So, the first question that I got from my post asking for questions. This question came from my white friend jgalt:
Do you believe that since you are a light skin black woman, who does not speek with a negro dialect, that you could be the first female President on the Democratic ticket?
Great question, jgalt. I do think that my light skin and lack of negro dialect (unless I want to have one) would help me if I decided to run for President. But I think my non-chemically straightened hair, state school education, and intense lack of motivation to become the leader of the free world would all work against me.
But what a great segue into talking about the Harry Reid incident you have given me, jgalt! Did you plan that? ;)
Reader, if you don't know what incident I am referring to--you should watch the news more. Or, just click on the link.
As far as I am concerned, the only thing that is wrong with what Sen. Reid said was his use of the word "Negro". I will chalk this up to a racish
mistake. It makes sense: he's an older guy, and for a significant portion of his life that was what black people were called.
I think he actually deserves props (that's negro dialect for "credit",) for being aware of the effect that skin color can have on people's perceptions. I don't think that is something that most white people have even thought about. And most importantly: What he said is true. Barack Obama would have had a more difficult time being elected if he had darker skin, and if he didn't speak the way he does. I also think Obama would have had a tougher time if he weren't half-white, if he were married to a white woman, or was a descendant of slaves instead of a Kenyan immigrant.
I am far more concerned about the comment that Bill Clinton made, one that hasn't gotten nearly as much media attention. " A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee." What the hell?
Unlike Reid's statement, this is not true. Unless by " a few" Clinton means "fifty". President Obama has degrees from Harvard and Columbia, these don't usually lead to jobs serving politicians coffee. No, Clinton seems to be talking more about the fact that Obama is black and in Clinton's mind black = coffee getter. And remember when Clinton made the remark about how "Jesse Jackson did well in South Carolina too" when reporters were questioning him about if his wife would win the primary there? Two pretty pathetic comments coming from the man who was supposedly, "America's first black president."
I'll just take comfort in the fact that Clinton ruined his entire legacy because he couldn't keep it in his pants, and for the rest of history people won't think of him without also thinking of cigars, navy dresses, and naive young interns. Nice job, dude.
One more thing (well, two more.) President Obama is such a forgiving man. He is always forgiving these people who say ignorant/disrespectful/mean/racish/racist things to him. Forgiveness is a good quality to have, and I bet his wife helps him a lot with this ( I am envisioning lots of late night conversations, where he's not as cool, calm and collected as he appears in front of us.)
Second, I think if Sen. Reid and former President Clinton had been Republicans, the media's coverage of these two incidents would have been very different.
But enough about what I think--what do you think? What do you agree with that I've said here? What do you disagree with? And most importantly, Why do you feel the way you do? Leave your comments after the jump.
Ok, there is no jump--I've just always wanted to say that.
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