You were not tempted to inform Girl 1 that the Dems had little to do with ending slavery?

I was getting dagger eyes from IC who, since he knew this was our engagement weekend and I didn't, didn't want a scene in our hotel lobby.

http://www.pubrecord.org/religion/362-army-private-subjected-to-anti-semitic-attacks-brutally-beaten-by-soldiers-.html

"I turned around and said "I should've brought my Palin t-shirt."

You go girl.

It's a good thing, that he becomes accustomed to holding his tongue now. It is the basis of every successful marriage.

I rather like Girl 2's last line. She's right: just who is making things into a racial issue?

I've never heard or read anyone else point this out before, but Obama is hardly like other "African-Americans." It's not even an elitist thing, merely an origin thing. Obama doesn't have slaves in his ancestry. He never had a grandparent contend with Jim Crow laws. The only thing his parents had to do with the civil rights movement was marching at Selma -- uh, wait, never mind about that one.

For those who've forgotten: "They looked at each other and they decided, 'We know that in the world, as it has been, it might not be possible for us to get together and have a child, but something is stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Ala., because some folks are willing to march across the bridge.' And so they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born. So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Ala.!"

His father was a Kenyan student who knocked up a girl and didn't stick around for very long -- ok, so there he shares a common origin with too many black men. But Obama never grew up in projects or has anything in common with the typical black American. He grew up in Hawaii (and Indonesia) and faced such institutionalized racism that he could only get into Ivy League schools.

So when black Americans look to him for "hope," it's not because he's at all like them. Even cultural similarity might be somewhat excusable, but that isn't the case. It's purely because he shares a darker skin tone. And that's somehow not racism?

Someone tell me with a straight face that all these black Americans would worship him like this if he were white.

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it has near zero to do with Bush

Well, except for the fact that he appointed heads of Wall St. to run the SEC, and in the past 8 years its been the state securities agencies who have actually been enforcing the securities laws in this country.

Oh, and his "ownership society" where he promoted everyone going out and getting homes -- which many did, and they now can't afford.

Wow, Katie G just beat out Steve at Common Cents for the most oblivious post on this topic.

Perry, I think that Barack supposedly acquired credibility with black Americans through marrying Michelle and doing things like becoming a member of Jeremiah Wright's church.

I have to say, the girl with the McCain-Palin button was pretty bold. It's a good thing that we have a secret ballot.

I don't think Bush can avoid culpability--I just don't think he's the Alpha and Omega of it. Suffice to say the reason we call Nancy Pelosi "Madame Speaker" now might have a bit to do with most of America wondering what the Republicans were doing those years they had control of Congress. This would be another log to throw on that fire.

As for the racism and pressure--as I told our fair hostess off line, I've long observed that members of the African American community seem to think it's okay to say things that would make even Klansmen blush.

There are bad things coming from all of this. Economic problems + suppressed racial tension = never a good outcome.

Karol, this argument is progress! BTW, you should have injected that Rev. King was a lifelong Republican.

chsw

My favorite part of the exchange is when Girl 1 asks if it's an Obama/Biden button. The bag is 2 feet away from us but she can't believe her eyes.

"Perry, I think that Barack supposedly acquired credibility with black Americans through marrying Michelle and doing things like becoming a member of Jeremiah Wright's church."

Sure. And let's say a white man did that, out of "guilt." As much as the Clintons were popular with black Americans, no white person could be worshipped by black Americans like Obama is. It still comes down to color.

And yet Karol, I, et al, are "racist" because we oppose Obama's socialism...

When I think about that poor woman getting chided by a friend for having a McCain/Palin button I too think to myself, Wow. This is just like the Jim Crow South.

Congratulations, Karol.

And props for putting this up. This is an exceptionally important issue that isn't discussed nearly often enough.