don't be afraid

One of my friends living in a southern state who was supporting Clinton fervently and who is now supporting Obama just as strongly, sent me (and a bunch of folks) a rallying cry of an email which mentioned his fear that many folks in the red states that surround him (and even in his blue state of MD) won't vote for him because of race.

He's not the only one down south that I've heard this from.


My mom retired to rural Tennessee and within the past decade has become quite the thumper of bibles. In 2000, she voted for Bush. By 2004 she was not only against Bush and the war in Iraq (she felt so lied to by Bush and the whole WOMD bullshit), that she actively joined the Democratic organization in her county and campaigned for Kerry in 2004, and now, has been campaigning for Obama in 2008.

And this is a county where I lost count of how many confederate flags I saw flying in her home town when I visited in Easter last year.

Prior to his winning the nomination, she was only one of two people in her group who were for Obama from the start. Everyone else was rooting for Clinton. Once Obama won the nom, the rest of the group began supporting him begrudgingly...and her fear is that in the privacy of the polling place, they may vote McCain solely based on the fact that they are afraid to vote for a black man. In things she has witnesses, both subtle and overt, she is truly concerned that this is a real issue in her county.


It's a horrible idea, but this is America. And if we ignore the underbelly of racism that still brews, even as an African-American stands as a candidate for presidency...we'd be obtuse and unrealistic.

What we need to do to combat this fear that some folks may have, is to shine the light of truth on the nomination of Sarah Palin and expose and expose and expose how completely irresponsible McCain was to choose Palin. That while she might sound like your really nice neighbor running the bakesale - she is a loyaly oath demanding, book wanna-be banning, earmark junkie of the first degree. She has lied about her position on the Bridge to Nowhere among other issues and her lack of experience and knowledge about anything outside the state line of Alaska is more than foreboding.

And that while McCain may talk the talk of the maverick reformer, he's been in step with Bush for the last eight years. The fight we have is to reveal the truth to voters. That is the fight.


Although, I think I found a group...that if they need a donation, I might be convinced to send one to these gents.





Rock on Rolla, MO Rednecks! You give me hope!