Comments on Letters from Texas: Why Obama, and hope, will win

Anonymous (again, courageously):What I did, which ...

2008-07-23T10:11:26.044-05:00

Anonymous (again, courageously):

What I did, which you mischaracterize, is refute your earlier claim that Ms. Jackson achieved her election win without significant support from White voters. It’s the claim you made, and it’s the claim I disproved. I start from no specific premise, except that what she achieved in that election had never before been achieved by an African-American woman before, nor has it since, and described my theories as to the various components of that achievement.

I regret that you now change tracks and, now that your earlier claim is refuted, you choose to fight on another front entirely, one which arguably conflicts with your first thesis.

Amazingly, you also now say, “I am really sick of the generally accepted notion that any black achievement in a predominately white society happens only because racism has been chipped away….”

Your statement is beyond amazing – American history is absolutely full of achievements by African-Americans, made possible only after pre-existing racism, and the accompanying racist laws designed to prevent African-American achievement, had been chipped away, leaving African-Americans with greater opportunity to achieve. So on your latest point, we fundamentally disagree, so I doubt I’ll further engage you in this discussion.

This site is designed for people to either have fun, or share constructive thoughts. Please ensure your future comments are in one of those categories.

Now you have crossed into territory that should be...

2008-07-22T21:13:00.971-05:00

Now you have crossed into territory that should be downright offensive to most white folks. You imply that because Mae Jackson received more than 20% of the vote in some white precincts, it is evidence that racial barriers were torn down by her candidacy. If you start with the premise that all white people are racists or intolerant of blacks, that 20% would have indeed been a monumental achievement. But clearly, the vast majority of whites are not racists. Even in Waco.

With only 6,000+ votes cast, that election in Waco was won with a classic grassroots campaign. Jackson had that with her base (African-Americans), her long-time connections through her activism with the Democratic Party, and by the very candidate that she was. It appears she ran a smart campaign. Plain and simple.

You really made the best argument on why that election was not at all about race. The fact that hardly anyone turned out to vote means that people didn't really care if Mae Jackson was black, white, brown or yellow. I am really sick of the generally accepted notion that any black achievement in a predominately white society happens only because racism has been chipped away, implying that racism is the root cause of all problems in the black community. That perpetual racism crutch is getting old.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe that racism is still around (and white's don't have a monopoly on racism), that racism is an issue to deal with and it sometimes holds people down. But maybe, just maybe, there are times when blacks achieve because they are worthy, they work hard, they are smart or they are just in the right place at the right time. Like Mae Jackson. That should be her legacy.

Anonymous 9:04 pm -Thank you for your points. Howe...

2008-07-22T09:58:35.743-05:00

Anonymous 9:04 pm -

Thank you for your points. However, as is the case in many parts of Texas, Waco is a fairly segregated community, so when you put the precinct-by-precinct returns for that election together with the census data on race, the pattern becomes apparent.

Mae received significant support everywhere, all over town. Clearly she ran over her 4 opponents in areas with high African-American voting age population. But even in areas in which there is little significant African-American population, she was more than holding her own, garnering 20+ percent in precincts with less than 2 percent African-American voting age population. As for being a Democrat, not only are municipal elections non-partisan, but I doubt that in a 5 person race she was the only Democrat running. As for not garnering a majority of the vote, it's extremely rare for a candidate to do so in a 5 person race. Waco doesn't require a run-off election, so we will never know for sure what would have happened, but in looking at the precinct-by-precinct returns, it's clear to me that she would have held her own just fine.

There is no doubt that African-American voters elected Mae Jackson. But it is equally clear that White voters participated on her behalf, significantly. Which was my point.

That said, your thesis brought up an additional supporting point I had not previously thought of. There is no doubt that it was a low turnout election, which is interesting since there were 5 candidates. But voters who choose not to cast a ballot are making a point with their non-participation too. Usually that point is that they don't care - that no matter the outcome, they'll be fine. When the majority of Waco voters are White, and there is a prominent African-American woman running, and the lion's share of those voters choose to not weigh in, that strongly suggests that a large percentage of Anglo voters were not the slightest bit bothered by the strong possibility of an African-American woman mayor. That itself is worth noting.

Since this piece will probably be used in the futu...

2008-07-21T21:04:47.819-05:00

Since this piece will probably be used in the future to establish Ms. Jackson's legacy, a bit of perspective is needed. I never met Ms. Jackson, but it sounds like she was a very fine person. But her election shouldn't have surprised anyone...especially those who pay attention to politics. Ms. Jackson won her historic election with a winning percentage LESS than Rick Perry achieved in 2006 (39%). As a long-time Democratic activist, it shouldn't be surprising that she won some white votes in a city with more than its fair share of Democrats. With nearly one-fourth of the Waco population of African-American decent, and with less than a 11% voter turn-out, Ms. Jackson's victory is far from being a surprise. Cook, you are right about one thing, it would have been hard to find a white person who voted for her. Less than 2% of the white's in Waco did. The math really does tell the story.

well said compadre

2008-07-21T14:39:32.122-05:00

well said compadre

Mae was my mentor, my friend, and when she was pre...

2008-07-21T14:09:37.536-05:00

Mae was my mentor, my friend, and when she was president of Texas Democratic Women, my boss. Rarely a day goes by that I don't miss her. Probably always will.

Thanks for recognizing what she accomplished. She was a remarkable woman.

Jesse - thanks. I think. Well ok, I have no clue w...

2008-07-18T15:25:37.417-05:00

Jesse - thanks. I think. Well ok, I have no clue what you mean. ;-)

Amen, my man. Amen.Harold, You are a Dude!You're t...

2008-07-18T15:15:10.277-05:00

Amen, my man. Amen.

Harold, You are a Dude!

You're the man, but not The Man if you know what I mean.

Both laughter and tears are needed to drown out th...

2008-07-18T06:15:41.291-05:00

Both laughter and tears are needed to drown out the fear in this world and keep us in the light. Like I said over at BOR, thanks for the reminder, amigo.

Inspirational. I was sure glad to see this over on...

2008-07-17T18:26:23.291-05:00

Inspirational. I was sure glad to see this over on BOR. Amen and thanks for telling the story.

Ms. Barefield, I'm honored to have you weigh in on...

2008-07-17T08:42:22.267-05:00

Ms. Barefield, I'm honored to have you weigh in on this. Thank you for sharing your mother with us. She has many fans.

I am very glad that my mother's legacy still lives...

2008-07-16T18:42:27.006-05:00

I am very glad that my mother's legacy still lives on. Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. Well said!

You are a rock star. Very few people can make us l...

2008-07-16T15:18:48.031-05:00

You are a rock star. Very few people can make us laugh til we cry and inspire us to tears. You do both. Thanks, Harold.

This post defines change you can believe in.

2008-07-16T13:31:27.669-05:00

This post defines change you can believe in.

"By the time we said goodbye to Mae in that tall-s...

2008-07-16T11:50:34.939-05:00

"By the time we said goodbye to Mae in that tall-steeple church, you didn't have to be a young African-American woman to cry the same tears of inspiration Jessica cried yesterday."

Or that this middle-aged white woman cried today. Damn you. I'm at the office. THERE'S NO CRYING AT THE OFFICE!

Go back to being funny, will you?

/Amen.

AMEN.

2008-07-16T11:47:24.754-05:00

AMEN.

nicely said.

2008-07-16T11:24:17.270-05:00

nicely said.