The White House said Wednesday President Barack Obama doesn't believe that he's being attacked by critics because of his race.I gotta tell ya', I, for one, am getting a bit sick of this incessant political correctness. I know Obama has to be careful not to offend some white folks, but darnit, does he have to play it so close to the chest every damn time? It's funny how the guy is so quick to call Kanye a "jacka$$" (which was true), but so easily accepts the apology of a pompous windbag who has the gall to call him a liar in front of Congress and a worldwide audience.
"The president does not believe that that criticism comes based on the color of his skin," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
"We understand that people have disagreements with some of the decisions that we've made and some of the extraordinary actions that had to be undertaken by both this administration and previous administrations to stabilize our financial system, to ensure viability of our domestic auto industry. I don't think that – the president does not believe that it's based on the color of his skin."
The issue was raised Tuesday by former President Jimmy Carter, who said racial politics played a role in some of the opposition Obama has faced since taking office. Carter also said that race was a factor in South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst last week during the president's address to a joint session of Congress.
I was talking with my Mom today, and she said that we might just need to accept the fact that Obama can not, and never will, Channel His Inner Ni**a, because that's simply not how he's built. The way he was raised, the folks he was reared by, and his overall temperament cause him to respond in a way that the "typical" black person likely wouldn't when confronted on some bullsh*t. And it's hard to argue with the results: had he taken off the gloves and fought back against his many opponents last year, it's quite likely he'd have been sitting in the galley, rather than standing behind the podium last week. Clearly, the man knows what he's doing, and clearly he's got a far better pulse on which buttons to push and which ones not to than the average person, black, white, or other.
That said, when we keep watching Obama take a slap and turn the other cheek time after time, it eventually feels like all of us are getting slapped. As much as I'd have liked to have seen him tell Joe Wilson "mother******, you see a liar, you come get in that liar's face!!!" last week, I know it'll never happen. Never. Ever. Never. Ever. And those of us in Black America might just wanna accept this as fact, rather than continually expecting him to stand up for himself. It ain't happened yet, and it won't happen no time soon. Never. Ever. Never. Ever.
Maybe what Obama needs is a designated attack dog. Robert Gibbs? Don't even mention that coonin' loser. This person obviously can't be on the gubb'ment payroll. But he absolutely needs someone high profile, with constant media exposure, who can call a freakin' spade a spade. And obviously, that person needs to be White.
Call Jimmy Carter. I hear he's free.
Question: Does this "turn the other cheek" tactic employed by Obama continually frustrate you, or is the guy simply playing the game, knowing that if he called some of this for what it is, that it would only distract from his ability to get things done? Does Obama need a designated attack dog? Who would you recommend?
White House: Obama doesn't think race a factor [CNN]
