Byron York: Black people don't really count as people, so Obama's not really that popular

[Phokus]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...ual/2009_04/017962.php

This ties back into my thread a couple months back about the republican party's 'southern strategy'. Any serious person who hasn't drunken the GOP kool-aid should at least admit there's an element of truth that the GOP appeals to bigots using subtle coded words/platforms.

Well, this one is a bit less subtle.

On his 100th day in office, Barack Obama enjoys high job approval ratings, no matter what poll you consult. But if a new survey by the New York Times is accurate, the president and some of his policies are significantly less popular with white Americans than with black Americans, and his sky-high ratings among African-Americans make some of his positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are. [emphasis added]

Thank you conservatives for pointing out that if you take out fake people/americans (aka black people) whose opinions shouldn't count and only leave in REAL americans (aka white people), Obama is less popular than he appears. What would we ever do without you.

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

And i'll quote someone from another forum:

Hell, in the Maryland Senate race in 2006, where you had a white Jewish Democrat against a black Republican, blacks still voted for the Democrat by a 3-1 margin.

Cue republicans crying about 'the race card'

 

[Proprioceptive]

AHHHH!!!! RACE CARD!!!!!!

 

[Genx87]

Back so soon? Great first thread topic for you.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Genx87
Back so soon? Great first thread topic for you.

Care to dispute the fact that Byron York's argument is racist?

---

Mod note -- The above quote got time warped to the top of the thread. I did not want it to appear as the OP. I could not move it to be the first reply, but I was able to move it to move it to the end of the thread as of this note.

Sorry for any confusion. It was an experiment to see if I could correct the timing. We can't stop using this horrible forum software soon enough for me.

Harvey
Senior AT Mod

 

[fskimospy]

That really was a stupid thing to say. Even if it weren't racist it was dumb. I mean if you cut out white people how popular are the Republicans?

There are certain things both parties need to be careful of, Democrats need to worry about looking soft on defense, and Republicans need to worry about looking racist. Dumb, dumb move.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Originally posted by: eskimospy
That really was a stupid thing to say. Even if it weren't racist it was dumb. I mean if you cut out white people how popular are the Republicans?

There are certain things both parties need to be careful of, Democrats need to worry about looking soft on defense, and Republicans need to worry about looking racist. Dumb, dumb move.

:thumbsup:

 

[FuzzyBee]

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

Hmm. Didn't more African-Americans show up to vote in this election than in any other Presidential election to date? Weren't there Democrats running for the Presidency befor 2008?

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

Hmm. Didn't more African-Americans show up to vote in this election than in any other Presidential election to date? Weren't there Democrats running for the Presidency befor 2008?

That's not the argument though. In fact, i can show you a case where blacks have voted for a WHITE democrat over a WHITE republican by an even greater margin than they did for Obama

Wait ? why is the gap between white and black voters even higher for Biden than it is for Obama? Is this an Obama Effect or is it the preference of black voters for the Democratic Party? Let?s pick a random 2008 race between two white candidates: the North Carolina race between now-Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and then-Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.). Seventy-five percent of voters were white, and Dole won them by 18 points. But 19 percent of voters were black, and Hagan won them by 95 points. Obama only defeated Sen. John McCain by 90 points among black voters in North Carolina (while losing whites by 29 points).

http://washingtonindependent.c...r-democratic-president

 

[BoomerD]

That's just silly. Hasn't he ever read the US Constitution?

"Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons"

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Genx87
Back so soon? Great first thread topic for you.

Care to dispute the fact that Byron York's argument is racist?

I dont see how it is racist to look at the numbers. The only controversial comment was that the high approval ratings of blacks may be pushing Obamas approval ratings higher than the majority of the country(whites) feels.

Here is the original article.

http://www.washingtonexaminer....pularity-43923897.html

Here is his response to critics calls of racism.

http://www.washingtonexaminer....pularity-44059142.html

/shrug

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: Phokus
Thank you conservatives for pointing out that if you take out fake people/americans (aka black people) whose opinions shouldn't count and only leave in REAL americans (aka white people), Obama is less popular than he appears. What would we ever do without you.

You are the idiot for finding things that simply don't exist.

 

[nobodyknows]

Originally posted by: Phokus

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks.

Congrats, you have officially made full-fledged "wingnut" status.

 

[n yusef]

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

Hmm. Didn't more African-Americans show up to vote in this election than in any other Presidential election to date? Weren't there Democrats running for the Presidency befor 2008?

Hell, in the Maryland Senate race in 2006, where you had a white Jewish Democrat against a black Republican, blacks still voted for the Democrat by a 3-1 margin.

Obama got a boost from black voters, but not any more so than Hillary would have gotten from women, that JFK got from Catholics or any candidate gets from voters in her home state. People support people who they identify with, to an extent. Black Republicans and anti-choice women do not get this boost, because they are against the policies of their groups. I'm sure it's the same with homosexual Republicans; they won't get a boost from gay voters because they have gone to "the other side."

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Genx87
Back so soon? Great first thread topic for you.

Care to dispute the fact that Byron York's argument is racist?

I dont see how it is racist to look at the numbers. The only controversial comment was that the high approval ratings of blacks may be pushing Obamas approval ratings higher than the majority of the country(whites) feels.

Here is the original article.

http://www.washingtonexaminer....pularity-43923897.html

Here is his response to critics calls of racism.

http://www.washingtonexaminer....pularity-44059142.html

/shrug

the addition of "than they actually are." at the end of the sentence makes his argument incredibly racist. He's implying that we should only look at the numbers from 'real america' (white america) and discount the numbers from blacks to get the 'real picture' of obama's popularity.

I think this sums up byron york's article:

Adam Serwer added, "This is another example of a really bizarre genre of conservative writing, which I call 'If Only Those People Weren't Here.'"

Some more responses to his response:

http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/04/call_it_what_it_is.php#more

http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...ual/2009_04/017962.php

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/b...d_women_ruin_ev#114782

http://washingtonindependent.c...r-democratic-president

 

[FuzzyBee]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

Hmm. Didn't more African-Americans show up to vote in this election than in any other Presidential election to date? Weren't there Democrats running for the Presidency befor 2008?

That's not the argument though. In fact, i can show you a case where blacks have voted for a WHITE democrat over a WHITE republican by an even greater margin than they did for Obama

Wait ? why is the gap between white and black voters even higher for Biden than it is for Obama? Is this an Obama Effect or is it the preference of black voters for the Democratic Party? Let?s pick a random 2008 race between two white candidates: the North Carolina race between now-Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and then-Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.). Seventy-five percent of voters were white, and Dole won them by 18 points. But 19 percent of voters were black, and Hagan won them by 95 points. Obama only defeated Sen. John McCain by 90 points among black voters in North Carolina (while losing whites by 29 points).

http://washingtonindependent.c...r-democratic-president

I thought the topic was Obama. How many of the African-Americans that voted for him were eligible to vote in previous Presidential elections, but did not?

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: n yusef

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

Hmm. Didn't more African-Americans show up to vote in this election than in any other Presidential election to date? Weren't there Democrats running for the Presidency befor 2008?

Hell, in the Maryland Senate race in 2006, where you had a white Jewish Democrat against a black Republican, blacks still voted for the Democrat by a 3-1 margin.

Obama got a boost from black voters, but not any more so than Hillary would have gotten from women, that JFK got from Catholics or any candidate gets from voters in her home state. People support people who they identify with, to an extent. Black Republicans and anti-choice women do not get this boost, because they are against the policies of their groups. I'm sure it's the same with homosexual Republicans; they won't get a boost from gay voters because they have gone to "the other side."

Except Obama doesn't really get any abnormal boost from black americans just for being black. The numbers are really not unusual for any democrat, whether they be black or white. That's the point.

 

[n yusef]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Genx87
Back so soon? Great first thread topic for you.

Care to dispute the fact that Byron York's argument is racist?

I dont see how it is racist to look at the numbers. The only controversial comment was that the high approval ratings of blacks may be pushing Obamas approval ratings higher than the majority of the country(whites) feels.

Here is the original article.

http://www.washingtonexaminer....pularity-43923897.html

Here is his response to critics calls of racism.

http://www.washingtonexaminer....pularity-44059142.html

/shrug

He said that the black vote made "some of his [Obama's] positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are." He is implying that black voters do not really matter, that the popularity of positions is only determined by white people.

To consider this anything other than racism is ridiculous.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

Hmm. Didn't more African-Americans show up to vote in this election than in any other Presidential election to date? Weren't there Democrats running for the Presidency befor 2008?

That's not the argument though. In fact, i can show you a case where blacks have voted for a WHITE democrat over a WHITE republican by an even greater margin than they did for Obama

Wait ? why is the gap between white and black voters even higher for Biden than it is for Obama? Is this an Obama Effect or is it the preference of black voters for the Democratic Party? Let?s pick a random 2008 race between two white candidates: the North Carolina race between now-Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and then-Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.). Seventy-five percent of voters were white, and Dole won them by 18 points. But 19 percent of voters were black, and Hagan won them by 95 points. Obama only defeated Sen. John McCain by 90 points among black voters in North Carolina (while losing whites by 29 points).

http://washingtonindependent.c...r-democratic-president

I thought the topic was Obama. How many of the African-Americans that voted for him were eligible to vote in previous Presidential elections, but did not?

The article is about the PERCENTAGE that approve of obama, not the total number that voted in the election.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
That's just silly. Hasn't he ever read the US Constitution?

"Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons"

it's funny when that phrase gets thrown out, because wasn't it the southern slave-holders who wanted blacks to count as full individuals for the purposes of congressional representation and northerners who didn't want them to count at all?

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
That's just silly. Hasn't he ever read the US Constitution?

"Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons"

Stupid argument. If not for the three-fifths compromise, the South would have had a much larger representation in the House and Electoral College and slavery would likely have lasted much longer than it did. If anything the three-fifths compromise helped end slavery by balancing out the north and south.

 

[n yusef]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: n yusef

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

Hmm. Didn't more African-Americans show up to vote in this election than in any other Presidential election to date? Weren't there Democrats running for the Presidency befor 2008?

Hell, in the Maryland Senate race in 2006, where you had a white Jewish Democrat against a black Republican, blacks still voted for the Democrat by a 3-1 margin.

Obama got a boost from black voters, but not any more so than Hillary would have gotten from women, that JFK got from Catholics or any candidate gets from voters in her home state. People support people who they identify with, to an extent. Black Republicans and anti-choice women do not get this boost, because they are against the policies of their groups. I'm sure it's the same with homosexual Republicans; they won't get a boost from gay voters because they have gone to "the other side."

Except Obama doesn't really get any abnormal boost from black americans just for being black. The numbers are really not unusual for any democrat, whether they be black or white. That's the point.

I'm not saying that any black people switched parties. I'm saying that a higher percentage of black people voted than ever before, which is an indisputable fact.

 

[n yusef]

Originally posted by: XMan

Originally posted by: BoomerD
That's just silly. Hasn't he ever read the US Constitution?

"Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons"

Stupid argument. If not for the three-fifths compromise, the South would have had a much larger representation in the House and Electoral College and slavery would likely have lasted much longer than it did. If anything the three-fifths compromise helped end slavery by balancing out the north and south.

Utilitarianism FAIL.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: eskimospy
That really was a stupid thing to say. Even if it weren't racist it was dumb. I mean if you cut out white people how popular are the Republicans?

There are certain things both parties need to be careful of, Democrats need to worry about looking soft on defense, and Republicans need to worry about looking racist. Dumb, dumb move.

NO!

The problem is not what he said. The problem is that we have too many media watchdog groups who scour everything to find anything, no matter how insignificant, that can be twisted to work to the advantage of the group's agenda. Happens on both sides of the political fence.

Few will ever see the full story, while the sensationalized headline is read by a much larger audience. And the result is that everyone believes everyone else is an idiot.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: n yusef

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: n yusef

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

The really funny thing is, this idiot doesn't understand that it's not that barack obama is black, but that he's a democrat that makes him more popular among blacks. Or the fact that he would never write a column about how if you discount white evangelicals, bush would be even less popular than he ever was.

Hmm. Didn't more African-Americans show up to vote in this election than in any other Presidential election to date? Weren't there Democrats running for the Presidency befor 2008?

Hell, in the Maryland Senate race in 2006, where you had a white Jewish Democrat against a black Republican, blacks still voted for the Democrat by a 3-1 margin.

Obama got a boost from black voters, but not any more so than Hillary would have gotten from women, that JFK got from Catholics or any candidate gets from voters in her home state. People support people who they identify with, to an extent. Black Republicans and anti-choice women do not get this boost, because they are against the policies of their groups. I'm sure it's the same with homosexual Republicans; they won't get a boost from gay voters because they have gone to "the other side."

Except Obama doesn't really get any abnormal boost from black americans just for being black. The numbers are really not unusual for any democrat, whether they be black or white. That's the point.

I'm not saying that any black people switched parties. I'm saying that a higher percentage of black people voted than ever before, which is an indisputable fact.

a higher number of black people may have voted, but their percentage distribution of votes aren't really out of place compared to other elections.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Phokus

the addition of "than they actually are." at the end of the sentence makes his argument incredibly racist. He's implying that we should only look at the numbers from 'real america' (white america) and discount the numbers from blacks to get the 'real picture' of obama's popularity.

I think this sums up byron york's article:

Adam Serwer added, "This is another example of a really bizarre genre of conservative writing, which I call 'If Only Those People Weren't Here.'"

Some more responses to his response:

http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/04/call_it_what_it_is.php#more

http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...ual/2009_04/017962.php

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/b...d_women_ruin_ev#114782

http://washingtonindependent.c...r-democratic-president

I think as with most race baiters you are seeing what you want.