My attention was just drawn to this item by Lawrence Bobo on TheRoot.com, headlined, "President Obama: Monumental Success or Secret Setback?" An excerpt:
To hear some barbershop talk, it is as if the racial progress in
America that Obama’s success has helped to crystallize also brings with
it a death knell for true racial justice. If Obama becomes the
president, every remaining, powerfully felt black grievance and every
still deeply etched injustice will be cast out of the realm of polite
discourse. White folks will just stop listening.A
black president means that America no longer has any race problem to
talk about! It would mean there is no longer any special debt to
African Americans to be repaid! Kiss that 40 acres and a mule goodbye,
my friends (or that BMer and a Rolex in modern reparations exchange
units)….
I have two thoughts about this piece, if it’s OK for a white guy to weigh in on this:
- Talk about what the election of Barack Obama as a black man means misses the point, since — as a lot of black folks asserted last year leading up to the primaries — Obama simply is not a "black man" in the sense that the phrase has meaning in American history, sociology and politics. I’ve got a column I’m planning on writing about that, after I read his autobiography on the subject. It will be headlined "Barack Like Me," and it will be rooted in the experiences he and I share spending part of our formative years in Hawaii (where race simply did not mean what it means here) and outside the United States — both in the Third World, in fact. None of these experiences are common to the sort of guy we describe when we say "black American." I hope to write that one before the summer is over.
- Because the popular narrative of this is that Obama IS a black man (despite all the evidence I see to the contrary), that’s the way an Obama victory will play in the public imagination. And that WILL be a death knell to the kind of black politics of resentment and grievance practiced by Jesse Jackson and (even more so by) Al Sharpton, Jeremiah Wright and to some extent by black politicos here in SC (such as Leon Howard, who said the former superintendent of Richland 1 had to go because "He catered to white folks").
Mr. Bobo agrees with me on the latter point, by the way:
"The politics of the perpetual outsiders demanding inclusion will finally end (read: Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will get less face time). And good riddance (perhaps). We’ve come too far over too many years for shrill protest to still be our main political posture today, no matter how necessary and relevant in the past…."
Related Posts
I can’t imagine it actually being a setback, and the people at TheRoot will feel like they just killed someone they felt they could bring back, but better. Sound familiar? Hilarious cartoon, too, here at the comedy site 236.com
http://www.236.com/blog/w/lee_camp/a_detailed_analysis_of_obamas_2_7767.php
How will a socialist radical black Muslim President be good for anyone in America?
Someone alert Kathleen Parker. I tended to agree with her for scoffing at liberals for worrying that the New Yorker cover would be taken literally by the irony-deprived out there. But she and I reckoned without Lee Muller.
Have you read Obama’s MEIN KAMPF, where he details the great influences in his life being communists and Muslim radicals?
How do you feel about Obama forcing you to purchase full medical insurance with YOUR money, even if you don’t want it, don’t need it, and are already covered? Of course, your employer will drop your coverage… that’s the whole idea.
“How will a socialist radical black Muslim President be good for anyone in America?”
Brad, much of what Lee often rants about is debatable (socialist, radical, communist, etc…) … but calling Obama a Muslim is simply a lie by Lee designed to smear both Obama and the majority of Islam. So, out of curiosity, how bad does someone need to get in their repeated lies posted here to get booted? (Not that I don’t find our resident xenophobic, homophobic, racist, self-centered, greedy, fascist who cloaks it all in libertarianism amusing… but at some point…)
Actually, Lee’s been booted before, back when he just signed himself “Lee.” As I’ve explained before, I grant more leeway (no pun intended) to those who use their full names.
For most people, that has a moderating effect on the way they express themselves. For others, well…
Of course, use of one’s full name isn’t absolute protection. I’ve deleted, and banned, people for obscenity, and persistent hostility of a sort that exceeds Lee’s, if you can imagine it. And if you can’t, you are blessed.
And as you say, isn’t it somewhat better to know Lee’s out there thinking this stuff? Maybe not; I just thought I’d pose the question…
Ok. I was just curious. (And being among the anonymous… I guess I didn’t need to include all the adjectives there.)
Anyway, thanks for providing the forum and the (often) interesting starting points.
We don’t know Obama’s religious beliefs.
He says he is Christian,
but his church is a “non-denominational” polyglot of several religions,
his hate-mongering pastor of 20 years is a “former” Black Muslim,
Obama has praised, and been praised by, Louis Farakan,
Obama is his new Muslim name, changed from his Christian, American birth name,
Obama’s father was an Afro-centrist communist, buried in a Muslim funeral,
Obama’s uncle and brother are Muslims and communists,
Obama is supported by Omar Khadaffi and Islamic terrorist leaders of Hamas,
Obama and his advisors have met with Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorists
Those are the basic FACTS.
If you have some reason to trust him in our war with radical Islam, what is it?
We don’t know Obama’s religious beliefs.
He says he is Christian,
but his church is a “non-denominational” polyglot of several religions,
his hate-mongering pastor of 20 years is a “former” Black Muslim,
Obama has praised, and been praised by, Louis Farakan,
Obama is his new Muslim name, changed from his Christian, American birth name,
Obama’s father was an Afro-centrist communist, buried in a Muslim funeral,
Obama’s uncle and brother are Muslims and communists,
Obama is supported by Omar Khadaffi and Islamic terrorist leaders of Hamas,
Obama and his advisors have met with Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorists
Those are the basic FACTS.
If you have some reason to trust him in our war with radical Islam, what is it?
I happen to agree with Prof. Bobo on the points made. However, I think that Obama’s success will more of a negative effect than is being anticipated. Because of the “Obama Effect,” more blacks have tried/will try their hand at applying for certain jobs or running for office, spurred on by Obama’s phenomenal, rather expeditious degree of political success. Some blacks will be successful, even if they are not outwardly qualified for the job/office they are seeking. (One of the recent “primary victories” is controversial just for this reason.) Yet, Obama will become the symbol which will justify further exclusion of blacks in a lot of arenas. Many blacks will be highly qualified and truly able to do the job for which they are applying/campaigning, and are trying to get the job on their own merits, not because of Obama. They may be shut out because non-blacks may get their “fill” of seeing black faces showing up for interviews and on TV/in print running for office. Non-blacks with racist leanings may use the success of the few (and the continued push for success by others) as irrational “proof” that “blacks are taking over” and “blacks are pushing whites back”, so blacks should no longer collectively cry “racism” and “discrimination”. On the other hand, successful blacks may employ the standard “crabs-in-a-barrel” mentality and try to block the success of other black hopefuls, especially if the hopeful is more educated, better qualified, and poses a (real or imagined) threat to the already successful black employee/official.
Finally, to address your issue of “granting leeway to people who use their full names,” I have chosen not to use mine because (1) I don’t know who reads this blog and (2) I don’t want to say something here which will jeopardize my future prospects of a job. I have a lot of education (three degrees – working on a fourth), several years of work experience, and am trying to find a well-paying job to break the cycle of poverty without having to take the job located at the “subterranean level” just to get in. The last thing I want to do is expose my identity to potential employers (black or non-black, fitting the above descriptions) and give them an additional incentive to exclude me from consideration.
“but his church is a “non-denominational” polyglot of several religions, ”
Doesn’t he attend a United Church of Christ church? The UCC has very close relationships with the Disciples of Christ, ELCA, Presbyterian Church (USA), and Reformed Church in America. It is one of the mainline protestant churches and is hardly “non-denomination”.
My observation of the doggeral preached and enthusiastically absorbed at Obama’s church is that it is far from mainstream Christianity, Islam, or any other established theology. It is a personality cult, based on racist hatred. Anyone who thinks otherwise has not listened to much of what goes on there, or is unfamiliar with genuine Christianity.
All other areas of Obama’s belief system are just as warped.
“is unfamiliar with genuine Christianity.”
What kind of Christian would say that another who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is lying about it?
Is there any Christian who has thought about it who would want to have their Faith in the Lord judged based on the worst of their words and deeds? Have their particular church judged based on its worst moment?
Just, the UCC church is in full communion with the churches you mentioned and the ECUSA as well. On their web page it states that the UCC “Formed by the 1957 merger of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church.”
Some of my German ancestors were members of the “Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland” (or EKD- German Evangelical Church), which is the “Evangelical” church referred to by the UCC. The EKD is also in full communion with the UCC.
Not the Herr Müller would know anything about that.
Is he a Socialist or Communist Muslim, Lee?
Can you make up your mind?
It’s still an oxymoron.
“…Obama’s church is that it is far from mainstream Christianity, Islam, or any other established theology.”
So you still call Obama a Muslim after you claim that his church is far from mainstream Islam?
Just curious as to what your thoughts are on John McCain seeking John Hagee’s endorsement since Hagee’s religious beliefs are far from mainstream Christianity.
Thanks for making our points of showing what a hypocrite you are.
Finally, if you want a religious group be incharge of the government, (theocracy) go live in Iran.
This is America.
Mr. Warthen wrote, “Obama simply is not a ‘black man’ in the sense that the phrase has meaning in American history, sociology and politics. …if it’s OK for a white guy to weigh in on this.”
Let’s see: Obama spent 20 years in a church overseen by the now notorious Rev. Wright, married a woman who has the black act down to a stereotypic certainty and churned out the most liberal voting record in the Senate since taking office.
Sounds just like a white guy to me, now that the NBA as so many white players almost no slots are left for black guys and the moon’s green cheese has tomato sauce lathering the dark side.
“Barack Like You,” eh, Mr. Warthen? How much time did you spend at Harvard? Do you switch stances on issues likes clothes for winter and summer?
How would you know the man? He’s doing his best to hide the real Obama, IF there is one.
as i have said before….
who is obama and what does he really stand for? let’s get beyond the nebulous ‘change we can believe in’ and get specific.
Surely we can dispense with the “most liberal voting record in the Senate” line by now? That designation is created by folks who have an interest in seeing the label applied to the current Democratic presidential candidate, so they pick and choose the votes under consideration to attain the desired outcome. Or are we supposed to believe it’s just a coincidence that John Kerry had the “most liberal voting record in the Senate” in 2004?
Is the idea here to have real discussion and engagement with ideas to solve the issues or just a standard left-right rant blog? The politics of outrage (left or right) may feel good, but are a dead end. There are real issues to explore and while ranting consumes time and emotional energy, it doesn’t actually accomplish a thing.
As to those who just like to rant, like Mr Muller, if you can’t ban them, maybe everyone could agree just to ignore them? That’s what we do in the real world with people like that. (Though having it all in print makes it hard to ignore them and follow what’s going on whenever every other post is a rant!) Or just delete rants. Or limit them to one, and delete the repeats.
I wonder if giving them so much attention keeps many folks from not engaging at all, as it’s just not worth one’s time. He’s only interested in getting people riled up. Yawn.
Or maybe the people on this blog are mostly here for the theater, and so this blog’s just not for me.
mr. Macfarland asked the question which all Obama supporters refuse to answer:
Can you describe in detail Obama’s position on any particular issue, and tell us why you agree with him?
Can you tell EXACTLY what his religious beliefs are? How can you tell?
Lee, seriously…
Obama has written two books about his life and experiences, and his website has page after page of where he stands on all kinds of issues, and has plenty of specifics. If you have XM, at least one place I know of, you can listen to the press pool ask him tons of questions, sans script or teleprompter, which he proceeds to, gasp, answer. If you can’t seem to figure out where he stands or what he’s about, then you are deliberately choosing to either not take any of it in, or choosing to believe that everything he has ever done or said is an outright lie.
My challenge goes unanswered.
I already know Obama.
I asked you Obama supporters if YOU know the details of his agenda, his religious beliefs, his ideology regarding socialism and free markets.
So far, I see nothing.
The Obama supporters seem to be as shallow as his rhetoric. They seem to be afraid to delve into the details of the Obamas. They seem afraid of having to admit his detractors are right. Maybe they are just too lazy.
“I asked you Obama supporters if YOU know the details of his agenda, ”
I posted four in a subsequent thread.
My challenge goes unanswered.
Pick an issue that makes you support Obama, and explain how his position will benefit YOU, and how it will benefit or harm other Americans.
From what I have seen, most Obama supporters know nothing more than, “Change!”.
Having spoken at length with thoughtful supporters and opponents of Obama, as well as those who have yet to take sides, I think that he’s a work in progress with quite left-wing roots. It may well be that he believes what he says on any given day and in fact believes that he’s always believed it simply because his beliefs on a range of specifics are not firmly anchored.
He’s never been held to account for accomplishments, even for writing his books. He missed deadlines, but eventually produced something that passed muster, was published, was popular, and made him a couple of bucks. Good for him.
But in all fairness, he’s not been in a challenging position where he’s got to produce and comes from a background where folks succeed by getting some governmental agency or a non-governmental organization to fund what one hopes to achieve. He has no understanding of private enterprise and what markets do.
To be fair, most of his supporters are in the same boat. While blacks may end up providing the margin that elects him, Obama may end up disappointing them as he’s forced to satisfy the demands of the rest of the Dem’s special interest groups.
But “may” is the operative work, because the conflict between race and ideology may not surface immediately, if at all. It all depends on the composition of the Congress and how successful opponents are at highlighting conflicts. For example, blacks are generally opposed to abortion and favor vouchers. If a cooperative Congress can include measures that conflict with blacks’ sentiments in really massive bills that have broad support among the rest of the Dem’s constituencies, the impact will probably be miniscule.
Obama will certainly expand minority-business set-asides in federal contracting, but while popular in the black community, such efforts are spread over a wide range of defined minorities — not just blacks — and are based on the ownership, not employment practices, of such firms, with the result that they may have no effect on the employment or income level of blacks. Again, such a thing is hard to notice.
The real question is this: how will a wildly successful or miserably failing Obama administration affect blacks?
I’d prefer not to find out.
“The real question is this: how will a wildly successful or miserably failing Obama administration affect blacks?”
Excellent question. It’s also equally pertinent with regard to McCain, is it not?
McCain isn’t running a campaign based on racism, like Obama is.
Yeah just what america really needs, a black muslim president…the answer to all american problems.. Oh yeah, go on then vote for this guy, you will regret it later.
Obama and a Democrat Congress
= higher taxes on the Productive Class
= no savings
= no investment
= fewer jobs
= more blacks laid off
The O-man, Barack Hussein Obama, is an eloquently tailored empty suit. No resume, no accomplishments, no experience, no original ideas, no understanding of how the economy works, no understanding of how the world works, no balls, nothing but abstract empty rhetoric devoid of real substance.
He has no real identity. He is half-white, which he rejects. The rest of him is mostly Arab, which he hides but is disclosed by his non-African Arabic surname and his Arabic first and middle names as a way to triply proclaim his Arabic parentage to people in Kenya . Only a small part of him is African Black from his Luo grandmother, which he pretends he is exclusively.
What he isn’t, not a genetic drop of, is ‘African-American,’ the descendant of enslaved Africans brought to America chained in slave ships. He hasn’t a single ancestor who was a slave. Instead, his Arab ancestors were slave owners. Slave-trading was the main Arab business in East Africa for centuries until the British ended it.
Let that sink in: Obama is not the descendant of slaves, he is the descendant of slave owners. Thus he makes the perfect Liberal Messiah.
It’s something Hillary doesn’t understand – how some complete neophyte came out of the blue and stole the Dem nomination from her. Obamamania is beyond politics and reason. It is a true religious cult, whose adherents reject Christianity yet still believe in Original Sin, transferring it from the evil of being human to the evil of being white.
Thus Obama has become the white liberals’ Christ, offering absolution from the Sin of Being White. There is no reason or logic behind it, no faults or flaws of his can diminish it, no arguments Hillary could make of any kind can be effective against it. The absurdity of Hypocrisy Clothed In Human Flesh being their Savior is all the more cause for liberals to worship him: Credo quia absurdum, I believe it because it is absurd.
Thank heavens that the voting majority of Americans remain Christian and are in no desperate need of a phony savior.
His candidacy is ridiculous and should not be taken seriously by any straight thinking American.
Pass this on to every straight thinking American you know!