MORE FROM MARY PARKER (SEE AN ADDED QUOTE FORM MARY BELOW IN HIGHLIGHT YELLOW)
Matt Bai of the New York Times magazine wrote that electoral analyses show that Bararck Obama could lose up to 6% of the total vote because of racism (a voter won't vote for a black person - no matter the issues).
Of course, the percentage will vary given the locale.
Where does Stark County fit? At the high end, or, the low end?
Obama campaigners are running into racism in Stark County. One such report, to wit:
A conversation [not by the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) but by a Stark County resident] on the telephone with an Obama field organizer today left me less optimsitic than I have been about Obama's prospects in Canton and Stark County.Also, The Report turns to an observation by Mary Parker (a lifelong Stark County African-American), to wit:She said that the door-to-door canvasssing is running into an enormous amount of racism and nastiness of the kind that has characterized the McCain-Palin campaign. I inquired more than once but she insisted it was much worse than she had anticipated.
"Is it possible there is more racism in Canton than in much of the rest of the northern tier of states?". I would answer that, "absolutely, overwhelming, YES. Ohio period, is a very racist state, and I think Canton is about as racist as it gets.. People who read the comments will note that I talk about racism a lot. Too much for most. That's only because I've lived and breathed and experienced racism for well over 60 years here. With the exception of seeing things that were segregated, such as the schools, housing, swimming pools, desegregated, I haven't seen that much of change in racial feelings and tolerance in CantonIf the Bai estimate is correct, unless is running much stronger than Kerry among other voters in Stark County, then Obama will likely lose in Stark.
People here are afraid to advertise to their neighbor that they are for Obama.. I see it all the time down at the headquarters, and other places when some of the very people that are coming down there and volunteering, when I ask them if they want an Obama yard sign for their yard,, many give me that look an shake their heads to let me know they are NOT willing to let their neighbor know that they are for Obama.
What is your sense of this election? Is Obama running stronger than Kerry and therefore has a chance to win here?
I don't think we can compare Kerry winning Stark County in 2004 and Obama trying to win in 2008. That would be fine if we were comparing Democrat against Republican. It goes beyond that here. Kerry was not Black. Many of the Democrats that voted for Kerry will not vote for Obama, based solely on color. I feel very confident that Obama will win the national race,,,I don't feel confident that he will win Ohio and especially Stark County. I know it will be a first..to win the election without Ohio, but we have a first here anyway, with a Black man well on his way to the White House. In light of Colin Powells endorsement this morning as I write, I can't see Obama losing this election.
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