Fact check on Obama's claims (Jobs Speech Yesterday)

[manasia]

Racism is not behind us but I believe you are not seeing the big picture if you do not think we are making progress.  I believe some of the racists have been coming out into view as a result of some of the progress we have made.

JeffreyS I stopped seeing the little picture, when I had kids.

For some strange reason in this country, we believe that time will change the hearts and minds of human's, unfortunately for some people it does not. Racism is too profitable and polarizing, to be relinquished yet.

[Ajax]

um yeah.  racist question.  The American people had a choice between McCain/Palin or Obama Biden.

Was the Obama/Biden administration better for everyone in the country than the alternative? 

Definitely yes.

This country dodged a bullet by not having Grumpy McBombzalot and that demonstrably stupid snowbilly in charge of the Presidency and the Presidency of the Senate.

The democrat could probably elected a John Murtha/William Jefferson ticket and it would still have been better for the country than the alternative.

Maybe it was a racist question, I don't know.  I didn't mean to offend manasia, and judging by the response, I don't believe I did.  I've heard a few prominent black leaders asking the question and it just made me curious. 

I wasn't asking if Obama was better for the country than McCain.  I think that's impossible to answer.  However, I'm not sure that it would have made much of a difference.  They're remarkably similar on a lot of points. 

[Ajax]

Racism is not behind us but I believe you are not seeing the big picture if you do not think we are making progress.  I believe some of the racists have been coming out into view as a result of some of the progress we have made.

JeffreyS I stopped seeing the little picture, when I had kids.

For some strange reason in this country, we believe that time will change the hearts and minds of human's, unfortunately for some people it does not. Racism is too profitable and polarizing, to be relinquished yet.

I'm afraid people are always going to find superficial reasons to hate other people.  I guess we're tribal by nature. 

[Ajax]

No one has ever claimed that the election of a black president meant that racism came to an end.

No, but it felt like a big step. 

[manasia]

um yeah.  racist question.  The American people had a choice between McCain/Palin or Obama Biden.

Was the Obama/Biden administration better for everyone in the country than the alternative? 

Definitely yes.

This country dodged a bullet by not having Grumpy McBombzalot and that demonstrably stupid snowbilly in charge of the Presidency and the Presidency of the Senate.

The democrat could probably elected a John Murtha/William Jefferson ticket and it would still have been better for the country than the alternative.

Maybe it was a racist question, I don't know.  I didn't mean to offend manasia, and judging by the response, I don't believe I did.  I've heard a few prominent black leaders asking the question and it just made me curious. 

I wasn't asking if Obama was better for the country than McCain.  I think that's impossible to answer.  However, I'm not sure that it would have made much of a difference.  They're remarkably similar on a lot of points.

I do not think the question you asked was racist, you just asked a question. In regards to people being tribal. Racism is actually a new social phenomena, Greeks, Romans, and other cultures, lived with each other in ancient times. They were more nationalistic and less racist in my opinion. Racism is a different form of tribalism. 

[JeffreyS]

1. So you do not believe electing a black President has caused some of the racists to up their vitriol?

2. Do you believe we have made no progress at all?


I am not in denial that racism is a big part of the world.  Maybe I am too Pollyanna but I liked that Obama was the best candidate so we did not let race stand in the way same for Mayor Brown.

[manasia]

1. So you do not believe electing a black President has caused some of the racists to up their vitriol?

2. Do you believe we have made no progress at all?


I am not in denial that racism is a big part of the world.  Maybe I am too Pollyanna but I liked that Obama was the best candidate so we did not let race stand in the way same for Mayor Brown.

I think the progress is small, not really meaningful.

I do believe that electing a Black President has upped the vitriol quite a bit. However, I wonder how where that vehement rhetoric and anger would be, if the economy was great an unemployment was like 2 percent, and we were in a peace time.

[Ajax]

So you naturally took it a couple of steps further, right?

Sorry, but I don't understand your question.  If you're accusing me of "irrational exuberance", then, yeah, I guess I took it a couple of steps further.  But I'm hardly the only one.  I seem to remember a lot of articles right after the 2008 election about Obama's election bringing us to some post-racial era.  And then after all the fanfare died out and we still had wars and a crappy economy, everybody remembered that he's just a man and not a whole lot has changed as far as race relations go.  I will say that the trend since the 1970s (when I was a kid) to today has been positive. 

[Ajax]

I just disagree.  The President of the United States is not elected to be the president of any race or affiliation, and its racist to assume that one black poster can speak on behalf of all other black people in regards to the political benefit in their lives of an elected official.

I see your point.  The thread had morphed off into a discussion about racism and then about having a black President, so for whatever reason the thought entered my mind and I asked the question.  I'll admit to being a bit clumsy in my asking of the question. 

[Ajax]

Feel free to ask questions.  Its america after all, and I personally like vigorous discussion.

Heh heh - noted!

[manasia]

I just disagree.  The President of the United States is not elected to be the president of any race or affiliation, and its racist to assume that one black poster can speak on behalf of all other black people in regards to the political benefit in their lives of an elected official.

I see your point.  The thread had morphed off into a discussion about racism and then about having a black President, so for whatever reason the thought entered my mind and I asked the question.  I'll admit to being a bit clumsy in my asking of the question.

Feel free to ask questions.  Its america after all, and I personally like vigorous discussion.

Ajax, Stephen may disagree, but I have to respect him for not moderating comments that are not to his liking as our forum Mayor.

Metrojacksonville.com is one of the rare places online, where you can have an opinion about something, and not be considered unpatriotic, a heretic, or any other negative adjective insert here________________

[Ajax]

I just disagree.  The President of the United States is not elected to be the president of any race or affiliation, and its racist to assume that one black poster can speak on behalf of all other black people in regards to the political benefit in their lives of an elected official.

I see your point.  The thread had morphed off into a discussion about racism and then about having a black President, so for whatever reason the thought entered my mind and I asked the question.  I'll admit to being a bit clumsy in my asking of the question.

Feel free to ask questions.  Its america after all, and I personally like vigorous discussion.

Ajax, Stephen may disagree, but I have to respect him for not moderating comments that are not to his liking as our forum Mayor.

Metrojacksonville.com is one of the rare places online, where you can have an opinion about something, and not be considered unpatriotic, a heretic, or any other negative adjective insert here________________

Agreed - and that's why I keep coming back!