Black Voters Fret Over Obama

The Wall Street Journal ^ | September 12, 2008 | GARY FIELDS and JONATHAN KAUFMAN

[forkinsocket]

An anxious murmur is rising among black voters as the presidential race tightens: What if Barack Obama loses?

Black talk-show hosts and black-themed Web sites are being flooded with callers and bloggers reflecting a nervousness -- and anger -- over the campaign. Bev Smith, a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host, devoted her entire three-hour show Monday night to the question: "If Obama doesn't win, what will you think?"

"My audience is upset," she said in an interview. "Some people said they would be so angry it would be reminiscent of the [1960s] riots -- that is how despondent they would be."

Warren Ballentine, another nationally syndicated talk-show host, said: "Once Sarah Palin was picked and African-Americans saw the Republicans ignited again, they got worried. We are scared now."

The worries aren't universal. New York Gov. David Paterson, a Democrat, acknowledged the concerns about race. "I am hearing those jitters," he said. But he said many Democratic candidates have lost the presidential race in recent decades and "they were white candidates. African-Americans need to remember that."

Black nervousness could help Sen. Obama, the first African-American to head a major-party ticket, by boosting black turnout in November. One caller to Ms. Smith's show Monday said she was so worried that she planned to go to her church to begin working on a voter-registration drive.

If Sen. Obama loses, "African-Americans could be disappointed to the point of not engaging in the process anymore," or consider forming a third political party, said Richard McIntire, communications director for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

[motoman]

Now that Obama appears to be on a likely path to losing this, his most militant black supporter have implied threats of race riots and anarchy.

I for one will not be intimidated when it comes to my vote. This is America, not Iran or North Korea. If a community cowers in intimidation, they deserve what they get.

[uncbob]

"African-Americans could be disappointed to the point of not engaging in the process anymore," or consider forming a third political party, said Richard McIntire, communications director for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Yeah right 3rd party--real good chance of winning and the democrats would disappear overnight

Great strategy

[Abathar]

I lived just outside Detroit, now I live in a very rural and conservative community that would have no problem barricading the roads with volunteer militia to keep troublemakers out.

Either place I will be standing with my neighbors, just now I would not be outnumbered 4-1. :^)

[Jack Black]

I was there, in Detroit, in 1967 and our community was barracaided by men with guns. Every street in and out was closed to non-residents.

However I don't think an Obama loss would cause riots. The average temperature in Nov. in Detroit is probably 45. Has there ever been a winter race-riot? Not that I am aware of.

[Abathar]

I was on record of an August convention if Hillary stole it. 90 degree days, those cities would have gone up like matchwood.

That being said the southern cities might get violent though.

I could see a couple day solidarity riot to get their new plasma t.v.’s though, even in cooler weather. Besides, Detroit in the beginning of November isn’t all that cold either, some years it is light jacket weather and they will keep warm running around destroying their neighborhoods anyway.

Our business was located down on Davison Ave during the riots back then, I was too young to remember but grandpa and my dad told some interesting stories about it.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Just curious; who did BO knock out of the running for the seat in the Illinois legislature and the seat he now holds in the US Senate ?

[Defiant]

For his legislative seat, there was a lady (Carolyn Price?) who he got booted out of the race when he challenged the signatures on her filing. I think he was more or less unopposed.

For the Senate, he knocked off the leading Dem with a scandal of some kind, then got Jack Ryan's divorce records leaked to the Chicago press, and he had to leave the race. Then he beat Alan Keyes.

So, he has a record of defeating blacks. Now, he's doing it again, because he is defeating B Hussein Obama.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Ah-ha !

[Starrgaizr]

It’s an amateur’s version of Muslim outrage: “How dare you accuse Islam of being a violent religion! Death to [fill in the blank]!”

Jesse Jackson used to do this all the time. Every time there was a recession, or Reagan or whoever proposed something he didn’t like, he would go on TV and predict “rioting in the streets this summer.” It is despicable. It is a liberal-jihadist too cowardly to simply call openly for violence, but instead uses code speech to do so.

[JillValentine]

Glad to see you got those guns!

What did you get?