CNN's Rick Sanchez is absolutely incredulous over the fact that there might be some black people out there who don't support Barack Obama. In an incredible double standard, Sanchez on his League of First Time Voters show has trouble believing that a black person could not be supporting Obama yet you will never hear him express shock that a white person could decide to vote for Obama. Sanchez asks one of the men if there is "any source of pride" that would cause them to vote for Obama. Of course you would never hear Sanchez ask the same thing of a white voter whether his pride would make him want to vote for John McCain. Sanchez also brings up the point as to whether the men he interviews are considered "sellouts." Watch the video and you can see that Sanchez seems to treat these men as if they were some sort of bizarre oddballs for not wanting to vote for Obama. Here is the transcript (emphasis mine):
RICK SANCHEZ: I talked a little while about what is a contrarian viewpoint and this one certainly is. This is my LOFTV as we call it where I go around talking to different people in the League Of First Time Voters. What are people saying and thinking about as we approach this historic election? Here are three men who tell me they are not going to vote for the person who most people think that would normally vote for. Take a listen...
RUFUS MONTGOMERY: I want to take a look at race and set it aside and stick to who's best prepared to lead.
SANCHEZ: You think John McCain is better prepared to lead our country than Barack Obama?
MONTGOMERY: I know he's prepared to lead.
SANCHEZ: Isn't there any source of pride within you that says, "I may be against this guy, I may like the other guy but he makes me proud?" No?
MICHAEL McNEELY: Oh absolutely. We're proud of Barack Obama. There are millions of children that look at him as a black man and say "Wow, I can become a nominee to a major party. There's a potential to become president of the United States." Yes, we celebrate that. But see...
SANCHEZ: But you would say to those children, "Don't vote for him."
McNEELY: Yes, I would. Based on principle. Absolutely. Principles matter. Lower taxes, strong national defense, traditional marriage, free market solutions. Those types of things. That's what we believe in the Republican party.
SANCHEZ: Austin, you agree?
AUSTIN KING: I agree very much so. We are very of Barack even though he's done a lot of good and everything but you still have to look at if from the principal aspect, you want to go with the best candidate. McCain's proven, he's been in a leadership position before. I feel that Barack would be a good candidate but I feel at times he talks a lot and I don't think everything he talks he necessarily does. I feel he's just like a motivational speaker sometimes. I really think that being a Republican is the way to go.
SANCHEZ: Is there anything that you guys feel at times from your friends or your family that make you feel pressure almost like, and I hate to use the word, but you know it's been used before so I'll give it to you, sellout to your own race?
MONTGOMERY: Hey, it comes up. We're a very conservative family but when it comes to the issues I start with questions that tend to bring silence like "If Democrats are for the poor, why are people still poor?" And you can hear the silence in the room. Who will best serve as leader of this country? Do you want a steady hand in times of crises and need or do you want to go with the unknown. With McCain you may disagree with him but you know where he stands. I'm not so sure you have that from the other side.
KING: There's going to be a lot of acid that comes with it but you have to take it and you have to know where you stand. It doesn't really hurt. I almost got the feeling that to get my own opinion on politics just because Obama's black and a lot of people voted for him. I feel that's not right.
McNEELY: My friends and family and I, we've had debates, we've had conversations but there's never been any disrespect. And I found in my experience with family, friends, co-workers. I found that most people I've run into that are black they are conservative but...
SANCHEZ: They just don't know it?
McNEELY: They just don't know it yet and it just doesn't translate to Republican votes but we're going to work on it.
Yes, Rick, there are black people out there who don't support Obama. So don't act so shocked the next time you encounter them.
