Black/white Obama...

Jeannette - posted on 08/14/2009

I think of Obama as being bi racial. I would have voted for Hillary, I am a registered Republican, not because she is a woman, but because she had experience and there were a few things I wanted changed. I was really impressed that the media never picked up on the fact that Hillary's platform became in essence, Obama's platform. He was on and on about hope and change, never going into great detail, until he got details about Hillary's platform. During the debates with McCain, lo and behold, his platform started to go more and more towards McCain's platform. He pulled away from insisting we get get out of Iraq immediately to "well, with reasonable time limits that won't endanger our soldiers", he admitted it could take a while. There were other issues he became more moderate on that he was more liberal on before. It was a turining point for him, I think, when he directly addressed black men in America and told them to be responsible and take care of their families. I think then he realized he had to be careful what he said...so, he waited to hear what the others were saying. It would have been more interesting, and he probably would have won me over, had he a platform that he maintained and not dwindle from.

I voted for McCain because Hillary wasn't in the running anymore, and after hearing Obama during the debates I didn't feel he had any original thought anymore. I also was concerned about learning on the job with the most important job in America...he's still learning.

I have been trying not to villify him just because he was not my choice. I have tried to be reasonable and give credit where credit is due...whether it be to Bush, Obama, Clinton etc. I am happy that we have a bi racial president. I believe I will have bi racial grandchildren some day, and I want them to shoot for the stars!

Konda - posted on 08/13/2009

In the US if you are like 1/8th black, you are considered black...it is put on your birth certificate. I don't like him no matter what color he is. I didn't vote for him because I didn't like his stance on numerous things. I wasn't crazy about McCain either, but for me he was the lesser of the two evils.



As for the next president, I'd love to see Bobby Jindal, my Governor, he is of Indian decent if that makes a difference to anyone. Perhaps he wont be ready in four years, he is still very young and wet behind the ears, but maybe in 8 or 12 years.

Savannah - posted on 08/13/2009

I think he should be considered biracial. It a little upsetting to me the everyone makes such a big deal about him being "black". He's just as much white as black.

I don't think his coloring should even be an issue. At this late date I really think that the whole racial thing is getting a little old. Can't we all just get over what our ancestors did, recognize that we are all equal, and just MOVE ON?

Ugh! I'm so OVER it!

Cathy - posted on 08/13/2009

He's Biracial. His white half will never be accepted by the majority who choose to judge purely on skin colour. This would be a non issue in Europe.

Jennifer - posted on 08/11/2009

Well, I think he's the first black president. The way we use the term black, anyone who skin coloring that indicates they have African ancestors is considered black. Since he's 1/2 Kenyan, he's black. Almost the entire African-American community in the US has some percentage of Caucasian skin-coloring in their genes. In my book, being black means you are more than likely bi-racial or multi-racial.

What do we call people who are 1/2 Caucasian and 1/2 Indian, 1/2 Native American, 1/2 Chinese, 1/2 Cuban, 1/2 Mexian or 1/2 Persian?

Cassie - posted on 08/05/2009

He is NOT the first president to have black ancestors...just saying!!

JL - posted on 08/04/2009

I too think the case should not have been dropped at all. I do get that in order to successfully prove voter intimidation there needs to be people openly stating that they did not cast a vote because they were intimidated and held back from doing so... that from what I have read was not made abudantly clear. However it was clear enough that people were outraged and felt scared and verbally harrassed which in my opinion can just as easily constitute as a form of intimidation THEREFORE the case should have proceeded on those grounds.



I did not infer anyway in my post that voter intimidation against white folks was somehow justified..I was just trying to point out why some minorities felt far more comfortable with voting during the last election. I was just trying to impart what I heard from the voices of minorities. I canvassed in African American nieghborhoods for the Democratic Party in Augusta, Georgia and area that is predominately Republican and an area where most minorties live in poverty. I had African American women and men from age 60 to 80 telling me how it was the first time they were going to vote because it was the first time they felt like it was safe for them to vote...now I did not hear an abundance of elderly white people telling me this so obviously the historial precidence of voter intimidation and voter suppression against minorities has framed the feelings felt by many African Americans.



However with that being said Voter intimidation and voter suppression is wrong and believe me I have already expressed my feelings in an email to Obama's campaign office, to the Democratic party, and to my representatives over the Justice Departments handling of this particular case. I don't blindly follow the people I vote for or agree with every move they make. But I do not think making offhand comments about how it is the white folks turns to be intimidated is somehow constructive because all it does is come across as if you are trying to state that the Obama administration is supporting an attack upon white peoples voting rights.

JL - posted on 08/04/2009

I voted for Obama first off because I am a Liberal Democrat and I agree with his platform. I did not vote for him because of his race just like I did not intially campaign for Hillary Clinton because of her gender. I intially supported Hillary because I thought her platform was far more liberal that Obama's. I think it is hilarious when people talk about how Liberal he is when in reality his ideas are far more moderate and actually disapoint some of us Liberals who do not think they go far enough.



However, once Obama became the Democratic nominee for President I volunteered for his campaign and worked by butt of to get him elected. I think there is a generalized notion that most African Americans voted for him basically because he is considered a black man, but if you statistically and historically look at the makeup of voting numbers among minorities the reality is that the majority of minorities tend to vote Democrat. What Obama's race did do was involve more minorities in the voting process. I have worked for pretty much every national election for the Democratic Party since I was 16 and the minority voter turnout this election cycle was amazing and what I heard from minorities voting for the first time is that they for once felt represented. Older minorities voting for the first time here in Georiga told me that they felt like because a black man was runnning that they would not be intimidated from voting..they felt like they were casting a vote that would be counted.



People must remember that in America we have a long history of voter intimidation when it comes to minorities voting and there were lawsuits cast in 2000 and 2004 from minorities who felt intimidated. So while someones race does not matter when it comes to them doing the job it did make a difference in certain people feeling freer to vote and it pushed more people into becoming involved in the voting process. It is a historical moment because he is the first person who is not caucasion to hold the presidential seat so it doesn't matter if he is biracial or not because his election meant something powerful for the US since American history consists of an identity marred by racial violence and inequality.



Now if we could just get rid of all the BS surrounding the Birthers movement and the red scare propaganda that keeps directing our attention toward absurdities maybe this nation could progress even further in our social identity.

Joy - posted on 08/04/2009

When I voted for Obama, I did so based on his stand on the issues that are important to me. Honestly, I considered his being a black man a bonus, another step in the right direction. I do consider him to be bi-racial because, well, he is bi-racial. What gets me is when people (FOX NEWS) make a huge deal about his African heritage and conveniently leave out the fact (or gloss over it BARELY) that his mother was a white woman....as white as I am. It really doesn't matter to me if he's referred to as our first "black" president or our first "bi-racial" president. I can understand why he has become the first "black" president in the people's eyes though. His appearance is more black than white. Blacks seem to identify with him a lot based on his skin color and I can understand that. This is the first time ever in the history of the US that a person of color holds the most powerful job in the country. Personally though, I don't care if he's black, white or purple. I am happy to have voted for the PERSON he is, proud of the job he's doing so far (considering the mess that he came into office facing) and I am hopeful that he will be re-elected. He's got my family's vote anyhow :)

Katie - posted on 08/04/2009

MJ said it the best!

"It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White
Its Black, It's White, Its Tough For You To Get By
It's Black , It's White, Whoo" can't remeber any more words......whoooo

American politics is not my forte, but he was a huge hit in Ottawa, Canada. Tons of people flocked to the parilament to catch a glimpse of him. He must be doing something right ; black or white.

Charlie - posted on 08/04/2009

I am an Aussie as many of you know so i dont know the insides and out of your politics .
Here is my opinion , Obama is bi-racial , BUT he is visually black that cannot be ignored .
i know a little of Americas history and its treatment of black people ( ours is just as bad ) , so i understand what an enormous step in history it was for a " black " man to be elected as president , i have to say although it happened in America , as a biracial person who was subject to many racist remarks at school ( yes they considered me " black " ) , even i felt the emotion behind this significant moment in time .
It gives me hope that people are moving forward , and that my little "biracial" boy will not receive the racist taunts that i had to endure as a child .
I hope one day people will forget about color and just start seeing people for who they are inside .

Angie - posted on 08/04/2009

HAHAHA, Jocelyn, then it would be hard to elect any of them! :)

Jocelyn - posted on 08/04/2009

lol then let's put them all in Nixon masks!

Sharon - posted on 08/04/2009

todays media won't allow that but I LIKE the idea!!!

Jocelyn - posted on 08/04/2009

he's biracial, because that's what he is, plain and simple.
and i have a theory; it would make so much more sense if we were never allowed to physically "see" the candidate that are running. that way ppl would be forced to focus on the issues and what they are actually saying, rather than on how they look. (although a flaw in my theory is "i'm not quite sure how they would go around campaigning and never being seen" lol)

Angie - posted on 08/04/2009

Exactly!!! I don't care if its a woman or a chinese man...making history should be more of what that person does in office. I really don't care if they are white, black, native american, or just a plain ol' mut!!! :) I also think it is sad that people base their opinions on looks rather what they stand for...Yes there are some people out there that actually did their research...but I really don't believe he made history, yet...he still has years to go in order to do that!!!!!!

Dana - posted on 08/04/2009

Sharon, I understand your point completely. Could you imagine if all of us women voted for Hillary regardless of her politics but because she was a women or for John Mccain because Sarah Palin would be the first women VP. Scary, really.

Sharon - posted on 08/04/2009

I agree Angie - HE isn't great because he part african american, but our country is a little bit greater for being open enough to vote in an apparently black man.



I found the actual voting to be a joke. Like all the on the street interviews on tv - people were voting and had no idea who they were voting for beyond the "black guy". They didn't know who running mate was, they didn't know how he stood on certain political issues, they voted on his skin color. which was sad. and great? does that make sense?

Dana - posted on 08/04/2009

I always wonder why people say he is our first black president. He is biracial and what will happen when we DO have our first black president. That poor man/woman won't get to experience the full effect of being the first. On a side note, I too had first seen him speak at the DNC and was hopeful and excited. I also am a bit dismayed by peoples need to follow their presidential choice blindly as we saw many Republicans follow President Bush. Unfortunately, I've seen the same with President Obama from the moment he announced that he was running. I think it's our duty as Democrats and Americans to question and follow with our eyes wide open. No one politician is the end all be all. Also, I proudly voted for President Obama and would do so again in a heart beat!

Angie - posted on 08/04/2009

Hmm...How can I put this the right way without everyone lashing back...hmm...In my book he is just another man, he isn't great because of his skin color, nor is he great because of who he is...Personally I did not vote for him...He gives me the heeby jeebies...and I don't trust him... Well I'm just counting down the days, until re-election happens...hopefully for most they will actually see who he really is...and get him out of presidency...

Shelly - posted on 08/04/2009

They need to get off this black/white thing, it didnt factor on my opinion (i didnt vote) and it shouldnt have factor in others, Jenn said it best tho. Im glad I got to see history be made. My girls learned about it in school and were so excited. Now they didnt understand the issues persay but they understood this was a special moment.

Esther - posted on 08/04/2009

I know he's bi-racial, but I'm pretty sure that he is treated as though he's all black. That means he's treated just fine by enlightened people like you and me, but as far as racists go, I doubt that they cared that he was part white. They see black skin and they think black. I unfortunately do not get to vote (HUGE pet peeve of mine) but thankfully I was allowed to donate money this time around (couldn't do that last time either). Race was no factor in my decision to make monthly contributions to Obama's campaign for a period of about 2 years, but the thought of the first "black" president was definitely icing on the cake for me. I also plastered my car in Obama bumper magnets, Lucas went to daycare in a "Vote for my Future" shirt on election day (with the Obama logo) and he was wearing an Obama onesie underneath. On inauguration day he wore a "My First President" shirt with Obama on it. Consider it my vote. Like Mary Elizabeth, I was sold back in 2004 when he spoke at the DNC. I wept when I heard that speech. I taped it and showed it to everyone who entered my house and I so hoped that he would be the next president. I'm getting goose bumps thinking about it again. I don't think he's infallible. I have already been disappointed by him as I knew I would over specific policy issues. But as cheesy as the opposition might find it, he did give me hope that some sense of decency and intellectualism would be restored in American politics. In that respect, I have not been disappointed yet.

Sharon - posted on 08/04/2009

Its hard to disregard his skin color becuase of the big whoop de doo our press makes about it. I am proud and thrilled our country has been able to come so far as to consider a woman for vice president and bi-racial man for president.

I'm looking forward to see who turns up in the next presidential race.

He is considered to be bi-racial to me - because he is. Being multi racial myself I understand his strict aherence to that fact.

Cassie - posted on 08/04/2009

I agree. It is amazing that Kiera was born when such a big change occured in our nation. Our family is also fortunate enough to have a picture of my husband with the president to show our daughter when she grows up as he was able to meet the President Obama. We will get to tell her that when she was 5 months old, she was in a small room with the president as he spoke about her daddy. :)

ME - posted on 08/04/2009

One of the first things I wrote in Miles' baby book was that the democratic nomination for pres would, for the first time, either be a woman or a biracial man! I thought that was amazing, and such a great time in history to be born into the USA!

Sapphire - posted on 08/04/2009

I view him as biracial, cause that's what he is. No need to sugarcoat it or make a production over his skin pigmentation.

ME - posted on 08/04/2009

I think that you would find in the racist history of the USA that anyone who is not obviously 100% White is concidered a minority by the white population. It does not surprise me that a large percentage of US Americans have a hard time seeing past the color of our president's skin. As the other women have said, this had NO baring on my vote for the president. I wanted him to run the first time I heard him speak at the DNC in 2004. In fact, I said "he will be our next president"...I'm SO glad I was right.

Mary - posted on 08/04/2009

Jenn, I agree...I was so proud to write in Molly's baby book that we watched the inauguration of our first non-caucasion president. I was glad that my daughter was born at a time when it is possible for all HUMANS to reach levels of greatness.

~Jennifer - posted on 08/04/2009

The color of his skin did not factor in at all in my vote. I don't think it matters what I consider him to be, but moreso who he considers himself to be. I do not draw conclusions about people due to skin pigmnet.

I think that with the horrid history of the United States' treatment of 'blacks' that it is important to note that he IS visibly different from past presidents, but I do not think that his color should be the defining factor of the man. I think he should rather be defined by his beliefs, his postions on issues and his overwhelming ability to motivate people to once again care about what is happening in their own country, as well as the rest of the world.

That being said, I do, and will always, be proud of the fact that I ( for once) feel like I was heard via my vote, and that I was alive to witness this historical election.To me, it's just the first step in a long list of changes that the world needs to make in regards to the way people are 'seen'.

Mary - posted on 08/04/2009

Personally, I think of him as biracial, but it was honestly a lesser consideration for me when deciding who to vote for. I could care less about the color of his skin...it was his beliefs and positions that mattered to me...I think that when that is true for ALL of us, then we will have reached the point where this is true equality in the world. I guess the big hub-bub was that regardless of his cultural heritage, and what you classify him as, he IS the first American president who is not 100% pasty-white!