Is this racist?

Number_25

Number_25

Number_25

Soldato
Joined
23 Dec 2010
Posts
3,483
"Barack Obama was helped by a large proportion of the african-american population voting for him - purely on the basis of being black."

I said it's on the edge of racism - wondering if anyone can clear it up for me.
 
rac·ism (rszm)
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Nate
 
Number_25 said:
"Barack Obama was helped by a large proportion of the african-american population voting for him - purely on the basis of being black."

I said it's on the edge of racism - wondering if anyone can clear it up for me.
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I don't think its true, but I don't think its racism. Many black people said they would be voting for Obama purely based on his ethnicity, the same way many white people said they would never vote for a black person.

It wasn't a large proportion though, a large proportion voted for him because of his policies, charisma and promises as well as because of him being black and sharing the same hardships they have through that.

It can probably be phrased much more sensitively.
 
Are you asking if the statement is racist? Or people voting for him because hes black is racist?

It rather depends on whether or not its true.
 
Racism by who? The people saying that the reason Obama got into power is that black people voted for him, or the black people for him because of his race?

EDIT: Lol, beaten by two people :(
 
manic111 said:
No, not at all in my opinion. It's a statement of opinion that Obama's race may have helped him connect with and get votes from others of his race. Who is it being racist towards?
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People are more likely to vote for someone they identify with. Just human nature really.
 
manic111 said:
No, not at all in my opinion. It's a statement of opinion that Obama's race may have helped him connect with and get votes from others of his race. Who is it being racist towards?
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The entire statement may be an opinion, or large a exaggeration, but some did vote for Obama purely based on race, Samuel L Jackson for example made this public.

Saying:

"Barack Obama was helped by some of the black population voting for him - purely on the basis of being black."

...Would be a statement of fact.
 
Is it negative on the basis or race? No

Is it racist? No

Is it implicit racism if its an angry white guy being jealous of a black guy getting black guy votes? Not really unless the white guy wants all these black people to work as slaves on his farm...
 
Longbow said:
The entire statement may be an opinion, or large a exaggeration, but some did vote for Obama purely based on race, Samuel L Jackson for example made this public.

Saying:

"Barack Obama was helped by some of the black population voting for him - purely on the basis of being black."

...Would be a statement of fact.
Click to expand...

Either way, it's not a racist statement. It's not critical of Obama, and it's not saying anything derogatory about black people in general.
 
Nate--IRL-- said:
rac·ism (rszm)
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
Click to expand...

So, if someone points out that the 100 metre sprint is dominated by Black athletes and that they are superior at sprinting, is that racist?
 
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