Posted on 11/02/2006 9:29:22 AM PST by presidio9
If Barack Obama makes it all the way to becoming the Democratic nominee for President in 2008, a feat he says he may attempt, a much more complex understanding of the difference between color and ethnic identity will be upon us for the very first time. Back in 2004, Alan Keyes made this point quite often. Keyes was the black Republican carpetbagger chosen by the elephants to run against Obama for the U.S. Senate seat from Illinois. The choice of Keyes was either a Republican version of affirmative action or an example of just how dumb the party believes black voters to be, since it was obvious that Keyes came from the Southeast, not the Midwest.
That race was never much of a contest, but one fascinating subplot was how Keyes was unable to draw a meaningful distinction between himself as a black American and Obama as an African-American. After all, Obama's mother is of white U.S. stock. His father is a black Kenyan. Other than color, Obama did not - does not - share a heritage with the majority of black Americans, who are descendants of plantation slaves.
Of course, the idea that one would be a better or a worse representative of black Americans depending upon his or her culture or ethnic group is clearly absurd. Even slavery itself initially came under fire from white Christians - the first of whom to separate themselves from the institution were Quakers. The majority of the Union troops were white, and so were those who have brought about the most important civil rights legislation.
Why then do we still have such a simple-minded conception of black and white - and how does it color the way we see Obama? The naive ideas coming out of Pan-Africanism are at the root of the confusion. When Pan-African ideas began to take shape in the 19th century, all black people, regardless of where in the world they lived, suffered and shared a common body of injustices. Europe, after all, had colonized much of the black world, and the United States had enslaved people of African descent for nearly 250 years.
Suffice it to say: This is no longer the case.
So when black Americans refer to Obama as "one of us," I do not know what they are talking about. In his new book, "The Audacity of Hope," Obama makes it clear that, while he has experienced some light versions of typical racial stereotypes, he cannot claim those problems as his own - nor has he lived the life of a black American.
Will this matter in the end? Probably not. Obama is being greeted with the same kind of public affection that Colin Powell had when he seemed ready to knock Bill Clinton out of the Oval Office. For many reasons, most of them personal, Powell did not become the first black American to be a serious presidential contender.
I doubt Obama will share Powell's fate, but if he throws his hat in the ring, he will have to run as the son of a white woman and an African immigrant. If we then end up with him as our first black President, he will have come into the White House through a side door - which might, at this point, be the only one that's open.
When I was growing up in that neighborhood, Trinity United was the Beverly Theater, where I saw lots of movies - like "Hell Up In Harlem" and "The Spook Who Sat By The Door."
Or at the same time. A lot of Cubans and Dominicans, for example, are of part African ancestry. But the leading Latinos currently on the radar -- Bill Richardson and Mel Martinez are the first to spring to mind -- appear to be of mostly European ancestry.
If the blasted revolutionists had not had their way and taken the colonies out of the Realm, she WOULD have banned slavery decades before the US went into convulsions over it.
what's the big deal?
You're right - my bad - I was looking at a different post I thought you were replying to...
Wrong on both counts. The author is guilty of not doing his homework, but instead projection his own presumptions. Keyes was selected because the Illinois Reflublican party's moderates, having blown the entire election and having seen their own candidate go down in flames in a sex scandal, decided to turn the selection of the party's senatorial candidate over to the rightmost part of their party they could find in order to discredit them when they lost. Said group, being nuts, promptly fulfilled this expectation.
It was all local politics and had nothing to do with the national Republican party, who would have done anything to prevent it.
The great part of the PC use of "African American" is when white people from South Africa come over here and apply the term to themselves.
Hell, I've got a black great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother who are listed in the records of a Bermuda parish as "colored". I'm African-American, and I look so white I'm pink.
It's a minefield. When baseball was segregated, some managers snuck in black players by saying they were Cuban. One of the Negro League teams was called the "Cuban Giants," in a broad wink and a nod to that convention.
When my parents moved to Tallahassee in the late '60s -- Dad was working on his Master's at FSU -- my maternal grandmother was horrified to learn that they lived next to a "colored" couple in the married student housing. But when she found out they were foreign, it was okay.
I can't say it's rational, but it's a distinction that exists.
I think they wanted to find someone who would draw some attention to the race, to get out the message, and to get some attention. There was a near-zero chance of any IL Republican beating Obama, and I have to salute Keyes -- he knew he would lose, but he was willing to take that hit to get the message out. Might as well bring in a national celebrity and make it a proxy fight, because where else are you going to take it?
If you can't win, lose loudly, strongly and without apology. If Goldwater hadn't been smeared and smacked down as he was, the way wouldn't have been paved for Reagan.
Didn't Keyes call tell the voters "you just elected the next Hitler" after Barack won? I love Keyes and he is a brilliant man. I trust his opinion on him. The link about Obama says he is just to the left of Moa. The media can cover for any democrat very well and an occasional John McCain. If they have their way he will be the next president. I say this because losers like AlGore and Kerry almost won and they have no business running. The GOP better have their first string in.
Hands off the Stanster -- when he isn't writing about jazz, the man makes a lot of sense.
The phrase for this guy is a "tabula rasa." The libs will project onto this human blank slate the grotesque tumor that modern day liberalism is (which must be disguised) and hope the pretty boy mask will conceal the real Dorian Gray underneath.
so funny, so true
I was referring to political philosophies, not skin colors.
Didnt his father run out on the family and he was raised by a white mother only?
I really can't say. Don't know. I know he has a white mother.
Dear presidio9,
Mr. Crouch was speaking primarily about culture and heritage, one's personal history and ancestry, not political philosophy or skin color.
sitetest
Barack Obama is not African American he is African Arab. He is not the descendant of slaves but instead the descendant of slave owners. Not to mention he lacks experience and is an empty suit. I think we - the democrats - missed our chance with Hillary Clinton. Barack’s fame and poor relationships and judgment are going to keep coming out and eating away his lead. In all actuality I do not feel he is sufficient to be the first “black” president. If he falls on his face it will just be more difficult for the next real black president to get elected...Keep in mind he was only in the Senate for 145 days before deciding to peruse the presidency. That means he has had only 145 days of executive branch experience.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.