.Reaction: Obama’s Speech on Race
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Yesterday I watched Barack Obama’s speech on race relations and his associate Reverend Wright. I watched the speech in its entirety, and I seem to have taken away something different than most conservatives: I thought it wasn’t half bad. He did hit a tangent of some leftist ideas that I don’t agree with– and I noticed– but I thought the overall message of his speech was constructive and adequately addressed criticism of his connection with Rev. Wright.
Conservative talk radio has been incredibly critical of the speech. Some of the criticism is deserved, and all of it is expected, but judging from the inability of conservative commentators to acknowledge anything good about the speech, I discern they were determined to cry foul if Obama did anything less than morph into a young, black Ronald Reagan on national TV. We all knew that wasn’t going to happen. This morning WVNN’s Dale Jackson said in regard to Obama’s reaction to Rev. Wright’s comments, “All I heard was excuses.” This is ironic, given that Obama said, “Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not.” I believe that nothing discredits a debater or commentator more than when he refuses to acknowledge any valid points of his opposition. It shows that one thinks they might not be able to logically counter the points if taken head-on, so the points must be unacknowledged or dismissed outright. Liberals, stop wagging your fingers; you’re the biggest culprits."
Midnight in Iraq
posted by madtom at 6:54 PM
10 Comments:
I loved the speech. I was obfuscation and misdirection at its very best. Playing upon white guilt, admonishing the black community without being specific, never addressing his lack of leadership while in the midst of it.
Was it courageous, principled, or moral when Obama tacitly supported the teachings of his pastor for 20 years he now deems ignorant, divisive, appalling, wrong, shocking, at times? Can a man who apparently had no concern that his community, including its children, were being taught these things by a man to whom he showed respect and support, be the same man who now presumes to lecture us all on our failings as a nation? I would have left. A better man would have stood up. Obama did neither. Why? I don't know, but that's the question he never really answered.
Not that I agree with any of the crazy things that guy said, nor do I even like Obama much. But that's easy for you to say from a white perspective. Not so easy from the other side. If you think that there is no more racism left in this country, I have a bridge for sale.
Never said there was no racism MT. And I might remind you, I am not 'White'. Lots of Native American in my blood, not that I dwell on such things. I look it, but not as much as my wife and children. I know the history and could play the hate whitey game if I choose. I have had comments and looks. But being 6'5", I probably miss a lot of things. I tend to think people are people and how well they tan has nothing to do with their character.
So you think it is expecting too much for Obama to have addressed his concerns about his pastor's words until it became a matter of his viability as a candidate?
And I thought you might be up dancing to the conspiracy theories. You seem to have an affinity for them.
Just kidding, MT, don't go all Mad on me.
Well that is the sad part. I wish we could have this discussion outside the realm of electoral politic, but that did not happen. So Obama has to spin it in terms of the election. Though I thought he did a decent job of going beyond the bare minimum that he might have gotten away with, and did try to expand a little beyond.
Give the guy some credit. You know I tried to stay away from the whole subject, but I thought that Midnights post was well rounded enough to be no too controversial.
I'm very white too, but I will not suffer to be called "white", I'm Cuban.
Maybe I misread, did you say you look like and indian?
Redskin?
Yeah, that is what I said. Native American, yaknow? Not the convenience store proprietor Indian, the casino operator Indian. Redskin?---- geeze. I have the tan to prove it, but my wife and kids have more of the facial features. I have never really made it an issue or taken notice when others have. And I have no patience for my tribe members who try to play the race card. We are just as prone to human failings as the whitest of whites and the blackest of blacks, and I'm not afraid to say it to anybody.
Then I apologize for thinking you white. Now I can start pounding you for selling out you own kind. What a traitor. You should have joined the march against the great white masters.
Seriously though the question of race in this country still has a long way to go. I went once to a small town in Georgia and was just thrown back by the backwards people I found there. The whites thought they won the civil war, and the blacks were so scared of them, so, what is the word, In their place, I was insulted. I was there touring with a show car, at a car show, so we played the music that we were used to playing around here, which is "rap", I think gangster rap. I personally hate the stuff, but at car shows the kids love the shit. You should have seen the faces of the black kids. You would have thought that were conducting some kind of devil worship rituals. They wanted to come closer and enjoy the music which they odiously liked, but the scared look on their face said it all. are you crazy, their looks told us, you cant play that music here. I even herd a few of them remark. "they play that nasty music" as if it were some taboo. well needless to say that was the one car show that year we did not win. We did not even place, and the looks the folks were giving us, you would have thought we were a leper colony.
that night someone vandalized our trailer, and in the morning, there was no room at the hotel restaurant, we had to get takeout. The story of the evil Cubans spread like wildfire. Even a gas station attendant gave us a hard time.
I was never more happy to be back home in my life, for a while there I did not think we would make back.
No need to apologize, you are just a typical White Cuban guy. I guess I don't write Indian, huh? Smoke signals don't work well on the internet. Like I said, I find that a person who makes their race one of the most 10 important things about them don't have enough to talk about. Hell, links to Cuba may be the only thing I can't claim, as far as I know. My white ancestors started in England and where here as early as 1650 and have a history of getting around.
a typical White Cuban guy
You heard that too...I bet he dropped 10 points in the polls with that remark. No need to worry though, nothing more bastard than a Cuban. For us it's not the purity of our breed, but how mixed we all are. That said, you would be shocked at how racist Cubans can be. It's kind of funny if it wasn't so sad, but Cubans are very particular about race. We hate everybody, but other Cubans, and the very white like myself, the elite, think we are gods gift, yet we treat black and mulatto Cubans better than afro-Americans, or "Latinos", you know Mexican, or other central americans...
Like I said race is a complicated issue not easy to understand, much less talk about.
If you break out the smoke signals I'll get my Babalu drums, we can have a great ol time
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