Nora Ephron asks: Do Pennsylvanians hate blacks or women more?

Nora Ephron has posted a rather blunt political column over on Huffington Post that pretty well sums up Tuesday's important Pennsylvania primary.

"This is an election," she writes, "about whether the people of Pennsylvania hate blacks more than they hate women. And when I say people, I don't mean people, I mean white men."

Can't lay it out much straighter than that.

Of course, there are economic issues also at play in Tuesday's balloting there. Pennsylvania has been hit hard by tectonic economic shifts that have roiled the Rust Belt for a couple of decades now.

Many communities and their members are still reeling and have yet to find an economic alternative. Hence, in part the blame heaped...

on the North American Free Trade Agreement, that Sen. Hillary Clinton mined so successfully in her big Ohio primary win.

The state has three basic regions -- urban Philadelphia with its large African American population, urban Pittsburgh with its not so large African American population and, in between, a vast middle that produces mind-numbing hours of interstate driving full of small towns full of so-called Reagan Democrats who cling -- some say bitterly -- to their conservative Democratic values.

Ephron argues sharply: "The outcome of Tuesday's primary will depend on whether they go for Hillary or Obama, and the outcome of the general election will depend on whether enough of them vote for McCain. A lot of them will: white men cannot be relied on, as all of us know who have spent a lifetime dating them. And McCain is a compelling candidate, particularly because of the Torture Thing."

She says Pennsylvania and the other upcoming late primary in Indiana on May 6 will demonstrate who should get the Democratic presidential nomination.

"These last primaries will show which of the two Democratic candidates is better at overcoming the bias of a vast chunk of the population that has never in its history had to vote for anyone but a candidate who could have been their father or their brother or their son," Ephron writes.

Forgetting the gender part, her statement is reminiscent of some controversial remarks made back in February on a Pittsburgh radio show by Pennsylvania governor and staunch Clinton backer, Ed Rendell. He, by the way, got elected by beating an African American Republican, Lynn Swann, the former football star.

Rendell said: ""You've got conservative whites here. And I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African American candidate."

At the time we said, if they weren't feeling that way before, it seems like they just got permission from the white governor to feel that way now. Tomorrow, we'll see how many were listening to him -- and now Nora.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Nash]

Unfortunately I hate all 3 candidates. Does that make me an asian or latino transgender? Or am I just a Ron Paul supporter? Somebody please classify me!

[sweeetback]

If I was 'bitter' about my economic situation, I would vote for the candidate who best understood the economy and would make my life better regardless of race and gender...

[Clare]

Oh, don't say it, don't say it!! I love Nora Ephron's screen writing but her comment that tomorrow's primary is about who white men hate less is just plain STUPID.

[Whit]

Republican Michael Steele, a black man, got 25% of the black vote. He received 55% of the white male vote.

Senate race in Ohio

[Abby Somebody]

so the question is, will the white men of pennsylvania wake up from their bigoted sleep in time to vote in their best interests? how long will they vote for the white male who sells them down the allegheny? McCain certainly does not have their best interests at heart. he is essentially an older and perhaps a bit wiser, GWB. his master is ultimately the very people who created the pennsylvania rust belt. will they fall for the GOP-created bigoted hysteria again?

if people continue to vote for those with whom they feel they can share a beer with, or with whom they share an ethnicity and gender, instead of those who will do best by them, then the rusting will continue apace.

[knowitalls]

I am so sick of everyone tell us how WE think.

[Jack Lilyspade]

I'll you who this white man hates, Nora Ephron, for writing such a piece of bile. Why not ask who they like more, black men or white women?! How hard would it have been to take a more positive approach. She thinks the negative is funny? That's how white men now get in trouble every day for telling what they've always told, their "harmless" jokes. What a bitch.

[Berkeley Guy]

Obama's a guy everyone can hate because of his arrogance and incompetence.

The way he froze up in the debate was priceless.

Obama's afraid of Hillary Clinton, Debates, Democracy, being with his teleprompter, and the dark.

He's the candidate of the pacifier crowd.

[Berleley Guy]

People aren't against Obama because he's Black, they're against him because he's full of hot air and totally incompetent.

He's a weird mirror image of Bush. He's far-leftt rather than far-right, but he's still an arrogant incompetent empty suit.

After the way he performed in the debates, he should have just dropped out.

[Ted]

Who knew that Nora Ephron was so gross and angry. Making assumptions about people because the color of the skin, their gender or where they live. Ew! Didn;t you see Crash, Nora?

[Donald Sachs]

I am one of Nora's Pennsylvania white males. I live in a suburb of Philadelphia which used to be solidly Republican, but not any more. I prefer Hillary, and I plan to vote for her tomorrow because I think she would be a better president, but I do not hate Barak, or any other African American. I would vote for him if Hillary does not get the nomination. The whole process of boiling the election down to race or ethnicity or gender is getting me slightly whacky.

[ladycascadia]

I suppose Nora Ephron also thinks that the black women of Pennsylvania have to decide which part of themselves they hate most? HUMPH! Did she consider the possibility that for some voters regardless of gender or race this is not election of hate but of deciding whom they feel represents them most?

[Sonny James]

Before you post your comment....remember

You see people....not as they are...but as you are.

Too late, eh?

[sarah alderdice]

Something to get bitter about?
That Nora Ephron is making money/fame with stupid shallow observations designed to sow bad feelings and general nastiness.
Maybe it will come back to bite her appropriately.

[JudyGee]

A lot of people have turned idiot. It's very strange, very baffling how they've become part of Bizarro World. Nora Ephron writes funny dialogue. When it comes to her thinking, I guess that's about it.

[the light of truth]

Nora is telling the truth and you guys have just been played by the Clintons . . . once again. She (Hillary) played to your greatest fear, A black man as the president of the United States. Hillary is a liar and if she becomes president, will continue to lie and cheat. I, like Nora, is only speaking the truth. Remember, the truth will set you free!

[tioedong]

It is not so much racism as that the union Democrats love Bill Clinton. Central PA is full of Republicans...only the coal mine districts and Harrisburg are Democrats. But Obama's megaphones in the media don't know a Polish coalminer from a Mennonite farmer or a Republican businessman.

The real racism is that the black voters of Philadelphia voted en mass for Obama. If the black voters went even 70-30 between Clinton and Obama, she'd be the obvious winner.

[George]

"Conservative Whites" being code for WHITE RACISTS with Klan pamphlets stuck in the Bible.

What the HELL does that mean, "their not ready for a Black President".

This man is an American FIRST and FOREMOST! My GOD how many centuries do we have to embarass ourselves in the world with our BACKWARD, IGNORANT, small minded, DARK AGES mentality.

It is enough to make you want to move.

[The light of truth]

Why so angry? The Black voters of Philadelphia, voted for truth and change and a refreshing new face that can unite a fallen country . . . Hillary is just another white man with the same old ideas covered with lies and self serving agendas. But this time he's in drag. Yeah, that's right . . . dressed in a skirt and wearing heels and just as evil. She let you know that she is a lier and will do anything to be president . . . and yet, you still will vote for her. What does that say about you as a person? We as people, sometimes, we stumble upon the truth and get up and move on like it never happened. The truth is Hillary is no good for this country as president. Let's move towards change . . . let Barack Obama in.. You will be a doing yourself and this country a great service. Step into the light. LOL!

[dave]

ok... nora's bi-sexist racist bitter bile paraded as nonchalant sarcastic witticism is perfectly understandable, as she relates her reason - the frustrations of countless dates; but her logic is flawed in so many ways. now really, if you say people, you better mean people (and that means women and men, boys and girls; whatever they look like, wherever they come from); for the sake of normal communication (and to show some respect for all that hard historic toil for emancipation, too). and while she concludes that all 'white men' must be unreliable since all her dates somehow left her dissatisfied, the vast majority of people might suspect such a reliable pattern to have reasons that are not entirely beyond herself. so if she could just make that leap from fault-finding to truthful analysis, she might yet find some help or satisfactory assistance. whether that would involve 'white men', or 'black women' - or not. in pennsylvania, transylvania or ny-where she likes or loves. though it would not be all too surprising if she might only be feigning fawny ignorance, and really have some phony agenda. but why not shake off the dust, and just admire an impressively beautiful mountain range in the sunrise, or something...

[Frank from Maryland]

Seems like being a white guy these days is about as acceptable as being a wife-beater or a child molesterer. It sickens me to think that so many people believe my opinions are based solely on race or gender - without them even kwowing me. Let's see - making a pre-determined judgement about me based entirely on my race and gender...sure seems like racism and sexism to me.

But wait! I'm a white male - therefore I'm evil - and therefore I'm open to be treated the very way you do NOT want me treating other people.

I love this country...

[Parlay]

you have a right to passionately speak your mind...personally your opinion is just that....and putting that aside....You have my vote...you are a brilliant writer!