If Obama were 1/4 black, would he still be considered the "black candidate"?

[Hate the Hater]

He is just as much white as he is black, yet he is still referred to as the first black nominee. So where is the line for being referred to as "black" drawn? 1/4? 1/8?

[maoi]

1/8 is a good marker. But you never know. That's just how its always been in America. The slightest trace of black features in your physical appearance makes you black. It's not necessarily correct to say so but it's embedded into our culture via Jim Crow/segregation era.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_drop_rule

[hnibos]

its all in the color of the skin.

[Tchocky]

Who cares?

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally Posted by maoi

1/8 is a good marker. But you never know. That's just how its always been in America. The slightest trace of black features in your physical appearance makes you black. It's not necessarily correct to say so but it's embedded into our culture via Jim Crow/segregation era.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_drop_rule

It's also covered in the affirmative action laws and quotas. Although I bet some people get awful uppity when those quotas are filled by folks who are only 1/8th black!

[Hate the Hater]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Who cares?

Black Jesus

[Hate the Hater]

When it was unclear from a person's physical appearance which racial classification they belonged to, the pencil test was employed. This involved inserting a pencil in a person's hair to determine if the hair was kinky enough for the pencil to get stuck.[20][21] If the pencil remained stuck in a person's hair, the person was "black."

[jm9843]

Those were the good 'ol days, eh, Hate the Hater?

[Debaser]

Originally Posted by Nimrod's Son

It's also covered in the affirmative action laws and quotas. Although I bet some people get awful uppity when those quotas are filled by folks who are only 1/8th black!

what quotas

[Nimrod's Son]

see what i mean? uppity.

[Debaser]

racial quotas were banned by the supreme court in 1978

[Gish08]

Yes and this thread is dumb.

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally Posted by Debaser

racial quotas were banned by the supreme court in 1978

Yes, that's why places like colleges started changing entrance requirements based on race in order to have a "soft quota" every year.

[bits]

i can't wait till we're all one big nasty color and shape.

[Nimrod's Son]

i can't believe i used the word uppity twice and debaser is still trying to have a serious debate here.

[Hypocaust]

Originally Posted by Debaser

racial quotas were banned by the supreme court in 1978

And this means... jack shit.

[Debaser]

Originally Posted by Nimrod's Son

Yes, that's why places like colleges started changing entrance requirements based on race in order to have a "soft quota" every year.

Originally Posted by Nimrod's Son

i can't believe i used the word uppity twice and debaser is still trying to have a serious debate here.

back pedal

[alexthestampede]

my dad lost his job to an 1/8th black who wasnt 1/8th as capable. this country has serious problems

[hnibos]

dont know where else to put this so I will put it here.

http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-...lse-obama-race

sucks

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally Posted by hnibos

dont know where else to put this so I will put it here.

http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-...lse-obama-race

sucks

This is called pre-justification for if Obama loses, so that the press can blame "racism" and white people for the loss.

And then this is glossed over:
"On the other side of the racial question, the Illinois Democrat is drawing almost unanimous support from blacks, the poll shows"

Poll shows 40% of whites: racist. 100% of blacks: racist.

Headline: Whites are racist.

[Future Boy]

Would they not have to be voting against McCain because he is white to be racists? You're just continuing with the same faulty reasoning. To say 60% of whites dont support Obama is not saying 60% of whites are racists. That says practically nothing. People harbor latent prejudices. Wow, stop the presses. By its own numbers they say this is a bigger problem:

"Race is not the biggest factor driving Democrats and independents away from Obama. Doubts about his competency loom even larger, the poll indicates. More than a quarter of all Democrats expressed doubt that Obama can bring about the change they want, and they are likely to vote against him because of that.

Three in 10 of those Democrats who don't trust Obama's change-making credentials say they plan to vote for McCain."

[Nimrod's Son]

Originally Posted by Future Boy

Would they not have to be voting against McCain because he is white to be racists? You're just continuing with the same faulty reasoning. To say 60% of whites dont support Obama is not saying 60% of whites are racists. That says practically nothing. People harbor latent prejudices. Wow, stop the presses. By its own numbers they say this is a bigger problem:

"Race is not the biggest factor driving Democrats and independents away from Obama. Doubts about his competency loom even larger, the poll indicates. More than a quarter of all Democrats expressed doubt that Obama can bring about the change they want, and they are likely to vote against him because of that.

Three in 10 of those Democrats who don't trust Obama's change-making credentials say they plan to vote for McCain."

I was specifically referring to this part:
"Obama faces this: 40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks, and that includes many Democrats and independents."

Which pretty blatantly calls 40% of whites racists.

[Future Boy]

Were you just pointing out how flawed that conclusion is by stating the opposite? I took it the wrong way I guess. Everything after "60% of whites are racist" is not directed at you, just my beef with that poll.

[Nimrod's Son]

I think the article reached a conclusion and then looked for data to support that conclusion rather than the other way around.