Obama: Grandmother "Typical White Person"

Via a WIP radio:

"... .. 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

Comments

[santafenm]

It's about time the apologists are called out.

I like both Clinton and Obama, but the media bias /Obama fawning has become offensive. And I think you are seeing the backlash.

Playing the victim has become tiresome. And the Obama "eggshell" campaign is finally coming home to roost, so to speak. Finally Senator Obama and his followers are being held to a similar standard as Clinton- and they don't like it.

The media is so scared that reality may sink in that they have lauded speech over action once again. And once again, the pundits have missed the mark.

I'm sure the next tact will be to blame Senator Clinton- rather than take personal responsibility.

And I thought it was all about judgement. Typical.

[BrooklynLager]

If you think the media is pro-Obama, then I'll have what you're having. The only thing pro-Obama they report are his primary wins.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah Wright has been playing on a loop for going on two weeks now. And anyone who's heard of Reverend Hagee or Reverend Parsley know that it's a totally manufactured controversy.

[JSiobhan]

If we are born white, by the basis of our race, we are often immediately classified as racists. As a Southerner by birth, the white racist stigma is often associated with my heritage so I am keenly aware of this. The stereotype was born out of our country’s long racist history and our current racial divide. The use of the white racist stereotype has no comparison to the devastating impact of black racial stereotypes used against African Americans for centuries. Though labeling whites as racist may be viewed as a reasonable response to the black experience in America, whites feel the stereotype is unfair especially if it is directed at all whites. Those who fight for racial injustice and support the black community feel hurt. If Obama describes his grandmother in saying “she was a typical white person” then he is stating all whites have racial fears of black males on the street. Obama has reinforced the white racist stereotype. I voted for Obama in the primaries and hope to support his nomination. I believe in him. As an American with white skin, does he believe in me?

[vsign]

The answer is no JSiobhan.

Obama cannot believe in any white person. He adopted Rev Wright as his father. He made his choices.

White people are being played.

White people in the Democratic Party - beware.

We do have something to be afraid of with Obama.

Yes He Can - be worse than Bush or McCain.

[jvarga]

I bet you make people like Ms. Marsh so proud.

[BrooklynLager]

Reading both of your posts brought genuine tears of empathy and understanding to my eyes. Neither one of you seemed insincere in the slightest. I would never take one look at your posts and laugh, or call you "concern trolls".

[MullingItOver]

Senator Obama is, by all accounts of people who know him better than I ever will, a bright, contemplative and, yes, experienced (as in worldly) man who does believe in uniting the country and has demonstrated this almost flawlessly through the months in his peaceful behavior and speech.

I say this as a resolute Hillary Clinton supporter who very much looks forward to her candidacy.

But people are falliable -- especially when they're yoked 24/7 to the ridiculous press. Lord, I've been a member of the press -- no longer -- and I know what sells and what doesn't. The press force-feeds a populace it knows will respond vehemently to skews of opinion, to inflammatory remarks, to the one distasteful, perhaps too hasty statement in a sea of thoughtful commentary by a candidate.

The press has ratings to consider and, my friends, you're the ones who boost those ratings.
And so I have cringed at all the candidates this year for foolish remarks but I do so knowing that those remarks are a soupcon in billions of conversations, debates and speeches. They are the ignition points for the media, which has its own self-interests at heart -- not your self-interest.

I want to wag a finger at the fine Senator Obama for the "typical white person" comment due to its immaturity -- there are, after all, NO typical people anywhere once you get to know them under the skin -- rather than for some broad-based racial attack on all whites. That's simply absurd. He knows that too, I imagine. I believe, given everything else I've seen of the man, that he simply screwed up in wording his thoughts. That's it. Those who immediately see this as racist might look to their own hearts. Perhaps we are all too ready to find fault in ways that boost our own overt or covert beliefs.

The response to this has been schoolyard yammering that does not take into account the whole breadth of his being, his approach to this campaign and his stated mission in being president.
What is a travesty is the fact that, once again, the media in pursing ratings allowed candidate a terrific amount of free air time to essentially defend one point in his candidacy. But that's not Obama's fault. It's the media's. Shouldn't Clinton, my choice, and McCain get equal free time?

There is no perfect candidate and the sooner we get over this, the sooner we'll all start, as we should, to become knowledgable voters by reading issue statements on the Net (you won't find much of it in the mainstream news because that dry stuff doesn't sell), by reading candidate books, by calling their campaign headquarters and asking your questions about stances on health, war, environment.

I credit young Obama with trying to hold in one hand the dueling fidelities of honoring a friend, pastor Wright, while castigating some of what the man says. This ability to cup strongly conflicting sentiments in one hand, is the hallmark of greatness, of compassion and of leadership. That's especially so in an age where so many of us salivate over winners and losers, good and bad, worthy and unworthy, and fail to address the gray area that always lies between. I've been a member of spiritual organizations whose leaders have said things with which I vehemently disagree.

And I've told them so in no uncertain terms. And stayed on. I know there is no citadel of perfection in any religion, in any workpace, in any business, in any community. We're all contradictory. Life is not a reality show where one prevails and drives home the shiny new SUV.

Go Hillary. Return later, Obama. You each make me proud and I wish you each safe sailing.

[TXCanadian]

A child hears a parent use a "Politically Incorrect" term while interacting with a person of a different race. Most would agree, the result is a child that will adopt the same attitude. A multi racial child, in the very same situation, is presented with the internal paradoxical question of the meaning of race. Think about the beautiful multi cultural babies in your family. Am I the only one out there realizes this is the fundamental issue of this "New Race" debate.
The answers lay in the "Gray Area" that some have pointed to, but, clearly do not understand. I do not have a Harvard degree, but I understand the gray areas with an intimacy only a multi racial individual can feel. For a biracial person, choosing a side in the Black White Race battle means you must "reject and denounce" a part of yourself ~ the very blood that runs through your veins.

[AriaSmitten]

Imagine you are a black man driving around lost in an affluent white neighborhood late at night . You are diligently following all the rules of the road when a police car starts following you for a while then suddebly puts his lights and sirens on to pull you over. Would your reaction be that of a typical black male? Or would you think, maybe I have a tail light out and this nice officer just wants to tell me about it?

[edbry1968]

Yes, I hear you, Taylor. I went to a desegregated school here in Florida. I was very much in favor of desegregation and I have family that are so racist. One of my cousins embraced Shockley like he was a new rock star. In fact I don't think they knew how to say "black." They are proud of their confederate heritage and it's racial prejudice.
Even in N.Y. where I grew up I found I had to struggle to keep an open mind. And that word. It's really something when you hear a northern person say it. And although i was just a child every adult, save mom and my aunt said it like it was the right thing to say. Like it was in the dictionary or something meaning black person. So bigoted and vile the city people could be.
But then I entered my adolescence and I heard it less as some of the adults noticed it bothered me. The Kennedys came and went and Martin Luther King and then came affirmative action and Mr. Bakke who was a hero to my next door neighbor - who it so happened was something of a scholar.
Bakke. Is that who I am?
Of course you must have seen the Academy Award winning movie, "Crash." Exactly the situation Sen. Obama mentions occurs in that movie. Sandra Bullock believes her life is endangered because she doesn't shun the black gangsters that are walking down the street. She doesn't shun them because she thinks she will be called racist. You don't realize at the time her husband is a politician with grand ambitions.
Is she (Sandra Bullock in "Crash") the typical white person? She lives in incredible wealth and politics are the means to gaining it obviously.
It might be of note that white people aren't always women , weakly or afraid.
Why would he think that is a typical white person?

[SocialConscience]

This is just another example of how Barack Obama cannot speak off the cuff without offending a considerable portion of the population. He used the term "typical white person", Michelle Obama has stated that he runs the risk of getting shot just going to the gas station "as a black man" (check YouTube). Jeremiah Wright has made many inflammatory, discriminatory statements and vehemently supported Louis Farrakhan. How is the electorate supposed to turn a blind eye to this fixation on race when so many statements are made from the viewpoint of or about a particular race? You can't blame the Clintons on these missteps; they must own them alone. It's just too consistent to brush off as a mere slip of the tongue. Too much footage to substantiate this claim.

Why was Taylor's post bumped off the home page when it was only posted today?

[BrooklynLager]

How many times has Hillary Clinton said in debates "this is historic election. We have the first African American running and the first woman running"? Many

How many times has Barack Obama said that? 0

He made his race speech because he had to - because the Clinton campaign has been trying to get people to see him as a black man first and a person second ever since he won Iowa. It's of no advantage for Barack Obama to bring up race in a majority white country.

[SocialConscience]

Obama doesn't do much other than parrot Clinton in the debates. I'm hoping he knows who Putin's successor is by now, so he doesn't have to look like a deer in headlights if the question comes up again. He is the one who is gunshy on debates because they aren't his strong suit. Again, he is a great orator when the speech is provided via teleprompter, but he is less than eloquent when speaking off the cuff. The presidency is about much more than canned speeches. That is what gets him into trouble because he has no time to wordsmith out the racism.

[MaracaKabob]

May I remind you that Obama is as much a white guy as he is a black guy. But people like Taylor Marsh have a racial protocol that must be followed. If you have at least one black parent, then you are to be considered black and treated as a black person. That means you may not say certain things about your own grandmother without being called a racist.
I know exactly what Obama was talking about, because I am not a kitchen sink Clintonite.
Please, someone pull the drain on the kitchen sink and flip the switch on the garbage disposal, this crud is getting smelly.
BTW, my white grandfather was typical white racist from Georgia, and I loved him. Good thing I never had to run for an office against a Clinton, I would have been pressured to disown my grandfather.

[willygoo46]

Sorryy to break it to you but Obama is a fraud. Sure he talks a great game and actually can inspire. I knopw beacause he inspired me and I really believed in change. I haven't felt this way since RFK and Eugene McCarthy. But it all comes crashing down. All of us have biases and we have friends and family who spew hateful bias on ocassion. The vast majority of us shun and ignore those people. The real courageous ones speak up and say "No I will not tolerate this." Obama doesn't have the decency to shun the hate speech of Reverend Wright. He lacks the courage to speak up and say no. He even commits the heinous act of exposing his young children, he next generation, to this. He is not a leader, but a hollow shell. He is he one he believes in his heart about "Typical White People." He is so full of himself thatb he is to stupid to keep his mouth shut. Barack, you broke my heart.

[thetruthbringer]

Ummmm...I'm just confused at some of you people. It seems you choose to be blind to the truth. He's a fraud...what? How? First and foremost, you don't have the right to tell him where not to go to church. He was at the Church 20 years...All you saw was 5 or 6 sermons...what the heck are you people talking about? After decades of lynching and segregation and people treating black people like animals...this is what you have as proof for me that Obama is racist?
You Hillary fans need to just calm down with this crap, because at the end of the day, if we don't just try to move beyond this like Obama says, we'll end up divided and prejudiced. Trust me, black people are not going to take it lying down if you people somehow manage to bring down the most insipiring African American politican of all time by claiming he;s a racist after he has been so clear about racial unity.

[Justsomeinfo]

It was not 5 - 6 sermons, it was 30seconds worth of clips from 2 sermons.. Youtube the full sermons. The picture is much different than those 30 seconds. Wright has 3000 hrs of sermon available to the public and he is being judged by 30 seconds worth of clips. Imagine if someone took 30 seconds worth of clips of any of the TV commentators, you could make everyone from Bill Orielly to Kieth Obeman look like a monster.

[illinoisan]

Obama was speaking about his own grandmother, so he was speaking about one of his own. You can't possibly equate that with the hypothetical scenario of Hillary talking about a "typical black man" unless she had a black grandfather and she was talking about him.

Obama and I share some heritage. I too had a grandmother who was a typical white person and I too will not disown her even though she made me cringe from time to time.

Give us a break with the (politically convenient) hyper-sensitivity disorder already.

[vsign]

Obama was speaking about his own grandmother.

That is what makes Obama's comment about her being typical - so insensitive to me.

This is a woman who gave part of her life to him.

And he has the stupidity and ungratefullness to call her typical.

He was brainwashed by the black community of his wife and Rev Wright to think he had to make a racial choice.

This is all so different than what Dr King tried to teach us - to judge character, not skin color.

This is reverse racism that we are seeing by black people. This is black nationalism.

They so want a chance to tell us once again about black resentments.

They certainly don't want to hear white resentment.

[uheardme]

Dr. King taught more than that but of course, you would not know that because he was murdered by a white person. No, I don't give a ratsazz about white resentment.

[illinoisan]

If there's one thing in the whole world that Obama cannot be accused of, it's insensivitiy.

Read his books and listen to his speeches. His sensitivity is one of his cardinal virtues. It gives him the ability to listen to and to understand those who he doesn't agree with and to inspire in them the confidence that they have been fairly heard. It's quite a contrast to the false and malicious hyper-sensitivity of his political foes.

[tomcj]

Taylor Marsh has her own web site and her own radio programming. I don't think Huffington Post needs to protect her by weeding out negative comments about her.

Marsh is the ONLY non Right Wing Web Site on Memeorandum to have raised this absurd non-issue. And she isn't even honestly quoting Obama. His quote said that young people are changing and accepting each other and that is a sign of how much progress we have made in America.

Marsh is becoming a much less successful Rush Limbaugh. Her gaggle of misfit people who frequently comment are all impotent and pathetic. See for yourself. You will laugh out loud that humans can be so pathetic and so conformist and so full of hate.

[Lon]

Congratulations, this was your single worst post of the season, and I would have thought it unlikely you could have a post that stands out so strongly.

Obama gave a speech which dealt honestly with the racial weaknesses of both blacks and whites in America. And you have taken the claim about whites out of context and manufactured a phony sense of offense out over it.

But you have done a great job of showing why Obama would be such a refreshing change from the putrid politics that you represent.

[vsign]

Obama engages in race politics.

I want to talk about class differences. I want our safety net strengthened so we have opportunity left for the next generation.

We do have some things in common as Democrats. Let's talk about class.

[Justsomeinfo]

Did you listen to Obama's speech on race. That is exactly what he is saying. He said in the speech that our racial perceptions are clouding the fact that we want the same thing and we can work together to reach those common goals and that the real enemy was corporate greed and policys that farvor the wealthy over the many.. Here is a youtube link listen for your self..

[Justsomeinfo]

This was the central point of the obama speech on race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU&feature=related

[CalliDem]

As a Hillary supporter I am just so sad that it has come to this. God, my heart hurts for all of us. BO
made a simple slip of the tounge that would normally be ignored but since his campagin played the race card now WE have NO choice but to point out his verbal slips. This is what happens when you try to turn decent people ( whom you may not agree with politically) like the Clintons into racist. In the end it has been the never ending vicious attacks from Obama supporters that has led us down this road to the "Party of Change. This 'change" is setting us back 25 years in race relations ALL because BO was not READY to be President. He should have waited instead of listening to Ophra.

Thanks Taylor

[ralp]

Please tell me: What is the race card??? To my knowledge, Senator Obama has tried his very best to stay above the fray from the start. He did not ever want to be known as the "Black candidate". He has been forced into this by powers beyond his control. In my opinion he is our country's best hope! By his own life experience, he bridges the racial divide. He was raised by his white mother and grandparents who gave him love and so much else, by his own admission, but has lived in a country that sees him as just another black man. His life experience is that of a black man in America and so, in this way, he's able to appreciate the challenges of that experience. However, due to his upbringing he also sees the experience of white middle America. I don't understand why it seems that so many are intimidated by his candidacy. After all, why or how would one bite the hand that feeds it. He loved his mother and his grandparents! Why would he seek to destroy or in some way diminish his own grandmother and the people from whom she came. It really represents a mystery to me as to where such strong negative opinions come from.
One of the characteristics that I truly admire in the man is his ability to maintain a level of calm as he pushes on with his campaign. I can't say the same for Senator Clinton (please remember New Hampshire; it worked for her but, would it work for a man? I doubt that!) or Senator McCain (particularly given his legendary temper although I've yet to see it myself). Don't get me wrong; I see them all as very capable people but, I can't help but think that the venom I've seen directed at the Obama campaign in the last couple of weeks is uncalled for.

[ianc82]

so the guy lays it on the line and blows us away. Even Pat Buchanan on MSNBC commented, saying "outstanding speech." As the day wears on, the right wing fascist republican machine finally figures their angle; "he sat their for 20 years and never said anything to Rev. Wright..." "grandma is a rascist" these right wing fascist nutjobs are so transparent and afraid that now they're peeking though Obama's passport files trying to destroy him any way they can; and destroy possibly the most inspiring candidate for President since RFK. Obama is trying to unite us, but the Republicans know they can only win as long as we hate and fear.

[inthemachine]

Obama was quick to correct his campaign, saying that the comments were Absurd, not racist and he again made that distinction in his speech. Everyone always has a choice.

[misstickly]

Beautiful sentiment that i personally share.

[jvarga]

Damn Obama for playing the race card. Obviously he has a mind control ray that he used to make President Clinton lash out like he did regarding South Carolina, and god knows what drugs the Obama campaign slipped into Ferraro's water to make her go nutso.

Wait who's playing the race card again?

[BJMS]

HuffPost's Pick

Taylor, you're really going to sit there and try to say that it is not typical for a white person to get a little nervous when a big black guy walks by on a dark, quiet street??? REALLY? Give me a break...and it doesn't mean they're RACIST...it means that we all have racial and ethnic stereotypes engrained in us to some degree or another. If we didn't, Hillary would have been out of this race in January!!!

[capitalgains]

Absolutely, unequivoca­lly...WRON­G! It's all about "attitude" (I'm going to knife you if you look at me) and "dress code" (the gangcolors du jour). I really don'tt give a rats ass on a dark street if others are black, white, Asian American, green or blue, but if they display those attributes, I'm in a very ready/defensive mode. Race DOES NOT play a part. It's all nonsense/rubbish. Here's a visual for you.....if it's a group of young men (let's say black and white) walking down the street together in preppy clothes (kakhi pants and Ralph Lauren knit sweaters) I'll probably say, "hi, how's it going?" But if it's the exact same group of young men walking down the street in that arrogant fashion saying "f-ing this and f-ing that" and wearing baggy jeans dragging on the ground with the hats flipped backwards and the sweatshirts that could hide an uzi, yeah, I'm concerned. Sorry. We're talking self preservation and a natural fight or flight reaction.

Amusing....this candidate for president lectures the world on racism? How's that for ironic? And, when I place comments made by his minister and wife beside his own, I have a good idea where his thoughts lie. I've never been so insulted by a political candidate in 48 years. I hope the populace sends a clear message against racism in November and he gets 9% of the vote. He almost won me over. Now I'm through with him.

[Amomma]

Thank you Taylor. I'm glad to see you are back. Thanks for not being afraid to speak out!

[1will]

Um...maybe his grandmother crosses the street because she reads the newspaper and watches the news.