Murtha: Western Pa. 'racist' but Obama should win

By KIMBERLY HEFLING

Associated Press

October 16, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday his home base of western Pennsylvania is racist and that could reduce Barack Obama's victory margin in the state by 4 percentage points.

The 17-term Democratic congressman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a story posted Wednesday on its Web site: "There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area."

Murtha said it has taken time for many Pennsylvania voters to come around to embracing a black presidential candidate, but that Obama should still win the state, though not in a runaway.

In a separate interview posted Wednesday on the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Web site, Murtha said Obama has a problem with voters' racial attitudes in western Pennsylvania that could trim his winning margin on Nov. 4.

The working-class region is a key battleground in Pennsylvania. The area is struggling economically, and has a high percentage of veterans and elderly voters. Murtha's district outside Pittsburgh encompasses Johnstown and many small towns once dominated by steel and coal.

Murtha, who backed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the state's April primary, told the Post-Gazette that the older population has been "more hesitant" to support Obama. But he said that over the past three months, groups he deals with regularly such as veterans and senior citizens, have decided to back Obama.

Murtha said Republican John McCain has been stymied because of the economy. He said voters have also been turned off by the attacks on Obama's character.

"I think Obama is going to win, but I don't think it's going to be a runaway," Murtha said. "I think he wins Pennsylvania."

He told the Tribune-Review, however, that he sees no enthusiasm for either candidate in his district.

"The public is confused, they're despondent, they're unhappy. They want to see a change and I think the change is whatever the individual might believe it is," he said.

The most recent Quinnipiac University poll showed Obama with a double-digit lead after surveys a few weeks ago indicated the race was close. Quinnipiac pollster Clay Richards has said growing support among working-class voters in the state were behind the change.

Murtha said he asks voters to look beyond Obama's skin color and "listen to what he's saying."

Earlier this year, Murtha, who is 76, told a union audience that McCain, who is 72, was too old to be president.

In February, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell -- another Clinton backer -- told the editorial board of the Post-Gazette that some whites in his state were likely to vote against Obama in the primary because of his race. Clinton went on to easily win the primary in Pennsylvania.

"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," Rendell said.

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Say what? Western Pennsylvania is racist? Now, Representative Murtha, you're talking about my family. I was born in Washington, PA, and lived the first five years of my life in Clinton. I have aunts and uncles and cousins who populate Western Pennsylvania from NE of Pittsburgh (Butler, Evans City, Callery, and even Mars) to South and West of Pittsburgh (Imperial, Oakdale, and Canonsburg).

My parents lived all over the area during their their life there and my mother in even more parts of Western Pennsylvania as she was growing up. Mom, my brother, and I were born there. Dad married into it and moved there after he and Mom married. Dad worked at the Greater Pittsburgh airport for fourteen years where he worked with a man named Willie Murtha. Dad always spoke highly of Mr. Murtha and, when hearing news stories of Representative Murtha, I've often wondered if Mr. Murtha and Representative Murtha were related.

This part of Pennsylvania is like most other areas: full of diverse personalities. But one thing you have to understand about the people of Western Pennsylvania is that it wasn't that many generations ago that their ancestors came to this country and brought their own biases and prejudices with them. They held on to their ethnicities and traditions; it's only been a generation or so ago that they began looking outside their own ethnic gene pool at other people. Yes, there may be some racists; some who have not grown or evolved through living life. Many had never seen a black person before and we do tend to fear that which we do not know. It's hoped that each succeeding generation makes more progress.

But, perhaps you didn't really mean to call them racists, in the sense that most people think when they hear the word "racist". Perhaps you meant racist in the sense of their ethnicity and that they tend to clan together. You did go on to note that they tended to be old and slow. Yeah, that's much better. Well, maybe you meant that the demographic does tend to be older. As in the Great State of Florida, my home for many years now, the demographic is older. Being older, people are slower to accept the changes that come when society advances. Perhaps you are speaking from your own life experiences?

I see this as a failure to properly communicate; perhaps a wrong choice of words. I have found that perception is everything. You may mean one thing when you say "racist", but since we share different life experiences, I could think something else altogether. I consider myself to be pretty average demographically, and if I think of the negative aspect of racism, I would guess that a lot of people will think along the same lines. 

I think, sir, that you are showing your own age and biases when you ask voters to look beyond skin color and listen to what he's saying. When you mention skin color, you are bringing race into the mix, not ethnicity. And for the record, I have listened to him and it's not his skin color that worries me.

I guess that not only are we bitter and cling to our guns and religion, we are also racists, or maybe just old and slow. I'm so glad that Representative Murtha and Senator Obama define us so well. I feel like I've learned something about myself and my family. 

And, Representative? People generally elect people who are like them. Don't you represent this area? If they are racists, what does that make you? 

My guess is unemployed.