News hounds (5/24/12)
Fenwick vs. Felicity
Meadowdale graduation 2012
Michael D. Pitman reports about Butler County, Ohio, politics, county government, countywide issues and Butler County people just like you for Cox Ohio Publishing (including the Hamilton JournalNews, Middletown Journal and several weekly papers in Butler County). He wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment for him here or e-mail Michael at Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > September > 29 > Entry
isms
Despite all the lofty rhetoric, earnest debate and vital issues at stake in this year’s presidential election, a big part of who wins has already been decided. Some people will vote based on the color of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s skin, the gender of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin or Arizona Sen. John McCain’s age.
This, in the year 2008.
Polls hint that prejudices exist, not in overwhelming numbers, but enough to make a difference in a country where the previous two presidential elections were each won by less than 3 percent.
An Associated Press-Yahoo poll this year, for example, found nine percent of respondents rated blacks between somewhat unlikable and extremely unlikable. Another found that 40 percent of white Americans — including one third of white Democrats — hold at least one partly negative view toward blacks, some calling them “lazy” or “violent.”
Twenty-one percent of the respondents in a June CBS News poll said they don’t hope for a women president in their lifetime. When asked whether being black or being a woman was a bigger obstacle in politics, 46 percent said a woman faces more challenges and 32 percent said a black candidate.
In another AP-Yahoo poll, 20 percent of respondents said “too old” was a phrase that described McCain. A September CBS poll found 31 percent of respondents — including 11 percent of Republicans — believed McCain’s age makes the job as president too difficult for him.
Want more? Here is a database of CBS News polls and here are the latest Associate Press-Yahoo polls.
But these aren’t just numbers. These are real people with real opinions. We meet some of them in this story, including 84-year-old Julia Ward of Middletown, who has this to say about why she isn’t voting for (Harvard grad) Obama:
“Black people aren’t smart enough to rule the country. No one should vote for Obama. They just don’t think like the white. I would hate to see (Obama) in office because blacks just aren’t qualified.”
We go a step further in this story, where we talk to experts about the roles racism, sexism and ageism will play in November.
- Gary Hines, local NAACP president, says racism is still prevalent in this country, though not as overt as in the past. He believes Obama will win because many who will vote against him based no race are Republicans anyways.
- Monica Schneider, a political science professor at Miami University who specializes in gender in politics, says a woman leader makes some uncomfortable, especially a woman like Palin with young children at home. She said outright sexism hasn’t been as prevalent this election year as cultural confusion. “We still have a hard time accepting a career woman…I think some of the reaction to her is just the country grappling with this idea of sex roles … what women should do and what they shouldn’t do.”
- Mary Wolff, director of Citizens for Elderly Services Inc., an advocacy group for elderly programs, said whether McCain’s age is a handicap politically depends on the voter. She said stereotypes of older people as stuck in their ways, lacking stamina and forgetful have all surfaced in attacks on the senator. And while some younger people may believe it, she said, “there are more people who identify with a gray-haired person who tend to vote.” Plus, some people equate age with wisdom, which helps.
What do you think? Will this win or lose the election for anyone?
Comments
By gruzoperevozki
May 8, 2011 12:19 PM | Link to this
Интересная статейка, но как по мне, можно было бы и глубже капнуть..)