Then, for a lesson in white privilege, follow that up by reading Charles Pierce smack it all down.
These are some things the president of the United States cannot say but that I can say about him. Because he is a black man, he has an obligation to be grateful to the white people who voted him into office.I don't think Dowd was directly who Pierce was addressing. But he certainly exposed her ugliness for what it is.
Dowd has a problem with this President, actually, anyone in power. I read her article, the comments were much better than her writing. I read Pierce this morning. I am still kind of digesting what he was saying, but you are right about the white L/R think he should self efface. It's how they have talked about him, and the racially snide remarks. But, I also think, PBO is a very centered and contained person,one commenter thinks he is an introvert, I can relate to that type of personality, but he is not standoffish. Now the part of Dowd's assertion is that he doesn't send Thank You notes, or smile or thank people for their help. Bullshit. Apparently she doesn't watch his campaign events or his responsees to/of the crowds. Man, I have a problem with that lady and emprogs that can't accept he is the President of the United States, not just their lackey. Grrrrr. Thank you Smartypants. Chips hit 12 million clicks. :)
ReplyDeleteI noticed that the only people Dowd referred to are the DC villagers and the money brokers. The fact that he won't bow and scrape to them has been a source of irritation to the Dowd's of the world since the Obamas came to town.
DeleteIt wouldn't surprise me to learn that both Obamas have a bit of contempt for how the power game is played in DC. I suspect that I'd feel the same way in their shoes.
PBO has always been clear that he's not in this for them. He's in it for us. That they're taking offense to him speaks volumes of positivity to me.
Smartypants, sorry the comment was so long and kind of rambling. :)
ReplyDeletePlease...always feel free to ramble away.
DeleteVERRRy late eve'nin' to you, Ms. Pants.
ReplyDeleteAlright...
I've read over Pierce's piece several times. For me, when all is said and done, I really don't like it. I'm really trying to condense this because I'm about to crash for the night. To me, he does a very good job explaining how, perhaps, a number of white liberals may feel. It DEFinitely appears that this is how Ms. Dowd feels and she says it oooover and oooover and ooooover (and, as I've said before, comes off like a spurned lover). But, then, in a rather, to me, classic and privileged way presents him as timid and overly cautious and, like sooooo many other pundits believes he has the right to tell PBO HOW he should do it. He winds up comin' off like one of the very people he's railing against. Just for example, I wonder how timid and cautious Hilary Clinton would say the '08 Obama campaign was?? Or John McCain??
I, over-all, like Pierce's stuff. And, it's CERtainly not that onnnly if you're black can black matters be spoken into (Emily Hauser, for example, wrote, to me, a VERY impressive piece about black women and the ever present hair issues. REALLY did a good job navigating that very personal mine field. and you do it ALL the time - and well. and that's not just my opinion as you have a number of black followers who whole heartedly agree).
But, Pierce blames some of the white blow back and the continued chasm between the parties in Congress on how PBO introduced himself in his key note speech at the convention and his continued emphasis on that desire. Naieve, he says. The descriptors in the front part of his piece and the organized refusal by Republicans to go along with ANYthing that PBO would present just have nothing to do with it. He winds up doin' that "magic Negro" bullshit. And, of course, because Pierce isn't satisfied, PBO is timid (that's the implication) and overly cautious (that IS stated).
Willard is howlin' like a hit dog right now. He can't run on his time as governor, he can't run on his Olympic experience and just today he tells Chuck Todd that he doesn't want him to pose questions to him about his business history. THAT was supposed to be his calling card. And, he asks Todd to not even go there. Yes, indeed. The aforementioned realities are ALL a result of the very cautious and not wantin' to upset the whiiiite people approach that PBO is unleashing all over Willard's jittery butt.
I've a suggestion....Piece needs to get hold of some of your older pieces when you break it down about some of the ins and outs of life on my side of the fence annnnd your cogent explanations of, in fact, what PBO has been doing and continues to do, read them ALL a number of times, let them sink in (and allow himself to be popped upside the head by some of the black folks he knows for comin' off like he did in the back half of his piece) and try this aGAIN.
He really needs to do better.
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like
ReplyDeletemy old one! It's on a entirely different topic but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Wonderful choice of colors!
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