Tuesday, October 24, 2006
National Ignorance on who Harold Ford, Jr. Really is, and Why Race is a Factor in the Eyes of Racists
There's an interesting rebuttal over at Instapundit. Last week, Professor Reynolds revealed that he voted for Bob Corker during early voting. Andrew Sullivan then criticized Reynolds, saying that he should have voted for Harold Ford, Jr., who was the candidate most aligned with libertarian thinking.
Professor Reynolds has responded with a "what the heck?" rebuttal that shows that Sullivan doesn't know much about the REAL Harold Ford, Jr. - you know, the one who actually has a voting record, as compared to the one Sullivan knows by what the national media feeds him.
I greatly respect both Reynolds and Sullivan, but this disconnect between those of us who live in Tennessee and follow the races here and those who do not and are only part-timers at best is real. I experienced it this weekend when being interviewed by national reporters at the UT/Bama game. They didn't know jack about what was going on in this race except the popular notions - that a black, young Democrat who makes Barry Goldwater look like a liberal was running for Senate in a red state against some guy who conservatives didn't prefer. Heck, some of them thought that conservatives were flocking to Ford's campaign in droves.
The level of their ignorance was astounding. I guess that's why I was mobbed when the word "blogger" was mentioned, because it was assumed that I had a better idea of what was going on than anyone but the campaign staff.
This was also evident in some of the news broadcasts I watched last night. (Yes, I did watch a bit of CNN last night, but it was for research, folks.) People outside of this state don't know ANYTHING about this race. They don't know ANYTHING about Harold Ford, Jr. They don't seem to know who the Republican in the race even is.
There are several theories of why this is. One could be the liberal media. However, I think it has more to do with race than anything else. You could see this in the CNN report last night, where they were talking about this RNC ad:
Professor Reynolds has responded with a "what the heck?" rebuttal that shows that Sullivan doesn't know much about the REAL Harold Ford, Jr. - you know, the one who actually has a voting record, as compared to the one Sullivan knows by what the national media feeds him.
I greatly respect both Reynolds and Sullivan, but this disconnect between those of us who live in Tennessee and follow the races here and those who do not and are only part-timers at best is real. I experienced it this weekend when being interviewed by national reporters at the UT/Bama game. They didn't know jack about what was going on in this race except the popular notions - that a black, young Democrat who makes Barry Goldwater look like a liberal was running for Senate in a red state against some guy who conservatives didn't prefer. Heck, some of them thought that conservatives were flocking to Ford's campaign in droves.
The level of their ignorance was astounding. I guess that's why I was mobbed when the word "blogger" was mentioned, because it was assumed that I had a better idea of what was going on than anyone but the campaign staff.
This was also evident in some of the news broadcasts I watched last night. (Yes, I did watch a bit of CNN last night, but it was for research, folks.) People outside of this state don't know ANYTHING about this race. They don't know ANYTHING about Harold Ford, Jr. They don't seem to know who the Republican in the race even is.
There are several theories of why this is. One could be the liberal media. However, I think it has more to do with race than anything else. You could see this in the CNN report last night, where they were talking about this RNC ad:
Comments:
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Don't you know that "racism!" is the first defense of every candidate of color to just about any criticism? And why shouldn't they? It has worked wonders in the past. Your opponent spends precious days trying to scrape that mud off of their reputation, while you get to play the aggrevied party!
Every minute your opponent spends trying to rebut the charge of racism is a minute that he isn't talking about something that matters to voters. Every minute you opponent spends talking about race, period!, is another minute he spends in the worst quagmire in the American political landscape. And the chance constantly grows that he/she will say something else that can be spun as "insensitive," or racist.
Every minute your opponent spends trying to rebut the charge of racism is a minute that he isn't talking about something that matters to voters. Every minute you opponent spends talking about race, period!, is another minute he spends in the worst quagmire in the American political landscape. And the chance constantly grows that he/she will say something else that can be spun as "insensitive," or racist.
"I just don't see Harold as a black man. I see him as a man - period.
I know that I am in the minority here."
You know that you in the minority. Maybe you were not specifically speaking in reference to the immediately preceding statement, but that was how it appeared to me. It seem either the height of arrogance to imagine you are so much more pure of racism then everyone else or defeatistly pessimistic to imagine all the great unwashed as being so mired in a racist mindset.
I am not so dull as to say that race is never a factor in any voter's decission, but I do not belive it is so predominant that most people can't see beyond it to other issues. I have often referred to Memphis as a "big city stuck in a plantation mentality," but even here for most people I know siding with Corker the real issue is not his race but experience (or lack thereof), true stand on the issues (as opposed to the MSM "conservative Democrat" hype) and his family (the idea that gang of thieves would have no influence at all over him is ridiculous on its face).
Let the MSM cast this into their stereotypical "bigotted Southern whites won't vote for the black man" story mold, but you don't need to nod your head to the beat.
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I know that I am in the minority here."
You know that you in the minority. Maybe you were not specifically speaking in reference to the immediately preceding statement, but that was how it appeared to me. It seem either the height of arrogance to imagine you are so much more pure of racism then everyone else or defeatistly pessimistic to imagine all the great unwashed as being so mired in a racist mindset.
I am not so dull as to say that race is never a factor in any voter's decission, but I do not belive it is so predominant that most people can't see beyond it to other issues. I have often referred to Memphis as a "big city stuck in a plantation mentality," but even here for most people I know siding with Corker the real issue is not his race but experience (or lack thereof), true stand on the issues (as opposed to the MSM "conservative Democrat" hype) and his family (the idea that gang of thieves would have no influence at all over him is ridiculous on its face).
Let the MSM cast this into their stereotypical "bigotted Southern whites won't vote for the black man" story mold, but you don't need to nod your head to the beat.
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