On Barack Obama's blackness

Barack Obama is apparently running for president and he has decided to play the race card early in the game. On his interview which will be broadcast on CBS tonight on 60 MINUTES, Steve Kroft asks Obama if growing up in a white household has caused him to make a decision to be black. And if the question wasn't stupid enough, Obama answers:

I'm not sure I decided it. I think... if you look African American in this society, you're treated as an African-American...


Ironically, while proudly playing the race/victim card, Obama fails to explain how a black, oppressed and discriminated-against man like himself got to be elected to the U.S. Senate, how he gets to give late-night interviews on CBS, has the privilege to run for the office of the President of the United States of America, and is not far from literally having bras being thrown at him every time he goes out into a crowd of Democrat women in heat

As far as I am concerned, the media treatment of Obama has passed the hysterical line and is now into fantasy land. Maybe Colbert was not far off after all when he came out against the end of blackness. :) Obama may be onto something with this blackness business - if having a black father and a white mother allows one to pick which color skin he has, man...who cares if he has any qualifications to solve important issues our country will face, such as terrorism, economic problems and foreign relations?

Nah...chameleon-like attributes are much more impressive!

Technorati Tags:


11 Feb, 2007 | Virgil
« Prev item - Next Item »

Comments


by Ed Burley - 11 Feb, 2007 - 16:28:27
A couple of thoughts on the election in general.

1) no Senator has ever been ELECTED President.

2) when a white Democrat runs as a moderate in this country, he/she can get votes from those "independent" voters out there. But when a Black Democrat runs, he will have some stuff to overcome. Blacks have been too long portrayed in the media as total left-wingers, and I don't think that will play well with the Independents.

It's scary to think about but Hillary probably has a better chance of winning than "Al" Obama, but if I had to choose between those two (and thank God I don't), I'd pick Obama over Hillary any day.

I'd love to see Michael Steele step up to the plate for 2008. He may not have won in liberal Maryland, but as a right of center moderate, Steele stands a good chance with those independent voters (especially if the Dems raise taxes, increase spending, etc. over the next two years).

We need a black person in the White House, if for no other reason than to put an end to the nonsense about race in this country. Steele/Rice ticket is sounding better all the time.

ed

by Ariah Fine - 11 Feb, 2007 - 18:20:34
I'm not exactly sure where you stand on this. Are you saying Obama is choosing his race? Are you saying that much of the world would perceive him as white if he said he was white?

Sorry, I need a little clarification before getting into this one

by Virgil - 11 Feb, 2007 - 18:36:57
Ariah, I am just seeing him as being no different than any other politician: using anything he finds convenient to get votes. If "being white" would benefit him, he would say he was white, but "being black" gets him a minority status and the attention of the media. That is why Colbert's reporting was so brilliant...it's spot on!

by Ariah Fine - 11 Feb, 2007 - 23:10:37
Virgil,

I have to go out on a limb and say your off on the possibility that he would say he was white. Not only his quote, but any race study you do would show that it's pretty much unanimous that he is considered black. I'm not seeing that as a way to "get votes"

by Virgil - 12 Feb, 2007 - 22:30:42
Ariah - I understand what you are saying, but I do not trust the guy...or anyone else so far who has decided to run.

Also, of course, SNL had to put in their 2 cents on Obama's blackness:



by Terry - 14 Feb, 2007 - 06:26:29
Wasn't JFK elected president from his position as senator?

by Virgil - 14 Feb, 2007 - 10:26:41
Terry, yes I think he served both in the House and in the Senate. In the Senate from 1953 to 1960.

by plymouthrock - 15 Feb, 2007 - 13:21:06
Ed Burley:

Just a note about senators turning president:

To date, fifteen senators have gone onto serve in the nation's highest elected office, the presidency. Two senators, Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy, moved directly from the U.S. Senate to the White House.
James Monroe
Senator, 1790-1794
President, 1817-1825
John Quincy Adams
Senator, 1803-1808
President, 1825-1829

Andrew Jackson
Senator, 1797-1798; 1823-1825
President, 1829-1837

Martin Van Buren
Senator, 1821-1828
President, 1837-1841

William Henry Harrison
Senator, 1825-1828
President, 1841

John Tyler
Senator, 1827-1836
President, 1841-1845

Franklin Pierce
Senator, 1837-1842
President, 1853-1857

James Buchanan
Senator, 1834-1845
President, 1857-1861

Andrew Johnson
Senator, 1857-1862; 1875
President, 1865-1869

Benjamin Harrison
Senator, 1881-1887
President, 1889-1893

Warren G. Harding
Senator, 1915-1921
President, 1921-1923

Harry S. Truman
Senator, 1935-1945
President, 1945-1953

John F. Kennedy
Senator, 1953-1960
President, 1961-1963

Lyndon B. Johnson
Senator, 1949-1961
President, 1963-1969

Richard M. Nixon
Senator, 1950-1953
President, 1969-1974

by Ed Burley - 15 Feb, 2007 - 19:23:05
I stand corrected. I'll have to go back and check where I got that bad info.

sorry guys.

ed

by Ed Burley - 15 Feb, 2007 - 19:28:21
Oh, that video was hilarious.

ed

by PreteristAD70 - 18 Feb, 2007 - 01:28:06
How is it that Harry S Truman was a Senator at the same time he was Vice-President???

by Ed Burley - 18 Feb, 2007 - 15:16:52
Well after further study, I now understand some of the misunderstanding. Mr. Plymouthrock's list would seem to indicate that I am totally off my rocker, but I would offer in my defense this short statement.

My comment was incorrect, but with some qualification. Only 2 SITTING Senators have ever been elected PRESIDENT. Everyone of the aforementioned Senators that went on to the Presidency were out of the Senate at the time of their election except 2: Kennedy and Harding.

Truman's dates above, as noted by Mike, were misstated. Truman was elected VICE-President in 1945. Later became President upon Roosevelt's death, and went on to being elected President as an already sitting President.

An interesting factoid about our 2 Senators that went directly into the Presidency is that they both died while only about 2 years into their Presidency.

Harding did serve as Lt. Gov. of Ohio, an executive position, but Kennedy did not serve in any executive position.

So, the real point of my previous post was that men with little or no executive experience don't normally get elected President, especially lately. Since Kennedy, we have had these Presidents and where they came from:

Johnson - VP
Nixon - VP
Carter - Gov
Reagan - Gov
Bush 41 - VP
Clinton - Gov
Bush 43 - Gov

Obama has no other political experience other than in the Senate. This would indeed be a first in that regard. He has been neither Governor, Lt. Governor, State legislator, or US Congressman. IOW, he has no credentials (neither indeed has Ms. Clinton).

So, while my initial comment was less than accurate, I now submit a more accurate depiction of the political scene.

If recent history holds, Mr. Romney may stand the best chance of all the current crop of candidates to win the Presidency.

ed

by Ed Burley - 18 Feb, 2007 - 15:19:37
Oops, forgot Gerald Ford (may he rest in peace) in my list. He was, of course, never elected but became President after serving as VP.

ed

by plymouthrock - 20 Feb, 2007 - 18:13:25
Ed,

You are my friend and I was not adding the post to indicate that you were off your rocker, I was only adding it to augment what had already been written.

by Jl - 20 Feb, 2007 - 19:29:19
On Obama and choosing blackness. My daughters are usually assumed to be Mexican by Mexicans, Middle Eastern by Middle Easterners, and 3 of the 4 have always been assumed to be white by any whites who've commented.

Contrary to Obama's "experience," here in Southern California, anyone in a similar situation can choose their own race. Since each race has it's perks, being mixed-race has numerous advantages.

by Barry - 22 Feb, 2007 - 10:34:31
JL said,
"each race has it's perks, being mixed-race has numerous advantages."
Interesting observation. It "can" be true for cultural reasons IMHO.

My mother and father are white, one from French Canada and my Mom from England. War brides.
My wife is from Guadeloupe. She is about 5 to 7 percent black, something like 20 percent or so Carib Indian (they were cannibals so this is good opportunity to tease her a little) and the rest white from France.

I would describe Guadeloupe as in part a little racist in culture but very very colorist in their culture. Somewhat typical for a racially mixed Island.
"Chabin"
"Metisser"
And other terms.
It is truly fascinating how different cultures distinguish between themselves according to color and race.

BTW I saw a picture of your lovely wife in a link you put up a few weeks ago. How did you get so lucky bro? :)

Barry

Leave comment

(comments are moderated and will need to be approved)
:

Permitted HTML: <a>, <i>, <b>, <u>, <strike>, <blockquote>
Line breaks will be added automatically.

:
:




© 2008 unfinishedchristianity.com | Designed by DesignsByDarren
Ported to Nucleus CMS: Suvoroff