“Typical White Person”
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, RaceThose three words will haunt Obama for years.
Obama said this Thursday in an early-morning call to a sports radio station in Philadelphia when asked about that remark about his grandmother and how she feels about him possibly becoming president of the United States:“She is extremely proud, and the point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn’t. But she is a typical white person who, you know, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn’t know, there is a reaction that has been bred into our experiences that don’t go away and sometimes come out in the wrong way…
“That’s the nature of race in our society,’’ Obama added in the call to the radio station, “and we have to break through it. And what makes me optimistic is you see each generation feeling a little less like that, and that’s pretty powerful stuff.’’
I think it’s obvious what he means by how he explained it, but those three words are going to be repeated as much as, if not more than, the Wright sermons. And they’ll be used in commercials and in radio ads and so on and so forth. They’ll be trumpeted as proof that Obama thinks white people are racist.
Long story short, it’s a serious gaffe and one he needs to address.
This entry was posted on Friday, March 21st, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Barack, Race. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
March 21st, 2008 at 11:47 am
That would be the dumbest thing to have to try and address, its apparant he is talking about stereotypes not racism, in fact calling her typical just proves he has stereotypes as well, its basic psychology
March 21st, 2008 at 3:34 pm
As a “typical white person” (part Cherokee, part German, part ?) I would like to say that I think Barack Obama is full of sh*t. He kicked his grandmother to the curb and honored his racist pastor. His grandmother helped raise him, his pastor only instilled anti-American and anti_white beliefs in him. That’s not the kind of loyalty I would expect anyone to extend to a non-family member. Will he kick America to the curb? You bet, anyone who disrespects their own grandmother in front of millions of Americans could care less about you, that’s for sure. Of course, that’s just my typical white view on the issue.
March 21st, 2008 at 3:57 pm
“Earlier in the week it appeared that Obama had a free pass to make slurs. There was no media outcry when Obama, wearing a green velvet suit at a Saint Patrick’s Day event, inserted an apostrophe in his name and declared “O’bama, not your typical Irish Mickâ€. ”
The complete story of Obama’s racist comment can be found at http://edddie.tumblr.com/post/29475735
March 21st, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Were a white to say ” typical Black person” many here to woould characterize that person a racist!
Obama says the same in reverse and it’s a gaffe!?
March 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Well, Obama is clearly a racist then, yeah? Is that what you’re saying Elisabetta?
March 21st, 2008 at 6:25 pm
No, Jason, she’s only pointing out the double standard that’s generally applied in racial situations, I think.
March 21st, 2008 at 6:34 pm
It was a ham handed comment but certainly not racist. To take it any other way is to read too much into it. For god’s sake lighten up there are far more important things to discuss.
March 21st, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Christine,
First off, I think Elisabetta can answer for herself. She said that somebody would be called a racist if it were reverse and then asked of my comment, “And it’s a gaffe?” What is the flip of that? She has presented me with ONE option, which is the word racist.
Second, you’ve been defending people recently and giving them cover by saying, “I’m sure they meant X.” and the person then gets to say, “Why yes, I did say X.” It’s not in keeping with the spirit of personal responsibility and open debate. So please, for honesty’s sake, let people respond for themselves.
Last, my name is Justin.
March 21st, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Read what he said again:
“The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn’t. But she is a typical white person.”
Poor choice of words, as all the haters are reacting predictably, but if you take his words as said that’s a compliment. He’s saying the “typical” white person is NOT a racist. His grandmother harbors no racial animosity. That’s typical. In other words, the average white person isn’t racist. He’s being kind.
Of course the real racists and/or the stupid people will try and use this against him. Geez, this is so tired already.
March 22nd, 2008 at 3:59 am
I find it ironic that Obama would refer to his grandmother as a “typical white person” after he had confessed to the same concerns in his book:
– Barack Obama from ‘Dreams of My Father’,
“When his grandmother wants a ride to work because the day before, while awaiting the bus, she was threatened by a black panhandler, he is outraged — at his grandparents. . . Later, when he moves to the South Side of Chicago in 1984, he eventually discovers that, like his grandmother, he’s sometimes scared of black males on the street, too.”
And the concerns are shared by others:
– The Reverend Jesse Jackson, as quoted in US News, 3/10/96,
“There is nothing more painful to me … than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved. ”
The point being, if Jesse, Barack and his grandmother all admit to stereotyping in this case, why didn’t Barack simply say “typical person”.
March 22nd, 2008 at 7:11 am
Ricky — I thought his grandmother went around afraid of black men and saying the n-word. Man, victomological race-baiting marxism IS SO CONFUSING so times!! I think Obama is racist — he just doesn’t know it — like the rest of us middleclass that he deplores as racists.
March 22nd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I think it would be a lot more racist if it wasn’t for the fact that having two parents from the South and having grown up in Kansas City in the ’60s I think the same thing about my parents and some of my older relatives from that part of the country as well.
March 22nd, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Obama is racist down to his toes.
That is the shame of it.
He has a silver tongue, but he has tripped over it.
His grandmother deserves more gratitude than he is showing her.
But since she is a “typical white person” she probably already had a negative view of Obama’s candidacy.
Yes, I am being sarcastic.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Justin, since when do you pounce on people for expressing an opinion?
It’s beginning to look, increasingly, like you take [personal]offense to any comment I make about Barack. Granted he is your man, but, please, don’t throw away any semblance of objectivity.
C. Stanley sharing her thoughts doesn’t impinge on my ability to answer your question.
Undoubtedly, two different standards are in use. One for Blacks, another for Whites.
Therefore I ask you, were a white person to state, “A typical black person” would you characterize him or her a racist?
March 26th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I don’t pounce on people for expressing opinions, I debate them. However, Christine was trying to explain what you were saying and, as I mentioned, she has done it before and I would appreciate it if she would stick to expressing her own opinions.
To answer the “were a white person to state,” no, I wouldn’t think that person is a racist. I would, however, think they made a clumsy comment, as Barack did here. It takes a lot more for me to think somebody is a racist. However, let me state that I do call out people for “racial” comments, such as Bill Clinton trying to marginalize Obama’s win in South Carolina. Again, it wasn’t racists, but it was definitely using race to try and explain away Obama’s large margin of victory over Hillary.
March 26th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Theoretically, it sounds good. Unfortunately, after reading your unwarranted rhetoric in another thread, it’s difficile to believe you’d give a white person the “benefit of the doubt.”
Your foregone conclusion toward me – since I have never engaged in smearing tactics – was extraordinarily out-of-bounds. Especially, when others doing the same thing got a pass.
It’s a constant reminder that conservatives are not popular around here, but I thought the blog’s statement, “Here we offer a respectful, honest forum for people who want to have a conversation about politics, the world and beyond” applied across the board. Guess I was wrong.
March 27th, 2008 at 1:28 am
My foregone conclusion? You said this…
What is one supposed to take from that exclamation? That you’re NOT saying Obama should be called something harsher, like, I don’t know…a racist? And if not, then what?
In other words, you can’t claim a double standard and then back down from what that argument suggests Obama should be called.
Also, which thread are you talking about where there’s unwarranted rhetoric where it suggests I wouldn’t give a white person the benefit of the doubt? If you don’t link, I can’t explain.
Lastly, for somebody who popped up 4 months ago under the name “Outraged!”, you have a lot of nerve saying conservatives aren’t welcome here. On nearly any other political blog where people don’t agree with your views you would have been shouted down LONG ago, but you haven’t been and it’s because this forum has been designed specifically so people like yourself can debate Dems. Nobody said it’s perfect and nobody said it wouldn’t get heated or pointed. But how much rhetoric, partisan hackery and bomb throwing do you see here compared with other forums? If the answer is “just as much,” well, you need to find another place to comment then. But given that you’ve posted 220 times here, I’m guessing we’re doing something right. So please, spare me the histrionics.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Justin,
Let me start with my participation here. When I “popped” in few months ago after googling ‘MA mandated insurance,’ I was sent to a specific thread. Didn’t know what this blog was about until afterwards. So, I picked a nick and used that to post my comments on healthcare as it was fitting to the conversation.
However, once I noticed the blog conversation, expanded past healthcare, I went with my name. It was as simple as that. So I don’t understand your need to bring that up.
In all fairness, there are many reasonable people here, I disagree with, and a number that thrive on attacking people rather than issues. However, being smeared by the owner of the blog, you, is a whole different ballgame.
Let me clear a misunderstanding. My last comment in this thread revolved around you scolding me in the thread, “Finding Obama Craven” http://donklephant.com/2008/03/20/finding-obama-craven/#comments and attaching all kinds of hogwash to me for writing the initials BHO.
Now, that was pure drama that blew me away. I am pretty sure you read my response, as of yesterday in that thread, but you didn’t see the need to rectify your misjudement.
So I thought opportune to readdress it here.
First, your overreaction to my using a valid abbr. showed hypocrisy when one considers that BHO has been employed by others w/o repercussion. In fact, DOS used it twice before me, in same thread. Now, I don’t read anything into it, as we abbreviate other politicians names (GWB, HRC, etc.) but you apparently did. Or to be correct, you only minded it when I wrote it, because you didn’t lose it with anyone else.
Then, there was the bias, that just because I am a conservative, I “must” have ulterior motives for referring to Obama by his initials, as esemplified by these words,
“Call the guy by his last name or his first name please and quit playing this crypto-islamic, right-wing game. It’s nonsense and you know it.”
No, I didn’t know you had a problem with Obama initials and I surely wasn’t playing any games. I was tired and in a hurry when I posted that comment and used the abbr. You chose not to give me the benefit of the doubt.
Thus, in my last answer in this thread, I drew a comparison between you ‘giving the benefit of the doubt’ toward someone who would make the statement, “Typical black/white person” and overreacting to initials by me and no one else.
Your political stances are clear to me too, but I don’t hold them against you and I would appreciate if you did the same.
Lastly, if you want to come across as fair, apply the same standard for all involved and be also outraged when people refer to conservatives as “KKK conservatives.”
That, is clearly derogatory and inflammatory.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Justin — Yes, he is a racist. He is a mole for a radical congregation which despises white people. Hey, did you know that Oprah W. went to the SAME church in the 1990’s and said it was not her cup of tea (probably referring to the explicit racism being expressed in that church) and GUESS WHAT…SHE QUIT the church!! Imagine. It can be done.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Oprah attended the same church and left, showing she wouldn’t tolerate Rev. Wright’s sermons. Nonetheless, she endorsed Barack knowing that he has been going there for two decades.
Something worth pondering.
March 27th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Elisabetta,
You’re right that Dos said BHO, and while I shouldn’t apply a double standard for him, I do. The reason being is he has been here since 2005, and is known to say things simply for pointed, comedic effect. I don’t usually correspond with him very much anymore because of this.
You, however, are new. And yes, there are different standards for new commenters. That’s how we maintain a marginally reasonable forum.
But let’s revisit my comment concerning your BHO comment:
If this is somehow proof of a smear, then you really need to get a thicker skin.
The “Hussein” meme is, and alway has been, a way to mark Obama as a crypto-muslim. And yes, I thought you’re playing games when you made a point of saying “BHO”. Maybe you thought it was okay because of Dos, so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.
As far as other commenters, I’m sure you’re aware that I have defended you in the past, but I can’t read everything.
So again, if you don’t want to be here you don’t have to be here. The choice is yours.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Justin,
Staying or leaving has always been my choice. Are you holding the door open?
The thrust of this argument are the not-so-subtle allegations intended to undermine any credibility on my part, even more so as they were preceded by this low blow,
“If you wonder why hardly anybody takes you seriously around here, it’s because of meme spreading like this.” That inferred a pattern of sort or previous incidents. Neither was true.
Undoubtedly, you go to great lengths to present as honest and accurate picture of candidates and news. I would hope the same effort would be made when dealing with people on this blog, regardless their political opinions.
After 4 months and over 220 posts it should have been transparent I don’t play idiotic games. Clarity absent, allowing me to explain, would have prevented unnecessary aggravation. In the future, please, ask me first.
With regard to holding people to different standards, the danger becomes one of mixed messages, as exemplified by this incident.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Holding people to different standards is not my “standard” operation procedure, but Dos is a weird exception. So again, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt on the BHO thing.
Also, how I regard commenters has nothing to do with somebody’s political opinion, but it does have to do with my opinion about whether somebody is trying to have a truly honest conversation. Like I said, I’ve defended you in the past from people who were calling you names, but please don’t pretend that you don’t stir the pot with pretty standard Republican talking points. It’s that I don’t necessarily appreciate.
In any event, I’m willing to hit the reset button if you are. I’ll consider your comments more fairly and you do the same. Agreed?
March 27th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
It doesn’t take much to stir the pot with some people, but it’s a bit reaching to jettison anything I proffer as “Republican talking points.”
Now is your deal “liberal fair or republican fair”? J/K ;-) Accetto…err agreed!
April 6th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
So yes – Obama is racist.
It’s very deep and very obvious at the same time.
Here’s what will happen… Obama will win the nomination and lose the election to Mccain..
Because McCain will use these three words to prove that Obama is racist and McCain will win the race..
If Hillary doen’t bring it up first…