Now that President Obama has pissed off much of the Left with his compromise on the tax cuts, it's been interesting to watch how people respond.
I've noticed for quite some time that a certain segment of the population views Obama as a big softie. That segment includes black folks, white folks, liberals, conservatives and everything in between. People peep his demeanor and the way he handles the disrespect constantly lobbed at him, and immediately he becomes a "wimp."
I guess that's normal. As much as people decried President Bush's "cowboy" ways, deep down they want a leader who breathes fire and gives the finger to critics and opponents. They just want that leader to agree with them. Hell, even if they don't agree with said leader, they will still respect him to a certain degree because people respect force and threats of force. They don't respect quiet appeals to unity and compromise.
Classic wimp behavior.
The thing is, what's happened recently is that folks of all shades and political views have used Obama's perceived "wimpiness" as a way to once again critique his "blackness." Honestly, I'd hoped that we'd moved past discussing Obama's black card, but it seems that his education, his appearance and his demeanor are so far removed from the stereotypes that all Americans have subconsciously accepted that his "blackness" will always be questioned. He will never fit the ideal of "true blackness" that has subtly and directly forced down our throats, and whenever he fails to meet that ideal he will be roundly criticized for what is actually our own collective failing.
Just recently, Courtland Milloy, a Washington Post columnist, blasted Obama for not being a true black man because he didn't go hard on his critics and didn't do enough to protect other black folks. Then Bill Maher noted that he thought he was getting a "gangsta" when he voted for the former president of the Harvard Law Review. I've seen many columns lambaste Obama for being a wimp, and at the same time complain that they feel like they received a false bill of goods when they voted for him. After all, given his skin color wasn't there supposed to be a certain level of toughness? If a black man doesn't know how to embrace his angry roots, what good is he?
Stereotypes are powerful, and how no matter how much we fight against them, we still believe them. That's clear from the vast array of women in African nations who adopt European hairstyles as a sign of refinement, and it's evident in the fact that most Americans think an unflappable, compromising, black man can't really be black. Sure black guys can be suave players, but Spock-like calmness isn't supposed to be in our wheelhouse. Our blood is supposed to be hot, and our emotions far too powerful.
What's sad is that most folks don't see the pure idiocy and racism in their comments. They refuse to accept that they could have fallen under the sway of white supremacy and they can't believe they have ingested and digested ridiculous stereotypes and are now regurgitating them for public consumption. We can't see how messed up we all are. We don't truly understand how fully our minds have been corrupted, and how we've been steered to view the world in a particular way. We truly believe in our free will and free thinking, when in reality we're all slaves to our conditioning.
That's what's real.
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5 comments:
Being able to compromise like this is something I appreciate very much. I continue to fully support President Obama, I think he's a brilliant strategist in taking the long view. The Republicans earn tactical victories here and there but they're stupid. This sort of centrism is why I liked the Clintons so much, I was afraid Obama would be _too_ far left. Most importantly I respect him and I understand his train of thought, he's rational. Four more years!
What up Big Man, I don’t believe that I hold the president to any stereotypical views, but I do believe he has been ineffective in delineating his position against the republicans. We know the republicans are the party of no. No plan. No progress. And no compromise, but I don’t think that the president has painted in people’s minds the stark contrast that exist between his policies and those of the republicans. In essence he is losing the PR battle, and fighting the PR battle is where I wish he would be more effective.
As I Black man, I can relate to another Black man being in a no win situation, and his color will always be use against him no matter what he does. According to Bill Maher (a liberal), a Black man speaking his mind is now gangsta, That’s why it’s called that “Unforgivable Blackness”
Darth’s reaction is what I believe the president was hoping for with this tax extension, essentially trying to slow the erosion of the independent voter. Not to say that Darth is independent, but that’s the response the president is looking for from the independents.
I am most definitely an independent and a centrist. But this past decade I have been firmly on the side of the democrats because the repubs have gone so far right they've become dangerous and ridiculous. The congressional dems are indeed wimps but they're not insane. Obama is the bright spot in the party. I love the Clintons too though.
I respect the argument that Obama could be doing more and hasn't been forceful enough.
I just don't respect the idea that his demeanor is somehow "non-black." That is just opening up a whole new can of worms.
Bill Maher can eat a big shit sandwich and choke on it!! He's nothing but a fake ass 'liberal' hipster racist of the highest order. And his whole 'gangsta' shtick is just a hidden bigoted tired lame streotypical mentality. So I say FUCK BILL MAHER!
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