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Hope alive for nerd like me ("I voted for Barack Obama because of his skin color")
The Waco Tribune-Herald ^ | 6/13/09 | Chris Scott

Posted on 06/14/2009 4:32:36 PM PDT by LA Woman3

The realization recently hit: I voted for Barack Obama because of his skin color.

For a thoughtful, responsible voter, the admission was mildly jarring. Not that I regret having done it. I couldn’t be more proud.

I’ve never based my vote on superficial matters. I voted on the mandate, never the man (or woman).

Now I must admit that I mainly voted for Obama because he is black, like me.

This is not to say I didn’t like what he articulated for our sagging economy, our schools and for organizing the chaos of the Iraq war. But I have to admit that Obama’s race was important. He represents symbolic change in how our society perceives people like me.

The widespread image of black culture in America is discouraging. A Stanford University study last year found that 40 percent of white Americans polled held at least partly negative views about us.

Given a choice of positive and negative adjectives to describe blacks, 29 percent said “complaining” applied. Twenty percent said “violent.” Thirteen percent said “lazy.” Eleven percent said “irresponsible.”

And I certainly do not believe that most whites are racists. Rather, images of blacks in the mainstream media condition people of all colors to think, if not the worst, then certainly not the best about us.

Blacks don’t always help dispel these images. Examine our own culture and pop culture: Crayons in fist, we often draw, and then salute, a socially crippling caricature.

And so: Blacks make up roughly 11 percent of the population, but in the prison population they’re more than 44 percent.

Nationally, 93 percent of black men murdered annually will die at the hands of another black man. And more than 70 percent of black children are born out of wedlock.

Obama’s presidency can change so much.

Growing up in Tyler, I was nerdy. Worse, I wasn’t coordinated enough to succeed in where most African-Americans in my community got recognized: sports.

My dream? Not to be a pro jock but to be president. It sounded outrageous as to draw laughs. “You’re crazy,” my stepfather retorted. “America is never going to elect a black man president.”

For whites, Obama’s historic achievement occasions for them a chance to see and experience a side of black culture that runs counter to stereotypes. For blacks, it gives us a chance to rewrite our collective narrative.

I’m not so naïve as to think this president is the elixir to cure America’s race problems. I’m acutely aware of those who still face the deep-cutting sword of systematic oppression.

So I temper my hopes. But those hopes are now realistic — and largely because of this historic election. It officially has placed America on a path to fulfill and protect the boldest assertion of our founding principles, “That all men are created equal.”

That is why I voted for Barack Obama. It may seem superficial, vain, even pathetic. But it is change that I believe in.

Chris Scott, a 2004 graduate of Baylor University and a former candidate for the Waco city council, is pursuing a Master’s of Divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bho44; blackpresident; blacks; democrats; halfrican; hopeychangey; obama; sodidcolinpowell
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To: LA Woman3
Now I must admit that I mainly voted for Obama because he is black, like me.

We knew that. Obama won with the racist vote

21 posted on 06/14/2009 4:45:20 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (Overproduction, one of the top five worries for the American farmer.)
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To: chris_bdba
I’m starting to wonder at 48yo if I will ever see another black be trusted enough to ever be elected to the executive branch again?

I read some very serious commentary in 1980 or so, maybe in The New Republic, that Carter's disastrous presidency guaranteed that we wouldn't see another governor from a southern state as President for a VERY long time. *cough*

22 posted on 06/14/2009 4:45:31 PM PDT by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: LA Woman3

I wish Chris the best in his pursuit of an advanced degree, but what things exactly did he expect to “change”? Black men are still murdering black men and the worst of black racism has been validated, not transcended, by such luminaries as Jeremiah Wright. Is tokenism only patronizing when white people engage in it? Or is it patronizing when anyone does?


23 posted on 06/14/2009 4:47:10 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: LA Woman3

Mr. Scott, you’re still deluded. He isn’t black like you. He shares nothing of your life experience.

At most, he can be described as not exactly white, but with a white mother. raised by white grandparents, educated in the lap of privilege.

How much do you have in common with such a person? Not as much as I do. Which is to say, very little.

Congratulations upon inching a little further out of the illusion, though.


24 posted on 06/14/2009 4:47:50 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: LA Woman3
CHRIS SCOTT: The realization recently hit: I voted for Barack Obama because of his skin color.

Chris could have just as easily said: "I am a racist".

25 posted on 06/14/2009 4:49:21 PM PDT by svcw
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To: ak267

“Another case where someone decided to take the red pill instead of the blue pill.”

Or cut the red wire instead of the Blue.


26 posted on 06/14/2009 4:51:01 PM PDT by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: LA Woman3

Obama is a Communist, a narcissist, a baby-killer, an ignoramus, a thug, a liar, an economic illiterate, a lover of tyrants and tyranny, a hater of America, and almost certainly not a citizen.

The fact that Americans elected a black man is the ONLY good thing about his election.


27 posted on 06/14/2009 4:51:08 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: heartwood
My one hope with Obama was that he might do something to shift black culture away from crime and illegitimacy, by inspiration. I don’t think he’s said a single word in that direction since he was elected.

Obama's interests don't lie in that direction, and never have. His interest is in maintaining grievance whatever the cost, in order to further his precious "change," a code word recognized the world over.

28 posted on 06/14/2009 4:51:27 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: ak267

Sounds like another “minister” to the oppressed.


29 posted on 06/14/2009 4:51:29 PM PDT by plangent
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To: freedumb2003

I would have voted for a decent black man. Herman Cain for instance.


30 posted on 06/14/2009 4:51:48 PM PDT by Shimmer1 (We can't control the wind... but we can adjust the sails.)
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To: LA Woman3
A Stanford University study last year found that 40 percent of white Americans polled held at least partly negative views about us.

Now I must admit that I mainly voted for Obama because he is black, like me.


You mean "negative views" like racism?prejudice?

31 posted on 06/14/2009 4:53:03 PM PDT by adversarial
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To: LA Woman3; Allegra; big'ol_freeper; Lil'freeper; TrueKnightGalahad; blackie; Larry Lucido; ...
Re: But those hopes are now realistic — and largely because of this historic election. It officially has placed America on a path to fulfill and protect the boldest assertion of our founding principles, “That all men are created equal.”

Too bad Obama... Photobucket does not seem to believe “That all men (nor women) are created equal.” He proves this by nominating Sonia Sotomayor!

32 posted on 06/14/2009 4:56:18 PM PDT by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: LA Woman3
This is stupid. It's an example of how "affirmative action" hurts the very groups it is intended to help. Obama is a terrible President. As this becomes evident to more and more people, some, who voted for him as an "affirmative action" choice, will associate his competence with his race.

It's well known that most people (including most blacks) are reluctant to go to a black doctor, because of the fear that they may have become a doctor through "affirmative action". If you need real, serious, medical care, you want a real doctor. Of course, this hurts all of the black doctors whose achievements were completely legitimate.

33 posted on 06/14/2009 4:56:48 PM PDT by 3niner (When Obama succeeds, America fails.)
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To: LA Woman3

Chris Scott is a racist idiot.


34 posted on 06/14/2009 4:57:12 PM PDT by Tigercap
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To: LA Woman3
Almost all Dems I know are happy with Obama because “Finally, I feel good about the President” How can one break through to these fools? They're all saying “Yes Mr. President take my money,I trust you” Sheesh!
35 posted on 06/14/2009 4:58:21 PM PDT by Huskrrrr
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To: heartwood
My one hope with Obama was that he might do something to shift black culture away from crime and illegitimacy, by inspiration.

To get that, it would have been better to vote for Bill Cosby.

36 posted on 06/14/2009 4:58:45 PM PDT by 3niner (When Obama succeeds, America fails.)
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To: LA Woman3

Cris, you are a racist - admit it. And worse than that, you think all whites are racists too, and we’re not. We judged Obama by his deeds, not his empty promises of change..... you judged him by his skin color. How sad.


37 posted on 06/14/2009 4:58:55 PM PDT by WhyisaTexasgirlinPA
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To: ak267

Neo took the red pill leading to truth and reality. The blue pill leads to the matrix fantasy land.

(Republican = red. Democrat = blue.)


38 posted on 06/14/2009 4:59:48 PM PDT by BuckeyeTexan
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To: LA Woman3

Ain’t that speshul.


39 posted on 06/14/2009 5:00:28 PM PDT by bergmeid
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To: LA Woman3

This guy should have an adult proof-read his work. It is the rant of a stupid racist dumbass.


40 posted on 06/14/2009 5:01:14 PM PDT by eyedigress
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