Two Top Columnists Question Obama's DNA and "Full-blooded" Americanism
Liberal bloggers and commenters at The Washington Post op-ed section are rightly criticizing a column this week by syndicated scribe Kathleen Parker that questions Barack Obama's "deep-seated" Americanism. But she is only following the footsteps of Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal who raised similar issues three weeks ago -- and was praised by NBC's Brian Williams for a "Pulitzer" worthy effort.
Noonan wrote then:
Hillary Clinton is not Barack Obama's problem. America is Mr. Obama's problem...[H]as he ever gotten misty-eyed over... the Wright Brothers and what kind of country allowed them to go off on their own and change everything? How about D-Day, or George Washington, or Henry Ford, or the losers and brigands who flocked to Sutter's Mill, who pushed their way west because there was gold in them thar hills?
Henry Ford was a vicious anti-Semite, but no matter. For Noonan continued:
John McCain carries it in his bones. Mr. McCain learned it in school, in the Naval Academy, and, literally, at grandpa's knee....
Mr. Obama? What does he think about all that history? Which is another way of saying: What does he think of America? That's why people talk about the flag pin absent from the lapel. They wonder if it means something. Not that the presence of the pin proves love of country -- any cynic can wear a pin, and many cynics do. But what about Obama and America? Who would have taught him to love it, and what did he learn was lovable, and what does he think about it all?...[N]o one is questioning his patriotism, they're questioning its content, its fullness.
No one? And surely not Peggy Noonan. And, of course, Obama has spoken about why he loves American often and at great length, if Noonan might have noticed if she was paying attention.
Now, Kathleen Parker, in contrast, used the words of another to set forth her central premise. At least this time she didn't quote someone who suggested that certain liberals be taken out and shot, as she did in a column back in 2003.
She opened this week's column (she is published in dozens of papers) by quoting 24-year-old Josh Fry of West Virginia who said he backed John McCain over Barack Obama: "His feelings aren't racist, he explained. He would just be more comfortable with 'someone who is a full-blooded American as president.'"
We don't know Mr. Fry, but polls did show that an extraordinarily high number of voters in the recent Democratic primary in West Virginia did -- privately -- admit that race had an awful lot to do with their vote.
But Parker assured us, again, that her own views had nothing to do with race:
Full-bloodedness is an old coin that's gaining currency in the new American realm. Meaning: Politics may no longer be so much about race and gender as about heritage, core values, and made-in-America. Just as we once and still have a cultural divide in this country, we now have a patriot divide.
Who 'gets' America? And who doesn't?...It's about blood equity, heritage and commitment to hard-won American values. And roots.Some run deeper than others and therein lies the truth of Josh Fry's political sense. In a country that is rapidly changing demographically -- and where new neighbors may have arrived last year, not last century -- there is a very real sense that once-upon-a-time America is getting lost in the dash to diversity.
We love to boast that we are a nation of immigrants -- and we are. But there's a different sense of America among those who trace their bloodlines back through generations of sacrifice.
Parker, of course, ignores the fact that Obama, in fact, is half-white, is related (god help us) to Dick Cheney, and can trace his family back as far as McCain in America -- to George Washington, even. And speaking of "generations of sacrifice": Obama's grandfather fought in World War II.
Those fine small-town Americans may not know any of that -- and Parker sure doesn't remind them. "What they know," she relates, "is that their forefathers fought and died for an America that has worked pretty well for more than 200 years. What they sense is that their heritage is being swept under the carpet while multiculturalism becomes the new national narrative. And they fear what else might get lost in the remodeling of America."
Even Hillary Clinton has "figured it out," Parker writes. Her "own DNA is cobbled with many of the same values that rural and small-town Americans cling to. She understands viscerally what Obama has to study."
After noting other true American values such as easy gun ownership, Parker concludes, "Full-blooded Americans get this. Those who hope to lead the nation better get it soon." Of course, the only half-white and half-native Obama is not "full-blooded." Get it?
As for Parker's support for serve-your-country Americanism, few may remember her 2003 column that attacked Jessica Lynch, another West Virginian, and one who nearly lost her life for the U.S. in Iraq. "What the hell was Jessica Lynch doing in the U.S. Army?" Parker asked.
"Regardless of what did or didn't happen over there, Lynch's book, movie and notoriety are not wasted, but offer a cautionary tale: A 5-foot-4-inch, 100-pound woman has no place in a war zone nor, arguably, in the military.
"The feminist argument that women can do anything men can do is so absurd that it seems unworthy of debate. That some women are as able as some men in some circumstances hardly constitutes a defense for 'girling' down our military - and putting men at greater risk - so that the Jessica Lynches can become kindergarten teachers.
"Lynch is not so much 'a symbol of Bush administration propaganda,' as Frank Rich wrote in The New York Times, as she is a victim of the PC military career myth sold to young women through feminist propaganda."
Greg Mitchell's new book is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Fails on Iraq. It has been hailed by Bill Moyers, Glenn Greenwald and others, and features a preface by Bruce Springsteen. Mitchell is editor of Editor & Publisher.
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I'd say it's a big plus for Obama if he doesn't still get misty eyed over American mythology and the implied implication that America is somehow better than the rest of the world.
We don't need George Bailey as our leader. Angels don't get wings when bells ring and getting gooey eyed staring at the stars and stripes doesn't prove one's loyality to a cause.
Flag pins and all those silly issues only appeal to those who would never vote for an adult in the first place so if that's the direction they want to go with this, let them have at it.
"I'd say it's a big plus for Obama if he doesn't still get misty eyed over American mythology and the implied implication that America is somehow better than the rest of the world."
Brilliant!!!
Mr. Mitchell was far too easy on Ms. Noonan Ms. Parker.
He points out the questionable things that were written but he doesn't really drive the point home that both Ms. Parker and Ms. Noonan are nothing short of bigots and are each engaging in the rationalization of bigotry.
He made me aware of the issue, and that got me angry enough to want to do something about it.
Good point. I was just thinking that I shouldn't just vote for Obama in November but that maybe I should campaign for him.
This is only the beginning.
Kathleen Parker is a well-known crank and Peggy Noonan was a brilliant speechwriter who evolved into an acclaimed author and pundit, but who seems to be just plain bitter these days. So, they are probably as good a pair of messengers as any to lob some long range ordnance at the beginning of the General. These are themes that the Republicans think they can employ successfully against Obama. Parker and Noonan are trying them out now, seeing which get a response and which are received as "over the top."
Judging from the reaction here, they've hit a nerve so they're probably happy. These aren't attacks that can be simply answered with "facts," as they aren't trying to be "factual." These are attacks that can best be answered with emotion and images that capture the imagination and get people to perceive reality differently.
It’s getting really nasty out there. Nasty might at times be effective, but it is never smart. Parker is setting forth a very insightful premise for us all to consider. That premise is that it really doesn’t matter what kind of shit your full blooded brethren make you eat as long as they have the proper DNA, there’s no harm and no foul.
I am happy there are stooges like her to remind the rest of us what kind of dirt bags we have among our midst. This is the best chicken shit analysis she can come up with, this not so subtle form of racial profiling/ discrimination based on DNA?
Next maybe Parker will give us a lesson on why Obama is not fit to be Commander in Chief because of the shape of his head or the color of his hair. Sound familiar?
I always appreciated the degree of hypocrisy the Arian’s placed on being pure and looking a certain way when Hitler was said to have been at least a quarter Jew and could not pass his own Arian standards test.
I like Parker’s style because she makes it clear where she stands. She is a hack and a shill that, under no circumstances should be given any serious consideration.
Like many others I am more than dismayed, but less than appalled, that these two op-ed writers want to magnify a racist critique of Obama. I have come to expect and detest people who put themselves in the service of super-patriotism. They defend themselves by saying "I'm just calling them like I see them"--meaning "it isn't my problem but what I observe as a political reaction to Obama".
That is pure rubbish. One need only read their words to know how much they relish and embellish and embrace the content.
If America is all it claims to be, the most recent immigrant who embraces her can be (and will be) accorded the same virtues of patriotism as George Washington himself. The Op-Eds seem to think the value of a John McCain Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag is somehow more loyal, more sincere, more righteous and more believable than a John Doe. Suffering trauma does not equal patriotism, nore loyalty, nor righteous behavior. (Ask the water-boar
Hold on Folks. Its just beginning. After Obama is officially the Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America, the whole nation is going to slam on the brakes and ask the question, " Are we ready to hand the keys over to a Black guy?" Let's see how Obama supporters - especially his white supporters handle this question for the next 2-3 months. After all, these are the folks who convinced him that he could win. What do they know about their brothers and sisters that - African Americans don't know. For their part, African Americans have been surprised that he has done as well as he has done during the Democratic primary. Many A-Americans are waiting for the Big Shoe to drop!
I am really anxious to see if White liberals/p
African Americans always have to defend their integrity and patriotism. Let's see if White Obama supporters can defend him.
My father has only ever voted for a Republican or not voted. He can't stand Bush. He lost faith in McCain. When I tried to get him to vote for Kerry, he wouldn't listen. He thought he was a typical phony politician. He has already expressed reservations about his race. But I have gotten excited about Obama, ever since his speech on race. He appealed to the positive in me, and my love for what America is supposed to stand for. I have argued for my father to vote for Obama and he has my ear this time. He can't come up with anything against him, and he knows that attacks on him thus far have been BS. I am pretty sure I am going to get him to vote for a democrat for the first time. America is the place where we waged a Civil War to free men from slavery. That evokes pride in people who truly love this country. I can see it in my father that he wants America to be the place where we can elect a black person to office if that person is superior to the competition. True Americans want to be on the correct side of morality, or the correct side of a war. World War II is a topic of tremendous pride for patriotic Americans. Obama is offering an opportunity to prove ourselves.
I am 75, my wife 73, having always voted the Democratic ticket.
We made a monetary contribution to Obama's campaign. It was the first such contribution we have ever made to any candidate.
This is AMERICA, James. Equal opportunity for all.
Since Obama is an AMERICAN, the burden is on YOU to tell US why YOU are not "ready to hand the keys over to a Black guy." While you're at it, please tell us why we should not perceive you as racist.
TIA
If this were true TIA - African Americans wouldn't be so pissed off about the status quo when it comes to issues of justice, economic opportunity etc.
Its one thing to slogan "Equality' while its quite another to enforce it in our great nation.
The idiocy of this comment astounds me.
The "folks who convinced him he could win" did so by voting for him. That's how he won.
And "white independents and working class folks" in Iowa, Virginia, Washington, Colorado, Utah and Kansas have already been convinced since they voted for him in big victories.
Meanwhile of those who voted for Clinton in the primary, most say they will vote for Obama in the general. In addition, in places like California, where Clinton won by 10 points, when asked how they would vote NOW, Obama WINS by 6 points. He also beats McCain by 9 points whereas Clinton only beats him by 6 points. The same is true in NJ, where Clinton won the primary but voters now give Obama a bigger lead over McCain than Clinton gets.
And I suggest you stop trying to describe how African Americans feel. You obviously don't have a clue.
Dear NYC
There is a big difference between the DEMOCRATIC primary where African Americans have clout and the general election where REPUBLICANS and independents weigh in on the decision. What I am saying is that the DEMOCRATIC PARTY is a relatively sympathetic audience. If Obama is facing racial flak from HRC among Democrats what is he going to face in the general election?
NYC, I hope that you are right-- But you wait and see what starts to happen across our nation when Obama faces off with McCain. You can throw those Gdamn polls right out the window. Have you ever heard of the "Bradley effect"? If not, google it and then you will understand my point.
Obama will about a 12 point lead in the polls in order to get about a 3-4 point win the general election
Peace
I AM a white Obama supporter-woman over sixty (sorry, Hillary but you blew it for me long ago) and my family is one of those that goes back before the Revolutionary war if you want to get real picky about things. Southern heritage, too.
I would never vote for a Repubican racist pig (mmmmm - a little leftover hippieness there)-I'd vote Socialist first.
I've been a liberal since I was a little girl-before I knew what the word was, and I am proud of it. Liberals are generous-c
So-count this southern raised white over sixty white woman who is still working as a solid Obama voter!
So in other words, what you're saying is that Barack Obama can only be president if he convinces racists to vote for him.
Your generalization about "white independents and working class folks" smacks of laziness. White independents actually PREFER Obama already to John McCain. Despite what Hillary and the media have tried to make you believe, "Working-class folks" will not be the only people voting in this election. And furthermore, you seem to be implying that the only people who currently support Barack Obama are African-Americans and white liberals/p
..
NBC should be re-named:
Negative Barack Commentaries.
Cause that's all I ever hear from them is "BIG TROUBLE FOR OBAMA BECAUSE (fill in the blank)"
What would these East coast talking heads have done to JFK:
"Does he REALLY think he's a Berliner. (hubba hubba) That's expresses a lack of respect for the sacrifices made by our brave boys in WW2 (boogie boogie) ...oh HE FOUGHT in WW2?....we
And so on and so on......
America is a schoolgirl at a candy factory. She only sees the candy and not the evil candyman.
.
You forgot one - they would have said he was pretending to be a capitalist but that he was actually a communist, and that the Communists were actually endorsing him and were excited that he was going to be President.
Last night I read the comments from readers of the Washington Post article about the Portland rally. They were frightening, to say the least.
Now this morning i am reading this and see that Kathleen Parker's column was published in the Washington Post. I am beginning to see a connection and a reason why the Posts readers are so hateful.
This article is about race, period.
Or it is about the conservatives wanting to hold onto power even if it means turning Americans against one another to do it.
Either way it is disgusting and Unamerican.
Some of the lowest life forms post on that site. The creep of creeps calls himself SVreader - a complete racist who is allowed to post over and over again. I am disgusted by WAPO and no longer subscribe to it.
Didn't I read in the newspapers a few months ago that some Repugs were questioning whether McBush was "really" an American? Because he had been born overseas on a military base? These right-wingnut pundits are really the ones who are "mud people"...
The "Full-blooded American" argument is frightening to see. To see some random guy using it as a cover for racism is one thing. But to construct an article by a seemingly intelligent person. It's like reading propaganda from the Nazis.
get used to it. it's a long way to November and this is only the beginning. this campaign is not going to be for the faint of heart. the only way to fight back is with image and emotion, as the people at whom these articles and arguments are targeted aren't interested in "facts."
Exactly right. It's not as "in your face" as Nazi propaganda was but it's still pretty bad.
Thanks for exposing the racism and chauvinism in these attacks. I'm getting sick of it.
I'm a Scots-Irish blue-collar hillbilly from W PA in my roots, with two relatives who signed the Declaration of Independence, six that I know of that fought in the Revolution of 1776, and even one GGGGGrandfather in Mile Standish's militia in Plymouth Colony.
But I had the sense to rebel against Jim Crow and the war in the 1960s to save our country's honor, among other things.Tod
These snooty bluebloods remind me of the DAR bigwigs who tried to keep a Black woman from singing in DC. With this DNA talk, they sound more like fascists than anyone rooted in what's best in core American values.
among the neocons and fundementalists racism.myracism.my dutch ancestors arrived here in the late 1500's(don't tell Lou Dobbs.they didn't have passports)
I'm surprised she didn't just go into full Stormfront mode and call Obama a "mud person".
This post goes to the core issue of this campaign: who owns America? Who owns the ideas that define our patriotism? At war are basically two different patriotisms. One is an ethnic, exclusionary one of "America is ours, you stay away from it," the other a civic patriotism of "America only exists insofar we realize our highest ideals." Ethnic patriotism has a hard time admitting that an African American could ever really fully join them. For them American history is a triumphal march of freedom, while for many of us it is a continuing battle for what's best in this country against what is worst in our country. Race is part of this conflict, but not the whole story.
Obama's genius has been to appeal to civic patriotism while staying within the recognizable narrative of ethnic patriotism. He keeps telling people how only in America his story would be possible. But people like Parker and Noonan don't like that. In fact they resent it deeply. They feel he is encroaching on their space and their history. No matter what he does, or what his full family background is, they will never accept Obama as one of "us."
Good comment. I found it chilling, in reading this article, that to people like Peggy, so many of us, including me, are written off as outsiders because we do not get misty over Henry Ford's name, and our family did not come over on the Mayflower. I for one need to be reminded from time to time just how deep prejudice cuts, and that the haters hate so many of us who they find not to be real Americans. I agree that the fight this year is to redefine who a real American is. Scariest of all is the fact that the fight will be so hard.
""But people like Parker and Noonan don't like that. In fact they resent it deeply. They feel he is encroaching on their space and their history. "
As an African American my real problem comes from the fact that most of whom they appeal to with this arguement can no t match my history here, My family has been here documented since 1781. Do tribal Indians get all "misty eyed" over manifest destiny ? This is merely another closeted racist arguement to sustain a way of life..
This discussion of Obama's full-bloodedness is racist. Would we really be talking about this if his father was a native of Germany or Sweden instead of Kenya? Uh...no.
No one is full-blooded except the American Indians. It's all so ridiculous. But, we are talking about the GOP and those who use the excuse - 'he's a muslim' - for not voting for Obama. (aka Hillary's hard-working americans supporters
Right. This country is awash in the talents and skills of sons and daughters of immigrants. Why is this even an issue? I read Parker's piece in the WP and was dismayed-- a new low in that newspaper's slide into conservatism. It had no place there, it was garbage.
What xenophobic gibberish.
Why not just call Obama a 'Mudblood' a la JK Rowling/Harry Potter?
Excuse me while I wipe the spittle from my computer screen.
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