I recommend watching the Pennsylvania focus group that Peter Hart did in late June.  You can see it on CSPAN.  It's useful in representing all the ways to say that you don't want to vote for an African American president without saying it.  That, and the numbers from PA, OH and WVa are very unsettling.  I wrote about it here if you want to read more.    http://dontgelyet.typepad.com/dontgeltoosoon/2008/07/shut-up-and-sin.htm...  

With regard to response, I don't think there's a way to win.  If you call someone on something like that, they just get defensive and more entrenched.  The only think I've ever done is to ask if they have a second to really talk about it and see if there's some misunderstanding.  I've heard people on CSPAN who really believe Obama is Muslim and use that as an excuse re race, at least in some cases.  Others use the "hand over heart" rumor.  Sometimes if you explore those, you can defuse their excuses and maybe open the window a little.  If they aren't willing to talk, you know there's no hope.  

Everyone said that it will take a generation to change racial attitudes.  IF the young people who look like they're going to vote do so, these old attitudes will be outnumbered.  If for some reason they turn off, I don't know what will happen.

Great thing to raise here, Ms. Morra. 

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Unfortunately I am living in a family (in-laws) that is known for having racist views and is not afraid to voice them... despite the fact that my own family has various races.  My Husband came home from an outing with his grandfather to tell me of the absolutely awful discussion that took place, in public, over lunch. I cannot write nor say the words that were used.

My heart breaks. Not just for my own family but for our country at large. 

FireMom from Stop, Drop & Blog.

I was eating lunch with a friend and her parents a couple of weeks ago when my friend's mother mentioned something about a Muslim in the White House and how he was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. Apparently this is a hot topic in their house, because she then turned to my friend and yelled at her to stop rolling her eyes. It amazes me sometimes how rumors and fear can rule a person and effect their vote, but my first thought was, "And?" I don't see how being a Muslim or not has anything to do with anything, but then I expect my presidents not to force their religious agenda down my throat. Of course, that hasn't been the case lately. (oops, this wasn't supposed to be a rant) Anyway, I wish everyone would stop listening to the hate flying around and just vote their conscience. I don't need to know what you think of my candidate, especially if it's based on nonsense and hate, thank you.

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Okay, I wish I could remember more of this conversation, but I have been fascinated lately by retraining the brain and neuroscience.  There is some theory that if the hippocampus part of your brain accesses the same thought enough times, that thought  becomes a permanent path for your brain neurons to follow.  So if someone heard and believed that Obama is a muslim 10 times say, its stuck there unless they really want to work hard to undo that neuron path by rethinking it quite a bit. So for people who don't do much critical thinking from the get go, or who just want to believe what they want to believe, there really is no way to get them over that hump.  It's a supposedly a consistent percentage of the population.  So I guess I wrote all that because there is a certain percentage of the population who will think what they want to think regardless of the facts right in front of their face.  Sad, but true.  

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Morra, I keep expecting to see a nasty anti-Obama bumpter sticker or to run into someone with an Obama-is-a-black-man issue, but so far I haven't. Perhaps, since I'm black, no one would say something stupid like what you heard to my face or in my presence and probably if they did, they'd do it mainly to antagonize me and get a response, not because they assumed I'd agree or not be offended. You may run into a certain type of ignorant person who assumes you don't support Obama because he's black while I'll run into that person who assumes I definitely support him because I'm black.

On the other hand, Gov. Jindal just signed a law making intimidating people by placing nooses, even pictures of nooses, a crime. So perhaps folks are mulling over their racist stupidity first now and thinking before they make racist statements. Hey, I can dream can't I. (I think the noose law was partially related to the Jena Six fiasco.)

Obama won the primary here in Louisiana, but according to media (and we know how reliable the mainstream media is) it was definitely a "racial" win. Most African-Americans voted for him while most whites voted against him according to reporters.

Barack Obama and Black Cool

I just wrote about this tendency for people to idolize Obama in my post related to Ebony Magazine's new cover that shows Obama stepping from a limo, wearing shades and that lists him as one of "the 25 coolest brothers of all time." It's an issue on "Black Cool." I'm wondering if black women don't have the ability to be cool because it's all "brothers."

Obama's being treated like a movie star or rock star is probably more of a surprise to me than folks hating him because he's black. Sadly, I expected the latter, and there are some older African-Americans who believe so strongly that the latter would be more prevalent that they've feared supporting him. They don't want him to go high enough to be assasinated. I don't think some people understand that particular fear the way older blacks do who remember lynchings and were alive when MLK was killed.  

When I've been given this reason for why someone would not support Obama, fear that he will be killed, my response has been, "Well, you know, it's just like being with a group that must go through a dark scary room to find the exit.  Somebody's got to first if we want to go forward." 

Nordette is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.com whose personal blog is hosted on another site at this link.

Just a bit more obvious. Since I look white, white people will share their racist observations with me where as Nordette points out, they generally have enough sense not to mention to people who are obviously of color.

At least he recognized that it was inappropriate and tried to claim it was just an innocent joke. I don't always protest or point out the problem with such statements because I get tired of educating and sometimes it is clear that there's no point. They're not going to learn that what they said was wrong, just not to say it unless they know that they are in like-minded company.

Obama's candidacy will cause more of this type of thought to surface. Although it's painful (I cried while researching my most recent post) we can't have any kind of discussion or progress as long as we pretend that there is no longer any racism.

It's not just a Southern Republican problem since I've heard plenty of it in multicultural, heavily Democratic California. But, certainly the Republican party has heavily exploited racism with it's decades old "Southern Strategy."

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Nordette writes: "Obama's being treated like a movie star or rock star is probably
more of a surprise to me than folks hating him because he's black."

I think younger people (white or black), in particular, are wowed by star power no matter its color.

...and she writes "there are some older African-Americans who believe so strongly that the
latter would be more prevalent that they've feared supporting him. They
don't want him to go high enough to be assasinated."

Whenever I think about Obama and cultural issues, to me it comes back to generational splits- the sheer difference with which I think under 35's view race. This played into Hillary's campaign (using racism to shore up her older voters) and it plays into so many discussions of Obama's "post-racialism" vs. racial fears of older voters, black or white.

Thoughts?

I have to admit I'm scared for him and his family. I have folks around me that take pride in saying "Barak Osama" around me every chance they get. They keep telling me it is a joke.

I have yet to laugh. I don't think those of use that have passed through the 60's with thoughts of John, Malcolm, Martin, Robert and others unnamed souls truly trust or believe that the boogyman has gone for good. That SOB is lurking in the shadows, waiting.

America cannot take that kind of heartbreak; especially if it was home grown. So there are callouses around some of our hearts. Doesn't mean we support him or not. It is our political PTSD kicking in.

Then again, I have this vision of a bunch of 1st bench grandmas of all faiths are doing heavy duty petitioning just in case.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

I had to encounter some similar ignorance when I went home to Iowa not too long ago.  Some of my parents' friends actually booed the Obama float in the 4th of July parade.

When a stranger says things like this, I usually let them know that they should not assume I share their prejudices.  If they're trying to make a joke, I don't laugh.  If they get belligerent (sp?) in their response, I am not afraid to cooly let them know that they are dicks.

It's harder with friends and family, which I struggled with when I went home.  Fortunately for me, 99% of the people making ignorant comments are much less informed than me, both politically, academically, and experientially.  I usually drop some knowledge on their asses.  It may not change the most hard-headed, but least they feel like idiots.  Plus, most of those people know only one or two people of color.  

It is definitely an interesting experience, coming from a very homogenous White background, but being both a resident of a highly diverse area/workplace AND being a critical race student.  Sometimes I forget that there are people who think it is totally okay to use the N-word in 2008.  Sigh.