Sherri Shepherd Sobs Over Obama Win (VIDEO)

Sherri Shepherd broke down in tears on "The View" Wednesday talking about Barack Obama's victory. The mother of a young son with special needs, Sherri related to Sarah Palin and had been openly undecided. But with Obama's victory, she broke down over the historic win of an African American. Speaking of the Civil Rights Movement and the limitations she was told she had had growing up, Sherri said in part, "To look at my baby and go, you don't have to have limitations..." and she broke down in tears.

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Comments

[donveylindsey]

donvey lindsey she sounds so fake

[ILbyTX]

Wow. Come on people, Build people up, don't tear down. Sherri Shepherd may be new to elections, but she has started to empower and educate herself. I think she'll come a long way, but until she gets to the place where she analyzes every last issue succinctly (and I think she is headed there), but until then, she votes like most Americans do, by emotions.
She moved me, and I think she spoke from her heart. We literally crossed so many barriers last night. And we have to continue to thrive for equal rights. We have a long way to go, but Obama did at least address all of us: "young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled."

[retroredux]

I can't agree more! I think we should applaud Sherri's trying to educate herself instead of berating her for what she didn't know. The whole idea was CHANGE-right folks?

[neurologymatters]

Great points. Sherri has come a long way on The View. The important thing is Sherri voted. I believe Sherri was sincere on the show. Still am so happy for President Obama!

[infodoc1]

She seriously was undecided?

[Rhia]

Both Hasselbeck and Shepherd were soooo over-acting! I don't believe there is any inch of genuineness from these two characters. I thought Whoopi would be the most emotional in the group upon hearing the news. Even Barbara Walters mildly "slammed" Shepherd for being undecided until Friday.

[neurologymatters]

I am not African American and admit I can not understand how Sherri and millions of other people feel. I voted for Senator Obama because he ran a flawless campaign, took the high road, and I agree with his platforms. To see happiness, in the USA, and worldwide, is wonderful.

I am shocked Same Sex Unions were overturned in California. When two people are in love, are of age, they should have equal rights. Separate Church and State. Same sex couples do not oppose marriage between a man and a woman-because it is not the rational thing to do. Equal rights for all. Marriage is a bond between two people who are in love and committed to each other. And if that does not convince those who voted to erase rights, it is good for the economy.

[ahsaki80]

A lot of you seem disappointed that gay marriage is banned. Do any of you really believe that God wanted a kingdom of lesbians and gays? Where does your idea of procreation fall into this? I'm Christian and it's not my job to judge. I just want to know where you feel this ideology is justified if you also consider yourself to be Christian? Or is it that marraige would offer priviledges you're seeking in the case of divorce?

[hollieseven]

its not about God in any of his incarnations. Its about the United States and that WE are endowed by our creator with certain and unalienable rights, that among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of hapiness. We are a nation of freedoms, not government mandated ripping away of freedom to love whom you choose. Gay marriage will not endanger you any more then gays living together endanger you, or bi-racial marriage endangers you. The same fear tactics and GOD arguments were used during the civil rights struggles. Open your heart. "whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me"

[ralph10]

Next time you talk to God, put him on hold, I need to talk to him.

[SurrealPumpkin]

If you don't think God wanted gays to marry then don't marry one. It's that simple.

[popmanifesto]

I'm not a Christian, I'm an American and Christians have no right dictating laws to other Americans based of something they read in the Bible, although show me where Jesus says he's against gay marriage.

[QuietNetworker]

Ahsaki, as you know it's VERY hard to make a full answer on HuffPo's few characters and words.

And in the spirit of disclosure, I'm an agnostic atheist and I don't understand what you're asking in your last question. With that, let me handle the "first few"

First, many gays and lesbians can procreate. Of course, many str8 people cannot for reasons of reproductive challenge. Many lesbian couples have naturally born children-that is do specifically procreate.

Procreation is not a requirement of marriage. So it shouldn't be an argument against gay marriage.

Second, setting aside my own views, g-d didn't make a "kingdom" of gays. But have you considered that the "kingdom" works better with gay people? That it's a PART not the whole. And not a part to get LESS than other parts. But a part to get the WHOLE justification and glorification.

Warmly,

Paulie Sabol

[scoochamenz]

Give Sherri a break - she's not all there. Remember, the woman doesn't believe in evolution, thinks Earth is only 6,000 years old and that there was such a thing as Noah's Ark. Go figure.

As for Elizabeth, typical Re-thug, eating crow. Yesterday, she says Obama's a bad father for exposing his kids to Rev. Wright, today he's a wonderful soon-to-be President. Yet, try challenging her on her own parenting skills, backing a campaign that would force her 12-year-old daughter to bear a child if she was raped.

[ralph10]

She also thought the world was flat.

[hmmmmm]

and didn't know what B.C. meant. because, as she explained, Jesus was here before Adam and Eve

[mmgbizgirl]

Feel it girl.

Here is my tribute to the candidate and his family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5QigRkg9G8 (copy/paste to address bar)

Enjoy!

[popmanifesto]

Despite the sobbing, I'm having a hard time empathizing with a woman who was almost stupid enough to vote for McCain simply because his running mate has a special needs child. Instead, she changed her mind at the last minute and voted for Obama simply because he's black? Why not just flip a coin before going into the booth? It requires about the same amount of thought.

[ahsaki80]

I agree. Sherrie must be knocking on 40 and has voted for the first time. She obviously doesn't care about the political process and the real issues. I supported Obama as a Democrat and because he has the best solutions, not because I'm a biracial woman.

[SurrealPumpkin]

It requires a lot of thought actually. If you have a special needs child and Palin is promising to work on their problems as her primary "issue" as vice-president, that means a lot. To say that Sherrie voted for Obama because he's black is grossly misstating her position.

It's time to stop calling each other stupid. We are all in this together and unless we are willing to listen to others and find out the why of their behavior instead of simply condemning it we are going to throw away this marvelous chance we have given ourselves with President Obama.

[Matt7]

I watched this segment. It was very moving. I don't agree with her, but you have to understand that a parent with a "special needs" child is willing to listen to almost anyone who seems to offer hope and assistance for their current and future needs. It wasn't just about the fact that Palin had a special needs child herself. At their rallies, Palin gave the impression that she would be fighting on behalf of that segment of the population. Supporters brought their special needs children to those rallies, and felt encouraged.

Everybody votes their own self-interests: special needs, women's progress, security from terrorism. Ask yourself why voting for Obama BECAUSE he's black, if that WERE her reason for doing so, would be a bad thing?

In past elections, many people were so disinterested in the outcome, that it often did amount to a coin toss. Obama, obviously, has much more to offer than just his pigment. But I bristle whenever there is the suggestion that voting for him because of his ethnicity (and all the pride, struggle and progress that represents), is somehow not a good enough reason.

Perhaps you should pay less attention to her thought processes, and examine your own.

[popmanifesto]

Bristle away, Matt. Do all the bristling you want.

I happily voted for Obama and got emotional watching the outpouring of feelings that went with that victory, but I put a lot more thought into my vote than "Hey, let's get a black guy in there!" It's a great bonus that Barack is our first black president but that's nothing more than a bonus for me. It will mean absolutely nothing to the economy or the housing crisis or the two wars we're fighting or energy supplies or wages or health care or any of the life and death issues we face. He has to deliver, day to day, what this country needs. He doesn't get a pass because he's black, and neither does he get a vote because he's black. Not from me anyway. We're in way too deep in this country for that kind of thinking. He happens to be the right man at the right time and I think he'll make a great president, not a great black president.

Now go f**king examine yourself.

[angosrae]

II am an African American woman. I understand that a parent with a special needs child will listen to anyone who offers hope to their child. Just because Palin also had a specila needs child, what really was she going to be able to do to help other parents like Sherri? Many special needs children need significant health care. It seems to me she should have looked at Obama's health care plan. Although Sherri can afford health care, did she think about all the other parents of special needs children without health care? So..it was more important to her that uninformed Sarah Palin SAID that would be an interest of hers? Also did she look at McCain's and Obama's education plans? What about making sure her special needs child has an equal right to education--including postsecondary. Sherri should have looked at who proposed policies to actually help her child and others.
On another note, yes most African Americans voted for Obama. It was not just because of his racial background. It was because he was the best candidate AND he was black (or part black). You should also remember that African Americans vote democratic anyway. So the pride came with the traditional democratic vote. Remember when Jessie Jackson ran for President in many state primaries? I did not vote for him nor did anyone I know and he is black too.

[westphilly726]

As an African American,I voted for Obama because yes he was black but also because he's educated,classy ,a uniter the list goes on. I also voted for him because among other things Jurassic John was too old and Palin(I didn't know Africa was a continent) too stupid!!!

[JSiobhan]

I think we can not know how people make decisions about their selection of a presidential candidate unless we actually live their lives. Sheri connected with both party's candidates through a personal life experience or issues. As a mother of a special needs child, Sherri related to Palin as someone who understood her day-to-day struggles and Palin could bring public awareness to families in Sheri's situation. Sheri also identified more closely with Palin in her religious beliefs.

Sheri may have supported Obama because she understood the difficulties for African Americans based on her own challenges as a black woman trying to succeed in as a comic in show business. Sheri knows the symbolic meaning of having an African American as President as a validation of her community. But in the end Sheri's decision to support for Obama represented her hopes and dreams for her son's--not based on his limitation as a child but on his possibilities as a man.

[tzbar]

This Sherrie, is so dumb, one wonders how did she ever get a job on the "VIEW"... But when I think about it , Elizabitch is still working on the "VIEW"... This is what you get for $5.00 an hour...
Hey Sherrie, are you going to vote on Friday??

[kubbikat]

apple does not fall far from the tree

[NewArtz]

As a gay man who is denied marriage in my future, I hope one day to be able to say, "No limitations, ,yesterday, they voted to put limitations in my life. I am again told I must be single or live in sin outside of marriage. (What, you think only straight people have morals? Self righteous of you.) You have crushed the joy in my heart given to me by Obama. When you voted to forbid me to marry, you did that to me. Thanks for breaking my heart when I should have been overjoyed.

Is it any wonder the Bible says this about those who voted to forbid me to marry:

"The Spirit has explicitly said that during the last times some will desert the faith and pay attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines that come from devils, seduced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are branded as though with a red-hot iron: they forbid marriage....which God created to be accepted with thanksgiving by all who believe and who know the truth." 1 Timothy 4: 1-3

[JUSTME]

Hang in there, brother. I'm not gay and I sure as s**t don't want to marry anyone, but I am very disappointed that the anti-gay bans passed.

Hang in there. It will change.

[barbwiregrrl]

We are tired of waiting.

[roshanna]

But you never mentioned Romans 12 in the Bible where it states that homosexuality is an
abomination in Gods' eyes! And the Bible states that God gave those who lie down with the same sex over to a reprobate mind! God loves everyone but he does not love the sins we commit and according to the Bible homosexuality is a perversion that even God can't tolerate. Mind you as i said before, he loves the person but not the act. God said in his word that marriage is intended for one man with one wife. I do have compassion for you though as it must be agony to not feel understood.

[daedalus43]

Please cite Jesus, not Paul. Why don't you "Christians" follow the Gospel?

[kristin1030]

Romans 12 does not say homosexuality is an abomination in God's eyes. You made that up.

[zoe99]

Nowhere does it say in the bible that God said marriage is intended for one man with one wife. Nowhere.

[hollieseven]

the paralells of the civil rights struggle, and the GLBT struggle are not un-noticed! Same tactics, same fears. You WILL overcome eventually. Women were beaten nearly to death in jail to earn our right to vote. Blacks were tortured beyond belief. It takes time for America to evolve. But generation, by generation, you will begin to see acceptance. The Stonewall union was not so long ago in our national history and we HAVE come a long way. Keep faith..keep love in your heart. For no matter WHAT a government says, they can not control your heart and soul. A straight and loving supporter in southern Ohio.

[SurrealPumpkin]

WE will overcome, not "you". The fight for the rights of gays involves all of us, just as the fight for the rights of blacks and women did/does. If any one of us is denied a right we all are.

[RationalIsReal]

What One Hand Giveth the Other Hand Taketh Away. Yesterday record numbers of people voted in this historic election. However, an AP report showed that 7 in 10 African Americans supported the repeal on marriage in California as well as a large number of hispanics, while whites were split. Many in the gay and lesbian community are devastated by this because they fought, volunteered and voted for Obama to be the first African American President. The black community should have fought alongside their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, I am deeply saddened by this. We saw a night that the rights of black americans took another giant leap forward by electing Obama through the hardwork of many including those in the gay and lesbian community. But the rights of those gays and lesbians were taken away.

[dcoxucla]

Well the problem is the black community is ubber homophobic and the gay community should have courted them more what we have learned from yesterday is organization organization organization is important. You cant expect for blacks to go along because you helped obama also civil rights comparison needs to be made clear and the point driven home. This fight is not easy because 80% of this country consider themseleves christians and that is a problem and ignorance doesnt help. WE SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN PEOPLES RIGHTS AWAY

[Cville2008]

I'm sorry, my mother is lesbian and I believe in her right to find love with someone who cares for her.
but being gay is nothing like being a slave or being a black in our society today.

Whites were split what does that mean- you are also the majority of the country- so split white still equals more than all the blacks two times over.
That's a load a crap

support gay marriage because you're black
just ridiculous

[pipp]

I know this doesn't help, but I will always fight for your rights and vote for your rights, and I am so sorry about yesterday. My heart sank when I learned. It is too slow coming. You are in my heart.

[old lady]

Betcha Elizabeth was sobbing too.

[OneAmerica]

I really wish we would not equate homosexuality with race. Homosexuality is a moral issue of sexual behavior. Please force the rest of us to accept immorality as civil rights.

[mikeytee]

Oh please!!

[barbwiregrrl]

Really it is a moral issue for you? Discrimination is a moral issue and you are sanctioning discrimination. Shame on yyou... your name One AMerican does not serve you right....you still see LGBT people as a different America.

Shame on you.

[redsongia]

What you call "immorality" is subjective.

40 years ago, many would say non-whites were genetically inferior. Well, actually, those who would have said so were mostly white, and then maybe a few blacks that they convinced with generations of inhuman treatment.

Sometimes, holding such notions that stigmatize a whole group are just convenient for some other group, not necessarily an objective truth.

[popmanifesto]

It's equated with race because, like race, it's something a person is born with and can't change. Christian moralizers need to see it as a choice so they can persecute without shame, but I've never known a gay person who made it a choice. A gay person can't stop being gay by not "behaving" gay any more than a black person can stop being black by voting Republican.

[Tomasekbride]

A person is no less born homosexual than they are born black. You can't separate the two. Homosexuality is something you are born with. It is not a sexual deviance. when do YOU remember making the decision to be straight? NEver? Because you were born that way.

[Otaku1031]

I wouldn't care if Senator Obama was green or purple or (color of your choice). I voted for him because he's SMART. He dedicated his education and career to understanding our Constitution and the ideals that this nation was based upon. We cannot continue to be satisfied with leaders that admit that they "don't know much" about economics, foreign policy, diplomacy, Constitutional law etc. I'm not saying that a President needs to be an expert in all aspects, but when you get a POTUS who tells you that they have the best advisors money can buy to help them out, it should raise a red flag. It means that they don't have the insight or education to recognize a bad decision, and allows for total manipulation by said "advisors". Of course Obama will need advice and opinion from his staff, but I think he is not the sort of person who will rubber-stamp that advice. As I mentioned - he's SMART. And what's more, Michelle is probably smarter than he is - she will bring both grace and intelligence to the White House.

I, too, cried last night; I didn't think I would live to see the day that the United States came of age and joined the rest of the world in recognizing that intelligent, thoughtful policy-making will trump shooting from the hip every time. My congratulations to Senator Obama, and to all of us.

[redsongia]

So many reasons to be happy about this guy.

[dab1000]

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[SonnyListon]

ummm, she could have told her son those things before Obama's win.

[old lady]

It was only a hope before the election. Now it is a truth. Cynics are welcome to drop the attitude and work with us to change our other hopes to truth.

[ShareTheWealth]

Well said. And it's going to take moral vigilance to grow, nurture, spread and defend that truth, because the reactionary forces will be lying in wait to take back the power they lost.

[SonnyListon]

Wouldn't it be more cynical to tell a child that there ARE limitations on how far they can go in life? All I'm saying is that she could have been reinforcing a positive outlook before Obama's win... The greatest limitations are the ones we put on ourselves....

[ConservativeElegance]

WOW-You REALLY don't understand......Hopefully, one day many will!

[zoe99]

Yes, she could have told him that pigs can fly, too. It's different when something has actually happened -- our rhetoric that "anyone can grow up to be president" leaves a lot to be desired when you look at the past 43 presidents, most of whom were very rich men from very rich families, many of whom were from "political dynasties".

While I don't admire them all the same, in the last century there have only been a few men elected president who were not from that mold: Abraham Lincoln, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. They were all from very, very poor backgrounds, and Bill Clinton was raised by a single mom. But they were still all white men.

Having a black (or biracial; I don't know which term is the "right" one to use) President means that every black or biracial or non-white child can look up and see someone who looks like them being the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, and imagine themselves doing the same.

To your point a little further down-thread, I'm sure this woman has been telling her son positive things. (She said in the clip that her parents told her there were limitations; I don't get the impression she passed that on to her son.) But it's different to have such a prominent example to point to; it makes all of those positive affirmations so much more powerful.