DU, 2008: 75,000 ATTEND OBAMA RALLY IN PORTLAND

[Flying Squirrel]

Last edited Tue Jul 7, 2015, 02:20 AM - Edit history (2)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3314968

Man, look at all those white folks in Portland, OR coming to see candidate Barack Obama... Where were the cries of "racism" on DU from Hillary supporters???



Edit: sorry, Portland OR - Still a very white area. Obviously the crowd will be mostly white, regardless of the candidate's skin color or state of origin.

[pa28]

1. Wow, that's quite an ocean of white faces out there.

Glad you pointed this out because there seems to be quite a bit of concern over such things here lately.

[Indepatriot]

16. "Hard working people, white people"-HRC circa 08'

I'd also like to point out that Bernie is Jewish, which makes him a minority as well, and we've never had a Jewish POTUS, so he'd be making history if he wins the White House.

[NanceGreggs]

2. Can you point out ...

... which are the white folks, and which aren't?

It's kinda hard to tell from this photo.

Besides that, there is the obvious: Those people were there to support a BLACK MAN for president.

[BrotherIvan]

11. So it only takes one?

Got it.

[NanceGreggs]

14. Okay, good one!

That made me LOL - good comeback!

But no, it takes more than one - obviously.

[BrotherIvan]

15. I'm trying to say that this line of argument makes DU look ridiculous

Absolutely as stupid as any Republican site. Now we're counting faces in the crowds and weighing their value based on their skin color? Oh look, there's a black guy, and another one! Okay then! And now white posters are mimicking it which is just plain offensive.

[sabrina 1]

18. That's why I ignore it. It does make DU look dumb. And it ALIENATES people against Hillary

so it's a very bad tactic. And it sure isn't affecting Bernie. Bernie has some close relationships with some prominent AA LEADERS who will most likely be there for him when they are needed.

And among some great musicians. Take Killer Mike eg, he LOVES Bernie's politics and has come out and endorsed him. On Twitter, Killer Mike who is a very, very smart guy, should probably run for politics himself, has ONE MILLION followers, maybe more now that he has endorsed Bernie. These are fans, many of them AAs who will learn about Bernie from him.

It is a ridiculous and childish argument. So it's best ignored as it is not going to harm Bernie but IS harming Hillary. That's fine with me, though I can't imagine why her supporters don't realize how much they are harming her.

Eg, I follow some minority blogs, have been doing so for years. And maybe those who think they are speaking for AAs re Hillary should take a look at some of the comments from AAs. She has a problem with AAs, let's just put it that way. But she is not my concern, I am a Bernie supporter and that is who I focus on. So do THEY, when they should be focusing on their own candidate.

[BrotherIvan]

19. I think there is a generational and income split in these comments

And I'm just going to leave it there.

[sabrina 1]

22. Definitely. And that is why Bernie is so appealing to people once they hear him. He UNDERSTANDS

what it is clear whoever is thinking up this stuff, do not. I'm fine with letting them do it, it helps people see how out of touch they are and how little they care about THEM.

[tularetom]

27. I can't forget the thinly disguised racism of the 2008 Clinton campaign

So I'm not opposed to using it to attempt to nudge undecided black Democrats into the Sanders camp.

But I agree, the attempts to paint Sen Sanders as a racist are so transparently heavy handed and amateurish that they are almost certainly going to backfire on them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. They already are

and what is tested here is fine tuned and deployed by the campaign. They did that in 2008. It blew in their faces, but here we go again.

[BrotherIvan]

34. You had talking points pre-tested on DU?

Because damn is it noticeable. How do all these people get their mojo?

[sabrina 1]

29. It's very condescending to minorities also, to USE them for political purposes so obviously.

And that is one of the main things people are saying, often very angrily.

But hey, like I said, I'm not worried about Hillary, she isn't my choice in this race. So let them do what they want and if it harms her it benefits Bernie and that's fine with me.

[2banon]

41. As I recall, the racism in Clinton's 2008 was not so thinly disguised.

If I recall correctly the most egregious happened in North Carolina, Pennsylvania. (?) even if I may be misremembering the specific states, the disgust has remained with me all these years. .

[NanceGreggs]

40. I agree.

That's what prompted my initial reply about pointing out the black faces and the white faces.

As for DU looking ridiculous, I'm afraid that ship sailed a very long time ago.

[C Moon]

17. Sad. Sad. Sad.

[Fumesucker]

20. Hillary would know them by their hard work

I don't think Odysseus's trick with the beeswax would work with a dog whistle that loud.

[Cheese Sandwich]

3. That's Obama in Portland, Oregon.

[cascadiance]

8. I guess us "white racists" showed up to protest Obama speaking the last time he came to Portland...

I guess we even had POC participating in the "racism".



Shame on you Bernie Sanders for instigating your followers to show their ugly politics of "racist hate" when Obama was trying to just show how much he loves this country at this company that loves American workers so much!...

!!!

[JI7]

5. but he also had other rallies where it was mixed , the racism are those throwing out "race card"

as for Sanders it's a fact that he does not have much minority support and that is needed to win the nomination. it doesn't mean he is racist.

just as we talk about hillary losing in 2008 because she lost her black support to obama. it's a fact that happened. but it was still close because she kept hispanic and other minority support.

in this case hillary has all of them in huge numbers.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. The problem is that I know

folks who are Mexican-American and AA working for Bernie, like for real. People do like his message because it is what they are hearing from community leaders as well.

I also do not presume to talk for all, but some of the local folks have heard of Sanders.chiefly they like the message. It's real early.

[sabrina 1]

31. Hillary is in trouble with minorities right now.

Many are calling her 'condescending' only 'talking to us because she wants our votes'. The truth is there has been a lot of 'talk' and very little 'action', and we hear the 'talk' mostly during campaigns.

AAs who hear Bernie's message and who see his long record on Civil Rights agree with him. White people who THINK they know what is good for minorities, are not appreciated especially since most of them, as I have seen pointed out, 'have no clue' what poverty does to a person'.

Hillary doesn't 'have' anyone. She is going to have to EARN their support. No politician 'has' any voter and it sounds so cold to put it that way frankly. More like a mathematical calculation than real interest in individuals and their goals and needs.



Eg, every time I see this 'he doesn't have the minority vote' I see NOTHING about issues, nothing about the real problems of economic injustice that racism has caused among the AA community. Just 'we have those votes'. And if you think people aren't noticing and comparing Bernie's message you would be wrong.

[Sheepshank]

38. what a bunch of made up hooey

Bernie has done pretty much nothing for minorities except march 50 years ago....and Bernie supporters are still trying to ride those coattails. Look at Bernie senatorial voting and bill sponsorship records...they are empty when it comes to pressing immigration and minority agendas. Go ahead and look.

[sabrina 1]

39. What has Hillary done, and why are you not talking about her record? What eg, was she

doing when Bernie was being arrested during the most critical time in the history of Civil Rights in this country?

She and Bernie are of the same generation. We KNOW what he was doing, what was SHE doing?

Why do her supporters not want to talk about Hillary on Civil Rights? Why are they attacking people who actually STOOD UP WHEN IT COUNTED MOST???

How sad that would dismiss those who were there, who stood up, who spent years devoting their energy to DEMANDING rights for AAs. Wow!

People are beginning to ask questions about Hillary thanks to these tactics.

For you to totally dismiss the Civil Rights era as something that is insignificant is simply shameful.

And it just proves what many AAs are now saying about these sudden 'concerns' coming from people who have no CLUE what they are talking about when it comes to this issue.

Thanks for a perfect demonstration of my previous post. It's all about politics for some people.

But for those, like Bernie who waled the walk, it is STILL about justice and he's STILL fighting for that justice.

Now we would like to hear what YOUR candidate has done.

Let's take a look at the record of ALL candidates, I hjave an it doesn't compare to Bernie's and now thanks to this kind of tactic, you have drawn attention to your own candidate, and it's not very impressive.

And yes, she has a problem now with this. Ignore it if you wish, that's your decision, I am PROUD of those who fought in the Civil Rights Movement when it took more than just 'talking'.

Shameful, 'the Civil Rights Movement doesn't count' Really????

[Arugula Latte]

6. Wrong coast, but, yes, also a pretty white state.

I remember that so well. We (West Coast) Portlanders were pretty proud of this rally. It kind of shot down the "Obama can't win the white vote" thing.

[MellowDem]

7. Obviously he didn't care about black folks...

Snark aside, truth is, it would be easier for Bernie to appeal to blacks if he was black, or Hispanics if he was Hispanic, etc. etc. to at least some degree. It's easier for him to appeal to some white voters because he's white. It is what it is. It's not exactly something people want in a perfect democracy, but it's a reality, in a country with real racial gaps and continuing injustice, it's understandable, and it should be acknowledged. It's not necessarily even bad, though it can be, the way the Republican Party approaches it, and some in the Democratic Party too.

Hillary tried using her whiteness to appeal to whites in a very bigoted and shameful way, once she was getting desperate. Not in a "I understand where you're coming from, join my coalition" but in a "you whites are hard working (wink nudge), I'll be your candidate (and put your issues first)" She'll do it again if the going gets tough, I haven't seen anything to suggest otherwise.

When you're on the "same side" competing for a spot, optics become a big factor, and some of the shallow stuff matters to win voters over (though it shouldn't). I personally think Bernie is significantly different enough from the other Democratic candidates on policy that it shouldn't matter so much, though.

But it's all a little depressing, as our fucked up electoral system does a great job at highlighting how screwed up our society is, in all sorts of ways.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. But too many here on DU act as if they don't even remember Hillary's racism in 2008.

[BrotherIvan]

12. ^^This!^^

I can't believe we all need to clear our memories and act like Hillary is the new champion for PoC. It makes my head hurt. If she had not run such a dogwhistle campaign, this whole thing might not be so damn absurd.

[Autumn]

32. You know it shocked the hell out of me and I

was a Hillary supporter.

[BrotherIvan]

35. I think my mouth was hanging open as I walked around

I don't know if McCaskill is the new Geraldine Ferraro but I won't be surprised if they start a whisper campaign about "killing Christ" or some shit. I am dead serious. That they would attack so early, when she is so far ahead, shows they don't want any competition whatsoever, they want a coronation. I think maybe they thought she would never have to give interviews or really do any events but now they are PISSED because she has to actually go to places like Iowa and talk to the unwashed masses.

[nc4bo]

23. Convenient amnesia. I remember, won't forget it anytime soon either. She shocked the shit out of

me too.

I can even imagine her replacing "hardworking whites" with hardworking Wallstreet, hardworking CEOs of corporations. ........

I see you Mrs. Hillary Clinton. Let's start with an apology then explain the pandering.

[Robbins]

33. I do

and I am white.I was supporting obama then like i support bernie now.

Bill clinton saying about obama winning SC well jesse Jackson won SC is like now saying bernie winning Iowa and NH should be dismissed if it happens because they are mostly white states.

Bernie is guy who supported civil rights in 1960's and in 1988 supported Jesse Jackson for president.What has the clintons ever
really done to support minorities?

[azmom]

37. She's said some really fucked up things.

[uponit7771]

45. She and Bill went there in 08, people aren't going to hold that against her seeing she was running..

...for her life dream and losing it right in front of us to an unknown.

I don't agree but I understand

[sgtbenobo]

10. Crispus Attucks...

....would would agree if he lived though that day.

[NorthCarolina]

21. I remember that. It's back when I still mistakenly thought he was a progressive. eom

[nc4bo]

24. Another truth.

A very nasty and inconvenient truth at that.

Looking back, we really didn't have much to go on and the populism was so exhilerating and all we could do was hope for change. We got some but not nearly enough for a variety of reasons.

[BrotherIvan]

36. So did a lot of people

And he WON. Twice.

[uponit7771]

44. I mistakenly thought progressives would work for their ponies instead of depending on one

... person with limited power to get one for them.

Same will happen with Bernie, no pony!? FUCK BERNIE!!! Or Hillary!! Or Warren!! or ....

sigh

[think]

25. Here's Obama speaking in Portland Maine (video)

[NCTraveler]

26. Pretty sure that's the point.

He was willing to go there.

[Bluenorthwest]

42. That rally was held during the voting in our mail in Primary, May 18 with ballots due May 20

That point on the election timeline in this cycle is in June of next year, 11 months away. He was at the height of the Primary battle, every electoral voted mattered. Comparing that to campaigns barely underway is odd. He was willing to go there, as if he ran to Oregon before we were in contention. He came here often, but not this far out. Hillary came here too, not this far out. Prior to the two of them, the last Democratic Primary contender to visit Oregon was Bobby Kennedy. Yeah, RFK. 1968.

[uponit7771]

43. Bullshit ass'd strawman... Obama didn't START in Portland!!!

[Flying Squirrel]

46. The point remains crystal clear

Obama got a crowd in a mostly white area that was mostly white. Duh, what else was gonna happen? Yet people are talking about Bernie's 'mostly white crowds' as if he somehow should have drawn more diverse crowds in areas that were not very diverse. If Barack Obama couldn't do that, how is Bernie supposed to do it? The entire argument is absurd, and these photos prove it. But we didn't hear a peep out of the Hillary camp about Obama's "mostly white crowd" in Portland, OR because it was a non-issue... just as it is with Bernie since the situation is the same.

[uponit7771]

47. ...and those people HEARD of Obama before then. This is anecdotal but none

.... of the people I know who pay attention to politics that are black save my mother in law know about Bernie because Bernie doesn't speak to black issues often enough.

Not just in the form of how we're being screwed economically.

For instance, he would propose something to remedy the MIT resume name study issue he'd' be instantly known in black and brown homes

I REALLY doubt if he even knows about it...

I'd put money on it that Hillary knows about it...

Obama mentioned it here recently at the Charleston funeral but I think he understands the GOP is too racist to want to do anything about it