Now that we’re (finally) in the end stretch of the presidential election, all different species of barstool theories are getting tossed around about what could possible influence the outcome. How will Obama’s debate belly-flop nudge the numbers? Can Romney escape the empty chair stagecraft? Will Paul Ryan’s chiseled abs turn off overweight voters?
Among the ideas bubbling up to the surface is this 10-ton elephant hulking in the corner again: Will people not vote for Obama because he’s black?
Harvard grad student Seth Stephens-Davidowitz decided to see if race does in fact play a role in political choices in certain states. The bad news is that it does, and that by the study’s metrics, Ohio is among the most racist states in the nation.
According to the New York Times piece penned by Stephens-Davidowitz, the research involved boils down to what people punch into Google in private. The author examined the use of racist language in online searches, then compared areas with a high frequency of this racist language with the 2004 and 2008 voting patterns. The author hypothesizes a guy or gal who floats racist jargon in the privacy of his or her computer room will allow similar prejudices to grab the steering wheel in the voting booth.
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2012.
didnt need a survey,could have just asked me.
I think white Ohians elected Obomba.
Yes, I do believe white Ohians elected obomba in 2008. So they were not racist then. Just maybe this time if he doesn’t get elected. 97% blacks voting for obomba not racist. LMFAO another trouble race baiting left wing lunatic causing racial problems. The real haters.
He probably found that Ohioans used the terms “Browns” , “Reds”, and “Indians” at higher than normal rates and therefore must be racist.
The author of this insulting trash should have his ass kicked for mocking the good people of Ohio by labeling them with”rascist”. This story is nothing more than a personal blog hoping to generate hits.
How does “Harvard” get mixed up in this? This jerk is a grad student, does he have the authority to represent Harvard? Kyle has suceeded in stirring the pot by posting this.
This is nothing but a hypothesis. In Northeast Ohio we have some of the most diverse ethnic groups and we all seem to get along. Next time do some hard core research. Besides Primary Data add secondary data to validate any claim you make
Let me see if I have this straight. An American Jewish graduate student (most likely a liberal socialist Democrat) who attends Harvard (a left-leaning liberal socialist university) proclaiming excessive racism. Go figure! And to echo the post by “wakeupcall”, what should we call the vast majority of African Americans who will vote for Obama every time simply because they are of the same race, no matter what kind of jobe he did? I know what I would call that.
“job”, not “jobe”. My bad.
another jerk trying to stir up trouble!!!
First of all President Obama is Half White also. How we forget that part is beyond me, but I think you should vote for who the hell you want to. There will always be Racist here in America and not just against blacks. But to tell the truth No of us are originally from here except for the American Indian. So do all the studies you want, you will always find what you are looking for if you look hard enough.
Im pretty sure Cleveland State is so diverse it makes other schools look like something from the 40s. I kno I went there. This is a theory, not fact either so I am OK with it.
Bond, I don’t see anyone on this thread disputing the belief that “you should vote for who the hell you want to” and that “none of us are originally from here except for the American Indian”. However, I would strongly suspect that the 97% of black voters casting their ballots for Obama aren’t doing so because he’s half white, and that the bigots who aren’t casting their ballots for him aren’t doing so because he’s still half white, so the fact that he is bi-racial still remains irrelevant when it comes to voting bias.
The study cites eastern Ohio. Not Cleveland, or Cinci, or Columbus…where diverse populations and (one would hope) more tolerance for those diverse populations exist. We’re talking areas like Muskingum Co., Guernsey Co., etc. For anyone who hasn’t been out that way, “racist” is probably one of the nicer words one could use as a descriptor.
I don’t need a graduate student or a Harvard study to tell me that nearly half of this state would prefer to time-warp back to the 1890’s. Talking to the people who live there does a far better job at making the point.
And the “white voters who elected Obama” didn’t come from that area, as anyone who can perform a Google search for an electoral map will clearly see. They were largely “white voters” from urban areas and college towns. You know…smart people.
I think it’s pretty amusing though, that some people actually showed up to passively DEFEND Ohio’s racism by incorrectly framing a false equivalency with the African American community’s support of an African American candidate. Shocking!
Perhaps Black voters voted for Obama because they felt a Black Democratic candidate from Chicago who worked as a community organizer would have more appreciation for the struggles of the Black community more so than some 80-year-old white guy from Arizona and some crazy b*%$! from Alaska??? Nah, that can’t be it. I’m sure 97% of them would have voted for Herman Cain hypothetically then, too, right? Because apparently African American voters are incapable of voting out of a deeper understanding of anything outside of just skin color…ufb.
Way to dispel that whole “racist” thing there, fellas…
“largely “white voters” from urban areas and college towns. You know…smart people.”
Wow, you seriously said that? You are such an idiot. Have you walked down a typical college town street lately, you bigot?
I did a 20 year study of studies done by white,liberal Harvard graduate students and my findings are……in every case they came up with useless, liberal studies.
I grew up in the Cleveland area and am still quite fond of the region, but truth be told I did see a lot of closet racism. I had hoped that this was something from the past, but my daughter now goes to a lovely small liberal arts college about 30 miles from Cleveland. She tells me that most of the students are lovely, but that she has also never heard the “n” word so much in her life. FYI – she grew up below the Mason-Dixon line.
She and I both agree that the state and especially the Cleveland area has much going for it, yet it would be wrong to pretend that the racist factor is not present. It must be acknowledged to be defeated.
Yea, smart people. He didn’t say better, richer, more righteous, etc. do you really want to debate whether college kids are smarter than the general population of the places he quoted? College kids are kids, after all, right?
Wow, so they even use the n-word at Oberlin, too? Who’d a thunk it?
Chuckles the Clown
First, I believe the spelling of the President’s name is Obama not Obomba. Also, Ohioans not Ohians. Unfortunately, racism and/or prejudice continues to dominate the conscious and subconscious minds of many, as these multitude of statements sadly backs up. If liberal means that you “care” about people having an equal opportunity to learn, live, and achieve in this world, then I see nothing wrong with the term. If conservative, means caring only about ‘capitalistic” and material gains for oneself or their specific group members at the highest expense of others. than I am not for that.
It seems some “conservatives” of the recent past had changed some of their views regarding groups and individuals prior to their “passing”, for example Governor George Wallace and Senator Spector. Maybe some of these individuals who continue to perpetuate these type of extreme “conservative” views can learn something about human life before their times up. As you should know money and excutive titles (at the expense of others) does not define you or maybe in your mind it does? That would be a sad commentary on that individual’s life, because when no matter what professional title (doctor, lawyer, etc.) an individual had in life, I would venture to say that they would be more remembered as what type of person they were and how they treated others…that’s what’s remembered, not buying buildings (hospital wings, etc.) with your millions to “plaster” your name around the city. Millions that were probably made at the expense of that so called 47%?
Sorry, I mispelled “executive” forgot the other “e”? 🙂
Again, I misspelled “mispelled”? 🙂 Live and learn, there are no “perfect” individuals…but there can be plenty more accepting individuals, no matter what your race or party affiliation may be!
FYI – I wasn’t referencing Oberlin. Ohio has many LACs. I suggest you get a map.
Cleveland is the most racist community I have ever lived in — and I have lived in Detroit and the Deep South.
Anyone who isn’t working to change this is a moral imbecile, IMO.
I accidentially hit “dislike” on Yeson2’s comment, and can’t correct my mistake. I am sorry — I was so rattled reading the bigoted remarks others had made, I was inattentive.
Head out 1/2 hour to Wellington and Wakeman…You’ll get to enjoy all the Clan activities out there!!!
Then there is the Hells Angles Cle headquarters just off E55…
Yeah this dude pretty much nailed it….
Hell I didn’t even mention Parma yet!!!!
Bond, even the so-called “native ” occupiers of the North American Continent were at one time “invaders”. The real estate currently occupied by the USA was invaded by the first “humans”. Most scientists speculate human settlement of the Americas was accomplished from Asia via travel along the Bering Straits and down along the canadian seaboard. Do you actually think native americans were here at the beginning of life on this planet? Even when Pangea was a single mass of land (before plate techtonics split it up into individual continents) there were no homonoids roaming the earth.
Oh, so eastern Ohio is racist? Hmmm, could it also be the heart of coal production and power generation use in Ohio? The same product that Obama wants to eliminate? Imagine a candidate touting elimination of a product you are associated with and/or employed by. Would you support that candidate knowing you could be soon standing in the unemployment line? Be honest and look at your family when you truthfully answer the question.
Oh yeah, Harvard? Well I did my own study, and I found out that Harvard is racist. So there, suck on that!
I have lived in Cleveland for the last 30 years of my life and I must admit, that at one time I was called a D P because I came from Germany and at the beginning did not speak English very well, but most of the people in Cleveland are the nicest people I have met in my life. Go 20 miles outside of Cleveland, that’s when you meet people, that are racist, but are cowards and never would admit it. Yes, there I said it, we have racists here, but so has every other city in the USA. For someone to write something about us and who has not lived here, he should first live here, before making an assumption, we are just like the rest of our country and not different in any way. I put in my vote early and I voted democratic all the way.
and here I thought Harvard was supposed to be smart.
I don’t believe that all whites are racist but I do believe that Ohio is racist Blacks as well as Whites, this State is so seperated its sad.
When it comes to the N-Word a lot of Whites use the word towards each other so it really don’t bother me anymore because in these days & times WE as a whole needs to come together for all of our youth, I’m a Black Man & it really don’t matter if your’e Black or White I get along with all but if your’e ignorant I stay away no matter what race you are.
as an african american alumna of 2 ‘diverse’ area colleges, I will say…diversity doesn’t mean that a place is not racist. I’ve experienced much more hidden racism here in Cleveland than I ever have in my many visits down south, where it’s more blatant. I wish people would stop using the ‘diversity’ clause when discussing racism…it doesn’t eliminate or infer the absence of it.
Black, White, Red, Yellow etc..
An asshole is an asshole and color makes no difference as all shit is brown, blood is red and everyone has their own opinion.
My family is in ohio for the moment, in a small town called Coshocton. I hold my breath when I’m in a room of all whites cause It’s usually only a matter of time before the moment when the ignorant talk about nonwhites starts up. Though I’m mixed, but I can pass for white, so I always get to hear what a large part of whites here really think about “others”. It never crosses their mind that I might have pretty much ALL of those others in my bloodline. Not only are some of my blood relatives white, black, and Native American/Caribbean, but I am also a first generation, American born, on one side of my family. Anyway, to make a long story short, there is a deeply ingrained racism in this area of Ohio and a large amount of these people suck! I can’t wait till we move
According to my parents back in the 60s and 70s blacks couldn’t go in certain neighborhoods in Cleveland Ohio and in Montgomery Alabama but after Dr Martin Luther King Jr death in 1968..Blacks started moving into these certain predominantly white neighborhoods in Cleveland Ohio and Montgomery Ohio because the housing markets became affordable to blacks as well and whites started moving out of these neighborhoods..so yes Racism is still alive today..I was raised in Cleveland Ohio and if I move out into the suburb like Strongsville Ohio those whites wouldn’t like that..but poor whites live on the Eastside of Cleveland.. Now the white folks consider the Eastside of Cleveland the ghetto but they didn’t call it the ghetto when they were living on the Eastside of Cleveland..
Oh please y’all know ur racist so just stop the bull shit. Ive lived her my whole life and from policing to adminstrative opportunities racism is aluve and well. On the jobs lve been threatened by white men and women lve been sexually harassed by white men and been told by a black man that if this was during slavery l would have to succumb to the unwanted advances. Ohio is racist sexist and lessins opportunities for blacks at every turn. As a black woman in this county u are constantly harassed and insulted by both black and white men.
Now when uaddress tge harassement or maltreatment properly u are LABLED and called other than ur given name. Yes OHIO u are RACIST!