How Not To Persuade An Undecided Voter

This, I'm guessing, probably wouldn't work.

Interesting anecdote and probably a testament to ground organization. I have no idea what this means. Friday night (which happens to be the start of our Sabbath) my wife answered the phone to hear a man stating he was from the McCain-Palin campaign. He asked who she was supporting. She replied that we will vote for Obama. He replied with "but he's a f-----g n---er!". Before I get to my wife's response I'll first have to say that I understand desperation and I also understand that this pitch may actually work for a few people. I also understand that there are people who are whack-jobs phone-banking for both sides. But here are some facts:

My wife and I are Black. Citing the fact that Obama is a f----g n---er as a way to sway our vote may not be a great idea. My wife and I live in Maryland... Baltimore, MD.... One of the most African American areas of Baltimore Maryland. How on earth did our phone numbers get on to a McCain volunteers phone bank list of potential voters to be calling at this stage in the game? We have never received a call from the Obama campaign.

The fact that the parties in question are black is really beside the point. It's one thing for people to be uncomfortable about race. It's something a lot of voters (and not just Republicans and Independents) have had to come to grips with during this campaign. It's another thing to be confronted with balls-to-the-wall, full blown hate.

What the McCain-Palin campaign has been generating in the past few weeks makes it easy and acceptable for many of their more zealous volunteers to get their (white) rage on. As I explained in a conversation with my 73 year old mother earlier today, they bring up the tenuous connection with Ayers, and ACORN, and Rev. Wright, and Marxist and Socialist because they can't call Obama what this phone banker called him. For they know, the moment the candidates, or their surrogates, do in front of a microphone or a television camera, the election is over.

But that doesn't mean their supporters are smart enough to make that connection. Increasingly, as Obama's lead hasn't budged, and it has become more and more apparent that this thing isn't likely to fall McCain's way, we've been seeing more of this. And for a large chunk of these people, on the right, the thought of losing to a black man is one of their worst nightmares.

You know its there. And it's going to be ugly until Tuesday. Then it will be ugly toward Inauguration Day. It will probably stay ugly from some quarters for 4 years.

To those who know me, the Drinking Liberally folks, my friends and immediately family, I've made it clear that Obama was not my first choice. I initially supported Dodd, whose campaign died in Iowa, flirted with Edwards, but ultimately went with Obama as what I thought was the one clear chance to stop Hillary Clinton. Mind you, I didn't hate Hillary, I just don't trust her on matters of war and peace. I also think she would have united the GOP in a way Obama (and McCain) haven't, as a polarizing figure.

But that's neither here or there. Since I came around to Obama, I have said, that the day he is elected (if he is), this country is forever changed, and changed for the better. If he governs well, it will again be changed, and changed for the better.

Part of that change, unfortunately, is shaking a lot of these sort of openly racist people out of the woodwork. If this country is ever going to deal with the rot that has been at its core since the Declaration of Independence, which is racism, racism has to be confronted straight ahead. That will happen for the next four years, ultimately for the betterment of the country. But it won't be pretty, or painless.

In the meantime, keep your heads down, and look out for each other. It's going to be ugly.