Obama- Trapped between 2 worlds...

very interesting, older story, but still...


Donna Brazile, who managed former Vice President Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000, said Obama's feelings of distrust toward most whites and doubts about himself are fairly typical for black Americans.

“He was a young man trying to discover, trying to accept, trying to come to grips with his background,” she explained. “In the process, he had to really make some statements that are hurtful, maybe. But I think they're more insightful than anything.”

During college, Obama disapproved of what he called other “half-breeds” who gravitated toward whites instead of blacks. And yet after college, he once fell in love with a white woman, only to push her away when he concluded he would have to assimilate into her world, not the other way around. He later married a black woman.

Such candid racial revelations abound in “Dreams,” which was first published in 1995, when Obama was 34 and not yet in politics. By the time he ran for his Senate seat in 2004, he observed of that first memoir: “Certain passages have proven to be inconvenient politically.”


http://www.examiner.com/a-536474~_Trapped_between_two_worlds_.html

:puke:

:-)

One of my favorite sketch comedy characters ever. :hi:

Homey don't play dat!

:rofl:

I loved "In Living Color," especially the Homey skits. :hi:

And one that launched so many careers. (I'm old enough to remember when Jim Carrey was the White Guy on that show) :hi:

Jim Carry was great too.

I'm guessing you never read his book.

But, your willingness to dismiss the identity crisis of mixed race people is duly noted, and you make a fine addition to my Ignore List.

You Obama kids are SO FUNNY. :rofl:

(Hint: I probably know a little bit more about these "identity crises" than you do, being both black and Romanichal, with more than a splash of Creek Indian. But thanks for playing! :hi:)

naive, inexperienced and desperate

Today it's Bill "Chimpy's Lapdog" Sammon.

And the seemy fixation on racial issues?... Yuk.

Unless you're talking about the OP I'm kinda confused.

n/t

Obama has changed HIS opinion? Yeah, that's rich.

n/t

used a racist slur that started that debate, if you remember right. I guess only Obama supporters are allowed to use racist remarks.

IOW feel free to use if the TP runs out.

Quite the politicaly crafted line.
He's learning.

Color me surprised

I swear the racist bullshit in this thread has erased any sympathy for the people who have been bashing him because of the McClurkin incident. Racist gay people are just as bad as homophobic black people.

he said he pushed her away because...well...you know. he didn't want to fit into her "white" world. That's the way I took it anyway...

"It wasn't because she was white. It was because I would have to assimilate into the white world"

Who knows what the book actually said.

And you agree with Obama that that would be a Bad Thing?

assimilate in a black world? This is really the question that is asked. Of course, I can see you do not get what it means, but there is nothing I can do for you on this issue. Closed minds will always be closed.

I dont see why anyone would have to assimilate into anything. People don't change simply because they marry someone of another race. Coming from a multiracial family, I know that's a fact. The assumption that anyone would have to assimilate is borderline racist IMO

"This is really the question that is asked"

And it is a question based on the racist assumption that someone would have to assimilate merely because they married someone of another race.

:shrug:

Lame.

Since you're quoting directly from his book, that would be helpful.

I think anyway...

I'd like to get hold of that book, it sounds really interesting. And, you know, authentic, unlike the bullshit image he's peddling now.

Man, I have such a love-hate thing going on with Obama.

By the time he ran for his Senate seat in 2004, he observed of that first memoir: “Certain passages have proven to be inconvenient politically.”


His own quote mind you....

I just don't trust him. Never have. Add that to the lack of experience, and I'm out. If I trusted him, I'd give him a pass on the experience. But there are others I don't trust as well, but if they are the nominee, I will support them.

I thought that was interesting too.

I don't trust him either, for the same reasons. He thinks a little too much about political convenience for someone who's supposedly all about change (see: McChickenhead fiasco).

“I have witnessed a profound shift in race relations in my lifetime,” he wrote in “Audacity.” “I insist that things have gotten better.”

While many things stay the same...I think America is stuck between the Past and the Present and insisting it is incapable of concieving the Future just as it does that. I think Obama breaks that typical American mold and that is what scares so many people. We've been fighting a culture war since 1607 in this country and it isn't showing much sign of abating much less the country transcending its addiction to existentialism. That is essentially what drives Obama's writing IMHO.

"By the time he ran for his Senate seat in 2004, he observed of that first memoir: “Certain passages have proven to be inconvenient politically.”

Of course he corrected his stance.

Maybe it's possible his perspective on the world changed between the more than ten years between the two publications? Besides, the first book is a memoir and the second is more of a political essay, and as such there's a major difference in style because they are different genres. He didn't correct anything, he simply compared the two books in that comment. At least Barack Obama doesn't lie about who and what he is unlike a certain candidate...he's very open.

n/t

come on and act coy, LOL. The objective reader here can understand it.

I'm sorry, but that's just how I see it. He had a real golden opportunity to put the whole unity thing into practice by inviting black GLBT people to speak instead of McChickenhead but he cynically played the wedge between black evangelicals and the white GLBT activist crowd.

I think that is a one dimensional view of Barack Obama and of America in general. I don't think it ought to be a deal breaker and I would note that the whole brouhaha is a perfect demonstration of why the era of wedge politics needs to be put to bed. Moreover, I think it is really quite presumptuous to judge that "he cynically played the wedge between black evangelicals and the white GLBT activist crowd," given that this whole debate by virtue of its political function is a perfect example of identity politics that you seem to deplore in your condemnation.

Well that will play well in Mississippi!

I just don't get that.

that he really needs to come alive and do better in the debates. Times running out.

The rest is speculation and conjecture.

it was based on his books, and his own admissions.

OK, I still like the guy. He's not the only person who's struggled with issues of racism on a personal level.

But he does need to come ALIVE on those debates.

Take care.

Obama's got Oprah. Hillary's got Streisand. The primary is taking on an Entertainment Tonight quality to it, and I abhor that program. This is about the future of our country and is not a circus. I hope Democrats wise up in time and decide to support the grownup in what has become an almost silly race. Sen. Biden is about getting things done and leading. Democrats really need to win this election and that's doubtful if we stick with one of our current front runners.

Biden isn't trying to get to the top by bringing the other Dems down. I wish I could say the same for you

(formerly of the Washington Times) are exactly the right people to psychoanalyze Sen. Obama, n'est-ce pas? Why, oh my heavens! Sen. Obama had conflicted feelings about race growing up! And, gosh oh my! Those feelings occurred not because of a racist social structure, but because of Barack Hussein Obama's bad faith! He didn't believe white people could be good? He even pushed away one of the lovely white women who desired him! (The deeper irony here is that Sammon would be writing columns about Sen Obama's white wife and miscegenation if he had fallen for the pure ivory goddess.)

Fuck it, I'm outta sympathy.

that you no longer sympathize with him

I don't hate anyone really....I just don't trust him. Big difference.

my gay-atheist-tattooed-pierced ass would fit right in over there. :crazy:

we were addressing Obama's own comments, not what the reporters said...

Sometimes, there is a world between the two, particularly when the reporter comes from the Moonie press.

If it's wrong, put up or shut up

That as a young mixed-race man, he struggled to find his identity. God, it may be a revelation to you, but it is often the case to anybody with mixed background!

and I noticed you changed your story from "It's not true" to "What's wrong with it?"

I do not see it.

First you were "It's not true". Now that it's obvious that it is true, you changed to "What's wrong with it?"

But, if I was to read what Obama is supposed to say and try to understand what that means, I am not sure what you object to?

so why should anyone bother to point out the quotes when all you'll do is say "Not true! Not true!"?

You are moving the goalposts, and there's no reason to think you'll do anything but move the goalposts again once your question is answered.

I was specifically addressing the 2...actually 3, comments I found disturbing, which were direct Obama comments, from the book...I guess I could just buy it, and see if he in fact said them, but I don't think they were fabricated for the article, because Obama would have spoken out about them already, if they were lies...

they are in my post above...

Geez.

Bill Sammon is Senior White House Correspondent for the Washington Examiner,<1> a political analyst for Fox News, and "the author of four books" on George W. Bush, "all New York Times bestsellers. His fifth book, The Evangelical President, will be published" in September 2007.<2>

http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bill_Sammon

we are talking about Obama's comments from his book, not what the reporters said....

Sammon's turgid take on them.

Have you read it?

Since you are so forceful about saying these are comments from his book, I assume you have it nearby.

Please provide a paragraph or two of context for us. That would be appreciated.

it doesn't mean what you say is right or true. These were quotes, from Obama's book, as stated in the article. If you don't like the reporters, fine, but don't for a second try to tell us, that if this was not factual, Obama wouldn't have let it ride. He wouldn't.

This is the QUOTE I find objectionable, and this is the last time I am going to post it. People need to read the thread, as I have posted it now 3 times. I'm not a babysitter. Read the thread.

“Certain passages have proven to be inconvenient politically.”


He said it. It must be pretty powerful, since you are so stridently defending it.

Wow. Jesse Lee Peterson and Bill Sammon. Are you sure you're at the right place?

All you can do is to complain that the OP posted something by a rightwinger, when you've done the same thing.

Once I see the *actual* quote in context, perhaps we can discuss this issue on the actual merits.

"half-breed", a quote about how parts of the book might hurt him politically. The article also says he rejected a potential mate based on her race.

You cant be so clueless that you don't see the story there

which includes a couple out-of-context quotes supposedly from Obama's 1995 book, in which he talked about his life's experiences. That's all.

At any rate, we've reached "LaLa Land" when a Hillary supporter accuses an opposing candidate of redacting material for political reasons. Shall we also revisit *her* audacious history?

I like hearing you complain about others using rightwing sources to repeat years old stories

I wonder what ever happened to Socks the cat?

But don't be surprised if you carry the "Sammon supporter" label around for a while... :)

a teen. Who is surprised by that? Only idiots and racist people who think he is black and ignore the other half think it is easy.

My kids are bi-national and my husband and I are from different religious background. Even though we are both caucasian and therefore the racism issue is out of the picture, the identity question has been hard as teenagers. No surprise it has been hard on Obama as well.

not trash.

makes me think of the KKK.

Snippets taken out of context, total ignorance of what it is to live in a mixed background. Very very sad to find this on DU.

I can understand why Obama would hesitate to enter in a mixed relationship if this means he would have to leave his background behind and integrate her background. Sadly, you do not get it. Your problem, not his.

sorry you don't see that. The snippets are Obama's own words. From his books, for the 4th time. We were addressing his comments.

For the rest, it is paraphrasing written by the reporter.

And I do not see anything objectionable in what Obama said.

You keep switching back and forth between "Obama didn't say that" to "What's wrong with it?"

“Certain passages have proven to be inconvenient politically.”

That's an Obama quote

Go figure.

She spoke as a black woman more than anything else, and her brief comments were at best a very minor part of this story. I don't think she was attacking Obama in any way.

nice racist overtones, dude

Oh, Brazile did. Same difference, minus the quill. Thanks for sharing. :eyes:

The same guy who penned these books:

so disturbing. Let's not forget that....it's been mentioned about a billion times now...who cares about the reporters...

It's understandable that her stuff would be posted here. Bill Sammon, though? WTF?

This article is garbage. If the OP wants to extract Obama's quotes in a more contextual manner, pehaps (s)he should read 'Dreams From My Father'. Thanks for pointing that out, NCYGirl.

I guess that must make me one of the white liberals this story refers too :)

Seriously, of course Obama had to grapple with deep and painful realities confronting all the implications of divided races in his personal world on a daily basis. I think those soul searching experiences mostly helped well equip him for leadership in America today. If anyone tries to use his first memoir against him politically, I would be proud to speak in Obama's defense.

will continue to look at the facts. But keep kicking this to the top, so people are free to make their own judgments on it.