If you look at the names of the US presidents in the 20 and 21st centuries, almost all are one or two syllable anglo-saxon names. (Taft, Wilson, Harding, Cooledge, Hoover, Truman, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.) The only exceptions are Kennedy, Roosevelt and Eisenhower, all war heroes. (At least Teddy was.) The point is, the public sees the president as representing who this country is, and for most Americans, it’s the country of the founding fathers, not the country of the immigrant with the strange name. Of course, the ethnic makeup of this country is changing and perhaps it’s time that the way we perceive ourselves changes too.

NNtrancer on April 26, 2008 at 1:07 PM

I think I’d have to argue based on Hollywood that this is no longer true. Actors with minority-sounding names used to have to pick “stage names” for themselves to sound more like middle-America. Now, virtually no one bothers to change his or her name.

Just ask Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

How ironic:

In the same election year that was predicted to be a disaster for Republicans…

In the same election year that McCain somehow won the nomination after sticking his finger in the eye of the very people who should have been his most reliable constituents…

In the same election year that Hillary Clinton FINALLY did what everyone had been expecting her to do for 8 years, and ran for office…

In the same election year that Hillary hoped to wrap up the election at least partly with identity politics (vote for the WOMAN!)…

… we get Obama running a credible campaign for the Democratic nomination, going after a totally different identity politics (vote for the AFRICAN-AMERICAN!), and effectively canceling out Hillary Clinton’s identity politics.

I never expected McCain to have a shot at winning, because he insulted what should have been his base the last time he ran, and politicians who do that destroy their chances. But between his two opponents, he just might win.

Someone’s gotta say it:

Rove, you magnificent bastard!

The democrat belief system is unmasked for what it is.
Cold Steel on April 26, 2008 at 10:45 AM

2008 appears to be the year of pulling back the curtain and revealing the truth about the great and mighty Oz…

It’s happening to the Democrat party.

It’s happening to the Darwinists.

It’s happening to Planned Parenthood.

It’s happening to the Anthropogenic Global Warming fanatics.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32

On several levels, the Democrats are reaping what they have sown over the last forty years. For those in the Democratic Party who don’t get that reference — one familiar to the bitter Bible-clingers — it’s akin to chickens coming home to roost.

Bravo, Ed, you are simply the best!

Democrats are basically the Seinfeld — “Jackie Childs” coalition. Republicans the “Al Bundy” coalition.

In the major cities, Dems win because there are not many Al Bundy’s. Al Bundy moved out decades ago to the suburbs. In many states, there’s enough, sometimes barely enough, votes in the major urban centers for Jackie Childs and Jerry Seinfeld to beat Al Bundy.

In a national election, this is reversed. Even when candidates are good or bad. I don’t think Gore was that terrible a candidate, nor even Kerry. But they couldn’t overcome the vote disparity between Al Bundy and Jerry Seinfeld/Jackie Childs.

The Democratic Party in 1968 decided they were way too cool for Al Bundy, and threw him out of the party. They are now reaping the fruits of that decision, as they usually do without someone who is very gifted (Bill Clinton in 1992, rather than the man he is now) or the opposition has been very stupid (post Watergate Jimmy Carter).

An Obama pander in Indiana–he wears a USMC T-shirt playing basketball in Kokomo. (Pix in the print edition of the Tribune story. Can’t find it online.) This from a guy whose pastor views the military as a conspiracy to exterminate……

Bawhaaahahhh!

Obama wins red states. Hillary wins blue.

What a purple pickle they have on their hands.

I’m betting Hillary is going to take this right to the convention as part of her scorched earth policy. She might well topdeck the entire party.

Ares on April 26, 2008 at 10:59 AM

Topdeck? I thought she was going to kneecap them.

On several levels, the Democrats are reaping what they have sown over the last forty years. For those in the Democratic Party who don’t get that reference — one familiar to the bitter Bible-clingers — it’s akin to chickens coming home to roost.

Touche’.

Chakra Hammer on April 26, 2008 at 10:45 AM

Exactly what I think is going to happen. Then, hopefully, most of Hillary’s people will stay home or vote for McCain.

I expect McCain’s surrogates to keep the fact that SHE won the popular vote in the forefront of her votes view in the battleground states.

Hillary @ Yale worked to defend a Black Panther leader who had his own kill one of their own. She figured this volunteer work entitled her to the black vote until BHO confronted her on the trail.

The DNC racist chickens are coming home to roost.
So who gets to play the rooster?
Coming ’round the mountain,
now seems like a bad time to be old and red.

Since when have Democrats been concerned with the legitimacy of using election representatives, primary delegates, to get their guy in? Gee, that’s strange because Democrats whined after 2000 to eliminate the Electoral College, a body similar in principle to primary delegates, on account of Gore winning the popular vote, but losing in electoral votes. Now many Democrats are making the opposite claim, a claim in favor of using voter representation over the popular vote for their candidate to win.

Why am I not surprised by this? (Rhetorical)

“I’m telling you, if this continues on its current course, [the damage] is going to be irreparable.”

By examining the public comments of Mr. Clyburn, one comes to understand where he’s coming from immediately.

If you identify the policies and platform of the Democratic party with the needs of “blok-voting” black America, great damage is being done right now, with half of the Democratic party branding the other half racist, and the other half branding their opponents as sexist and racist.

If you identify the policies and platform of the party with the back room smoke (which is why superdelegates were invented in the first place), no damage whatsoever has been done, and possibly a lot of good.