Barack Obama speech reopens rift with black critics (mixed-race isn't 'authentically black')

Politico ^ | 9/29/11 | JOSEPH WILLIAMS

[Libloather]

Barack Obama speech reopens rift with black critics
By JOSEPH WILLIAMS | 9/29/11 5:03 AM EDT

It was a speech intended to be a rousing call to arms for his 2012 re-election campaign and his jobs bill.

But when President Barack Obama told a gala dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus over the weekend that it was time to “stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying” and get to work, he instead gave new ammunition to some prominent African American critics who say the nation’s first black president gets tough only when he’s talking to other black people.

**SNIP**

By the middle of this week, Obama’s sharp comments, the response from critics, and the debate and discussion they provoked in the black media seemed to mark yet another chapter in a relationship with African-Americans complicated from the beginning by questions about whether a mixed-race senator born in Hawaii was “authentically black” enough to win their support.

The 2008 campaign and Obama’s historic election solidified his popularity with African-Americans — until recently, when support began to slip as the anemic economic recovery stalled out, already high black unemployment and home foreclosure rates skyrocketed, and more black families slipped below the poverty line.

[Libloather]

That's a shame.

[Flintlock]

Can we all just GET OFF this racial crap, already?

He’s half WHITE—so that doesn’t count.
One EIGHTH black (!).
THREE EIGHTHS A-rab.
Since nothing white counts—HE’S AN ARAB!

Deal with it.

[bray]

Sounds like the Blacks are getting ready to ship him back to Kenya.

Pray for America

[Molon Labbie]

Uh oh, O isn’t so “down with his peeps in the street” anymore.

Too bad, so sad...

What’s even more sad, is they will continue to vote for him rather than look at Cain.

[aruanan]

He’s half WHITE—so that doesn’t count.
One EIGHTH black (!).
THREE EIGHTHS A-rab.
Since nothing white counts—HE’S AN ARAB!

Geez, enough with this Arab stuff. That's been debunked many times over the years. Just because someone comes from a culture that speaks Arabic or belongs to a religion whose native language is Arabic doesn't mean that he is genetically Arabic.

[Coldwater Creek]

If the “Black Folks” really wanted to get out of poverty, they could switch parties and support a “real American born Black Mam” born in Memphis, Tn., but......

[Coldwater Creek]

If the “Black Folks” really wanted to get out of proverty, they could switch parties and support a “real American Black Mam” born in Memphis, Tn., but......

[WayneS]

Maybe he can’t help it.

Maybe his “white half” is a racist...

[WayneS]

Aren’t people who are ‘genetically Arabic’ also ‘genetically Caucasian’ (i.e. “white”)?

[Opinionated Blowhard]

I could care less about Obama’s racial mix.

And I can honestly say that for the first time, I’m glad Maxine Waters didn’t have her sorry ass thrown out of Congress for corruption and is still around to throw these bombs at Obama.

[SERKIT]

Watch out! The LA Times might renew its “Barack the Magic Negro” charge and Rush will be blamed for re-reporting it.

[luvbach1]

When he said “get to work” he didn’t mean get a job, he meant get out and campaign for him.

[Kakaze]

Smiley setting the tone with his question: “How does he get away with saying this to black folk?”

Is he only supposed to yell at the "white folk" Tavis?

Obama, is simply talking to them the same way they talk to there constituents. Maybe now, they are starting to realize just how demeaning they are to each other.

[AppyPappy]

“HE’S AN ARAB!”

He was never an Arab. His reported father’s family is African. They are not from Arabia. They converted to Islam.

[listenhillary]

"When he said “get to work” he didn’t mean get a job, he meant get out and campaign for him."

That was my interpretation also.

[MrB]

Many FReepers were predicting this months ago, more as an indicator than as a prediction, though.

When blacks start pointing out that he’s not really “black”, then he’s really in trouble.

[Paradox]

I've seen mention of his Arab roots, do you have a source for this? I would be very interested in reading it.

Much like it turned out Tiger Woods was far more Asian than African.

[haywoodwebb]

I wonder if "reverend" jessie still wants to cut his nutz off? . . .

[Lilly Rose]

This talk about race is meaningless. I want a president of any color who will lower my taxes and stop stealing my hard earned income. Obama and his disasterous policies are ruining our economy.

[jtal]

But when President Barack Obama told a gala dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus over the weekend that it was time to “stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying”

Actually, what he said was "stop complainin, stop grumblin, stop cryin". Doesn't that ipso facto make him authentic?

I just can't believe that the otherwise reasonable black middle class (not talking about the "obama stash" morons) contine to support this patronizing fraud. He essentially told them - "hey what do you have to complain about? you have it good here on the plantation. You have all the watermelon & fried chicken we can afford to give you and all you gotta do is pick a little cotton when we say so. Now cheer up and give massa a little dance."