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Analyst: Race to play big part in presidential race

BY Josh Kerns  on August 20, 2012 @ 11:01 am (Updated: 6:46 am - 8/21/12 )

cedargrove
Political analyst Carl Jeffers predicts race will play a much bigger role in the 2012 presidential campaign (AP image).

A noted political analyst says race will play a much bigger part in the 2012 presidential campaign than previous years.

Carl Jeffers tells Ross and Burbank the dynamic has changed dramatically since President Obama's first campaign.

"The reality is four years ago, if you were someone who really was uncomfortable about electing him as president because of his race, you learned quickly to keep that to yourself," Jeffers says.

According to Jeffers, the nation's economic condition is sparking more overt racial tension that will bubble up in the campaign. He says the media are not as shy about including race in the political conversation.

"You're going to have ads that are going to come out, you're going to have comments made by legislators. It'll manifest itself both against African Americans and Hispanics," Jeffers says.

He says in addition to economic concerns, with so many states up for grabs, both sides will aggressively fight to capture every possible vote.

"This time around, states that Obama won four years ago are absolutely in question," says Jeffers.

Among those in play, according to Jeffers, are North Carolina, Florida, Virginia and even Wisconsin, home state of GOP VP pick Paul Ryan. He says Obama can't rely on the African American vote to carry him to re-election.

The African American vote's not going to make much difference because most of the African American vote's are in states where the Democrats have a fairly good lock or the Republicans have a fairly good lock.

Jeffers says the Hispanic vote is also critical in the campaign, especially in New Mexico and Colorado.

"If you insult Hispanics by making them feel like you're attacking them or singling them out, that is a big problem."

While the presidential race seems nastier in tone already, Jeffers argues the gloves have yet to come off and things should start to get much more heated after Labor Day.

Josh Kerns/MyNorthwest.com

Josh Kerns, MyNorthwest.com Reporter
Josh Kerns is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle Sounds (Saturday nights 7-8) and a digital content producer for MyNorthwest.com.
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Comments (65)


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  • SeattleD wrote...
    That explains
    August 20, 2012 11:24 am
    the Repub bumperstickers "Don't re-nig 2012" and "Put the white back in Whitehouse -Romney/Ryan 2012"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Is THAT your day job, D ???
    August 20, 2012 1:22 pm
    thinking up catchy slogans for the KKK ?

    OR, it seems, writing Biden speaches.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Doggone it, D; if you want to post examples of race based opposition to Obama please stick to the facts...
    August 21, 2012 7:05 am
    It would be absolutely wrong to say that *all* Republicans, all conservatives, all liberals, all Democrats, all Tea Partiers think or feel the same way (although this comment string is already filled with remarks from people assigning specific behaviors to everybody in certain groups- all the while denying they could ever be prejudiced)...

    There is no shortage or examples of race-based opposition to Obama. Much of that was evident during the very first months of his term, long before even the harshest critic could legitimately claim a "failure" for the Obama presidency. Why make up bogus bumper stickers, when you can link to the Tea Party protest signs at some of their huge rallies? Obama was portrayed as a witch doctor with a bone through his nose, one sign read something like "white people are now the n****rs in the US", etc. The messages were so blatantly racist that even the majority of Tea Partiers disavowed them [they claimed that "liberals infiltrated our rally and brought those offensive signs." Sure, that was it.]

    Closer to home, at the 2008 Monroe Fair, several fair goers complained to fair management that the local Republicans were passing out race-based campaign items. Turned out they were handing out "Obama Bucks", with Obama in racist caricature flanked by images of watermelon, fried chicken, and other stereotypical elements.To the credit of the Washington State Republican Party, they asked the Snohomish County Republicans to cease and desist....but the "race card" had already been played.

    It's incorrect to say that all of the opposition to Obama is based on his race. It's equally incorrect to say that none of the people opposing Obama are racially motivated. And the same might be true for Romney as well. I'll bet there are people who would never vote for a white guy if there were a black guy to vote for instead. Goes both ways.

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Chuck, the 'Occupy Wall Street' contrantly is desparaging Jews
    August 21, 2012 7:18 am
    - as well as at least ONE of our bloggers here who is constantly bating Medved - as to how rich and controlling they are.

    I would no more ascribe anti-Semitism to the Left than racism to the Right. ... But there ARE vocal elements in both groups. .. And although a little hatred may seem harmless. we all should fear hate taken to its extreme.

    That said, NEITHER side should be playing a race card. We are all of the HUMAN race.

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    ron p
    August 21, 2012 10:24 am
    I read the comments addressed to Medved and have never seen the posts that you describe about the rich and controlling they are.However I have posted several times that Medved is a TOOL of the Israeli Lobby (AIPAC) but that is apparent to any reader of Medved.I fear your a believer that any post that does not support Israel is a anti semetic remark or disparaging to Jews
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    No, messiah, not you. (unless you used Mr. Carleone as a name for a time).
    August 21, 2012 11:02 am
    Truly an anti-Semetic gem. .. But I do see others from time to time. The fact we may 'report as abuse' does tend to remove the worst comments - eventually.

    BTW, I'm not much of a supported if Israel. I personally think we need a more even handed approach instead if simply letting Israel dictate out policy in that part of the world.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    BTW - that about one of our local bloggers was only a side observation.
    August 21, 2012 12:47 pm
    The big picture is that the Occupy group has an abnormally large number of ant-Semites.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    so what is that number again?...Obama owns like 96% of the African-American vote?
    August 21, 2012 7:22 am
    that's statistically pretty close to saying that one group does all think the same...less the 4% who understand they are being played for fools. Apparently race does play the determining factor for at least one group of people.

    So Chuck is absolutely wrong once again. He brings up examples that are the exception and ignores the ugly, racist norms. How conveeeenient.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Seattle is a cesspool wrote...
    Chuck...
    August 21, 2012 9:10 am
    Before reading it, I could tell there were too many words not to be the vehicle of an oddly specific agenda...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Cesspool: Yeah, my comment was highly biased, especially that part that read
    August 21, 2012 12:34 pm
    "It's incorrect to say that all of the opposition to Obama is based on his race. It's equally incorrect to say that none of the people opposing Obama are racially motivated. And the same might be true for Romney as well. I'll bet there are people who would never vote for a white guy if there were a black guy to vote for instead. Goes both ways."

    What blatant bias. Not following the Limbaugh line at all, am I? How could the specific agenda be any more painfully apparent?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Owebama's race is moot.
    August 20, 2012 11:39 am
    Of course to the racists in the Dimocratic Party it is everything. To any sane voter it's his entire belief system and political agenda that are the real issue.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    08-20-2012 Analyst: Race to play a...
    August 20, 2012 12:50 pm
    With the ineradicable racialist bigotry of the American left, our first poster lays it out to all the knuckle dragging neandertholic bla bla bla.... The duality of nature on display. Way to be loving, compassionate and caring... ya lying hypocrite jerkwad.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    And everyone said Ulsterman was crazy
    August 20, 2012 1:41 pm
    Everything seems to be going as planned at Obama2012 HQ...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    That Jeffers....he one big bag of gas, ain't he?
    August 20, 2012 2:34 pm
    He gots the Montezuma's revenge of the mouth...one of the worst cases I've seen. Maybe he shouldn't be insulting Hispanics by suggesting they would make the same mistake twice.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    As a analyst for nothing I'm predicting
    August 20, 2012 3:35 pm
    Anyone that feels victimized will vote for the "D" folks, and anyone that disagrees will vote for the "R" folks......who would have guessed.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GloScot wrote...
    Four years of nonsense
    August 20, 2012 3:46 pm
    After being told for four years by various media outlets and personalities that the reason I and other conservatives don't like this president is because he's black or the reason we want enforcement of immigration laws is because I hate Latinos pretty much has steeled me for Jeffers-style election season drivel.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zagnut wrote...
    Obama's primary qualification was the color of his skin, yet Jeffers thinks race will be a bigger issue THIS time?
    August 21, 2012 5:57 am
    Pathetic analysis.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Pat_riot wrote...
    Well duh...
    August 21, 2012 6:04 am
    With the race-baiter in the whitehouse, along with his entire party for that matter, how could it not be a big part of the campaigns.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    While the presidential race seems nastier in tone already, Jeffers argues the gloves have yet to come off and things should start to get much more heated after Labor Day.
    August 21, 2012 6:25 am
    Really?! What more can the liberals call Romney?! They've already called him a felon, a tax cheat, an animal abuser, a murderer and just plain strange. It's ironic to note that the left complains about the nasty tone...that they are using. Hypocrites!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Oh, give the left a lot more than that.
    August 21, 2012 6:37 am
    Just get Joe Biden and Harry Reid together over a couple of fifths and they can think up a whole bunch of new slurs.

    Maybe even a few that no one ever thought were wrong - until now?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • messiah101 wrote...
    Gee Rational
    August 21, 2012 10:26 am
    The Dems are simply playing catch up after all the Right starting calling Obama names and making insinuations even before he was sworn in as POTUS
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    messiah101
    August 21, 2012 3:59 pm
    You have never had the leadership of the GOP making the accusations and insinuations about Obama that the dems have had about Romney. For example, the birther group, which was started by the Clinton campgaign, btw, has never been more than a fringe group...and I tend to give them a little slack given that Obama himself claimed for 16 years that he was born in Kenya. So either Obama was lying then, or he's lying now...I tend to believe he was lying then...either way he's a congenital liar.
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