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Obama Says Something Useful and Important
There were people — smart people, some of whom I know well — who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 because they thought, in the words of someone I know who grew up in the south, “it was time.” Time for America to have a black president.
These people were mostly conservative, all Republican, all southern — they carried with them the invisible guilt and shame that a lot of older folks I know from places in the south do. We can debate whether it’s real or not, or justified or not, or foolish or not — we all have opinions on that. But the folks I knew who pulled the lever for Obama in 2008 (and, for the record, none of them did in 2012) did it because they felt that a moderate black president would, on balance, be good for the country.
Okay, well, we all know how that turned out. And rather than litigate the reasons behind the vote, I’d rather examine just how awful this president has been when it comes to race relations. However naive it was to give him a vote, no one could have anticipated that he’d play the race card with such craven cynicism. His Attorney General and his acolytes in the press cry “racism” at every opportunity. They see racism in every jot of criticism. They’ve elevated victim-posing and whining to a high political art.
Not to mention sky-high unemployment among African American males.
So, it was a welcome surprise to read these words from the president, in the Washington Post:
“Sometimes African Americans, in communities where I’ve worked, there’s been the notion of “acting white” — which sometimes is overstated, but there’s an element of truth to it, where, okay, if boys are reading too much, then, well, why are you doing that? Or why are you speaking so properly? And the notion that there’s some authentic way of being black, that if you’re going to be black you have to act a certain way and wear a certain kind of clothes, that has to go. Because there are a whole bunch of different ways for African American men to be authentic.”
The phrase “acting white” is a way for a community to punish its outliers, its standouts. It’s good for America’s first African American president to stand up and say so.
But what a wasted opportunity this presidency has been. What a meaningless mess he’s made of it. Barack Obama had a chance, whether you liked him or not or voted for him or not, to make a deep and lasting positive impact on African Americans, especially the youth. Instead, it’s been excuses and evasions and race-baiting 24/7.
Except for the words above. I guess that’s something.
Published in General
His wasted opportunities are a testament to his sincerity
Trust me, it’s nothing.
Agreed. In fact, Obama hasn’t wasted anything. His goal was destroy America and he has capitalized on every opportunity to accomplish that goal brilliantly.
“But my point is, is that you don’t have to act a certain way to be authentic. . . .” That’s great coming from the inauthentic One. Indeed, Obama never was authentic..
Mark Steyn back in 2012
The paradox of Obama is that no one blames his weaknesses, sins, and/or malice on his race.
We just don’t like the arrogant, lying, condescending, can-dish-it-out-but-can’t-take-it SOB.
I posted The Lost Presidency of Barack Obama on March 20, 2009 on my blog. Rereading it just now makes me think someone should hire me to make predictions about the costs of electing leftists. This guy was toxic from the get-go.
“…And the notion that there’s some authentic way of being black, that if you’re going to be black you have to act a certain way and wear a certain kind of clothes, that has to go. Because there are a whole bunch of different ways for African American men to be authentic.”
This is what the country needed from the first black president. … in 2008 or 2009, even 2012. Now, as jonb60173 said, it’s wasted and insincere.
I seriously wonder, is it really Obama, or who is the true puppeteer? As much as they’ve thrown a monkey wrench in the gears, did they factor in the natural “tipping point” or “swing of the pendulum”? It appears (and I don’t want to jinx anything) that after the 2014 midterms things will change, if/when obamacare gets overturned, what do these pol’s have to show for their fruitless efforts?
But the transformation of America is almost complete. Job done. How to undo it is the question now..
It is sad. Look, I was always gonna oppose this guy; there was zero chance I could back anyone who pushed his “Stim.”
Still, he could have at least tried to link the grab-bag of handouts/set-asides/giveaways “help” to something… I dunno… meaningful?
Something that had -at the least- positive long-term potential for those Americans who are doing relatively poorly. Instead we got all of the childish garbage (delayed mandates, union handouts, class-warfare, smarmy, misleading, seemingly perpetual campaigns) and none of the leadership.
Just a few years ago there were people who were (not entirely unreasonably) presuming that he would play a modern day FDR to Dubya’s Hoover. That is done.
Rob, correct me if I am wrong but BHO did not carry southern states where you say all these conservative southerners voted for him out of guilt or shame. It is more likely he received more votes from the dead then southern conservatives.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
In his “Between Two Ferns” skit, Zach Galifianakis asked Obama, “How does it feel to be the last black president?”
A great joke. I hope it doesn’t turn out to be true. Now that the electorate has gotten the “I want to vote for the first black president to expiate all of our racist sins,” out of its system, maybe the next black president will be elected because he is deserving. And just maybe he will be a Republican.
Obama must know that he is, at this point, Jimmy Carter. And events are against him and he’s running out of time. If he cares about not being Jimmy Carter (and I bet every President until forever will) then this is his ticket. Be a positive, honest, challenging voice for the black community. Be a leader where a leader is needed.
If he nails that final act he’ll avoid Carterishness.
I work with a black guy who was a huge Obama supporter the first time around.
I said to him, my biggest concern about Obama is, what if the first black President is a disaster?
I guess we’re finding out. But I’m afraid it’s going to be a while before this experiment repeats, right or wrong.
Kennedy basically ended the issue of “being Catholic” in the US. (Except for left-wing bigots…) Obama had the same opportunity.
Rob,
After Holder let the Black Panthers stand in front of a polling place and Obama turned George Zimmerman into a “White Hispanic”, I am afraid these people are beyond redemption. If Pharaoh had relented during the first five plagues all would have been excused. However, once past the tipping point it is Gd proper not the abused Israelites who can stand Pharaoh’s arrogance no more.
I think it’s just a little late for the BHO psychotic gang to realize that reverse racism could exist. Also, if you feel guilty because you were a bigot, please take it out on yourself and leave the rest of us out of your self flagellation.
Regards,
Jim
Here’s Dennis Miller on Obama:
That’s me exactly — as happens so often, Dennis nails it.
How about we get Dennis Miller on the podcast, Rob? Wouldn’t he be fun for you guys?
About your friends who voted for him in 2008: I really can’t believe them on this one thing — once Jeremiah Wright’s anti-American views were known and you consider how many years Obama was in his church, it’s simply not possible to still have any hope whatsoever that he would be a good leader and good man. Not possible.
I know many people that voted for Obama because of his skin color. Some of them were family. I call them now what I called them then. Racist. If you treat a person different either granting them opportunities or denying them the same based on the characteristics of their race and not the quality of their character, then you are a racist. It is just that simple.
The legacy of Obama’s Presidency is that while fulfilling MLK dream he put the lie to MLK words
Oh, come on, he was a leftist from jump street. Chicago-style. At the table or on the menu.
Internationally or domestically, no one buys what he’s selling.
Because it doesn’t work.
Once again, time to start over.
I didn’t think I’d want anybody less than Hillary Clinton back in 2008, until I heard Barrack Obama’s interviews from the early 2000s where he complained on how inconvenient the constitution was in furthering the power of the federal government. A few days before the election, it was chilling to hear him proclaim they were on the way to fundamentally transform the United States of America. On the other hand, I hoped my feelings were just reactionary and his election would at least provide further improvement in race relations. Whoa, was I wrong.
To be fair, this is not the first time I have heard the President say something about attitudes that hurt the African-American community. In particular, I remember him talking about men’s responsibilities as fathers. But I think he has made many more you-are-victims speeches than take-responsibility speeches.
Moreover, while he may be a good example as a family man, I think he is a bad example as a man with responsibilities. Forever golfing and vacationing and clowning with late night TV hosts and, especially, belittling those who disagree with him — those are not the traits of a responsible man.
Are you kidding? Anyone who listened to his cravenly cynical “race speech” in the 2008 primaries, in which he threw his own grandmother (excuse me: “A typical white person”) under the bus to avoid taking responsibility for having sat in Jeremiah Wright’s pews for 20 years, would have known Barack Obama would play the race card with such craven cynicism at every opportunity.
Wait, are you talking about yourself here? :-\
I and others did anticipate this.
Sorry to make two comments on the same thing. This really (obviously) drives me bonkers. Nothing that Obama has done as president has been surprising to people who actually paid attention in 2007 and 2008. And I was a Democrat until 2008.
Hey, now. Let’s be fair to Pharaoh. God hardened his heart, each time. What’s Obama’s excuse?
I’m afraid we’ll have to go through the “I want to vote for the first woman president to expiate our sexist sins” first…
Whoa! Congrats on escaping the fall into the abyss with Obama. Tell us more!
We’re not finished with white guilt, folks. If we were, Obama would have been fired in 2012. No, white guilt persists today in the admonitions from our side not to even mention the “i-word.” [Impeachment]. “We can’t impeach the first black president!”
In which case, I’d just like to know, now that we’ve taken the “nuclear” option off the table, is there anything Obama can’t get away with? We’ve preemptively surrendered to a “means justifies the ends” leftist at the head of our government. All I gotta say to the GOP is, “Good luck fellas. You’re gonna need it.”
We’re so screwed.
Clutching at straws, Rob?
I work with some smart people who voted for Mr Obama – twice. Their main concern with him is that he has not been very effective at pushing forward their, err, Progressive agenda, and that he has made it unlikely that people will go for another African American President for a generation or two.
Of course from my point of view he has been way too effective, and the main lesson is that it’s not a good idea to have a closet Marxist as President, whose wife was ashamed of the majority of Americans until they elected him, but what do I know?
Agree completely with what someone mentioned above that precisely who BHO is was as clear as day back in 2008 and earlier. Yet everybody wanted to wish it all away. The Rev. Wright thing was equally telling. I recall later, after the election, being in Spain visiting an old friend from grad school. He being a typical leftist Spaniard who adored Comrade Barry, I showed him the Rev. Wright video, which he had otherwise not seen nor been aware of, and even his reaction was one of total disbelief. He couldn’t believe the American people ignored it. Yup. The guy won because he was black and only because he was black, and spoke a certain way (viz. Harry Reid quote).
Worst. President. Of. Our. Lifetime.
Barack Obama is now channeling Walter Williams circa 1994. Great progress!
Stopped clocks