Eugene Robinson: What We're Not Talking About

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/02/AR2009040203286.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

What We're Not Talking About


President and Michelle Obama leaving the White House this week for their trip to Europe. (By Bill O'leary -- The Washington Post)

By Eugene Robinson
Friday, April 3, 2009; Page A19


Not even three months have passed since President Obama's historic inauguration, and already it tends to slip the nation's collective mind that the first black president of the United States is, in fact, black. There may be hope for us after all.

In the cacophonous commentary about the president -- he's a breath of fresh air, he's too liberal, he's too moderate, he's being far too generous to the banks, he's some kind of closet socialist, he's restoring the nation to greatness, he's leading us to perdition -- it's striking how seldom race is mentioned as an issue or even an attribute. That's only natural, since race could hardly be more irrelevant to the multitude of urgent problems Obama wrestles with every day. Watching him in action, as he shoves out the chief executive of General Motors or exchanges small talk with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, we witness a daily demonstration of the irrelevance of race. And that, potentially, is nothing short of transformative.

snip//

I would argue, though, that Holder's decision Wednesday to void the botched prosecution of former senator Ted Stevens on corruption charges had real impact on the racial dialogue that takes place inside our heads. Holder reviewed the record of prosecutorial mistakes and misconduct and took decisive, definitive action. On an issue that had nothing to do with race, a black man was large and in charge.

This is the kind of illustration that Obama and his family provide every day. Often, the story is told by pictures rather than words. When we see Obama and his wife and children climb into Marine One, the presidential helicopter, for a trip to Camp David, we see a first family unlike any other. When we see Obama sitting down with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to launch a new round of negotiations on nuclear arms control, we see a black man functioning as leader of the free world. When we see other heads of government treating Obama with the deference due any president of the United States, as we saw at this week's economic summit in London, we see old assumptions and prejudices proved wrong.

Obviously, history will remember Obama's groundbreaking achievement as our first black president. But that's not how he will be judged. Future generations will assess his presidency not on how big its symbolic impact may have been but on how successful Obama was in handling the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression -- and, perhaps even more important, on his success or failure at setting the nation on a new, more progressive course through his initiatives on health care, energy and education. This is a president who has no interest in simply presiding. He aims to lead.

Not that he has any choice, given the circumstances he inherits. The auto industry has to be restructured. The banks have to be induced, or instructed, to start lending again. The North Koreans are threatening to launch a long-range missile. Pakistan is under attack from within. Nobody has any time for symbolism.

We focus on Obama's ability, not his color. In doing so, we are a better nation.

:thumbsup:

vast to spend any amount of time focusing on race. Sure, the racists are still grumbling, but it's amongst themselves and hopefully that will even stop someday.

Thanks for posting this, it is much appreciated!

Recommended.

I think that we are talking about the Obamas being black and the expectation, by some, that this will translate into some sort of "disaster" on the foreign stage. Deep down many people in this country (certainly in the media) seem to have their doubts that a black couple could *really* be that sophisticated, intelligent and capable.

But with regards to domestic policy of late, I agree with Robinson that the absence of race in the discussion is encouraging. Also encouraging is Michelle's tremendous popularity among Republicans, where she is (believe it or not) favored by a greater margin than she is with Democrats.

instance where the media thinks they can make a big deal about something that's small potatoes, they have been and probably will continue to do so. The rub is, I think people are getting sick of the criticism. I know I am.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8317232&mesg_id=8317232

I wish that were true (what you said, not the content of the linked thread).

:P

Media Tries to Sabotage Obamas With Pseudo Stories on Faux Gaffes But No One Buys It

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8317375&mesg_id=8317375

a point of bringing it up and focusing her entire question on it.

I heard "Obamination", like Abomination the other day on air. That's pretty ugly. Ok, they didn't exactly use the N word in the 5 minutes I caught, but, they're using everything else:

Gaffes with the Queen, as if they give one rat's ass what the Queen's protocal ever was before. Proof that he's unsocialized, too ghetto.

Today they're all about the visit with the corporate CEO's where he was telling them he's the new sheriff and they're all getting fired by him, if they don't start living a middle class lifestyle (their words...) and on and on. The black retribution B.S. that was tossed around during the campaign.

"He's a total embarrassment to the U.S." etc etc.

They're pretty much just completely appalled that he's masquerading as a head of state.

Boil it down, and it sounds like "He's got everyone else fooled: We're the only people left who can see what he really is....."

This is all bigotry. They can't use the N word or they risk loosing their jobs. Even "ho" gets you offed these days.

So, what do you expect? They're making it as plain as they can without getting the Imus kicked out of them.

better things to do, like write columns like this.

Our Barack doesn't get hot and bothered about them, why should we? As long as the Secret Service takes care of our Barack, let the wingnuts cirlcle jerk all they want.

but Obama is bi racial. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ryan-barrett/half-black-half-white_b_106754.html

I think it was John Stewart who joked about how some old scifi movies would have a woman or black man as President so you knew it was "the future". I think he then said something like - the future is now. You know I think most Americans just want him to do a good job and begin to get us out of this mess. Deep down I don't think they care about race so much as they do about getting it done and I think so far they feel he's doing the best he can in a really crappy situation.

Best of luck to 'im!

I like it!

even tho others insisted on making race the big issue.

As a white middle aged woman from the deep south, it maybe is surprising in some ways that race was never an issue for me re Obama.

And I love his genial face and gentle demeanor on MSNBC, when he's there. I hope he gets the 10 o'clock slot.