Obama: Change, not race, heats debate

by Mark Silva

Fear of "big changes'' and the growing role of government - but not racial prejudice - are behind much of the heated criticism that the White House faces, President Barack Obama said during a television network-sweeping series of interviews today that will air Sunday in an unparalleled presidential bid to use the airwaves and cable news to promote his health-care plans.

In a number of interviews that will air in fuller form Sunday morning, the president also addressed the tone of a heated summer debate over health-care, and the contention of one former president that much of the criticism Obama faces is because he is black.

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/09/obama_change_not_race_heats_de.html

And yes, we all know that black folks HAVE to say things like that. That's why terms like "oversensitive" and "reverse racist" exist - they function as linguistic prohibitions against black folks ever charging racism.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/jackie-robinson-rules-by-digby-it-turns.html

"It turns out that a majority of Americans think that Obama was racist for saying what he said but McCain's ads weren't. It would seem that the most recognizable form of racism for most people is from those who "play the race card from the bottom of the deck." I suppose that's progress of a weird sort.

...

So, Obama is going to have to be a modern day Jackie Robinson and stoically endure the more subtle forms of racial ugliness that the right throws at him without ever fighting back or even mentioning that it is happening. If he's as good a politician as Robinson was a baseball player, he'll do it by sheer talent and force of will (and by boldly stealing home in the world series ...)"


White folks: Time to stop being the bully who hits the kid with his own hand, and then asks "why do you keep hitting yourself?". Seriously.

They would love for him to even mention racist nut jobs in this country. He's not stupid enough to take the bait. That makes them even more angry.

Obama is working the nuances and complexities of this issue, finally, instead of accepting the "linguistic prohibitions" you would have him and others obey.

You serve no-one but yourself.

Overhyping race war is juicier! She won a Pulitzer for talking about bj's instead of the economy anyway.

Dowd recently said, for example "I just much prefer scandals about Neiman Marcus to uh, you know, weighty academics talking about the economy…."

http://www.cjr.org/the_kicker/modo_casually_confesses_but_we.php

And if he doesn't believe that, then he is a fool for thinking we are fools.

to avoid injecting race into issues. I don't think he will start now.

If he were to bring up race thats all anyone would be talking about. But it may come to that anyway if the RW has its way. One way to end productive discussions about anything is to claim "racism." The right can't argue on the merits of issues or offer any of its own solutions so to derail everything they muddy the waters with race.

Eveytime he opens his mouth to appease the GOP, they hate him even more and it makes him appear weak to everyone else.

and a few others represent "everyone else"?

I for one to find him weak and neither do many others. Again, you're projecting your wants and wishes on the man to fail and none of your spew is based on reality.

Racism in not only very much alive and well, but it is being fanned by the corporate media. To say that there is no racism is not only living in denial, or an outright lie, but it is minimizing a very serious situation we all find ourselves in.

He said some people are racist.

you're going to start pretending you don't know how politics works?

He's not an idiot as much as you'd love him to be. He can only say so much and he's handling it as well as he can.

He knows it's based on the fact he's black but imagine if you will what would happen if he were to blurt that out for the world to hear. Or perhaps that would be ok with you in that it will isnure a loss in 2012.

From Machiavelli’s book, “The Prince”. The more things advance, the more they stay the same.

Here’s Machiavelli on change and innovation:
And let it be noted that there is no more delicate matter to take in hand, nor more dangerous to conduct, nor more doubtful in its success, than to set up as a leader in the introduction of changes. For he who innovates will have for his enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of things, and only the lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new. This lukewarm temper arises partly from the fear of adversaries who have the laws on their side and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who will never admit the merit of anything new, until they have seen it proved by the event.

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He cannot take a stand on this issue and accuse people of being racist; he must do his best to remain above it. Saying CHANGE is at the root of the vitriol IS correct; the change being a black man in the White House, challenging the status quo.

V e r y interesting

I think you are exactly spot on about the double speak Obama is using.

Don't cha think?