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Trumka on race
Ben Smith's Blog —
Richard Trumka, in an unusually blunt discussion of race, talks about the old-line white union Democrats who he says may not vote for Obama because he's black.
The video is from the Democratic National Convention, and was posted by labor blogger Jonathan Tasini.
Trumka, a former United Mine Workers official who's now the secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, argues that the unions are in a position to change their members' minds and to stress class solidarity over race.
"We need to get the message out that a worker who votes for John McCain is like a chicken who votes for Colonel Sanders," he said.
Union chief talks frankly about Obama and race
Jonathan Martin's Blog —
Some candid video above of Richard Trumka, the number two man at the AFL-CIO, telling Ohio delegates at last month's Democratic convention that racism among union members could be problematic.
It's an old-fashioned labor stemwinder with some socio-political analysis and a very familiar anecdote.
"Racism is a tool that's used to divide working people," says Trumka, a fomer Pennsylvania miner and UMW chief.
(Via Jonathan Tasini)
Can The Economic Crisis Advance Racial Progress?
LiberalOasis : The Blog —
A bad economy can sow racial division, as people in dire straits cast about for scapegoats.
This year may be different.
The events of the past two weeks have exposed Sen. John McCain's self-proclaimed lack of understanding about economics, as he had no consistent position or message throughout the financial crisis.
Further, he undermined his own experience argument as Sen. Barack Obama offered a far more steady and reassuring presence in the midst of crisis, while McCain's flashy gambits fell flat. (It's rare for the "outsider" candidate to even have an opportunity to display his or her abilities in a ...
Can The Economic Crisis Advance Racial Progress?
The Hollywood Liberal —
Can The Economic Crisis Advance Racial Progress? A bad economy can sow racial division, as people in dire straits cast about for scapegoats. This year may be different. The events of the past two weeks have exposed Sen. John McCain’s self-proclaimed lack of understanding about economics , as he had no consistent position or message throughout the financial crisis. Further, he undermined his own experience argument as Sen. Barack Obama offered a far more steady and reassuring presence in the midst of crisis , while McCain’s flashy gambits fell flat. (It’s rare for the “outsider” candidate to even have an opportunity to display his or her ...
Bill Scher: Economic Crisis Beats Racial Divisiveness
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com —
Perhaps the first sign that racism may not play a determining role in the general election was when the McCain campaign gave up on Michigan.
President Bush lost the severely economically distressed state in both 2000 and 2004. But some thought Sen. John McCain had a chance of tying Sen. Barack Obama to the scandal that cut short Kwame Kilpatrick's term as mayor of Detroit. (They're both black, y'know.)
But working-class Michigan apparently isn't as racist as some hoped. The McCain campaign last week abruptly pulled out of Michigan, telling the Washington Post that since Michigan is an "economic basket case," ...
