The influence of Obama’s mother and grandparents
His political opponents have tried every trick in the book: he’s a Muslim, he’s a Christian whose minister is as radical as Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson, he’s not black enough, he’s too black, he’s lucky to be black, and he’s anti-woman. But the reality is he was raised by an open-minded mother dedicated to public service, spent his high school years in his grandmother’s care, and with a sibling, spouse and children who are all women, much of his development and influences have been matriarchal, multicultural, international and he was pushed hard to excel and to pursue public service.
And rather than the confrontational approaches utilized by many of his black political predecessors, he’s established a tone opposed to division, pushing for change with the moderate temperament and inspirational rhetoric that Martin Luther King was known for, compared to, say, Malcolm X, Eldridge Cleaver, Bobby Seale or even Jesse Jackson.
Now I fully expect his political foes to say his mother was bad for leaving him with her parents in his high school years or for her two shortlived marriages. Because that’s what political foes do.
Will voters fall for all that they say? Or will they look at his choices made as an adult? So far, a majority of the voters seem to be responding to his message, his image and his record of achievement. He stands a good chance of being our next president despite all the things his foes fling at him.
As a liberal, I find his policies less than ideal because they’re too conservative. But his honesty about his personal life - even as an unmotivated teen - and his calm, unflappable tone, are things I find reassuring. So, too, is his mother’s story and the examples she set. He is not her mirror, but you can see a lot of her reflection in him.
By contrast, I can also see the conservative Republican parents reflected in Hillary Clinton. It’s in things like that - family influence and political record - that I find more influence than in any campaign spin.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:40 am
It is real boring to hear the same old line, not liberal enough.
He is as liberal as anyone out there. He passed bills co-sponsored with Feingold.
He meets with liberals. He met with our Pogressive Democrat of America group, and did every thing we asked.
So why not work on getting him on board your issues. He says many times he needs to hear from us.
What the hell liberal would make you people happy. I guess Edwards, although he found it late in life, in 04 and when he was in the Senate he was anything but a liberal.
And plus he sucks as a candidate, obviously.
So either get a liberal savior that can actually win something. Or, just give up that line.
You know, with Obama you can actually get things done.
But to many, not you, think supporting some ultra-liberal running in the Free Manson Party and getting 1% of the vote is getting something done.
So for the last FRICKIN time. Barack Obama is a liberal, deal with it.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Obama and the Race Debate
Obama has made racist comments and the media knows it. Hell, he had them published in his book “Audacity of hope” and no one calls him on it.
Actually, anyone that read Obama’s book called the “Audacity of Hope” would in some cases fall over because of the arrogance Obama expresses in at least one example of White Southern men that display race bigotry using the word Nigger, just by imagination alone. Here, Obama did not expressly hear anyone do this but he imagines, did he make this story up, or, was Obama told by someone it happened ? Obama needs to clarify this but no one in the media will challenge him they simply pass right over it because they said his book was great. From my perspective it is full of arrogance and flip flopping that is in constant debate in the all of the cable news.
Obama should be held accountable, since Obama’s political team seems to think everything Hillary Clinton’s team does is testy, and racist, this is a stellar example of Black hypocrisy, pulling the race card at every turn all the while guilty of the exact same bigotry. Barack Hussein Obama owes America an apology especially White Southern Men an