This man needs to learn the first rule about being in a hole. Stop digging.

So, they're gonna vote for Huckabee?

Rendell, shut your pie hole. You're not going to be on Hillary's staff when she's not going to be elected.

/PA guy

Rendell simply said what most people don't want to admit. There are intolerant people among us all, and they will vote on the basis of their intolerance. There are no value judgements in his statements - just a sad statement of fact.

Yeah, we're really proud of our Fast Eddie up here. Of course, the state legislature isn't much better. It only took them two years to go from "We'll spend the slots revenue on property tax relief for all." to "We'll spend the slots revenue on property tax relief for low-income seniors."

Rendell's earlier comment about race suggested "conservatives" might have a problem with a black president

he says it like it isn't true, plenty of the whitetrash breed of "conservative" hates dem n*ggers...

I read his comments and found nothing wrong with them. In fact, they reflect statements that many have said.

ftfa: 'Look I have nothing against Senator Clinton women but I don't want to see a woman Senator Clinton ... in charge of the United States military as commander in chief.'

fixed that for him

Diogenes: There are intolerant people among us all, and they will vote on the basis of their intolerance. There are no value judgements in his statements

I'm pretty sure that's a textbook "value judgment".

He might not have a silver tongue, but he's not lying. There are plenty of racist and sexist people, I imagine at least some of them vote.

Didn't he just run against a black guy for Governor? Hell, his opponent even had a "girl" name.

Did he even vote for himself?

Headso: he says it like it isn't true, plenty of the whitetrash breed of "conservative" hates dem n*ggers...


...said the racist liberal asshole.

AiryAnne: Didn't he just run against a black guy for Governor? Hell, his opponent even had a "girl" name.

Did he even vote for himself?

Great point. Do you suppose he's be proud to admit that he was voted into office by a bunch of racists?

Diogenes,

There are intolerant people among us all, and they will vote on the basis of their intolerance. There are no value judgements in his statements

You are correct. The people who would vote for Obama just because he is black, or vote for Clinton just because she is a woman are no better than the people who wouldn't vote for them for the same reasons.

Headso: he says it like it isn't true, plenty of the whitetrash breed of "conservative" hates dem n*ggers...

Good thing leftists aren't so predisposed to promoting stereotypes and making prejudicial generalizations.

Diogenes,

Except about the value judgements. There definitely were some of those.

GoldSpider: Diogenes: There are intolerant people among us all, and they will vote on the basis of their intolerance. There are no value judgements in his statements

I'm pretty sure that's a textbook "value judgment".

I meant value judgements in terms of race and gender. Besides, if someone would base their vote on gender or race biases, that is by definition intolerant. It is what it is.

Personally, I feel the same way about people who would vote for either them simply because of race or gender.

GoldSpider: Great point. Do you suppose he's be proud to admit that he was voted into office by a bunch of racists?

Ever been to rural Pennsylvania? They have more confederate flags flying than North Carolina.

Running a-puck: This man needs to learn the first rule about being in a hole. Stop digging.

i could care less about fast eddie and moreso politics in general...but he was thrown into that hole. it's a non-issue, and merely being exploited for political capital.

i'm going to guess there are at least some voters who allow their personal prejudices, rather than informed understanding of the issues, to determine for whom they'll vote.

palladiate: Ever been to rural Pennsylvania? They have more confederate flags flying than North Carolina.

I grew up in rural Pennsylvania; trust me I know the terrain :)

looks like some "conservatives" have their panties in a bunch over the party they keep, sorry guys...

Bartleby the Scrivener: ...but he was thrown into that hole.

By whom?

Acknowledging a factual circumanstance and contributing to it are two different things.

AiryAnne

He addressed the issue in relationship to himself by noting that Lynn Swann should have been able to run a much closer election. Rendell contributed part of the lopsided victory 21% pts, to the racist vote.

I don't know or care enough about Rendell to really care one way or another, but as plenty of other people who have a familiarity with rural PA have noted, there are a number of racist rednecks who inhabit the state. I've seen my share of small town Pennsylvania (and hell Philly for that matter) and Rendell said nothing that contradicted what I have seen with my own eyes.

Have we now reached the poing that when someone points out that there are a lot of racists, rednecks, and idiots of all persuasions out there and they vote, that somehow that makes you supportive of same?

GoldSpider: palladiate: Ever been to rural Pennsylvania? They have more confederate flags flying than North Carolina.

I grew up in rural Pennsylvania; trust me I know the terrain :)

I live in rural Pennsylvania, and I can attest to this. I refer to this area as "Bible-belt north".

A lot of tolerant and cultured Democrats had a chance to elect a black man Governor in 2006.

Pavia_Resistance: I live in rural Pennsylvania, and I can attest to this. I refer to this area as "Bible-belt north".

We call it "Pennsyltuckey" here around Harrisburg.

"Senator Clinton has the same handicap," said Rendell, who has endorsed the former first lady. "There are some men who have said, 'Look I have nothing against Senator Clinton but I don't want to see a woman ... in charge of the United States military as commander in chief.'"

The biggest problem I have with this is the pseudo-anonimity Rendell places on it. You know what, if you (meaning Rendell) don't think a woman should be Commander in Chief than have the sack to say so openly and attribute that to yourself.

Further, my personal criticisms of HillBill aren't that she could not do the job - we've had worse in our history - it's that she is overtly obsessed with money, power, and taking care of her own people. I also think that she is paranoid, infinitely egocentrical, and not very intelligent. The fact that she's a woman has very little to do with it.

GoldSpider: Headso: he says it like it isn't true, plenty of the whitetrash breed of "conservative" hates dem n*ggers...

Good thing leftists aren't so predisposed to promoting stereotypes and making prejudicial generalizations.


Srsly.

Anyhow, I think it's time we put to bed the stupid "America is a racist country" stupidity. Obama is wildly popular among those supposedly racist white people, you know...

The whole notion that people would answer that they'd vote for a black president for a poll, but - because they are supposedly all harboring secret racism they're ashamed of - then vote against him..... yeah that shiat is drying up and blowing away in the wind as we speak with each new state Obama wins with increasing margins.

I'm not saying NOBODY in America is racist... I'm just saying that it's too few to matter much anymore. Racism has long since ceased to be a deciding factor in politics, and is massively exaggerated by partisan asshats for political purposes.

GoldSpider: Pavia_Resistance: I live in rural Pennsylvania, and I can attest to this. I refer to this area as "Bible-belt north".

We call it "Pennsyltuckey" here around Harrisburg.

I use that term frequently as well. It is fun explaining that term to people unfamiliar with it.

The man said there are bigots in his state that favor white males and that could be a potential handicap to the dem candidates.

Can anyone say otherwise abut their state?

I'm in PA and I can say that i will not be voting for either of them.

I went to a game at Heinz field once. Some drunk asshole started yelling at me and my girlfriend (serious, angry, threatening yelling).

He called my girlfriend the N word. Now, this shocked me for two reasons.
1) The fact that someone would say that in public... and no one would even look twice. Seriously. As someone who lives in Baltimore, that man would not have left the stadium with all of his bones intact. No one even seemed to care. And that's when I really realized that there were maybe 50 to 100 black people as spectators for the game.

2) She's nearly Jim Gaffigan pale.

Farkin A: I'm in PA and I can say that i will not be voting for either of them.

So which are you, a racist or sexist? Or does that make you both? Perhaps you need to submit yourself to the Governor's office for re-education.

mongbiohazard: Obama is wildly popular among those supposedly racist white people, you know...

He's wildly popular with republicans? wha?

mongbiohazard: GoldSpider: Headso: he says it like it isn't true, plenty of the whitetrash breed of "conservative" hates dem n*ggers...

Good thing leftists aren't so predisposed to promoting stereotypes and making prejudicial generalizations.


Srsly.

Anyhow, I think it's time we put to bed the stupid "America is a racist country" stupidity. Obama is wildly popular among those supposedly racist white people, you know...

The whole notion that people would answer that they'd vote for a black president for a poll, but - because they are supposedly all harboring secret racism they're ashamed of - then vote against him..... yeah that shiat is drying up and blowing away in the wind as we speak with each new state Obama wins with increasing margins.

I'm not saying NOBODY in America is racist... I'm just saying that it's too few to matter much anymore. Racism has long since ceased to be a deciding factor in politics, and is massively exaggerated by partisan asshats for political purposes.


THIS.
/from PA
//gobama

Pavia_Resistance: GoldSpider: palladiate: Ever been to rural Pennsylvania? They have more confederate flags flying than North Carolina.

I grew up in rural Pennsylvania; trust me I know the terrain :)

I live in rural Pennsylvania, and I can attest to this. I refer to this area as "Bible-belt north".

Something I've noticed. In much of the south, there's probably more overt racism than in, say, PA. But, in terms of low-key racism, New England and the west win, hands down. I've known more racists from Massachusetts than any other state, with Pensylvannia coming a close second.. Hurtful racists too. I think it may be because they never grew up around any minority groups.

palladiate: Hurtful racists too. I think it may be because they never grew up around any minority groups.

That could be part of it. It could be some bad confontations with minorities as well. I don't consider myself a racist, but I couldn't help but observe that the folks who mugged me in Philadelphia of an Eagles ticket weren't white.

GoldSpider: Pavia_Resistance: I live in rural Pennsylvania, and I can attest to this. I refer to this area as "Bible-belt north".

We call it "Pennsyltuckey" here around Harrisburg.

I'm out in Carlisle. Harrisburg is nothing compared to out here. Wearing camouflage is considered stylish. The Amish are nice, though.

GoldSpider

Yeah i guess i'm racist and sexist and i didnt even know it. Of course i'm also registered Republican and couldnt vote for them this time anyway.

palladiate: Something I've noticed. In much of the south, there's probably more overt racism than in, say, PA. But, in terms of low-key racism, New England and the west win, hands down. I've known more racists from Massachusetts than any other state, with Pensylvannia coming a close second.. Hurtful racists too. I think it may be because they never grew up around any minority groups.

Yeah, but the northern racists usually live in pretty similarly redneck areas. Like upstate NY, and the middle of PA. They mostly inhabit all the same stereotypes as southern hicks, they're pretty indistinguishable other than their accents.

It's funny to watch Rendell implode. Living in Philly I always had a fairly positive opinion of the guy as something of a maverick and willing to fight for Philly's interests in a state that seems pretty hostile to the city on the whole (see: Septa's perpetual funding crisis, finally resolved).

But can you imagine Philly's reaction if PA is in play this primary and he's still talking up Hillary? He wins the state on the strength of his popularity in Philly, nothing more - and his popularity in Philly is about to go the way of Bill Clinton's in SC...

=

Yeah it's the democrats who keep bringing up race as an issue starting with the chief democrat Mr. Clinton.

But, we promise it's only republicans who are racists. (Don't look at the election results of most of the dem primaries.)

I was raised to accept people on their merits, not on the color of their skin. I wish more people would raise their kids this way as well.

I'd vote for Obama over Hillary in a heartbeat. I may even vote for him over McCain. It will be a tough choice.

It's going to come down to substance, and how much McCain has changed since 2000(which is a lot).

I'm enjoying the thought of actually having the chance to choose between two people I think could both do a good job.

Obama vs McCain 2008!!!

Ed Rendell is an embarrassing turd

Being from Central PA, I'm getting a kick out of these replies...

Rendell simply said what most people don't want to admit. There are intolerant people among us all, and they will vote on the basis of their intolerance. There are no value judgements in his statements - just a sad statement of fact.

Some people vote on single issues -- the 2nd amendment, abortion, etc. I'd even be willing to say that MOST voters in the US are narrow-minded and naive. Picking off these two issues (gender, race) in a state that voted for both him and the Dems last go-round seems kind of silly. Guess Eddie isn't up for re-election so he feels safe making stupid statements.

He kind of does have a point about racism. Apart from the big cities PA is bumblefark, in between Philadelphia and Pittsburg its basically Arkansas (or insert southern state here). We have the third biggest KKK population or something? no?

meat0918:
I was raised to accept people on their merits, not on the color of their skin.


I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. - Martin Luther Kings Jr.

I hope one day to live in a United States where this dream is true.

Republicans see heathens everywhere and Democrats see racists everywhere.