Posted 10:30 pm Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Send to Kindle
It’s The Economy, Not Obama’s Race
Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News is arguably one of the nation’s top sports writers — and he’d like that bit about “arguably,” since that’s largely his style. He’s both provocative and thoughtful.
But only “provocative” seems to apply to his new gig as a political columnist. His latest scorcher claims, without a shred of evidence, that if President Barack Obama loses his re-election bid in November, it will be because of his race.
“Last time, there just weren’t enough reasons for enough white voters to vote against the black guy, as much as they wanted to,” Lupica claims “This time there are plenty. And please don’t believe a single poll on this issue.”
Here’s the first red flag.
But only “provocative” seems to apply to his new gig as a political columnist. His latest scorcher claims, without a shred of evidence, that if President Barack Obama loses his re-election bid in November, it will be because of his race.
“Last time, there just weren’t enough reasons for enough white voters to vote against the black guy, as much as they wanted to,” Lupica claims “This time there are plenty. And please don’t believe a single poll on this issue.”
Here’s the first red flag.
As flawed as polling data is, it’s still one form of support for an argument. Because the polls overwhelmingly say people are worried about the economy — not the president’s race — Lupica says readers should dismiss them.
He does address the economy, but only to parrot the line that it’s still President George W. Bush’s fault.
“Of course this election will be about the economy, and Obama’s record on it, no matter how much broad-daylight looting of this country went on during the eight years of Bush-Cheney,” he writes. “You want to know why George W. Bush is still the only living former President with an approval rating under 50 percent? It isn’t just because of all the Americans killed and wounded in a war built on lies in Iraq. It is also because of the economy Obama inherited from him, one nobody wanted to touch with a stick at the time.”
But he dismisses the economy as the real issue in the upcoming election. Instead, the real issue is race, he says.
He does address the economy, but only to parrot the line that it’s still President George W. Bush’s fault.
“Of course this election will be about the economy, and Obama’s record on it, no matter how much broad-daylight looting of this country went on during the eight years of Bush-Cheney,” he writes. “You want to know why George W. Bush is still the only living former President with an approval rating under 50 percent? It isn’t just because of all the Americans killed and wounded in a war built on lies in Iraq. It is also because of the economy Obama inherited from him, one nobody wanted to touch with a stick at the time.”
But he dismisses the economy as the real issue in the upcoming election. Instead, the real issue is race, he says.
“When it was over four years ago, even people who didn’t want to vote for a black presidential candidate — but did in the end — congratulated themselves on America finally putting a black man in the White House,” he writes. “It won’t work that way this time. Race won’t be the only issue, not in a world of these gas prices, not in an America with this kind of unemployment. But you better believe it will be a huge issue.”
Because he offers neither evidence nor logic to validate that claim, let’s look at both.
First, Obama’s poor showing in some southern states (Arkansas and Kentucky) has been attributed to racism. But Jay Cost of the Weekly Standard says historical evidence shows it’s due to a larger demographic trend.
“The real reason these people have bolted their ancestral political home has to do with the evolving shape of the Democratic party,” he says. “Historically, it was a working class coalition of urban workers and rural farmers.”
Because he offers neither evidence nor logic to validate that claim, let’s look at both.
First, Obama’s poor showing in some southern states (Arkansas and Kentucky) has been attributed to racism. But Jay Cost of the Weekly Standard says historical evidence shows it’s due to a larger demographic trend.
“The real reason these people have bolted their ancestral political home has to do with the evolving shape of the Democratic party,” he says. “Historically, it was a working class coalition of urban workers and rural farmers.”
That’s changed and the “New Left” holds less appeal to that historical base, he says.
“Think of it this way: Your average Obama voter on the Upper West Side might think the ‘SmartCar’ is great, but a plumber working in Hot Springs would just laugh his you-know-what off if he saw a coworker drive up in one of those absurd vehicles,” Cost contends.
And in fact, Obama lost both those states to Hillary Clinton in 2008.
So much for evidence of racial bias. How about logic? Is it logical to think that after voting Obama in (over white candidates Clinton and John McCain), Americans would decide to “walk back” their hopes for a “post-racial” president?
If Americans were proud of themselves for electing Obama — as Lupica himself claims — why would they reject that?
No, the far more logical reasons Obama is struggling are clear: the economy, unemployment, verbal missteps and the lack of a second-term agenda.
Mike Lupica might want to go to the tape on this one.
“Think of it this way: Your average Obama voter on the Upper West Side might think the ‘SmartCar’ is great, but a plumber working in Hot Springs would just laugh his you-know-what off if he saw a coworker drive up in one of those absurd vehicles,” Cost contends.
And in fact, Obama lost both those states to Hillary Clinton in 2008.
So much for evidence of racial bias. How about logic? Is it logical to think that after voting Obama in (over white candidates Clinton and John McCain), Americans would decide to “walk back” their hopes for a “post-racial” president?
If Americans were proud of themselves for electing Obama — as Lupica himself claims — why would they reject that?
No, the far more logical reasons Obama is struggling are clear: the economy, unemployment, verbal missteps and the lack of a second-term agenda.
Mike Lupica might want to go to the tape on this one.
