Althouse: "This is an election about whether the people of Pennsylvania hate blacks more than they hate women."

April 21, 2008

"This is an election about whether the people of Pennsylvania hate blacks more than they hate women."

Says Nora Ephron. She's a humorist, you know, people.

27 comments:

dbp said...: (begin voice of Jeff "Comic Book Guy" Albertson from "The Simpsons")

Nora, I see you are attempting to employ humor. You have failed. Now get out!

(End voice of Jeff "Comic Book Guy" Albertson from "The Simpsons"); 4/21/08, 5:59 PM
hdhouse said...: Simple people supply up simple explanations of complex issues. After 7+ years of President WooWoo we should realize this.; 4/21/08, 6:09 PM
Revenant said...: Apparently they hate blacks more.; 4/21/08, 6:09 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Hey, why no "lameness" tag?

It certainly seems deserving.; 4/21/08, 6:13 PM
rhhardin said...: She sounds bitter.; 4/21/08, 6:16 PM
Christy said...: And she's projecting. (Hmm, does this mean she is self-loathing?); 4/21/08, 6:18 PM
ricpic said...: And if the hatred is merited?; 4/21/08, 6:20 PM
MadisonMan said...: I think they hate pollsters and telephone callers more.; 4/21/08, 6:47 PM
Revenant said...: She sounds bitter.

If you were married to Carl Bernstein for four years you'd be bitter too.; 4/21/08, 6:49 PM
George M. Spencer said...: She said he was capable of having sex with venetian blinds, that's how much she liked him.; 4/21/08, 7:26 PM
vbspurs said...: Yeah, there's no earthly chance it's about Obama and Hillary themselves.

P.S.: Norah, I've been waiting FOREVER for a sequel to Sleepless in Seattle. Chrissakes, get a bloody move on!

Cheers,
Victoria; 4/21/08, 7:55 PM
Anonymous said...: Nora, here's a newsflash: white people are numerically the majority in the US. In order for you to feel comfortable you might consider leaving and choosing a country where this is otherwise.; 4/21/08, 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Ephron is clearly pissed at white men and I don't mind that she blew off a little steam. I just wish she were a clearer thinker. If white men control everything and white men hate women and blacks why did they arrange the Democratic primary so that the only candidates left are a woman and a black?; 4/21/08, 9:06 PM
Meade said...: Ohhh... she's a HUmorist. I get it. Like this would have be humorous, back in 1972:

This is an election about whether the people... hate [whites] more than they hate [men]. And when I say people, I don't mean people, I mean [black women]. How ironic is this?

To put it bluntly, ... the outcome of the general election will depend on whether enough of them vote for [Shirley Chisholm]. A lot of them will: [black women] cannot be relied on, as all of us know who have spent a lifetime [employing] them. And [Chisholm] is a compelling candidate, particularly because of the [Grandparents Were Slaves] Thing. As for the [Republican] hope that [Chishom's emotionality] will be a problem, don't bet on it. A lot of [black women] have terrible [emotional problems], and what's more, they think it's normal.; 4/21/08, 9:08 PM
Fen said...: She's doing a comedy rountine, right?

Right?; 4/21/08, 9:11 PM
KCFleming said...: I feel bad about Nora Ephron's neck, too, so that makes us alike on at least one thing. (I mean really; have you seen that thing? Looks like a map of Georgetown.)

However, since I am just a white man, I cannot be relied on here.; 4/21/08, 9:28 PM
Mortimer Brezny said...: Was this supposed to be funny? I read it as straight analysis.; 4/21/08, 9:32 PM
vbspurs said...: Pogo, you're not kidding. I just re-read the piece for context.

Quoth Nora:

To put it bluntly, the next president will be elected by them: the outcome of Tuesday's primary will depend on whether they go for Hillary or Obama, and the outcome of the general election will depend on whether enough of them vote for McCain. A lot of them will: white men cannot be relied on, as all of us know who have spent a lifetime dating them."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Oh my God. This lady is out there. I'm embarrassed to be the same skin tone, and gender as she...

Cheers,
Victoria; 4/21/08, 9:33 PM
Meade said...: You're reliable enough, Pogo.

For a white guy.; 4/21/08, 9:33 PM
Beth said...: Yeah, it's crude. But I've lived through elections where similar sentiments were right out there, spoken aloud.

In the late 80s, in our mayoral race, a Jewish owner of a local furniture empire ran against the son of our first black mayor. Uptown, Garden District and Lakeview, neighborhoods full of Mardi Gras royalty and segregated private club tycoons, voted for the son of the former black mayor. I heard from one that it was a matter of choosing indignities, and at least they had already suffered the indignity of a black mayor, so they sure weren't going to further open city government up to the Jews.; 4/21/08, 9:43 PM
Cedarford said...: This is an election about whether the people of Pennsylvania hate blacks more than they hate women."

Don't forget this is an election all about getting enough blacks to vote tribally (90-96% of the black vote) that Obama losing with every other ethnic group save Jews will not matter.

In a few years, if hispanics learn to vote only for their kind like blacks do, there won't be a single black in political office or in patronage jobs in the American Southwest.
If whites learn to vote tribally, there won't be any blacks in office save as feudal kings of some impoverished rural areas and a few dozen fetid, crime-riddled, decaying cities.

********************
Ephron - A lot of them will: white men cannot be relied on, as all of us know who have spent a lifetime dating them."

Jewish woman-whining....

Naturally, Ephron finds the fidelity of black men she dated to relationships and child-rearing more commendable....; 4/22/08, 12:11 AM
Anonymous said...: pogo-

(I mean really; have you seen that thing? Looks like a map of Georgetown.)

I got more of a "Mississippi delta" vibe-- After all, it takes a huge 'watershed' to get that much sediment!; 4/22/08, 12:37 AM
vbspurs said...: LOL. Best line of all the replies so far:

"Your comments have made me bitter. I shall now cling to my gun.

And by gun I mean my small, caucasian, uncircumcised penis."; 4/22/08, 1:20 AM
Latino said...: Is "humorist" a euphemism for "moron?"; 4/22/08, 10:06 AM
rhhardin said...: She said he was capable of having sex with venetian blinds, that's how much she liked him.

This is a new one. In use they'd perhaps shield Venusberg (in Latin mons veneris) for modesty.; 4/22/08, 2:31 PM
Finn Alexander Kristiansen said...: I don't think Nora was trying to do a truly serious analysis, but much of the Pennsylvania component of the campaign falls to that element of being more comfortable with a woman or a black, given similar policies. (Becomes less relevent if the two radically differed on everything).

Hillary has been suggesting that Obama is not really one (both in terms of class and race) with the Pennsylvania voter and articles have kind of pointed out how unrelaxed he is on the campaign trail in certain places.

But it is probably far easier to mix with people of different class (since many of us are likely to have multiple classes in our extended families) than it is likely that we have close family or friends of a different race (in general, and in terms of A list friends).

So the equivalent campaign situation would be to dump Hillary down in some all black low-income region and see how she does glad handing and kissing the babies. I could imagine discomfort on someone's part (and not necessarily hers in each case, sometimes the voter).

In other words I agree to some extent with what Nora said, but not with the majority of voters, and I do feel Obama has the harder task here with race trumping class.

Hillary has used pretty much all three--race, class, sex--in a rotating barrage that will ultimately still result in Obama or McCain being president.; 4/22/08, 2:43 PM
Anonymous said...: If I were Ephron's son, I would disown her, seriously.; 4/22/08, 3:01 PM