Obamas failure to reach working class whites

[Michael Tee]

Michael D. Yates, writing in today's Counterpunch, in an excellent article on Western Pennsylvania, where he taught for over 30 years, and the TOTAL FAILURE of Obama to reach out to its working class whites, many of whom are in fact racist.

The whole article is worth reading.  It describes in detail the spread and depth of white racism, but it's also interesting that Yates believes, based on his own experiences there, that these folks will listen and can be changed.

Look at this conclusion, the final grafs of the article:

<<It is a shame that some white workers are racist. I chalk most of this up to the abject failure of the labor movement to attack the race issue head on many years ago. But Obama might have won over the voters Hillary Clinton got by pretending she was still a working class woman from Scranton, while she slugged down shots and a beers in local bars. He could have intertwined his hand with the hand of a white worker, like in the emblem of the old Packinghouse Workers union, and gone out on the stump and told the truth about the class struggle. A lot of white workers would have eaten this up.

<<Between 1980 and 2001, I taught over 1,000 workers in labor education classes held throughout western Pennsylvania—in Johnstown, Greensburg, Pittsburgh, Beaver. Most students were white. Some were racist. Some were xenophobic. Some believed their country could do no wrong. I taught them about labor markets, collective bargaining, labor law, labor history, even Marxist economics. We didn’t pull any punches—on race, on war, on capitalism. Most came away enlightened. Would that Obama could have enlightened them too. If his lead over McCain slips further or disappears altogether, we can expect to hear some populist rhetoric from Obama, as we heard from John Kerry as his disastrous bid for the presidency crashed and burned in 2004. But who will believe it now? >>

"Most came away enlightened."  That's the single most encouraging thing about this article.  Those people can learn!!  .  .  .  if the right teacher appears.

[kimba1]

it`s a shame
because mccain hasn`t exactly did much on the labor vote at all.
as abit union guy I just don`t feel the love coming from either side.
and when I bring up the issue of overtime on the pilot strike and mccain`s response to it
I get the lameass answer he`s a pow so people shouldn`t complain about working extra hours.
I kid you not that is the answer I get.
I`m not saying mccain say it ,but his supporter are saying this.
so seriously obama right now can cleanup on the labor vote.

[BT]

Labor is predominantly in the dems pocket. He'll get a majority of their votes.

But the title is misleading.

How many working class whites are unionized?

If he lost the non unionized ones it is because he showed them disrespect. If they choose to not vote for him it is because of that, not because he is black.

[Michael Tee]

WHOOOAH, I'd just tell that dude:

Duuuude, HE might have been a POW, but YOU are not.

You want to be treated like a POW, because McCain was treated like one?  That's the stupidest fucking thing I ever heard, but hey we can fix it for you.  You wanna be kept in a steel cage like McCain, OK FINE, we'll get you a fuckin cage, no problem.

Hey you don't need no fuckin UNION to be treated like a fuckin POW around here, my friend.  I'll just tell the management you wanna be treated like shit and they'll be only too happy to oblige you.

Well, anyway that's what I'D tell those fuckin morons.

[Michael Tee]

<<If he lost the non unionized ones it is because he showed them disrespect. If they choose to not vote for him it is because of that, not because he is black.>>

It's not that simple.  Didn't you read the Counterpunch article?  There's a lot of racism out there.  Some of them definitely won't vote for Obama no matter how he acts or what he does, precisely because he is black.    Some, as per kimba's post, are just mesmerized by McCain's POW story, which is why he brings it up every chance he gets.  Some may in fact be offended by stuff that he said or did that "disrespects" them.  And some may be just plain scared.

[BT]

I didn't believe his article because i have been told ( perhaps by you) that racism ends at the Mason-Dixon line. Last i heard PA was north of it. Racists only live in the south. Besides these working class whites are democrats. No way they are racist.

[Michael Tee]

That's ridiculous, the whole fucking country is permeated by racism, it's just much more pervasive in the South.  There were race riots in fucking DETROIT during the Second World War and after, and that's right on the Canadian border.  Some 40 blacks were massacred in Detroit by rampaging white mobs in the wartime race riot.  It was just like Poland was for the Jews.  I would never say that U.S. racism is confined to the South.  That's a real crock.

[sirs]

But.....but.....I thought Unions were largely Democrat, and of course, there's no more racism in the Democrat party, as they all moved to the GOP.  What's up with this??


Union leader: Racism keeps Obama from building lead
by Kevin Bogardus
08/26/08

DENVER A prominent union leader on Tuesday blamed racism for Sen. Barack Obamas (D-Ill.) failure to build a big lead over GOP rival Sen. John McCain.

Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), said many workers are considering voting for McCain (R-Ariz.) because of his military service and status as a hero of the Vietnam War.

McEntee said several union members had approached him, saying they could not vote for Obama because of his race. He also said some local union presidents have failed to support Obama out of fear.

There are some local union presidents that are afraid yes, thats the word, afraid to hand out literature for Barack Obama, said McEntee.

McEntee said union members need to consider Obamas voting record on labor issues, not his race.

You cant vote for Barack Obama because hes black? Thats bulls--t. Absolute bulls--t, said McEntee to a standing ovation from the crowd.

McEntee said that the race between Obama and McCain should not be close and that the Democrat should have a much bigger lead in the polls.

We have to wake up, wake up our own members, said McEntee. Its a no-brainer, a no-brainer.

McEntee encouraged the Illinois delegates to campaign in other states for Obama, since they know the senator best.

Key Democrats this week have voiced worries that Obama does not have a bigger lead over McCain, who is hampered by President Bushs unpopularity. Other union officials also have cited Obamas race as a reason why some white union members are not embracing him.

McEntee said McCain is not a friend of unions and members must campaign for Obama and spread the message of his support for labor. He said unions will be in deep trouble if Obama is defeated for the presidency. If we dont win those states excuse my language, I know its early but we will be in the proverbial s--thouse for the next four years, McEntee said.


Say it ain't so

[Michael Tee]

Obama captured some key union endorsements as he battled his way to the nomination.

That union members should be racist is no more surprising than that some Russian Communist Party members should be anti-Semitic.  When racism or anti-Semitism are as deeply embedded in the culture of the U.S.A. or Russia as they obviously are, even the best efforts of leaders of mass movements to develop tolerance cannot erase the deeply ingrained hatreds that have been instilled and nourished for generations of popular culture.  Racism among the people does NOT just vanish overnight as the silly proponents of the "New South" and the "racism is dead in America" fable try to persuade those of us who know better.

It's surprising to me that the top union leadership gets away with endorsing Obama over a white man, NOT that some of the rank and file are <fake gasp!> racist. 

The Kerner Commission of 1968 concluded that racism was deeply engrained in American society.  H. Rap Brown said racism was "as American as apple pie."  Only the silliest person on earth would be shocked at racist attitudes in the American working class, particularly now that the Republicans are eagerly fanning the flames of racism for purely political purposes.

[Kramer]

Michael D. Yates, writing in today's Counterpunch, in an excellent article on Western Pennsylvania, where he taught for over 30 years, and the TOTAL FAILURE of Obama to reach out to its working class whites, many of whom are in fact racist.

The whole article is worth reading.  It describes in detail the spread and depth of white racism, but it's also interesting that Yates believes, based on his own experiences there, that these folks will listen and can be changed.

Look at this conclusion, the final grafs of the article:

<<It is a shame that some white workers are racist. I chalk most of this up to the abject failure of the labor movement to attack the race issue head on many years ago. But Obama might have won over the voters Hillary Clinton got by pretending she was still a working class woman from Scranton, while she slugged down shots and a beers in local bars. He could have intertwined his hand with the hand of a white worker, like in the emblem of the old Packinghouse Workers union, and gone out on the stump and told the truth about the class struggle. A lot of white workers would have eaten this up.

<<Between 1980 and 2001, I taught over 1,000 workers in labor education classes held throughout western Pennsylvania—in Johnstown, Greensburg, Pittsburgh, Beaver. Most students were white. Some were racist. Some were xenophobic. Some believed their country could do no wrong. I taught them about labor markets, collective bargaining, labor law, labor history, even Marxist economics. We didn’t pull any punches—on race, on war, on capitalism. Most came away enlightened. Would that Obama could have enlightened them too. If his lead over McCain slips further or disappears altogether, we can expect to hear some populist rhetoric from Obama, as we heard from John Kerry as his disastrous bid for the presidency crashed and burned in 2004. But who will believe it now? >>

"Most came away enlightened."  That's the single most encouraging thing about this article.  Those people can learn!!  .  .  .  if the right teacher appears.

This is why Obama will lose. Nobody wants 4 to 8 years of this racial crap going on. Every time Obama gets criticized will be because the criticizer will be labeled a racist. We (real American) are much smarter and enlightened than the stupid white guilt idiots that support a no nothing thin resume well spoken untested race baiting black man that needs his nuts ripped off and is a citizen of the world. Of course the French, English and Germans would vote for a loser like Obama simply because they want to see him ruin this country just like EU us screwed up.

[kimba1]

and don`t forget obama has the kerry factor going against him.
after the election people confess the man has the personality of a dead fish
obama overall pertsonality is he`s a family man.
but not much else
bush jr . give you the feeling you can have a beer with him
mccain give abit of that vibe also.
remember the boxer or briefs question?
bush sr. lost on that question.
people publicly say they vote on the issues.
but personality has weight too.
lets be truthful obama is less animated than mccain.
it got nothing to do with ability,but it`s a factor in the voting booth

[BT]

Obama captured some key union endorsements as he battled his way to the nomination.

That union members should be racist is no more surprising than that some Russian Communist Party members should be anti-Semitic.  When racism or anti-Semitism are as deeply embedded in the culture of the U.S.A. or Russia as they obviously are, even the best efforts of leaders of mass movements to develop tolerance cannot erase the deeply ingrained hatreds that have been instilled and nourished for generations of popular culture.  Racism among the people does NOT just vanish overnight as the silly proponents of the "New South" and the "racism is dead in America" fable try to persuade those of us who know better.

It's surprising to me that the top union leadership gets away with endorsing Obama over a white man, NOT that some of the rank and file are <fake gasp!> racist. 

The Kerner Commission of 1968 concluded that racism was deeply engrained in American society.  H. Rap Brown said racism was "as American as apple pie."  Only the silliest person on earth would be shocked at racist attitudes in the American working class, particularly now that the Republicans are eagerly fanning the flames of racism for purely political purposes.

You dizzy yet? All that spinning.

If racism is as American as apple pie, then it doesn't matter what party you belong to, If you are American you are racist. Period.

[Michael Tee]

<<If racism is as American as apple pie, then it doesn't matter what party you belong to, If you are American you are racist. Period.>>

LOL.  As simplistic as ever.  One party panders to the racism and does all it can to grab the racist vote.  The other doesn't.  You figure it out.

[BT]

The dems pander to unions.

Unions are hot beds of racism.

You figure it out.

[Plane]

Working class whites?


What is BHO's connection to the working class?


Working Class Blacks are racist enough to vote for him with no reason more than being black , but he doesn't have that appeal for the entire working class.