Racism haunts Obama

Racism alarms Obama backers - Washington Post - MSNBC.com

Even though I grew up in America and I'm African-American and know how people can be, I still don't understand why the mere fact that Obama is Black scares or bothers so many people. Is it because people feel Blacks are inferior regardless of intelligence or achievements? I just don't understand. Can anyone explain what really bothers people about an educated Black man as President? How can Obama possibly do a worse job as President than what George Bush has done? (For that matter, short of nuking the entire earth, how could anyone do a worse job than Bush?)

If anyone could help explain this to me, I'd love to understand it more because I can't quite comprehend it.

I have no problem with Obama's race. It's his middle name and Muslim connection that bothers me. Plus all the Wright stuff and his wife's attitude.

What Muslim connection?

[quote=HyperHulk;1476211]Racism alarms Obama backers - Washington Post - MSNBC.com

Even though I grew up in America and I'm African-American and know how people can be, I still don't understand why the mere fact that Obama is Black scares or bothers so many people. That may be part of it. Most prejudice, bigotry, racism or whatever you want to call it has it's roots in fear and ignorance. The person doing the hating is fearful of something or someone they know nothing about and do not understand.

Maybe some of the older whites who are racist, fear a black President will seek/enforce reparations for slavery. Stupid and impossible but who knows what goes on in the minds of those racist whack jobs?

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How can Obama possibly do a worse job as President than what George Bush has done? (For that matter, short of nuking the entire earth, how could anyone do a worse job than Bush?)

I honestly don't think they get that far in their thinking to realize that. For some people it really is, just about the color of his skin.

Quote:

If anyone could help explain this to me, I'd love to understand it more because I can't quite comprehend it.

May I ask how old you are? Cause I'm 42 and it's a no-brainer for me to grasp. I don't think you are dumb, I just think this is yet another generational difference. Perhaps the fact you don't understand this situation is a sign of progress.

What is a 'Muslim connection', and what is the relevance of it?
I'm curious as I just watched something on msnbc where 15% of people from a poll incorrectly believed Obama was a Muslim.

My personal gripe is with people relating him to Reverand White. I grew up in just as much a hateful church and I'm left quite unaffected, so I don't see his Reverand as an influencer. That may just be me speaking from experience, but I believe it's more valid than conjecture. Though it's wrong of me to think I can speak for Obama, in that respect, too.

Looking at the various political threads here, it's hard to not say some of the people against him are racist on some level.

His middle name is Hussein. He is no relation to Saddam you ignorant ass! He is also not a Muslim. That right wing slam job has been debunked by CNN, and Snopes.com. Where do you get your news? Rupert Mudoch's lap dog aka Fox News.

He denounced Rev. Wright and broke all ties to him, in addition Rev. Wright has retired as a pastor. As for his wife's attitude, what are you talking about? She'll be first lady and none of your concern as I doubt she will be inviting you for lunch in the rose garden.

Or is your ignorant, southern mind afraid they will serve Popeye's fried chicken and biscuits, sweet tea out of mason jars, and 7-Up Cake for dessert at the first formal dinner?

See, this is why I need to be benevolent despot. Cause I would deem you, too stupid to vote.

This doesn't surprise me that much because there are some Americans that don't know where Canada is. But seriously, Obama is christian. How can you know about Wright, Obama's christian pastor and still think he's muslim?

So you picked his religion, which you got wrong, a middle name???, his pastor (who doesn't represent Obama's views) and his wife's attitude????

I'd almost rather you picked if he was Black cause racism I get (I just like to know what the racist belief behind Obama hating is), I don't get any of the stuff you picked. It's almost like people are grasping at straws to hate Obama.

Flattery will get you nowhere.

Thank God we live in a country (at least for now) where we can express our opinions without fear of being hung or executed.

[quote=njqt466;1476223]I'm 5 years younger than you, I don't think we're from different generations. I understand racism. I grew up around racist people who made an exception for me, so I even understand the complexity of racism. So I get people who are afraid of Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. I don't agree, but I can see how some people would be threatened by them. But Obama? He's as educated as you can get, from one of the top schools--he's had a successful career, has a smart wife, doesn't talk about the Black experience in a "take back the night" type way. He doesn't come across as an angry Black man. So what is it about his Blackness that threatens people? I just want to know what is it about Blackness, in the context of Obama, people don't like.

The racism against Obama, when present, has to be the deepest racism imaginable because it seemingly lacks any rationale at all, it's just--Black=no redeeming qualities. So yeah, with it being 2008 and all the education and strides made by Blacks, I'm at a loss to understand how anyone who has achieved what Obama has could still be so repugnant to people. Explain that to me.

Cynically, I believe that George Bush Jr's failure as a president explains how the American public can conceive of a Black man or a woman as president. Anyone who lived through 8 years of George Bush Jr., and 12 years of Reagan Bush Sr. can see the systematic erosion of the middle class through failed Republican/Neo-Conservative principles. Minorities (Blacks and women) who only marginally participated in the power structure were not responsible for this quagmire of failed Republican governance. Now, many White people who are becoming more marginalized (economically) are starting to trust those who have been historically marginalized!

I agree with you and I'm not trying to attack you. I'm glad you shared your thoughts. I'm just wondering how you cling to opinions which are clearly based on misinformation and propaganda? If you don't like him, that's fine, but wouldn't you want your decisions to be based on the truth than on lies? Don't you owe that to your own intelligence and integrity, as well as your obligation as an american?

It isn't just the uneducated or ignorant, though. I was dating a MIT educated engineer last year, an otherwise brilliant man, who refers to Obama as "that Muslim".

There are greater issues in this country with non-Christians, and non-mainstream Christians (Romney) and a suspicion of them that, unfortunately, influences politics. In reality, the issue is capability, it doesn't matter if the President is Atheist, Anglican, Mormon, or Muslim - but many are unable to remove the religious, mainly Christian qualification due to an assumed integrity in one who adheres to Christian belief systems.

I asked nicely.

I don't disagree with you on this. I don't think Obama or Clinton would have the chance they do now if it wasn't for Bush's colossal failures. It's also why I believe we need one of them to win. Bush has virtually destroyed America's reputation in the world and I truly think it will take the election of the most un-Bush-like people to bring America's reputation back.