Why The “Is Obama Black Enough” Question Should Be Insulting To All

Ken McCracken • August 14, 2007

I was thinking some more last night on the question about whether or not Barrack Obama is “black enough” for black voters, which is something journalists seem to keep asking over and over again. I keep wondering: What does “black enough” mean? How is Obama supposed to behave in order to be “black enough?” Because it seems to me that the media wants Barrack Obama to fall into some black stereotype.
And aren’t stereotypes…a bad thing?
I’d like one of the people asking the “black enough” question to explain to me how Obama is supposed to act more black. Should he eat more watermelon? More fried chicken? Should he grow out an afro and stick a pick in it? How about if he affects a southern accent, begins liberal use of slang terms and speaks in rhyming sequences a la Rev. Al Sharpton? Would that make him “black enough,” or would he need to slap some spinner rims on his campaign rides and start faux-limping about with big chains of bling swinging from his neck?
If you find any of those stereotypes of black people demeaning and insulting, well so do I. I don’t like the idea of judging people based on the collective demographic their skin-tone or racial heritage might categorize them as. I see people as individuals, up to and including Barrack Obama. I don’t care if Obama is black, white, yellow, blue, man or woman. It’s not his skin color that matters, it’s his policies that matter.
Which is why asking the “black enough” question is such utter garbage. It simply does not matter, because something like skin color should not matter to voters, reporters or anyone else.
Personally, I don’t like Barrack Obama. But again, that dislike is based on his stated policy goals and not on what color his skin is or how he talks or even how he dresses.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Politics

http://Array Mike

It’s very beautifully.
TheTruth

Blacks are ALWAYS judging someone whether or not they are black enough. I wish we as “black” people would be more honest at how we treat our own who do not match up to standards. People you know well that the “black community” is judging Obama in regard of his blackness. Case in point: I went hiking here in the Seattle area recently and invited a “black” friend he said that hiking was too white for him. I have no idea what that means. This is the DIRTY little secret the black community does not want to talk about. It is a shame that someone white has to talk about it; we should be discussing this readily and passionately.
Neiman

WETBACK: Because of your hateful and rather extreme Christian comments under the TS thread and your racist comments above, I swear that you sound exactly like a White Supremacist. Do you by any chance live in the forest in the northern Panhandle of Idaho?

You are right though about multi-culturalism in the sense that America has prospered and remained fairly stable because we were mostly a Christian nation and because the fullest assimilation possible had always been the goal of our legal immigrants and our government. So, yes multi-culturalism is not in our long term best interests.

The proper quotation is “a house divided against itself.” We are divided about 50:50 politically with a wide variation in ethnic groups; and over time, if that hate filled division is not corrected, yes we will fall into the ashheap of history. Our job as Conservatives is to fight to restore the ‘one nation under God’ ideal!

You know Zoe Brain understands something you do not. I made it clear and he accepted the idea that I tolerated her existence and recognized her rights as a human being, although I made it clear that did not accept her gender conflicts and reasignment as being normative and it was in the bigger picture harmful to society. The good Christian loves and tolerates every sinner they contact in this world, not accept or approve of their sins, or their own.

Lastly, no one gave Blacks equal human rights; the Gospel of the Grace of God made everyone of equal value with certain fundamental rights as human beings; and our national charter, The Declaration of Independence recognized those rights and the Constitutionm enshrined them into Law.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

I like what I said better.

Two sides of the same coin. Both sides involve stereotypical black behavior: Blacks as victims, or blacks as liberals with their dogmas of victimology.
WETBACK

How the world turns, now white people are going to call black people raciest. Admit it, racism is a healthy means of survival. And that is exactly why multiculturalism is a joke.

A house divided by itself will never stand. in order to please one group you must offend the other in certain aspects. Most people prefer to live among there own kind and as a result form there own communities.

Christianity was also plagued in the name of diversity, and more than ever today it feels it’s attack. And the more one caters to one side, the more aware the other becomes.

They cry “He’s not black enough” despite the fact that they where granted equality and undoubtedly received a degree above. And you call them liberals and racists?

You people are even more racist then they are, you mind as well call them a good for nothing nigger. Or are you going to judge there intellectual capabilities?
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

Noooo,Proof… I like what I said better. Well, ok fine, maybe you’re right on this particular “black enough” but I am right with other “black enough” opine promoters
Mr. Mxyzptlk

Maybe he should wear baggy pants, Nikes, retro NBA jerseys, a ball cap backwards, and a clock around his neck, telling the world he hates the po-lees, while eating fried chicken.

Would that make him black enough? Or do I need more stereotypes?
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

Exactly TheTruth. They refer to anything involving American culture as being too “white”. Then they wonder why they are not treated the same. The “black Americans” think badly of their own race when they become a part of America as a neighborhood, town, country etc. They believe because some blacks don’t live as a separate race they are abandoning their culture. I honestly believe that some blacks are their own road block to becoming a united society with other races.
Once, while online on a hip hop network, I was accused of “talkin’ all up like a whitie” I told them “it’s not because I am white … I prefer to call it educated”.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

The “black enough” question is liberalspeak for “Is he liberal enough”. To the liberal, of whatever race or color, a black is not authentically black unless he is also liberal.
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

Notice though, the black officer on the right is also expressing his opinion
WETBACK

I don’t blame you all for screaming “Racist” and “bigot” and the likes of all such words, you were programed by the politically correct crowd.

Anna: What is American culture? Is it the principles that America was founded on? When should America’s culture begin? certainly not while America was free, white and Christian right? Perhaps we should begin after the 14TH Amendment.

Not for the reason it freed the slaves but because it gave atheists, anti-Christs and other religious sects equal protection under the law.

After all isn’t it fare that American culture includes everyone?

WETBACK: Because of your hateful and rather extreme Christian comments under the TS thread and your racist comments above, I swear that you sound exactly like a White Supremacist. Do you by any chance live in the forest in the northern Panhandle of Idaho?

Neiman: What makes you think I’m white? maybe I’m black, maybe I believe that the white people are the devil, which was the mark of cain and the mark was the plague of leprosy, which was also a punishment for many.

2Kings 5:27

The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

Perhaps I familiarized myself with the identity religion, and perhaps Wotanism as well. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover Neiman or even the begging pages of it, because the end might surprise you.
http://ewebsmith.com/ ews48

It’s interesting that people consider Obama black, as in African, when he is obviously of mixed race.

The same thing happens to Tiger Woods when his mother is Asian and may have Spanish blood. It is very unlikely that Tiger’s father was 100% African which would make Tiger less than 50% black.

More interesting is that they both seem to embrace the heritage and neither has the courage to say that they are not black in the sense that you mean.

Even more interesting is Obama’s use of the “every time I catch a cab in Chicago” phrase when most cab drivers in Chicago are no longer white. It suggests a chip on his shoulder over some imagined struggle that he faces.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

How the world turns, now white people are going to call black people raciest (sic).

I don’t know…Halle Berry is pretty racy! Unless you mean racist, in which case, if you believe that black people cannot be racist…that would be a pretty racist belief on your part!
The rest of your insulting claptrap isn’t even worth commenting on!
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

You know what WETBACK, I was silly enough to think you were kind of a good guy when you first started opinionating here. You have recently brought me to my good senses. I have also concluded you are our society’s reason for, drive by shooting, assisted suicide, abortion, and cold blooded murder.
Obviously, your real life family and friends are not aware of these practices because you still seem to be breathing.
http://www.willisms.com/ Zsa Zsa

AND don’t forget our first Black President, BILL CLINTON. IF he is black enough? Surely Obama is???
Lena

In U.S. black people have many advantages. But many of the black people are not polite. They think that they are special. Black people have to learn being kind and nice to people. Then people will respect blacks.
http://www.willisms.com/ Zsa Zsa

I believe much of the “African American” community is extremely racial. Many seem to either have some sort of superiority complex that flashes bondage and slavery in the faces of white people to vent their anger for what History delt. IF Obama is NOT Black enough? That is a symptom of what I believe to be racism among much of black america… Racism is an intense, emotional, hate filled, insecure way to exist. Those who might really buy into the Obama is NOT black enough idea should evaluate their feelings about that.
http://sayanythingblog.com/readers/author/Anna/ Anna

I think the real issue is, many successful black people are seen as sell-outs, who gain their distinction only because they conformed to “white culture”.
In many black communities, being poor, living in inner city neighborhoods, or getting in trouble with the law is what gets you street cred. Rice, Powell, Cosby, et all are viewed as less “authentic” black people because they don’t claim to be victims of the white system.
Unless, the famed black person is claiming discrimination or unfair actions towards their race then others view him as that “sell-out”.
Obama has never lived the life of a “real” black American.
I find it very unfortunate that so many feel this way and rely on victimhood as their basis for character or worthiness.
clyde3

The idea of Obama being black enough is plain silly. But if this is the way America needs to discuss race and culture, then so be it. At least it isn’t “too” harmful of a public discourse.

Garling Gauge has a good take on it:

http://garlinggauge.com/2007/08/27/bucket-for-obama/
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

Anna: Don’t discount the possibility that WETBACK isn’t a real person, but perhaps a bad Internet joke like mullah c*m*c.
A real person would be hard pressed to be as dumb, hateful, and as ignorant as WETBACK purports to be.
It might just be posting insulting, racist & un-Christian remarks to get a rise out of people.
Or… he might just be full of crap!
FlyOnTheWall

I’ve heard a lot of:

“(Secretary) Rice isn’t really black.”
“America isn’t ready for a black president.”

Coming from the more extreme liberal democrats, I don’t think it’s the african American community (atleast not just.) I’d lay it more on just generalized racists. The rabid libertarians and GOPpers don’t seem to care much.
Neiman

Mr. Mxyzptlk: Except sometimes the way you say you hate the police can cause some negative feedback. Look how the officer is smiling.

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