Here's an interesting article on the issue of race in America. It's a little sobering:

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-oppay175930631nov17,0,2264981.column

"In four Southern states, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi," Bositis said in his prepared remarks, Obama "received a smaller share than John Kerry received in 2004. Given the political environment of 2008, those declines can only be attributed to race."

The conclusion of the white statistician hinged on accepted standards of the polling art.

"There are three factors that reliably predict election results in U.S. presidential elections: the state of the economy, the approval/disapproval ratings of the incumbent party, and the proportion of voters who think the country is going in the right direction or is off on the wrong track." With 82 percent of Americans disapproving of the direction President George W. Bush was taking the country in economic meltdown, all signs pointed away from his in-kind successor.

After condemning white voters in the Deep South as "racist" for rewarding the "incumbent party" that grossly mishandled national affairs, Bositis curiously overlooked this pattern nationally.

"You said that Obama got the majority of white votes in 16 states, which is to say that in 34 states he did not get the majority of white votes, correct?" I asked Bositis. "McCain carried the white popular vote nationally, 55-43 percent, which is to say a 12-point gap?" Somewhere around there, he replied.

QT

Hate is a pretty strong word, but I hate racists pricks and most other bigoted assholes.

In Springfield, MA a black church was burned to the ground after election day.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/06/black_church_in_springfield_burns/

While I don't want to turn into one of those delicate creatures on the Right who screamed "Treason!" every time someone expressed disagreement with President Bush, how do you characterize obvious racially-motivated death threats against the soon-to-be President? I'll defend any ignoramus's right to believe the President is an unfair jerk. But will incendiary rhetoric and blatant death threats (and "death pools") be excused because they are characterized as protected free speech and not as a danger to the safety of the President? In my local paper last week, a letter to the editor revealed a man who insists on flying his American flag upside down at half mast while Obama is in office. Mark my words, if something tragic were to ever happen to Obama, there are some parts of the country where flags will be flying higher than ever.

@ShelleyBee: The upside-down flag-hanger-uppers started during the Clinton years. I remember first reading the accounts in 1993, after the Branch Davidian fiasco. This is not a trendy new thing the hoopleheads are doing.

I propose documenting each and every time one of these hoopleheads rears its ugly head. It could be done through a website, like hoopleheadspotter.com (still available). It would be a way to expose their bigoted asses in the national spotlight.

Well, for one thing, there needs to be a trickle-down effect where it is absolutely unacceptable to excuse this in any way. It needs to come from Republican governors, senators, state representatives, mayors, police chiefs.... There need to be editorials in every newspaper. And there should be some serious shunning in church if Christians know which of their neighbors are doing this.

Peggygeorge:

"Trickle-down" is an awful idea that Ronald Reagan implemented with all the deregulation that brought us here in the first place. The "trickle-down theory" is the rhetorical cornerstone of Reaganomics and as such was used to persuade the still-combative working class majority into accepting economic policies designed to benefit the wealthy at their [the workers'] expense.

If Obama is as righteous in private as he seems to be in public, the American people and possibly many more around the world as well, will be able to count on him to properly enforce the just laws of this country!

If his aim is justice, and if he is a true ideological disciple of MLK, Obama will do the right thing by everyone (or nearly everyone).

One thing he can do is to demand that in exchange for any financial help on the part of the government to any industry they, the ruling owners must enact an immediate freeze on ALL layoffs; a moratorium on layoffs or lock-outs lasting at least 24 months.

After all, what are $50 billion supposed to buy if not economic and social stability?

By doing that (and accomplishing it) he'll probably lower the number of racists in America. After all, many racists are also hanging on to their jobs by a thread. To let them fall would render their disease incurable.

Redflags, I meant "trickledown" closer to the sense of its original meaning (falling down gradually from a height). Perhaps "cascade" would have been a better word. Just because the Republicans have used a word doesn't mean it doesn't apply in another setting.

PeggyG:

I understood from the start how you meant the expression. That's why my comment was directed at what it meant to me instead of what I though _you_ meant by it.

It's still an awful concept, though. Thinks about it: Why must any help the government hands down to stabilize the economy go first to those who already have an economic advantage and leave to chance how it will percolate or "cascade" down to the people who need it the most?

There must be one basic demand that must be made by all community activists worthy of the name: "In exchange for any help to ANY industry of the land by the government a 2 year moratorium on All intended layoffs must be enacted.

Now, wouldn't that make most of us feel just a wee bit better about handing them our tax dollars?

republicans and racists go together like peanut butter and jelly! on white bread of course!

mccain picked palin because he needed a jesus told me what he would do, gun toting, gas guzzling, baby having, might actually throw out the n-word, whitey just to deliver his base votes!

why hasn't anyone stated the obvious?!?!

yes obama is half black...which is a great step forward for all of us....but do you really think a black republican would have made it to the white house...hells to tha nah!

republicans are very simple in their requests of candidates....

white...check
pees while standing...check
for guns and bastard babies...check check