A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama And Why He Can’t Win by Shelby Steele

21 January 2008 | Vanity

[shrinkermd]

Introduction

Shelby Steele wrote this book before any polls or votes suggested Barack Obama was a plausible contender. As such, the author was both prescient and provocative.

Shelby Steele is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. His best selling book is The Content Of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America. He has also written White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Destroyed The Promise Of The Civil Rights Era. He has written other books and has published widely. President Bush honored him with the National Humanities Medal.

This book is noteworthy because it is slim—134 pages—yet comprehensive in appraising current black-white relations. This book summarizes the essentials of Shelby Steele’s thinking about race.

The author’s points are congruent with what we know about human nature--how a relatively powerless group interacts with a powerful group. The author notes this is a general human response pattern, but narrows his discussion to black-white relations. When I summarize this book, it must be understood Shelby Steele is more nuanced and profound than my simple declarative sentences suggest.

In this short commentary and review, I will spend most of the effort on the author’s basic ideas about race. I will discuss Obama but almost as an afterthought. The reason I take this approach is that after many years of reading FR, I am convinced very few are aware of Shelby Steele’s thoughts on race.

Bargaining and Challenging

The author states, “Bargaining and challenging are the two great masks that we blacks wear when we seek success and power in the American mainstream.” These broad means of interaction can also be thought of as quasi-identities. Of course, those who predominantly use one of these approaches will, from time to time, use the other as well.

Bargainers make a specific deal with whites. The bargainer does not hold the history of white racism against whites if they do not use race against blacks. By taking this approach bargainers give goodwill and receive goodwill. They give before they ask. Bill Crosby and Oprah Winfrey are bargainers. Basically, bargainers give racial innocence (remove the stigmata of racism) to whites; hence, the whites are both relieved and grateful. Their gratitude is such that many talented, black bargainers receive not only white recognition but riches as well.

Challengers confront whites. Challengers put all whites in the position of having to prove their racial innocence (not racist). Challengers assume all whites are racist and whites need to do something to prove otherwise. Among blacks, challengers usually have no power; however, once they interact with whites they gain great power. The black skin gives them moral authority in a society where being labeled a “racist” is one of the worst sins imaginable. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are challengers. Affirmative action and other special actions are demanded of whites. Prominent challengers even function as racial priests. Witness Don Imus’s appeal to Al Sharpton after Imus was pilloried for racist remarks.

A few more points about challengers:

• Challengers achieve authority simply by being black; this requires white guilt.

• Only a challenger can remove racist stigma and only when they get something in return.

• Challengers will never be widely accepted by whites—extortion does not result in warm, fuzzy feelings.

• Challengers have been increasingly important since the 1960 civil rights revolution.

• This is the age of white guilt and this is not diminishing in importance.

• Rappers are challengers who appeal to youthful rebellion and self-indulgence; 80% of their money comes from white adolescents.

• Rappers are “racialists” rather than humanists in that they demand tribute be paid to their race rather than to their humanity (individual accomplishment).

• American higher education, and to a lesser extent journalism, is controlled by the challengers; hence, blacks are given sovereign authority in some parts of the university and require all to be preoccupied with multiculturalism and diversity.

• Challengers, in the end, can never win more than concessions; the power is tied to their race and the best they can hope for in universities is to “ghettoize” certain departments or divisions.

• The age of white guilt demands racial innocence to make possible their being decent people; there would be little market for either challengers or bargainers if whites did not carry the stigma of prior or present racism.

• If whites suggest that black responsibility is needed to overcome black social problems they are labeled as racist; if blacks mention black responsibility is the answer they are labeled as “Uncle Toms.”

Barack Obama, The Iconic Negro

Recently Rush Limbaugh created quite a stir when one of his parodies referred to Barack Obama as the “magic negro.” Rush did not originate that term. It had been previously used in by a political pundit from the LA Times who in turn referenced this to another source.

No matter. Using this term caused quite a stir and threats to take Rush off the air. Nothing happened because Rush Limbaugh is a consummate professional and he proved to be above reproach.

Somewhat similar to “magic negro” is Shelby Steele’s use of the “iconic negro.” By definition an iconic negro is someone who embodies the highest and best of both longings of both races. In such people one can see the historic shame of their races at last overcome.(Page 86)

Iconic negroes only arise in racially divided societies. Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela are good examples. By dispensing with the sense of “otherness” it can be replaced with warmth, familiarity and racial goodwill. Racial tension appears nonexistent. The big problem with being an iconic Negro is one must wear the bargainers mask and the prerequisite for becoming an iconic negro is a great ability to maintain this mask and appear absolutely natural.

Barack Obama is the first Black to plausibly run for POTUS. He does so on the basis of being the quintessential iconic negro. Barack Obama entered this race by wearing the bargainer’s mask. Like the author he is the product of a white mother and a black father. Unlike the author, Barack was abandoned by his father at age 2. Being raised by a white mother and her parents resulted in his becoming an expert bargainer. This was, then, not an earned bargainer position based on outstanding individual effort. No, it was the result of a “matching of his racial persona with an American hunger for racial innocence” (absence of racism). (Page 152)

In a certain sense Barack Obama’s case for being President rests not on a vision for America or the advocacy of personal convictions but his striking success as an iconic negro.

Why Barack Obama Will Not Become President

Barack Obama is a “bound” man. He discounts his white heritage and puffs his black heritage and must continue doing so. He cannot lose his black identity without losing the ability as a bargainer to appeal to whites. Contrariwise, he cannot lose his black identity and keep his black supporters.

Essentially, there are two “binds” that hamper Barack Obama’s chances to be POTUS.

The first is his claim to fame and acceptance is that of an iconic Negro. If he begins criticizing blacks or letting whites off the hook, he will lose the “rock star specialness” that underlies his political viability. Blacks will lose respect for him as an Uncle Tom and Whites will no longer see him as giving them racial innocence. Whites vote for Obama. not for his policies, but for American racial redemption. Like all bargainers Barack tries to be, more or less, politically invisible; when this is impossible he becomes a tepid leftist.

Shelby Steele summarizes the first problem thusly:

”If blacks are not victims of white racism, if their problems stem from pathologies only remotely related to past racism—if, in fact, more black responsibility is the only meaningful answer to black difficulty—then whites begin to disengage from the idea that their solicitude brinks black advancement. Suddenly, they don’t need the innocence that bargainers offer them.. Eventually, all bargainers must lean to the political left, where the focus is on white responsibility for black difficulty….” (Page 117)

”So Obama is not given to “fresh” or “new” ideas. It is hard to be an iconic Negro and original at the same time. He works within convention not against it. When you are an iconic Negro you are original, not in your thinking, but in your person…(Page 119)

The second bind Barack faces is the question, “Is he black enough?” How is it possible to be a white favorite and an icon of the mainstream left and still be an advocate for blacks? Since he gives racial innocence to whites before asking for anything he is doubly damned. ”…challenging now defines the black American identity because whites are now contrite over their historical association with white supremacy…” In a certain sense challenging has resulted in a situation where ”neither race can ever fully know itself except in relation to the other..” (Page 126)

To summarize this second point, Barack Obama works entirely within the current scheme of race relations. The masks of bargaining and challenging are essential if this current scheme is to persist. ”…he exploits the world to move himself ahead, not to advance a new configuration of race relations or to end the current configuration altogether…” Obama is a racial pragmatist more than anything else.

Shelby Steele’s Final Take On Barack Obama’s Chance To Become POTUS

The author concludes thusly:

”…Nonetheless, Barack Obama entered history by wearing the bargainer’s mask. He was born to a fate that literally schooled him in bargaining. It was not a hard-earned and carefully evolved individuality that won him entree’ into national imagination. It was the matching of his racial persona with a hunger for racial innocence in white America…

”…What gave Barack Obama the idea that he could plausibly run for POTUS? Was it that he had evolved a compelling vision for the nation grounded in deeply held personal convictions? Or was it he had simply become aware of the his power to enthrall whites?...(Pages 132-133)

Afterthoughts And Recommendations

You can find an excellent Bill Moyers interview of Shelby Steele HERE.

As noted the book is 134 pages with a brief index. I paid $15 for my copy. The copyright is 2008 and the publisher is the Free Press, a division of Simon and Schuster.

It is an easy read but very profound depending on how much you reflect on the contents. In a certain sense, Shelby Steele advocates an existential philosophy where every one of us is responsible—responsible for what we do, responsible for who we are, responsible for the way we face and deal with the world and ultimately responsible for the way the world is. This is the philosophy of “no excuses” that Kierkegaard and Camus found congenial and meaningful. It is also the world that Shelby Steele lives in.

I have only one recommendation other than buying and reading this book—we need to prevail on Rush Limbaugh, if he already hasn’t done so, to interview Shelby Steele on several or more occasions. His thoughts need to be reflected upon by all of those who really think rather than simply emote. Bill Moyers and obscure book reviews are insufficient.

Shelby suffers from a dual disability-being black and being an intellectual. The former is easier to get around than the latter. If something isn’t 300 words or less or amenable to one-liners on the late shows, it seldom makes a dent in what and how we think. Sometimes this is remedied after the author’s death but, hopefully, that is many years in the future. Rush could broadcast and give a popular, conservative imprimatur to Shelby’s thoughts.

[deport]

Shelby Steele had a featured article in Time magazine dated Dec. 10, 2007 entitled “The Identity Card” which discusses this in detail. I happened upon it today while in the doctors office waiting room and I though it was an interesting read.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1689619,00.html

[shrinkermd]

Yes, that is a good article and a good post. Thanks.

[NotchJohnson]

He makes sense and is right. However, he puts his reasoning on the American Idol crowd. I just would not give females that much credit to come to their senses. Lets hope I am wrong.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Thank you for this fine article reviewing a book I just read yesterday (an easy one-day read) and found very impressive.

You did a lot of work, and it seems that you didn't get as big a response as your effort - and certainly the content thereof - deserves.

Why don't we try pinging this thing a bit?

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[imintrouble]

Thank you for including me on the PING list - I wouldn’t have missed this one for anything!

It’s a triple read so I don’t miss out on any of the nuances - wonderful thoughts presented.

Again my appreciation to you and your mission to inform us.

[PGalt]

Thanks for the ping. Thanks for the review. Informative. Educational. Interesting.

Thanks to all contributors to this thread.

[Landru]

"You did a lot of work, and it seems that you didn't get as big a response as your effort - and certainly the content thereof - deserves."

Yes the resident nutcracker certainly did a lot of work.

Wonder how close, if ever, Steele looked deep into the eyes of Obama's supporters at rallies visa vi photos, TV?
Supporters whose faces are of all colors, all ages.

*That* same look is on the faces of the thousands, maybe millions who lined Berlin's boulevards in during the 30s as heir Hitler's motorcades passed.
The exact same.

Obama's a cult figure on a scale the world's not seen in a very, long time and the result of timing and years of conditioning.
What Obama has is too infrequent to be described, during their time, it's that rare.
Unfortunately he must be elected, bring whatever he will to the republic, before it's learned who the real racists are and always have been.

Obama not being able to effectively reach either whites or blacks, because of his racial makeup?
HA!!
Let us again recall heir Hitler who was not a *pure* Aryan, he was an Austrian.
Apparently, the Germans didn't know.

All the Aryan race propaganda crap was *for* those who'd be asked to die for the megalomaniac's delusions of grandeur, produced by sock puppet Goebbels' Leni Riefenstahls etc, no one can deny the success.
Is there anyone who feels Obama's sock puppets are any less skilled than Goebbels?
Will receive any less support in the way of out-n-out propaganda from the republic's quisling mediots?
Think, again.

Yesterday was primary day here in WI, local Talk Radio had an all day request asking those intent on voting for Obama to call in & tell why.
Overwhelming number of callers were black, the most often cited two reasons: "About time *we* finally get one of our own running for POTUS" -- "We want the kind of change ONLY Obama can bring." -or there about.

What I heard may have been the dialog of "challengers" *&* "Bargainers", who knows.
To me it sure sounded like racism redefined, only this racism was Okay.
As we all know by now Obama carried WI, easily.

Interestingly enough not one of Obama's white supporters (calling) mentioned Obama's race, not once.
While 9 of 10 blacks reasoning, "because he's black" and NONE could cite one single thing Obama ever did while holding public office, state or federal.
Payoff of *Classic Conditioning*?
The OP nutcracker will have to say, I know what it sounds like to me.

Defining the behavior anyway one chooses does not alter the likelihood things look pretty good right now for Obama.
Nothing Hillary or McLame or their camps --or anyone else, for that matter-- comes up with now to smear Obama's going to mean a hill of beans since none will stick in the ears, minds & hearts who're going to "die" for the guy.

It isn't about whether allegation(s) are true or not, it's about an "Establishment power" trying --yet again-- to "lynch" another Blackman.
Period.
*Those*, are the rules.

So.
A black male with a Muslim name running for POTUS while the republic's engaged in a struggle of wills with Islam, and, odds on favorite to win?

Unbelievable?
Believe it.

How & why it happened won't matter.

...it did.

[diamond6]

bump for later

[Milhous]

White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Destroyed The Promise Of The Civil Rights Era.

Steele presumably refers to the second Civil Rights Era when Democrats reluctantly abandoned their century old fight against the spirit of the first Civil Rights Era paid for with the blood of Republican Christians.

Celebrating a Century and a Half of Civil Rights Achievement by the Republican Party

Republicans held our first state convention in Jackson, Michigan on July 6, 1854. That fall, the GOP swept to victory throughout the North. Other anti-slavery Members of Congress joined the party, so that less than two years later, on February 2, 1856, Republicans elected a Republican Speaker of the House. The Republican National Committee first met the next month, to coordinate opposition to the pro-slavery policies of the Democrats, also known then as "slaveocrats."

And that summer, Republicans held our first national convention. There, we nominated our first presidential candidate, the Georgia-born form California Senator John Fremont. Four years later, we won the White House for the "Great Emancipator."

As the nation sacrificed during the Civil War, Republicans planned the most significant amendments ever to our Constitution and enacted - despite fierce opposition from the Democrats - the 13th Amendment to ban slavery, the 14th Amendment to protect all Americans regardless of the color of their skin, and the 15th Amendment to extend voting rights to African-Americans. The Republicans' 1875 Civil Rights Act guaranteed equal access to public accommodations without regard to race. Struck down by the Supreme Court in 1883, this law would be reborn as the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

"Every man that wanted the privilege of whipping another man to make him work for nothing, and pay him with lashes on his naked back, was a Democrat. Every man that raised bloodhounds to pursue human beings was a Democrat. Every man that cursed Abraham Lincoln because he issued the Emancipation Proclamation was a Democrat." - Robert Ingersoll, 1876.

For its first 80 years, the Republican Party was the only one to provide a home for Afican-Americans. Until well into the 20th century, every African-American Member of Congress was a Republican. The same was true for nearly all state legislators and other elected officials.

(Emphasis added.)

---

Emancipating Slaves

"It was the Christian Church more than any other agency that was responsible for the emancipation of the slaves," said Dr. Maier. He cited William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian and member of the British Parliament in the early 19th century, who dedicated his life to abolishing the slave trade.

Likewise, in America it was Christians who agitated for an end to slavery. The Underground Railroad was run by Quakers and other devout Christians. In 1835, two-thirds of the members of the abolition society were ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"If you pick up credible history, you’ll find that some of the little small denominations today played great roles in fighting against slavery," said Dr. E.V. Hill, pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. "If Jesus had not come, the slave—and people who were in slavery—and my fore-parents would not have heard the good news of freedom."

[SE Mom]

Thanks for posting- bookmark

[BraveMan]

Personally, I think the esteemed author subject in this post has overcomplicated the scenario. The split in the womens' vote suggests to me, "Clinton Fatigue".

The Journal has a "wealth" of information regarding the voter breakdown, if you can believe them . . .

From http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=720036

-snip-
BY RACE
In the Democratic primary, Obama beat Clinton among Wisconsin's mostly white voters, a sign that his campaign has eaten into Clinton's support among groups that have backed her in earlier states. Obama won 54% of the white vote to Clinton's 45%, and he took 91% of the black vote.

BY GENDER
Sen. Barack Obama tied Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton among women, and he substantially eroded her margin among white women, Clinton's core group. He won 63% of white men.

PARTISANS AND INDEPENDENTS
Obama showed his appeal to independent voters, who had a choice of parties in Wisconsin's open primary. Obama won the votes of 64% of self-described independents and got 53% of self-described Democrats compared with 46% for Clinton. Nine percent of the voters in the Democratic primary called themselves Republicans, and they came out strongly for Obama.

AGE OF VOTERS
Obama held his strong support among young white voters and expanded it among voters younger than 45, while Clinton held her support among the oldest voters.
-snip-

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

American higher education, and to a lesser extent journalism, is controlled by the challengers; hence, blacks are given sovereign authority in some parts of the university and require all to be preoccupied with multiculturalism and diversity.

I noted that "liberal bias in the media" is a planted axiom of Steele's analysis.

This certainly exists, tho my preferred formulation of it is that conventional American political labels are actually advertising slogans conferred on Big Journalism's friends or imposed on Big Journalism's targets. My full analysis is in this thread.

Although Steele labels two black "masks," he actually describes a third way for blacks.

Bill Crosby and Oprah Winfrey are bargainers. Basically, bargainers give racial innocence (remove the stigmata of racism) to whites; hence, the whites are both relieved and grateful. Their gratitude is such that many talented, black bargainers receive not only white recognition but riches as well.

is correct as far as it goes - but Steele points out that Cosby has discarded his "bargainer mask" and has undertaken to be realistic about the fact that whites actually are less powerful than liberals simultaneously flatter and condemn them as being. White racism has little to do with black difficulties in the here and now, and blacks actually are able to prosper to the extent that they take responsiblity the way everyone else has to.

In reality the correct response to a Barak Obama "bargainer" or a Al Sharpton "challenger" is the same. It is to promote black responsibility among blacks the way Obama's own white mother did in him. And that is by rejecting utterly the "soft bigotry of low expectations." And the way to do that would be for the Republican Party to nominate a Bill Cosby type as VP. Not the Bill Cosby who was a "bargainer", not the Bill Cosby who promoted the Twana Brawley hoax (and was to that extent a "challenger," but the Bill Cosby who now promotes black responsibility and family values.

One name I would float is JC Watts. Other names would be unconventional in that they would be less conventionally qualified even than former Congressman Watts. The dream candidate, were he younger, would of course be Thomas Sowell. But there were also some losing candidates in '06 who would fill the bill in a pinch. Even Shelby Steele himself.

It will be objected that naming a black VP would look weak and be criticized. My response is that the Republican nominee, presumptively McCain, has the authority to nominate whoever he wants to for VP, which office is actually political heir to the POTUS nominee. And the Constitutional incentive to have the VP be from a different state as the POTUS is nothing other than a mandate to use the VP nomination to unify the country. Were I the POTUS nominee, I might point out that America has a long way to go to actually act as a bridge for all Americans to enter the 21st Century. And that nominating a black VP who stands for having everyone who wants the middle class 21st Century lifestyle to stand up and march across that bridge instead of trying to game the system and expect someone else to carry them across it.

[TigersEye]

Spot on.

[jazusamo]

Excellent points and I think you’re spot on with JC Watts. I also think (and hope) we’ll one day see him there.

I also believe Dr. Sowell is a missed oppotunity for our country in the political field but doubt he would have consented to run for office even at a younger age.

[Milhous]

If we each get a chance to create our own dream ticket allow me to float the name of the other Steele - Michael S Steele.

[Landru]

"Spot on."

FWIW.

...with a mob. ;^)

[Landru]

"Personally, I think the esteemed author subject in this post has overcomplicated the scenario. The split in the womens' vote suggests to me, 'Clinton Fatigue'."

Possibly, your *guess* is as good as any others I've read.

"The Journal has a "wealth" of information regarding the voter breakdown, if you can believe them..."

Ahhhhh yes, the JS.
You're right, I can't believe.
Thank you very much for posting their data --for what it's worth -- anyway. :^)

Bottom line he won.
Whether it was for one, none, all or some combination of reasons as stated, above.
He won & continues to win; moreover, & to the point he won big, here.

Listening to Rush now, he says the guy's a flash in the pan.
HA!!

...a bet I'd take, myself. ;^)

[Old Professer]

Justly so.

[B-Chan]

(TT u TT) <-— tears of joy