\nBy Robin Shulman
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — The idea of an African American president doesn’t sit well with John and Marlene Roberts, who were eating a breakfast of eggs and hashbrowns at Denny’s the morning after Sen. Barack Obama’s victory. <\/p>\n“I guess you could call us prejudiced,” said Marlene, 62, a retired collection agency worker wearing a diamond-studded cross around her neck. <\/p>\n
“I don’t believe a black person should be president,” continued Marlene, as she took a forkful of eggs over-easy. “I hope he does wonderful things. But I don’t like it.” \u2026<\/p>\n
This is a traditionally Democratic town, with a Democratic mayor. Yet Sen. John McCain poured resources into this largely white, working-class county and others like it in northeastern Pennsylvania, perhaps noting the fierce opposition to Obama among some of its residents.<\/p>\n
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Few people acknowledge racial prejudice as nakedly as the Roberts. But when asked how they feel about an African American president, some answer like Matt Sobieski, 23, a security guard, who shrugged, “Nothing you can do. He’s already elected.” <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
In Pa., Pockets of Doubt About an Obama Presidency | 44 | washingtonpost.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Think Progress \u00bb Novak: 3 Million Vote Margin = Mandate For Bush; 7 Million For Obama = No Mandate<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAs of now, Obama\u2019s popular vote margin stands at 7,401,289<\/a> \u2014 more than twice Bush\u2019s 2004 vote margin \u2014 and Obama has netted 63 more electoral votes than Bush in 2004. In his column, Novak dismissed the Democratic Senate gains this year, even though they have netted five seats for a total of 56<\/a>, with three more seats potentially up for grabs. By contrast, the conservatives\u2019 so-called 2004 \u201cmandate\u201d netted only four new seats for a total of 55.<\/p>\n
Said Novak, \u201c[Obama] may have opened the door to enactment of the long-deferred liberal agenda, <\/strong>but he neither received a broad mandate from the public nor the needed large congressional majorities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
[Said Novak four years ago:]<\/p>\n
\nQ: Bob Novak, is 51 percent of the vote really a mandate? <\/p>\n
NOVAK: Of course it is. It\u2019s a 3.5 million vote margin. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Think Progress \u00bb Novak: 3 Million Vote Margin = Mandate For Bush; 7 Million For Obama = No Mandate<\/a><\/p>\n
Red and Blue America | NewMexiKen<\/a><\/p>\n
\nBlue indicates counties that voted more Democratic than in 2004. Red indicates counties that voted more Republican than in 2004. The darker the color, the greater the change.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Red and Blue America | NewMexiKen<\/a><\/p>\n
Looks like Obama has twice the political capital that Duhbya claimed in 2004. It also looks like the upcoming generation of Republican rule that Duhbya credited to the architect of victory (Rove) will be a generation wandering the wilderness, cursing Duhbya. (A long trek may be the best way to lose the hate-filled loonies.) peace, mjh<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
While the Republicans engage in soul-searching, they may want to consider what to do about the bigots, idiots, and nut-jobs that cling to the GOP. It might also be time to shove a sock in the mouths of the ever-angry hate-jockeys on talk radio. In Pa., Pockets of Doubt About an Obama Presidency | 44 … Continue reading Shake the Nuts Out of the GOP Tree<\/span>