Althouse: "Is Obama under-performing because he’s black?"

September 24, 2008

"Is Obama under-performing because he’s black?"

That's an ambiguous way to put it!

41 comments:

ricpic said...: Of course the Althousian Vickies of this world say not one word about Obama OVER-performing because he's black...with blacks. That's something bien pensants deign not notice. Ever wonder why?; 9/24/08, 2:44 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: "Is Obama under-performing because he’s black?"

Viagra should take care of the under-performance problem. Maybe it will make Michelle a little cheerier.

Seriously, though, why do people think he is "under-performing? He is leading by a small margin, there's no reason to think he "should" be ahead by 20 points. He's just another liberal politician, people. Don't set your expectations so high.; 9/24/08, 2:47 PM
Brian Doyle said...: Yes.; 9/24/08, 2:47 PM
The Drill SGT said...: Obama benefited up front by being black, because a subset of the Demcratic primary voters wanted to feel good about voting for a black man.

As for the General, I think there are 3 biases there.

1. blacks voting for him based on race
2. whites voting for him based on race
3. whites votng against him based on race.
----
interestingly, you won't here much about the fact that this is mainly a democratic phenomina. after all GOP voters are already voting for McCain, as are the majority of white male indies based on actual policy issues or character.

so on the whole, the racial issue is on whether folks who would based on policy or character, naturally vote for a Dem, vote for McCain instead; 9/24/08, 2:49 PM
Henry said...: Does anyone have a link for the poll that David Corn mentions? It doesn't seem to be listed on Bloggingheads.; 9/24/08, 2:51 PM
Anonymous said...: No Obama is over-performing because he is black. No one that far to the left could get nominated without some kind of equalizer. For Obama, it's his skin color and the badge of moral superiority that a vote for him conveys.; 9/24/08, 2:51 PM
Buford Gooch said...: Underperforming? How well was McGovern performing at this point? The comparison should be made an the basis of political stance, not race. I think he's overperforming, based on the USA never having elected a far left liberal.; 9/24/08, 2:52 PM
Anonymous said...: "Is Obama under-performing because he’s black?"
That's an ambiguous way to put it!

Of course what Bob Wright's buddies meant was - "Is Obama a victim of White racist voters?"

If Obama was a White man named Brian O'Bama he would be a tall skinny Dennis Kucinich.

There is no way in hell a White Obama pulls 85+% of the black vote away from Hillary in the Democrat party primary.

Obama is "over performing" because he's black.; 9/24/08, 2:57 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Geraldine Ferraro had the balls to say it first "Obama is where he is primarily because he is black".

As a result, he is gathering more support than he would otherwise.

Someday, it will be time at last for a one-legged blind mime to be elected president. When one is found, he will over-perform too.; 9/24/08, 2:58 PM
Jeff with one 'f' said...: Obama is over-performing because the press has been in the tank for him from Day 1.; 9/24/08, 3:05 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Henry, it's the poll we discussed here the other day.; 9/24/08, 3:07 PM
Bender said...: "Is Obama under-performing because he’s black?"

Of course that is the reason! Any other no-experience, done-nothing, far leftist political hack who was white would simply be running away with 99 percent of the vote! I'm mean, just look how popular lily white John Kerry is! (John who? Oh yeah, the guy they nominated last time.) Just look how popular Algore and Michael Dukakis and Walter Mondale were. Not to mention such a superstar as Joe Biden. They all were hugely popular, some even getting pretty close to 50 percent!

Even the big bubba himself, Bill Clinton, never won a majority of the vote. Ha, the most popular Democrat in the last 40 years (!) has been Jimmy Carter, with 50.1 percent of the vote.

So, clearly if Obama were white, he would be getting such stellar numbers as these guys.; 9/24/08, 3:26 PM
Roberto said...: Geeee, what an interesting and thoroughly inane query.

Let's review the areas in which he's "under-performed":

1. He was the first black man to be elected president of the Harvard University Law Review

2. He was elected to the Illinois State Senate twice.

3. He was elected to the U.S. Senate.

4. He is the first black person to be nominated as a candidate as President of the United States.

Just think what he could accomplish if he were to actually "perform."; 9/24/08, 3:42 PM
Triangle Man said...: If the race comes down to a few hundred votes in Florida, then race could very well be a determining factor for Obama. However, like Gore in 2000, Obama will have to have made plenty of mistakes elsewhere for the election to come down such a narrow margin.; 9/24/08, 3:42 PM
Roberto said...: I guess nobody here has seen the latest polling?

Obama appears to have pulled ahead by about 9 points.; 9/24/08, 3:43 PM
Roberto said...: "Obama is over-performing because the press has been in the tank for him from Day 1."

YEAH!!!

That damn press!!; 9/24/08, 3:44 PM
Roberto said...: The Drill SGT said..."Obama benefited up front by being black, because a subset of the Demcratic primary voters wanted to feel good about voting for a black man."

Where in the world do you come up with this tripe??

I'm obviously a liberal, have many liberal and conservative friends...and I've NEVER heard ANYONE ever say anything that even remotely resembles that premise.

The Democrats just want to "feel good about voting for a black man"??

Absolutely insane.; 9/24/08, 3:47 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: David Corn regularly underperforms even for a boring predictable liberal pundit.

Is there such a serious shortage of liberal pundits that even David Corn can stay gainfully employed?; 9/24/08, 3:52 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Good afternoon German Valise. Lost a bundle of money last night so you are in a bad mood. Just like I predicted.

If you were a capitalist and not a socialist, you could pull up the bootstraps and go out and earn that money back in no time. But acting like a capitalist would make your head explode huh.

Too bad it's fun to be a successful capitalist squashing all the little people. Just because you can. No enmity just a game that is played like checkers or marbles or dodgeball. The serfs get killed and Lords and Ladies lay about being served food and drinks and fresh fruit. You don't even have to use your own arms when you eat. Can get boring sometimes German Valise.; 9/24/08, 3:58 PM
Roberto said...: AJ Lynch: Who do YOU write for?

And once again, I have no idea if you're dating trooper, but the valise thing you appear to have adopted, and infatuated with...is kind of creepy.; 9/24/08, 4:14 PM
rhhardin said...: generalizations about black people

But even among those who accept them, they don't necessarily apply them to Obama.

One's a test of PC correctness and the other's a judgment of an individual.; 9/24/08, 4:30 PM
rhhardin said...: Obama doesn't fall under any black stereotype I've heard of.

He is a moron, however.; 9/24/08, 4:31 PM
Unknown said...: Is McCain under-performing because he is 72 years old?

I hear a lot of talk about sexism and racism in this campaign, but a 2007 Gallup poll indicates ageism is a much bigger issue.

Luckily, none of the candidates is a *gasp* atheist!; 9/24/08, 4:36 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Oh, I'm sure that if Obama looked like Biden, he'd be doing even better!

Har har har.; 9/24/08, 4:55 PM
Triangle Man said...: He is a moron, however.

Attack his strengths, right?; 9/24/08, 5:00 PM
Anonymous said...: No, it's not because he's black, it's because he's phlegmatic.; 9/24/08, 5:09 PM
The Drill SGT said...: Where in the world do you come up with this tripe??...

The Democrats just want to "feel good about voting for a black man"??

I would put Ann in this class of feel good dems; 9/24/08, 5:23 PM
chickelit said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/24/08, 6:12 PM
chickelit said...: drill sgt. said:
I would put Ann in this class of feel good dems

This is the closest thing she's said to support your comment in a while. But also note she seems conflicted with the notion.; 9/24/08, 6:16 PM
Meade said...: Who says he's black?; 9/24/08, 6:39 PM
$9,000,000,000 Write Off said...: Michael-

Getting elected is not "performance". You could probably find 200 people who got elected to federal office that you, Michael, think are fools. Performance would be, just for example, publishing something in a journal (showing stict-to-itvness and dedication), working against your party (illustrating courage), pushing through a controversial bill by drawing from the other side (requiring chops and negotiation), or using one's committe chairmanship to hold a hearing on something people care about (understanding).

Getting elected says nothing about judgment, which is the most important thing you want in a president.; 9/24/08, 6:44 PM
mccullough said...: Obama's done a good job of disguising his liberal views behind his affable demeanor.

He reminds me a lot of W., who disguised his conservative views behind his affable demeanor in 2000

Maybe his mixed-race helps him here or hurts him but he's not a polarizing person. Not yet at least. If/when he's elected, he will probably become polarizing like W. did as he governs based on his philosophy and not his personality.; 9/24/08, 6:49 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: "Is Obama under-performing because he’s black?"

Senator.... I knew Jackie Robinson, Jackie Robinson was a friend of mine.... Senator you are no Jackie Robinson ;); 9/24/08, 6:52 PM
Anonymous said...: Nice question, Meade. Technically, he is as much white as he is black. He has chosen black, has he not? Why? Because of his ears? He was the only one I heard mention about his color being the problem until he said it enough times that others finally started speaking about it.; 9/24/08, 6:57 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Oh, I'm sure that if Obama looked like Biden, he'd be doing even better!

If Biden looked like Obama would that make Biden a brother?

Wait a minute?

Isn't it uncle tomish of Obama to pick a white guy for VP?; 9/24/08, 7:16 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Imagine that it was Powell running as a republican and he picked a white old timer republican senator... You know many AA democrats would charge uncle tom.; 9/24/08, 7:26 PM
Meade said...: The thing I liked most about Obama was that he was post racial but now that he's being just plain racial, I see it was illusory and I'm having a hard time finding anything about him at all likable.

On top of that, I find his deception about his relationship with Bill Ayers - a man who once declared war on his own country - creepy to the point of being evil.; 9/24/08, 7:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Obama's fine. The actual problem is that McCain is underperforming because the majority of black voters are racists who won't vote for a white man.

Just kickin' the can a bit further down the road.; 9/24/08, 7:36 PM
David said...: We'd better hope that Obama can perform, because he is going to be the next President.; 9/24/08, 7:49 PM
rcocean said...: - He was nominated because he received 90 percent of the black vote. They comprise 20 percent of the Dem's primary voters.

A white candidate with his left-wing politics, lack of experience, inability to speak off the cuff, crazy friends, America hating pastor, and odd Arab sounding name would be losing at this point. And Hillary wouldn't be getting 95 percent of the AA vote.

He's an Affirmative action Presidential candidate. You know it, I know it, Bob Dole Knows it.; 9/24/08, 8:13 PM
Daryl said...: He's under-performing in the polls because he's under-performing as a wannabe executive.

Not because he's a moose (per Alcee Hastings); 9/24/08, 8:19 PM