Why Does Obama Have a 98% Approval Rating Among Blacks?
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I recently posted the following question on Hubpages, 98% of African Americans approve of Obama's job as president, is this a racial or racist component? I got a few answers. Some didn’t address the question as I had stated it but some gave very interesting answers. Now I am going to let you know what I think about the subject.
Whenever I think about issues I throw my feelings out with the bath water so that I can see clearly. Then I fill the bathtub full of the facts and decide where I stand. Yes, sometimes my feelings will still get in the way but I have a moral standard by which I make decisions. I have to give in to the facts whether it feels good or not. I am disciplined in these decisions because discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs a ton. I hate looking back on my decisions with regret.
The question states a fact. 98% of African Americans polled approve of President Obama’s presidency so far. We also know that 95% voted for him. This is an up tick of 3%. It is a fact that President Obama and the Democratic Party are the party of abortion on demand, homosexual marriage “rights” and sexual “freedom.” A Gallup Poll from December 3, 2008 entitled “Blacks as Conservative as Republicans on Some Moral Issues” along with polling data from the PollingReport.com helped me form my opinions.
President Obama said, “I don’t want them [his daughters] punished with a baby.” He was speaking about the abortion issue. Only 37% of Democratic African Americans think abortion is morally acceptable. Polls also show that 64% of Non-Black Democrats think that sex outside of marriage is morally acceptable verses 38% of Democratic Blacks. Again, the poll show that only 31% of Democratic Blacks think homosexual relationships are morally acceptable as opposed to 61% of Non-Black Democrats. The above are moral issues that the majority of African American Democrats differ with the president on. I recognize that these have very little to do with his performance to date but this is an alarm. If you can disregard your moral values you have headed down the road to regret.
Let’s look at some other polling data. According to an ABC News Poll 38% of African Americans identify with their race before their country and 39% say that they have feeling of racial prejudice. Therefore, I am going to eliminate 38% from the 98% who approve and call them the racist minority of Black voters. This leaves me with 60% who approve of President Obama. The question still exists, why?
Deidra26 answered my question and part of what she said was, “Hey...I feel insulted that you stated that most Blacks voted for Obama because he's black!” I’m sorry you feel insulted but the question had nothing to do with why anyone voted for President Obama. The question was about his approval rating among Blacks. Deidra26 concludes her remarks by stating, “The reason why so many African-Americans approve of the President is perhaps because they know if the country wasn't in such shambles a "Black person" would never have had a chance. By the way, the President is biracial- both black and white; does he get a chance to categorize himself? The last time I checked Asian and White= White; but black and white = black? I could go on and on…go figure! Any minority group who has been held down for so long and finally gets a chance deserves its moment...” It sounds like Deidra26 sees at least a racial component to the African American support for our president. As far as his racial make up, I’m only using the common terminology as expressed by the news media, his political party and his wife.
Mintinfo, made this assertion, “When you live in a racially diverse country and your race finally gets a turn at bat wouldn't you be happy?... Michelle Obama slipped up and said it "For the first time I feel truly American" and almost dropped the ball but it's true.” I think that Mintinfo expresses the feelings of many of my race. Which tells me that there is a racial component to the support. Now, is this wrong? Of course it’s not. I think GNelson who also answered said it well, “I can easily understand why African Americans would vote for him. They have come a long way and so has America.”
Finally, I think that the above 60% of African Americans who support President Barack Obama do so because they are proud to see him, someone who looks like them, in the White House. I too am proud to know that America has grown to the point were we can elect a man to be our leader no matter the color of his skin. Now when will be grow to the point that it is okay not to support someone no matter the color of your skin? As for me, I voted my values, values trump color.
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Powerful hub here. I have to agree that some racial component is in play and I can totally understand it. It is a first and we as a Nation must be proud of the fact he was elected. It does say alot about how much we have grown as a country and as individuals. What bothers me is that if you are not in agreement with his policies, then you are chastised for being a racisit. To me at least, you earn respect based on many factors and race has nothing to do with it. I respect and can admire anyone as an individual, and as an individual you have to earn my respect. This I carry in my own personal life and my political beliefs. You are hitting home runs with your hubs lately.
Right Black I have to say that I feel this is a very articulate hub and well reasoned. I do not have the right to an opinion on it. Even though I am not caucasian I would be accused of racism for making a statement like that.I object to him and his cabinet and Czars strictly on policies and Ideologies.Color has no factor in my decision process.Good job here.
Thanks for the comments dohn121, ehem33, and tony0724. We all have a right to speak our mind here an the USA and if we don't use it will soon be lost. Thanks again gentlemen.
Another great hub, RB. I have wondered about this myself, and I'm glad you asked the question. I have also wondered why it seems that devout Catholics and Jews often seem to put aside their values when choosing a party or candidate to get behind.
Thanks for your comments uszealot. It's similar to why do some people like peanut butter? They just do. I wish more people would have a different way of choosing representatives that will change the way we live.
Hey, thanks for including my opinion on this subject in your Hub Right Black. I know my response was simplified but I like to break things down using the logical aspects of human nature. I know that the Black race is very diverse and we all do not view the world in Black and white. There are conservative Blacks in every area of society. Whether religious, political, fiscal, or social, Blacks are not all the same. I am liberal with some conservative views but my opinion is that most Black conservatives choose the lesser of two evils based on what they see as the unfair judgment of Obama because of his race. The average American does not take into consideration the pressures that it takes to be President. There are thousands of decisions to consider on a daily basis and while there are advisers to assist on many there are powerful special interest groups to contend with. Racial issues, economic issues, and moral issues that were built up over many years cannot be rectified in one year. Sure there will always be thick walls between conservatives and liberals on such issues as Abortion, stem cell technology, and health care but to suggest that America is going to hell because of it is preposterous. Open minded discussion solves problems not hate.
mintinfo, Thanks so much for stopping by and adding your comments. I appreciate your point of view even if I don't agree with you on some things. Ah, freedom of speech isn't it wonderful!
Call it racial component if you want, but bottom line is after hundreds of years of racial oppression, corruption, murder, rape and subjugation of [not only] blacks, it is refreshing to see someone other than an old White Man in office. This might sound racist, but I didn't support Barack because he was Black (or whatever), I supported him because he wasn't White. If Barack were Chinese or Indian, or anything else, I would have made the same choice. It is racist for any person at this point to say that more of the same - old White men out of touch with the needs and cultures of other peoples - is acceptable, especially after Bush Jr.
For centuries, the fact has remained that a little racism puts you in power and keeps you there. Puritans and Western Europeans have proven that throughout the world - and other races before them. Just look at the country of Africa.
It is also true that many people believe Barack is Black. He is mixed. Not that that is an issue for me, but I think its funny how conveniently people are ready to call him Black when he is clearly mixed Black and White.
I'm not one to really pay attention to surveys because they are marginal and limited. At any rate, I think that having a 98% approval among Blacks would be the most American think the African American race could exhibit - actually agreeing with America's leader!
Thank you so much for your comments, wesleyacarter. I understand how you feel about seeing someone other than a white man in office. As a matter of fact there is an American Indian whose family comes from India that I am very interested in as a presidential candidate. The reason is he holds my values. Even if you don't think the polls are totally accurate they are overwhelming in stating that the majority of Blacks disagree with the President Obama on abortion, homosexual marriage and sexual promiscuity. That Blacks would then give him a 98% approval rating means they must have checked their values at the door. I understand the pride that comes from having a president who looks like you, I feel it too but this is not enough for me. I have to criticize what I see as policies that will be harmful for Black Americans along with all Americans. This is why I don't support his policies. Thanks again for your comments.
Right Black
Now when do we get voters to vote for the best candidate?
OpinionDuck, The question is not when but how? Thanks for the comment.
Right Black
You are right, right, how indeed.
Got any suggestions, ODuck?
Right Black
Wow! There doesn't appear to be any precedent to that task.
I did a hub on restructuring the government that might work to induce better voting. Basically, the current structure of Congress is based on party wins and party control. The party out of control has no desire to do things that would make the other party look good.
The current structure also doesn't represent all the people. They represent the people that voted for them. For example, if say a Senator of party X wins the election with 2% more of the vote than the opponent, then that Senator wasn't the choice of 48% of the voters. In the case where party X has both Senators for a state, then the disparity get larger. The goals and the desires of the party Y voters don't really have representation.
If each state had three Senators, One Democrat, One Republican and One Independent in office all the time, then most of the voters in the country would be represented. For the House, do the same thing but use a third of the Representative for each party.
Then Congress would be forced to work together because there wouldn't be a controlling party. It would be like splitting the treasure map into three parts and each party would only have one part.
The existing system hasn't proven to be effective for the people or the country.
While this approach doesn't directly answer your question of how to get the voters to vote for the best candidate, it does change the playing field so that the old plays just won't work. So the voters have to adapt a new way of voting.
If this allows the Congress to work as one body, then it can be one third of the checks and balances designated by our founders. The President would be another third and his party affiliation would not be as controlling as it is today.
my suggestion without restructure is that we need the education system, especially at the college level to be politically neutral. They need to adopt the concept of voting for the best candidate, rather than Voting Row A or Row B. Compare that with buying fruits or vegetables. When you buy a fruit or vegetable by the bag, do you get the same quality as when you fill the bag with your individual selections?
I appreciate your article. Firstly because it diceminates motives behind support in a factual manner. Secondly I agree that values trump race, as a matter of character values trump all. A person needs to live by that which they believe, Such a person can be trusted.
Opinion Duck, I like that you have thought about the problem but I think your solution about Congress would lead to people saying that none of the three parties represent me we need a fourth and so on. Also, their is no reason for the colleges to give in to teaching politically neutral when the fought so hard to be able to teach so leftist. Thanks for the comment.
Presigo, thanks for your comment and it is nice to have people, like yourself, reading these pages. Thanks again.
Right Black,
Let me ask you this, if we were able to restructure the government as I stated, then wouldn't that government represent more people that the current government?
Surely, the three party system would cover most of the people in the country. And those people that think they are not covered can use their vote to sway one of the parties to their viewpoint. Sometimes, people don't really have a good idea about what they want from the government.
Clear;y the two party system is not effective and when was it effective?
On the other note, my point was that thinking pure left or pure right prevents the best candidate from being elected. I think history is on my side. :D
Thanks for the reply.
OpinionDuck, we can have as many and as few parties as we want right now. The government was not set up as a two party government that is just the way it worked out. When Washington and Adams were elected there were no parties. The parties developed as like minded people from each state got together and formed them the Democrats started as the Democratic Republicans and the other party was the Federalist, then came the Whig and the Federalists folded. The Democratic Republicans dropped the Republican portion and later the Republican Party was born and the Whigs folded. The two party system appears nowhere in our constitution or any laws that is why you can vote Libertarian, Reform, American Constitution or Green if you want. The problem is not the party system but the people in them.
Wow is it really that high? Blacks also liked Clinton...Don't forget Obama fights for the poor. I think it's much more than race...
Right Black
You really didn't answer my question.
Your answer while non responsive, provides no solution. BTW, I tagged my solution as "Re-Structing the Government". The founders of our Constitution are dead and so is their idea and philosophy, we need to move beyond yesterday and today to build for tomorrow.
Right Black - A very interesting approach at dissecting the motivations of black folk. I do have one problem with your theory. While polls vary from source to source, the Gallop Poll relating to Obama's approval ratings has black support at 89% not 98%. In comparison Obama has a 81% approval rating amongst all democrats, this is consistant with the 89% black approval rating.
The difference in Obama's approval rating can be seen in two demographics that have nothing to do with race, socioeconomic status and political party affiliation.
Nichole Dickerson, thanks for the comment. Yes, Clinton did have a high approval rating among Blacks to the point that in his day he was called the first "Black" president. He never had a 98% approval rating among blacks in any poll. Is President Obama's rating more than race, I'm sure it is, but is race a factor, I'm sure it is. Thanks for your thoughts.
OpinionDuck, who killed The United States Constitution along with The Bill of Rights and the subsequent amendments? There in is found the philosophy of the founding fathers. While they are no longer alive there thoughts still exist. Some say that these are living documents, I would have to ask are all documents living? If so, how can we know anything? We just stipulate a new meaning and we can call freedom slavery and slavery freedom. Words must have meaning in order for us to communicate about anything. As writers here on hubpages we of all people should respect that. Thanks ODuck, I'm enjoying the conversation.
SOBF, thanks for posting your comment. I saw your answer on the original question. I wish it had been posted before I wrote the hub. I thought you made and excellent point. Your response here leads me to ask you a couple of questions. If it is socioeconomic and party affiliation why do 90% or so of African Americans vote for the Democrats? If President Obama's approval is between 89-98% among ALL African Americans why is that not significant? I could understand if it were that high among Democratic African Americans but this is a totality of the Black population. The 81% of all Democrats is one thing but if 81% of all white voters had had a favorable rating for President Bush when he was in office I'd be asking why as well. I am an equal opportunity question asker. SOBF, I would really appreciate a reply, you've raised some interesting points. Thanks.
Very thought provoking article. Well, written.
Thanks Pamela Laird the comment.
Right Black - Your first question regarding blacks party affiliation is a simple enough. Blacks vote primarily democrat because their representation is democratic. The black democratic politician normally have a background in urban grass roots activism. These are the people blacks identify with and therefore they garner their support. The republicans party history of exclusion only works to solidify blacks participation and support of the democratic party. There is something about being alienated from a group that will make one put their core beliefs aside to support that which they see as inclusive. Simply put Blacks support the democratic party because the democratic party was smart enough to court the black politician in order to win over the black voter.
On the percentages - the difference that you speak of 89% black support vs 81% Democratic support is not really that large. If you consider the average variance in any poll is 5 to 7% the numbers are actually in line with one another. With that said, I would have to be insane to claim that race plays no factor in Obama's level of support amongst Blacks but in reality the role it plays is far less prominent than your portrayal.
One year into his Presidency George W. Bush had an approval rating of 86%. Considering that blacks never saw him in a positive manner, one would have to believe that his support came mainly from white America. Therefore your conclusion would support the thought that the support received by Bush was purely race based.
It really bugs me to see Barrack Obama referred to as a 'black' man, when he is in fact a half-white, half-black man. I know mixed race, half caucasion, half afro-carribean, people who have been rejected by black communities and white communities. Barrack Obama, if a normal man on the street, would in some places experience racism from both white people and black people. I see a man who is no more black than he is white. His mothers white ancestors were anti-slavery activists in the 19th century, Obama is just as much me as he is you. I think thats great, I really do, but it still bugs me to see him refered to as black. If Obama is black to blacks, then he is white to me.
SOBF, thanks again for the stimulating conversation. Historically we look at the Democratic Party and they were the ones who excluded Blacks from politics. When I was young my parents had not experienced the opportunity to vote. They were from Alabama. When MLK was fighting against racism he was fighting against Democrats like Bull Connor and George Wallace. It was the Republican party that the original black congressmen served under, men like Robert Smalls, Hiram Revels, and Robert Elliot Brown. These men are lost to much of our current African American History because they don't fit in with what we see as "The Black Leader."
You are correct that President Bush had an 86% approval rating in Dec. 2001 but we know the answer to this question it is that we had just had an attack on our soil and he was heading up a new effort to find those responsible. So, of course, this was not race related. Thanks for admitting that there is a racial component to the support just as I have said that I would love to support an African American President who holds my values.
I think that many Democratic Leaders have perpetrated a fraud on American in many ways. They have divided us by promising one thing for one group that would give them preferential treatment just to get votes. It is one thing to say that you are righting a wrong and another to pander for votes. Many of our "Black Leaders" started out as poor citizens and are now wealthy politicians or "Reverends" and no one asks where the money came from. Growing up in the 60's and 70's I campaigned for the "new" Black Democrats and found them as corrupt as the day is long but they were going to help me advance. When they didn't I knew the game, "take the power and money and run." The congressman I worked for passed his mantle on to his child who is the mayor of that city today. He was corrupt and the child is corrupt. Many politicians are corrupt but the difference is when the Republican is accused of being corrupt financially he is told to fall on his sword while the Democrat just moves on. Republicans are held to a higher standard by their party and the public at large.
I know that in many of the neighborhoods that elect Democrats the Republicans also run a candidate that "looks like" the constituents. Any grass root movement in these neighborhoods by Black Republicans is met with intimidation. My 85 year old mother was even met at the voting booth with intimidation when they saw the "R" after her name and was strongly encouraged her to vote for Barack Obama. She refused. Remember it was Democratic Presidents JFK and LBJ who wire taped MLK not Ike. Ike appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren who turned the courts in favor of Brown in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. It was a Republican Everett Dirksen who headed up the cause of civil rights in the Senate. He was the major mover in the 1957 and 1964 Bills. What has been sold to American as "racist" Republican History and exclusion is revisionist history but blacks have been encouraged NOT to read this history for themselves. I challenge you to read just one book, Capital Men by Philip Dray, I think you might change you opinion on which party really supports your values and your person.
ryankett, thanks for your comment. I agree with you that President Obama is really neither black or white but both. He is also the child of a Black African and a Caucasian American which makes it difficult not to call him African American if he chooses that racial title. This is the way his party, the news media and his wife refer to his ethnicity.
Right Black, I have to say that every point you made is 100% correct. However (you knew it was coming) that is history and nothing more. The conservative party of today portrays itself as a party of exclusion on many levels. The one issue that turns most blacks away from the party is its lack of desire to denounce open racism by a minority within its group. This small group of backward thinking participants are allowed to spew their hatred without as much as a shame on you, by conservative leadership. The party line is "If you disagree with Obama you are a racist". Nothing is further from the truth. The reality is that if you hang out with racist you become suspect yourself. While a few blacks can overlook the ignorance within the party for the sake of values, most cannot.
SOBF, I have never heard of racism being accepted in the Republican Party. To the contrary, any time a Trent Lott makes a stupid racist statement supporting a former Democrat at his birthday party, he is told to fall on his sword. But when a Democrat like Robert Byrd is shown to have not only made racist statements but that he has been a leader in the KKK he still holds office. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander, don't you think? Why do Blacks continually send a former KKK member back to the Senate? Could it be as my grandmother said when I asked her why she was going to vote for George Wallace, she told me he was "a good man." My question to her, when I was 10 yrs. old was, how do you define good?
We need to be consistent with our values, if we throw away our values for "progress" then I'm not sure we understand the meaning of progress. Progress without values is shallow and meaningless.
I am speaking of the non political talking heads that voice the agenda of the Republican Party. Those race baiting providers of political talking points. Talking points that are drafted and distributed by the conservative right. The Rush Linbaugh's, Glenn Becks's, etc. Those who portray blacks as shiftless welfare recipients with no contribution to this nation and then follow it up with "I don't see color". Those who inflame racism through statements like "The President defamed a good White Man" when referring to officer Crowley. Those who promote racist attitudes by claiming our President is a Muslim, Rev. Wright hates white people and America, and the our President hates white people. This is the face of the new conservative party. A party attempting to separate the working class using the same old techniques used during the early 1900's by the Democratic Party. Allow the nation’s problems to be blamed on the blacks and you will secure the white working class vote.
The political landscape is very simple to cipher. The poor and the well educated are more likely to vote democratic, while the wealthy and under educated are more likely to vote republican. The educated manipulate the poor and the wealthy manipulate the uneducated. The difference between the two can be found in one fundamental difference. One worships power, while the other worships money. For the sake of societies wellbeing I have to side with the power brokers.
Of course none of the objections you make can be substantiated but because you think they are important let me offer the following.
Talking heads are on both sides. I personally don't support either side. I have listened to Rush a half dozen times in the last 5 years and never heard Glenn Beck even though I have heard of him. These people don't write policy, we have no proof that they get marching orders from the RNC just as we have no proof that left leaning talking heads get marching orders from the DNC.
As far as your cipher of the political landscape, I must be very simple minded because I thought money bought power. Those were the accusations leveled against Republicans. So, do Republicans manipulate everyone?
What an intelligent and thought provoking hub. I long for the day when we make important decisions based upon merit and values. That's why affirmative action is so offensive at this point. It is time for the best man or woman to be hired based solely upon their ability and not their race or gender.
Thanks for your comment breakfastpop, I believe discussions like this will help the process along.
Wow that is truly a staggering figure! 98%? That seems surreal! But I nonetheless am not surprised. African Americans coalesce so strongly on race in the strangest of situations... but thats my opinion
I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say it has mostly to do with the fact that the Republican party has not yet adopted a platform that targets meeting the needs of African-Americans. If Republicans boldy went into areas like Detroit with campaign money and a legitmate thorough plan for change, I believe they could make some serious inroads against the Democratic party and by extenstion, Obama.
You could be right propeshka. Thanks for the comment.
Talking heads and the Bush Whitehouse.
msnbc.com video: Bush White House fed Fox News talking points- Watch more Politics Videos at Vodpod.
Republicans manipulate the under educated as stated in my previous comment.
SOBF, thanks for the video feed but this does not substantiate your original point. Your point was, "Those race baiting providers of political talking points. Talking points that are drafted and distributed by the conservative right." No one has substantiated that anyone in the Republican Party or the Bush White House is or was a provider of "race baiting" talking points. Just because an administration gives memos on their agenda does not make them marching orders. We both know that both sides get their agenda out, that's politics. When one sided looses they admit that they did a poor job of getting their message out and when a president is in office he is the head of his party and not to get his message out would be ridiculous. Getting your message out and race baiting are to different issues.
Or maybe I'm just to under educated to understand.
Thanks for a much needed and thought-provoking hub! When you look at the numbers this way it reveals a lot under the surface which the media doesn't always report. They would much rather paint in wide swashes than actually make things clear. Great article.
Madame X, thanks for adding your comments they are much appreciated.
I voted based on my values, and that trumped race. (I'm white) I believe in family but I also believe in choice, equal rights for everyone, an approach to the world that says we always try diplomacy first, etc. I'm not happy with every single thing the president does and never expect to be...however, I'm still very pleased with my vote. Laws that would tell people when to have sex, who to have sex with, and exactly how they need to handle impregnation if it happens, etc. aren't things I would like to see enacted. I say live your values and forget about legislating them. (mine probably aren't really much different than yours)
Right Black - No, actually my point was that the conservative party uses race baiting talking heads to relay their agenda. This would equate to celebrating the racist themselves. I am sure that if the democrats used the ManBoyLove network to relay its agenda, there would be a problem with that, even though they themselves were not promoting MBL.
No I don't think you are uneducated, simply in denial to the point that you would rather ignore facts than to give them a fair evaluation. But then again, I am sure we all do that to some extent.
For the record...The value system that you speak of only exist as political rhetoric.
For the record, the man is only HALF-black and truly what other rational choice did we have in that election?
I voted for him knowing full-well he would get a lot of votes because someone would INSIST he was BLACK when he is actually "bi-racial" but-hey-I didn't want to vote for a man who would die in office and leave a woman in charge, right?
Anyway, I am glad you voted the smart vote and not the race vote. Face it, he would have won if he had had purple skin!
It's funny. I said even before the election that he would be considered WHITE once he f*cked up and not too long ago that black lesbian comedienne was using the same joke. SHE, however, didn't get the kind of shit I got for using that joke. Then again, not only is she black but she's female and a lesbian so I guess she scores more points or something.
Right Black
Nice comments.
Anyway, my point on the Constitution and the Founders were that although the Constitution was meant to be a living document, the Cnngress and Supreme Court has morphed it into something that would not fit the framers ideas.
Basically, they messed it up. Also, had the framers of the Constitution got it right, there would have been no need for the Civlil Rights Ammendments.
BTW, on the 98%, I don't believe polls. Do you let Gallop speak for you?
Statistics are great but not they can be manipulated.
The old commercial where this product is recommended by 4 out of 5 doctors just doesn't have enough information.
We don't know how many doctors were asked and if all of them gave a response. We don't know what questions were posed to these doctors about the product. We don't know if the use of the product was a factor of the survey. It would be important to know what were the specialty of these doctors, etc.
You know when you mix all the colors, you get gray, so what is the percentage of gray people that are happy with him?
I have often wondered how so many Black Christians could support Obama? I guess now you have helped answer that question. Thanks for this great hub.
SOBF, thanks for the clarification. Maybe some of the talking heads are race baiters (this is a matter of opinion) and maybe they are being used. Which is worse, using race baiters or returning a former head of the KKK to the Senate over and over again?
As far as my psychological state, I'd never assume to know if you were in denial or not. I'd prefer to stick to the issues. Again when it comes to my value system I think you assume to much.
Thanks again for the clarification.
mulberry, I'm glad you voted your values, we all should. Thanks for your comment.
OpinionDuck, I think you are correct in stating that the Constitution has evolved into something a bit different than the framers intended. I think this is because the Congress and Supreme Court made it a living document when in actuality the only way it is living is by amendment.
When the Constitution sets out powers for the Executive those are all the powers he has and the same goes for the Legislative, Judicial and the States. When the 1st Amendment says I have the right to free speech, I think it means I have the right to say what I will regardless of whether the government likes it or not. These things are not living they are set and should remain so.
The polling data comes from Rasmussen and the question was very simple, do you approve or disapprove of the presidents job so far? This does not fit into the commercial category. As far as the gray people are concerned, they like him too.
Cari Jean, thanks for the kind comment.
Hello Right Black you are just like most Republicans sitting around talking the President down, I remember a time when you said anything against a President you were targeted by the FBI as a communist. One quick question Is it okay to now Disrespect the office of the presidency Just because we don't agree with him. Some things he says I don't agree with But He is the President of the USA. And for You who inist on saying Obama. Its President Obama. I am Biracial but I have only been Categorized as black I don't have a problem with it. But I voted on the Lesser of two evils. Now He is in office, Right, wrong or indifferent He is my President.
It seems whenever there is an President Obama question on the hub pages, the comments are often longer than the hub and always about Black America. Why is that? I see President Obama as exactly that a President with policies that are working or not. I saw Clinton as a President lucky enough to be in office when the information technology boom occurred. His policies were crap. Why are we not discussing our Presidents policies for their own merit, why is it a black America issue. I hope that some day we wont be so surprised when a Black American, or a Native American or even a Woman achieves something great. That we will be able to discuss what they did, not how it was influenced by their ethnicity.
My favourite baseball player is still Willie Mays because of his batting record.
Nice work. It's human nature to gravitate towards those who look most like you. It's very difficult and even scary for some to get beyond that. Perception isn't always reality.
As for the Democratic party. I think it was stolen from the common man decades ago. It has made political slaves of minority groups, blacks in particular. They currently have their eyes on hispanics and an even greater ambitions for the entire middle class.
As for the Republican party. Responsible for leaders like Lincoln, Rice, Powell, Thomas. Unfortunately this party was stolen from the common man in the 80's. It was replaced by those deeply entrenched in what Eisenhour called the "Millitary Industrial Complex". It is now the party of GREED.
I don't think a third party is the answer. I believe that both parties should be taken back by their majorities....not the fringe left and right that have controll of them now. Neither party seems focussed on representing its constituentcy, but rather gaining and retaining power.
Americans need to focus on the congress. Know your congressman, your senator. Know where they stand on the issues. Read what they are saying in the papers, hear what they are saying on TV. Vote your concious!
CJ Wright I believe you are right! Vote, know your politicians. If no one can do it good enough for you, then seek office yourself.
There was another leader many many years ago that was all rhetoric with no substance. He lead his people by keeping them broke, knowing that they would always vote for hope. They followed that leader right into a world war.
Give me something free and I will be your friend. Who says money and gifts can't buy friends or votes. Tell them what they want to hear and you will get their votes.
What part of stupid don't we understand? "Here is your sign" people.
We certainly will need national health insurance now, because there are going to be a lot of people getting sick from Obama-idis, and there is no remedy or vacination to cure it.
Right Black - I guess I am working on assumption but isn't this entire hub based on such? Ninety five percent of blacks voted for Gore, and if I am correct ninety seven percent voted for Kerry, how would you qualify that "Reverse Racism"?
From a outsiders perspective one would think or would like to think that the reason they approve of Obama is he represents and understands the difficulty that Afro-Americans have had historically to make it on equal terms in America. In other words extra effort is required to make it to the top as Obama has done. That it is much harder than from a white priviledged background. Perhaps they see the struggle that he has made match the struggle in themselves something to identify with. Perhaps the election promise yes we can and we gonna do things differently in Washington from now on represents the way they feel politics out to be in America...
If you listen to blacks on the right you'd think we'd been having black presidents for years. This is our first one and already "ya'll" are tired of him. I'm proud of the 95% that were on the RIGHT side of history last year and the 98% who approve of him now. As for me, were It just an issue of voting for a black candidate then why didn't I vote for Alan Keyes or Cynthia McKinney since-quiet as it's kept-they ran in the same race? In fact Keyes ran for the Oval Office more than once if I understand correctly.
My question to you is did you vote for John Crash McCain because he's white? I shudder to think what shape we'd be in if he won. We are currently being fed commentary that we are about to be oppressed with free healthcare. Some blacks have been listening to this and are backing off on Obama. Lost in this talk-radio born propaganda is how several healthcare companies have have there stocks rise at least 30% over the last several months. Who's doing the hoodwinking? Obama, or white conservatives moaning and griping that their "rights" are being taken from them in front of your face, while winking at each other behind your back? Obama has been a Godsend to this country, while I don't agree with all of his decisions, he remains head-over-heals better than the alternative; more Bush-wacking from McCain.
....SIGH...white people have the erroneous perception that black people have the privelege and preference that they have in this society. Amerikkka is as racists today as it ever was. Oh sure there has been progress noone is disputing that; A better question is why do whites not know the historical contributions of Africans and Black people to the formation of the United States? Why are whites so amazed that black people are supporting the first black man to attain the highest office in the land? Why is everything about race in America? Why did whites make Jesus a white man? Why do whites arrogantly and ignorantly believe that every concern they have should set the standard for every other race? What is it about the white race that is so God-awfully conceited about itself that it presumes to know anything about what is truth or morality? Perhaps I'll start a hub....ya think? All white people have done throughout their history here in America is focus on race first. Always about race. Then they have the gall to ask blacks and other races why they focus on race. Jesus H. Christ stop the hypocrisy already. If it wasn't about race whites would not have set the standard for, built the status quo of white supremacy, made God a white man, enforced this belief through the denial of jobs to anyone not white...subjugated non-white races to their B.S...if whites want people to stop talking about race I suggest they above all others dismantle the racists status quo they have established in this country from day one. It's not my responsibility as a non-white person to do away with your racism. You built the machine now take it apart. Otherwise you can expect lines to be drawn racially; not because I want to but because you people...you people draw those lines for me and others like me....everytime. Oh that I could just be me and not a stereotype.
Oh please! For decades now non-whites and females for that matter have been given jobs and college openings OVER whites just because many groups of white people think they have to apologize because our ancestors were great conquerors and because OTHER races --such as Blacks--sold their own kind into slavery!
No one draws lines for you anymore . . . or certainly not lines that work AGAINST you! It's almost 2010!
And by the way, there are stereotypes for a reason. ALL stereotypes have a certain amount of truth in them . . . just like good jokes!
You insult me when you imply that I and other white folks I know know nothing about history. What IS amazing is that YOU refuse to acknowledge that Obama is BI-RACIAL. He is NOT Black!
Okay, look, maybe your comments were not aimed at me. In fact, I am sure they were not but I think you need to focus on the present and future, okay? I don't know where you live to make you think white people are so terrible and ignorant but that isn't the way it is in the rest of the world. I certainly didn't make this about race. I was the first person to point out that Obama is BI-RACIAL or HALF-WHITE or HALF-BLACK.
Acknowledge he is bi-racial and the whole argument is finished. He is a person who ran for office at a time when it would have been insane NOT to vote for him. he won because we all really had no other choice. it wasn't about any perceived race to me. To ME, it was about voting AGAINST the other candidate (or more specifically the person who was the potential VICE-PRESIDENT). If anything--to ME--I saw it as a gender issue.
If either presidential candidate had won and died or been shot we would have been left with either a MAN as president OR a WOMAN. If something happens to Obama at least there will still be a MAN in charge.
Sorry. I have hubs to write but I am just tired of people drudging up the past. So ALL of our ancestors did things we don't find acceptable now. Whatever. We need to live our lives, ya know? We need to move on, okay?
Golden Mama, I'm glad that we don't have to worry about the FBI targeting us as communists. I never disrespected President Obama, if you look through out my hubpage you will find him always referred to respectfully. The title of this page along with the original question use only his last name for brevity. By the way he is my president too, I just don't like his policies.
bearclawmedia, the reason I wrote this hub is because I get a lot of grief from other African Americans because i don't support a party that differs with my values. If my dear sweet 85 year old mother was intimidated at her polling booth you can guess how the very small portion of us who disagree are treated. America needs to know. Just because I refuse to be dictated to doesn't mean everyone else has that back bone.
C.J. Wright, I agree with you mostly. Where I disagree is that the Republican party is the party of GREED. I think there is enough of that to go around and it exists in both parties but even more so in the Democratic part which is home to most of the richest Americans like George Soros.
Insurance Menthor, I'm not sure we can equate President Obama with FDR yet. Thanks for your comment.
SOBF, I came to my analysis based upon polling data, reason and logic. I started with the opinions given by people who decided to answer the phone and give their opinion. This is not mere assumption. Your assumptions are based upon personal opinions, especially the ones about me personally, you don't even know me.
The difference between your Gore and Kerry analogy is that neither won. We can't know whether the approval rating 11 months later would have increased or decreased, they didn't serve as president.
Thanks again for your conversation.
barryrutherford, excellent points and I am sure you are correct in a lot of cases. I understand this perspective but the struggle could be a lot more rewarding if one held their values first and then these other things. Struggle without values is nothing because in the end only our values will last. Someone else will inherit the power, money and land ad infinitum.
runawayslave, just to be forth coming I have voted for Alan Keyes for President. I didn't vote for him because he was black but because of his values. No, I wouldn't vote for Cynthia McKinney my values don't align with hers. I vote my values and I am consistent on this point throughout. It doesn't matter to me the race of the candidate yet, as I said above, at least 37% of the African American's polled said it does to them. Which group are you in?
@wsp2469..you friggin white flippin moron...again you prove my point...affirmative action existe because racists business owners would not hire minorities...blacks in particular and not women...this type of discrimination still exist today...Race and Gender again and always. You're an idiot. Ignorance is the greatest enemy of this coountry. When whites like 2469 here quote the most idiotic; anecdotal crap as if it were proof of some black and female takeover of corporate America and jobs in general over white people. Puhleeze. When affirmative action was in place it was never enforced to the extent it was supposed to. Now that it's no longer in place. The number of blacks in the workplace has decreased demonstrably. So shut up priveleged white guy and enjoy your preference and stop whining about it. Jesus you're at the top of the food-chain and that's not enough for you. You have to actually act like you're right. Spare me. Out of a company of 800 there were 5 black people where I worked. Whites had the gall to complain about us. Even the sorry white pieces of crap who lacked the skill set to even the job; Shut up. You prove my point again. Race again. Amerikkka again. Welcome to Amerikkka.
terced ojos, you are correct when you say that whites built the machine but just because they built it doesn't mean we can't take it down. It may not be our responsibility but it is in our best interest, isn't it? Living in So. Cal. for the last 25 yrs. I see America as a lot less racist here than in the midwest or the south. I hope this spreads. Racism does exist there is no denying it but we are all in America together we better make the best of it. Again, I have voted for an African American for president he was just the candidate who held my values. Terced ojos, I have decided to be me and not a stereotype no matter what anyone says, what about you?
terced ojos, you may want to look at who is saying this. Those people you said built the machine were mostly white Democrats. This guy voted Democrat. Maybe you should become Right Black Too. If you think the Democrats are your friend, thinks a second time. It seems he wanted a white man but he took what he sees as at least a half white man with a full white man behind him instead of a full white man with a woman. His vote was based on gender, how sad.
I believe America is still a racist oriented country and this is the reason why a black man got elected president. Color played a significant part of Obama's election. If anyone cared to they could have found out about his background in corrupt Chicago politics where scam, lies and robbery were the rule and playing to the leader was the way to gain ground. Now we see that in the top slot of our government, Obama plays to all the leaders and that is why he is so successful. Keep digging though, he is bought and he is paid for and he will continue business as usual and that is catering to the rich rulers that really run the game in America. Just follow the money!
Thank you, terced. Did you ever think that maybe you have trouble because you have an attitude and resort to attacking people personally? I have an education. I am not a "moron".
Affirmative action was not just for Blacks. Perhaps before you call anyone an idiot you should proofread what you write and avoid using sentence fragments.
I never said anyone was taking over America. However, no one ever gave ME a job just because of the color of my skin or my gender. Affirmative action had flaws. It STILL exists just not so obviously. Why do you think they ask all that personal information at the end of a job application?
I am right about the points I made. I don't know how it is in your world but it isn't that way where I live/have lived. Yes, racism does still exist somewhere to some degree but you need to move on with your life.
In case you have not noticed, the country is in trouble in general so of course the number of ANY race in the work place would be down now. Oh, and this privileged white boy happens to be unemployed right now. if it wasn't for the fact that I can write I would not even have a roof over my head right now.
I am an underemployed white male over 40. of course, that happens to be ONE minority that NO ONE has bothered helping through affirmative action for quite some time. You can insult strangers and hate people you don't know OR you can move on with your life.
Sorry, Right, but I believe we have taken up too much room on your hub and strayed from the topic a bit. I am happy to hear you voted for Obama because he was the better choice. I wasn't being clear about the woman issue. I just didn't like THAT particular woman. I might have voted another way if one of the guys would have had Hillary as VP. besides, Obama was the younger candidate as well. (The whole woman thing was mostly a joke-sorry.)
I know others did not vote with their heads but--hey--whatever--some women vote for the best looking candidate so who cares? We do the best we can; I guess.
wsp2469, sorry, but I didn't vote for President Obama, the "this guy" in my reply was you. If you are making jokes it might be a good idea to let people in on it otherwise you will just make people angry. If you are not a sexist don't write like one, okay?
Yes, I figured as much. My point regarding your voting was that you voted with your head not on the basis of physical appearance. I just didn't like the vibes I was getting from Palin and I honestly don't think we are ready for a female president quite yet.
My seeming sexism is kinda expected of me by my regular readers. It's kind of a running gag that I take the male perspective so it just flows out of me here in HubPages. The truth is that I don't always vote BUT I have been able to predict the winners since I was 17.
Didn't mean to stir up so much shit for you here but then again it'll help your numbers bigtime! I have been pointing out Obama is Bi-racial simply because he IS and I am tired of all the people who were celebrating over a BLACK president as much as I am tired of the people who were pissed about us having a BLACK president.
You should vote for who you think is going to do the least amount of damage and since I was getting bad vibes about Palin I couldn't see myself voting Republican. I am just tired of all the bullsh*t from the past being drudged up in my lifetime. I just think we all need to move on as Americans and study but not become obsessed with the past, ya know?
Like some others have said before - Obama ain't black, he's half black and half white, so why don't we call him white ? I suspect in Africa some people do call him white !
Most voters of course ain't too clever, in fact most of the human race ain't too clever. We tend to drift along supported by the cleverness of a few clever folks. Like the clever dudes who came up with electricity. How many people on the planet today, who use electricity all day long, would actually be able to make any electricity from scratch with a couple of magnets and a bit of wire ? Very few would be my guess.
So given that 99% of people ain't too clever and they would rather follow the ramblings of Britney Spears and Susan Boyle than study astrophysics or Plato, then why should we be surprised that 95% of blacks that voted, voted for Obama (I assume the figure is 95% of blacks that voted, not 95% of blacks, although I'm guessing there). Black people think that Obama is one of them and that's good enough. Like people have said we've had enough of 'old White guys' - which is fair comment. And let's face it, the fact of the matter too is that Obama didn't have much competition. Given a choice between Clinton (H.), McCain, and Palin I think Obama wins hands down in the intelligence department, but that's just my personal opinion and like I've said most people in a democracy haven't got a clue what's going on.
Here in the UK most women voted for Margaret Thatcher when she was around because they thought she was one of them and lots of women love to get the chance to say how much smarter they are than their husbands (in the UK at least - I'm not sure if that holds true in the US) - so they voted for Thatcher because she was a woman and they thought she would finally show the world how clever women really are ! Thatcher was a lunatic of course and her brand of liberal laissez-faire eventually led to the horrendous economic crisis we are still going through and taxpayers handing over vast amounts of money to private enterprise (which is supposed to be so efficient), but that's another matter.
Well I've rambled on enough I think !
Come to think of it I'm suprised anyone is surprised that 98% of blacks think Obama is doing a good job. Stop asking silly questions. :-)
oldman1941, thanks for the comments. Chicago has a pretty corrupt political record and President Obama seems to have learned the game well enough to get elected as a US Senator and now the US President. Who knows? They say politics is a very dirty game.
wsp2469, are you telling me you couldn't vote the McCain/Palin ticket because you voted your vibes and not her legs. Never would have guessed. Now that's a joke. : )
The real point of this hub is just to get people to think of the reason they vote a certain way. If we all really examine our vote and are honest with ourselves we will probably make a pretty good decision. I think more people are having buyers remorse with President Obama than want to admit it. That's just my opinion not based on fact.
I'm glad you can write because I don't want some middle aged unemployed white guy coming around putting me out of work. Alright, I had to get one more in. : )
Singular Investor, who allowed a Brit into our domestic squabble. We still haven't forgotten about King George and you want us to think about intelligence. Okay, President Obama may sound intelligent but intelligence is as it does. Let's talk in another year. I don't think he will look so good. Most people said the same thing about Former President Jimmy Carter but now most Americans consider him to be one of the five worst presidents ever.
As I stated in my answer to your regular question, people vote for a variety of wrong reasons. Always have, always will. In this case there were a lot of black voters who voted on the basis of color. I think that's clear. But then, republicans regularly vote republican. Democrats regularly vote democrat. It is what it is whether or not it's particularly right.
I am a moderate conservative republican. I voted for John McCain. But I didn't vote for John McCain because he's a republican and Barack is not. Nor did I not vote for Barack because he's black and I'm white.
At the end of the day, as I aforestated, I hope that it is the majority of people voting who are voting based on what's right, not on affiliations or (now) skin color.
The question is not about who you'd like to SEE in office, but who DESERVES to BE in that office. Based on the message in Barack's campaign, and on his current administration's policies, I believe he does not deserve to be in office.
Interestingly enough, I do also believe the tide is changing on this black support statistic. He's losing all kinds of support, and he has made history a second time by having the worst approval ratings in his first year than any other president in history.
At the end of the day it really will matter if you can do the job or not. Even most blacks will have to see it that way eventually.
Barrack and the democrats put the gift of healthcare under everyonss Christmas Tree, so when you open that present tomorrow, know that it will last as long as FDRs new deal.
Springboard, great comment I think you are correct in your evaluation but only time will tell about the end of the day.
OpinionDuck, that is no gift. That is robbery just as FDR's New Deal was robbery. We've been paying for that all of our life and we and our grand children's grand children will be paying for this. I don't think it is constitutional for people to be forced to pay for a service they don't want. Maybe next they will make us pay for universal air so we can all breathe. This is just a power grab so they can control labor better. No more, No less.
Big can of worms. Til death do us part.
He'll have that approval when they start taking money from your paycheck and then start taking your personal property and then next you can go to jail for not having insurance.
Required coverage (the "individual mandate"). American citizens and legal residents would be required to have health insurance, or pay a fine. For an individual, the fine would be $750 per year or 2 percent of household income, whichever is greater; for a family, the maximum fine would be $2,250 per year or 2 percent of household income. The fines would go into effect gradually, starting in 2014
White Horse, this is a disastrous bill but this is "the change we've been waiting for." As you can see it is also the change some of us want and see as a "gift." Thanks for commenting.
Me being African American I can understand why you are asking this and where you are coming from with this angle. I agree to a certain extent. African Americans are plagued with so much negativity such as violence, poverty and AIDS that we cling to positive images of ourselves. Some voted for Obama because he is black but not all of us is that way. I know i agree with some of his views such as abortion, Health care reform and his plan on bringing the country out of recession. Also a lot of blacks feel that their voices are not heard nor accepted so they feel he will have their interest at heart. It is a very complex situation. Blacks also do not believe in the Government being "for" them but more of against them. I could go on and on about reasoning. Their is a diffrence, and so much bad in this country that things are in a bad state where race is involved and until we overcome that hurdel i don't seeing anything changing drastically. I value myself on logic and reasoning so i look at all aspects and yes i voted for him but not because he is black but because he was a democrat and because i believe he could change the country for the better.
call me racist but i hate barrack obama
MzJJooll, Thanks for your comments. It seems he was the right choice for you because you stand with him on abortion (taking the life of an innocent human being), health care "reform" (a take over of a large sector of our economy), and getting us out of the recession (by spending us into trillions of dollars worth of debt). The other reasons you have for voting for him I can understand. But you should really look at what the Democrats stand for, do they really have the best interests of blacks in mind or their own power and giving blacks the crumbs from under the table to get a vote?
Noam Flyer, I will be happy to call you what you say you are a "racist" but hate will get you and America nowhere. All blacks know you are out there and you are just ugly proof of it to everyone else.
So is Noam a racist because he hates bi-racial people, black people or white people? He didn't clarify if he hates a particular half of either one of us or just hates one of us totally!
Maybe he hates Obama because he doesn't like the job the guy is doing so far or maybe he just hates presidnets in general!
Come on, Noam, be specific so we know who is supoosed to shake his head in disbelief and who is supposed to take it personally!
Merry Christmas!
wsp2469, Noam is a racist and it doesn't matter who Noam doesn't like, it's wrong whether Noam hates blacks, whites or anyone else. I'd put my money on Noam hating blacks though but of course we can't know for sure unless Noam shows some guts and lets us know. Can't find out from Noam's hub because it's just a front to make cowardly statements. You may not have my name but you know what I look like and where I stand, just as we know what you look like wsp2469. I think we can agree on the fact that without letting us know the statements are cowardly.
A lot of politicians are corrupt,stop calling Obama corrupt. He just got lucky after the country was in depression. After the Republicans, who ran the country down for the rich to rule. Bush was not qualified to run the country, he wasn't ever smart. Look at the Mortgage companies, and the banks, and other bail out industries. Wall street was a runaway money investment. It isn't a color thing it is a justice thing. Africian American are intelligent and it's their turn. They pay taxes and built the county with their sweat and blood! From Salvery to the White House!
Nan, thanks for the comments. No one calls President Obama corrupt because he is African American. If he is corrupt it is because he is corrupt and nothing more. As far as the current recession you can lay that at the feet of Harry Reid and the Democrats in 1993 pushing legislation that gave interest only loans to people who really shouldn't have received them. But when the melt down came it was a Republican in office so he gets the blame. Now the same Harry Reid has given us health care "reform," when this melts down it will probably be a Republican in office again who will get the blame. It's hard for Republicans to fix all the messes Democrats get us into. It took Nixon to get us out of the Vietnam War, Reagan to fix the Carter Iranian hostage crisis, the economy and finally win the Cold War. But lets not remember these victories because the liberal lead media wants us to forget them.
Yes our African American Ancestors did build this country with their sweat but who did they build it for. Answer, ALL the slave owners were DEMOCRATS. Republicans and Lincoln FREEDED US! That President Barack Obama even has an opportunity to be in The White House is due to the Republican Party not the Slave owning Democratic Party. Don't forget your history, it does matter.
I know mixed race, half caucasion, half afro-carribean, people who have been rejected by black communities and white communities
stüdyo, thanks for you comment. I know that racial rejection happens due to prejudice and that is also wrong. Alll racism needs to be stopped.
It is my honest belief that if Obama were not perceived as intelligent, knowledgeable, focussed, articulate, diligent and persevering, the majority of not just African-Americans, but also other racial groups would not have voted him into power. It does not take too much of human intellect and intelligence to recognize talents.
Blacks are therefore not going to let Obama down soon after
his ascendancy, especially in the face of organized protests, faceless lies and concoctions by the opposing party that wants him to fail right from day one. The guy is hardly a year in office and some bone heads expect wonders to happen; wonders that could not happen when his predecessor was in office for eight long years, but ended up creating damning financial and various other blunders for the American people and the world. Some people are just too biased, lazy and way too care-free to sit down and analyze
issues critically. Obama's continued black support might not necessarily or solely be because of his race. We must recognize the fact that he is doing well, in the face of well-planted mines and pitfalls along his path of governance. He needs whatever support he can get to continue to succeed. It is very very gratifying and reassuring that the democrats have woken up from their slumber and laissez-affair attitude and are now marching on as long expected of them!
My opinion is that most black people voted for him because he is black and wanted a black president, and the white people who voted for him did so because they didn't want a republican.I'm sure some of all races did vote for him because they thought he had good ideas.
Victoria Ume, thanks for the comments. I think we will just have to disagree about who caused the economic crisis we are in. I have stated to others on this hub that Harry Reid and the 1992-93 Democratic lead Congress started this mess when they drafted and passed legislation allowing people who could not qualify for regular home loans the opportunity to get interest only loans. This bad legislation came to maturity during the Bush Administration. Therefore, the Bush Administration gets the blame.
Also, Victoria your argument about recognizing his talent doesn't negate someone disagreeing with him. I recognize his talent, I just believe we will look back in 5-10 years and regret the change we got. I think his approval rating is falling among other ethnic groups because they are not racially invested in his success and already regret voting for him.
Your article says you voted your values.....
Does that mean you're for abortion and gay marriage?
Brenda Durham, I have no idea how you could have come up with that conclusion. I did not vote for President Barack Obama. I am a proud member of those who voted on what is seen as the wrong side of history and the right side of my values.
Sorry! I misunderstood your reference to being glad someone of a specific race got elected.
Again, I apologize for my mistake.
Brenda Durham, no problem glad you're reading my hub.
Its an ethnic identity rather than ideology. I recall when Barry (as his friends knew him by), first got onto the presidential race. Many blacks said he was NOT black enough. Jesse Jackson wanted to castrate him. Its like Marien Berry, he is a low life in every way yet this crooked convicted politician is the darling in black politics. Face it, Washington, D.C. is what it is partly due to the corrupt politicians there.
Forget that Barry broke about every promise from the campaign and is more in bed with Wall Street than George W,and was raised in luxury by his white grandparents. He enjoyed the best schools money could buy in Hawaii. like Bill Clinton, the liberal media 're invented ' Barry to get a broader mass appeal.
The vast majority of black Americans see the Democratic Party as the hand out party rather than the Republican Party as being the hand up party. The lost history between the two parties keep blacks enslaved to the Democratic party.
Read the Rolling Stone Magazine's Article "Obama's Big Sellout" December 9,2009.
Mortgagestar1, thanks for your perspective. Birds of a feather ...
Great post, amazed with the response.
thanks for your well articulated article... I think that so many people of color have been so desperate to see a leader of color in the White House that to examine the man's political views and affiliations, and moral views and values would be heartbreaking. So many have been searching for a man like Dr. King, that they voted for him.
I too feel that values are more important than hues when it comes to politics
The only thing that makes the election of Barack Obama a racist act is that he is Black. Blacks who overwhelmingly supported White candidates have never been accused of being racist, even though their level of support was consistent with that of Obama. Thus one must conclude that in this country it is racist for a Black person to vote for another Black person, atleast from a conservative viewpoint.
articleposter, thanks for the comment, I'm amazed too.
royalblkrose, thanks for the comment. I know that a truly great man was taken from America with Dr. King's assassination and I too believe we are searching for another. Unfortunately, President Obama doesn't fit the bill.
SOBF, I don't think that President Obama's election was racist. I think it had racial components to it but not racist. That's my conservative viewpoint.
Right Black - Then you are suggesting that an election without a racial component is the norm. Or, that blacks are unique in their voting habits because they vote democrat rather than considering republican ticket? The reality of life in this country is that race plays a major role in society. Always has, does still, but hopefully sometime in the future will not. After giving your post much thought I am left wondering its purpose. If every election has a element of race, why such a problem with or need to point to the black racial element?
Thanks for a well done article. a large percentage of people that voted for Obama, may have voted for him because they felt he is intelligent articulate and energetic. As a contrast to the former President which is somewhat because of media bias, and somewhat from the former presidents own public speaking record. I believe many people did vote for Obama because he is black, rather than from his political views. I can somewhat understand that, I can not however understand that they would give him a free pass now, simply because of his race. No politician should get a free pass. It should be remembered that in the end almost all politicians are career politicians. So there most important concern is getting reelected. If Obama improves the economy great. I will still differ from him on his Moral views. I will however be more than happy to give him credit for improving the economy. Thanks
If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way. I think you grabbed holdst of a tyger Right Black! LOL I will say no more than the comments were very enlightening and I read everyone. Good job. Peace, CC
Nice blog, well researched and puts forward some interesting points. I am not from America but find the election of Obama very interesting, do the white community in America resent Obama now that he is trying to make health care a more level playing field with his health reforms? A few of my American friends feel that this is a terrible decision as taxes will go up in order for less well of minorities to receive better health care. Is this a widely held belief? And if so why?
Right Black I thought you were smarter that that Lincoln did not free us he used us for his own gain. Same ole story time and again. We will be used until they get tired, or the Good Lord gets tired of them.You may look at all the political stuff and not like my President if you want But He is my President and I will stand behind him blindly. We as I stated before, are both biracial, their are people on both sides I do not like. But I don't hate them and this is what drives this racist society, plan and simple. I don't know how old you are but I never met a republican that truly cared about black problems period. I live in the south Child when I tell you folks ain't changed a bit I mean it. It is just a different year. I pray daily for as the kids say, Haters. White folks still running around here saying we had affrimative action, They had affrimative action, they gave us one job out of 20 WOW! Still something for them to blame us for White man loses a job some Black woman took it. Bah Bumbug! I never ever had a job were I went up against any white man to get. And I will continue to support my president and stand behind Him. Right wrong or indifferent, He's the man. Oh by the way, FICA, been stealing from me for Years.
Golden Mama - You are so correct on your assessment of Lincoln. While Right Black would try to portray him as a noble just man the truth is all credit should be bestowed on Frederick Douglas for the freedom achieved via the civil war. It was Douglas's relentless refusal to solicit blacks to fight for the north without total freedom being the condition that gave freedom to the slaves. Had Douglas went along with Lincoln and prompted free blacks in the North to fight without freedom as a condition, slavery would have gone on much longer than it did. Lincoln's disdain for blacks extended to his intention to deport all blacks to Africa as he saw them as substandard beings - the same way most whites (Republican and Democrat) saw them.
SOBF, Sorry you didn't understand my article. Of course race has had something to do with elections through out our history. The point is this, we have to become bigger than race. This is what Dr. King was try to teach us and until we get there we will continue to have elections with racial components to them. I have friends of many different races and would vote for candidates of many different races. I've decide to follow a higher calling and vote my values. That's the point of the above article.
Truth From Truth, thanks for the comments they are well stated.
ralwus,I think you're right.
mark.edwards, this hub is not about health care but I can tell you a couple of things. In America everyone already has health care the issue is really heath care insurance. Our government wants to make it mandatory for each citizen to purchase a service whether they want it our not. Is that freedom? The Bill says that if you don't purchase it or pay the extra tax they will put you in jail. Is that liberty? Funny thing about liberals they aren't for liberty, they are for government taking more and more control of the individuals life.
Golden Mama, you may not think that Lincoln freed the slave but if he had not written the executive order called the Emancipation Proclamation the slaveholders would have enslaved African American's all over again. I am aware he didn't go to war to free slaves he went to preserve the union. I also know that once in the war it was in his best interest to "use" slaves to fight and win the war. That's right the slaves freed themselves. What Lincoln did was made sure that you and I would never be slaves.
President Obama is my president but I don't have to like his policies whether I voted for him or not. My ancestors were from the south. My grandfather was laid on a railroad track and run over by a train. My father identified the body and was told the KKK was going to get him next. My father taught me not to hate people and when he died after living in Ohio for 40 yrs. there were as many whites at his funeral as blacks. He was no lawyer, he a sanitation worker but he loved his fellow man and I live on in his legacy. Keep praying for them but also learn to love them.
SOBF. even W.E.B. DuBois said that Lincoln was "big enough to be inconsistent."
Right Black - DuBois was an appeaser during his early career. He later realized his error and ended his journey in the Nationalist movement, rejecting the US and moving to Ghana. DuBois consistently made observations that seemed more to appease the white population than to make a point. The concepts birthed in the piece of work that provided him worldwide notoriety "The Souls of Black Folk" was later rejected by him. This included his personal evaluation of white culture in America.
There is right, and there is wrong.
There is morales: (The general level of confidence or optimism felt by a person or group of people, especially as it affects discipline and motivation)
And there are values: (The accepted principles or standards of a person or a group)
Usually both of these are derived from common sense and up-bringing.
Herein lays the problem. Until all people take pride in themselves and in our country we will continue on the path of self destruction. Divide and Conquer.
Sadly,it all starts at the top. When our young people see our leaders act like thieves, continue to lie and take bribes, they will do the same, therefore no values, morales, or integrity.
The great hope of change has done nothing to change these values, Transparency being one of them. He has stood by and watched things happen that sicken the american people. Just like letting 4 navy seals be court martialed because they were doing their job to protect us, or the bribes handed out to pass this health care reform. It sickens me.
I only hope all you pen pals are writing to your congress people and your senators as I do. Putting your words on this hub site does nothing. Probably makes you feel better, but wait till tax time in a couple of years.
Have a great day.
SOBF, your analysis of DuBois' career is correct but again this doesn't negate my point. Lincoln, like most great men, was a complex person. For that matter, DuBois was a complex person changing throughout his life, as you so rightly stated. Maybe they were both "big enough to be inconsistent."
Also, read my comment to Golden Mamma. Do you understand the point of my article?
Insurance Menthor, thanks for encouraging a little activism.
Right Black
I am impressed that your hub received a 94 ranking, what is amazing is that it is simple and devoid of all of the ingredients that many hubbers have suggested is important to get high ratings, like pictures, polls, etc.
Do you have any idea why this hub rates so high?
Thnaks
As non-American living in US for 5 years, I believe I'm probably more objective than most Americans (both black and white) when it comes to racial issues. I lived for 2 years in predominantly black community. I would say that a lot of black Americans are biased against white Americans and vice versa. However, at the same time many of black were not biased against me and my friends that are coming from outside US (we are from Eastern Europe), even though we are white.
I believe that a lot of this bias is not per se against the white people, but specifically against white Americans as they were the ones that did oppress their fathers for centuries. This is completely understandable, but I think that it is also counterproductive, as the new generations of white Americans are not responsible for what some of their fathers did in the past.
Right Black
Your hub is excellent and I hope to read many more views on it as they are expressed.
I have a couple of questions that I would like to read your opinions on.
African American,why?,why not American African, surely land of birth comes first,before land of ancestors,or do we not run the risk of propagating old beliefs and standards like rascism and class privileges.
Rascism is a Natural Human Trait ?,Intolerence or a Fear of Different. Is it to do with Race,Colour or with social differences, Accents, Dress Styles. I have seen a group of people being ostracised by another group because they spoke with a different accent even they though both groups were from the same country(Russia)and the same colour. "You are taking our Jobs,our Land,our Women" are all Fear reactions, if there were a great abundance of Jobs,Women and Land for all would there be still be the same level of Fear/Rascism.
Mixed Race,in Africa mixed race people are classed as Black, in South Africa "Coloured People" mixed raced people make up a complete independent section of the population groups.
Du Bois?,Booker?,Lincoln?,Clinton?,Bush?, why do we quote famous historical people as if their opinions are more valid than our own. Your response on Du Bois to SOBF, I liked and agree with, do we apply it to all?, can we throw out all the famous quotes, are they not like the Bible(a guidebook for living this life)merely an asset in forming our own opinions.
Many Thanks.
Being a White guy I'm obviously not qualified to comment from a personal point of view on why 98% of Blacks support Obama, but I do have an opinion, and it's right in line with your last paragraph. I am also proud that as a country we were able to elect a non-white into the highest office in the land, and I did in fact vote for him.
I believe he's the best chance we have right now of getting Health Care for everyone, and I like his idea that America should not be regarded as the savior of the world. BUT...I am starting to get worried about the socialist aspects of his policies, and the downright arrogance of the democratic party (I'm an independent).
Thanks for producing such a thought provoking article!
So many intelligent comments for this thought-provoking Hub. I always wondered if I would vote for a woman for president just because she was a woman. But I voted for Obama in the primaries, not Hillary. I really think it will take a very long time before there is an evening out. Frankly, I am sick of all the old white guys running the show and have wriiten a Hub on women in Congress who make a difference. Thanks for writing this.
OpinionDuck, simple answer, topic.
Diskobolos, thanks for you unbiased observation.
Oh pleeease, So many questions. I hope you became a follower because I am certainly going to give my opinions on some of these. As far as quoting famous people is concerned, this is because they either shaped the history by their policies or by the work they did in a specific area. They took time to think about the issues and act on them in a way that was noticed by more than their family and neighbors. They are not gods but their words are respected because of what they did. I don't agree with Stalin but he would be a great person to quote in areas pertaining to communism because he was a prime mover in the way the system evolved, Marx would be great to quote in the way communism was created, they both were prime movers.
suziecat7, thanks for the comment. When an woman gets the nomination of her party I will make my decision based on my values of right and wrong, gender will not influence my vote one way or another.
R W Harrington, thanks for the comments. I believe if this Health Care "Insurance" Reform passes we will get more big government policies next year. Liberals will not be happy until they have taken all our liberties. Their political ancestors were the slave owner who wanted to control labor they are just controlling labor a different way. That's what socialism or communist lite is. The control of labor. In the early 90's I worked with a young Sweddish emigrant and I asked him what was the difference between socialism and communism, he answered, "the name."
Right Black
I am now a follower, and looking forward to some good discussions.
Re the Famous People Quotes question, problem is as in your referal to SOBF regarding Du Bois, "Complex, Changing", Time of Life, Issues Affecting their,Youth, Teenage Years, College Years, Love & Broken Hearts all periods of life can offer/alter a different perspective. What little I have read of Du Bois leads me to believe he changed paths during his life,so in the begining he esposed one belief and in the latter stages something different. I am not advocating that either belief is/was wrong, but different, so which is more relevant, who decides which should be used as a college course. Mugabe in Zimbabwe began his political career as a Hero, espousing great things for his people, today he is considered a despot by many international leaders, yet many of his Country men/women still hold him in high regard, publicly anyway. Like Stalin & Mugabe, "to the victor go the spoils" and the right to write history. Like the Roman Catholic Church which ruled Europe for many years, what Literature, Notes or Books did they destroy in their time of power that might have contradicted todays accepted history. If we are still, several generations later still struggling with the same issues, then how relevant were they ?,or how HOPELESS are we.
Oh pleeease, Excellent question. Just because a person changes during a life time doesn't make what they said invalid. DuBois for instance, when he did research, such as the book "Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880", it was based in factual research. The research was impeccable but we can already see a shift in his opinion from "The Souls of Black Folk." What I do is realize opinion is opinion and therefore biased, I weigh the facts against the opinion to see if they agree. I do this by searching other writings of the era. With DuBois I have also read "The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" his autobiography, he lived through the pre-Civil War Era, the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era. When these opinions agree I accept the opinion when they don't I disregard the opinion. In the case of the Reconstruction Era DuBois is just one opinion his book is popular among readers of this era for two reasons. First it was the first scholarly study of the era by an African American and second because it was still near enough to the time that first hand documentation was readily available. As far as your other examples, if Stalin had written his own story it would be different from what we know. The point is there is always differing points of view that survive. If it were not for differing view points surviving we would not know that the Roman Catholic Church was corrupted. Mugabe's history will be similar. This is why several generations later we can struggle to understand the effect our history has on today's society.
Right Black
This is the problem,and forgive me if I am being pedantic,but as you say.
"When these opinions agree I accept the opinion when they don't I disregard the opinion. In the case of the Reconstruction Era DuBois is just one opinion his book is popular among readers of this era for two reasons."
When you have to choose between 2 or more works there is conflict, a biography ?, was it written by a Friend, a sympathiser or a rival, what research does one do on the Author of the biography. Historical books, who feeds the Historian & family while he/she is writing the work, so are the views of the Sponsor colouring the work.
Every book is an opinion, give me Geography and Maths oh yeah basic facts.
Even the Sciences are not safe, practically every book written on Evolution gives it as Fact, rarely is it mentioned that it is a theory. Global warming, if only we could all agree on the cause, but in this day and age where we have so much technology we still have Scientists who are in disagreement on the causes and effects, yet the media promote only 1 opinion.
Oh pleeease, the question you ask is a question of logic. How do we know, what we know and how to tell the difference. The answer is the laws of logic. This is a whole course at minimum and some people do undergraduate or graduate level majors in the philosophy and logic studies
Here is the super short incomplete version.
1. A is A or the law of identity
2. A is not B or the law of contradiction
3. A in not non A or the law of excluded middle
This is what I use in every day life to evaluate everything.
Promoting sexual promiscuity? Is this an assumption made because of his stance on abortion rights, or is there more to the picture I'm not aware of? Just curious because I do know people who are for abortion rights, but I believe it would be bizarre to say they are also for sexual promiscuity soley because of their stance on abortion.
Patrice52, thanks for the comment and question. Presidents take a good amount of time before taking office to select their cabinet. They pick people they know or believe they can trust to advance their agenda. President Obama created a cabinet position for Kevin Jennings. You can read about him here, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/09/ob and there is more information at http://biggovernment.com/2009/12/30/fistgate-xiii-
I would like to warn you that both are very graphic in nature. This is a member of the Obama Administration is this what you approve of?
Right Black - How many Man Boy Love Republicans would you need to denounce the party? How many Man, Man love Republicans would you need to denounce the party? How many multiple partners while married republicans would you need before denouncing the party? Speaking in a righteous tone does not make one righteous.
http://www.badmouth.net/top-five-republican-gay-se
Now based on your own observation about Obama, what does this say about the entire Republican party?
Before answering remember A is A or the law of identity.
SOBF, It would take only one whose actions were defended by the party and after everyone knew about it that person was then made a cabinet member with the responsibility of teaching the nations children about sexual conduct. All the people on badmouth.net were and are a disgrace and are not supported by the party leaders today. You are so correct when you say that "speaking in righteous tone does not make one righteous" but supporting those who are unrighteous does make you unrighteous. Therefore, the fact that these people were disgraced and not supported by the Republican Party makes them consistent with their values. By the way it is not the adult Man Man lovers who have relationships that are the problem. Under law they have a right to do in private what the choose. Prostitution is illegal. The problem is the Man Boy types who prey on young boys when the boy knows no better. It is disgusting no matter which party it comes from and the Democratic Party has such a man in the position of being the "safe sex czar." They know it and support it, disgusting.
Don't you think it is best to deal with the current issue instead of bring up what has already be dealt with? Or is this your way of deflecting your parties problems? Thanks for the comment.
OMG, RB! You are brilliant! I totally agree about Byrd - how does he continue to get black votes? And I hope you're referring to the same Indian that I admire! I will be back soon to read more!!
habee, thanks for the compliment. I'm pretty sure we are referring to the same American of Indian descent. Senator Byrd who knows? Thanks for the comment.
You are correct; those on badmouth.net are not supported by the party TODAY! However they received undying support prior to their habits becoming public. These were not unknown issues within the beltway; they were just unknown to the voting public. In lies the hypocrisy within the conservative party. It's ok as long as you don't get caught, otherwise we must denounce you in order to maintain our moral image. Many of these same sex participants spoke out against homosexuality while practicing it.
My father had a saying that I live by to this day.
“A liar will steal, a thief will rob, and a robber will kill.”
Honest immorality or dishonest immorality, take your choice.
1. A is A or the law of identity
2. A is not B or the law of contradiction
3. A in not non A or the law of excluded middle
The first I accept,the 2nd and 3rd are subjective.As soon as "OR" is introduced its open to interpretation.
My policy is "Accept Nothing Question Everything" which includes the pre established "Laws". Laws are the reason the "Flat Earth Society" lasted so long, Establishment Laws, because we find them agreeable, does not make them more relevant or acceptable. Even the 1st law of identity is dependant on where in the world you are based,"Tea" in the Western world is a known,but in the Eastern part of the world it is known as "Chai",yet the Eastern population is far greater so should it be identified as "Chai"in the West, semantics maybe, but my point is,"Repeat something often enough and it becomes accepted as fact" by the public at large who do not question.(by the way,the reason it became known as TEA was because when the packing crates arrived in England from Portugal they had a large "T" written on the side of the crate)
SOBF, are you sure that these indiscretions were known to party leaders or are you just assuming? If you have solid proof that no one else seems to have you should post it. "Honest immorality" sounds like and oxymoron to me. If you are immoral by definition you're dishonest. We are all immoral to a degree, you see our morals are God given and higher than we are, it is our goal to strive to meet them. If our representatives show that they have great moral failings then they should step down and take care of the issue. It shouldn't matter which party you're in whether you step down but it seems that only one of the two major parties sees it this way. Thanks for the comment.
Oh pleeease, doesn't seem like we have much to talk about if we can't agree on basic things. "Tea" and "Chai" who cares what it's called as long as we know what we are talking about. If we can't get past these basic laws of thought then it's your world and I may or may not be in it at the same place at the same time or in another place at a different time. Got it?
Very interesting and well researched hub. I think it is important for people to realize that not every black American supports Obama's policies or agrees with his politics. I personally know a couple who do not. But I have spoken to some for articles during the last presidential election and the impression I got, is that as was seen with Clinton, at least in recent history the majority of blacks especially those living in urbanized areas tend to identify more with the Democratic Party because it is true that poverty levels are higher among blacks, and Democratic candidates campaign hard on issues that are important to their personal experiences such as health care, as well as pushing for government assistance especially in poorer communities. Health care was the main reason that most of the ones I've talked to gave for supporting Obama.
Aside from the issues though there is definitely a strong racial and cultural component as well, and I think it's obvious that the reason Obama has a 98 percent approval rating among blacks is that many are/were excited to see the first black president. And I believe many Republican and Independent whites also voted for Obama based on the excitement of seeing this moment.
By the way, I'm a conservative, and it really annoys me to see the media mainly contributing "racism" to Obama's low approval ratings, and the reason why many people don't support him. I don't care what color my president is as long as I agree with him on the issues.
However it's interesting that more conservative African Americans likes Condoleeza Rice and Alan Keyes are pretty much disowned by the black community as a whole.
Mhibert - I guess the Rice/Keyes point pretty much flies against the theory of support based on race.
Right Black - While you may not be aware of the fact that Republicans were aware of their party members dealings, I am sure many of your readers are aware of these widely reported facts.
Let me be very clear. I could care less about the Democratic party or the Republican party. They are the same dam party all day every day. Any stupid American dumb enough to think that these parties are going to serve their interest; you deserve what you get or better yet what you will not get. These parties are so far up corporate Americas ass it's not even funny. No contest. Hands down. Only those blind, moronic God and country Christian Capitalist would begin to believe their votes actually count. It's all about the money and the power and ain't none of it funny. Ain't a dam thing changed. Lastly it's about race. That's just how it is. That's how it has always been. Get your money man get out. That's my message. "Three hundred fifty million dollars and no more nigger"...."The ones who taught us virture are the very ones who have enslaved us." Courtesy of the movie "Deep Cover" starring Lawrence Fishburne and David Goldblum.
First of all, you have to have 'Vision', then and only then will you understand why The President won the election. I never seen it as impossible for a Blackman to become President. To me there are a few things you must remember to become President. Let's look at them:
1.)You must be an American. Not by name, but by heart. You must love America and American values.
2.) You must know how to talk to people and not show anger but compassion, and not look at race and cry the Blues all the time.
3.)Be a good family man and respect people.
I'd say those are the main issues, there are a few more, but those are the main ones. As a Blackman, I tell my people all the time that we must get away from this thing of thinking everyones against us. You don't hear the President talking that jive, do you. Thats what makes him a 'WINNER'.
MHilbert, thanks for your thoughts. I am writing on the issue of why people like Ms. Rice and Mr. Keyes are disowned by the black community.
SOBF, the comments made by MHilbert are not nullified by the abandonment of Rice and Keyes there are different reasons for there abandonment, these which I'll post in a few days. Also, if these "dealings" were "widely reported" why no link?
terced ojos, stop basing you life on a movie! It's not funny.
JAMESBIGDOGG5535, you are correct that President Obama is a winner. Whether he is good for America is a separate question and time will tell. According to the polling data most people don't care for his policies, that's why it is amazing that 98% of African Americans approve of the job he has done so far.
why black people still support obama by 98% is because we understand life!you don't hire someone for a four year job and then deride them in 12 months.common sense will tell you that, but some , can't see that, it eludes them.hmm,wonder why? time will determine if he is to be liked.right now he's headed in the right direction, which is opposite george's direction. thats "all"he can do.i think it hilarious, that bush took 8 years to wreck the country ,nobody said anything. with Obama in 90 days they started to say "look, how come it aint fixed yet?" oh, noooww they're critical.that's laughable.wonder why? what has really skewed their creditability is the way they supported skilless sarah palin. that let me know, they required nothing beyond a white face.if others become unhappy so what.in a work of art,must it be beautiful from inception to finish? some would like us to think so!
Joe Barnett, interesting response. I hire people and when I do, the jobs have a 90 day trial period. This is used to evaluate the people and see if you got who you need in the job. Unfortunately, President Obama can't be fired he has a keep the job for 4 years ticket. I think a person who spends us into more debt in 90 days than the last guy has an odd way of helping the economy. Have you ever spent yourself out of an economic problem? As far as qualifications go he had less executive experience than any of the candidates for president or vice president. Sure, let's go in the opposite direction of President Bush, is that what we should be voting for. We could have voted for the Humpty Dumpty and we would have accomplished that.
Who knows, who and what this man is? Harry Reid recognized him as a fake who could turn his "negro dialect" on and off at will. Now he wants to take over and ration our health care. No, 90 days was long enough and if I had hired him I would have fired him, black face or not.
Right Black you're starting to sound like Right White if you actually think I'm basing my life on a movie. Any real black person with any real black sensibilities would see the truth of the words that happened to be spoken in the movie "Deep Cover"...you're suspect.
terced ojos, stop living in the movies and if you have a comment it is best to make it without calling people names. "Blind, moronic God and country Christian Capitalist" doesn't help your argument any. "Suspect," of what? Personally, I don't care what a person thinks of me who can't make an argument on the merits without calling names. What is are "real black sensibilities" anyway? Am I suppose to think what the collective tells me to think? NO THANKS!!!!
All You Hubbers
If you want to get a perspective of the relationship between president Barack Obama and the black community watch Fox Cable on January 22,2010.Check the listings for the time.
It would be interesting ,if you watch the program,to have your comments.
Right you are my friend. Most Blacks do not care nor do they know anything about the left and right wing of the spectrum.
I am Black and from Detroit. I would know this as a fact. Most Blacks voted for Obama because of his skin color...FIRST. Second, because he is a Democrat. Notice it is Blacks that live in urban settings who do not understand that Democrats were the ones who have stood in their way politically and socially for long decades.
Now that the Democratic Party has been infiltrated by members of the Far Left with their socialist and anti American behaviors, clueless Blacks will more than jump on board. Included is the long wait of getting back at "Whites" and receiving something for nothing (welfare for example thinking it is owed for slavery covering over 100 years.)
98% of Blacks, of course who approve of his service as president are the ones who are of the left and clueless politically.
Most of them are very ignorant of American history other than the "slavery" part which they know very well. Most Blacks do not even understand that Uncle Tom was a hero in Uncle Tom's Cabin authored by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Marquis, Thanks for the comment and glad to see that you are out there. Surely you can count me as one of your hub friends. I think that it is a good idea for us to find the reason for this turn of history instead of just saying that it is so. Also, we need to communicate with those who don't know, even if it upsets them initially. Because when they are alone they will think about what we have said and who knows maybe they will change some of their opinions.
right black ha ha ha , i honestly can't believe that. yes, you give someone 90 days to see if they will fit in, to see if they can use all of their tools, but you don't give them 90 days to build a mall. also, there will be rainy days and machinery will breakdown and if in your world you would blame that on your superintendant, then you don't like him in the first place and you don't know enough about your job to be there in the first place and it makes thinking people say hmmm i wonder why. republicans moved all the companies out of the country(deregulation) their payrolls dropped to one tenth what it had been, in addition, they paid no insurance, no unemployment no overtime so what was the benefit to america? a loss of thousands of jobs.and no one said anything. why? because,when republicans campaign for something, they say they are doing it for freedom and god, and some lesser informed white americans go nuts and rush head long into the vote when they hear those words. but, in reality, the only freedom, will be the corporation doing business unfettered, and we all know what unfettered business is or soon becomes. . . . . crime! enron and two other companies right at the same time. remember them? crooks!where is the trickle down? thats just what they say, so they can steal. jeb bush went to houston in the 80's when they had the savings and loan scandal. he went to work at a bank as a head loan officer. made huge comercial loans to his friends. they "all" defaulted. the bank went out of business. he went to the next bank in houston and did the same thing. it closed down too. then he went to georgia and did the exact same thing for the third time. anyone else would have and should have gone to prison, he became the governor of florida. how did he do that? easy! crooked republican.where were you then? don't you remember watergate,iran-contra,the bush/gore election. i thought it hilarious that we give money to the richest people in our society because they are destitute and they invest it in china, what?! the other bank pays huge bonuses(millions) to it's salesman and goes on a $400,000 weekend.what?! another has his "OFFICE" remodeled for ten million.what?! did you overlook that too? when obama said the banks would be held accountable for the money , suddenly one of the banks realizes that they don't need that much money after all, and gives part of it back. if bush had been in, he would have winked at them and took his kick back. crooked republican!no one criticized bush for doing that.some how in the same way that they blamed 911 on iraq they are trying to blame the economy on president obama. hmmmm i wonder why? the thing that gets me the most is, you can mess over white people bad, as long as you say you are doing it for freedom and you are white. great hub!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joe Barnett, thanks for coming back and bring more interesting assessments of the current state of the USA. The Republican Party has a monopoly on corruption and corporations, right? Have you heard of George Soros, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, George Lucas, Steve Jobs, all Democrats. Of course, they don't do business anywhere but within the borders of the good old US of A! Ninety days not enough time for you how's about a year. Nothings changed. I guess we are still hoping. This is the change we've been waiting for? I guess the Stimulus Package was George Bush's fault, 10% unemployment, Bush's fault too even though the Democrats had control of both houses of Congress since 2006. Is 6% unemployment to much for you, well that is what it was when both houses of Congress and the presidency was in Republican hands. It was a Democratic Congress that did all the damage including the bad loans Harry Reid and Barney Frank authorize and Bill Clinton signed in 1993. Yes, that's when the bad loans started not with Bush and the Republicans. Democrats always making government larger then blaming it on the Republicans. Yes, we are wise to these tricks and Republicans refuse to take the blame for all that is wrong in America. Face it big government is a Democratic Party Religion and it is bad for America. Thanks again Joe.
Right Black, this was a very interesting hub to read, and I loved your comments to Joe Barnett.
I am basically a fiscal conservative who is not an African American. During the Democrat primary runoffs I rooted strongly for Barack Obama, because I did not want to see Hillary Clinton in office due to her problematic past. To this day I do not think she had an interest in NY at all, when she became senator. Becoming senator was just a stepping stone to the presidency for this power hungry lady.
However, when Obama won the Democratic primary, I did not support him for the presidency. When he did become president, though, I was proud to be an American, because this proved we were slowly breaking down all barriers that existed with regards to race. This was a move in the right direction. I decided that this might be good for America, and that I would only judge Obama based on the people he surrounded himself with, because they would be his voice moving on, since he had no real executive experience. Unfortunately he failed miserably at this. Almost every person in his administration is either far left or had a radical past. He even put a person who had not paid his taxes in charge of the IRS. The biggest problem I have is the hypocrisy of many of his statements. He promised no earmarks in his stimulus bill. It is overflowing with earmarks. He said, If we pass the stimulus, unemployment would not go over 8%. It is greater than 10%. He promised that his presidency would have transparency and that Health Care meetings would be on C-Span, for everyone to see. Meetings on Healthcare were done behind closed doors and several Senators votes were bought. These are just a few of his major promises. There are dozens of others that were not kept.
hglick, thanks for the comments. You are correct about the hypocrisy in Pres. Obama's administration. We don't even want to mention the Safe Sex Czar, oh guess I just did.
Right Black please change your name to Right White. If you don't know what black sensibilities are then you really are Right White. If you don't know what the White Christian, Right Wing element is in this country then you're grossly out of touch with the current reality of Amerikkka and you definitely need to change your name. 43 white American presidents and this idiot is asking why 98 percent of African Americans are backing him. Why didn't you ask Amerikkka why their white asses backed their "white" racists presidents and politicians? Answer: because "black-white" men like yourselves wouldn't know anything authentically black if it punched you in the face. Most things "politically black" are nothing but "regurgitated-white" ergo people like Right Black. You so-called black elites follow the white status-quo and look more and more like carbon copies of white amerikkka.
The most disturbing thing about coming into these hubs is all the self hating black people like Right White here.
Notice these neuvo-toms never question racists pieces of garbage like John McCain, George W., Ronald Reagan, George Washington, Andrew Jackson and on and on. This country has a plethora of racists white politicians but never does Right White question these pieces of garbage. He's too busy doing massas work. Namely bashing the first Black president of the country.
Fight The Power...."U bit*h a*s nig*a!"
You grossly miscarachterize the Democratic Party as the party of gay marriage, abortion on demand and sexual freedom. If memory serves Barack Obama has said he doesn't support gay marriage or abortion on demand. I don't know what he has said, if anything about "sexual freedom," whatever that means. I would be interested in your position on that issue. It would be more accurate to characterize the Democratic Party as the party that supports equal opportunity without regard to race, preservation of Social Security, a fair minimum wage, health care reform, international cooperation on international problems, a realistic solution to illegal immigration and the 12,000 undocumented immigrants already in the country, Medicare for our elder citizens and Medicaid for the poor and a variety of other programs opposed or weakly supported by the Republican Party. These are some of the reasons why African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities vote overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates. The GOP bailed on African Americans with the southern strategy initiated by Nixon and continued by Reagan, Bush and other GOP candidates since then. Why do you think McCain kicked off his campaign with a speech at Bob Jones University? Commentators said that was a signal to southern red state voters. It was also a signal for blacks not to be deceived by a few token black Uncle Toms in the Republican Party.
Ralph Deeds, thanks for taking the time to comment. Your memory serves you well but I didn't say he supported gay marriage, abortion on demand and sexual freedom but he is a member of a party who does. As the defacto leader of the party if he is not speaking out to end the parties support of these issue then he is tacitly affirming them. He is the product of the free sex revolution and has siblings around the globe. The Democratic Party is where the abortionist lobby to get laws past in their favor and the same is true for the pro gay marriage activist. As far as the other social issues you say the Democrats are responsible for I think we would be better without most of them. As for those they did get right I do not claim that the Democrats are wrong on every issue just the majority of them.
It's your history that fails you and most African Americans. Yes the Democrats rewrote history to suit their needs and made the Nixon southern strategy a racist strategy when it was far from it. Nixon's southern strategy was successful because he wanted fair minded non-racists southerners to stop voting for Democrats. He convinced them to do so and these are the white southerners who still vote for Republicans. Of course, there will be the odd racist who calls himself a Republican but you seem to forget that for 100 years the south was solid Democrat and the agenda was race. Rev. King personally thanked Nixon for his help in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1957 which Kennedy and Johnson both voted against. Nixon is the author of the Affirmative Action Legislation, Republican Everett Dirksen was the Senator who championed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the majority of Republicans backed it. The Republicans who didn't back it thought it didn't go far enough. The south was not solid Republican until 2007. This is due to the fact that Georgia didn't vote Republican until 2004 and Louisiana until 2007. I could go on and on but your history is fictitious get the facts Ralph they are available.
Is it true that only white Democrats can get away with calling black men "Uncle Tom?"
Right White you show yourself to be exactly what I characterized you as. You're a self hating "black-white" carbon copy of the predominant race in this country. You don't even have the decency to put a mirror to the face of racists white Amerikkka to hold them accountable for their many past and present acts of racism against black people in this country but you have the gall to ask black people why they support a black president. Then to add insult to injury you accuse me of racism. You sound just like a White Republican. Not one question about the white racists judicial system, not one question about poor quality schools and how the money never makes it to black communities, not one question about over aggressive law enforcement officers and their instances of brutality against blacks...and on and on and on. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Nevermind white guy you're obviously indoctrinated. You've arrived. You are exactly what white Amerikkka has said you as a "black man" should be. You reflect everything that white people are. They pat you on your head and say "that's a good ni*ger." What a speical negro you are. Congratulations.
terced ojos, the reason I asked the question what are black sensibilities is because all blacks are individuals and don't all have the same sensibilities. I refuse to be forced to think what you or anyone else for that matter tells me to think. I am a MAN and I will think as I wish. You can call me names if you want, it just shows the weakness of your arguments. Sorry you think I'm an idiot but who is the bigger idiot, the one you say is one or the one who spends his precious time reading the idiot? Thanks for reading.
Everyone knows our country has a racist past and the reason for the color and gender of all our past presidents. All of these past presidents had supporters and detractors of their own race. The problem is that people like you think I should stick with the collective and take orders from you and those like you. Again, I refuse.
As far as the rest of your argument goes I reject it entirely because it is racist and not constructive.
The above comment is a reply to terced ojos previous comment. I inadvertently click on the wrong buttons but wanted my comment to stand. Below is my comment to his latest comment.
terced ojos, I could care less about your insults they do not change my opinions. My opinions are mine and I stand behind everyone of them and no amount of insults will not change them. President Obama does not hold my values and I would not vote for anyone who doesn't hold my values. Funny thing about you Democrats you want to use the words nigger and negro to discredit blacks with points of views you dislike but when one of your white Democrats use these same word you support them while calling any Republican a racist if they do the same. Where is your consistency?
RightBlack--I don't think the Democratic Party has officially come out in support of gay marriage. I don't doubt that there are more Democrats than Republicans who support gay marriage. And I don't recall a Democratic platform advocating "abortion on demand." The Party does support the Roe v Wade decision which doesn't provide for "abortion on demand." The Republicans have pandered to the poor, ignorant whites in the south using religion and covert and sometimes blatant racial issues, leading them to vote against their own issues, blinded by propaganda about the gay lifestyle, gay marriage, abortion, creationism, etc.
Anyway my point was that its misleading to focus on these issues when there are many much more important ones that divide the two parties. And in most of them the Democratic position finds more support in the Black community.
Here are some typical red state good ole family values boys:
[img]http://s3.hubimg.com/u/2128498_f520.jpg[/img]
Okay Ralph the platform language may not say abortion on demand but I don't know of any abortion law that was ever opposed by the Democrats and abortion clinics are supported by your party. Almost everyone who supports gay marriage is either a Democrat or further left. As far as the Republicans pandering to "poor, ignorant whites in the south" name calling doesn't prove your point. As I stated the Republicans asked for and got votes from fair minded southern white who were NOT racist. The racist southerners were in the Democratic Party and it seems to be that way today since they, like you, don't think black people can take care of themselves. We don't need your help or the help of big government. I take care of my family and my business and I don't want or need the government for handouts. All I have ever wanted was a fair chance which your Democratic party has always opposed. If the Democratic position is more palatable to the Black Community then I think we have been duped and I'm saying it's time to stop and think a second time because I have seen very little improvement over the last 50 years following the Democratic position.
Many Democrats support limitations on late term abortions, and a fair number oppose abortion--e.g., Rep. Bart Stupak from Michigan. My belief is that a significant number of people, black, white, brown, etc., need a helping hand at times in their lives. I applaud you for taking care of your family and your business. The Black community is too smart to be duped by either party. They are the best judge of their own interests.
Ralph, it's not the intentions of the few that concern me but the actions of the majority. Also, being duped has nothing to do with intelligence but misplaced trust. Finally, you never answered my question, is it only white Democrats who get away with calling black men Uncle Tom?
Not at all. Mostly its Black leaders who use the term. I can hardly remember how many times I've heard Clarence Thomas called an Uncle Tom by African Americans. They're the ones who started using the term, not white Democrats.
You are correct on who started it Ralph but does that give YOU the right?
Well, we do have a right to free speech, within limits, in the U.S. and on HubPages.
RB, Any thoughts on this comment by Andre Bauer, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, in his campaign as REPUBLICAN candidate for governor, as reported by Leonard Pitts, Jr., in my morning Detroit Free Press. It may give you a small clue why Blacks support Obama and generally vote Democrat;
" ``He'' is South Carolina Lt. Gov. André Bauer, running for governor on the GOP ticket. Speaking of those who receive public assistance, he recently told an audience, ``My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better.''
"You read that right. The would-be governor of one of the poorest states there is likens the poor to stray animals.
"And though it drew some newspaper notice, a riposte from The Daily Show and rebukes from Bauer's opponents, it never quite rose to the level of national controversy, as it would've had Bauer compared, say, women or Jews to the dogs one feeds at one's back door. The relative silence stands as eloquent testimony to the powerlessness and invisibility of the American poor."
Ralph, I am personally not offended by Bauer's statement. He is basically making the point that poor people need to be taught how to take care of themselves instead of having the government take care of them. If you give a man a fish today you'll have to keep giving him a fish day after day but if you teach him to fish he will feed himself and breed others who will do the same.
I'm not sure why you said, "It may give you a small clue why Blacks support Obama and generally vote Democrat." Are you saying that the poor he was talking about are blacks? I don't read that in his statement at all. I find it very interesting that you did. Are you showing your true feelings here, Ralph?
It seems to me that Bauer has more compassion for the poor than you do anyway. His method truly helps, yours just makes them dependent.
I don't know who he was talking about. He wasn't dumb enough to single out blacks or whites both of whom there are plenty of poor people in South Carolina. More of the white Evangelicals vote Republican because they have been deluded by people like Bauer and the "family values" folks tinged with a bit of anti-black prejudice. If my memory serves the Great White Hope, Strom Thurmond was from South Carolina.
Wow Ralph, you have to dig pretty deep to throw Strom into this don't you. Just goes to show you if you live long enough it is almost like living two lives. As a Democrat he was a segregationist, as a Republican he supported the extension of the Voting Rights Act and Martin Luther King's birthday becoming a federal holiday. I find it better to be wrong at the beginning of one life than at the end.
Right Black
A very thought provoking article. The comment"s are very interesting. I too choose to vote my values which is why I didn't vote for Obama nor Mcain. I hope the day will come when we all will judge a man/woman by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. As MLK JR said in his "I have a Dream" Speech.
jjmyles, glad to see you agree that values trump color. Thanks for the comment.
wow. very interesting..
garcilazoand, Thanks for reading and I am glad you found it interesting.
There was an old American saying that's probably about as old as the country itself that states "You can be anything you wanna be, even "The President of the United States". Outside of watching Dennis Haysbert on the espionage series "24", I never thought I'd see the day when a black man would win the oval office. That restored faith in that historical saying. Now of course we're not going to always agree on every single little thing that the president, the governor, the mayor, congress or whatever powers that be believe, but what you do is you pick the person that most closely indentifies with your personal views. All these people (mostly whites and maybe an Oreo here and there) that are upset because change isn't happening fast enough can't expect to Obama to win rome in a day. Change is an evolutionary process that'll probably take several presidental terms to accomplish, but I believe he's doing all he can. It seems like they should realize that. And for some to say he's no better than Bush was is outright nuts. There's haters out there watching his every move and ready to jump all over him over the least little slip (before he's an American or a president he's only human like all the others before him) and defend tabloid-fodder orient republicans like Sarah Palin and loose cannons like Dick Cheney no matter what (Elisabeth Hasselbeck anyone). I hope he wins his second term.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
mr. daydream, thanks for your opinion. First, I like the series "24" as well and I think that maybe it did help prepare the nation to accept a black man in the Oval Office. I also think that the Republican Party has been willing and ready for years to accept a black for the highest office of the land. Republicans were willing and ready to make Gen. Colin Powell its standard bearer in 1996 but he refused to run. I agree that we will not agree with everything our leaders do but I disagree with Pres. Obama's foundational beliefs. The polling data that I quoted states that this is the case for most blacks, as well.
Every president is scrutinized by the public and the press. Pres. Obama is strong enough to take it just as all the presidents who came before him. He won the election, therefore, he shouldn't get preferential treatment just because he is black. If you want equality you need to accept equal praise with equal criticism.
If Pres. Obama does get elected again there is one thing the people will not get, that is more power. Anytime you grow the government bigger you necessarily take more power from the people. If you want "POWER TO THE PEOPLE!," vote for smaller government, vote Republican.
I think the series 24 is exactly what it is, "a work of fiction designed for the sole purposes of entertainment and profits". We're all aware that sometimes life CAN imitate art (and vice versa) and sometimes people take it more serious than it should be taken, but I don't think that show inspired America (as a whole) to accept the possibilities of a black president outside the norm of any typical primetime show (Lemme guess, the Geena Davis show Commander-in-Chief in which she played the first female president somehow inspired Hilary Clinton to run for office through some simple twist of blind fate?).
As far as your statistics go, I don't deny it, I'm sure there are millions of blacks that voted for him just because he's black. Just like there's millions of whites that didn't vote for him for the same reason (BECAUSE HE'S BLACK). In all honesty, Right Black, I was behind Hilary (a white woman) for a long time just for the simple fact that we'd have the Clintons back in office again, and I didn't feel that Barack had enough political experience. And I'm sure she'd confide in her husband (an ex-president) for advice, the way I'm sure Bush Jr. confided in his father (another ex-president) for advice, that is until she (Hilary) started hitting a little too hard below the belt as her campaign went on, but hey, politics is a dirty game (try moving to Chicago homie (lol).
Anyway, we all know every president is scrutinized, but despite how far we came, the U.S.A. is still a very racist country (racism exists in all races) and by this being the first black president in a country where whites are the majority, all eyes are gonna be on him more. I know Obama earned a lot of white votes, but there's a WHOLE lot of them that didn't want to see him in office and are eager to see him slip up. So don't underestimate the racecard factor in all of this old skool, cuz even a blind man can see the racism and bias-ism in all of this.
Now, I don't support all of his modern-day policies, like gay marriages for instances. If two men, or two women want to be together (romantically) that's cool, but marriage is a bond that, I think, should be sacred union between a man and a woman. And I don't believe in abortions, but again, you vote for the person that you think is best suited for the job. You have to choose between the lesser of two, three, four or however many evils. I'm sure you can tell by now that I'm probably a democrat, so the McCain-Palin ticket (despite him being against gay marriages, abortions or whatever) wasn't an option for me. I was willing to vote for Barack or Hillary (also) because they were far more willing than McCain was to start bringing our troops home, and spend some of those billions of dollars on helping to straighten out our broken economy that your dear sweet republican President George "Dubya" Bush ran into the ground.
No offense, my man, but (to me anyway) you seem to have harsh, somewhat self-racist attitude toward our culture. Just by the way you're pointing out to different opinion polls that shows us up (not just the president, but black people as a whole) in a rather negative light without offering much insight into the upside of this topic (trust me, there is one if you look deep enough). You're an old enough and seeming intelligent enough man to be able to find some. Opinion polls are very important as they provide crucial information into the current viable status of a certain person, topic, product etc. (if they're 100% accurate, but I'm sure you did your extensive research). I believe our president is doing all he can so try to free yourself of that disgruntled, black republican attitude towards Barack and be proud of our people and the job our black president is doing... until then, stay black.
mr. daydream, great retort, I love a stimulating interchange of ideas. Of course, 24 is just TV but I was just agreeing with you, you brought it up. I'm sure people voted and didn't vote for him because of color but I am specifically focusing on Black Americans. Ninety-five percent vote for him and as of this poll ninety- eight percent approved of his performance. What would you say if ninety- five percent of whites voted for McCain and once he was in office (and his approval ratings were falling among the rest of the population) then ninety-eight percent of whites approved of him. It would make you wonder, wouldn't it? I'm just being honest here and I'm wondering why?
It seems to me that if you truly value the life of the unborn you could not vote for someone who would select a Supreme Court Justice that would just uphold the killing of the innocent unborn. Just my opinion. If you don't want gay marriage why vote for someone who does? Maybe being a Democrat is more important than your values?
When it comes to the statement that I have a "somewhat self-racist attitude toward our culture," absolutely not. If I could go back to before I was born and God gave me the opportunity to choose my color I would be Black! Come on, mr. daydream, I just have a different point of view, how dare I not follow the black masses, right?
This is a very well written and interesting Hub. I think you make clear points. Following the Obama office, it seems to me not much has changed from the Bush office. Many of the "100 day" promises Mr. Obama made while running for this office, have been either postponed, or resended completely, which I believe were promises to un-do many of Mr. Bush's "wrongs". So, in the long run, the record will speak clearly for itself. But I did enjoy reading your perspective on the issue you discussed here. Thank you.
Cathi Sutton, Thanks for coming by to read and thanks for your opinion.
Howdy Right - Say whatever a person wants to say about this, but I listened in on the conversation between several of my "black" friends and co-workers concerning the upcoming election for mayor here in Houston, Texas. What caught my attention was that the consensus of that group was that the "black" candidate should be re-elected in as mayor. It was not that he was a better candidate. What was said was "That we have to elect one of our own." It did not matter at all that the guy was probably the very worst mayor that the city had ever had - and everyone knew it - including those having that conversation.
Right, my friend, that's the way things seem always to work. It matters little what color folks may be, but if you are white, you vote white, black, you vote black, and rainbow, you pray for rain.
Gus :-O
Hey GusTheRedneck, A good black conservative friend of mine and I both have this problem. We are told that we are "suppose" to vote black. The question is, what is voting black? Thanks for the comment.
Hey man, I wonder what is now after calling Afro-Americans "mongrels"?
Excellent Hub Right Black. As time allows, I'll be able to read all of your material. I've taken a day or two off, but my next piece is going be on criminals in congress.
I have a very good friend who happens to be black. He's like the little brother I never had and I love him like one. He's a very intelligent man, and we share a mutual respect for one another although we don't always agree wich each other of course.. One day we were talking politics not long after the election. Another black dude walked up and shoved himself into the discussion. The guy was a Malcom X wanna be. He just naturally thought Richard voted for Ombama because of the black thing. When he found out Richard voted for McCain, he about blew a fuse until Richard stood up. (Richard's 6'3" 275 lbs, bench 512 lbs. squat almost 1200 lbs.) Richard put his finger in the dudes face and told the guy this .. " Your dumb ass doesn't even know how to spell Obama, you just voted for him because your black ass thought you were supposed to." Then he said the line I'll never forget ... "I don't think like a black man .. I think like a man!" The other black guy changed his entire tone on the spot, and quicky excused himself from out conversation. Your well written piece and comments made me think of this story.
jim
vrajavala, nothing he says surprises me anymore. If you can figure him out you let me know. I am getting to the place where it is even more unbelievable that so many blacks still support him. What an embarrassment to the USA.
NoPants, funny story, I guess sometimes might does make right.
Obama was elected because of the color of his skin. There. I said it.
Sad.
All the Black people I know are diametrically opposed to everything this dude stands for. The same with all my Hispanic friends (most of my friends are either Black or Hispanic). They are much more pro-life and pro-family than your average white. Yet ALL of them voted for Obama. Why?
Because of the color of his skin.
Sheesh. I thought whities were the racists.
The liberals shrewdly took advantage of the latent racism in America and squeezed it to their advantage. Perhaps Obama will be good for America in the long run because he's the last First Black President.
Oh, boy. Looks like next up it will have to be The First Lesbian President. Iceland already has theirs.
doitrightnow, sometimes the truth is sad. I think you should refrain from using the word "ALL" since that puts me in company I have chosen not to keep. Of course he is the last first black president, I just hope he is the last black liberal president and that there are many conservative black presidents to come. Thanks for the comment.
I think the media has made this up and as a black conservative man I do not approve of 90% of what he is doing and I am finding that more and more black folk are starting to feel the same way! So will he make it in 2010? I am not sure! But when your own cousin is publicly standing against your policies you know you have a problem.
BigD, thanks for the comment, I think the tide has turned slightly but not to the point where he could not have an approval rating over 90% if someone comes out with a strong statement against his policies. I believe the magic number for black support right now is 84%, this is even with the high rate of unemployment in America. This tends to be a knee jerk reaction that states, "he's black, I'm supporting him." End of subject. Conservatives and independents are the part of the electorate that will turn the tide against him in 2010 and hopefully in 2012.
Great Hub!
I believe had Hilary won the Democrat nomination she too would have had a 90+ percentage approval rating coming out of the gate. Traditionally black people have pinned their hopes on the Democrat party.
No matter which party is office the government is going to (spend money) whether for war, aiding "luke warm allies" in hopes of turning them into strong allies to protect our national interest or for domestic programs that deal with health care, jobs, education and so on.
It's been said Republicans are "the brains" and Democrats are the "heart & soul" of the nation. However the older one becomes the more "conservative" they become with regard to their values. Many blacks as well as lower middle class whites, and hispanics hope and believe the government will lend them a hand to climb up another rung on the ladder of success in this land of milk & honey.
Last but not least President Obama projects an image that blacks take pride in. He's very intelligent, appears to be a very loving husband and a nurturing father. He sees himself as being equal to whites without appearing to be a "sell out". He's the "Jackie Robbinson of presidental politics". We are seldom projected this way to the world as a whole and in the media.
When I was growing up adults would say, "You can be anything you want to be." (with reservations no doubt). However with this past election today's parent can not only say that but point to the highest office in the land, the leader of the free world, and say, "He was born of a teenage mother, had problems with drugs early on and was able to turn his life around. Blacks admire, respect, and approve of President Obama because he has raised the bar on "what is possible" if you're willing to work hard and believe.
dashingscorpio, welcome. It is unfortunate that 90% of any group thinks exactly alike. It is doubly unfortunate that black people have a new tradition of voting for the very party which tried to deny them the right to vote.
I don't buy your argument that says that one party is the brains and the other the heart. I think it is more heartfelt to honor a person by their accomplishment than it is to honor (or is that dishonor) him with entitlements.
I understand how the president is seen in the media and the world but his true intelligence will be weighed by what he does not how he looks. Jackie Robinson would have been a failure if he had only batted .100 and Pres. Obama will be a failure if our economy continues to get worse.
I am not sure that he has raised the bar any at all, I have always believed we would have a black president in my lifetime. I still think it will be unfortunate if he doesn't succeed and I don't think the Republicans will be to blame since he is getting everything he wants through without them. Thanks for your comment.
right black- Unfortunately, I think blacks have made a stance as a group in America to stand with democrats and it is difficult for a black individual to break with that stance without getting some grief. And then, when you add the extra ingredient of an actual black man representing the democratic party, you get an almost 100% approval rating.
braudboy, you may be correct but the question still remains, why? Thanks for the comment.
I am not sure why. I am actually disappointed in the numbers. I would prefer to believe that blacks, like any other group, would have differing opinions on subjects, and I think that they do. I dont understand why they feel an obligation to tow the line of the democratic party, even if it is againt their personal beliefs.
braudboy,maybe you should read my hub on Why Do Blacks Vote Democrat? I'm not sure if it answers the question completely but it is an attempt to look at it from a historical perspective. I'm very disappointed in the numbers as well. Thanks for commenting again.
I read your hub and I agree for the most part. I think a big part of why most people vote democrat is for the many "goodies" that their party promises. The democrats try to promise anything to anybody in exchange for political power. They have lost their soul in doing so and do not even know what they stand for anymore.
braudboy, if the only problem was that the Democratic politicians had sold their souls then it might just be a small problem but those who vote for them have done the same, most without realizing it. This is a serious problem. They all remind me of one of the old "All in the Family" episodes where Archie and George were both looking out for number one. The question Meathead asked was, "who is really number one?" since they both think they are. That is the mentality of those who vote for the Democrats it is "I'm looking out for number one" or "What have you done for me lately?"
I know,... and the underlying problem with the total allegience by blacks to the democratic party is that the democratic party takes them for granted. The dems mentality is to count the black vote in their numbers guaranteed. Blacks have lost clout when they show such blind allegience to one party no matter what.
braudboy, I have tried to explain this over and over but the response I get is, "because we have such large numbers they can't ignore us." When people are this blind it is almost impossible to change their thinking.
Although, this is not a recent article, I just found this today...I think it was well written.
Enlydia Listener, thanks for reading. It may not be recent but Pres. Obama still hold a great majority of support among blacks that is not found in the nation at large.
This post is on fire. For those of you who are of color like myself,I think the world has the right to know the truth. The truth is we voted and approve of Obama simply because he's Black (African American in the truest sense of the phrase).Some of us try to justify our actions or willingness to vote because of the tyranny that we've suffered for hundreds of years. Still today or even yesterday (Nov 2008) we didn't vote for Pres.Obama because of his political views (as most still don't know or understand his proposed or current agenda).
So I'll speak for my self by quoting someone else, "... now that we got the first one (black president) in, I'll vote for the right reason next time."
MsMaui4TheRecord, thanks for the comment. I hope all Americans will vote for the right reason, values!
They have been programmed to think Republicans are evil. Democrats win by default.
Blacks lose in real life because there lives are governed by liberals.
Somehow i doubt right-black is a black man.
He thinks the rich shouldnt be taxed.
That his "fellow" blacks are 97% racists, and that why they voted for a pro abortion, pro homosexual, blackman.
He is against social welfare, denying the reality that just because he has a job that there are simply not enough jobs for everyone, especially if youre black.
He says he voted to his values, and not for Obama, which mean he is saying Obamas value are wrong. In otherwords an immoral black man voted in by stupid racist blacks, who have to be convinced of the error of their ways.
He is against women choosing what to do with their own bodies whether its abortion or sex, he knows best apparently and want to be able to tell these WOMEN what to do. Obama isnt PRO abortion, sex, he is just pro individual choice.
If right black was president, would he introduce laws saying women cant have abortion, have sex whenever they choose, and banning homosexuality?
It is such a relief, the 97% stat you quote in your hub, it mean bigoted racist white males, who pretend to be blacks to gain cred with real black, WILL NEVER GET THEIR VEIWS OR "VALUES" INTO THE WHITE HOUSE. NEVER!
The blacks know what is in their interest, and thats who they vote for. Soon the white man will be a minority in america, and you can just feel the fear from this white racist turd calling himself right-black. You should be taxed into oblivion and your assets, that you get from the short term impoverishment of others, redistributed.
Not only is this piece of human excrement pretending to be black, he is also pretending to be a thinker. This hub is thinly veiled racism.
Joe, thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, liberals have been the choice of the majority of blacks in America recently and this hasn't been a good mix.
Antecessor, thanks for your comment. I think you must be visually impaired. My picture appears all over my pages in my avatar. My avatar is not the only picture of me. I am pictured with my daughter also. I am Black and proud of it. I have no problem with who I am, but you obviously have a problem with who I am because I don't fit your stereotype.
Check my post but I discounted 38% of blacks as a racist minority by their own admission. I pointed out that the vast majority of blacks think abortion and homosexuality are immoral. Again this is what they tell the pollsters, this is not my opinion.
I made my job and am proud of it. It was not given to me. I'm not rich and I am sure the government cares nothing about my tax responsibility but I am not envious of those who have done better than myself, they earned it.
You are correct in stating that I think Obama's values are wrong and immoral but since when does this make me not black and where did I ever say that blacks are stupid. Very intelligent people get fooled and believe lies. I'm not against women choosing what to do with their own bodies, I am against them killing their babies by destroying the babies body. If a young lady gives her body to a man and becomes pregnant they should have to suffer the consequences of that choice, not the rest of society. I am not against all social welfare only that which comes from irresponsible behavior.
Antecessor, once you descend to name calling and crazy innuendo you loose all credibility and prove to our readers how much of a thinker you must be. Maybe you're the racist since you seem to be telling all blacks that they must side with you and your liberal agenda. You say "thinly veiled racism" to me yours is overt.
So if Obama's color trumps his horrible political views just so americans can experience their first "black" president, once we are going for round 2 and we've "been there, done that" then he should fail horribly in the re-election? That is, people will use more logic in their votes this time?
Duda, we can only hope. Thanks for your comment.
super cool post thank you for the time !
I believe the blacks are not going to vote for Obama again.
I do not understand how anyone with even 1/2 of a brain possibly think this Country is in good hands with Obama, there is NO way in HELL he can be re elected, he has come very close to destroying it. Don't you people see how and what he has done to your kids future?
As for the gay thing, let it be...
As for the abortion thing, it is NOBODIES business if and when a woman gets an abortion. Men make babies they do not pay for, leaving the burden on the woman, having to chase him down for money. You guys were not worried about making a baby when you were with her having sex, you sure were not to concerned then, so long as I get sex. She is the one to have to sacrifice her life for the baby not you, the work 90% of the time is up to her, all noses should be kept out of her business. Sure you guys don't want her to abort but you don't want to do the work nor make child support payments either. Besides that there will always be abortion's done whether someone likes it or not, kind of like the gays, they aren't going anywhere.
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PeggyW, thanks for the comment, I really appreciate it!
judy, I'm 100% sure you are wrong. Let me explain. Many blacks believe that to vote against Mr. Obama is betraying there own. Our president could really care less about these people but he is a good politician and will pander to a crowd that he is assured of getting 90% of those registered. He is seen as the apex of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream. He will certainly win the black vote no matter who runs against him on the Republican side.
As far an abortion goes, it takes two to tango. The woman has the power of the word "no." If she doesn't use it she has assumed the risk, not the baby. The baby has done nothing wrong and for the baby to have to pay with its life is immoral and should be illegal. If you kill a one year old it is murder, if you kill an eight month old that is in the womb its an abortion. The only differences are time and position. One is in the mother, the other outside, one is 21 months (including the pregnancy) the other is 8 months (in the womb). Why should this poor child have to pay for the sins of the parents?
Personally, I worked to raise both of my children while their mother stayed home and schooled them there. Thanks for your comments.
Allan Santiago, thanks for the encouragement. I try to write things of interest from my personal point of view. Again Thanks.
They never poll me in those black poles I just wonder where the numbers are coming from to be quite honest.
The only fellow blacks I know who support him are the ones who are not awake to the hidden hand in our societal structure.
You talk to any black man or woman who is not naive to the prostitution of mainstream media, then you will find that 98% of us do not approve of this puppet in black-face.
They have to be calling housing projects to get that polling data, either that or Atlanta.
Great hub, I wrote one arguing 10 reasons to vote his ass out.
Really Vis? Who are you going to vote in? A Republican?
VizFact The Dude, thanks for the support. Your comments are well received. I wonder about the Atlanta remark though, maybe you could elaborate. I was just there a couple of months ago and it did seem as if it were Obama heaven, but why?
bill yon, thanks for the comment and I wonder, what's wrong with voting Republican?
I want you to know, I read this entire hub this evening. Very enlightening and thought provoking. Many of your detractors are intelligent, thoughtful people and you more than held your own. My head is still wrapped around the laws of logic. :-) I have a lot to digest and you definitely have another fan and follower. Thank you
PhilB, thanks for reading this entire discussion.
How can you vote do to the issues when its been nothing but white this whole time. It wasn't Cuzz of the issues it Cuzz you personal like that candidate so we like Obama. Sounds like you have a problem with the change.
Obama is a half black half white Socialist Marxist that has been propped up by the Communist Party of America...posing as a Democrat (Democratic Socialist) http://www.cpusa.org/ A better and peaceful world is possible — a world where people and nature come before profits. That’s socialism. That’s our vision. We are the Communist Party USA. And we all know that under communism you are nothing more than a puppet of the state from birth to death.
SELDOM, thanks for giving your opinion. I love change, as long as it is change that makes sense. Change just to change isn't wise. The change to Obama was not just changing the color of the man in the White House but it was a total change in the direction of our nation. We have gone from the world's only super power to a nations whose credit rating has been downgraded and we are further in debt than ever. When Bush left office we were 500 billion in debt and less than four years later we are about 2 trillion in debt. This kind of change is deadly dangerous. But we all have our opinions and it sounds like yours is you just want a black man in office even if it kills our nation.
danielthorne, thanks for the comment. I'm not sure whether Pres. Obama is a communist or a socialist but I do know he is not good for America. We do need change but we need change back to common sense and the right fundamentals that made this nation great.
Hey! Obama is not the problem. The power machine behind him is deadly. What do you know about Tim Geitner and the FDIC? I have a guy down here I like better . . . Kendrick Meek.
WD Curry 111, I'm of the opinion that they are all in bed together. The problem I'm citing is that blacks believe that by electing a black person to office that they will necessarily be better off. The truth is that the skin color might be different but the ideology is the same. Thanks for commenting.
I applaud you for voting for who you think is best, not a party, race or religion. I vote for the best person also. I am not as knowledgeable as you, but I do my best. These days it is hard to tell who is the good-guy and who isn't.
Viz and Right Black I do not think you guys are even black at all.
My Minds Eye53, thanks for the comment. Good guys do not necessarily belong to a certain party. I determine who I vote for based upon the parties principles then if the person adheres to those principles that's the person I vote for. I don't think that the Democratic Party's principles are good for America as a whole, therefore, I find it very difficult to vote for a Democrat.
Bill yon, of course you don't think we are black because we don't agree with you. Since when is it a fact that all black people think alike? Wouldn't you agree that it is my choice whether I drive a Chevy or a Ford? If I can be black and determine what kind of car I drive should I not be able to make a choice when it come to the person and party I vote for? Do you really believe that the Democratic masters should rule our minds?
"The Republican Party is the life boat and everything else is the ocean. The democrats will cause you to sink and the Republican Party will take you to safety"
Fredrick Doglass-Registered Republican
MikeSyrSutton, LOL, I'm sure you meant Frederick Douglass. Thanks for the comment.
Great article and I think you are correct. I did not vote for him, but after he became president I became an avid supporter. I like seeing a brown complexioned person representing America. The psychology of it all is so strong!
Rodric29, thanks for the comment and the honesty.
Right Black, I cannot afford to be anything but honest now that I started putting articles out here on cyberspace.
I enjoy your articles and plan to run through them. You cover much of what I wanted to write about. I can focus on other things now.
Rodric29, don't think about changing your focus. I'd love to hear your take on these subjects. I'm sure they will differ from mine and might help me along my journey. Write away!
Its both racial and racist in my opinion. Its racist because some blacks feel that its their duty to empower a black man in a high position to prove something. Its racial because they generally don't do their own research. Many let the mainstream tv direct their opinions. Many are not going to read documents and use critical thinking skills to form their own opinions. Instead they adopt whatever views the local pop and rhythm & blues radio station host tells them to adopt. Also the churches influence them to believe that things really are great about the economy and anything else that the president does when it really isn't.
Im not trying to call them any names or make this sound like I'm putting them down. I dont know why the poll percentage was so high, its definitely not all of us. I am black myself, but I can see beyond the fluff of Obama. And no, I didn't vote for him. My republican party affiliation has nothing to do with the facts that can be researched with due diligence and patience.
I'm also really tired of being attacked for being able to think critically.
I'm sure I will be attacked on here for what Ive said, but Im used to it now.
Black Female, thanks for reading and commenting. I think you are accurate when you assert that many Blacks don't think for themselves. I think this is the whole reason we have "Black Leaders." Don't worry about the attacks just stay focused on what is right and true.
It is unfortunate that any person would "vote" for an individual due to "race" and negate the issues. It is also unfortunate that we still believe that "race" is superior to "moral" issues. Why? Because moral issues affect the present and future.
In essence moral issues are important, because IT IS the foundation of healthcare, housing, jobs etc.
As a Christian African American doctor who own his own practice, I understand government business and the private sector. I also understand and have seen that having a lack of moral consciousness KILLS...(but...I dare not speak on that topic...!)
What that being said, the color of the person should never be a reason to place anyone in a postion of authority!
President Obama, is pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage..it has been said that MOST blacks ARE NOT. My point is, he didn't say, "I am black, therefore I must confer with my people"!! President Obama, did what he thought was correct...he made no calls to church officials before he announced his support of gay-marriage. So for an African American to vote for him on the basis of "race" alone, without considering the issues...well, it is foolish! In the words of Maya Angelo: "the first time someone shows you who they are, believe them"
iis of Faith, thanks for reading. Great comment.
Wow, Right Black. I love the quote Lis of Faith reintroduced of Maya Angelo. I did not vote for The president, but I was happy that his skin was dark. I have said this before, and I repeat again that the honeymoon about his ethnicity is over. I full see him as a president who does not reflect me as well as Mitt Romney does in values. It is not because Mitt is Mormon that I support him, it is because he shares my beliefs and values for America the same way George Bush does and Ronald Reagan.
I am a Mormon, and I do not share the same beliefs about America with Huntsman, who is a Mormon also. I share this to illustrate that voting based on race and what congregation a person attends is not going to assure anyone anything other than you get someone who you may identify with in personal religion but not in world and community application.
Gallup Poll
- Blacks as Conservative as Republicans on Some Moral Issues
Only 31% of black Democrats say homosexual relations are morally acceptable, much more conservative than the position of Democrats in general, despite the fact that the vast majority of blacks identify themselves as Democrats or Democratic leaners.
dohn121 Level 3 Commenter 2 years ago
Wow, this is a very interesting topic of discussion. I'm curious to see some of the responses you receive, Right Black. Thanks for sharing your take on it.