National Public Radio’s fascinating roundtable on race and the presidential election continued today with a segment on Morning Edition and another on All Things Considered. This is a reconvening of the diverse panel of black, Latino, Asian, and white voters from York, Pennsylvania. Their candid discussion is worth your time.
A few questions occurred to me as I listened to this morning’s segment that I’d love to hear you interact on:
- What does the McCain/Palin slogan “Country First” suggest to you?
- Who is Joe Six-Pack?
- When Sarah Palin says things like, ”[Obama] is not a man who sees America as you and I see America. We see America as a force for good in this world,” what does she mean by “we”?
- Does Barack Obama include pictures of his white grandparents in his political ads as a way to reassure white voters?
- Would an African American with darker skin have gotten as far as Obama has in a presidential race?
- What does it really mean to be patriotic?
- Do you think there will be any type of post-election violence motivated by anger and tension from either side of the race line?
Those are just a few of the questions that spring to mind. You may have others. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
[...] These are some of the questions Edward Gilbreath is asking at Reconciliation Blog: http://edwardg.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/race-politics-roundtable-part-2/. I’ll post my answers over the next two [...]
“Country first” could mean a commitment to dealing with our domestic issues (poverty, education, health care, cultural values) before intermeddling in other countries’ political affairs militarily and otherwise. Sadly, I don’t think that’s what McCain has in mind.
Joe Six Pack conjures up a typical blue-collar worker, as opposed to the chardonnay crowd. It doesn’t have any racial implication to me.
Palin seems to imply that anyone who is critical about the US involvement in the world, past and present, doesn’t see America as a force for good. It seems to imply dualistic thinking – either countries are a force for good or they are a force for evil. It seems to ignore the possibility that countries, like people, are a combination of both.
I don’t see Obama’s inclusion of his white grandparents as any sort of “reassurance.” Rather I think he is suggesting that he embodies the diversity of our country.
I don’t think his skin tone is a major factor. I think he just communicates in a manner that connects better with the rest of America than Jackson or Sharpton, to name a few. Whereas other African-American leaders have cast themselves in the role of prophet on the margins, I think Obama is portraying himself as a leader from within.
I don’t anticipate any major racial violence post-election.
Thanks for rasing the issues and for sharing your reflections.
When Sarah Palin says things like, ”[Obama] is not a man who sees America as you and I see America. We see America as a force for good in this world,” what does she mean by “we”?
I’m not one who chooses to play the “race card” at every available opportunity, but sadly, I can’t help but sense thinly veiled, barely disguised racism in these types of comments. I don’t think I’m being overly sensitive when I interpret such statements as implying “we Caucasians have to stick together, we’re not like THOSE people.” What does she mean by “we”? God alone knows for sure, but if Gov. Palin had been speaking to an African-American congregation, would she have used the same words?
What does Obama mean or who is he referring to when he used the word “we” throughout his speech last night(11.4)?
This too could be taken out of context and used as a “race issue”.
That is not what I believe, just playing devil’s advocate.
Thank you for your blog, Ed.
[...] 15, 2008 by Edward Gilbreath Yesterday, NPR aired the final two installments in its excellent conversations on race and the presidential election with a group of diverse voters from York, Pennsylvania. I [...]