While chatting with mister_bitters the following q&a took place. Reposted for posterity and because well, its my journal and I think its worth posting dammit.
mister_bitters: Can I ask a stupid question?
tanyad: sure
mister_bitters: I know this is stupid, but I am curious is Obama’s race has any impact on your opinion of him.
tanyad: hmm…
tanyad: yes and no.
tanyad: I think its important that we face the elephant in the room about his race being a factor. In the sense that his running and having a good shot at at least getting the party nomination is a historical thing. I think that as a man who has been dragged through the mud solely based on his race…
tanyad: and sullied and treated as less than a man by some he has a very good idea what the poor and rich of this country have experienced. Not merely a spoon fed old money good ol boy who has lsot touch with the common folks
tanyad: no in the sense that I don’t see strictly a black man in Obama. I see a man who can create change and who does not wallow in the fact of poor me, poor old black man who no one cares about. He has risen above that and has not allowed it to be his platform, his sole party line. Vote for me because I’m black and you know blacks never had a fair shake. I think his speech yesterday clearly defined what his views and disappointments on the race baiting in this election process have done and mean to him
tanyad: I also am partial to him because he is my senator after all. I am not partial to him because of his skin color any more than I am partial to Clinton because we are both female
tanyad: does that make sense or was it a giant ramble?
mister_bitters: Yes. I just was wondering if there was a response at all to seeing someone who, frankly, looks a lot like you having a real chance.
tanyad: *nod* true. but as he mentioned… no matter what else happens… for some people he will never be black enough cause he’s not hood an for others’ he is too black by virtue of his skin color.
mister_bitters: You wouldn’t know about that, would you?
tanyad:
mister_bitters: Truth be told, I’d like to see a powerful change in the black community come from his election. A black man who is a man, not a ghetto thug.
tanyad: exactly
[Flat tire nattering deleted for context]
mister_bitters: do you know what was said to make this speech required?
mister_bitters: brb
tanyad: mostly the attacks… like Geraldine Ferraro’s etc…
mister_bitters: He kept mentioning his minister’s comments.
tanyad: that jackass too.
mister_bitters: I am impressed with his frank discussion of why whites think the things they do.
tanyad: Jeremiah Wright is the epitome of what I hate about the black church
mister_bitters: Fair enough.
tanyad: I wish he’d just go the fuck away
mister_bitters: But the fact that Obama says whites have legitimate concerns that are simply dismissed and it is as unfair to us as other assertions about blacks is unfair to them.
mister_bitters: Err.. complete thoughts..
tanyad: yeah
mister_bitters: It impresses me.
tanyad: *nod* as it did me
mister_bitters: He’s the FIRST black man that I’ve ever heard admit that just because I was born white I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth and that I wasn’t just handed welth and power because I’m white. I am impressed that he admitted that white fears of violance against white in urban environments has a foundation in reality.
mister_bitters: I’m stunned.
tanyad: yup yup
mister_bitters: Now I support him, rather than wanting to see him as the best of options.
mister_bitters: Simply, he gets it.
tanyad: Yeah and because ofthat I think many people who were on the fence just fell off onto his side
mister_bitters: It’s nice to see a black man admit that whites have real concerns, don’t automatically hate blacks, browns, yellows, and purples because we’re white, and that blacks need to see this as whites need to admit that there is shit blacks really do have to deal with. Well played, indeed.
tanyad: um hmm
mister_bitters: I also like the fact that he pointed out that whites are losing jobs too.
mister_bitters: It’s a good campaign speech. Not one of the best in history by far, but those are few and rare.
[More non-relevant nattering cut out here]
tanyad: true
tanyad: mind if I post your question and my answer on whether Obama’s race matters to me?
