Are You Ready For A Black President?
by lainad

If I was president,
I'd get elected on Friday, assasinated on Saturday,
and buried on Sunday.

If I was president...
If I was president

An old man told me, instead of spending billions on the war,

we can use some of that money, in the ghetto.
I know some so poor, they use the spring as the shower,
when screaming "fight the power".
That's when the vulture devoured

"If I Were President"- Wyclef Jean

In the Oct 15th issue of Time Writer Joe Klein ponders whether, despite the growing popularity for Sen. Barak Obama, if he is ready for the big time. Yes he's charismatic, ambitious and smart, but one of the things that is interesting is how his popularity has bridged the divide between race and class. How has-or will-he succeed in areas where previous presidential hopefuls, such as Jesse Jackson and failed?

It's the Oprah effect.

The current Obama mania is reminiscent of the Colin Powell mania of September 1995, when the general--another political rainbow--leveraged speculation that he might run for President into book sales of 2.6 million copies for his memoir, My American Journey. Powell and Obama have another thing in common: they are black people who--like Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan--seem to have an iconic power over the American imagination because they transcend racial stereotypes. "It's all about gratitude," says essayist Shelby Steele, who frequently writes about the psychology of race. "White people are just thrilled when a prominent black person comes along and doesn't rub their noses in racial guilt. White people just go crazy over people like that."

Another interesting issue in the article was whether his cultural background factors into his rising popularity. Could it be that because he is the product of a white mother and a Kenyan father, and does not have the "crippling psychological legacy of slavery" in his family background, make him more appeasing to the public? Can he avoid the stereotypes of African-American men because of this, or does it matter?

With the rumours of Hillary Rodham Clinton running in 2008, the possibility of having a black or a female Democratic president would be an historical event, but doesn't necessairly mean that social or economic conditions are going to change. Let's just hope if Obama runs and wins, he'll get to Monday morning.

Submitted by lainad (view blog) on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 08:57

Comments

 

I'll admit it, he excites me

I'll admit it. Sen. Obama excites me. I get all hopeful and optomistic about his running. And he's about the only democrat I can get excited about winning. But I'm not sure that he's experienced enough to be successful as president

sigh.

And they wonder why voting turnout is so low. The only candidate I'm excited about.. and he's not even running yet.

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Deb's Daily Distractions

Submitted by debra roby on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 07:21
 

Yes. Please.

I'm ready for ANOTHER president, that's for sure, black or otherwise.

Cautionary tale: Remember the mania around Howard Dean? I hope and pray that Obama will not suffer the same fate.

Nerd's Eye View

Submitted by Pam on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 07:24
 

After his DNC Speech I yelled up to the
S.O...

"If we can't elect this guy to be President, I don't know who we can."

Which meant that Obama thrilled me with his language and message, but that I still have an underlying doubt about my fellow citizenry. As do a lot of us apparently...

Did you see the Gallup poll about what kind of President Americans are "ready for"? I posted about it here. Only 61% of people think America is "ready" for a female president for example (58% think we're "ready" for an African American president.) Don't even look at the numbers for a gay person or an atheist (!) or an Asian.

As I said in that post:

So, let's get this straight:

We're ready for recovered substance abusers, with a DUI under their belt no less.
We're ready for failed businessmen.
We're ready for guys who tried like hell to avoid military service (and sure, you can count Clinton and Dubya there.)
We're ready for mediocre students who seem to have an intelligence deficit.
We're ready for people with deep ties to the industries that seem to screw the regular person the most.
We're ready for former actors.
We're ready for liars and crooks.
We're ready for womanizers.

But we're not ready for someone with a vagina. Particularly someone with a vagina who is attracted to other people with vaginas.

Peachy

Elisa Camahort
BlogHer and Worker Bees
elisa@blogher.org/elisa@workerbees.biz

Submitted by Elisa Camahort on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 07:54
 

Obama, I know I'm ready

I just like his politics.

I always had a huge problem with Jesse Jackson because he was a reverend.

I always want to believe that this country is beyond the race thing, but sadly I don't think it's true.

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Sports and Fitness
Sarah and the Goon Squad
Draft Day Suit

Submitted by Sarah on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 08:09
 

I'm buying into the hype of Obama '08.

Barack Obama had me at his DNC speech.

I agree with many others who think that if he is to make a run for president, the time is now, despite his inexperience.

I may be a little biased since we did attend the same school in Hawaii (hee!), but I hope he does run and I hope he does win. Unlike Hilary (who, I'm sorry, I just do not like--can't we find any other qualified people "with a vagina?" maybe people that said "enough" to her philandering husband and kicked his cheating ass to the curb) he never supported the Iraq war. That counts for a lot for me.

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
CityMama
Kimchi Mamas
Family F

Submitted by CityMama on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 11:04
 

I agree that the ability to

I agree that the ability to transcend race or gender issues will always be necessary for minority groups or women to succeed in politics in a widespread way. Is it fair? Don't know. But, the candidate who can communicate his/her desire to lead not just a particular party, race, gender or group, will be the one to win.

Our political landscape is so fractured and divided that if someone can come along and truly bridge major gaps, it would be stunning and refreshing.

Terri

Wheat Among Tares

Submitted by Terri987 on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 14:21
 

Middle of the Road

The key for any minority or female presidential candidate winning the white house is that they have to be strictly middle of the road; they can't be seen as too far right or too far left. They have to appeal to all the republicans and democrates in the middle and leave the fringes behind. That's why Colin Powell seemed so ideal way back when, he was rational and moderate to win over both parties. I don't know much about Obama, but it would be interesting to see him run; from the sounds of it his biggest obsticle would be over coming his political inexperience. And I'd really like to see what the republicans would do when faced with a well liked, dynamic and young minority candidate rather than another well off, political fossil from the old boys club like themselves.

I don't think Hilary Clinton would be a good candidate simply because she's been the conservative's public enemy number 1 for far too long. Even if she's now reaching across the isle, she's been painted as a left wing radical since her husband was in office so there's little hope she could win a national election if she got the democratic nomination.

Submitted by Absurda on Tue, 10/24/2006 - 21:47
 

It is too soon - He needs more "seasoning."

I wish he was ready. Believe me this country needs a thinking president and a president who we aren't ashamed to hear out loud. I'm concerned there is a lot of wish projection happening here.

What do we know of this man?
What is his voting record?
Where does he stand on the issues and will he continue to do so when the money starts pouring in?
Who is wispering in his ear and I don't mean in a sexual way.
But that would be my next question.

I point to what happend with not just Howard Dean but way back in the day there was a candidate named John Anderson.

There was such a hunger for the new, for the unconnected yet honest spokeperson that people almost made them pop-stars. Nobody can stand that kind of adulation or under the microscope analysis of everything that you do.

Seduction is cool, even political seduction. But the next day you have to wake up to the real person. Obama needs time to fail and get back up on his own. You can't do that running for president.

He might be ready in 2012 - but not right now. I truly wish it was different, but I won't be fooled again.

Gena - http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com

Submitted by Gena Haskett on Wed, 10/25/2006 - 16:56
 

Seasoning

If seasoning were a requirement, we would not have the President we have now. And Hilary woud be viable. Obama certainly has more salt than W. - and a long list of other qualifications that outshine the current occupant of the White House.

Nerd's Eye View

Submitted by Pam on Thu, 10/26/2006 - 06:53
 

If you have to ask...

Maybe you are not ready.

Julia Ardón
Costa Rica
http://juliaardon.blogspot.com/
http://www.elsalondebelleza.com/

Submitted by juliaardon on Wed, 10/25/2006 - 20:38
 

How young is too young?

John F. Kennedy was very young when he ran, and nobody since has captured his kind of energetic vision. Should he have been older? I don't see Obama's age as a barrier, and it's rather refreshing that his race does not seem to be a major issue like it might have been not so many years ago (though I'm sure it will be an issue for some folks). I just don't know what he stands for. Then again, that's true for just about any politician. I'm pretty clear about the politicians I don't like, but politicians I can say I really do like? That's pretty much still unanswered, for me.

Laura Scott
design, snap, blog ... admin

Submitted by Laura Scott on Thu, 10/26/2006 - 08:03
 

It is not his age, it is his experience.

Politically, he is "still a young man". And I feel he is being artificially lifted by the Democrats cuz they don't have anyone else that remotely has the "potential" appeal that this man projects.

Julia you are correct. I'm not ready to elect someone based on oratory skills. I'm not ready to hope this is the beginning of a major transformation in American politics. I don't even believe we will have a viable and credible ballot process. I will vote because it is my duty as a citizen.

This country is damaged, the system has been corrupted, violated and empirically screwed. We need a viable, functional president. Scratch that, we someone that can think on his/her own and has a less than average sex drive.

For the good of the country sacrifices have to be made.
(My attempt at humor being one of them.)

Gena - http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com

Submitted by Gena Haskett on Mon, 10/30/2006 - 22:56