCOTUS argument was a GOOD argument for Obama's reelection -- Just the strongest one available. The post-menopausal dykes of <b>Roxie's World</b> are also pretty immune to the Dems' disingenuous playing of the womb card. Still, we love the idea of Scalia and Roberts having to contend with Kagan and Sotomayor for the next several decades. Note that I didn’t say the SCOTUS argument was a GOOD argument for Obama’s reelection — Just the strongest one available. The post-menopausal dykes of Roxie’s World are also pretty immune to the Dems’ disingenuous playing of the womb card. Still, we love the idea of Scalia and Roberts having to contend with Kagan and Sotomayor for the next several decades.

]]> By: -k- http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878343 -k- Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:19:42 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878343 I think there's room for more than one right answer. MHP is probably right about there being a racist element to heightened expectations, as difficult as it might be to tease apart from the other factors at play; liberals are also right to feel that we've been largely ignored since the last election and--surprise!--are now being conspicuously wooed, in word if not in deed. At any rate, I'll be voting not so much for him as against the Republican candidate next year- I seethed at non-voter's inability to see the two sides of that coin in 2010, and suspect that *that* will have as much to do with a potential loss as anything. I think there’s room for more than one right answer. MHP is probably right about there being a racist element to heightened expectations, as difficult as it might be to tease apart from the other factors at play; liberals are also right to feel that we’ve been largely ignored since the last election and–surprise!–are now being conspicuously wooed, in word if not in deed.

At any rate, I’ll be voting not so much for him as against the Republican candidate next year- I seethed at non-voter’s inability to see the two sides of that coin in 2010, and suspect that *that* will have as much to do with a potential loss as anything.

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878325 Historiann Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:36:47 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878325 Thanks--I hadn't seen that. It's good, and provides more context for the Clinton comparison and examples of white liberal disgust with him. However, she doesn't challenge Harris-Perry's egregiously bad history on DADT, which I find pretty strange. Overall though, her points that 1) comparison is difficult between Clinton and Obama, and 2) Obama has lost support from everyone, not just whites and not just liberals, are very solid. Thanks–I hadn’t seen that. It’s good, and provides more context for the Clinton comparison and examples of white liberal disgust with him. However, she doesn’t challenge Harris-Perry’s egregiously bad history on DADT, which I find pretty strange. Overall though, her points that 1) comparison is difficult between Clinton and Obama, and 2) Obama has lost support from everyone, not just whites and not just liberals, are very solid.

]]> By: thefrogprincess http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878316 thefrogprincess Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:50:03 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878316 Oh and did you seen Joan Walsh's rebuttal?? http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joan_walsh/politics/2011/09/25/white_liberals_obama Oh and did you seen Joan Walsh’s rebuttal??
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joan_walsh/politics/2011/09/25/white_liberals_obama

]]> By: thefrogprincess http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878315 thefrogprincess Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:49:21 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878315 Fully agree, Historiann--and you know that if even I'm coming down hard on him, then he's really screwed up. Fully agree, Historiann–and you know that if even I’m coming down hard on him, then he’s really screwed up.

]]> By: Millerz http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878301 Millerz Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:22:37 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878301 Thank you so much for the reminder about the climate Clinton faced and the reason for DADT. I can't bring myself to read the article already blaming "racism" for Obama's potential loss in 2012. Harris-Perry can jolly well look in the mirror. Whatever the difference is between racist and racialist thinking, the Magic Negro mythos is what got Obama elected, so I have no problem with it being a factor in his not being re-elected, if that's the case. (Nicoleandmaggie, "Magic Negro" movies also bug me!) Thank you so much for the reminder about the climate Clinton faced and the reason for DADT. I can’t bring myself to read the article already blaming “racism” for Obama’s potential loss in 2012. Harris-Perry can jolly well look in the mirror. Whatever the difference is between racist and racialist thinking, the Magic Negro mythos is what got Obama elected, so I have no problem with it being a factor in his not being re-elected, if that’s the case. (Nicoleandmaggie, “Magic Negro” movies also bug me!)

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878298 Historiann Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:08:05 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878298 thefrogprincess: yes to birtherism being largely about race. The birthers are just obsessed with Kenya, and sadly, most Republican pols are unwilling to stand up and say, "horse$hit." The flipside/Janus-face to birtherism is I think the Magic Negro magical thinking that many liberals, especially white Baby Boomer-aged liberals, engaged in. Both are cases in which the wishful thinking makes little sense if Obama weren't African American. I guess my point here is that plenty of gimlet-eyed white liberals and leftists didn't fall for the Magic Negro fantasy have plenty of reason to be disappointed by Obama, and that that disappointment isn't driven by an unfair standard because of Obama's race. It's a disappointment driven by Obama's choices and actions, as Indyanna states so eloquently above. thefrogprincess: yes to birtherism being largely about race. The birthers are just obsessed with Kenya, and sadly, most Republican pols are unwilling to stand up and say, “horse$hit.”

The flipside/Janus-face to birtherism is I think the Magic Negro magical thinking that many liberals, especially white Baby Boomer-aged liberals, engaged in. Both are cases in which the wishful thinking makes little sense if Obama weren’t African American.

I guess my point here is that plenty of gimlet-eyed white liberals and leftists didn’t fall for the Magic Negro fantasy have plenty of reason to be disappointed by Obama, and that that disappointment isn’t driven by an unfair standard because of Obama’s race. It’s a disappointment driven by Obama’s choices and actions, as Indyanna states so eloquently above.

]]> By: thefrogprincess http://www.historiann.com/2011/09/25/liberal-racism-a-possible-explanation-for-an-obama-loss-in-2012/comment-page-1/#comment-878295 thefrogprincess Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:47:59 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=16678#comment-878295 Sorry...I meant to also say that I don't think you can blame "liberal racism" for an Obama loss. I'll be voting for him unless somebody else better comes along, but this is not a situation in which he deserves to win, but won't b/c he's black. Sorry…I meant to also say that I don’t think you can blame “liberal racism” for an Obama loss. I’ll be voting for him unless somebody else better comes along, but this is not a situation in which he deserves to win, but won’t b/c he’s black.

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