"Prejudice: a (1): preconceived judgment or opinion (2): an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge b: an instance of such judgment or opinion c: an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics" (Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary)
I think Hillary just slipped and said something honest in the USA interview about "her" white voters. What very few people are talking about honestly (except for Bill and Hillary in their (undoubtedly white) superdelegate conversations) is that there are certain areas of this country, more than others, and certain demographics in this country, more than others, where discrimination/prejudice is alive and well.
It is no accident that Bill has been campaigning in the hills of Appalachia. It is no surprise that Hillary is going to win big in Kentucky and West Virginia. There are just some people who are not going to vote for a black man for president. Call them whatever euphemism you like – working, white, middle-class, non-college-educated (which is actually very insulting to a lot of people who working, white, middle-class and non-college-educated who support Obama and/or who are not prejudiced to this extent), but a rose is still a rose by any other name.
I would imagine that this situation has already occurred to the Obama campaign (she said with tongue in cheek).
At the risk of stereotyping even more, and I apologize to anyone who is offended, Clinton’s coalition represents traditional democratic ways of thinking, as do her policies and her ways of campaigning, as would her administration if she were president. Obama has reached out to many non-traditional constituencies across the country and his coalition represents future democratic ways of thinking, evaluating problems, problem solving and campaigning, as would his administration if he were president.
Hillary’s argument that these so-called white voters won’t vote for Barack in the general is pretty weak soup. They would probably vote for McCain in any event. Being prejudiced against women is right up there with racial prejudice.
How sad if this is the only constituency that she has left.
Know hope.