Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Opinion

Blacks Are More Socially Conservative Than Barack Obama

November 07, 2008 04:38 PM ET | Bonnie Erbe | Permanent Link | Print

Reader Comments

Abortion

I believe it's a documented fact that MOST white women, particularly your suburban and middle class types ARE having the MOST abortions in THIS country. That's one of the very reasons they're without children, (along with the high number of them being homosexuals) and UNABLE to get pregnant LATER in life.

Bonnie Erbe racist ????

Please don't speak on behlaf of African-Americans. You are clearly "out of touch" with the people. The only data YOU need quote was obtained on Nov. 4th. I really could care less about your feminist views ( and I am a woman) because your feelings for African Americans- primarily for an African American President are so transparent.

Sorry Bonnie, just because you're black does not mean you vote in one solid block.

Speaking as someone who would be lumped in with African-American label...please do not assume that I or anyone else who is labeled "African-American" vote with one voice. We are individuals, with different views and mores and as such vote as we will, INDIVIDUALLY. This was something that used to drive me crazy with the whole Jesse Jackson/Rev Al Sharpton thing...Those men do not speak for me and NEVER WILL. We are not a flock of birds!

I believe that two consenting people should be allowed to marry. I do not care if they are same sex; if you want to make that commitment to each other, go for it! I always wonder if those marriages are a lot stronger simply because it's such a huge thing to let everyone around you know you are gay or lesbian, and then to actually marry...that's huge to me and well worth supporting.

Bonnie, you remin me of my public speaking professor who wants everyone to pick a side in a persuasion argument. Who cares if you believe in what you are saying, as long as you can stir up a hornets nest and see what happens.

to "as a black man"

when speaking on issues it is better to use the term "I"

you do not speak for all black people and never assume you do. because you end up making an Ass of U and me

It is more about Ideology than Ethnicity

It has less to do with ethnicity than you have allowed yourself to believe.It really comes down to ideology.The role of government in our lives-more influence or less.If the racial factor obscured that important distinction ,it can be laid at the medias door. If someone as conservative as Sen.Alen Keyes is marginalized & not consulted for his perspectives ,then the media is narrowing the field - acting as a defacto extension of the state which will think for you given the opportunity.

Lies, lies and the Liars who tell them

I am upset about this erroneous finger pointing at African-Americans regarding Proposition 8. Why are you so quick to believe whatever you hear? If someone told me 70 percent of gay people voted against Obama my first thought would be, excuse me Jesus, that is crap! I don't believe it! This political year was fraught with right wing lies. Bear that in mind.

"Religious organizations that support Proposition 8 include the Roman Catholic Church], Knights of Columbus, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) a group of Evangelical Christians led by Jim Garlow and Miles McPherson, American Family Association, Focus on the Family[and the National Organization for Marriage Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, California's largest, has also endorsed the measure. The Bishops of the California Catholic Conference released a statement supporting the proposition. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has publicly supported the proposition and encouraged their membership to support it, by asking its members to donate money and volunteer time. The First Presidency of the church announced its support for Proposition 8 in a letter read in every congregation. Latter-day Saints have provided a significant source for financial donations in support of the proposition, both inside and outside the State of California. About 45% of out-of-state contributions to Protect Marriage.com has come from Utah, over three times more than any other state."

Still, even though gays were fighting to preserve a basic right, it was the anti-equality side in California that seemed to have the most fervor. A symbolic low point for the gay side came on Oct. 13, when the Sacramento Bee ran a remarkable story about Rick and Pam Patterson, a Mormon couple of modest means - he drives a 10-year-old Honda Civic, she raises their five boys - who had withdrawn $50,000 from their savings account and given it to the pro-8 campaign. "It was a decision we made very prayerfully," Pam Patterson, 48, told the Bee's Jennifer Garza. "Was it an easy decision? No. But it was a clear decision, one that had so much potential to benefit our children and their children.”

This is your real enemy. Don't trust exit polls. I think they are pitting one group against the other. African-Americans are less than 7% of the state population, do the math. Many more Whites voted and they put this over, not Blacks. What are the total numbers of each group that voted. Someone dug into the data and found that we're just now learning is that the exit poll was based on less than 2,300 people. If you take into account that blacks in California only make up about 6.2%, we get roughly 224 blacks who were polled. 224 blacks to blame an entire race! The original percentage of black voters who were expected to say yes to Prop 8 was only around 52-58%. Anytime you get a vote that much higher over the projected vote, something's wrong.

Black People Don't All Vote Democrat

@As a Black Man

I voted for McCain who shared more of my views on social issues (e.g., abortion) and security (anti-terrorism). There are several Black friends of mine who voted the same way. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, a politician (i.e., Obama) should be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. So, as a Black man, voting for a White Republican wasn't a big leap for me.

Besides, one of the best things I can say about McCain was his unwillingness to play the race card during the election. Thus, like Mike Huckabee, he defied the stereotype held by many Black voters that "White Republican = Klansman." By contrast, some of the worst racist attacks agains Obama came from White liberals, Democrat or not. Some examples:

*During the Democratic primary, Joe Biden was shocked that a Black man like Obama could be "articulate."

*Also, during that primary, Hillary Clinton could resist falling back on the "Whites are too racist" stereotype on why Obama couldn't win the election.

*Midway in Obama's campaign, White gay activists hurled vicious racial slurs at him after he attended a gospel concert starring Donnie McClurkin (a former homosexual):

http://bookerrising.blogspot.com/2007/10/obama-under-fire-for-gospel-tour-with.html

The above is another reason why Black voters consider gay activists to be enemies, not allies.

Such examples of disrespect hint at a potential problem for the Democrats. Sure, many older Black voters will loyally support the party, but younger Blacks support Obama because he's Obama. If Clinton was on the ticket, the young voters would have skipped the election and thus indirectly handed victory to McCain.

So, Bonnie Erbe's observations are dead-on.

my thoughts

abortion yes!, gay marriage no?

I don't get it. How can black people abort babies 5x more then other races, yet not support two people who love each other to join forces in a legal matter.

Am I missing something here? What I read is Death Yes, Love No.

Oh My GOD

I feel the blacks are the scape goats. If you notice how the conseritives ALWAYS point the finger at a minority to take the focus off themselves. Most of the minorities arn't focused enough to realize they are being Brain Washed by the Religious groups let alone, the Whites are being Brain Washed also. My feelings are to go to the top, where all this BRAIN WASHING starts and that is THE RELIGIOUS groups that has hate in their hearts and wants to Brain Wash people. It's been going on forever.. They alway quote the Bible. Im wonder what verse they used in the Bible to keep Blacks down, Women down, Jews down. They even hung Jesus on the cross. But the message was, Jesus rose up.. Well our message is We Will Rise up too, just like our Black brothers & sisters and Women. Peace TO ALL...

let the bigots loose gay customers

i think BoycotBigots is a great idea. Why should gay people and liberal straight people

unknowingly spend money in these bigot-owned businesses. this will work, just like for years when many people boycotted Dominos pizza and Mrs Field cookies because they were donating profits to fight against womens reproductive rights.

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About Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and hosts PBS's weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe. She also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service.

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