As someone who is committed to the eradication of racism and white supremacy, one question that has been gnawing at me constantly is this: how can we, as Obama supporters, convince bigots (and even die-hard racists) that voting for Obama is the right thing to do.
Some of you, for example, may have seen this humorous article from Andy Borowitz:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Well, I do have an idea, and I'd like to know what you all think.
We know that older, working-class whites favored Hillary during the primaries, and that they are now generally favoring McCain. I do not want to say that this is because they are bigoted, but let's be honest: for many of them, Obama's race and alleged religion (jihadist and/or black supremacist) are problems.
When we encounter these folks, whether at work or while volunteering for the campaign, I think that the argument has to be something like this: "Okay, that is what you think, and I definitely, whole-heartedly disagree. But let me ask you this: Do you have kids? Grandkids? Who - Obama or McCain - is going to make things better for them, because this election and your vote cannot just be about you. Who is going to lower taxes for them? Who is going to help them get healthcare? Who is going to protect them from our enemies abroad with an intelligent foreign policy? The answer is: Obama. And so, while I recognize your discomfort with Obama, I must ask you to look at you children and grandchildren and to do the right thing. For them."
I believe that many bigots, deep down, know that Obama is the right person for the job. And if we cannot appeal to their sense of universal humanity, their sense of a possible Beloved Community, then we can at least appeal to their most immediate and important commitments: their kids and grandkids.