It was the second post’s confessional tone that broke the camel’s back in retrospect, but three anonymouses in a row too much, and there’d been a bevy of anonymous posters here who don’t feel comfortable signing their name to their views (particularly if they are anti-Obama views).

I assumed the first three posters using anonymous were ‘white’. That was a fallacy on my part, right?

I just got a bad personal vibe, because of certain experiences in my past, regarding that kind of anonymity.

I apologize to you, for assuming the worst instead of considering other more innocent possibilities than the internet version of ’slumming’.

If I’m excited about my candidate and think he or she’s all that, it’s easy to imagine that there’s some overriding reason why the others don’t get my candidate’s fabulosity.

For Clinton supporters, it’s because people are misogynistic. Unfortunately, it seems for Obama supporters, it’s often assumed that those who don’t support are racist.

In both cases that’s true for some, but certainly not all. Pays to remember that, I think.

If this election goes the wrong way, and I do mean wrong, I think its time to develop a THIRD party that embodies the hopes and dreams of people looking for REAL change…

I heard from most of the other email receipents, who were completely incredulous about this blow up – they didn’t see how anyone could have read that into my email. Obviously I didn’t give him an apology, as I hadn’t even remotely called him racist. I asked for clarification on what was the “bulls***” card and that is the last I have heard from my good friend of twelve years. Sadly, I’m not anticipating hearing from him again.

While I grieve the split that appears to be occuring, whether I want it to or not, I am also resolved to moving forward. We can never know what is truly in the hearts of others and if something as cataclysmic as this election reveals to us ugly truths that we didn’t realize were there under the surface than I think the best course of action is to cowboy up and deal directly with those revelations. When this election is over and the emotions have died down I might touch base with my old friend if only to confirm for myself that under that loving exterior was someone who was either unwilling or incapable of seeing me as a fully developed human being and was unwilling to work on his own prejudices and narrow-mindeness. It will be painful to revisit but necessary to honor the 12 years of friendship. In the end, if this election is what ends the friendship then I can say with some conviction, it wasn’t a friendship that was designed to nourish and nuture either one of us in the long run. I deserve to surround myself with people who can disagree without dismissing, deflecting or denying alternative opinions. I deserve that, we all deserve that.

Bottom line, healthy friendships should be strong enough to endure political battles. If friendships are breaking up over this election battle than it speaks to disagreements of a much more fundamental nature. Like my friend and I, I wonder just how many of these friends had ever sat down and really had long honest discussions about race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and national origin before this election. I realize now that my friend and I never did and maybe we should have.

I’d be interested to know what post you disagreed with.

I heard Ed Rendell (PA Gov. for Hillary) on NPR this morning. He said which ever side loses gets 10 days to pout and whine and then we all have to come together in the end. I just laughed, he’s dreaming. If you get time, read this article.

POLITICS
The Deep Blue Divide
For months, Democrats were just thrilled with their choices. Now they can’t even stand to sit together.

By Julia Baird | NEWSWEEK
Mar 24, 2008 Issue

Want to put a stake in the heart of racism? Elect Obama.

All great things require hard work and courage. Let’s redouble our efforts to get Obama nominated and elected president, so that we leave a legacy of racial healing to our children and grandchildren. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity; we cannot blow it.

As an aside, this is a way to stick it to the racists, the Rush Limbaughs, etc.

1. A nickel is a slang term for doing five years in prison…dime, quarter…you get the picture.

2. Yes, I consider my five years in San Antonio as doing time. I was raised in Seattle around more liberal people and was surprised at many of the comments and overall undercurrent I experienced. So, most latinos there refer to themselves as “Hispanic”. This could be a census influence that everyone just took on at some point. The 2010 census will ask your specific ethnicity (ie. Columbian, Guatemalan, Mexican, etc). Anyway, I had never been exposed to an enviornment where it was okay as a white person to put down a person of color IN FRONT OF ANOTHER PERSON OF COLOR! This is the kind of disconnect that gave us the March 4th results. That is, the Texas “Hispanics” were not offended by Bill’s comments because they don’t see a racially motivated attack on black people as an attack on themselves…and they should! I hope I answered your question….

Hey, that’s some good stuff there, love it..

how about **How can you justify penalizing Americans for not purchasing health insurance when they’re burning their foreclosed houses in desperation?** or, **..buying groceries on credit?**

You’re right, he and his economic advisers needs to come out with something dramatic that addresses the economy. He’s got to pivot away from this Wright business and focus like a laser of the economy.

Heh heh..this is fun, you should send your suggestions to the campaign!

I probably talked with 50 voters in PA over the day. Wright wasn’t mentioned by a single person. They care about the economy, and they’re really worried. They don’t care about Wright.

Obama should attack Hillary on the tax returns, the business dealings, and the library. But when he does it, he should be careful to link it to the economy–otherwise it’s just going to be another crapfest.

“How can you say you want to reduce gas prices when you’re on the payroll of the Saudis?” And “How can you care about jobs being shipped overseas when you’re on the payroll of the Chinese Communist Party?” And (my favorite), “How can you advocate forcing Americans to purchase health insurance when your own campaign is a half million behind in its health insurance premiums?” And “How can you say you want everyone to pay their fair share in taxes when you aren’t paying them?”

That’s what he should do–keep it linked to gas prices and the economy. People will pay attention to it then. As evidenced by the crapfests over tears and plagiarism, people don’t care about these media crapfests anymore. Heck, Obama went UP in the polls this morning. Wright was overblown…

Also a tip of the hat to John McCain for saying, “I know Senator Obama, he doesn’t share those views,” in an interview with Hannity

if you’re still around, can you elaborate…what’s a nickel? What specific experiences did you find with the various ethnic groups?

I live in rural Tennessee. Not long ago I was at a child’s birthday party and the subject of the election came up.

Would you believe I had a very nice conversation with a white man, who described himself as “not a racist” but then proceeded to tell me he was afraid if Obama won, he would change everything to make things easier for black people and harder for white people.

Now that’s kind of my basic definition of “racist” right there, but I didn’t attack the man. I figured, part of the problem is, the other side has been talking to him for years, and my side has not. And he was in a receptive mood anyway, we had already been talking about, and agreeing on, how bad things are right now — the local paper full of foreclosures, the price of gas.

So instead of telling him he was a racist, I told him “we can do better. We are a bigger country than that. I don’t think Obama will do what you think he will do, I think he will look out for everyone.”

I don’t know whether I convinced him or not, but he was looking me in the eye and nodding his head.

you all are part of the problem. what, you all are so embarassed to be seen on a ‘black’ website, you can’t even choose an anonymous name? or are you all the same person?

I don’t know, and I can’t know. There’s something comforting in names. There’s something suspicious in not naming yourself even when you can be anonymous in the naming.

… but let me stop. you all aren’t gonna get it, anyway.

I find it especially interesting that the Democratic Party has had to come face to face with the racism in its own ranks, after decades of getting to coast as the party of “tolerance”.