Note: I wrote this post two years before Obama became president.
Barack Obama (1961- ) has been an American senator of the state of Illinois since 2005. In February 2007 he entered the 2008 race for president. Among the Democrats in the race in 2007 he is second only to Hillary Clinton. He is the greatest star the American left has seen since Robert Kennedy 40 years ago.
Obama became famous in 2004 with the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention.
His strengths:
- He is a good public speaker.
- He is not (yet) part of the political establishment. He seems like someone who could shake things up.
- He talks like a real person instead of someone who mouths political doctrine.
- He comes across as truthful and unafraid.
In short, all the things that Hillary Clinton is not.
His weaknesses:
- He is young and inexperienced. So was John Kennedy in 1960, but Kennedy had been in Congress for 13 years, not just two.
- He is black. He is half-white by blood and all-white by upbringing, but most Americans will see him as black because of the One Drop Rule. Like it or not, this hurts his chances among whites.
Some say he is a lightweight: form over substance.
Even though he is black, he won state-wide office in Illinois which is only one-sixth black. And even though he is inexperienced, he knew that war in Iraq was a horrible mistake back in 2002 and said so.
Obama’s political positions are squarely on the left. None of his ideas are new. It is not his ideas but his manner that wins people over. He comes across as someone who is straight and real.
For example, he smoked marijuana when he was young. So did a lot of people. But he does not tell an artful lie about it like Bill Clinton. He freely admits it. He also states his political views plainly, even to crowds that will not agree with him. People respect and trust that far more than the political double-talk they are used to hearing.
Few political figures understand both white and black America as well: he has lived on both sides as much as anyone can.
His mother’s family comes from the white people of Kansas, his father from the Luo people of Kenya. His parents met at university and married, but soon broke up. For the most part his white grandparents brought him up in Hawaii.
With his education (Columbia, Harvard Law) he could have made a comfortable living working for some large company. Instead he went to live in the South Side of Chicago, a poor black part of the city where the University of Chicago stands. There he got married and dedicated himself to helping the South Side as much as he could, in time becoming its state senator. Now he represents the whole state as a senator in Washington.
Obama lost an election to Bobby Rush, the former Black Panther, but won against Alan Keyes.
See also:
- barackobama.com
- Barack Obama for President
- Obama’s patriotism
- His life (based mainly on his book “Dreams from My Father”):
- 2008 election
- Hillary Clinton
- his vice president pick: Joe Biden
- Democrat
- Robert Kennedy
- Michelle Obama
- Race in America
I like the facts you brought up but that black on outside white on inside comment is ignorant and tacky bro! He was raised well by a family regardless of race dude. Plus, I live in Hawaii and no one gets all race conscious like in the mainland. Just because he was raised by a White family that doesn’t mean he’s clueless on his identity. It seems you are implying because he being articulate you are saying he’s white inside. I like the things you’ve written but save that crap for ignorant blogs. Thanks!
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LOL. Good comment. What I meant by “white on the inside” was that he was brought up by the white side of his family. Not all whites are articulate, so that is not what I meant.
I will take it out, but not because it was tacky: it was far too simple. If his identity were that simple he would not have gone to Africa and written a book about it.
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I am 100% white. Maybe I’m nuts but I never understood that stupid “one drop” rule. I also don’t understand why the majority of Americans can’t see that Barack Obama is our best hope for our future as president. Unlike Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama does not have any vested ties with outsourcing firms (Hillary & Tata Consulting) which made their wealth by helping corporations to off-shore tens of millions of American jobs – impoverishing white and black Americans. Unlike Hillary, Obama was against Bush’s illegal war in Iraq before it was politically popular to hold that position. Barack Obama is the only sensible choice for President, regardless of race or the “one drop rule.”
I saw a movie called “Queen” featuring Halle Berry as Queen (Jackson) Haley, paternal grandmother of famed author Alex Haley. My favorite part was when Queen put a snippy, rude, rich southern white lady in her place by telling her “I’m not a nigra, I’m Irish! My pappy was Irish and his pappy before him!…Maybe if you check your family tree you might find a little black blood…”
No wonder this country’s a mess…white people still cannot look at black people, at their fellow Americans, their fellow citizens, as equals with a stake in society. Sadly, this should not surprise me because middle and upper class whites don’t even acknowledge poor whites as being one of their own…which is why the issue of class is ignored. It is ignored because to admit it would be to admit a pattern of oppression, including racism.
This country needs President Barack Obama. He’s black and he’s white. He’s got guts and he’s smart. Moreover, he has taken the ghigh road and I believe he is honest (a rarity among politicians). He certainly has a better voting record and credibility for doing what is best for the average American of ANY race than Hillary Clinton.
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I know you meant well Abagond, but how can being black be his weakness. That’s not something he has any control over. I look at weaknesses and strengths as being acquired qualities not something you’re born with.
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Not a personal weakness, of course, but a huge disadvantage when you want to become president in a country where most voters are white and many of them too racist to vote for you. He did lose the white vote as it turned out.
When I wrote this post in Feburary 2007 I never imagined he would win – I thought I would never live to see a black president. Not just because he was black but also because he was not a “safe” choice that the Democratic Party machine would support during the state primaries.
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Sorry JS Homan – sorry to say this but you are so so wrong. Obama won because people wanted CHANGE change. Blacks came out and voted just because he was black. They NEVER say he is white. or 1/2 white. (ignorant? Yes) thats all. This is not the change we expected. HE is worse than any President we’ve ever had. He is leaning towards Socialist – but we are smart we can see what he is doing…lol.
OOpps I’m white & I have black friends – Black Christian friends.
We don’t see color – they do. But our country started with WHITE men – who looked up to God and he blessed us. I don’t know if Obams is Muslim as they say – but if he is – God help him.
I pray “Gods will be done” and that’s it. God is in control –
In God WE TRUST.
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Being black was never a weakness, at least not for me, being black only made me strong and able to face whatever was thrown at me.
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If you want an African-born leader who was good, look no further than Andries Pretorius. Obama was nowhere near as good as Pretorius.
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