by Cassandra George Sturges

Created on: September 13, 2008

Many people believe that if Senator Barack Obama lays out a more detailed economic plan, create negative, aggressive commercial ads that refute McCain's malicious lies; or develop a better strategy that resonates with working class white voters that he would be able to move several points ahead of Republican presidential nominee, John McCain in the 2008 presidential election. I believe that if Senator Barack Obama does all the above, balance the national budget and find a cure for cancer this election is going to remain a tight race. When I talk to poor white families who are struggling because their jobs have shipped overseas, laid-off from work, no health insurance; can barely make ends meet because of high food and gas prices; I am surprised when they tell that they are going to vote for John McCain.

When I read the op-ed sections in several newspapers many white people will flat out say, "I can not vote for Obama because he is black." This is not what they really mean. The psychological, unconscious reason why some poor, working class and middle class white Americans refuse to vote for Senator Obama is because they would much rather live in poverty, continue to exhaust our country's resources fighting wars than properly educating our children; not be able to afford health insurance, food, shelter, clothes or gas and eat dirt than give up their most prized, precious, possession that is worth more than all of the money in the worldwhite privilege.

Why would they want to give up the ideology of the white race as being superior and having the power to set the standard of beauty and intelligence; control the media that perpetuates stereotypes bias that denigrates other ethnic groups; and maintain institutionalized racism that gives the white psyche an unfair, exclusive educational and economic advantage in learning about themselves and excluding the accomplishments of other ethnic groups. Why would poor white Americans - who rich white Americans look down upon- give up their trump card that says that the white race is superior to all other ethnic groups?

When John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate, he wanted to appeal to the primitive, irrational, emotional brain of white voters. He wanted to capitalize off of the gender card that Hillary Clinton had successfully played in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, but he needed something else that Hillary had that was making it difficult for Obama to seal the deal. He needed a person with

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