Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

DanTex

(20,709 posts)
Tue Nov 29, 2016, 05:30 PM Nov 2016

The media's coddling of racist white people is getting a little sickening.

Seems everyone is coming out with the sob story about their cousin who lost his job at the factory and has since become an alcoholic and his neighborhood isn't the same as in the 50s and yeah maybe he's a little racist and doesn't like gay people, but really he's a good person and the problem is liberal elites making him feel bad and the fact that there aren't enough TV shows set in Peoria.

Well, boo-hoo. That's no excuse for voting for Trump. White people in the rust belt are hardly the only people who have had a tough time in this country.

Being disrespected by liberal elites is such the epitome of "white people problems." Mommy! Make make Ta-Nehisi Coates stop hurting my feelings! Give me a break. If you don't like "liberal elites", ignore them. Try being, say, Muslim for a day. You turn on the TV and the president elect is threatening to ban your whole religion from the country. But, no, that's OK, what really matters is people in cities don't respect rural whites enough.

Hate to ruin the white pity party, but the fact is, minority groups in the US have it much worse off on average than whites. Yeah, I know, Obama and Oprah. I'm talking averages. Yes, rural white people: you have white privilege too. I know, it doesn't solve all your problems. But I tell you what, it's much better to have white privilege and suffer the pain of having to hear the words "white privilege", than it is to not have white privilege and suffer from actual discrimination.

And by the way, the entire political system in the US gives hugely disproportionate power to rural whites. The senate representation per capita is heavily tilted towards rural white states. The house as well, especially with redistricting. And to cap it off, we have the electoral college.

I know, I know, we need some of these "I'm not racist but still..." types to vote for Dems in order to overcome the undemocratic nature of the electoral college. Fine. Hire some people who speak bigot that can communicate with them. But I'm not going to feel bad for any Trump voters.

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

handmade34

(22,757 posts)
1. let me say
Tue Nov 29, 2016, 05:44 PM
Nov 2016

I travel throughout neighborhoods in the U.S. for my work... the vast majority of 'Trump' 'Make America Great' signs were (still are) in the yards of $500,000.00 houses...

this election was (is) not about the economy in the way many like to speak of (unfortunate blue collar worker pushed out by immigrants/high taxes, etc) this election was about white people in fear of losing the privilege they have had for so long... wanting the 'freedom' to become as wealthy as the richest person they know, they want to pay less taxes at the expense of the health and well being of the planet and their far-reaching neighbors (the other)

these people disgust me as much as DT disgusts me and I mourn for my Country

The Genealogist

(4,723 posts)
10. Funny, locally, I saw the opposite
Tue Nov 29, 2016, 07:18 PM
Nov 2016

I was a bit surprised by it. I live in a poorer part of town, and the only Hillary Clinton signs I saw anywhere near me were at the union offices down the street. However, in several of the more wealthy neighborhoods, I saw many of them, far more than Trump signs in some cases.

 

lumberjack_jeff

(33,224 posts)
3. "White people in the rust belt are hardly the only people who have had a tough time"
Tue Nov 29, 2016, 06:12 PM
Nov 2016

No, clearly they aren't. Which makes the passionate rejection of an agenda of economic populism all the more confounding.

KT2000

(20,586 posts)
4. gerrymandering is all about race
Tue Nov 29, 2016, 06:13 PM
Nov 2016

a political party signs on to the Southern Strategy, blows the dog whistles for a few decades, gerrymanders by race (is it a coincidence that rural white areas carried the day?-no), run a candidate who blares racism every day of the campaign and he wins.
Mission accomplished by and for racism. George Wallace finally won.

No time for whiny trump voters here either. Guess they forgot they would be revealed for who they really are and are now looking for cover.

 

think

(11,641 posts)
5. I'm all for the media reminding people that Trump was an outspoken birther. They should have done it
Tue Nov 29, 2016, 06:20 PM
Nov 2016

more and often during the election but now is better than never.

How can anyone justify what Trump did in that regards? It was blatantly racist and his public drum beating of claims and evidence only encouraged others to believe such actions were OK and not racist.

 

JCanete

(5,272 posts)
8. Yeah, media loves this. People here who do think we need to hammer a stronger message about
Tue Nov 29, 2016, 07:07 PM
Nov 2016

dealing with economic inequality, as I do, will hopefully reject any messaging that our mistake was speaking about social justice. As you say, economic inequality absolutely hurts minorities more than whites who, even in the poor and middle class, experience a higher level of privilege and even security.

We should definitely not let the media frame our issues for us. This either/or they are imagining, and abdication of any personal responsibility for Trump's election by slyly blaming minority issues is just damn convenient for them. Its not like they are actually examining economic inequality either. They're just talking about jobs in as ambiguous a fashion as Trump himself did. No surprise that with that kind of reporting we got him for Prez.

Wounded Bear

(58,685 posts)
12. Frankly, while agreeing with you, I have to add...
Wed Nov 30, 2016, 01:31 AM
Nov 2016

that I am so sick and tired of RW whining about every-fucking-thing. It's a constant drone of "political correctness won't let me be the asshole I was destined to be."



Well, all those whiney bitch "rural white Republicans" got their guy. Sucks for us "normal" folks, but it is what it is I guess.

meow2u3

(24,768 posts)
16. These RWNJs are the same ones who whine about the "liberal media bias"
Wed Nov 30, 2016, 12:23 PM
Nov 2016

while they're coddled day in and day out. Give me a freakin' break!

BSdetect

(8,998 posts)
17. IOWA had 2% unemployed and yet voted for drumph
Wed Nov 30, 2016, 01:59 PM
Nov 2016

The attacks on HRC over decades were ferocious and their Goebbels tactic was effective. Uninformed voters were conned by repeated false stories and outright lies. They listen to RW radio crap and Faux Noise.

Its a Nazi shitstorm.

Garrett78

(10,721 posts)
18. Well said.
Wed Nov 30, 2016, 01:59 PM
Nov 2016

More outreach to rural areas of purple states (particulary where there are rural Dems residing) makes sense, as Obama said: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/15/did-president-obama-just-dis-hillary-clintons-campaign/?utm_term=.0c04de898d04.

But the "working class whites" narrative promoted by some on DU is ridiculously flawed: http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512632931.

And there is no excuse for supporting Trump: http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512630903.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»The media's coddling of r...