NationStates Jolt Archive

if you follow the minutiae of the US presidential campaign (like i do) you cant fail to have seen that the mccain camp has accused the obama camp of "playing the race card" for obama repeatedly saying that "he doesnt look like all those presidents on the dollar bill" (a phrase that makes no sense but lets ignore that)

is that playing the race card? is acknowledging the obvious--that barrack obama is not "white"--unfair?

it doesnt seem so to me. at least not when obama is doing the acknowledging. if he cant talk about his being black, who can?

but now i realize that "the race card" has been talked about so much that i have no idea what WOULD constitute playing it. outside of mccain saying something stupid like "you wouldnt vote for a ****** would you?" or something equally blatant (that he would never say and never think) i cant think of when the phrase might legitimately be used.

the closest thing i can think of in THIS campaign to "playing the race card" is when bill clinton dismissed obama's win in south carolina as being similar to jesse jackson's victory when he ran.

so educate me. what does PLAYING THE RACE CARD mean and how would it be played (unfairly is implied) in this campaign?

if you follow the minutiae of the US presidential campaign (like i do) you cant fail to have seen that the mccain camp has accused the obama camp of "playing the race card" for obama repeatedly saying that "he doesnt look like all those presidents on the dollar bill" (a phrase that makes no sense but lets ignore that)

is that playing the race card? is acknowledging the obvious--that barrack obama is not "white"--unfair?

it doesnt seem so to me. at least not when obama is doing the acknowledging. if he cant talk about his being black, who can?

but now i realize that "the race card" has been talked about so much that i have no idea what WOULD constitute playing it. outside of mccain saying something stupid like "you wouldnt vote for a ****** would you?" or something equally blatant (that he would never say and never think) i cant think of when the phrase might legitimately be used.

the closest thing i can think of in THIS campaign to "playing the race card" is when bill clinton dismissed obama's win in south carolina as being similar to jesse jackson's victory when he ran.

so educate me. what does PLAYING THE RACE CARD mean and how would it be played (unfairly is implied) in this campaign?

McCain is using it as a campaign issue, so, yes, he is playing the race card. Your claims that "you wouldn't vote for a ******, would you?" would be needed for a "race card" is like claiming that stealing a microwave oven from someone's house would be needed to qualify "breaking and entering". If McCain's campaign accused Obama of playing the age card when Obama said that McCain was losing his bearings, then, guess what, this qualifies as race card too, and that much more than Obama's remarks, mainly because Obama made no reference to McCain's upcoming - and hopefully painful - senility back then.

The shift and caps lock key is located towards the bottom left hand side of the keyboard

Obama made a joke about it when I heard him speak in Berlin. It's a joke he can make that McCain can't, but that's about it...

McCain is using it as a campaign issue, so, yes, he is playing the race card.

so mccain saying that obama is playing the race card (when he isnt) IS playing the race card?

as to the other, i wasnt saying that that was the bar to be reached before its playing the race card, i was only using it as what would be an over-the-top obvious case of it.

I don't do racism. Racism is a crime. And crime is for blacks.

Welcome to the forums. You're my new best friend.

90+% of all black voters vote democrat in the presidential election every time. So even if John (George the Third) McCain was right he'd be making an inconsequential point.

so mccain saying that obama is playing the race card (when he isnt) IS playing the race card?

If Obama saying McCain is losing his bearings is playing the age card, then McCain using an ad that juxtaposes Obama and white girls, appealing to unconscious prejudices, is playing the race one.

90+% of all black voters vote democrat in the presidential election every time. So even if John (George the Third) McCain was right he'd be making an inconsequential point.
what is mccain right about?

is the race card about black people voting for other black people?

If Obama saying McCain is losing his bearings is playing the age card, then McCain using an ad that juxtaposes Obama and white girls, appealing to unconscious prejudices, is playing the race one.
i havent seen any comments on that aspect. (maybe i dont pay as much attention as i think i do) but it did seem reminiscent of the dirty ads against harold ford in the last elections.

i havent seen any comments on that aspect. (maybe i dont pay as much attention as i think i do) but it did seem reminiscent of the dirty ads against harold ford in the last elections.

There were quite a few. So, yes, McCain IS playing the race card.

what is mccain right about?

is the race card about black people voting for other black people?

"So even if..."

John hasn't been right for a couple cycles.

"So even if..."

John hasn't been right for a couple cycles.

McCain hasn't been right for a couple centuries. That is a bit less than a third of his age.

"So even if..."

John hasn't been right for a couple cycles.
WORD.

mccain is running the lamest campaign ever.

"everyone loves obama, dont vote for him"

McCain hasn't been right for a couple centuries. That is a bit less than a third of his age.

Playing the age card are we?

on the contrary I think its about time the US had a white president

like i do

lies make baby Jesus cry :(

McSame vs. Comrade Obama.... lol @ Election '08. The American Republic has gone from the envy of the world to a big fat joke. This is exactly why I encourage my students not to vote in federal primary elections.

McSame vs. Comrade Obama.... lol @ Election '08. The American Republic has gone from the envy of the world to a big fat joke. This is exactly why I encourage my students not to vote in federal primary elections.
yeah that will change things!

McSame vs. Comrade Obama.... lol @ Election '08. The American Republic has gone from the envy of the world to a big fat joke. This is exactly why I encourage my students not to vote in federal primary elections.

You know, I am getting increasingly tired of the accusations of communism thrown at Democrats. Americans wouldn't know real communism if it punched them in the face with an iron fist stolen from a statue of Stalin. We don't even have proper Democratic Socialists, let alone communists.

I guess that 'playing the race card' would amount to a candidate using their or their opponent's race as a reason to vote or not vote for a candidate.

I would day that the 'age card' has been used more than race and by both candidates. For good reason too as the age (and by proxy experience) of the candidates is a bigger factor in judging their qualification than their race.

Trying to avoid race in a country so imbued with racial politics is kind of pointless.

Everyone is playing the race card, even if they're just standing there breathing heavy.

I always thought the Race Card was when a minority goes around saying "They won't do this/that because I'm (skin color)"

I always thought the Race Card was when a minority goes around saying "They won't do this/that because I'm (skin color)"

Because it could never be the majority saying 'they won't do this/that because I'm (skin colour)'.:rolleyes:

Trying to avoid race in a country so imbued with racial politics is kind of pointless.

Everyone is playing the race card, even if they're just standing there breathing heavy.
that is sort of my thought. there is no NEED to "play the race card" since everyone KNOWS that obama is black and already has their own opinion of how important that is to them in voting for president.

that is sort of my thought. there is no NEED to "play the race card" since everyone KNOWS that obama is black and already has their own opinion of how important that is to them in voting for president.

Exactamente.

Either it matters, or it doesn't....there is very little I think he could do to change those positions.

Because it could never be the majority saying 'they won't do this/that because I'm (skin colour)'.:rolleyes:

My experience with the Race Card stems from "Oh so I can't do this because I'm black huh?" or whatever Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson spews out of their mouth.

My experience with the Race Card stems from "Oh so I can't do this because I'm black huh?" or whatever Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson spews out of their mouth.
and sometimes its also "that isnt something you should be worried about, rev sharpton is in on it, that makes it a black thing"

My experience with the Race Card stems from "Oh so I can't do this because I'm black huh?" or whatever Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson spews out of their mouth.

They only have one mouth between them? Poor fellows. Must be like the three graeae sharing the one eye & tooth.

Playing the age card are we?

Yup, but I'm not a candidate running for the position of the most powerful man on Earth, so it's fairly okay.

McSame vs. Comrade Obama.... lol @ Election '08. The American Republic has gone from the envy of the world to a big fat joke. This is exactly why I encourage my students not to vote in federal primary elections.

Is that before or after you tell them not to eat their play-doh?

I've always thought the race card was like...a cop pulls over a black guy speeding, and the driver goes "you only pulled me over because I am black!"

Now, if the question was "is race playing a role in the campaign?" I would say absolutely. The fact that Obama is black is something he is using artfully. I don't mean that in a bad/racist way-its true. The joke about the faces on the bills, for instance. I actually thought that was really funny.

that is sort of my thought. there is no NEED to "play the race card" since everyone KNOWS that obama is black and already has their own opinion of how important that is to them in voting for president.

Here's what I think would constitute Obama "playing the race card":

McCain: Obama will raise taxes.
Obama: He's just saying that because I'm black!

Basically, "playing the race card" is bringing race into it when it wasn't already an issue - trying to detract from the real issues. Pointing out that, for some people, it is an issue and that Republicans will try and have tried to appeal to those people is not "playing the race card."

if you follow the minutiae of the US presidential campaign (like i do) you cant fail to have seen that the mccain camp has accused the obama camp of "playing the race card" for obama repeatedly saying that "he doesnt look like all those presidents on the dollar bill" (a phrase that makes no sense but lets ignore that)

is that playing the race card? is acknowledging the obvious--that barrack obama is not "white"--unfair?

it doesnt seem so to me. at least not when obama is doing the acknowledging. if he cant talk about his being black, who can?

but now i realize that "the race card" has been talked about so much that i have no idea what WOULD constitute playing it. outside of mccain saying something stupid like "you wouldnt vote for a ****** would you?" or something equally blatant (that he would never say and never think) i cant think of when the phrase might legitimately be used.

the closest thing i can think of in THIS campaign to "playing the race card" is when bill clinton dismissed obama's win in south carolina as being similar to jesse jackson's victory when he ran.

so educate me. what does PLAYING THE RACE CARD mean and how would it be played (unfairly is implied) in this campaign?

Ashmoria excellent thread, you should have included a Public Poll with this thread. With some good options 2 or 3 or so.

I considered doing this thread myself, just not got around to it.

Ashmoria excellent thread, you should have included a Public Poll with this thread. With some good options 2 or 3 or so.

I considered doing this thread myself, just not got around to it.
thanks. i didnt put in a poll because when i said that i dont understand this race card thing, its true.

its supposed to be a bad thing and an unfair tactic-- not unlike bringing up class issues which is starting a "class war" and is equally bad.

but except for dem's example which i dont think is what is happenning lately, nothing that has been labeled race card playing lately has been in any way unfair.

i dont think that the MSM knows what playing the race card is either.

thanks. i didnt put in a poll because when i said that i dont understand this race card thing, its true.

its supposed to be a bad thing and an unfair tactic-- not unlike bringing up class issues which is starting a "class war" and is equally bad.

but except for dem's example which i dont think is what is happenning lately, nothing that has been labeled race card playing lately has been in any way unfair.

i dont think that the MSM knows what playing the race card is either.

yea, I don't think there has been a lot of race politics (or use of the race card), at least not overtly by either campaign.

yea, I don't think there has been a lot of race politics (or use of the race card), at least not overtly by either campaign.

Agreed, until now by Obama.