The US election

kirejos · 07-11-08 08:28:11

I just like hearing your voice. Thanks

blissed · 07-11-08 12:16:20

kirejos wrote:

Charmed+Happiness+Serenity=Blissed

Hey thanks :)

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momentextase · 08-11-08 01:06:56

Soberman wrote:

For all of you glaze-eyed, Night of the Living Obamaniacs, this is a test to see if you've maintained your sense of humor and a hold on reality:
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/o … dded_video

LOL! OK, here is another. I love the Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_br … en_nations

On a more serious note, there is a big paradox in this election. It appears that the very groups that really gave Obama his big boost in California -blacks and hispanics-are also the group that were instrimental in passing the ban on gay marrage (Proposition 8).

Another wierd thing: The polls were fairly accurate, also there was a big increase in turnout in all states....except Alaska. None of the numbers for Alaska make any sense. Alaska had 14 percent less turnout than in 2004, odd considering Palin was running... also all th epolls showed the dems having winning margins... yet the vote was almost an inversion of what the polls predicted. Nate Silver's 538.com was the most accurate poll, yet even his numbers for Alaska were all off. Or else something is fishy in Alaska.

blissed · 08-11-08 20:27:15

Well if it's electronic voting, between you touching the screen and the result who knows what happens :)

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aven frey · 15-11-08 11:48:22

A late congrationlations to the Americans!

Soberman · 18-11-08 02:00:24

Thanks, Bobby, on behalf of all my fellow citizens.

Incidentally, Momentextase, there really is no paradox of which Im aware. There are 3 camps to the conventional wisdom that explains the lack of support from the African American community.

1. The religious view - Blacks are one of the most faith-based communities in the States and there is also a more profound social stigma associated with gay men who are also Black. This is not from me but a number of gay Black men who are good friends of mine. In the Black community there is far more of men "on the down low" an expression for men who have sex with other men. Gays who are Black smile and call these men gay who are still in the closet but those "on the down low" will claim they just like to sleep with an occasional man. There are some excellent books on the subject. This secretive behavior was responsible for the epidemic of AIDS among Black women in the US.

2. The gay community blew the marketing big time. Some gay support groups claim that the struggle for their civil rights is the same struggle as the Blacks have endured. Historically sociologically and logically, this is an awful argument. Most Blacks I know and have heard commenting upon this in the media rail against this analogy as being simplistic and wrong. Additionally, there is a feeling that the Gay community is trying to hijack the civil rights movement of MLK, Malcolm X. the Black Panthers, Angela Davis et al. for their own political purposes. This is a marketing disaster waiting to happen and imbued the vote no on Prop 8 rhetoric with downright insulting commentary.

3. Obama's stand against gay "marriage" but otherwise favoring equal rights for same sex couples provided an enigmatic position that floated into the air above the voting booths to further obfuscate the issue for African American voters. Obama's position is far more centrist than the radical Gay community likes to acknowledge.

Whichever way you explain the loss, the Gay community (and much of it does) needs to assert its rights on a constitutional/state's rights basis without inflaming those who might otherwise be allies in the cause. Instead of whining about the failure of Prop 8 to be voted down and blaming the Black community, it ought to accept the fact that they just blew it, dust themselves off and start again.

blissed · 18-11-08 02:40:36

I think their doing more than that, the constant pressure for equal rights can't be legislated away, it's unstoppable.
I think Obama just doesn't feel it's worth a big fight over semantics when equal rights have yet to be established statewide, the conversation we've had the luxury of here in another thread is something I think he'd enter into down the line when real equal rights are attained and have been settled in for a long time.

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momentextase · 18-11-08 03:07:47

Soberman wrote:

Incidentally, Momentextase, there really is no paradox of which Im aware.

Well Soberman I was not suprised, and I understand the dynamics of the way both the blacks and hispanics voted, given their respective cultural backgrounds.

But the paradox, or perhaps the irony, is that on the same day that African American's crossed a milestone in their struggle for increased opportunity and civil rights, the majority of African Americans in California voted to restrict the rights of another minority group. The reasons why this happened -does not decrease the paradox and irony... to me at least. YMMV

blissed · 21-11-08 00:07:36

Just email me if you want this for Christmas :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ECtj-ViHM

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#76 07-11-08 08:28:11

Re: The US election

#77 07-11-08 12:16:20

Re: The US election

#78 08-11-08 01:06:56

Re: The US election

#79 08-11-08 20:27:15

Re: The US election

#80 15-11-08 11:48:22

Re: The US election

#81 18-11-08 02:00:24

Re: The US election

#82 18-11-08 02:40:36

Re: The US election

#83 18-11-08 03:07:47

Re: The US election

#84 21-11-08 00:07:36

Re: The US election

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