2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumcsziggy
(34,137 posts)Thank you for posting this picture.
monmouth
(21,078 posts)Their happiness shines right through. They are blessed.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)vaberella
(24,634 posts)It does shoe a new face to the White House that has never been there before. Now I'm waiting for interracial, Asian (East or West) American, and homosexual couple with their kids in the White house.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)Sure, I voted for Obama, and I will again, but I'm just one vote - it's not like it was my doing or something I should be proud of. As for his family, I really just don't care, so long as there's no hypocrisy between his policies and how he lives his life. I can't think of any reason why I should know what they look like. If I go for a job interview, the interviewer shouldn't care about my family.
Sure, I teared up a bit on election night, knowing that we had our first African American president. That said, I'd rather have 60-something white guys run the country for eternity, if their policies were good and effective, than have presidents which reflect the populace in a superficial way.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)People find pride in different stories and backgrounds. My grandparents, Irish-Catholics, kept a photo of JFK on the mantel for decades after JFK's death. Why? Because they were proud 'one of them' had made it to the presidency. Especially since their parents had emigrated over here at the height of Irish bigotry.
If you don't find pride in the Obamas, that's your right. But there is no need to dismiss someone else finding pride in that photo.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)I don't mean to be dismissing the opinions of others, but to also contribute my own to the discussion.
The example you give of your grandparents are feelings that I can't relate to. Maybe it's because of how I was raised, and maybe it's because of how I've lived my adult life (the last five years of which has been living as an immigrant in the UK). I feel very passionate about politics and policy, but just don't have it in me to feel anything personally about politicians.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)You can safely post these kinds of observations in the Barak Obama Group without these kinds of opinions being expressed. If you don't want these kind of responses to your posts, that's probably the place to put them. Actually, it's kinda the purpose of the whole group.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)You should expect some discussion. You seemed to not want discussion of your point of view. So I thought I offer you the option to avoid it.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)And I don't think someone has to explain why they find pride in that photo. If you don't feel pride in it, great, just move along. It's that simple. No need to make an issue of someone else's pride.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)If you post something in a discussion group, one should expect people to discuss it. We have groups specifically for people who DON'T want discussions. That's why they're there.
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)You said: " ... 60-something white guys run the country for eternity, if their policies were good and effective, ... "
Well that is the problem. Their policies would be good and effective 'the majority of the time' for only 'white guys'
We need a Congress with diversity and a hell of a lot more females.
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)I guess what I would really like would be for our politicians to actually represent the thoughts and feelings of their constituents.
Would you really rather have Lisa Murkowski in the Senate than a liberal male Democrat?
Do you think the Bush administration was somehow better because Condoleezza Rice is a black woman, or was it worse because her policies are bat-shit crazy?
All things being equal, of course I would like for the people in our government to be reflective of the population, but I'd happily forego that in favour of a group of people who I think would make the right policy decisions regardless of their appearance.
vaberella
(24,634 posts)The constitutents are a varied group that demand many different things at different times and or at the same time and unfortunately we do have politicians who don't care but some of the few face the problem of meeting that. Shit, Mississippi constituents actually vote in they're reps it would seem---and they most definitely don't look after the self interest of the their constituents---shit is the constituents want it that way.
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)03/01/12: "What if There Were 83 Women Senators? " - Bernie Sanders
harmonicon
(12,008 posts)I really wouldn't mourn the loss of minority Senators if it meant we could have 99 more Bernies in there.
vaberella
(24,634 posts)Bernie Sanders can never know the full extent of what some people suffer or even write policies to accomodate those special needs. I say what I say mainly because, well. Bernie Sanders learned from women why the fuckin' hell the pill would be important to them. He would not instinctively know this or the full extent of the use of the pill without getting that knowledge from his colleagues or more than likely women in the field. Much like how could he truly relate or understand the Black plight without actually learning and meeting Black people to get an idea if not truly the reality. Republicans have done the same they just choose to vote otherwise. However the don't assume as you seem to be doing making one Liberal makes one open to all things and beliefs or understanding to all things. I have met many a liberal who have left me cold and while many more republicans who have left me murderous. I think the diversity is fundamental a liberal not meet all things, because they are still humans with human hang-ups, issues and idiosyncrasies. Unfortunately.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)Not really sure what's "dismissive" about post #8. He is discussing, at length, the idea of being proud and the significance of family on job performance.