Sherri Shepherd Suggests West Virginians are Racist

May 15th, 2008 10:24 AM

On the May 14 edition of "The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd revealed her family once lived in West Virginia, but not in singing "take me home." Apparently West Virginians are racist. Why? Because Barack Obama lost of course. The noted historian and geographer added she knows "why [her family] moved" and "overwhelming white" West Virginia "voted for Clinton."

Shepherd also implied Clinton voters who say they will vote for McCain if Obama is the nominee are motivated by race. Sherri Shepherd previously chided Elisabeth Hasselbeck for raising concerns about those who vote for Obama because of his race. On the April 24 edition, Shepherd proclaimed that she is "a black woman" and "so proud of [Obama]."

Elisabeth Hasselbeck then jumped in and asked "is it always because of racism or because of politics too?" Whoopi Goldberg opined "it’s hard to tell."

Always reliably partisan Joy Behar jumped in to bash West Virginians. Apparently those ignorant red necks care more about a stupid lapel pin the Barack Obama’s "brilliance." Yes, those backwoods hicks care more about one’s patriotism than lofty rhetoric.

"You know, in the way he, he misunderstood a little bit, I think the country because he came out and he didn’t wear the flag pin right away. And he thought that his brilliance, which is quite apparent, would carry him. And now he understands that there are images and there are symbols and things that people in places like West Virginia need to see in order to feel secure."

One theory that was not brought up as to why Obama got trounced in West Virginia maybe due to his condescending comments about Middle America at a San Francisco fund raiser. No, West Virginians are just racist, ignorant hicks.

 

The entire transcript is below.

SHERRI SHEPHERD: I was just thinking about the whole West Virginia thing because my family is from Whipple, West Virginia. Now I know why they moved. Maybe they should have stayed, so they could vote. But yeah, they’re from Whipple. It just made me think about that. Yeah because in West Virginia it was overwhelmingly white that voted for Clinton and, you know, Barack lost there.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Do you think that, do you think that, that’s real or do you think that, that like they’ve done over this last season of campaigning they were like, "well you know, all of the blacks are going to be voting for Obama because we, he’s black."

SHEPHERD: I think it’s really interesting because we, we had a discussion where you were concerned that black people were voting for Barack just because he was black.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Because people were saying-

SHEPHERD: There are white people going "I’m not going to be voting for this man because he’s black as a matter of fact." And they’ve used the racial slurs and they’re saying "I’m voting for Hillary because she’s white and if he does win, I’m going over to McCain."

GOLDBERG: He’s white.

SHEPHERD: So it is something that is, that is very real.

GOLDBERG: That’s why I’m saying-

HASSELBECK: Is it always because of racism, or is it because of politics too?

GOLDBERG: It’s hard to tell.

SHEPHERD: Yes.

HASSELBECK: Because McCain is, is so centrist in a lot of his ways. You know, it may, it may there may be a case to be made for the fact that it has to do with politics and not always about race.

JOY BEHAR: No one ever says "I’m a racist." Very few people actually say that.

GOLDBERG: No, only the media says this group is a racist, and this group is a racist, you know. But it’s, it’s kind of an interesting thing. Well, let me ask you this then. Campaigners for Obama, especially the younger set, you know the 20 year olds, are really shocked at the racism that they’ve been encountering according to "The Washington Post" because people were saying stuff like "I’d never vote for a black person" and even "hang that darkey from a tree" one little girl was told. And they are appalled, you know.

SHEPHERD: Rory, Rory Kennedy who is the granddaughter of one of the Kennedys.

BEHAR: Robert Kennedy.

SHEPHERD: Robert Kennedy, somebody told her, you know, "whites look out for whites and blacks look out for blacks," so- daughter of Kennedy I’m sorry. But, like I don’t want to sound like I’m blaming it on race. It is- it makes a lot of people think "it’s there" and is that one of the issues?

GOLDBERG: It’s been pounded in. I mean, since we’ve been together on this show, I know since we’ve been together on this show and the campaign has been on, we heard that first it was, as I said yesterday, you know, "black people aren’t going to vote for Obama because he’s not black enough." And then they said "only white people are going to vote for Obama." Then, suddenly, five or six black people showed up at the polls and they were like "black people are backing Obama!"

[laughter and applause]

BEHAR: Well he is, he is half white. The guy is half white.

GOLDBERG: He’s a real American, isn’t he?

BEHAR: In this country, if you’re just, just a little bit black, you’re black.

GOLDBERG: Yeah.

SHEPHERD: But, you know, the thing about Barack, which is so great, and we were talking about this, is he has not made that an issue. He hasn’t wanted to make an issue out of the fact that they’re have been these racial slurs, and people have been, you know, throwing a rock through the window of a certain, you know certain cities, and I think him wanting to, you know, go over that is really, I admire him for that.

BEHAR: You know, in the way he, he misunderstood a little bit, I think the country because he came out and he didn’t wear the flag pin right away. And he thought that his brilliance, which is quite apparent, would carry him. And now he understands that there are images and there are symbols and things that people in places like West Virginia need to see in order to feel secure.

HASSELBECK: Or, or not see-

BEHAR: And he’s wearing the flag pin, which is saying to people "look, it’s okay with me. I’m alright with this."