JC Watts considers supporting Obama - New England Patriots Forums

***Patters*** · 06-14-2008, 09:44 PM

Wow, a Republican presidential candidate and former Republicans Sec'y of State are thinking of supporting Obama. I wonder if the white party will continue to remain deaf to issues of race.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_107141.html

J.C. Watts, a former Oklahoma congressman who once was part of the GOP House leadership, said he's thinking of voting for Obama. Watts said he's still a Republican, but he criticizes his party for neglecting the black community. Black Republicans, he said, have to concede that while they might not agree with Democrats on issues, at least that party reaches out to them.

"And Obama highlights that even more," Watts said, adding that he expects Obama to take on issues such as poverty and urban policy. "Republicans often seem indifferent to those things."

Likewise, retired Gen. Colin Powell, who became the country's first black secretary of state under President George W. Bush, said both candidates are qualified and that he will not necessarily vote for the Republican.

"I will vote for the individual I think that brings the best set of tools to the problems of 21st-century America and the 21st-century world regardless of party, regardless of anything else other than the most qualified candidate," Powell said Thursday in Vancouver in comments reported by The Globe and Mail in Toronto.

otis p. driftwood · 06-14-2008, 09:49 PM

Patters, did you ever read this article? I think I might have mentioned it before...Thomas Sowell on the disconnect between blacks and republicans.

Quote:

If Senator John McCain needed to prove that he is a real Republican, he did it when he continued an old Republican tradition of utterly inept attempts to appeal to black voters.

Senator McCain was booed at a recent memorial on the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. In typical Republican fashion, he tried to apologize but the audience was not buying it and let him know it.

Why would Senator McCain choose a venue where his rejection was virtually guaranteed? Not only did he not get his message out, the message that came out through the media is that this black audience rejected him, which is readily portrayed as if blacks in general rejected him.

The Republican strategy for making inroads into the black vote has failed consistently for more than a quarter of a century. Yet it never seems to occur to them to change their approach.

The first thing that they do that is foredoomed to failure is trying to reach blacks through the civil rights organizations and other institutions of the black establishment. The second proven loser is trying to appeal to blacks by offering the same kinds of things that Democrats offer-- token honors, politically correct rhetoric and welfare state benefits.

http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/T...&comments=true

***Patters*** · 06-14-2008, 09:57 PM

Yes, I did see that a.paul, but the problem for the Republicans is that many Republicans choose to believe there are no issues of race. People like BF, for instance, who says that businessowners should be allowed to discriminate against blacks (and others), represents just one type of Republican blindness to the issues of discrimination in America. Until the mainstream Republicans acknowledge that there's racism in the US, it will be hard for them to fix their problems with the black community.

***BelichickFan*** · 06-14-2008, 09:57 PM

I'm not going to get into the Black thing but a lot of people will support Obama because it's a virtual forgone conclusion he'll win and people like to support a winner. Why do you think a lot of Wall Street money goes to Obama ? If you think it's because they want him to win, you're smoking something - they just think he'll win and want to get off to a good start with him.

***BelichickFan*** · 06-14-2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patters

People like BF, for instance, who says that businessowners should be allowed to discriminate against blacks (and others)

I think businesses should be able to hire whoever they want and it should be none of the government's business. Regarding race (sigh) I think Blacks, Whites, Asians, Hispanics are all fully capable but some races more than others don't take getting a good education and getting a good job seriously enough. It starts with the parents who show it to the kids and until all parents take that job equally seriously the races won't be equal even though they have the capability to be - and that's not my fault nor the fault of Republicans; it's just the way it is.

***Patters*** · 06-14-2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BelichickFan

I think businesses should be able to hire whoever they want and it should be none of the government's business. Regarding race (sigh) I think Blacks, Whites, Asians, Hispanics are all fully capable but some races more than others don't take getting a good education and getting a good job seriously enough. It starts with the parents who show it to the kids and until all parents take that job equally seriously the races won't be equal even though they have the capability to be - and that's not my fault nor the fault of Republicans; it's just the way it is.

I think whites are fully capable of comprehending racism, but some races more than others find it more difficult to be sensitive to the plight of others. But whites don't like admitting that the privileges they are born into are partly due to the color of their skin. (If you see how ignorant my generalization is, perhaps you'll begin to realize how ignorant your comment was.)

Real World · 06-14-2008, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patters

Wow, a Republican presidential candidate and former Republicans Sec'y of State are thinking of supporting Obama. I wonder if the white party will continue to remain deaf to issues of race.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_107141.html

J.C. Watts, a former Oklahoma congressman who once was part of the GOP House leadership, said he's thinking of voting for Obama. Watts said he's still a Republican, but he criticizes his party for neglecting the black community. Black Republicans, he said, have to concede that while they might not agree with Democrats on issues, at least that party reaches out to them.

"And Obama highlights that even more," Watts said, adding that he expects Obama to take on issues such as poverty and urban policy. "Republicans often seem indifferent to those things."

Likewise, retired Gen. Colin Powell, who became the country's first black secretary of state under President George W. Bush, said both candidates are qualified and that he will not necessarily vote for the Republican.

"I will vote for the individual I think that brings the best set of tools to the problems of 21st-century America and the 21st-century world regardless of party, regardless of anything else other than the most qualified candidate," Powell said Thursday in Vancouver in comments reported by The Globe and Mail in Toronto.

Hmmmm....I wonder why they're considering supporting Obama? Anyone know? Sheesh, I just can't figure it out.

***BelichickFan*** · 06-14-2008, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patters

But whites don't like admitting that the privileges they are born into are partly due to the color of their skin. (If you see how ignorant my generalization is, perhaps you'll begin to realize how ignorant your comment was.)

I have no problem with generalizations because when you talk about any population you have to do so.

I also agree that Whites in general are born into better situations. Duh. But that doesn't excuse bad marriages, bad parenting, bad efforts in school. Again, generalizations but accurate ones. Look at the Vietnamese boat people. How much did they "get" from the country and how well have they done ? How about Japanese put in internment camps like my father in law. My comments aren't ignorant, yours are. You are responsible for yourself and for making something at least decent out of yourself, whatever you're born into. Maybe someone with poor parents can't get to where my kids might get - but they can still get through high school and get a decent job. We pay close to 1/5 of a million dollars for each kid to go from K-12; how dare they not put forth an effort, whatever race they are.

Real World · 06-14-2008, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patters

Yes, I did see that a.paul, but the problem for the Republicans is that many Republicans choose to believe there are no issues of race. People like BF, for instance, who says that businessowners should be allowed to discriminate against blacks (and others), represents just one type of Republican blindness to the issues of discrimination in America. Until the mainstream Republicans acknowledge that there's racism in the US, it will be hard for them to fix their problems with the black community.

BF, IIRC, thinks that a business owner should be able to hire & fire whomever he pleases, since it's his business. Lots of people feel that way. I've got a buddy who's a bartender on the weekends, and has been for well over 10 years. He whines all the time about how he can't get a job in town, at a nightclub, cuz all they hire is women. He's an uber conservative, and says he's being discriminated against. I disagree with him. I think the owner of a pub, bar, or nightclub, should be able to hire as many bimbo, DD, slutty looking blondes as they wish.

***BelichickFan*** · 06-14-2008, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Real World

BF, IIRC, thinks that a business owner should be able to hire & fire whomever he pleases, since it's his business.

Right. If I owned a business and didn't want to hire women - or didn't want to provide service to women, that should be my right. Now, I'd probably go out of business as I'd be cutting off more than half of my potential employees or customers but it should still be my business to do with as I wish.