Loving/hating a black President

[Objective Voice]

<putting on flame-retardant suit... radcen knows the mere asking of the question will be inconvenient and off-putting to some... ok, there>

Is it just as bad to like/support a President because he's black as it is bad to dislike/not support a President because he's black?

I would hope that one's racial bias wouldn't be a factor. Judge the President based on the merits - his ability to lead, his agenda, his achievements, his actions or inactions - not because of the color of his skin.

 

[humbolt]

So if one doesn't love something or someone, it naturally follows that hate is the only other option.

 

[Gipper]

Unfortunately, more people voted for him because he was black than people who voted against him because he was.

It's basically the only explanation for voting for a man that was a United States Senator for about 37 minutes. I don't think it was a coincidence that he was black. McCain's resume made Obama's look like a fry cook.

I don't consider race to be a factor, but that's also due to high intelligence - something many Democrats cannot boast about. Lot of Republicans too, but that's immaterial here.

 

[Penderyn]

Unfortunately, more people voted for him because he was black than people who voted against him because he was.

It's basically the only explanation for voting for a man that was a United States Senator for about 37 minutes. I don't think it was a coincidence that he was black. McCain's resume made Obama's look like a fry cook.

I don't consider race to be a factor, but that's also due to high intelligence - something many Democrats cannot boast about. Lot of Republicans too, but that's immaterial here.

What do you weirdoes mean by 'race'? I find the whole concept totally baffling.

 

[Dapper Andy]

Of course you are partisan.

You made it all about "liberals".

And?

I correctly pointed out that liberal policy depends entirely on the demographics.

What does that have to do with partisanship?

 

[Gipper]

What do you weirdoes mean by 'race'? I find the whole concept totally baffling.

Are you trying to be cute with your ad-hom? You failed, just FYI.

 

[Objective Voice]

I disagree.

I think there are very few people, if any, who dislike Pres. Obama because he's black whereas there seems to be plenty of people who like him for that reason. I don't see much difference between the two but I suppose most liberal positions come with a double standard.

I would disagree.

I voted for Sen. Obama because I believed he was the best candidate with the right agenda for the country coming into the 2008 presidency. It is unfortunate, however, that he's had to deal with so many problematic issues that I don't believe any President has had to deal with since FDR. (Frankly, I think the only reason the country really hasn't bounced back fully is because the opposition hasn't been forced to decide which side of the social/moral issues they truly support, or to put it bluntly "the wealth-class and corporate America or the people-at-large". But I'll save that for another debate where I can articulate my views better and in more detail. As for the point of the thread...)

Certainly I recognized that Sen. Obama was Black, but I believed him to be the most "credible and qualified" Black candidate to come along in a long time since Shirly Chisholm (1972 Democratic Party Nominee)...still do. (Can't stand Jesse Jackson, Sr. but between Chisholm and Obama, that's all most African Americans had to identify with as a "viable" presidential candidate.) So, yes, I support this President. And yes, I think he's made some mistakes. But in the grand scheme of things I give him credit where credit is do and am not too quick to jump on him if "change" or improvements in the overall state of domestic issues doesn't come quickly enough or exactly the way I'd like them to be.

I'm wise enough to know that the President is only the "image" for the country and sets the country's agenda throughout his term. Congress represents the people. And, thus, there is always a "process" to invoke change. And sometimes that process is very slooooow...more often than not it's made that way on purpose due to all sorts of political wrangling that sometimes purposefully bogs down the wheels of progression.

 

[jimbo]

Typical con strawman. If that were true, wouldn't Hermann Cain be President? Why does the right have a hard on for Dr. Carson? He doesn't say anything white guys don't say.

Democrats like Democrats and Republicans like Republicans. They both hate the other side. It usually has nothing to do with race.

Who has a hard on for Carson and Cain? Not I. Both are self made men who represent much of what I believe in.

 

[polgara]

So if one doesn't love something or someone, it naturally follows that hate is the only other option.

There is always total disinterest to consider.. At least hate is showing an emotion, unhealthy though it may be for the hater, while disinterest implies one is not worth one second of another's time, which can be devastatingly insulting to most people, IMO.

Good morning, humbolt. :2wave:

 

[Anagram]

Unfortunately, more people voted for him because he was black than people who voted against him because he was.

It's basically the only explanation for voting for a man that was a United States Senator for about 37 minutes. I don't think it was a coincidence that he was black. McCain's resume made Obama's look like a fry cook.

I don't consider race to be a factor, but that's also due to high intelligence - something many Democrats cannot boast about. Lot of Republicans too, but that's immaterial here.

In the primaries maybe, though I'm not sure. In the general I think it was more that he ran a much better campaign then McCain and was a Democrat in a very anti-Republican year.

 

[Objective Voice]

Love President West or Cain or Connie Rice.

Am tepid on President Colin Powell

Hate President Obama

What does color have to do with anything.

In your case based on your input above, race doesn't have anything to do with it. Your party affilliation does.

 

[sawdust]

In your case based on your input above, race doesn't have anything to do with it. Your party affilliation does.

That's the point. If Obama believed in limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual responsibility and promoting growth in the private sector, I'd go to Washington and kiss his ring. That however is the opposite of what he promotes.

 

[Gipper]

In the primaries maybe, though I'm not sure. In the general I think it was more that he ran a much better campaign then McCain and was a Democrat in a very anti-Republican year.

Have we become that stupid in our recent past? Clinton was a two-term Democrat who did great overall, and the president after him was a two-term Republican. Irrational fear and hatred didn't seem to be a factor 15 years ago.

 

[Penderyn]

Are you trying to be cute with your ad-hom? You failed, just FYI.

What does that drivel mean? Stick to beer, kiddo.

 

[humbolt]

There is always total disinterest to consider.. At least hate is showing an emotion, unhealthy though it may be for the hater, while disinterest implies one is not worth one second of another's time, which can be devastatingly insulting to most people, IMO.

Good morning, humbolt. :2wave:

Good afternoon to you, too. Excellent point. The idea that if not one, then the other must apply is nothing more than trolling when emotions are considered. We have a full range - those of us who remain emotionally stable. I've just been reading here today for the most part. Not much new, really, so not much to say. I'm bored, and considering actually going to work. It's finally cooling off here. That's exciting.

 

[WCH]

What does race have to do with being totally unqualified.

 

[Paschendale]

I suspect that they are not the same thing. I mean, how can love or hate ever be the same? There are plenty of conservatives who have seen black Americans state that they would support a black president no matter what, and then declared that racism, but they're missing the underlying ideas. Every black American experiences prejudice and bigotry in their life. To have a leaver who has experienced the same hardships as you, who might actually care to do something about it... you can't really call that racism. As much as some conservatives want to claim that racism is making any decisions based on race, that's not true. Racism is hurting someone because of their race. Or excluding someone because of their race. Or promoting racial superiority.

It is a very different thing to hate someone because they are not a member of your race, the race that has the most power, than it is to support someone because they are a member of your less powerful race and may actually fight to improve conditions for an oppressed people. Doing something to prop up a race with less power is wholly different from trying to keep power concentrated to a race with more power. It's an entirely false equivalency.

 

[polgara]

Good afternoon to you, too. Excellent point. The idea that if not one, then the other must apply is nothing more than trolling when emotions are considered. We have a full range - those of us who remain emotionally stable. I've just been reading here today for the most part. Not much new, really, so not much to say. I'm bored, and considering actually going to work. It's finally cooling off here. That's exciting.

We had a series of squalls move through here last night, and it has cooled down so much that it is actually uncomfortable, requiring a heavy sweater! :thumbdown: The Chihuahua I am babysitting has once again brought out his maps to find the best way to escape to a more hospitable area, grumbling all the while! He blames me, of course, so I'm being ignored. The cats are loving it!

 

[Penderyn]

What does race have to do with being totally unqualified.

Which of your presidents has been qualified, for what, how? I suppose Eisenhower could have seen off the teabags in five minutes or so with a catapult, but who else was any good at anything?

 

[humbolt]

We had a series of squalls move through here last night, and it has cooled down so much that it is actually uncomfortable, requiring a heavy sweater! :thumbdown: The Chihuahua I am babysitting has once again brought out his maps to find the best way to escape to a more hospitable area, grumbling all the while! He blames me, of course, so I'm being ignored. The cats are loving it!

Those damn immigrant dogs. Can't trust 'em. Never appreciate anything. We're still in short sleeved shirts down here, but it'll be in the upper 40's tonight. My kind of weather. The garden was a disaster this year, so I'm anxious to move on. I'm skipping a fall garden entirely and preparing for next year's effort. Grackles moved through here later than usual, and ate nearly all the raspberries in 24 hours - they're like locust. Deer ate the eggplant, a lot of the pepper and tomato blooms, and just about everything else they could. Looks like I'll be eating Bambi this winter as payback. I'm thinking about a few peregrine falcons or coopers hawks to take care of the Grackles. This is war.

 

[Gardener]

And?

I correctly pointed out that liberal policy depends entirely on the demographics.

What does that have to do with partisanship?

I always find it highly amusing when I point out similarities in two different highly partisan positions only to elicit comments wagging fingers at only one side while denying it for the other. If that isn't the very embodiment of partisanship, I don't know what is.

Your response in true dittohead fashion about "liberals" this and that belies any protests you might make about not being partisan.When you react to a posting that ISN'T partisan and make it one, such insincere claims become downright laughable.

 

[WCH]

Which of your presidents has been qualified, for what, how? I suppose Eisenhower could have seen off the teabags in five minutes or so with a catapult, but who else was any good at anything?

The one that kicked your ass. Washington. And he didn't even want the job.

This one we have now is showing his weaknesses daily.

Hesitation, Delay, and Unreliability | The Weekly Standard

 

[Cephus]

Absolutely and his skin color is the only reason Obama got elected in the first place, he ran on a platform of "hey, I'm black!"

 

[Misterveritis]

Typical con strawman. If that were true, wouldn't Hermann Cain be President? Why does the right have a hard on for Dr. Carson? He doesn't say anything white guys don't say.

Democrats like Democrats and Republicans like Republicans. They both hate the other side. It usually has nothing to do with race.

Carson is not a politician. The government and politicians are the problem.

This requires an Article V fight to be won (or lost) within the state legislatures. No man, no matter how virtuous, can solve our problems. Only amending the Constitution to fix the flaws the Founders and those who followed did not see will do the job.

 

[Fiddytree]

It's a bit different if you are a member of a group that has been systematically marginalized and that person shares that identity.

I can admit it, I liked that Jill Biden and Cindy McCain had a sizable background in special education. I also liked that Sarah Palin had a child with a disability. There are some experiences that can frequently help in making policy changes. Now, folks would say one person or another has a larger history with such and such experiences than the others do, or that one will do more for one group than another, but it is something I do admit considering.

Did it amount to the totality of who I would support? No. For one thing, I ended up not voting for McCain because of Palin being on the ticket, and I just happened to like Joe's policy vision more than Obama's.