Here we go again.
Race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race.
Can’t get away from it.
Barack Obama warns supporters to watch out for race-based “attacks” from Republicans. (Also see this story) The timid might be tempted to soft-pedal or avoid legitimate criticism against this half-black candidate.
And that’s what he’s counting on.
Ideally, no one would reference Obama’s half-black ethnicity at all, and neither would he. But we know what kind of world this is, so let me tell you something you should already know. Obama knows the “race card” is a powerful weapon in his arsenal, and he won’t hesitate to use it. He can’t help playing the race card. How do I know?
People of any color have a natural tendency to use whatever advantages and distinguishing characteristics they have. I’m no authority on black people. But since I’ve been black all my life, have black family and friends, etc., I have some insight into how black people think, generally speaking. From my vantage point, there’s nothing special about Barack Obama. He understands very well that his ethnicity distinguishes him in this presidential race. He’s the first black major party nominee, the fifth black U.S. senator, etc.
Yes, Obama is more than his race. But as far as his political career is concerned, he knows his race is an integral part of why people support him, and, dare I say, oppose him.
Race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race, race. The conflict it causes – why we use it and why people use it against us – is part of The Fall, plain and simple.
How do we begin to overcome it?
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How do we begin to overcome it?
Just curious… Is race an issue for Filipinos? They’re an integral part of life here in Southern California, but they don’t have any race- or ethnicity-panderers getting in front of the cameras on their behalf.
My guess for how we overcome the focus on race is for the panderers to just shut up about it and let life go on without their “help.”
It’s fine, though, to make a note in passing of the “firsts.” First (half) black presidential candidate. First woman on the Supreme Court. First governor of Indian descent. First Vietnam Veteran president.
But after it’s mentioned, we need to let it go. America is about individuals and what they can accomplish. We’ve never been about tribalism–that’s for the old country.
Being a native Chicagoan/Illinoian, I can say without reservation that this man has so much that is negative that there is no need for Republicans to ever bring up race. Yes, Obama will play the card, but rather than respond defensively, the proper tack, in my view, is to address all of his weaknesses.
He thinks Republicans are going to attack him because he’s white?
Weird.
Perhaps we should refer to him as a white man? He has gone out of his way to deny and leave behind the white side of himself, his words form his books, not mine. So if we look at him as a white candidate with a really good dose of melanin, what’s the issue? We can talk about him as we would nay other candidate wrong for the job of being president.
Works for me, Melissa.
And with all the drive-bys who’ve tried to lecture LaShawn about her “self-loathing” — why aren’t the scolding The Obama for his self-loathing? That is, for loathing is white self, his white mother, his (maligned) white grandmother.
Of course, I know that’s crazy-talk. Let me go on long enough, and I’ll be saying people should be viewed primarily in reference to the content of their character, and not the color of their skin.
Crazy-talk.
If anything, this should be a clear admission that Republicans haven’t made an racial attacks so far.
You know, I really suffer for lack of “Preview.” Snif.
the scolding = they scolding
is white self – his wife self
As I’ve posted on Fark: I don’t have a problem with a black President. However, I do have a problem with this particular black Presidential candidate.
Or, to put it another way…Colin Powell: Yes. Condi Rice: Yes. Barack Obama: NO WAY!
Unfortunately, the first two aren’t an option. More’s the pity.
He said:
“We know what kind of campaign they’re going to run,” the Illinois senator said at a fundraising event in Jacksonville, Florida.
“They’re going to try to make you afraid of me – ‘He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?’”
Quite an interesting, unnecessary and desperate statement indeed, for the following reasons:
1. It came from out of nowhere and he’s saying it as if it’s not something to be expected.
2. Republican/Conservative Politicians are not engaging in race based innuendo, as far as I can see, but it’s a portion of the voter populace that’s doing that. It’s natural to expect that from conservatives voters, but there is a great deal of it coming from Senator Clinton’s liberal base as well.
Though I personally don’t agree with the terms “political correct” and “race card” as they are common sentiments, usually derived from a pedestrian simplicity, it was really quite a dumb thing to say. Mentioning it only stokes the bonfire.
This campaign season sure is historical in its revelations about how trifling and how emotionally and spiritually arrested the American public is, and how grievous things are…sheesh.
And it’s showing me even worse things about contemporary people of faith. What a mess..
If there is one good thing about the Messiah becoming President, it is that He will likely do for the “civil rights” movement what William Jefferson Clinton did for the feminist movement – namely, cause it to implode over its inherent contradictions (namely – decrying white racism while simultaneously trying to benefit from black racism).
Recall that in the 1990s feminists repeatedly circled the wagons to protect the Misogynist in Chief. Sexual harassment, obstruction of justice, lying under oath, rape – all feminists could do was offer the advice of “Just relax and enjoy it” to the women who dared to cross Clinton Inc. Typical was former Time correspondent Nina Burleigh who offered to perform oral sex on Hillary’s husband “for keeping abortion legal”. Don’t underestimate the damage that this attitude did to undermine the feminists’ credibility.
Something similar could easily happen during the Presidency of He Whose Middle Name Must Not Be Mentioned. This all-criticism-of-Me-is-equal-to-racism shtick will grow old fast.
“It’s natural to expect that from conservatives [sic] voters…”
You misspelled “liberal.” Unless it was a joke.
I really wish I could vote for Obama because he is black and assuage my white guilt… But, unfortunately I don’t have any of that.
So, I’ll just have to do with voting for McCain because of that minor issue of Supreme Court Justices…the Iraqi situation…
and because Obama keeps making such absurd statements…[just my Whitey opinion of course]
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06232008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/anti_terror_oops_116762.htm
Meanwhile, up here in Alaska, we are looking forward to the mountain of Dem money that will be spent trying to unseat Sen. Stevens. Like many, I will bite my lip and vote for him to prevent another Dem in the Senate. Sorry about that.
I do not think we will ever completely overcome race issues on this earth, but we have made great strides in the down play of race. My 82 year old mother thought Sen. Obama was wasting time and money until he won in Iowa. She could not believe that a majority of white people in any political party would vote for a black presidential candidate. That was so uplifting to her. It is something she and most blacks of her generation never even imagined. My mother along with just about all blacks (even some black conservatives) will not let this opportunity to put the first black in the highest elected position in the United States escape.
Now I have gotten past the “first black person thing”. As a conservative Christian, for me it is all about where the presidential candidates stand on the issues and Mr. Rey De La Torre, you are so right. Sen. Obama will not be getting my vote. Now when I was a registered Democrat and some Republicans wanted to draft Colin Powell for president, they got my attention. The “first black person thing” was paramount with me back then. Hardly anyone disliked him (except for Harry Belafonte). I would have voted for Mr. Powell.
As far as the black/white Obama heritage thing, attitudes have changed. When I was growing up, if a person was perceived white, as soon as it was found out that person had a black parent or grandparent, that person was no longer considered white by the white community. Currently, some whites do not view Sen. Obama as black. Now if he was just John Q citizen and we saw him in an office building or in the mall, most of us would see him as black.
Of course there are still those who will not vote for Sen. Obama solely because he is black. Karl Rove did not shy away from this aspect in his analysis of the West Virginia Democratic primary. I saw one white woman in the coverage of that primary say that U. S. was not ready for a black president. The news reporter pressed her with questions until she admitted that she was not ready for a black president.
To Melissa’s Cozy Teacup and others, Sen. Obama has not quite turned his back on his white family members. He is using their images in his latest campaign commercials, to show what kind of a family raised him.
Dan Phillips said:
“It’s natural to expect that from conservatives [sic] voters…”
You misspelled “liberal.” Unless it was a joke.
Pedat Ebediyah says:
Read my entire post. Conservatives and Liberals are equally as scandalous and shameful when it comes to foolishness that has been brought out in this season. Just because those conservatives call themselves Christians means nothing. Out on Townhall, the conservative Christians are the ones that need to be put in check the most as their carnal natures seem to be binding the spiritual one.
In this season it appears the strong man is winning that battle and tainting what is supposed to be an exemplary witness for conservative believers.
Why are people so disingenuous?
What makes Colin Powell such a qualified candidate? Stop fronting like you’d vote for Colin cause he’s not like that other ‘black’ people in politics.
Colin Powell is NOT more qualified than Ron Paul, or Fred Thompson. Whose asking you to show YOUR approval for a non-white candidate so you can show your conditional support and acceptance of a ‘black conservative’? Just quit it.
Colin Powell AND Alan Keyes would get murdered on the issues.
I’d take Mitt Romney over BOTH of them in a split-second, IF I had to choose – even with the unsanctified and unBiblical foundation of his faith. Is Colin Powell saved? What about Alan Keyes? I don’t think Colin Powell is, and if Alan Keyes IS saved, he certainly doesn’t act like it, not that ANY American President acted like he was such a devout believer.
Dr Keyes may have been hammered on the issues but for the fact he was physically barred from joining in the debates. I wondered why there was no outcry… from anyone. It was a disgrace to treat someone running for the highest office in that manner.
I had the priviledge of hearing Dr. Keyes speak and he is a brilliant orator and defends his position well.
What about Alan Keyes? I don’t think Colin Powell is, and if Alan Keyes IS saved, he certainly doesn’t act like it
On what basis do you make such a statement?
Being a brilliant orator is cool and all, but I think Senator Obama has shown us how limited that is in value, am I wrong?
I took his speech in Philadelphia and dissected it paragraph by paragraph and presented it to a group of people as an experiment. I had people who supported him confused, and people who didn’t not support him even more conflicted.
The issue being that MOST people just don’t listen OR read and they don’t half understand what they DO read. You have to read EVERYTHING at least twice and print out or save things when politicians AND PREACHERS are talking about things that have an effect on your life.
For example, after Senator Obama “resigned” from Trinity he said this:
“My — again what I want to do in church is I want to be able to take Michelle and my girls, sit in a pew quietly, hopefully get some nice music, some good reflection, praise God, thank Him for all of the blessings He has given our family, put some money in the collection plate, maybe afterwards go out and grab some brunch, have my girls go to Sunday school. That’s what I am looking for.” Senator Barack Obama discussing his reasons for leaving his church this past weekend in Aberdeen, South Dakota
Two-faced! I guess this is why he gave that phony Father’s Day speech at The Apostolic Church of G-d, which is the Theological antithesis of Trinity.
This is why I don’t trust or take politicians who say they are so-called Christians too seriously. Be a politician and do that with some integrity (oxymoron) because contemporary Christianity has enough to contend with than to have a politician claiming to cling to it..
Read between the lines..
Marvin the Martian
What about Alan Keyes? I don’t think Colin Powell is, and if Alan Keyes IS saved, he certainly doesn’t act like it
On what basis do you make such a statement?
Pedat Says:
By his behaviors in public.
..The issue being that MOST people just don’t listen OR read and they don’t half understand what they DO read. You have to read EVERYTHING at least twice and print out or save things when politicians AND PREACHERS are talking about things that have an effect on your life.
I agree.
I gained respect for Dr. Keyes. After someone has been manhandled and taken away from a venue righly belonging to them, then laughs about it; gains my respect and willingness to listen.
Well you have to have thick skin and very high self-esteem to be a politician, I will give them that.
I give President Bush credit on that too.. because he takes a quite a beating from the public.
I still say the one who really got the shaft was Mitt Romney. But I digress..
How do we overcome? vote for Ron Paul.
Unfortunately, both sides will be playing the race card. Dems accusing republicans of being racist and republicans attributing everything Obama does to “playing the race card.”
LorMae, yes, but only one of those comments is correct. The Republicans haven’t touched with a ten foot pole Obama being unqualified for being black, and Obama has played the race card.
To be honest I was not expecting Obama to play the race card this early in the campaign season. I figured he would wait until the fall after the conventions and then use it like a hammer. Now he’s going to run the risk of crying wolf for the next 4 1/2 months until the election.
La Shawn,
I know you know that the imperfect, broken, fellowship of followers of Jesus Christ is the closest thing that we will see on this earth to knowing each other without pretense and preconception. Thank God we know the Overcomer, and He is always there. Try as we might, we cannot duplicate, on a natural level, the spiritual oneness that Christ promises and provides. I just praise Him that He can heal our hearts, followed by our minds, as nothing else can.
Blessings,
Bob Gohlke
I haven’t heard anyone attack O because of his race, but rather, his shallowness. Race is the foremost issue on his mind. Does he live in some sort of bizzarro world (remember Seinfeld here?) or parallel universe? I do find his arrogance annoying…well, that and his mouthy wife.
By his behaviors in public.
Comment by THEBIGDODDY
You will have to get a little more specific than that. I have not personally seen nor heard anything about Alan Keyes that would make me suspect that his profession of faith isn’t genuine.
Obama is not “half-black,” he is African American. African Americans are a group of people with mix ancestry.
Hint: the various skin hues that the group shares.
Most Africans, including myself, can tell an African American from an African almost immediately—facial features and skin hue alone.
Obama is getting my vote—not because he is black, because I like his politics.
Summer, If an African moves to America and becomes an American citizen, he is now African-American. A white person from Africa who moves to America and becomes a citizen is now an African-American.
Your mixed race definition is wrong.
The term “African American” is a label of racial distinction, a descriptive distinction which is, for the most part, exclusive to American society. A Black or White African born in Japan would not be given the term “African-Janpanese”, or in Mexico, “African-Mexican”, ect…
Other than the passe’ “one drop rule”, racial distinction in America is determined by the color of your skin.
Hi everyone,
Visit “The Face of AfriKa”. They posted an interesting article … is worth sharing.
http://www.thefaceofafrika.com/2008/06/juliette-smralda-interview.html
http://www.thefaceofafrika.com/2008/06/juliette-smralda-black-skin-frizzy-hair.html
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