tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post2949129543695360434..comments2008-05-16T14:38:30.271-04:00Anthony Palmer, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00043374303541804437noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-63027528721392874002008-05-16T14:38:00.000-04:002008-05-16T14:38:00.000-04:00they can already smell the coffeeTorrance Stephens bka All-Mi-Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08843040863123899426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-56581172466652628122008-05-16T02:24:00.000-04:002008-05-16T02:24:00.000-04:00I saw somewhere today that Bob Barr spoke out in support of today's ruling by the California Supreme Court on gay marriage. He said that is a perfect example of federalism in play and that sometimes that could lead to choices that you wouldn't have made.Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13892964135889989419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-25335101841183818032008-05-15T10:58:00.000-04:002008-05-15T10:58:00.000-04:00Dominic (and Brett),<BR/><BR/>I really appreciate your anecdote, although I'm sorry you've experienced harassment simply because of a bumper sticker or sign on your car. Incredible. I think Brett made a very good point in that perhaps the most effective way to combat such racism is to actually put the issue of race right in everyone's face by forcing them to confront it. I'm not saying people should vote for Obama so he can teach us a lesson about racism, but I do think that an Obama presidency would force a lot of people to deal with issues that would be less likely to come up with a President Clinton or a President McCain.<BR/><BR/>I personally thought the DC area would have been a bit more progressive and would have included Annapolis as part of that area. But I guess not. That's unfortunate.<BR/><BR/>By the way, thanks for the promotion, Dominic, but I am not a professor (yet). I'm a PhD student, but I also work full-time as a teacher. So I'm very busy. You can call me "Professor" if you wish though!<BR/><BR/>-----<BR/><BR/>RHW,<BR/><BR/>Bob Barr has actually intrigued me. I must admit that I have warmed up to him considerably since the impeachment hearings. He's a strong conservative for sure, but more of an ideological one rather than a partisan one. And there's a lot of overlap between conservatism and libertarianism. Seems like today's libertarianism is the offshoot of Barry Goldwater noninterventionist free-choice conservatism. I might vote for him in November, actually.<BR/><BR/>Thanks everyone for the good comments.Anthony Palmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00043374303541804437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-15672495572160039752008-05-14T23:39:00.000-04:002008-05-14T23:39:00.000-04:00Palmer,<BR/><BR/>I would be interested in hearing Bob Barr's answers to your superb questions.<BR/><BR/>R:)Reginald Harrison Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16715910735090478875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-76841289135085792992008-05-14T16:53:00.000-04:002008-05-14T16:53:00.000-04:00Great Post, Professor!<BR/><BR/>I live outside D.C., which is arguably an Obama stronghold. However, Virginia is an orgy of societal class (<I>There's Northern Virginia, Southern Virginia, Western Appalachian Virginia...</I>). The same can be said of Maryland, The Old Line State, where you've got a large urban/sub-urban population with Montgomery County and Baltimore County, and then you've got Eastern Shore and Annapolis, super blue-collar areas where the population density (and political affiliations) is, by contrast, vastly different.<BR/><BR/>I support Obama, and I printed off a piece of paper that says, "YES WE CAN!" in a 65pt Arial font. It sits on the back corner window of my Jeep. I eventually wrote Obama'08 on it, just to drive my point home. <BR/><BR/>Driving around the DC Metro area, some mornings have me bombarded by honks, waves, and screamers, all agreeing with my personal selection for President. It's uplifting, and gratifying to know that others agree with me, and I with them. It means that we both agree one 2 issues, Obama should be president, and DC traffic is either ridiculously suicidal or slower than aid to Katrina victims.<BR/><BR/>Now, if I drive to visit my parents in Richmond or Annapolis, the exact opposite happens. I'm bombarded by middle-fingers, McCain stickers, and really, really dirty looks. <BR/><BR/>Perfect Example: A guy in a large pick up tried to run me off of Rt. 50 (major highway in MD)while en-route to Annapolis a few days ago. Upon Passing, he called me, "A Damn Nigger Lover".<BR/><BR/>My grandmother lives in a large retirement community, about 15 miles outside the DC lines in Montgomery County. Her neighbor, at 69 year old black woman from Georgia, pulled me aside a few weeks ago while I was leaving and talked very frankly and passionately about Obama and her views for about 20 minutes in the middle of the street. She quoted, <I>in great detail</I>, several speeches and referred to him as a "messiah". She eventually hugged me as strong as she could and warmly, said, "All we <B>ever have</B> is Hope."Dominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00102463476217658872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-60622408165353603192008-05-14T04:15:00.000-04:002008-05-14T04:15:00.000-04:00This doesn't surprise me (and Merida's article was excellent, although some more statistics would probably help). Official racism was broken in the 1960s, but it continued to exist in strong force well into the 1980s (at least as a political prop), and some strands of it continue to exist now.<BR/><BR/>That is, in of itself, no surprise. The above means that almost everyone over 35 would have experienced at least some of it, the legacy of the brutal nadir of American race relations after Reconstruction. <BR/><BR/>I think the only way it will go away is if a black man is elected President. Strident anti-catholicism dogged Kennedy throughout his race (although not as bad as decades earlier in the 1928 Al Smith campaign), and it was only through his victory and presidency that this was severely weakened.Brettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-46084203154642264662008-05-13T22:58:00.000-04:002008-05-13T22:58:00.000-04:00DB,<BR/><BR/>People tend to fear the unfamiliar. This has played out with immigrant-bashing, people who speak other languages, and people who have "funny names" many times in the past. I guess for voters who will hold Obama's race against him by voting for someone else even though they are philosophically closer to him will get the government they deserve.<BR/><BR/>-----<BR/><BR/>Nikki,<BR/><BR/>I actually think I'll vote Libertarian in November. Obama is indeed very, very liberal and doesn't match up with my views either. I don't dispute your reasons for not supporting Obama and hope that the trolls stay away from your blog. However, I just wish there was a way to separate those who have legitimate gripes with Obama from those who have racist gripes about him. I would really like it if someone from the "big media" would find this post and ask some of these questions. But like you said, maybe the nation isn't quite ready yet. That's okay though because I'll be sure to ask them later--either when I'm a politician, a pundit, or a journalist. We'll see.<BR/><BR/>And Schenck, thanks.Anthony Palmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00043374303541804437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-68981493087025366372008-05-13T22:46:00.000-04:002008-05-13T22:46:00.000-04:00Oh if Obama were just a bit more coservative...what could have been, but as it stands he is far to left for me and quite a few others...I will undoubtedly get "you are a racist" comments on my blog for the Obama bashing I will undoubtedly do within the next few months leading to the general...You ask some good questions Anthony, I doubt america is ready to answer them. :)NNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506161645223765063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-19210287488373279212008-05-13T22:21:00.000-04:002008-05-13T22:21:00.000-04:00As everyone knows, things that are "different" make people uncomfortable. Humans, a creature of habit, find solice in the status quo. Obama shakes that comfort zone of many people. I feel sorry for those people who use his ethnicity to hide their fear. <BR/><BR/>I am surprised that people responded to Obama's campaign volunteers in such a hateful way (referencing Merida's article). Wouldn't a simple "I am not interested" suffice over "I will never vote for a black person?" Truly sad.DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01267112937396907790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865494184012705718.post-76648008417526258122008-05-13T21:05:00.000-04:002008-05-13T21:05:00.000-04:00Nice post, Palmer.Schenckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11388487522026095619noreply@blogger.com