Rethinking Barack Obama in Chi-Town

Henry Louis Gates' "The Root" ^ | 25 Dec | McAllister

[flowerplough]

It's true: Black people are protective of President Barack Obama because he is the first African American to serve as the commander in chief of the United States. It's not that hard to figure out why that would be the case.

Still, I didn't truly understand the depths of this loyalty until I recently moved to Chicago and the same South Side streets that the president used to walk. Now that I have, I tell you, I get it.

Although I was always very aware and critical of people attacking an influential black man's actual manhood and character over policy differences, I admit: The more I fall in love with the people who make up one of the richest parts of black America (in terms of culture, cultural awareness and civic pride), the more I find myself cognizant of the line between appropriate criticism and inappropriate potshots at the guy who used to be a community organizer around these parts.

I can separate the two men named Barack H. Obama -- the one who once filled in as a guest radio host on WVON, the black talk radio station from where I write this piece today, and the one who is now leader of this nation. Most people here in Chicago -- and perhaps many black folks around the nation -- cannot.

And for the president's foes, perhaps, it behooves them to grasp this recognition in time for the political game in 2011.

If nothing else has come out of the Tea Party movement of the last two years, it is that the nation -- even moderates -- will be open to accepting new political solutions (even from the right), but it may continue to reject those solutions in dealings with the president, based on the tone of the criticism he receives. With the Tea Party appeased by (and pleased with) the results of the midterm elections, the president and Republicans were able to come to the table together without the nasty tone of criticism hurled at the president from the right. It is not surprising that, in return, the president was able to sign into law several pieces of legislation that would not have been overwhelmingly supported otherwise in either the House or the Senate.

[Nepeta]

There is a word describing the unreasoning support and defense of a man who literally bows to foreigner, insults the traditional allies of this country, and offers encouragement to the enemies of America, who has helped foster an atmosphere of uncertainty with unhappy economic results.

A large proportion of the people who supported Obama and who voted for him have changed their minds about him as they watched his performance in office fall well short of their expectations. They didn’t suddenly become racists. They watched what Obama did over nearly two years in office, and didn’t like what they observed or where the country was going.

The refusal of the majority of black Americans to consider that Barack Obama’s presidency is a deepening disaster, even as they suffer disproportionately, is not going to end well. Obama has done nothing of particular benefit to black Americans. Unlike other voter blocks, who will vote for candidates and support candidates based upon policy and belief (we will have two Republican governors in 2011 of Indian extraction—part of a small minority) not common ethnicity, Obama’s unreasoning support from black America is based upon mutual melanin.

The rest of the country knows, as it knows racism when it rears its hideous head.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

until I recently moved to Chicago and the same South Side streets that the president used to walk.

Awwwwwww, geez! Gates is here now? Why couldn't he stay in Camden?

My advice to him? CPD never acts stupidly when dealing with beligerent citizens.

[lonestar]

I can’t think of a country with a black at the top that isn’t full of crooks and government corruption.

[magooey]

the president and Republicans were able to come to the table together without the nasty tone of criticism hurled at the president from the right.

Yeah, and what about the nasty tone of criticism hurled at President Bush from the left for 8 years? You remember, "Bushitler", "kill Bush", and so on. That seems to be just fine with the author of the above article.

[magooey]

I can’t think of a country with a black at the top that isn’t full of crooks and government corruption.

Namibia, Botswana and maybe a few others. Of course travel next door to Zimbabwe and you'll take your life in your hands.

[Popman]

Are you denying there is no racism within the black community ?

“Brighter” blacks discriminate against “darker” blacks all the time

[SonsOfCollins_Wallace]

“(I think we all know the answer to THAT!!)”

Yes we have the answer -
Rhodesia (Mugabestan) and South Africa !!

[jnsun]

Agreed there is no reason to waste any time on whatever Henry Louis Gates says, but this is an interesting FR thread. Routinely perspectives brought up on FR, are significantly more fundamental than nationally published garbage.

In response to "And what would happen to racism in America if all WHITE PEOPLE left tomorrow?" I don't believe its even close. There's as much chance for an articulate Anglo-Saxon politician to be elected President of Kenya, Gabon, or Senegal, as there is chance for an articulate Anglo-Saxon politician to be elected President of China or Japan.

The free election of Barack Obama in the US is clearly unique. But was clearly a manipulated phenomenon of white guilt cultivated by years of propaganda. For what other possible reason would people in Oregon or Minnesota which are 99% white for example, vote overwhelmingly for a candidate who had absolutely no executive experience, nor even very much (a couple years) in federal politics, and that invariably leftist?

It was a phenomenon of white guilt and black bias (pure and simple race-consciousness) and little more. And furthermore the guilt was vicariously transferred across the western world where BO had for instance some of his greatest receptions, i.e. campaign speeches in Germany.

It is absolutely amazing to me, and disturbing, that media-instilled guilt has such a comprehensive hold on a populace that the supposed root values (independence from authoritarian government) of that population are forsaken. Unless of course those values have been lost or are so shallow as to be easily co-opted.

The only hopeful resolution of the whole miasma of race and spin such as we see here by Henry Gates is outright articulation of the values and obligations of freedom, the human responsibility and morality of living one's own decisions. There are black skinned individuals who do believe in this, hopefully just as high percentage as white skinned individuals; but it's left to someone, somewhere to describe such loud and clear. Thus the Tea Party.

[Louis Foxwell]

Agreed. FR commentarium is vastly more insightful and germain than most of what passes for newsworthy.
Perhaps the banality of Obama’s election will finally erase race consciousness from our body politic.
Certainly we have got a bellyfull of guilt and preferential treatment out of this current administration. That is not even counting daily dollups of rightuous indignation ladled out of the most nieve brand of Marxism on the planet.
I believe I could abide Obama’s politics if it were even a smidgen intellectual. He remains, however, a complete dolt incapable of even the rudiments of intellectual activity.
Obama is the quintessential product of affirmative action, utterly ignorant and steaming with self rightuousness.

The leftist press is hell bent to keep us from seeing the naked emperor and so they try to paint the most intellectually astute politician in the country as a country clod. Yes, I mean to say Sarah Palin, a magnificent specimen of Americanism.

[DUMBGRUNT]

He appeared to be a real and likeable person, I’d met him twice.
I was surprised that he was so short and dark. Never knew it from the television.
He had a real sense of humor, unlike our dear leader.
Had he made a few more years Chicago may have improved some for he did not bow to the unions.
And a US Army vet.

[nascarnation]

American black society has committed suicide.

Yes and they were facilitated by Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society". Wiped out the black family structure in 2 generations. Not even the most ardent Klan member could have wished for that. Now the bastard birth rate is 75%+ and we expect the school system to fix them.

[fight_truth_decay]

But Obama never mentions the Mayor, with history in Chicago ...even though there is some mimicry by Obama. Ah..perhaps the unions did not like Washington, so Obama never mentions the Mayor. Obama chose Rev Wright to be his Mentor.

When I think of the City, I think of the Harold Washington Library in its architecture with the gargoyle like creatures sitting on top.

Man on the street
Mr. Washington, how are you?

Harold Washington
Fine, Sir. I'm going to do a good job.

Man on the street
Good luck to you.

[sighs]The good ones are all deceased...