Comments on: Does Obama shape black opinions about poverty? http://blacksmythe.com/blog/2009/06/08/does-obama-shape-black-opinions-about-poverty/ The Future is Here Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:26:42 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Facebook User http://blacksmythe.com/blog/2009/06/08/does-obama-shape-black-opinions-about-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-22285 Facebook User Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:14:33 +0000 http://blacksmythe.com/blog/?p=833#comment-22285 I'm making a different claim Mark. We already know that blacks exposed to conservative messages attached to black elites will express more support for those messages than blacks exposed to the same message attached to white elites, even if those white elites are ideological fellow travelers. My goal here is to extend the work by considering a different set of black elites, and by examining the effect on policy preferences. You are write to note the historically conservative streak in black elite rhetoric...the question is does this rhetoric follow black opinion or shape it? I'm making a different claim Mark. We already know that blacks exposed to conservative messages attached to black elites will express more support for those messages than blacks exposed to the same message attached to white elites, even if those white elites are ideological fellow travelers. My goal here is to extend the work by considering a different set of black elites, and by examining the effect on policy preferences. You are write to note the historically conservative streak in black elite rhetoric…the question is does this rhetoric follow black opinion or shape it?

]]> By: Michael David Cobb Bowen http://blacksmythe.com/blog/2009/06/08/does-obama-shape-black-opinions-about-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-22284 Michael David Cobb Bowen Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:58:14 +0000 http://blacksmythe.com/blog/?p=833#comment-22284 I forget your nuance about the difference between generic condescending white liberalism and the new liberal structuralism you see in Obama, but they're both the same species to me. That's only because I'm stressing a higher standard of (black) family values. But I'm going to wax on about that whole thing over at cobb vis a vis karma trekkers, observing the entire romance between the first world left and the third world beauty. I forget your nuance about the difference between generic condescending white liberalism and the new liberal structuralism you see in Obama, but they're both the same species to me. That's only because I'm stressing a higher standard of (black) family values. But I'm going to wax on about that whole thing over at cobb vis a vis karma trekkers, observing the entire romance between the first world left and the third world beauty.

]]> By: Mark http://blacksmythe.com/blog/2009/06/08/does-obama-shape-black-opinions-about-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-22282 Mark Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:59:07 +0000 http://blacksmythe.com/blog/?p=833#comment-22282 Not necessarily challenging you here, but what leads you to believe that Obama will be able to influence black opinion with this tactic any more than his predecessors?<br><br>I remember mentioning a few years back that a speech we read for class by Booker T. Washington (I.I.R.C.) was almost identical in content to Cosby's and Obama's and hundreds of others despite being written nearly a century beforehand and in a completely different era racially speaking. <br><br>There's a grain of truth to the "stop being so black" argument, but history has shown it's not a feasible solution. You've made a pretty compelling case that not only is it an unproductive tactic, it's also COUNTER-productive.<br><br>If it takes a black president for it to work, great, but color me skeptical. Not necessarily challenging you here, but what leads you to believe that Obama will be able to influence black opinion with this tactic any more than his predecessors?

I remember mentioning a few years back that a speech we read for class by Booker T. Washington (I.I.R.C.) was almost identical in content to Cosby's and Obama's and hundreds of others despite being written nearly a century beforehand and in a completely different era racially speaking.

There's a grain of truth to the “stop being so black” argument, but history has shown it's not a feasible solution. You've made a pretty compelling case that not only is it an unproductive tactic, it's also COUNTER-productive.

If it takes a black president for it to work, great, but color me skeptical.

]]> By: Leanne http://blacksmythe.com/blog/2009/06/08/does-obama-shape-black-opinions-about-poverty/comment-page-1/#comment-22281 Leanne Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:52:17 +0000 http://blacksmythe.com/blog/?p=833#comment-22281 Congrats on the grant--sounds like a great avenue to explore. :-) Congrats on the grant–sounds like a great avenue to explore. :-)

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