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- Name: Pops
- Location: The 951, California, United States
I'm very interesting. I would describe myself as witty and insightful, but that wouldn't make either true. I have two degrees in history from the least prestigious University of California campuses. As a result, I stay home full time with my kids. If anyone can think of anything useful to do with a history MA, please don't hesitate to share.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2004
The Magic of White People*
*and by "people", I mean men specifically.
Being a white man, I should really know the answer to this, but I don't: What kind of skanky basement hoodoo are we practicing as a racial subset? Whatever it is, we had better make sure nobody else gets their hands on it. Otherwise we're in big trouble.
These thoughts come about after hearing (would've watched, but I was in the car. Thanks NPR) Barack Obama's first-rate speech at the DNC in Boston last night. He's running unopposed (!) for the US Senate seat in the great state of... OK, the state of Illinois. And of course by "Illinois" I mean "Chicago" because there is nothing else in Illinois, unless you count St. Louis which you almost can.
I decided to check into the history of African-Americans in the Senate. Hmm. Here's the list (source):
Hiram R. Revels (R-Mississippi), 1870-71
Blanche K. Bruce (R-Mississippi), 1875-1881
Edward W. Brooke (R-Massachusetts), 1967-1979
Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Illinois), 1993-1999
Turns out all those blaxploitation movies were right. We really DO know how to keep a brother down. Of those listed, Edward Brooke III was the only black man ever elected to the Senate by popular vote. Ever. Ever. Yes, I said ever.
You go, Barack. And I'm shocked the Republicans haven't yet pointed out how much "Obama" sounds like "Osama". It seems like such a reasonable comparison to make and not at all out of line with their general electioneering slant.
And why doesn't anyone ever mention the fact that we have 14 female senators. Fourteen. Shouldn't that be the great scandal of our time? There really should be fifty, shouldn't there? At least? I guess it's an encouraging sign that not all of them are totally hot either. Except Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana). Yowza.
But hey, look, I did my part. Both my senators are totally, like, chicks and junk. And I voted for both of them.
I guess the question is How? How has Whitey managed to keep himself up on the mountaintop for so long? In Barack Obama and other rising political stars are we on the cusp of a watershed moment in the history of race/gender and politics in this country?
Yeah, I doubt it too. It was a good speech though.
This post on the Narcissus Scale: 2.85
Pops' Vocabulary Tip of the Day: anthropophagy: cannibalism. Thank you, Dostoyevsky. Today I learned that word and that the Roman church is Satan's Instrument. Good to know. These are things you should be writing down.
Pops
- posted by Pops @ 1:41 PM
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You are incorrect (or guilty of omission) on several counts:
1) Republicans have not needed to point out how much Obama sounds like Osama because Obama pointed it out himself.
2) The rest of Illinois hates Chicago because, contrary to popular belief, it does exist and it is not Democratic, and every election cycle it gets stuck with Chicago's choices for federal office instead of its own.
3) Obama is running unopposed because the Chicago Tribune is full of assholes who forced the Republican candidate out of the race.
4) The reason that there are no black senators is because there are many black representatives thanks to frequent redistricting that crams all the black people in one district, assuring that district a black representative but making it simultaneously impossible for black senatorial candidates to get votes outside of black districts. Or something.
5) It's kind of hard to argue that 50% of senators should be female if 50% of candidates are not female. Most people don't vote for candidates that aren't on the ballot.
6) What's the use of electing people just for their race or gender? Carol Moseley Braun was black AND a woman and she was an awful senator.
1) Republicans have not needed to point out how much Obama sounds like Osama because Obama pointed it out himself.
2) The rest of Illinois hates Chicago because, contrary to popular belief, it does exist and it is not Democratic, and every election cycle it gets stuck with Chicago's choices for federal office instead of its own.
3) Obama is running unopposed because the Chicago Tribune is full of assholes who forced the Republican candidate out of the race.
4) The reason that there are no black senators is because there are many black representatives thanks to frequent redistricting that crams all the black people in one district, assuring that district a black representative but making it simultaneously impossible for black senatorial candidates to get votes outside of black districts. Or something.
5) It's kind of hard to argue that 50% of senators should be female if 50% of candidates are not female. Most people don't vote for candidates that aren't on the ballot.
6) What's the use of electing people just for their race or gender? Carol Moseley Braun was black AND a woman and she was an awful senator.
Ooh ooh fight! Fight!
1) I can only plead Californian on this point.
2) One obvious solution: get more people in non-Chicago areas. Wow, that was easy.
3) Er... I thought it was his wife and the nasty bit of business with the sex clubs. Can't really blame the Trib for that completely, can you?
4) This of course presumes that only black people can vote for black people. This is a widely held misconception.
5) The point I was trying to make: WHY aren't there more women/minorities seeking elective office? What's so great about white males that makes them a) sufficiently ambitious and b) almost exclusively acceptable to voters above the House of Representative level? I maintain, as per the post above, that it is in fact Magic.
6) Wasn't really saying that race/gender should be the first and only consideration, only that seeing so many races involving one white dude against another white dude is curious in this ethnic jumble of a nation.
And by the way, my mom lives in rural Illinois (most of the time) and she doesn't mind Democrats getting elected at all. But Illinois has the same problem as New York and California with the huge concentrations of people in major cities dictating statewide politics.
But hey, Iowa's right next door. Wouldn't be that far to move.
1) I can only plead Californian on this point.
2) One obvious solution: get more people in non-Chicago areas. Wow, that was easy.
3) Er... I thought it was his wife and the nasty bit of business with the sex clubs. Can't really blame the Trib for that completely, can you?
4) This of course presumes that only black people can vote for black people. This is a widely held misconception.
5) The point I was trying to make: WHY aren't there more women/minorities seeking elective office? What's so great about white males that makes them a) sufficiently ambitious and b) almost exclusively acceptable to voters above the House of Representative level? I maintain, as per the post above, that it is in fact Magic.
6) Wasn't really saying that race/gender should be the first and only consideration, only that seeing so many races involving one white dude against another white dude is curious in this ethnic jumble of a nation.
And by the way, my mom lives in rural Illinois (most of the time) and she doesn't mind Democrats getting elected at all. But Illinois has the same problem as New York and California with the huge concentrations of people in major cities dictating statewide politics.
But hey, Iowa's right next door. Wouldn't be that far to move.
1) OK.
2) The corn has taken up all the space.
3) Well, there was nothing illegal in the sex clubs story. He didn't even have any sex. But the Trib and Co. got his files released on the grounds that divorce files are obviously necessary for the voters to see.
4) It presumes that only black people will be acquainted with the candidate and the candidate will be seen as a champion of black issues and not a complete politician.
5) The Senate is the second-highest elected office in the country. It's not as though invisibility in the Senate means that people don't exist everywhere else in the government. Are white dudes more politically ambitious? Well, politics is an industry where past family influence and lots of money helps and that's usually to be found with white guys. I wouldn't personally run for Senate even if I were interested simply because I don't have the money or reputation to mount a succesful campaign, not because all the estrogen swimming through me is screaming, "Stay in the kitchen!" It also doesn't particularly bother me that this is the case. Many things in life are easier for the rich. It's a good incentive to get rich.
6) Only statwide races pan out like that, and there are only three such races--those for governors (and their cabinets), senators, and presidents. Races decided by districts usually run candidates who are more or less representative of the district.
2) The corn has taken up all the space.
3) Well, there was nothing illegal in the sex clubs story. He didn't even have any sex. But the Trib and Co. got his files released on the grounds that divorce files are obviously necessary for the voters to see.
4) It presumes that only black people will be acquainted with the candidate and the candidate will be seen as a champion of black issues and not a complete politician.
5) The Senate is the second-highest elected office in the country. It's not as though invisibility in the Senate means that people don't exist everywhere else in the government. Are white dudes more politically ambitious? Well, politics is an industry where past family influence and lots of money helps and that's usually to be found with white guys. I wouldn't personally run for Senate even if I were interested simply because I don't have the money or reputation to mount a succesful campaign, not because all the estrogen swimming through me is screaming, "Stay in the kitchen!" It also doesn't particularly bother me that this is the case. Many things in life are easier for the rich. It's a good incentive to get rich.
6) Only statwide races pan out like that, and there are only three such races--those for governors (and their cabinets), senators, and presidents. Races decided by districts usually run candidates who are more or less representative of the district.
4) Sorry, but I call "Cop Out!". You're saying black politicians don't get elected to wider offices because they are identified as black politicians (oh, and tautology to boot). Race, if I read you correctly, is such a limiting factor as to all but disqualify African-Americans as statewide or national candidates. Doesn't it really depend on the politician? Why can't "black issues" be drawn out to national/statewide relevance? I don't really see how representing one's constituency makes someone ineligible for higher office. Shouldn't it be the opposite?
5) You said "Well, politics is an industry where past family influence and lots of money helps and that's usually to be found with white guys." Not enough people are pissed off about this, in my estimation. It's like the entire non-white-male population in alot of ways is content to wait its turn, but if that's the criteria, if you NEED pre-existing familial legitimacy, then no wait period is going to be long enough.
I wish I had more information about current Senators, but I question your general premise as well. John Edwards is in my head because he was speaking last night. Completely self-made senator (although white male). I'm positive there are several other examples. The limits on senatorial "qualifications" accepted by us as a society seem maddeningly self-imposed.
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5) You said "Well, politics is an industry where past family influence and lots of money helps and that's usually to be found with white guys." Not enough people are pissed off about this, in my estimation. It's like the entire non-white-male population in alot of ways is content to wait its turn, but if that's the criteria, if you NEED pre-existing familial legitimacy, then no wait period is going to be long enough.
I wish I had more information about current Senators, but I question your general premise as well. John Edwards is in my head because he was speaking last night. Completely self-made senator (although white male). I'm positive there are several other examples. The limits on senatorial "qualifications" accepted by us as a society seem maddeningly self-imposed.
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