Liberal GOTV Urban Legend

By Fester:

I'm going to call bullshit on a story that is starting to float around on the liberal blogosphere about the experience of some Obama canvasser:

First from 538:

So a canvasser goes to a woman's door in Washington, Pennsylvania. Knocks. Woman answers. Knocker asks who she's planning to vote for. She isn't sure, has to ask her husband who she's voting for. Husband is off in another room watching some game. Canvasser hears him yell back, "We're votin' for the n***er!"

Woman turns back to canvasser, and says brightly and matter of factly: "We're voting for the n***er."

Okay, as a canvasser in 2006, I heard all kinds of crazy shit from voters.  My favorite was from the parents of an indicted Republican state representative who said they were going to vote for the Democrats because Repuoblican Senator Rick Santorum, Congresswoman Melissa Hart (then R-PA-4), and Denny Hastert were out to get their son.  So bizarre things are said. 

However I saw this over at Americablog:

An anecdote from one of our regular commenters:

A friend was telling me about calling people in Northern Fla. to ask how they're voting.

ne woman had to ask her husband (first tipoff, ask her husband?)... the response was "We're voting for the ni***r"

That kinda says something about the repugnican ticket. These people still refer to Obama as 'the ni***r', but they're going to vote for him anyway.

Structurally these are the same stories.  An anonymous or a friend of a friend canvasser goes into the 'sticks' and talks to the wife.  The wife asks her husband for whom they are voting for, and it is the surprise answer.  This is a standard inversion of the Archie Bunker frame.  Unless there are names, dates and verifiable facts, I think this is an isomorphic story and an urban legend. 

Comments

[Earl]

Well, it's better than what I hear from the local idiots with that word and "ain't votin'" in several combinations...

[Obloodyhell]

> That kinda says something about the repugnican ticket. These people still refer to Obama as 'the ni***r', but they're going to vote for him anyway.

Uh, explain that, please?

They're using the "N" word, so... they're AUTOMATICALLY Republicans even though they're voting for Obama?

No, "liberals" and "Democrats" would NEVER use the "N" word like that. No. Just not possible.

Wasn't someone whining about how so many North Floridians, despite being registered as Democrats were voting for Bush in 2004?

And frankly, the only white, college-educated person I know of who has used the "N" word in my presence is a self-described "yellow dog Democrat".

I know what happened in 1948. I know what happened at the 1964 Democratic NC. I've seen the Doonesbury and Oliphant cartoons, etc. I know how John Kerry's campaign staff had NO prominent blacks on it until he was called on that (And I know how Obama's female staffers make 85 cents compared to the males's dollar, as a side note)

I know who the racist and sexist thugs are... and it's not the guys on the right side of the political spectrum.