Samuel L. Jackson - Racist?

How many people here agree with Samuel L. Jackson's statement, "It’s not politics. It is not economics. It all boils down pretty much to race. It is a shame.” Personally, I believe if it truly does boil down pretty much to race, then it is a shame. At that point, political discourse dissolves and becomes nothing more than a popularity contest.
Samuel L. Jackson: ‘I Voted for Barack Because He Was Black’

February 11, 2012
Samuel L. Jackson only voted for President Barack Obama because of the color of his skin, the Hollywood actor revealed in a profanity-laced interview in the March issue of Ebony magazine.

“I voted for Barack because he was black. ’Cuz that’s why other folks vote for other people — because they look like them,” Jackson said. "That’s American politics, pure and simple. [Obama’s] message didn’t mean [bleep] to me. In the end, he’s a politician. I just hoped he would do some of what he said he was gonna do.

According to the New York Post, the "Pulp Fiction" legend repeatedly dropped the N-word during his cover story interview.

“When it comes down to it, they wouldn’t have elected a [bleep]," Jackson said. "Because, what’s a [bleep]? A [bleep] is scary. Obama ain’t scary at all. [Bleeps] don’t have beers at the White House. [Bleeps] don’t let some white dude, while you in the middle of a speech, call [him] a liar" -- an apparent reference to Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst during Obama's health care address to a joint session of Congress in 2009.

Jackson continued, "A [bleep] would have stopped the meeting right there and said, ‘Who the [bleep] said that?’ I hope Obama gets scary in the next four years, ’cuz he ain’t gotta worry about getting re-elected.”

Defending his repeated use of the racial epithet, Jackson said it "became a part of my vocabulary when I was born."
"Because it was used on me in my house, often . . . I know the word [bleep] as an admonishment, an endearment, a criticism and an invective. So I use it; I don’t run from it. I don’t have an issue with it or who says it. I always put it in the context of how it was used on me," he said.

Jackson previously made political headlines in October, when he agreed with fellow actor Morgan Freeman's assessment that the Tea Party was "racist."

“It’s pretty obvious what they are,” Jackson said in an interview with New York Magazine. “The division of the country is not about the government having too much power. I think everything right now is geared toward getting that guy out of office, whatever that means.”

Jackson continued, “It’s not politics. It is not economics. It all boils down to pretty much to race. It is a shame.”

http://news.yahoo.com/samuel-l-jackson-voted-barack-because-black-174806076.html

 

The heck of it is, statistically, most blacks did the same thing.

 

The statistics indicate that more people who identify themselves as "black" voted in 2008 than in any other modern election. In all fairness, the statistics I've uncovered do not indicate (nor do they contra-indicate) that these voters voted for Obama simply because he is "black". After all, the voters may have identified more with his socialist programs or his hard-line stance against gay marriage. Is anyone here able to provide statistics indicating that voters who identify themselves as "black" voted for Obama because he is "black"? I'd like to see those statistics.

The discussion I would like to have here is if anyone agrees with Samuel L. Jackson's statement, “It’s not politics. It is not economics. It all boils down pretty much to race. It is a shame.” Do YOU think it boils down to race? By "boils down", I believe Mr. Jackson is saying that people vote for someone based on what is left after intelligent political discussion is stripped away. Mr. Jackson's remarks indicate that political discourse in this country no longer exists and that the voters choose the best candidate in an "American Idol" sort of way. Has this country really denigrated so far? It appears that Mr. Jackson believes so and if that's the truth, then it's a sad, cynical state of affairs in modern U.S. politics.

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1209/racial-ethnic-voters-presidential-election

 

I gleaned a little bit of info from Wikipedia concerning the race issue. Perhaps Samuel L. Jackson is on to something:

Race


In an October 17–20, 2008, NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll of registered voters, 2% said race made them more likely to vote for Barack Obama, 4% said it made them less likely to do so, and 2% were not sure. Race was not a major factor for the other 92% (margin of error was ±2.9%).[147]

A July 18–21, 2008, NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed that 20% of African American registered voters and 8% of white registered voters considered race the single most important factor when voting (margin of error was ±3.1%). This percentage increased in both groups from previous polls.[148]

A June 6–9, 2008, NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed that 17% were enthusiastic about Obama being the first African American president, 70% were comfortable or indifferent, and 13% had reservations or were uncomfortable (margin of error was ±3.1%).[149]

Hillary Clinton "openly solicited the votes of 'hard working white Americans'".[150] For Obama, race was the word to be avoided. He would often place white people behind him when in a hall speaking to a large black group in order to avoid racial imagery.[151] Obama had to deal with media related jibes, including Fox News labeling his wife as "Obama's baby-mama" and attempting to interpret a fist tap as either a racial move, or a "terrorist fist jab".[152]

[147] ^ http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/081021_NBC-WSJ_Poll_Full.pdf#page=26

[148] ^ http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/080723_NBC-WSJ_Combined.pdf#page=36

[149] ^ http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/080611_NBC-WSJ_Full.pdf#page=28

[150] ^ Staples, Robert (2010). "The Post Racial Presidency: The Myths of a Nation and its People". Journal Of African American Studies 14 (1): 134. doi:10.1007/s12111-009-9102-9

[151] ^ Staples, Robert (2010). "The Post Racial Presidency: The Myths of a Nation and its People". Journal Of African American Studies 14 (1): 130. doi:10.1007/s12111-009-9102-9

[152] ^ Walsh, Eileen T. (2009). "Representations of Race and Gender in Mainstream Media Coverage of the 2008 Democratic Primary"

 

Obviously there are racial/ethnic overtones and issues to a lot of things in this country. But I think it is pretty obvious that, for Samuel L. Jackson, it does boil down to only race.

However, if it was really only about race and people only vote for people that look like them, Obama would never have been elected President.

The racial/ethnic makeup of this country would negate that possibility completely. 2/3rds of the US is white. Only 12% are black. They aren't even the second most populous racial/ethnic group in the US.

 

Do you really believe that Catholics don't vote for Catholics? Do you really believe that Protestants don't vote for Protestants? Do you really believe that white people don't vote for white people? People vote for the candidate that they believe is most like themselves. You can climb on top of your high-horse and cry about someone that finally got a chance to vote for someone like themselves only once in the last 230 years, while you sit there and get to vote for someone that looks like you every time. The privileged are always the last to see their own privilege.

 

In 1992, 84% of blacks voted for Clinton, 83% in 1996, 90% for Gore in 2000, and 88% in 2004. Yet BO got 96% of the black vote. That is the highest ever seen. How else would you interpolate that?

If you are really asking if there are many people out there who vote for reasoning other than political stances, absolutely. There is nothing new about it and it is not limited to race. Just look at the analysis of the Nixon/Kennedy debate. To the people who listened on the radio, Nixon won. Yet nearly all the TV listeners gave it to Kennedy.

I cannot tell you what percentage of people vote for a candidate because of their looks, their speech patterns, their race, etc., but it is a significant enough percent to affect many election results.

 

Sure it shows that President Obama had a better machine in place when it came to getting folks 1. to Registerd 2. Out to vote You could see this from the way he raised funds for his campaign

 

Are Christians religious bigots for wanting to vote for Christians?

 

It's difficult to argue with statistics, therefore I won't. The pattern certainly does seem that those who identify themselves as "black" did indeed vote for Obama simply based upon his "race".

 

That would be like asking the question, "Are Atheists atheistic bigots for wanting to vote for Atheists"? I don't think either is a valid question since it doesn't take into account the myriad other factors people use when deciding upon a candidate.

I tend to believe that most voters weigh the policies of a candidate and decide if he or she is best suited to represent them. The 2008 election appears to be an exception since, as you've stated, "[they] finally got a chance to vote for someone like themselves only once in the last 230 years". So it seems that "race" actually was a major factor in the 2008 election. A very major factor, indeed!

 

When have atheists ever had the opportunity to vote for an Atheist?

But not black people? Black people vote with the democrats anyway. The fact that the percentages have increased somewhat over the last two decades has more to do with the Right's race for the fringe and the Democrats actually putting up a viable candidate of color as opposed to the Right's tokens. These people are not stupid and know when they are being sold a bill of goods and if anything, the vitriol that has come from the Right since a black man won has only affirmed their suspicions of the Right-wing.
Here is the rub: I’d be willing to bet anything that black people have voted for more white people than white people have voted for black people. By that logic, who is really being racist?

 

It was a hypothetical question.

You're putting words in my mouth. Did I say that? You stated "[blacks] finally got a chance to vote for someone like themselves only once in the last 230 years". Are you saying that you think that "blacks" would only vote for someone because of his "race"? Do you think they did not make a reasoned judgment about Obama's policies against their own, but regardless voted for him because of the color of his skin? Are you saying that the "blacks" who voted for Obama only voted for him because he "looks like them"? Now, honestly, look in the mirror. Who is REALLY being the racist here?

Anyone who would vote for the democrats is misguided, but that's another story...

Oh, I have no doubt the percentages have increased, but I'd like to see some statistics on the remainder of your assertion.

That's your opinion which, in my opinion , is absolutely worthless. I've seen no vitriol, much less because a "black man" won.

There you go basing your assumptions on the color of a person's skin! Why do you always discriminate "white" against "black". Ever since I've been on this forum, you have a terrible habit of doing that. Remember, we are all African.

 

The point is that if you are Caucasian, Christian, heterosexual, male, you have always had the opportunity to vote for someone exactly like yourself. I don't believe that people that sit in that position have any right to judge other people for the way they vote. They have always had someone just like themselves to vote for. You speak from a position of privilege and judge others for the way they vote. Your opinion is meaningless to them. And now that the Democrats have successfully broken the dam the centuries of dominance by one social group you can expect to get a lot more variety from now on. Deal with it.

 

Sorry, but I have never "had the opportunity to vote for someone exactly like yourself"! Not ever and I am sure you are celebrating that fact. Point being that I do not vote for or against anyone because of their skin color (or lack thereof), because of their beard (or lack thereof), because of their sexuality (or lack thereof), because of their religion (or lack thereof), etc. Anyone who votes for or against any candidate for these or similar reasons is a bigot or racist. It is that simple. And, yes, they exist on both sides of the fence.

 

Just what do those factors have to do with a person's politics? Are you saying that just because a person may be all of those things, he is going to vote for someone with the exact same characteristics regardless of the person's politics?

It doesn't make one bit of difference what a person's "race", religion, sexuality or gender is, but according to you, it does matter. You agree that it's OK for an entire group of people to vote for a politician based simply on the color of his skin (since that was the first time they've ever had the chance to do so). Not on his politics. Not on his platform. Not on his ideals. Not on his vision for the future. But, just because he resembled their own skin tone.

Well, your opinions are the biggest bunch of BS I think I've ever encountered. Not only that, but they're some of the most racist remarks I've ever read on this forum. You should be ashamed of yourself. You really, really should...

 

How convenient for you that it doesn't make a bit of difference to you AND you get to vote for someone just like you.

 

"Just like me"? What do you mean? This I gotta hear...

 

I think I've already spelled out exactly what I mean by that in post #14. Since you have only had the opportunity to vote for a guy that is exactly like you and the one chance you actually had to vote for a guy that didn't look like you, you voted for the same guy you have always voted for. Any reason for that?

 

Pardon me, but referencing your post #14, are saying that I'm Caucasian, Christian, heterosexual and male? If so, please indicate anywhere or anytime in this forum I've ever confirmed or denied those descriptors.

Also, please support your claim that "I've only had the opportunity to vote for a guy that is exactly like me".

I'm waiting patiently for your response.