Behind Roar of Politics, Whispers of Race Persist

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/us/politics/behind-roar-of-politics-whispers-of-race-persist.html?_r=0 ^ | October 30, 2013 | JOHN HARWOOD

[SJackson]

WASHINGTON — President Obama last week sought to turn attention from health care to immigration — in other words, from one racially divisive issue to another.

Whites tend to hold negative views of Obamacare, while blacks tend to like it. Specifically, 55 percent of whites, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found this year, consider Mr. Obama’s health care law a bad idea, while 59 percent of blacks call it a good idea. On immigration, 51 percent of whites oppose legal status for illegal residents, but 63 percent of blacks and 76 percent of Hispanics favor it.

The statistics mirror the core philosophical division in Washington’s fierce battles over taxes, spending and debt. Whites say government does too much, while blacks and Hispanics say it should do more to meet people’s needs.

Those attitudes, and the continued growth of the nonwhite population, have produced this sometimes-overlooked result: American politics has grown increasingly polarized by race, as well as by party and ideology.

[SJackson]

Hmmm. He only mentions political issues as the racial dividers. Obamacare, immigration, doing "more to meet people's needs". Were I to look for underlying causes for political disagreement, I'd look to economic disparity, not race. Though one could speculate that whites, having higher average income and family net worth, thus are paying, at the cost of their needs and desires, for programs which "do more to meet people's needs". That's an economic issue, not a race issue.

Those whites that advocate for illegal immigration for white Europeans, but not Hispanics, or a boost in welfare and food stamps for whites, but not blacks or Hispanics, that's a racial decision. But those aren't arguments heard very much. As always the Times miss' the economic forest for the racial trees, if they even see the trees. More likely the leftist racial overlay applied to any issue.

[apillar]

55 percent of whites, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found this year, consider Mr. Obama’s health care law a bad idea, while 59 percent of blacks call it a good idea.

I'm actually surprised support for Obamacare among blacks is only 59%. I figured just tacking the name "Obama" onto anything would guarantee at least 80% approval in the black community...

[Dr. Thorne]

Do blacks hate Obama’s white half?

[Sybeck1]

47 percent of Blacks are racists against the noble Hispanic.

[Old North State]

And who is doing the whispering? New York Times, Washington Post, Network News, etc. All agents of the Democratic Party.

[Farnsworth]

I agree....numbers should be way more, day bee happies on da govmn’t plantation

[Lazamataz]

Only the "New York Times Asylum and Home for the Mentally Ill" could find racism in disliking the fustercluk of Obamacare.

[Wurlitzer]

In other words, the NYTimes has lost control of the narrative so they are forced to use the Alinsky tactic of last resort, playing the race card.

In their world their policies can never be wrong so the only logical answer must be race.

[MrB]

I’d say race is a HUGE factor...

in Obama’s ability to get away with what he’s doing.

[I want the USA back]

“Whites tend to hold negative views of Obamacare, while blacks tend to like it.”
Because Whites are paying for it, and the others are getting insurance without paying for it.

[Toespi]

Does anyone know what is the actual procedure for actually paying for Obamacare? Let’s say a person has signed up for insurance and they miss a couple of payments, actually decided they don’t really want insurance, get buyers remorse. What happens?

[LS]

We will ONLY enter a “post racial” society when a majority of blacks vote for a white conservative over a black liberal. Until that time, no number of whites voting for a liberal black will prove anything. Ever.

[SJackson]

Since the insurance is private, I presume you pay monthly/quarterly, whatever you choose. I presume 30 days after a missed payment you’re no longer covered. I acknowledge that’s common business practice/common sense, so I could well be wrong. I wonder if, once you’ve signed up and made a couple payments, gets you by March 15, if the company reports you to the IRS as non compliant. Again, common sense would require insurance for 12 months, not buying a policy by March 15, to avoid the tax.

[SJackson]

Won’t happen any time soon, any more that voting for a black conservative would mean anything to the race baiting left.

[LS]

Didn’t say it would. I said that and only that will be the true mark of a post-racial society.

[Toespi]

This is also going to be an Achilles heel. Let’s say there is going to be a certain percentage of deadbeats sign up, then don’t follow through and pay. This will also impact the success and numbers. The collection of funds will be almost impossible.

[driftless2]

"meet people's needs"

That one, plus "social justice" "a country that looks like America" "speaking truth to power" are a number of leftist clichés that in reality mean absolutely nothing. Meet people's needs? I need a million dollar vacation home and a fleet of high end automobiles to cavort around. Are they going to meet my needs? I doubt it.

[bkopto]

When all else fails, and their ManBoy is going down in flames, the NYT gets out the Race Drum and beats it as loudly as possible.

[GeronL]

This is so pathetic.

don’t like higher taxes? you are a racist.

This has gotten so tiring

[snappahead]

Maybe,The white half most certainly is priveleged.