Constructive gadfly
Obama's Speech
Published on March 19, 2008 By stevendedalus In Democrat

 

Pundits again are applauding Obama; this time over his speech on race. In so doing, however, they are inserting another bias by qualifying that Obama’s thoughtful oratory may only reach understanding with the suburban educated class already claimed to belong to Obama and that the blue collar, uneducated “knuckleheads” of Hillary supporters will not be capable of absorbing its “nuances.”

However, these nuances clearly were meant to safeguard his virtually unanimous black support and frenzied “upscale” whites by not “disowning” the fiery tongued Reverend Wright and having the effrontery and audacity to equate the reverend’s fire with the private light sparks of ancient old wives’ tales of his white grandmother. What is it we Democrats say about Republicans?—oh, yeah, they’d sell their grandmothers for votes.

Given that the N word and H word are used privately in many white and black households respectively, it is patronizing to lecture the public that racism still exists and many generations away from “we shall overcome.” What is particularly disturbing is that an intellectual has for twenty years viewed his controversial pastor as “family” and continued to support his church, which is worse than those who continue to follow controversial pastors of the religious right because one as ostensibly bright as Obama should not have been in any way influenced by—or hard to believe ignored or laughed off— such radical thought. The argument that Wright has done much good for the members of his parish is no more convincing than all the good the Christian coalition has done for its collective parishioners and the needy.

I fear—especially since I cannot "disown" him as part of the democratic “family”—that he is but another politician huckstering snake oil.


Comments
on Mar 19, 2008
Given that the N word and H word are used privately in many white and black households respectively, it is patronizing to lecture the public that racism still exists and many generations away from “we shall overcome.”


The H word? Hillary?

But I will take issue with your assertion. No, I do not fool myself into believing that this is paradise on earth and no one looks at skin color. But I disagree it is a major impediment. There will always be racists (and to a lesser extent, sexists). But their impact on society has diminished to the point of being just the "cranky old uncle" every family has. The fact that despite the Clinton Machine, Obama is still winning a major party's nomination for president, and that the number of Black Governors is now no more than a trivia question (we are talking post reconstruction here) indicates that skin color is secondary to most people when looking at elected officials (that is not to say the primary reason for voting for them is worth much either).

I think the generation of "we shall overcome" is here. There will always be racists. But their numbers are now small enough where they can be laughed at and scorned because of their ignorance and hatred. Without worrying about losing an election (with pockets of exceptions around the nation).
on Mar 19, 2008

Yeah Honky Hillary.

With this quiet temperament of yours I should expect you to direct this to Obama, urging him to make an exodus from his black panther church of militance if he's to be the one to reach out to the MLKjr rational side of blacks and white.

on Mar 20, 2008
With this quiet temperament of yours I should expect you to direct this to Obama, urging him to make an exodus from his black panther church of militance if he's to be the one to reach out to the MLKjr rational side of blacks and white.


Oh, I agree with that part. As John Q, he can associate with anyone, whether he agrees with them or not. As Presidential Candidate, he has to distance himself from them because of the appearance of endorsement. There is a double standard, but one that politicians have brought upon themselves for trying to be the Jiminy Cricket of a nation.

I agree with your overall assessment, just picked on a part I did not.