Ignorance Is Never In Short Supply

May 16, 2008 1:36 PM

The Real News: Obama Faces Racism in West Virginia

I used the metacafe link because the other one is stuttering. I guess their server is getting hammered.

Personal note: living in close proximity to people like this for 30 years was long enough.

posted by chuckdarwin (22 comments total)

related news: Mike Huckabee jokes about Obama ducking a gunman
posted by ornate insect at 1:38 PM on May 16, 2008

Video of Huckabee's joking about someone pointing a gun at Obama.
posted by R. Mutt at 1:46 PM on May 16, 2008

While I don't have a good feeling about this post lasting, I would like to point out that most everybody interviewed in that piece, black and white, was repeating talking points, irregardless of truth. And yes, I know about the sound-bite nature of most journalism... still, it would have been nice to see one semi-original gut response in there.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 1:46 PM on May 16, 2008

irregardless of truth

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:47 PM on May 16, 2008 [3 favorites]

OK, you guys win; that is fucked up. What a knob.
posted by chuckdarwin at 1:48 PM on May 16, 2008

This is my surprised face.
posted by BobFrapples at 1:48 PM on May 16, 2008

Tags: Sexy Whore Prostitute Boobs Culo 08 Barack Clinton Election Hillary News Obama Real Realnews Virginia West

???
posted by mudpuppie at 1:49 PM on May 16, 2008

Um, is that a parody?
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:50 PM on May 16, 2008

I saw a Nightline piece the other night, and they were talking to WV voters about their preferences between Obama/Clinton, and there were some reasoned opinions I guess, but the last guy was just a walking stereotype. Camo trucker's cap, but ole gut and about three teeth, and his reason for not voting for Obama was....seriously..

"I heared he don't believe in the flag"
posted by timsteil at 1:51 PM on May 16, 2008

Racism in West Virginia?! Well, we in the enlightened non-racist other 49 states certainly won't stand for it! Shape up, WV!
posted by Legomancer at 1:52 PM on May 16, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think that this post and this discussion involves some very serious truths that many of us are simply not willing to confront. This is a subject matter that has been around for many years, and there seems to be no level of education that is capable of changing people's minds or their habits. Even when confronted with irrefutable proof that something people believe to be true is, in fact, false, many people simply refuse or are not able to change their opinions or their actions. I would have thought that this issue would have been resolved a long time ago, yet here we are in the 21st Century and there still are people -- educated people -- who can stand up and look at themselves in the mirror without being able to admit this one very uncomfortable truth: "irregardless" is not a word.
posted by flarbuse at 1:52 PM on May 16, 2008 [12 favorites]

Bora Horza Gobuchul, the one lady is just imitating (word for word) some of the bogus shit flying around in the aether about Obama, most of it cooked up by schlockmeisters who hang out with Grover Norquist.
posted by chuckdarwin at 1:52 PM on May 16, 2008

Regardless of what others think, I choose to live my life treating people equally, irrespective of their skin color, race, what have you. I know there's a small army who feel the same.

I think there are 20 of us worldwide, iirc.
posted by SaintCynr at 1:52 PM on May 16, 2008

Not only was it authentic frontier gibberish, it expressed a courage little seen in this day and age!

I can't help but think of Blazing Saddles at times like these.
posted by sleepy pete at 1:53 PM on May 16, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think there are 20 of us worldwide

21
posted by timsteil at 1:55 PM on May 16, 2008

Look, just because you don't agree with the concept of black Americans with funny names doesn't mean you're an ignorant hillbilly.
posted by uncleozzy at 1:55 PM on May 16, 2008

On Politico: Why poll numbers skewed: Race effect?

As the nation’s pollsters convene this weekend in New Orleans at the annual conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, one topic will be the subject of lively debate — the so-called “Bradley effect.”
posted by R. Mutt at 1:55 PM on May 16, 2008

There was a piece in the Washington Post about Obama campaigners encountering racism in certain areas.
posted by DrGirlfriend at 1:56 PM on May 16, 2008

flarbuse: Even when confronted with irrefutable proof that something people believe to be true is, in fact, false, many people simply refuse or are not able to change their opinions or their actions...

dumb lady in cafe: I don't agree with that.
posted by chuckdarwin at 1:56 PM on May 16, 2008

Oh, chuck, I agree with you... but I'm also referring to the black woman interviewed near the end who, when asked why she was voting for Obama, replied "Change". I mean, we can do better than repeating campaign slogans, right?

And regarding "irregardless": I stand, well, abashed.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 1:56 PM on May 16, 2008

I volunteered in Virginia, Ohio, and DC. Virginia was by far the most informed, strangely enough. Ohio was exactly like this in some neighborhoods of Columbus.
posted by phrontist at 1:58 PM on May 16, 2008

Are you saying all politics are tribal? Black people have defected from the Clintons and rushed to Obama overwhelmingly? Whites stick with Hillary?

Gasp.
posted by resurrexit at 1:59 PM on May 16, 2008