Update II: Commenter and blogger Gayle Miller mentions actor and author Joseph C. Phillips, who I agree is better looking than Obama. 
I reviewed Phillips’s book, He Talk Like A White Boy, for National Review Online.
FrontPage interviews Phillips.
————————————————————–
I usually avoid blogging about black “golden boy” Democratic politicians like U.S. Senator Barack Obama because I know I’ll be accused of “player hating,” but I can’t let the hype parade pass without comment.
Barack Obama, the “He speaks so well!” up and coming U.S. senator, no doubt has a bright future ahead of him. But why, I’m trying to figure out, are we reading about his presidential aspirations a mere two years into his first term as senator?
I have a few ideas. First, Obama is “articulate.” No big deal, right? Well, for a black person, it seems to be. At least that’s how I perceive it. Back in 2004 when I was still working a day job at a heavily Democrat-voting organization, the word “articulate” was uttered frequently as white co-workers described Obama’s big speech at the Democratic convention. It wasn’t so much what he said, as I discovered when I read the text of his speech, but how he said it.
In “Barack Obama Goes To Boston,” I gave you my impressions of his speech. He’s a liberal who doesn’t like to be called a liberal. His speech contained nothing breathtaking, groundbreaking, or worth the hyperventilating hype that resulted from it.
As far as I could tell, Obama was just another infanticide-supporting liberal who white journalists — not black people, mind you — declared the “great black hope.”
Second, Obama now has a book to sell. With a fawning and easily infatuated leftist media, liberal authors don’t need to waste money paying publicists. Every major newspaper and magazine is a publicity machine, cranking out the kind of copy that would cost the author an arm and a leg if he/she had to pay someone to write it. I should be so lucky!
The man owns the current issue of TIME magazine. I mean, come on! He hasn’t done anything in the Senate to distinguish himself. He’s just…black.
Nobody’s sent me a review copy of Obama’s semi-autobiographical tome, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, but I know what’s in it. For instance, he’s the product of a white mother and a black father, and he grew up fatherless — like so many American blacks — after his father abandoned him and his mother. He’s done some things he’s ashamed of, like using cocaine. He cleaned up his life, obtained a law degree, went into politics, and — voilà ! —he’s currently the only black U.S. senator.
Curiously, Obama speaks praisefully of his absent black father, but I haven’t read or heard much about the white mother who raised him. [Note: His first book was about his Kenyan father. Is a book about his Kansas-born mother forthcoming?]
Anyway, I don’t know if his presidential aspirations are real or whether the media or his publicist invented it to sell his new book, but there’s no way a first-time senator two years into his term would get this much press if he were white.
Just my assessment, folks, based in part on life in general and personal experience. For instance, I’ve been called articulate, a word seldom used to describe white bloggers. And as loathe as I am to admit this, my blog’s success is owed in part to my race. I believe and write things most people wouldn’t expect me to believe and write.
If you didn’t know me and saw me walking down the street, you’d guess that I was a typical, Democrat-voting D.C. resident. But when I open my mouth, all previously conceived notions and expectations are thrown out the proverbial window. Being outspoken and atypical is a novelty that draws people in. Being a decent writer who expresses ideas in a way that defies stereotype keeps ‘em coming back.
So I’m not “hating” on Obama. Just as there are plenty of young white politicians more worthy of praise than he is, there are white bloggers more worthy of praise than I am. I try to keep things in perspective, blog from the heart, and provide a much-needed alternative to the liberal hype. If I can do that and still look at myself in the mirror without shame, it’s OK with me.
Update: A commenter writes: “The excerpt from his book in Time is all about his mother. She was a huge influence in his life and he was very close to her. There was basically nothing about his father in the excerpt or article. I also saw him in Oprah last week and I believe he talked about his mother there, but I did not hear anything about his father.”
Another commenter writes:
LaShawn, as usual, you make really good points. (I do have to disagree that you get more attention because you’re black; maybe, and no one can know for sure, but you do write a good blog that is substantive and I think it would garner the same attention even if no one knew your race.)
As far as Obama’s blackness and the “articulate” label, yes, I do think that people ARE surprised when a black person excels at speaking standard English and doesn’t sound like a fire-and-brimstone preacher. On the other hand, you know, many white candidates now are NOT articulate either. I feel like we have lost something in this generation when it comes to elocution, verbal style, and critical thinking ability or debate skills.
Obama blogging: Thanks, K-Lo!
The Webutante says: “Indeed, he voted no on reauthorizing the Patriot Act. His position on the war on terror is enough to make anyone cry. Obama has voted: No to private gun ownership. No to mandatory sentencing and the death penalty. No to prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. Says he would have voted no to authorize going to war in Iraq.”
Angela Winters, black moderate says: “[H]e is a junior senator, people. He’s two years old in political years because the local stuff in Illinois doesn’t even begin to compare to the juggernaut of D.C. It looks to me like the media has just decided to fall in love with him all over again and set him up for something he probably isn’t ready for just to watch him fall…” (Via Booker Rising)
LaShawn I must take exception to something that you wrote. Your writings are good not because you are a black female, they are good because you do an outstanding job of putting together content and cogent thoughts.
As for Barak Obama, I could run against him and run circles around him. The Democrats will do to him what they have done to other prominent black candidates. Like Carl McCall and Kwesi Mfume, they will not fund a black candidate. History proves that white liberals will not vote for a black liberal. This has been proven time and time again. I became aware of this in Chicago when Harold Washington ran and won. The vote was split along racial lines. At the time there were two white candidates that split the white vote and Washington got all the black vote and won. Liberals talk a good game about diversity but in the long and short run, they really have not done all that much for blacks. Not unless you include abortions, the welfare state, the amount of fatherless homes, oh and the terrible state of public education in America’s predominately black cities. As a side note I hope this was articulate enough since I am a black man writing this comment.
Comment by Warrior Nurse — 10.25.06 @ 8:11 am
My favorite nurse to the rescue! Thanks, WN.
Comment by La Shawn — 10.25.06 @ 8:14 am
You need to re-read the comment and not be so quick on the “Post It” trigger. I’m not questioning the man’s intelligence. I’m talking about the hype surrounding him, given his unremarkable and short two years in the U.S. Senate. Try again. This time, leave out the personal jibes. - Admin
Comment by vikram — 10.25.06 @ 8:24 am
LaShawn,
Great perspective — Good post!
I wrote a post on Obama, Dangerous Neophyte, in June.
It may be of interest to those who would “love” him for his faith.
Incidentally, one reader commented that my post was racist!
http://expreacherman.wordpress.com/2006/06/29/barak-obama-dangerous-neophyte/
ExP (Jack)
Comment by ExPreacherMan — 10.25.06 @ 8:32 am
LaShawn, I know it must be very condescending to hear people say, Wow, you are articulate/intelligent, meaning–without realizing it–that that must be unusual for a black person. How about if we say that you have a whole lot more good to say than the over-hyped Obama? That okay? Bless ya!
Comment by Hussain Rafiq Rabinowitz — 10.25.06 @ 8:32 am
LaShawn Barber breaks down the Obama for president hype in her latest posting. She dares to ask the question “is the hype about Obama because he’s a great candidate or because he’s black?”
Pingback by danan.blog — 10.25.06 @ 8:36 am
LaShawn I must take exception to something that you wrote. Your writings are good not because you are a black female, they are good because you do an outstanding job of putting together content and cogent thoughts.
I thought she wrote that she gets attention because of the topics she choses, her point of view, and she does so well. On her comment, she’s right. And she’s right about Obama. It’s the flip side of the same coin.
Comment by DarkStar — 10.25.06 @ 8:40 am
Oh, all that wrapped up in a Black package instead of a white package. I left that out and it is important.
Comment by DarkStar — 10.25.06 @ 8:41 am
LaShawn you wrote “Curiously, Obama speaks praisefully of his absent black father, but I haven’t read or heard much about the white mother who raised him.”
The excerpt from his book in Time is all about his mother. She was a huge influence in his life and he was very close to her. There was basically nothing about his father in the excerpt or article. I also saw him in Oprah last week and I believe he talked about his mother there, but I did not hear anything about his father.
Comment by Jesse — 10.25.06 @ 8:48 am
You know Obama won by default in my home state of Illinois. If I recall he was running against Bob Ryan and Mr. Ryan’s divorce proceedings were made public by the MSM. They were supposed to be sealed court documents. Well Mr. Ryan was a little freaky with his private life with his ex-wife. So he dropped out, leaving the Illinois GOP to get Alan Keyes to run against Obama. In the debates he cleaned Obama’s clock but Keyes is from Maryland and Illinois politics are a different animal. It never ceases to amaze me how the MSM will torpedo a conservative candidate that is winning in order to get their agenda fulfilled. That is how we ended up with Sen. Obama. I don’t think much of him. I am from the South Side of Chicago myself and most of the blacks voted for him based on his skin color. That same mindset applied when Carol Moseley Braun was elected too. Remember how she turned out. A liberal is a liberal just as a cobra is a cobra.
Comment by Warrior Nurse — 10.25.06 @ 8:57 am
“A liberal is a liberal just as a cobra is a cobra.”
Interesting statement.
Is that meant to mean that anyone who votes liberal have poisonous fangs and Jacobsons organs? Or that ‘liberals’ are all absolutely identical in their thinking and behaviour? Or that ‘liberals’ are evil like a snake?
Because where I come from, both ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ values have so many varying degrees from person to person, that it is as useless a construct as ‘race’. There is no pure ‘conservative’ or pure ‘liberal’, but there are a million million shades inbetween?
Comment by johnD — 10.25.06 @ 9:16 am
La Shawn:
Obama is the new Ned LaMont for the elite media and the far-Left primary wing of the Dems.
Obama would be the new Howard Dean of the primaries - getting rave reviews by Move On and Daily Kos, the NY Times, Al Franken Radio etc..
But in any serious election, White liberals would hesitate to vote for a Black man - especially one as far left as Obama.
Lack of experience would be a minor issue - George W Bush was a Governor, and annointed by the Republican Party as their man. The same could be done to Obama. Don’t count him out.
Comment by Frank Zavisca — 10.25.06 @ 9:21 am
LaShawn, as usual, you make really good points. (I do have to disagree that you get more attention because you’re black; maybe, and no one can know for sure, but you do write a good blog that is substantive and I think it would garner the same attention even if no one knew your race.)
As far as Obama’s blackness and the “articulate” label, yes, I do think that people ARE surprised when a black person excels at speaking standard English and doesn’t sound like a fire-and-brimstone preacher. On the other hand, you know, many white candidates now are NOT articulate either. I feel like we have lost something in this generation when it comes to elocution, verbal style, and critical thinking ability or debate skills. I mean, look at Kerry. He’s a corpse! And look at Lieberman, who is equally unexciting. I can’t think of anyone who really is an inspiring speaker, though I do like Guiliani. Obama is charismatic and he would be no matter what his color, but maybe people would be content to leave it at just a nice compliment if he were white; as a black politician, though, his accomplishments are being inflated and exaggerated because of his race AND his charisma.
I’m a little nervous about him because his father is Muslim and as far as I know, he considers himself Muslim too. Am I wrong about that? I know that it is not discussed openly.
One thing is for sure, the man is good lookin’. People love that. Remember President Kennedy’s sex appeal (well, I never could see it, but others claimed to)? Mark my words, pretty soon someone will label Obama the “Black JFK.”
Comment by batyah — 10.25.06 @ 9:26 am
I hope he doesn’t run. Not that I do not like the man, but I think it is too soon. I do not agree that the hype is color based because I have seen white senators get the same hype. I think a lot of Obama’s hype comes from the fact that he is not like some of the other so called black leaders like Jessie and Al. I also would not throw the liberal title on him just yet or put him in the same league as some of the Lefties. I am going to take a wait and see approach. I watched him on Meet the Press and he seems more of a moderate Dem.
To Warrior nurse, I do not think conservative whites are all too eager to vote for a black candidate either. It is no coincidence that out of the 43 members of Congress that are black, every single one of them is a Democrat and if I was a betting man, I would bet you a 100 dollars that a vast majority of these people are from largely black districts and areas, outside of Obama and maybe Harold Ford Jr. I can look at my own surrounding area and see that in the largely white majority districts, the candidates are white and in the largely black or Hispanic districts, the candidates are either black or Hispanic. Why is that? There wasn’t enough articulate black candidates to find to run? And before you ask, I do live in a red state.
Comment by Roye Barber — 10.25.06 @ 9:33 am
How do you think I feel? I live in Chicago! It’s All Obama All the Time.
But I’m impressed by this Chicago columnist’s opinion, titled “The audacity of journalists” which says:
“Barack Obama, Illinois’ superstar senator, has been designated ‘honorary chair’ of an organization called Chicago Journalists of Color. He’ll address the group Nov. 9 at a kickoff reception for the Unity National Convention of 10,000 minority journalists to be held in Chicago in 2008…”
“The first 50 guests to arrive at the reception will receive a copy of Obama’s new book, The Audacity of Hope.
“It’s bad enough that an organization that purports to advocate ‘fair and accurate news coverage about people of color’ would encourage journalists to accept free books from a man who regularly leads every newscast and appears on every front page in town, but it’s even worse that they’d set aside all pretense of objectivity when it comes to any politician — no matter how high he’s risen.”
http://www.suntimes.com/business/feder/109444,CST-FIN-feder25.article
La Shawn, you said “Curiously, Obama speaks praisefully of his absent black father…” Well, it’s because Africa sells–who wants to know about white people? It’s also not as politically expedient or interesting, especially in cities, where race matters.
By the way, there was a big article earlier this month about how rich he is–he made well over a million dollars within a year. I wonder how he’s going to practice his ideology from his wealthy perch.
Comment by mj — 10.25.06 @ 9:36 am
I feel you! Anyone who exists outside of the stereotype is treated as a curiosity. I’m a Black, conservative, stay at home mom married to a White man. My White mother in law has never gotten over the fact that I have an education and had a more privileged upbringing than she did. Mr. Obama is just the flavor of the month. The liberals feel good about jumping on the band wagon, but they will dump him when it is convenient to do so.
Comment by Black, conservative, SAHM — 10.25.06 @ 9:38 am
The left seems to be enamored of personalities, rather than people of substance since John Kennedy. John Edwards got the same treatment after his first (and only) term in the Senate. The only reason why, I think, was because his haircut was similar to JFK’s.
In addition to “articulate,” I always noticed the word “dignity” used with liberal-approved blacks. Duke Ellington, for instance, always had “great dignity.” It’s always seemed utterly condescending.
Comment by Kevin Kaye — 10.25.06 @ 9:39 am
Obama isn’t Muslim–he goes to a church. And It wasn’t Bob Ryan but Jack Ryan who had to get out of the Senate race against Obama.
Comment by mj — 10.25.06 @ 9:45 am
I’m really quite amazed at this whole discussion. Barack Obama is automatically referred to as Black. Is that solely because of his predominant skin color? Everyone here knows he’s half White by birth. Several speak of his White mother and Black father.
My comments have nothing to do with his abilities. I’m really curious.
Comment by dianne — 10.25.06 @ 10:02 am
The “one drop” rule prevails!
Comment by La Shawn — 10.25.06 @ 10:06 am
Following up above, I have to admit I have a Biracial granddaughter. I’ve always considered her Biracial. She does have dark skin (and she’s beautiful and I’d love her if she was green)..but I’ve never considered her Black or White. Is that because I’m White? Do we see other people based on what we look like?
Comment by dianne — 10.25.06 @ 10:09 am
To Roye you are correct about the 43 black congressmen. However many are from gerrymadered districts. JC Watts was from a majority white district in Oklahoma. Eric Dickerson who is running for congress in Indiana is from a majority white district. It is also more prevalent in state houses as well.
Comment by Warrior Nurse — 10.25.06 @ 10:10 am
#14 “I do not agree that the hype is color based because I have seen white senators get the same hype.”
With respect, the fact that he is ‘black’ and succesful will mean that he gets called an Uncle Tom or ‘token’ or ‘race-card’ by the opposition, in exactly the same way that he would by certain Democrats if he was batting for Republicans.
Like it or not, being black in America is still a ‘notable’ thing to many Americans, for good or for bad (according to their prejudices, or lack of), and such an event will fuel enormous spin and partisan-propaganda in many varying ways, often by those same conservatives or liberals who claim that it is actually the Other Side who are ‘The Most Race-obsessed.’
It is inescapable I guess, but the first ‘black’ president of America will of course be viewed by many as ‘proof’ that the past has been left behind. Any (however distant)contender from whatever party could have a lot of unnecessary baggage to carry because of that.
Add to that the twisting of everything by the respective opposing parties, and of course all the prejudices, doubts, lies, spin and ‘certainties’ that will dominate both the corporate and ‘pajama’ media like wildfire…
Urgh.
Comment by johnD — 10.25.06 @ 10:13 am
John D yes a liberal is a liberal b/c most are against individual liberty, a decentralized form of government, rights of children in the womb, for racial preferences and higher taxes. Oh by the way some cobra’s spit their venom versus striking their prey in the more traditional way of envenomation.
Comment by Warrior Nurse — 10.25.06 @ 10:15 am
I think most people refer to a person’s race by their physical appearance, unless they have personal knowledge of a person’s race. I don’t think that they call Obama black for any other reason, than that he looks more black than white, Asian, Hispanic or Native American. I don’t believe there is any hidden motive to refer to him as black.
Also, in Chicago there is an old Election Day adage to “vote early and vote often”. Wouldn’t surprise me if many do.
Comment by Belle — 10.25.06 @ 10:18 am
From my perspective, I rarely hear people (outside the MSM) refer to Obama as an “articulate black person”, but simply “an articulate person”. Maybe it’s just the circles I run in. But I think his race is going to be less of an issue than it would have been, say, even ten years ago.
Like him or hate him, like or hate his politics — but I hope we can all agree that relative non-issue of his skin color is (or would be) a good thing.
Comment by Kman — 10.25.06 @ 10:23 am
One reason for Obama’s rapturous reception is the fact that he’s from Illinois, and there’s a desperate hunger in Illinois for a black politician who’s not nuts. Really. The white liberal faction– and I count myself in that group on Thursdays– has seen total crackups like Mel Reynolds and Carol Moseley Braun, and a parade of hacks (up to the King of Beers, Jesse Jackson, who between running for mayor and actually being accountable, or being bought off with a Bud distributorship, chose the latter in a heartbeat). We want to believe in the possibility of the smart, competent black politician. We remember one (Harold Washington) and we can’t help building another one up when we spot him.
And so Obama gets inflated beyond the Senate and up to the presidency. Frankly, I think the biggest problem with him running in ‘08 is that he may be assumed bodily into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father before then.
But let’s remember that Obama is, when it comes down to it, an ILLINOIS politician. And his instincts so far suggest that he’s more likely to go along with the machine hacks than fight them. He’s backed Alexi Giannoulias, a hapless novice with big family bucks, for state Treasurer even as Giannoulias flounders answering questions about his family’s bank’s loans to a convicted bookie and pimp. Yet given the chance to buck the machine and support a real reformer, Forrest Claypool, for Cook County Board President, Obama wimped out– even though Claypool had been the chief of his own senatorial transition team. Barack “Profile in Courage” Obama wouldn’t cross the color line (Claypool is white, the incumbent, uberhack John Stroger, is black), he wouldn’t cross the labor unions who benefit from Stroger’s scandal-plagued patronage army… he wouldn’t cross the Daley machine.
Comment by Mgmax — 10.25.06 @ 10:24 am
Election ‘06 - 14 Days Till Nov. 7 (October 25, 2006)
[This post will be evolving throughout the day; scroll down for more stories] News Split in half? “Expected Democratic gains in the election raise the possibility that the Senate, for the second time in six years, will end up in…
Trackback by Pajamas Media — 10.25.06 @ 10:28 am
#15 mj, asked:
“I wonder how he’s going to practice his ideology from his wealthy perch.”
Probably the same way that a Christian Conservative oil baron would i.e. Hypocritically. That’s politics. Money and self. You know the old thing they say about the eye of a needle and a rich man?
Such is politics. There are preachers that own more gold than I will ever have, and there are rich ‘liberals’ in America that own more houses than their poster-children in starving Africa.
Of course, we know loads of Conservative Christians and real-life liberals who aren’t at all like these cartoon stereotypes. Well, I do at, least, but it doesn’t make for rousing propaganda to publish the fact. So shall we keep it simple and echo the popular lies?
ie:
A. Liberals are rich, racist, elitist and hypocritical.
B. Conservatives are rich, racist, elitist and hypocritical
Lastly: mj states
“Obama speaks praisefully of his absent black father…†Well, it’s because Africa sells–who wants to know about white people? It’s also not as politically expedient or interesting, especially in cities, where race matters.”
With respect, how does that bear out with Jesse’s comment on #9 :
“The excerpt from his book in Time is all about his mother. She was a huge influence in his life and he was very close to her. There was basically nothing about his father in the excerpt or article.”
Surely you can’t both be right?
Is the truth important? To anyone?
Comment by johnD — 10.25.06 @ 10:29 am
“I did inhale. That was the point,” said Obama.
Ah, youth! “The most noteworthy comment of the day may have been [Barack Obama’s]admission that he smoked marijuana in his younger days.” (NY Post) All bongs aside, La Shawn Barber explains “Why Barack Obama is Overrated.”…
Trackback by Pajamas Media — 10.25.06 @ 10:30 am
Encouraging news in the close race for Senator Bill Frist’s seat in Tennessee: Bob Corker’s lead over Harold Ford, Jr. has increased to five points, per a new LAT/Bloomberg poll dated 10/20-10/23. Is the Ford campaign starting to implode? If this and this (more here) are indications, it is. I’m starting to get more optimistic about Corker’s chances in TN.
Pingback by Sister Toldjah — 10.25.06 @ 10:35 am
johnD: don’t assume that I don’t see hypocrisy, and don’t assume I’m an ideologue.
Comment by mj — 10.25.06 @ 10:50 am
Colin Powell
Comment by Glamchild — 10.25.06 @ 10:51 am
Quick question/comment:
Why is it that if someone is half(or less) black they are just called “black” why not “mixed”? Obama is as much white as he is black even though he may have a more black “look”. The same is done with Tiger Woods- nobody calls him “that Thai golfer” even though he is half Thai. Nobody calls Lenny Kravitz “that Jewish guitar player” even though he is half Jewish. People like Vanessa Williams, and Halle Berry are also referred to as black when they too are multi-racial. As a person of a very mixed racial background I resent the fact that multi-racial backgrounds are consistently ignored.
Comment by Dani C — 10.25.06 @ 10:52 am
The ridiculous hoopla over Obama is reminiscent of the hoopla over Tiger Woods. In both cases, guilt-ridden white liberals fawn and gush about them in terms of them being standard-bearers for their race.
“Oooh, how wonderful that Tiger Woods represents his race so well!” That simpering claptrap makes me physically ill. Tiger is representing himself, and doing quite well, no thanks to the pressure applied by the race-conscious PC gang.
Same for Obama. He has succeeded in being elected a United States senator. Quite an accomplishment. But it has nothing to do with his skin tone, or shouldn’t, at least.
This nonsense also makes me think back to the days of the civil rights struggle, when white liberals were desperately trying to prove their credentials by saying things like, “Some of my best friends are black.”
Good grief. Enough.
Comment by RedBeard — 10.25.06 @ 10:59 am
Barak has a good future as a politician. He is smart enough, at least in public, to ‘talk-middle’, appealing to the majority.
He is just too young and inexperienced to be president, for heaven sake. It goes to show you just how many has-beens and old nags are in the Democrats racing stable, that they would hve to look to a newborn to go out and break a leg for them.
Comment by Jim R — 10.25.06 @ 11:04 am
#32.
“don’t assume that I don’t see hypocrisy, and don’t assume I’m an ideologue”
My appeal to the truth was in general, to any participant here, and so was my point about hypocrisy being across-the-board. I’m truly sorry you took it personally, it wasn’t intended that way.
mj, I wasn’t assuming anything, I asked, with respect, how both yourself and (Jesse #9) could both be right?
And I ask again, does anyone care about who is telling the truth, or is this all about ‘the other side is wrong’ and damn the facts?
Comment by johnD — 10.25.06 @ 11:12 am
Over Hyped Barack Obama. Another Liberal Posing Pseudo-Conservative.
I’ve been thinking about this one and figured maybe I’d wait till closer to his soon to be failed Presidential campaign to comment, but I never would have done as well on the topic as La Shawn Barber has done in her post today about the Ob…
Trackback by Independent Conservative — 10.25.06 @ 11:31 am
LaShawn, if I was a highschool student and Senator Barack Obama was campaigning for student body president, I’d probably vote for him. But I’m not a child and this isn’t highschool.
In The Fresh Face by Joe Klein- Time Magazine, Obama’s predictable stance in which he strattles the fence between what I believe to be conservative convictions and his liberal politics deludes him into thinking he’s bringing people together, when in fact he’s showing that he’s pretty gutless. Not taking a stand, regardless of your political ideology, is a sort of political androgyny and doesn’t go over well with regular folks like me. I don’t care where you stand, just have the guts to stand for something.
I see right through him, and what I see is a rank politician more interested in making people feel good than being straightforward on what he believes and why.
And enough with the Obama for president nonsense. I recoil in embarrassment at every mention of Obama’s coming out speech at the 04 Democratic National Convention. His ability to deliver a utopian vision, like so many socialists, is hardly a qualification to be president, that is unless you’re a Democrat.
And why the constant references to Obama’s ethnicity? Why can’t he just be an American? Could it be because he stands for nothing outside of utopian visions and the people he panders to don’t demand anything more from him?
Just from the excerpt of his book, The Audacity of Hope, featured in Time Magazine, I gathered that Obama is confused but with convictions. He resists aligning his politics with his convictions it appears because of so much relativism taught to him by his late mother. Clearly, he had a deep respect and abiding love for his mother, which is a beautiful thing. But he reminds me of myself before it dawned on me that the truth is the truth for a reason– because it’s true. And for someone to claim to believe in the truth, he says he’s a Christian, but not act in accordance with it, he is either a fraud or immature.
I don’t think he’s a fraud, just politically immature and not ready for prime time. If he’s the best candidate the Democrats can put forth for 08, assuming he runs, they don’t stand a chance.
————————————————
And by the way LaShawn, you’re a successful blogger because you’re insightful, you make people think whether they agree with you or not, and you’re a fantastic writer.
Thanks, Cedjan.
- Admin
Comment by Cedjan — 10.25.06 @ 11:33 am
About this Barak Obama hysteria.
He has many things going for him: exemplary educational success, oratory skills, looks, and charisma.
Living in California I am not familiar with his Illinois political experience other than being a U.S. Senator for 2 years. From all reports he is a novice one. Apparently, he is not the force in this legislative body that my Senator, Dianne Feinstein is.
I do have some questions. What is his work experience among-st the common folk in the private sector? Has he ever created and run a business no matter how small like my late father did? Or was his job experience limited by working for a few years at a large private law firm to be continued as a government lawyer of sorts?
I think he should remain in the Senate and accomplish something for the people of Illinois before “spreading his wings”.
John
Comment by John — 10.25.06 @ 11:36 am
“Why is it that if someone is half(or less) black they are just called “black†why not “mixedâ€? Obama is as much white as he is black even though he may have a more black “lookâ€. The same is done with Tiger Woods- nobody calls him “that Thai golfer†even though he is half Thai. Nobody calls Lenny Kravitz “that Jewish guitar player†even though he is half Jewish. People like Vanessa Williams, and Halle Berry are also referred to as black when they too are multi-racial. As a person of a very mixed racial background I resent the fact that multi-racial backgrounds are consistently ignored.”
Because that is the nature of our society. All we care about is black or white. We could care less if Tiger had thai in him as long as he had one of the big two in him. As for Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams and Lenny K, they refer to themselves as black and that is why most people categorize them as black. Me, I prefer, to call them either black or white or hispanic or whatever the dominant race may be. Multi-racial is just too P.C. for my taste and smells more of some liberalism tactic to sound all politically correct, so that you would not offend anyone. As long as you recognize your multi-racial background, why care if someone calls you black or white? You know your true background and that is all that should matter. The label should not matter.
Comment by Roye Barber — 10.25.06 @ 11:37 am
LaShawn if you were white and wrote the things you do, you’d be considered a racist. Like with Tom Sowell or Bill Cosby, being black inoculates you *somewhat* from that criticism at least. That’s just the way it is.
I am sick and tired of both parties falling all over a rising star just because he’s black or because she’s female (or female AND black! woot!) This is the most disgusting type of affirmative action…I had enough of it with Colin Powell. I’m an active Republican and I know good and well that my local party would go gaga over any black candidate who approached them for help. I know they’d go for Condoleeza Rice in 2008 for sure. Because we have those old racist skeletons in our closet, we have to over-compensate I guess. But you see the same thing in the workplace–all the guys trying to be buds with the black dude, talk about B-ball etc.
And the DEms! It’s just their knee-jerk need to feel “real” or “authentic” that makes them glom on to any minority/female contender.
Comment by cassandra — 10.25.06 @ 11:41 am
#42, is it affirmative action if a party goes “goo goo ga ga” over a white rising star like George Allen, JFK and John Edwards?
And what kind of workplace do you work at where all of the white guys are lining up to be friends with the black guy? I am a black dude that has never experienced that. It is usually all of the ladies that are fighting for my friendship :-).
Comment by Roye Barber — 10.25.06 @ 11:53 am
Until very recently, Obama talked about his dad–he made lots of money off his dad’s ethnicity via his book, campaigned on his non-whiteness, etc. I’m glad he’s mentioned his mom. As for his wealth and beliefs, I’m basing it on his campaign literature–now that he has wealth, I’m wondering if he’s going to rethink taxes and other issues.
Comment by mj — 10.25.06 @ 12:16 pm
“Because that is the nature of our society. All we care about is black or white. We could care less if Tiger had thai in him as long as he had one of the big two in him. As for Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams and Lenny K, they refer to themselves as black and that is why most people categorize them as black. Me, I prefer, to call them either black or white or hispanic or whatever the dominant race may be. Multi-racial is just too P.C. for my taste and smells more of some liberalism tactic to sound all politically correct, so that you would not offend anyone. As long as you recognize your multi-racial background, why care if someone calls you black or white? You know your true background and that is all that should matter. The label should not matter.”
That was essentially the point I was trying to make- I may be “multi-racial” but I actually don’t consider myself to be a “member” of any race. I’m not black, white, or asian…I’m American. I just thought it was interesting that when someone is black and white but looks “more black” they are just called black. In this world where “race” and “diversity” are paid so much attention to you would think the fact that someone is a product of a diverse cultural background would get more attention. But I guess even being part “white” these days is some sort of liability in the eyes of the Libs.
Comment by Dani C — 10.25.06 @ 12:17 pm
MJ, you say: “Until very recently, Obama talked about his dad–he made lots of money off his dad’s ethnicity via his book, campaigned on his non-whiteness, etc.”
I find that despicable. The man is despicable, and a race-baiter/card-waver.
Regards,
JohnD
Comment by johnD — 10.25.06 @ 12:27 pm
WN: Obama’s opponent dropped out after a judges approved the release of normally sealed divorce documents.
Comment by davod — 10.25.06 @ 12:34 pm
Barack Obama is not ready for prime time just yet but he’s very very good. I like him, but then what do I know, I’m just a liberal cobra…LOL!!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15366427/site/newsweek/
Just proves what many blacks know already.
Which is why Ken Blackwell is going to lose in Ohio.
Comment by Tiffany in Houston — 10.25.06 @ 12:37 pm
>>I rarely hear people (outside the MSM) refer to Obama as an “articulate black personâ€, but simply “an articulate personâ€.>>
Silly…everybody _knows_ he’s black. It goes without saying, especially since we’ve been conditioned to be polite and not mention the fact. But it’s still said - just silently. We all hear it - even if people _don’t_ say it. I think we’ll be mostly past racism when we _can_ say it, and just have it accepted as a fact, not a statement of a political nature.
As for … why do we say black or white, not multi-racial etc. I think it depends on the person’s appearance. I think of Halle Berry as mulatto, but that’s a term not much in favor these days. If Tiger looked more Asian, that would probably be his designation, but the skin color prevails. By the way - I don’t think of Tiger Woods as black, asian, white or anything else - I think of him as _GOOD_!
Comment by suek — 10.25.06 @ 12:44 pm
LaShawn,
I had never heard of the one drop rule until you mentioned it. Googled it to find out what you were talking about and found out that it has a lot of historical and legal importance. I learn something new on this blog almost every day.
Comment by dianne — 10.25.06 @ 1:06 pm
Dani C, if I remember correctly, I think that it was Alicia Keys who said in an interview that her mother (who is white) told her she raised her black “because in the eyes of society, she will be black.” I have also heard that within black society, there is sometimes prejudice toward blacks who are too light skinned. It’s sad, but, that’s the way it is. We hope that over time, these things will change, or as Bullworth said, “We need to just keep screwing each other until we’re all the same color.”
Comment by batyah — 10.25.06 @ 1:52 pm
I am a white liberal, and I would be very happy to vote for Obama. And so would lots of folks like me.
Obama has the potential to be a transcendent politician - one who cuts through the hard partisan divide and can effectivly communicate with the honest core of most people. He has a point of view, and will obviously be promoting a set of policy positions that some will like and others will not. But I have the impression that on some level, he really does have a basic level of respect for a wide diversity of people, and their ideas, which means that he may be the type of person who is emotionally capable of taking good ideas from wherever they arise.
Perhaps it is because he is interracial, grew up with an (essentially) atheist mother, but is religious himself, lived in Kansas, in Hawaii, Chicago, and in Asia - that he can relate on some level to a wide number of people, and has developed a skill at looking for commonalities.
In this I see him as the opposite of Bush. Not necessarily on policy matters (although clearly he differs from Bush on those), but in terms of being a real uniter. Bush, in my view always claimed to be one but relentlessly followed a divisive strategy aimed at getting the famous 50%+1, rather than trying to build a broad coalition.
I think this country very much would benefit from an Obama-like political force, operating at the top. We have all arrived at the point of doing little more than screaming at each other and insulting each other. I know it would be unfair to blame all of that on Bush, but his political stratagy does play into that and perpetuates it.
Lots of what I am writing here is infused with the concept of potentiality. We will have to see if Obama lives up to the hope that he inspires, but it is remarkable to be hopeful about any politician, so I am rooting for him to do so.
Comment by Tano — 10.25.06 @ 2:29 pm
LaShawn,
When you said, “the word “articulate†was uttered frequently as white co-workers described Obama’s big speech at the Democratic convention,” something began nagging at the back of my brain. I did a quick google search for the phrase “articulate Southerner” vs. “articulate Northerner” — 47 hits for the former, 4 hits for the latter (similar numbers for “Yankee” and “Midwesterner”). Hardly a scientific survey, but perhaps sufficiently telling. For white, Northeastern urban elites there are “normal” black and southern folks (sometimes even both combined!), and THEN there are the “articulate” ones. In such cases, I’d say it says far more about the describer than the one being described.
Comment by Brother Nikko — 10.25.06 @ 2:34 pm
Brother Miko:
For white, Northeastern urban elites there are “normal†black and southern folks (sometimes even both combined!), and THEN there are the “articulate†ones.
Yup. I did a search and found that the word “elite” is most often associated with “northerners” as opposed to “southerners”.
My point is this: the right does just as much “branding” as those on the left.
Comment by Kman — 10.25.06 @ 2:50 pm
Kman, you’re not honestly asserting that the terms “urban elite” or “northeastern intellectual” share the same “branded” oxymoronic status as “articulate black man” “or “well-spoken Southerner,” are you? “Northeastern urban elites” certainly use the former terms to describe themselves without even a hint of irony. Frankly, I admit they don’t often bother with the full length versions of the former: “we” and “us” suffice. It’s only when they refer to the “other” (not us) that “articulate” must must be trotted out to distinguish hoi poloi from the “almost us.”
Comment by Brother Nikko — 10.25.06 @ 3:38 pm
Thanks for a very good post! I’ve been struggling with this, too. It’s not that I ‘dislike’ Obama… I just don’t know why everyone seems so completely taken by him (and let’s hope ‘taken’ doesn’t turn out to be the truth).
I always had the same feeling about John Kennedy, as well — if his name was ‘Smith’, he just would have been a failed magazine publisher. Instead, he too was a future president. Go figure.
Comment by Cruzer — 10.25.06 @ 3:38 pm
On the basis of being “articulate”, my money and my vote would go to Joseph C. Phillips who is WAY better looking than Senator Obama, in addition to being much more conservative and cogent in his thinking.
Or for that matter, to La Shawn who is, in my view, a successful blogger because she is brilliant and possesses that rarest of all qualities - common sense!
And yes, I freely proclaim that I am a La Shawn fan!
Comment by Gayle Miller — 10.25.06 @ 3:51 pm
Governors are historically far MORE likely to be elected President than are Senators.
Just thought I’d throw that in!
Comment by Gayle Miller — 10.25.06 @ 3:54 pm
He made a lot of money of this book
http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-My-Father-Story-Inheritance/dp/1400082773
And that was after he was campaigning on his blackness–even though his white mom raised him. His PR people know what works, and it’s helped his wealth.
Comment by mj — 10.25.06 @ 3:54 pm
“Book royalties and advances brought in about $1.2 million for the senator-author. In late 2004, Obama landed a three-book deal worth $1.9 million.”
The story about his wealth is at
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/72374,CST-NWS-obama26.article
I don’t have a problem with his success, I just hope he talks about hard work, education, etc. and wants to reward people who work hard via lower taxes instead of pandering to the people who vote on the basis of his skin color.
Comment by mj — 10.25.06 @ 4:02 pm
I’m not surprised that less than 2 years into his term he’s being talked about as Presidential material. Jesse Ventura hadn’t even been inaugurated as Governor of Minnesota in 1998 before there was talk of his running for President in 2000 (the time may be right for a third-party candidate etc.). Jesse soaked it all up, basking in the national attention, refusing to say whether he would or wouldn’t consider it (ever the entertainer…leave ‘em wanting more.) Unfortunately, he pretty much imploded by the end of his term, and now the question is “Jesse WHO?”
Comment by Mary T — 10.25.06 @ 4:12 pm
Isn’t this just another caes of “Affirmative Action”, where the race of the person is supposed to make up for any lack of qualifications or experience? And doesn’t that often just end up setting someone up for a fall?
Comment by Tom — 10.25.06 @ 4:39 pm
Whatever happened to Collin Powell being the first black president?
Both Obama and Condoleezza Rice seem to be too young and inexperienced to be president to me.
But if blacks are going to vote 90% with the Democratic Party regardless of who runs, not that one should vote on race anyway, I can’t see how having a black candidate would help either party in any case.
Comment by UNK — 10.25.06 @ 4:39 pm
Obama’s flirt with Presidential bid ploy to win votes for other Dems in 06?
Gaius at Blue Crab Boulevard has a pretty astute observation. With the Dems lacking any real platform, or position that Americans support the huge popularity Barak Obama currently enjoys might just be a tactic from the Democratic leadership to energize…
Trackback by The Real Ugly American.com — 10.25.06 @ 4:46 pm
“Isn’t this just another caes of “Affirmative Actionâ€, where the race of the person is supposed to make up for any lack of qualifications or experience? And doesn’t that often just end up setting someone up for a fall?”
Yeah, if someone ‘half-black’ does well, it’s automatically framed as affirmative action, if someone ‘white’ does well, through nepotism, family connections (affirmative action?) it’s called ’success’???
I suppose we have a long way to go down the line yet, before the water clears and people can be judged or accepted on their behavior alone.
Although if it is true that this fellow Obama is a race-pimp, I get to despise his actions
Comment by johnD — 10.25.06 @ 4:50 pm
Some of the hype originates with his book, which is written with an authenticity not usually associated with politicians. Maybe he’s exceeding the racist expectation of not being eloquent, but he’s also exceeding the expectation of politicians who generally try to cover up their pasts and communicate in circular patterns. That’s the same reason why the media loved the “straight-talking” McCain so much in ‘00. As a writer, I’ve written about the need for an authentic voice in books, so I can at least appreciate his voice even if I wouldn’t vote for him.
Comment by Patrick Borders — 10.25.06 @ 4:56 pm
>>“We need to just keep screwing each other until we’re all the same color.â€>>
You mean…like they are in Africa??? I’m not sure that’s a recommendation…
Comment by suek — 10.25.06 @ 5:36 pm
JohnD,
Read the excerpt from his book in Time. It’s all about his mother and how she raised him and how difficult her death was for him. She died at 53. It was very moving. It’s also about how he became Christian and how his mother’s death has affected him as a father to his daughters. He discussed how hard it was for him to talk his daughter about death.
I think in his previous book he talked about being biracial and how he didn’t really fit in comfortably with other black kids or white kids in his youth.
Comment by Jesse — 10.25.06 @ 5:42 pm
In regards to Obama being a junior senator and not ready for prime time (i.e the presidency). why is not the same thing said of the junior senator from New York whose first foray into politics was her election to the senate. Does four more years as senator make you that much better to run as president?
Comment by Crock — 10.25.06 @ 6:02 pm
La Shawn,
Your comments reasonate with a lot of middle-class people looking for a middle class values slant on the news of the day. As a white person I must admit you also relieve a lot of the anxiety involved with thinking about any racially tinged topic just because you are black. Sorry, I guess we still have a ways to go yet.
Comment by Ian — 10.25.06 @ 6:24 pm
Your post has caused me to think a bit harder about Obama. I don’t know why but I like listening to him talk simply because he doesn’t seem to get caught up in the Jerry Springer-esque emotive whining of it all. I mean granted, I would never vote for the man because of some serious disagreements on a number of levels but he seemed to be the kind of person I would listen to… and not go crazy… in order to learn what they point of view is thinking.
Comment by Randy — 10.25.06 @ 6:29 pm
Why not some young inexperienced new person for President, can’t mess things up anymore than they already are. Some of the old experienced fools in control now are scary.
Comment by Michael Powers — 10.25.06 @ 6:55 pm
I don’t think Senator McCain is overly enthralled with Obama…
Dear Senator Obama:
I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere…………..But I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party’s effort to exploit this issue must seem to a freshman Senator, and I hold no hard feelings over your earlier disingenuousness. Again, I have been around long enough to appreciate that in politics the public interest isn’t always a priority for every one of us. Good luck to you, Senator.
Sincerely,
John McCain
United States Senate
Comment by jan — 10.25.06 @ 7:08 pm
This may be the best time for Obama to run for President because he doesn’t yet have much of a record to ripped to shreds. I wouldn’t support him because of his liberal stances but this may be his time to seize the day against a weak democratic field.
(off topic)Oh and by the way La Shawn your readers may find articles about Elizabeth Peratovich insightful. The state of Alaska celebrates this Civil Rights leader on Feb. 16 instead of Presidents Day. See http://www.womensmuseum.org/Education/biography_ewperatrovich.html
Comment by Scott — 10.25.06 @ 7:22 pm
Obama has been in the Senate for two years, so what? John McCain and John Kerry have been in the Senate for years and yet lost to someone with less government experience. Please note that Bush was anointed president after only four years as Texas governor. And if you want an example of a white person who received the same sort of attention after only a few years in the Senate, just look at John Edwards.
Does the hype about Obama have a racial component? Yes. But it is shortsighted to ignore his intellectual ability and charisma. His lack of federal government experience should not be a barrier to him becoming president. Learning on the job is the fact of life for any president, just look at Bush. Also, think about ARNOLD? What political experience did he have before taking over as governor? None. Yet, he will likely win reelection.
My point is that there is no constitutional requirement that Obama spend a specific number of years in the Senate before he can run for and effectively serve as president. At this point, we need someone who really understands the responsibility of president and who is a quick study. Obama seems to have those qualifications.
Comment by Antonio — 10.25.06 @ 8:02 pm
LaShawn: You are absolutely on the beam with this one. Obama is a typical liberal trying to assume a centrist position; plus, he has no experience! Part of being a strong politician is having experience dealing with problems where all you’ve got is ‘Hobson’s choice’; that is, all your choices are bad. I think that’s what Iraq is. Under such fire, you gain character. Obama is promising, but he’s untested. And I suspect, in his heart, he’s another Clinton.
The ‘articulate’ thing is actually humorous. Black Americans were incredibly articulate for decades before it became fahionable to sound illiterate. It was the norm. Duke Ellington sounded like a college professor, and he wasn’t alone. And some of the finest women poets in the United States are Black women: Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, Pat Smith, Eileen Cherry, etc. I’m in Chicago, where an incredible, sophisticated Black culture thrived until the welfare state killed it. How dearly would I love to see that all come back. And it will–once Black Americans renounce the leftist identity politics that are slowing them down.
Comment by ahem — 10.25.06 @ 8:03 pm
His middle name really is “Hussein”. Unbelievable!
Comment by Scott — 10.25.06 @ 8:29 pm
La Shawn Barber:Â Why Barack Obama is Overrated.
Pingback by SmartChristian.com — 10.25.06 @ 9:32 pm
I do not know about overrated, however my guess is he will be the V.P. of Hillary.
Pingback by RedBlueChristian — 10.25.06 @ 9:36 pm
the interesting part will come when it comes time to throw obama under the bus, to make way for queen hillary. i have no doubt this will happen: the MSM has too much invested in her to let anything come between her and her planned ‘08 coronation, so obama’s gotta go…..
but after they’ve killed SO many trees to sing his praises, how’ll they do it? and still make it sound sort of plausible? hillary’s idea of subtle is to arrange to have him commit “suicde”, so they won’t let her handle it - it’ll have to be a senior pol or media man (redundacy alert).
so how’ll they pull it off? no one, after all this buidup, is gonna buy a “leaving to spend time with his family” excuse. they’ll have to get creative. we can only wait with bated breath!
Comment by ed — 10.26.06 @ 2:40 am
Tano, you make a good point about Obama’s potential. I do think he is a little too young and inexperienced to be ready for a really big job like being the US President, but we don’t know yet how he will grow and mature. He is charismatic and obviously smart. I do not know enough about his politics specifically to have an opinion on that (I’m one of those Dems who only votes Republican these days so am pretty conservative), but all I have to do is look at the other options out there to realize that he has a good chance at a promising political future, and not JUST because he is black/biracial. Right now, his “accomplishments” are being exaggerated because people WANT him to be a winner and be somehow representative of the idealism of racial unity and racial triumph, etc, but let’s wait and see what he can really do. The thing is, we have already had black leaders who have broken through the barriers and who have really distinguished themselves. Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice are just two of the most prominent in recent politics, but there have been others. So Obama isn’t really a brand new phenomenon. Honestly, I think that people are just taken in by his charisma. I know that his smile has an impact on me! People are hungry for a charismatic leader because it has been so long since we have had one to get us all excited. Does he really have substance to go with that charisma? I don’t know yet and I’m a bit distanced from American politics at the moment.
Comment by batyah — 10.26.06 @ 3:11 am
“Also, think about ARNOLD? What political experience did he have before taking over as governor? None. Yet, he will likely win reelection.”
Is that a ringing endorsement for ‘celebrity = good to Govern?’
I think not!
Regards,
Jogn
Comment by johnD — 10.26.06 @ 8:02 am
#68
Jesse:
“Read the excerpt from his book in Time. It’s all about his mother and how she raised him and how difficult her death was for him. She died at 53. It was very moving.”
Thanks Jesse, your response.
I feel your weighing of Obama’s character is of more value than many Conservatives I have read lately who are picking on his name for sounding not-real-’Mercan.
However, if what mj says is true, and Obama has been race-pimping his father, then why shouldn’t one believe he is capable of race-pimping his white mother too? For political gain?
Regards,
John
Comment by johnD — 10.26.06 @ 9:24 am
I agree wholeheartedly with the “articulate” thing and how it is condescending. Powell was often described like this. The interesting thing is that someone like Al Sharpton is articulate, albeit with a “black accent”. So being articulate often includes speaking with a pitch and tone more common with whites as well as using good grammar (this is generally the case when people are accused of speaking like a “white person”). I doubt that a person of any race or ethnicity who speaks with a strong southern accent would be considered articulate even if their usage is perfect.
I also agree that he is getting this attention from the media because he is black and that it is mostly white liberals who are doing this.
And as loathe as I am to admit this, my blog’s success is owed in part to my race. I believe and write things most people wouldn’t expect me to believe and write.
La Shawn, this is basically the point I was trying to make on the other thread. No more, no less.
As far as the biracial thing goes, folks simply can’t pick and choose when a person is biracial or black. The average black American is 20-25% white. 90% of black Americans have white blood while a certain percentage of the other 10% could be mixed with Native American or other “races”. Race is a social construct that is defined by society. Western culture has firmly established the criteria for being “white” as being virtually unmixed or appearing unmixed. It has also firmly established being “black” as having any black ancestry.
There are millions of blacks out there who look like Obama or are lighter than Obama, yet have two “black” parents. If Obama was just some nobody whose mug-shot was posted for some crime, folks would have no problem declaring him as “black”.
Comment by Shade — 10.26.06 @ 9:52 am
When Obama was running for senator, I wasn’t thinking about the way he spoke–there are plenty of black people who are articulate, and it’s sad that people only get to know them through such media mongers as Jesse Jackson.
Comment by mj — 10.26.06 @ 10:14 am
Obama has had more experience at the national level that Bush did when he took office in 2001.
I’m just sayin’.
Comment by Kman — 10.26.06 @ 10:27 am
After reading all of these good comments, I don’t know if I have anything to add, except…
A few weeks ago on the biography Channel there was a show highlighting two American heroes: John Kennedy and Barak Obama. One of the ladies from ‘Sex and the City’ introduced it. Fluff and adoration for Obama.
Here’s another thought which I haven’t seen addressed-Obama is now known as a Christian, after being a Muslim. A ‘Christian’ who wholeheartedly endorses abortion and all of the other liberal beliefs, but nominally a Christian.
Abdul Rahman in Afghanistan was sentenced to death for being a traitor to Islam. Those reporters who were kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam under threat of death are considered Muslims who would be targeted for death if they renounced Islam.
Obama converting from Islam doesn’t seem to bother any Muslims? No outcry, as happened with Abdul Rahman? He had to leave Afghanistan, and moved to Italy.
That doesn’t add up.
Comment by Doug — 10.26.06 @ 11:40 am
La Shawn, you need to give yourself some credit, you’re good BECAUSE YOU ARE GOOD. Not because you are black or a woman, at least in my opinion. Maybe I’m in the few since I’m new to the blog world but I love reading your blogs and my wife loves it as well. I say keep up the OUTSTANDING work and once in a while give yourself a pat on the back when no one is looking, you deserve it.
Have a great weekend at the conference, you’re in our prayers La Shawn.
Comment by Randy — 10.26.06 @ 11:46 am
Big fat rebuttals
A mailbag rebuttal:
Re: Snopes take on vegemite banNot sure if this confirms or denies the vegemite…
Trackback by Clicked — 10.26.06 @ 11:50 am
Call me persnickety, but a prior post referred to George Bush as having served only 4 years as Texas governor and then being “annointed” President. Mr. Bush served 6 years as governor, having been elected in 1994 and re-elected in 1998. In 2000 he was elected, not annointed, President of the United States, having garnered over half of the electoral votes per constitutional requirements.
Persnicketiness off.
Back to Obama and his guilty white liberal promoters……..
Comment by RedBeard — 10.26.06 @ 12:02 pm
Just a note regarding the media’s attention to Barak Obama’s articulate speech. I can’t say with any real certainty that the media’s fawning is based either in whole or in part on the color of Mr. Obama’s skin. I myself have been impressed with how well-spoken he is, simply because we’ve had an inarticulate president for the last 6 years! Heck, I’d be impressed with just about any politician, if that politician appeared to be even half as articulate as Mr. Obama. If the reporters in the media are Americans such as myself, they may simply be marvelling at such a high level of speech and such a measured, proper way of delivering it. Too often, politicians have attempted to talk down to the masses or to confuse them with tortured logic or unnecessary rhetorical devices. Since Mr. Obama does not appear to do this, he draws attention to himself. Skilled orators are rare these days, and his ability to speak so well, yet so plainly, stands out. Just my $0.02. Thanks!
Comment by DSM — 10.26.06 @ 12:38 pm
I cant help but compare this little media frenzy to the one that Condi had.
Just because they are black..right?? Same with Colin Powell…just because he was black…
Just like that little episode, this will eventually die down and fade away.
The Democrats are as likely as the Republicans to nominate a black person for president. Highly unlikely…
I just dont see this country voting for a Black person to run it, no matter what party they are with.
At least not in my lifetime.
Comment by lukeNC — 10.26.06 @ 12:50 pm
[Disclaimer: As yet, I have no opinion on Mr. Obama as a person or a politician and this comment isn’t about him directly anyway.]
The notion that one is unprepared for the presidency or any other political office due to lack of significant political experience is erroneous and a serious problem in this country.
That philosophy has created a political class in this country that is directly repugnant to the goal of the founding fathers to create a citizen government. Requiring previous political experience in a candidate assures an increasingly corrupt government that is able to protect it’s own power.
Perhaps electing those with the best ideas should be our goal.
Comment by GTMac — 10.26.06 @ 1:11 pm
1. While spending 11 years, 8 months of commissioned service in the US Army, “Articulate” was and still is used as code for “this is a black officer who we can’t otherwise disqualify, so if this efficiency report seems contradictory you know why.”
2. IAW US Constitution the requirements for President are: US Constitution, Article II, Section 1 ~ No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.
3. #2 being established, then Mr Obama is as qualified as any other natural born, 35 year old US Citizen to run for the office of US President. Even if he was better that a “C” student and is “Articulate” (See #1).
4. At my Mother’s funeral I met a cousin 3rd removed who could pass for Mathew Modine! And looking at me no one would consider me anything other than Black, African-American, Colored, Negro or in most places of the Antebellum South a “Nig…”. Well let’s just say I would stand a good chance of getting lynched for “eyeballing a fair white woman”.
5. LaShawn…Black! Say it ain’t so!
6. If conservative = Republican, then I can’t roll with any group that would seem welcoming to the likes of David Duke. If liberal = Democrat, then I can’t roll with any group that would seem welcoming to the like of Bill Clinton!
7. Is Barak Obama overrated? You gotta to be kidding? Read his resume compare to…
Comment by Abdul-Aziz Ibn Aswad al-Jezeera — 10.26.06 @ 1:27 pm
Lashawn,
First I’m not as politically savvy as you and the girls over at the Vent are, but my assessment of the media frenzy over Obama is due to: 1. Like you said he is articulate, 2. Not because he’s articulate and black, but because he’s articulate and not too black,being the product of a white mother and black father. I mean look at the photo on the cover of Time magazine, he looks pasty. It makes it easier for the media to latch on to him and and ‘market’ him across color lines.
Comment by Chuck — 10.26.06 @ 1:41 pm
#79 and #80
I’m amazed it took this long to bring up Hillary because my bias says this is all a very carefully planned orchestration by the Clinton machine.
Hillary isn’t upset by any of this — she is one of the primary planners of this whole charade. They clearly want him as the “dream” V.P. candidate. Regarding the earlier comment about him not supporting a local Democrat who bucked the machine, he has obviously worked with the Illinois machine because that is an essential component of the national Democrat machine and they are zeroed in on 2008.
What’s the script? You plant a series of stories now, ginned up by the party machine which is flying him around the country, just before the midterm elections, to try and excite a loyal black base of voters in an attempt to turn out this year *AND* allow them to fantasize about a black president in 2008 (as we all know, mediocre black turnout is bad news for Democrats).
Next, Barack Obama’s obvious inexperience allows you to place him on the 2008 ticket [doesn’t have to be Hillary; any Democrat will do] as a V.P. candidate and you push his Ivy League credentials as well as his fast-learning “brilliance” (y’all do remember the fawning over Hillary’s “brilliance” during the Clinton administration, don’t you?) to argue that on-the-job training combined with his well-documented intellect will obviously be sufficient to carry him through.
This is all quite obviously orchestrated; only time will tell whether it works.
Comment by RattlerGator — 10.26.06 @ 1:43 pm
interesting thought, rattler. and you might well be right: hilly/obama would be a pairing to make liberals all weak-kneed and breathless and tingly.
but i still dunno. if obama is as freakishly, preternaturally smart as they’re telling us he is, (”he is so articluate! he must know, like, dozens of big words!”)(although, to be fair, most reporters i’ve known have been dumb as posts. so even half-smart would seem brilliant to them…), obama may be smart enough to not want to be tarred with a hillary brush. if hillary loses the election, it’ll be because half the people in this country hate her. not “dislike”…not “despise”….they HATE her. and he may - or may not - be smart enough to not want to have that hatred/contempt transferred to him by dint of close association.
and we don’t know just how ambitious he is. maybe he’s not interested in being hillary’s VP. time will tell….
Comment by ed — 10.26.06 @ 2:06 pm
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Pingback by politicalpartypoop.com - Politics and other stuff in life that stinks » Why Barack Obama is Overrated — 10.26.06 @ 2:58 pm
La Shawn,
I don’t come to your blog because you’re black, I come to your blog because of your writing and takes. You also happen to be black which might give more weight to some of your opinions on race–or not.
There are plenty of other black bloggers, even conservative blacks, that I don’t read, who I should or could read. I just enjoy your writing more and agree with you philosophically.
As for Obama, he is as much white as he is black. I think the ethnicity focus is to divide politically. As black Democrats make more money, pay more taxes, and watch their party get more liberal, they need a new “black” to rally around.
Obama is the great mixed race hope! Ugh. Will we ever stop focusing on skin color?
Comment by Melissa — 10.26.06 @ 3:01 pm
“Will we ever stop focusing on skin color?”
100 comments say ‘no’
Comment by JohnD — 10.26.06 @ 3:32 pm
It’s an interesting point you make about white folks using the word “articulate” to describe Obama. I think you’re dead-on right that we white folks tend to act impressed simply that a black person can put two words together, which is really enlightened of us (insert sarcasm here). It’s the difference between describing Obama as “articulate” and Bill Clinton as “eloquent.” There is something in that distinction, I think, that bolsters your argument. There is a difference between speaking competently and moving your audience through speech. Most white people who used the term “articulate” probably didn’t realize the slap in that, but it’s there. Like Clinton, Obama is eloquent. And we whites have a long way to go.
I also agree that Obama is not yet experienced enough to be ready for a Presidency so soon, even if his chances of winning were excellent. I hope that someday he will, because he seems to be reasonable (amazing in DC) and and he’s personable, which wins over undecideds. Personally, I was disappointed that Mark Warner decided not to run, as he has the same reasonable and personable qualities as Obama, but with more credible experience under his belt.
I think the appeal of Candidate Obama is that because he’s young and still shiny new, there’s not a long trail of voting history and personal baggage to aid opponents in attacking him. What people forget is that those opponents are happy to just lie and lie and lie if there’s nothing real to pick on (see John McCain, South Carolina, 2000).
Maybe he’ll make a good candidate someday. And maybe when that day comes more white people will understand that it is his eloquence that’s impressive.
Comment by AV — 10.26.06 @ 3:52 pm
In Defense of Barak Obama…
I agree. He is a liberal who doesn’t want to be called one; and he doesn’t belong among those in contention for the presidency; and he’s getting the amount of press he is primarily because he’s black. Having said that, I like him. Compared to the voices of the Nancy Pelosis, the Charles Schumers, and the (devious) Hillary Clintons, he seems less radically left, and could be a voice of reason in the democrat party. As for what I hear about him, (in the TV news media circles that I work)he’s described as charismatic and poised, not ‘articulate.’ And charisma is something the Dems are lacking. Secondly, he’s not ‘just black.’ He was the first Black President of the Harvard Law Review. Any president of the HRL ought to be given credit for that, and when you’re the first of anything - unless he was given it due to some affirmative action business - you’re at least a trailblazer. He is also the only black US Senator, which carries a large degree of the spotlight by nature. An in the middle of it, he has managed not to screw it up by saying or doing something stupid, which is not small feat when everyone’s watching. And believe me, with the competitive nature of news, any major gaff would not be missed (by at the very least the bloggosphere).
But for many reasons, (too young, too liberal, hasn’t even finished his first term) he needs to chill.
Comment by Will — 10.26.06 @ 5:37 pm
Calling Obama “articulate” as opposed to just “charismatic and poised” seems happens more in conservative circles that are deliberately trying to minimize Obama’s potential impact.
Being Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Law Review means that you are freakishly smart. No bones about it, and although affirmative action might get you on to law review in a particular school (if there were set-asides, but there usually aren’t), it won’t make you EIC.
Comment by tvd — 10.26.06 @ 5:45 pm
This is not something that is that uncommon. Edwards had Presidential talk started early in his Senatorial career. I think its a desire to find the next Kennedy. the race factor just adds another layer to this dream.
Comment by sm — 10.26.06 @ 7:00 pm
The problem with Obama is that he’s peaking now, in 2006, a full two years before the elections and well before the primaries. If he doesn’t have staying power (or money), he’ll go nowhere.
Comment by Shawn — 10.26.06 @ 9:38 pm
“in most places of the Antebellum South a “Nig…â€. Well let’s just say I would stand a good chance of getting lynched for “eyeballing a fair white womanâ€.”
If you look too long at the wrong person’s girl, either today in a sleazy bar or in the old South, one might get into a fight or even a fatal fight if unlucky.
But I am still waiting for an example of where there was a public lynching of anyone for just eyeballing someone.
I think the racist theory was that white women were like catnip to black men, something black men could not help – lusting for a superior white woman, and they assumed black men looked all the time.
Comment by UNK — 10.26.06 @ 10:54 pm
First point: We’ve already had a Black
president. He played the saxophone on The
Arsenio Hall Show, if I remember correctly.
Second point: La Shawn, your blog is
a success, yes, because you are Black.
Why shouldn’t Blackness be a cause for
success, I ask? That’s just how we roll.
Comment by Siddhazen — 10.26.06 @ 11:27 pm
Getting Off the Obama Train
We are being threatened by dictators trying to secure nuclear weapons. This is not the time to hand the keys over to rank amateurs. Other bloggers such as LaShawn and Angela Winters weigh on this topic as well. If I could apply to Obama what Liberman…
Trackback by The Dark Truth — 10.27.06 @ 12:33 am
I’ve already stated that I find it disturbing to see the cloying (phony) devotion that guilt-ridden white liberals show toward Obama. Of course the fact that he’s a liberal is key in the support he gets, but their promotion of him is based largely upon the fact that he’s a black wunderkind, and they need to feel good about themselves by having an icon to show off. It’s all rather seedy and distasteful.
In my case I can’t support him, but that is based solely upon the fact that he’s a liberal with nothing to offer but the same tired old liberal line. It simply doesn’t matter one iota what his skin color might be; his politics are wrong. Period.
Comment by RedBeard — 10.27.06 @ 7:34 am
The adoration shown for Obama is no greater than the conservative admiration for Santorum and his ilk when they were junior senators.
Comment by tvd — 10.27.06 @ 12:25 pm
Michael Medved has an interesting perspective about Obama–to not underestimate him.
http://michaelmedved.townhall.com/blog/g/84215fa5-0241-4a78-9403-1ab37b465c50
Comment by mj — 10.27.06 @ 9:07 pm
I find all the hype over this guy peculiar, and ill-conceived. In an instant, he is propped up on a pedestal and proclaimed as the foremost forerunner to be the leader of America, without a long-defined reputation and public scrutiny. Furthermore, it is difficult to judge how genuine he is. His speeches are too composed, and broad reaching. No doubt he is trying to be persuasive; not only with his speeches, but also by the image he portrays as a well-meaning practicing Christian. He has ulterior motives, but what are they?
One thing is for certain: Barack is greatly sympathetic to Muslims. As stated previously in the comments, he is obviously a Muslim apologist; shown by his stance on multiple issues regarding Arabs, terrorists, and national security. His mother married one Muslim after another, which speaks volumes about her stance on Islam, and the personal impact Barack gets from her, and his two Muslim fathers. I know one thing for sure: he will become a pawn for Islamists, be it intentionally or unintentionally.
I am not disregarding his faith in Christ. I dont know how faithful he is, and Im not in a position to question it. However, I believe he can be one of two things, which are equally bad: 1. He wants to serve the interests of Muslims; or 2. He is not strong enough, and will become a helpless puppet of the Islamists. Obama is simply not worth the risk.
I do believe America is ready for a black president. It can use a strong-willed down-to-earth person at the helm. There are plenty of hardworking, good Christian, blacks that can do the job. As long as s/he is not ignorant about Islam, and is able to think critically on the issues, s/he will do good. Why go for Barack who is more than likely compromised?
And you write wonderfully La Shawn.
Comment by ofcourse — 10.28.06 @ 2:49 am
Instead of asking if we’re ready for a black president, I’m asking why in the world that should even be an issue. I’m ready for a purple president if he has the right ideas and character.
I expect that when an ethical and conservative black candidate comes along, he will feel the same way, and will leave the racial baggage behind as much as he can. The racial campaign emphasis will come from the left, and it won’t be pretty, as we see now in Maryland with Michael Steele.
Obama’s blackness is a ridiculous yardstick to use in measuring the man, pro or con. Just ridiculous. And worse when he participates in the scam. Putting race aside, as we should, all I see is another empty suit regurgitating tired and hollow liberal rhetoric.
Comment by RedBeard — 10.28.06 @ 7:48 am
#63
“Whatever happened to Collin Powell being the first black president?
Both Obama and Condoleezza Rice seem to be too young and inexperienced to be president to me.
But if blacks are going to vote 90% with the Democratic Party regardless of who runs, not that one should vote on race anyway, I can’t see how having a black candidate would help either party in any case.”
I think Colin Powell would have had a chance back in 2000 if he had decided to run. However, after seeing how he worked in the State Department, he lost a lot of conservative/Republican support - he was not loyal to the President and did not keep staffers in the State Department in line.
Condi is one smart cookie, and there is that movement to recruit her to run in ‘08. If she ran, not knowing who else is running, I’d seriously considering voting for her.
Blacks in Maryland are supporting Michael Steele in his run for US Senate. It’s the Dems that are calling him an Uncle Tom and photoshopping his picture to put him in blackface, with hardly any reporting about that in the national media. Now, if Mr. Steele was a Dem and the Republicans had put him in blackface? And why would Republicans call a black running as a Dem an “Uncle Tom”? Aren’t blacks SUPPOSED to be Dems??
#69
“In regards to Obama being a junior senator and not ready for prime time (i.e the presidency). why is not the same thing said of the junior senator from New York whose first foray into politics was her election to the senate. Does four more years as senator make you that much better to run as president?”
Remember, that junior senator from NY was also a First Lady, heavily involved in her husband’s administration - she is not your typical freshman Senator….
Comment by Miss Ladybug — 10.28.06 @ 2:16 pm
I’ll vote for Condi anytime.
Comment by Divina — 10.28.06 @ 9:53 pm
miss lady bug
sorry, but hillary cannot claim that as first lady she therefore has executive decision making experience. she doesnt. she still doesnt, as a senator. thats why i prefer Gov’s for President. I think Obama would be OK to run in 2008, but he should keep his eye on the IL Gov Mansion in 2010.
Comment by sm — 10.29.06 @ 12:54 am
I’m not saying she executive decision-making experience enough to run the country, but I think the Dems think she’s good enough.
I agree with you about governors - running a state like Texas or California is like running most countries….
Comment by Miss Ladybug