Obama: Grandmother "Typical White Person"
"... .. The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, uh, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know there's a reaction that's been been bred into our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way and that's just the nature of race in our society. We have to break through it..." - Senator Barack Obama
Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton said someone was a "typical black person?"
Seriously, Barack Obama basically called all white people racist. You know, because when us typical white folk walk down the street and see an African American coming our way we run to the other side of the road.
Is this guy kidding? Back in the late 1970s, early 1980s, I lived on 95th and Columbus in New York City; long before it went chique. I took a subway from 42nd Street to get home after working on Broadway late at night. I walked home from the subway alone. I rode with African Americans, walked down the street past midnight in an area that wasn't near safe, with African Americans walking beside me and behind me. I'm a whitey white Scots-Irish broad and I was never afraid of an African American coming towards me, and never once crossed the street.
In an update, Obama's spokesperson elaborated, but it didn't help:
UPDATE: We gave the Obama campaign a chance to respond to this post. "Barack Obama said specifically that he didn't believe his grandmother harbored any racial animosity, but that her fears were understandable and typical of those often shared by her generation," said Obama's PA spokesman Sean Smith, who added that Grandma is 86-years-old. He might have meant that specifically, but that isn't what he said, especially as he spoke of his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, in the present tense. ... ..
It's becoming more apparent why Senator Obama didn't leave Rev. Wright's church, as well as continued his relationship with him. The truth is that racism works both ways and some of us blue collar folks don't appreciate being called racist by someone who has his own problems with race he is obviously in denial about.
Follow Taylor Marsh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/taylormarsh
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I wonder what Taylor would write if Obama fabricated tales of heroic plunges into war zones under sniper fire in order to overstate his foreign policy creds.
Taylor reads every word Obama says, writes, from his entire life....hu
Poor grandma. Isn't she like 86 years old or something. And raised Obama? He should just lay off grandma.
Poor woman. How'd you like to be 86 years old, probably quite proud of the grandson you raised running for president and then he keeps calling you a racist.
I say lay off the grandma, she's 86 and probably not in the best of health.
Come on people! Let's SPEAK UP! Tell everyone why you voted for Hillary:
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It is simple, private, and quick. To post to our website, use the 'Talk To Us' form here:
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Take Care, Sharon
"Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton said someone was a "typical black person?" "
If Hillary's mother were black, I bet I would say "She's half-black so shut up"
I bet that's what I would say. Just like I point out that Obama is half-white.
Newsflash: Obama's mom and grandma are white. What does that mean? He is just as white as he is black.
Obama is HALF-WHITE!!!
End of story.
"Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton said someone was a "typical black person?" "
If Hillary's mother were black, I bet I would say "She's half-black so shut up"
I bet that's what I would say. Just like I point out that Obama is half-white.
End of story.
No one is half-black, or half-white. Everyone is a person. Your lack of education on genetics is equal to your lack of knowledge about democracy--there is no "end of story" as you are neither god nor divine.
More hateful grabage from Taylor Marsh.
Newsflash: Obama is HALF-WHITE!!!!!
So stop saying "If he were white and said that" because in fact he is as "white" as he is "black".
White people can in fact say "typical white person" and get away with it.
mix2007
I voted for Obama but I now see that he can't win in the General. He has turned out to be something quite different than what he led his supporters to believe. It's not a question of wether the facts of his and Wright's statements are true, many of them are. It's that Obama said he is above all that. In his famous convention speech he said there is no blue and red america, there is no white and black america, there is the united states of america. Well he duped us all because it turns out he actually believes very much there is a white and black america and while that may be true to you and me, he said it was not true to him. Now we find out he's raising his kids in a church that believes in black liberation from the 'whites.' That's a black and white america. And to add insult to injury now he paints us all with one brush as "typical whites."
And all the right wing 527's have to do in the election is play 5 months worth of commercials showing Wright, Michelle, and this 'typical white' statement and Obama's candidacy is lost to McCain. And you all know it.
Well said. Accurate. Precise. I will never vote for a racist of any color; that is why I am liberal. If the unthinkable happened and Obama would be the Democratic candidate, I would definitely vote Third Party so he would be one vote less in the general election.
Marsh - if Barack Obama responded to "How do we beat the b*tch?" with "excellent question", I'm sure you would be outraged - at least I would be.
The question is - how would we know that this time you meant it?
Your blog was fair-minded and insightful. What's really of note here is the stream of obscenities coming your way in some of these posts from Obamaphiles, who are supposed to be about "unity" and a new, better kind of political discourse. Personally, I haven't found they are particularly good at practicing what they preach, and I'm sorry Taylor that your fair observations have been met with such vile, insulting personal attacks.
They're neither fair-minded nor insightful.
I've browsed her site and I've never seen ANYTHING positive about Hillary Clinton. It's all anti-Obama, all the time, no matter how scurilous the particular charge is (this one included - do you HONESTLY think Obama is bigoted towards white people?)
There's already freerepublic and newsmax. What purpose does Taylor Marsh serve?
Indeed you are correct! The obsenities are way out of place. It is important to note, however, that the vituperative comments have come from supporters of both democratic condidtates, unfortunately. The character flaws of individuals who support both candidates should not be used to characterize the general lot of their supporters. Indeed, that is part of the issue that the bad behavior of some individuals are believed to characteristic of the groups to which they belong. When this occurs, it more difficult on all of us. Let it be that whatever a candidates message civilitiy govern our discourse.
Is it all possible that we could look objectively at the words that Ms. Marsh is using without personally attacking her motives, her womanhood, and saying "F#$% you" to her. That's right, someone started their comment on this article with that delightful phrase.
I personally have neither drunk the Kool Aid nor am greatly soured to Obama, and looking at her words objectively, I have to agree with her.
I have also noticed a certain trend among Obamaphiles wherein they immediately swoop down on anyone who makes the slightest negative observation and attack that person's personal character, insult them and question their motives.
Obamaphiles, you're not helping your candidate.
"Is this guy kidding? Back in the late 1970s, early 1980s, I lived on 95th and Columbus in New York City; long before it went chique. I took a subway from 42nd Street to get home after working on Broadway late at night. I walked home from the subway alone. I rode with African Americans, walked down the street past midnight in an area that wasn't near safe, with African Americans walking beside me and behind me. I'm a whitey white Scots-Irish broad and I was never afraid of an African American coming towards me, and never once crossed the street."
Classy lady. You've got to be kidding me.
Taylor, can
you please leave this site alone. If I wanted to hear your race baiting crap I'd go to your site.
It's filed with people who can't face the truth that Hillarys campaign is OVER. Face the facts, people do not want a sexual predator roaming the halls of the W.H. Oh and by the way how can a women support such behavior?? Why don't you ever address this issue???
While you're at it, ask her how she can support a candidate who considers "How do we beat the b*tch?" to be an "excellent question."
Maybe Obama will give us his expert observation/ opinion/ description of a Typical "Black" person also?
Then I suspect a lot of People with black skin tones and white skin tones will tell Obama what he can do with his Candidacy.
My Ancestry is basically (Heinz 07, LOL).. I am of English, Irish, Dutch, Welsh, French, German and Cherokee Indian, Ancestry..
I will NEVER be a "WHITE" Person... I will never meet a "BLACK Person... I will never be a "SMOKER"..
I agree, some, make that most People, Believe they are a Physical Being who have a Spirit... I have a Vehicle I drive, but I do NOT mistake me for that Vehicle... Nor would I mistakenly identify me, by the color of my vehicle...
Regardless of Obama's Ad stating there is "One America," clearly Obama by his words Believes in a "White America and a Black America"..
The Obama's have played to Race and Color from the start... The Obama's have played the Race Card against the Clinton's several times... Prior to the Campaign I saw NO accusations the Clinton's were Racist...
If you understand the meaning of a "red Herring" ( from the practice of drawing a red herring across a trail to confuse hunting dogs] : something that distracts attention from the real issue ) then in my observation Racism entered the Campaign as an Obama "black herring"..
Taylor, I can appreciate your sentiments, as I thought Barack's comments were ill-worded to be sure; however, I wonder if Barack deserves some feal credit and measure of grace for attempting in the most positive and significant way we have seen in the public sphere for several decades to have a more open and honest discussion about race. He's done it far better than most. I can relate to what he said about his grandmother, as many of us can; though fortunately there are more and more Amerians whose experiences include fewer and fewer experiences with prejudice and racism. That's awesome. What Barack should have said is that there are whites who may be able to relate to his grandmother and to him. That is to say that many of us, black, white, and brown have had to endure the comments by friends and family that have made derogatory remarks about people of other races, religions, gender, etc. I agree that what he said was very poorly worded, and yet I think it is important to consider what, I believe, he was trying to say. If stop for a moment to not get all worked up, I think some of us can be honest with ourselves and recognize that we have allowed people to make off-handed or wrong headed comments, without distancing ourselves from them. I can say that I did reach a point in my own life when I began to distance myself as much as possible from friends and family who held disparaging views--steeped in surreal experiences in their past, such as an uncle, an African-American who fough in vietnam and who had to fight for his life against white soldiers in his own military unit. And for the record, Ferraro's comment was different I think because if you look at the whole comment, she was clearly irritated by Barack's success--at least in the article I read, the writer noted her distinctly negative attitude change. I think what she could have said--and been on the mark-- is that Americans are excited about voting for a woman or and African-American who have real legitimate chances of winning a presidential election for the first time in our nation's history. Not to belabor the point, Taylor, I just think that remarks ought be judged by their intent as much as possible, and there should be forgiveness for us all. If we judged everyone by the pure letter of the law every time they spoke, who among us could endure the scrutiny. All of us need to give each other a little bit of a break on the remarks. I think Barack's success is due to the fact that he is openly championing the idea of us all moving past the insidious tendency (stronger for some, not an issue for some) to see the worst in us and America. As Atticus Finch conveyed in To Kill a Mockingbird, you can't really know someone until you have walked in there shoes. Maybe for a moment, Barack walked in Ferraro's or Bill Clinton's, or others shoes. We all need to from time to time. I could say more, but I hope what I have said was helpful and thoughtful. Thanks, and I look forward to others comments.
Well said, ThoughtfulOne.
I am bi racial/bi ethnic/bi cultural/bi lingual (one white parent + one black from 2 different countries), and having experienced the nice & not so nice from both sides of my family, all of whom love me and whom I love, and who in their respective circle are "typical" (and by that I mean hard working, upstanding, loving, God fearing people), I'd say that too much energy is being put into this statement; how he said what he said, instead of what he is saying. His core message is 'let's come together and make ours a better union". Who among you can find fault with that?
Some will not be able to get beyond this, and you don't have to vote for him; it is a free country. But God bless Obama for having the courage to open the door so that we can have a more honest and thoughtful conversation about this problem of race, and hopefully make our nation a better place for my children & their children. Now, can we be equally as passionate about our health care system/gas prices/drugs & crime or one of the many other national maladies that we should be paying attention to? If you want something to be angry about, how about what’s happened to our country over the last 8 years! Good grief.
Such Disingenuity from you people. As a black man walking on streets of downtown Baltimore I can't help but notice the furtive stares of the whites folks that I pass by. I often ask myself does it say anything about me? or is it a reflection of those white people inner fear of my kind being projected on me? Now here we are not even a week after the speech on a more perfect union and people are being vociferous about something that is basically true. Typically white people will feel a little apprehension about any person of colour in a neutral setting. Prejudice is the first step to racism. To claim otherwise is nothing but dishonesty. It does nothing but further the divide between our races while we should be focusing on healing.
Really, Abdul? As many blacks are "typically" fond of saying, how would you know how white people "typically" feel when in the presence of people of color? I'm white, been around whites all my life...pro
I'm white and I'd say Obama is right that all people have these preconception from the media and culture. What he said about his granma's generation is just a fact. My grandparents were the same way. It's a generation thing more than anything.
I've walked the streets of Baltimore.
The "typical white person" comment was so pathetic I wouldn't know where to start. What's his next line, "But some of my best friends are white?" Get a clue. And, his preacher/m
Obama's grandmother is "a typical white person?"
JUST words?
"Don't tell me words don't matter."
Jesse Jackson, Bill Cosby and Chris Rock are typical white people too. See how Obama's bringing us all together?
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