Race politics in US electoral contests
Beneath the focus on the Presidential contest in the USA, hundreds of other electoral contests are also taking place for Congressional and state-based seats. Reports about a couple of those contests recently caught my eye.
These two links tell of Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim woman of Arab descent who has just won the Democratic primary for a seat in Detroit – in a predominantly Latino district – getting 44 per cent of the vote against 8 other contestants. She now appears set to be elected as the only Arab-Muslim woman in the Michigan House of Representatives. Being of Palestinian origin, she was subjected to attacks about allegedly supporting extremists and terrorists. It is good to see candidates being able to win in the face of such attacks.
This report on DCW tells of another Democratic primary where the tactic of false racial smearing was used – again thankfully unsuccessfully. A challenger to Stave Cohen, the incumbent in a Tenessee Congressional district, tried “to paint Cohen as racist, and as a Jew who hates Christians.”
UPDATE: 6 Nov – Ms Tlaib is successully elected, becoming the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan legislature.
5 Comments, Comment or Ping
philip travers
I take a path dissimiliar to yours Andrew,although these two Candidates look good.I have my doubts about Obama that just grow and grow,a problem of life expectancy I guess.Probably mine.I ended up looking into the entrails of the National Enquirer last night,seeking out matters of who was the Dad in the new,or latest ,someone married,and well known forgot to use a condom! And then I cameth across a journalist who pointed out what he considered was Obamas lack of performance in many areas,including helicopter shots of the failings of developments by Obama’s preferred developer friends. And his lack of performance in key committees re such places as now war zones.Seems he hasn’t had time to even find initial flesh ,or forcify some bones into Foreign Affairs.I doubt very much some of these strange matters of fact,are going to go away.And although,the National Enquirer wouldn’t even give me a misprinted name,sometimes they may ,in fact be quite relevant after wondering why such papers express themselves the way they do.Voting liberal seems fine too,up to a point,but it really depends if there is something else pressuring the agenda,rather than the vote. Take this as a point.If I vote to decriminalise marijuana,that is fine and good for those who are young etc. and not interested in making dopesmoking a criminal career by flogging a bit on the side.Or small growers who just want the money,because essentially they cannot stand the smokers.There are however a third group who get off easy in these circumstances,those who have made heaps of money,and got out hoping no-one would catch up with them,because someone remembered something,and there is honest jealousy,as the years roll by.So that is why I am not completely liberal,and well the three sets of types represent direct at times experiences in my life.So a liberal position as legislation,if my attitudes were as liberal as a large percentage represented would need to have this sort of detail, the big grower may now care !
Aug 10th, 2008
Tony
I too considered Obama’s life expectancy in the job if he wins the presidency – but recently I heard a solution – have a Mexican vice president.
Aug 13th, 2008
Anthony
It’s an unfortunate fact that in my native Mississippi it’s pretty much impossible to win if you aren’t a Christian – preferably evangelical, if you wish to avoid the potent anti-Catholic brigade. I am a little surprised that even a Jewish person was able to win in Tennessee. Democrat, or Republican, the parties in my state have exactly no differences between them in the south (compared to practically no difference nationwide), because the religious right is a large supermajority of the electorate. Religious attacks are common and an accepted tactic, the most common complaint I’ve heard against Obama is that he’s a Muslim (which is untrue, and shouldn’t matter if it were).
Aug 27th, 2008
LORIKEET
I think it is well known that most politicians will use ANY tactics to discredit the opposition in their quests to get elected.
Here’s what I find really stupid – for Obama to be described as an African American when he is 50% Kenyan and 50% white – raised solely by his white mother in the USA.
People who want to promote the idea of a “black president” are certainly doing him no favours, and could actually cause the opposite outcome.
Phil:
I wouldn’t legalise marijuana under any circumstances, except perhaps for medical use. Drug abuse can lead to mental health problems such as schizophrenia.
Aug 31st, 2008