What do we know for sure about President Barack Obama? He’s BLACK!!! And it’s really messing with all of us. It’s been messing with us for the last three years and in 2010 it really cost us. Every liberal was and is just as upset as every devout racist. It’s just a matter of what degree as to how much we are upset. For liberals and Democrats it’s unsettling and we can’t shake it. Don’t try to act like it isn’t. It is. We wish we could be okay with this but we’re not. Otherwise we would be screaming with unbelievable pride about this man’s accomplishments and the steel of his courage, his grace and his wit, his cool, his ethics, his manner, his eloquence and most of all that he is our President!!!
I’m going to be 60 years of age soon and this is only time I’ve felt good about the President. We, who believe this is a great man in the most important office in the world, need to get over ourselves and admit our bias and our mild racism and get rid of it. Apologize to him and his beautiful family for not going out and let everyone know we are willing to die for him as so many of military have already shown.
What I believe with all my heart now is that everyone was and still is surprised that he became President. This wasn’t supposed to happen for a long while. Rush Limbaugh still isn’t use to blacks being quarterbacks in the NFL. Cam Newton steams him just as much as Donovan McNabb did but he’s a racist. That’s how he is supposed to act. We, Obama's supporters and surrogates, should be crazy in love with this guy but our timidity is palpable. The ONLY reason we’re not is because he’s black and we have not accepted it yet.
WE, WHO SUPPOSEDLY BELIEVE HE’S DOING A GOOD JOB, SHOULD BE MAKING SURE WE LET EVERYONE KNOW IT UNTIL HE IS RE-ELECTED AND WE HAVE GIVEN HIM AN LBJ CONGRESS SO HE CAN CHANGE THE FREAKING COUNTRY. Give him another four years really moving the country forward and MAYBE BY THEN, WE’LL BE USE TO IT!!!!
We had become so accustomed to having white Presidents even when they embarrass us like President George W. Bush and President Clinton electing another one that it had become habit. In these two cases, the former couldn’t talk and the latter couldn’t stop talking including looking all of us in the face and LYING to us. Having a black President is freaky good and it’s time to admit it. Our timidity in not supporting this amazing man unequivocally is shameful.
WELL LET ME DO THAT NOW. I SUPPORT YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA! I WANT YOU TO BE RE-ELCTED!!!!! I HOPE YOU AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY WILL FORGIVE ME FOR NOT SHOWING MY SUPPORT AS I SHOULD HAVE.
I know he and his family will forgive me because, unlike many that oppose him and his family, the Obamas are gracious and loving people who want the best for me and even those who so viciously disagree with him.
He’s the best President I have ever seen or had the honor to support in my lifetime. The first time I ever gave to a Presidential Campaign was his and I will do it again. His enemies are irrational and dangerous and will do ANYTHING to stop him. His detractors yell and interrupt conversations when people speak well of him in public and YOU SURROGATES should NOT LET THEM WIN THOSE CONVERSATIONS. Let them scream and yell but make sure you have equal time to state your view. Equal time is not a rule now so you have to carve out your space to make your point. Not by yelling but by being patient and letting these irrational people talk themselves out to let everyone show their true nature. Their fear of what he represents has made them just plain stupid or angry or both. Call out the moderator if they have not moderated fairly even if the moderator is supposedly leaning forward. Make people listen to this salient yet simple point. It’s GOOD to have the best person be the President even if he is BLACK. President Barack Obama has given us his best and the least we could do is, for the next three and a half months, give him ours.
Even so, it is wonderfully weird to see him as our President. Isn’t it? I’m progressive, liberal, believe in an active working government that is there for you from conception to past your death until your life is finally settled and yet it startles me still to see the reality of my desires manifested in him. We have a black President way before we expected to have had one. That might explain the 2 million plus people who showed up to his Inauguration. His accomplishments will fill whole sections of libraries in your Kindle. Some say he’s like Jackie Robinson but he’s so much more. He’s transformational and I don’t want this chance to be blown without following through with what he portended by us electing him our President. As he said it on the cold night in Iowa, “Change has come to America.” Thank you Iowa!!!
I believe what happened is the great dream of Dr. Martin Luther King came true much earlier than we thought it would. We were so amazed at how bad a President could be with President George W. Bush that we elected a person based on the content of his character and not the color of his skin. When he won we all were surprised liberal as well as the most devout Rush... uh... racist. We need to do that again. Make him President again. If we look at the content of the character of the two men, the President and Governor Romney, it’s no contest. President Obama is about the best content you can find in anyone in America. In four years, we’ll do the same for a woman!
As for the "Job He Is Doing" - His accomplishments are unbelievable, and for me personally, I was genuinely impressed, proud and touched with he formal endorsement for marriage equality (not that I am or ever will get married). Technically speaking, however, his job includes "negotiating" both within his party and the Republicans to get the best legislation and success. His technique of being completely inclusive with the concept of Bipartisan Leadership (however admiral) has led to endless negotiations ending with the Republicans getting everything (and more) than they ever wanted. That is a problem with his 'job performance' because studies have been done ad nausea and any negotiation must start with demands you are willing to compromise on. Starting with the desired midpoint concession becomes the opening offer in the game of negotiating the Republicans have been given them all the power and control. But "He IS Black" and unless one is in the 1%, the only rational reason to vote Republican no matter what is pure Racism. People are allowed to be racist, but they ought to own it and not keep making stupid excuses and insulting our President or what he has accomplished.
I was thinking today that maybe this is a boomer's issue and that's who I was trying to reach and maybe the time when President should run again, as you proposed in the letter, is the same time that this visceral prejudice dies out. Literally. And the way a lot of us are eating that may not be too long!!! Thank you for your blog and thank you for your comments.
Obama, while not a savior to humanity, has been a spectacular President when compared to his fellow statesmen. Sadly, the Republicans do not care about moving America forward, they care about winning elections (and tax cuts for the wealthy), that is it. It's a stunning revelation that has existed for quite sometime. If Governor Romney backed by secret money and no actual agenda were to win the Presidency we would be in for a wild ride of sky-high debt, no job growth, no investment in America but we'd have a fantasticly low capital gains tax. Is THAT what America is really about?
He is a great man, but he is not the best at Presidential politics. With Obama, we actually have a winner that us Democrats have long sought out. He will win and then it will be about making sure we win AGAIN in 2016 to cement our victories (re: FDR) as these progressions will always be under attack from those with extreme resources who do not have empathy for other Americans outside of their narrow social circle. I think Obama will win in 2012 by 3 or 4 points, which is close, and that will be due to the widespead voter supression tactics and unlimited secret money republicans were able to rush into the system. But we need to work very HARD in combating the lies Romney and his allies have lined up. We've been here in 2000 and 2004. We know exactly what we'll be in for with a President Romney (who actually won't be in the driver seat).
Do I think it is possible that people may actually like the political position & policies of the Republican Candidate over those of President Obama? I think the question answers and explains the whole issue. No I do not think people are voting for Romneys political policies ... Because he has not even made any statements about his intended policies he would use to lead our country.
We do have to speak up when we see something so wrong going on and this is clearly a case of racism. (let me point out that racism does not mean a radical actually taking violent action to express their racism. It comes in all forms and even subtle unspoken feelings can be racism if it affects the way a person deals with those feelings. Watch the old movie again "Gentleman's Agreement" to understand people who say "I'm not racist" and in so many ways we see how many people do in fact act to discriminate (without realizing at times) based on those feelings).
Feelings are never right or wrong. What one does with their feelings is what either gives weight to those feelings or else to acknowledge and then use what ration and reason we have to act in the way that is right, despite any racial/prejudicial feelings one has. I encourage people to express these feelings (in a place they feel comfortable) and by just speaking out loud what is pure negativity will help each persons feelings based on fear or irrational feelings. Likewise, discussing openly those negative feelings can really help to in being able to act rationally in the future and not continue to seek anything anyone says as a reason (in this case) to 'Vote Obama Out'. So many people are voting against their own personal financial, medical and social interests by grasping on the latest absurd statement the Republicans will assert is the real reason Obama must go. Keep in mind we had 16 continues years of a Republican President that led to what the Republicans accuse Obama of - Reallocation of wealth. We just had it, going to the top 1% and Obama never made any such statement in context. A regular ploy - Blame the other guy of what you have already done yourself so nobody notices what you've done. Finally - changing from negative feelings to positive makes people happier and is no defeat.