Looks like we Americans are going to be having our first black pres.

[LotC]

Right. Everything is going to be great now. Blacks and whites will join hands and dance in the streets, even in places like Jena, Louisiana. Say goodbye to economically depressed and crime ridden ghettos, systemic racism in law enforcement, and deep seated prejudice in the South just because some Wall Street backed Senator spouting vague ideas about hope and change can beat the crap out of a tired, cranky, irrational old man at the polls.

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse

Colin Powell, untill he turned dumbass

When he got up in front of the UN and lied through his teeth?

Whatever floats your boat. I'm glad to see we agree.
So much for your trifecta bull****.

[KrazyHorse]

I know. It's far too tempting.

[Solomwi]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Point of order. We haven't elected a Black president. I would have thought I'd have voted for Colin Powell, untill he turned dumbass. Connie Rice, we could have a Black woman. Maybe not the trifecta KH seeks, but more likely a success.

Meh. I'm willing to assume the condition in order to respond to Lancer's point.

[Lancer]

Even Obama has made reference to black communities the same way as what's his name, the famous black actor. Personal responsibility etc...

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by FrostyBoy
He's not black. I would not call him black.

Yes, yes, we know. You'd call him Chicago.

[MrFun]

Re: Looks like we Americans are going to be having our first black pres.

Originally posted by Lancer
To me that's good news. I'd rather he was pro life, but that's not up to me. I'm just wondering what effect this might have on the civil rights movement? If a black man can reach the nation's top office, that's pretty much finished, right? The slavery thing is so far in the past of this country that Americans can vote in a black man. That's great, it shows we've really matured past hatred. It's like a jew getting elected to the highest office in France or Germany. Certainly these backward countries have not progressed so far.

Anyway, my point is, we can forget about programs that give preference on the basis of race now, right?

The fact that a single black man for the first time in our country's history will become president does not do away with the struggles and discrimination that the large number of "ordinary" black people in America still face today.

[SlowwHand]

Nor does it do away with the absurdly high black on black murder rate.

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by FrostyBoy
He's not black. I would not call him black.

I agree with this, he is mulatto at best and all his ancestors came to the USA willingly and lived as free men. Strictly speaking most of his DNA is Caucasian (since his grandfather's family seemed to have some Arab ancestry).


So no Obama is not the first "Black" president, he may be the first African American president though, but the same would be true of presidents who's grandfather was an Egyptian Arab or a South African Boer.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Lancer
True Sloww. I wonder how bad the riots would be.

I dunno...probably not any worse than the violence enacted by white rednecks after Obama wins.

[Elok]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Yes, yes, we know. You'd call him Chicago.

No, I think all of Chicago's members were white. Much whiter than Obama.

[Swissy]

Re: Looks like we Americans are going to be having our first black pres.

Originally posted by Lancer
Anyway, my point is, we can forget about programs that give preference on the basis of race now, right?

Postng to your point:

One of the main factors of Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama was the Republican agenda of eliminating affirmative action. Look for more afirmative action programs. They will not be large programs, as Obama has no money to work with, but more in the forms of mandates; approved afirmative action programs in colleges being a requirement for federal funds, including federal student aid. The left works best using blackmail like this.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Nor does it do away with the absurdly high black on black murder rate.

The white on white murder rate is about the same as the black on black murder rate. Both are about 90%.

[Impaler[WrG]]

If a black man can reach the nation's top office, that's pretty much finished, right? The slavery thing is so far in the past of this country that Americans can vote in a black man. That's great, it shows we've really matured past hatred.

I assure you the only thing that will change is that their will be a great chorus of whites using Obama's election as an excuse for just this kind of attitude, and their own having voting for him as a "Get out of Racism Free card".

On a side note it's true their is a real symbolism of having a black man as leader, it applies both here and across the world to someone like Kofi Anan. Because Africa and its diaspora are universally recognized to be the be at the bottom of the ladder a black man is perceived to be the antithesis of "the man", the champion of the down trodden, the human under-dog, a messiah of the poor etc etc. So long as said black man's political views are not explicitly to the right (like Alen Key's) he can carry that mantle.

Whats ironic is that Obama took of like a bullet when the economic crisis hit. Democrats are trusted on economic issues but Obama has no particular experience with the complex banking laws and regulations that are at issue. But the perception that comes with being a black man endows him with a great deal of credibility. White America fears that it will soon be subject to the economic pain which is the daily existence of all blacks in America, aka a Depression which statistically black America has been in for generations. Obama September run-up in the polls is due less to 'accepting a 'different' kind of person as president and more to do with peoples self-image becoming in a part 'blacker'. People are still voting for what they perceive to be their own group identity/interests but it's due to mainstream America perceiving itself being absorbed into the ghettos rather then the 'integrationist' dream of the ghettos being allowed to join the mainstream. If the economic crisis deepens under Obama it will ironically only make him more popular.

[Boris Godunov]

Re: Re: Looks like we Americans are going to be having our first black pres.

Originally posted by Swissy
One of the main factors of Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama was the Republican agenda of eliminating affirmative action.

Main factors? Funny, I watched the MtP interview, and he spent the vast majority of the time talking about temperament, judgment, etc. He mentioned affirmative action once, alongside his support of abortion rights and other issues.

Oh, I know you want it to be the case that it was his main argument, but it clearly wasn't.

This is just more of the Rush Limbaugh "He's only supporting him because he's black!" line of attack.