UPDATE: Before you read…I’m not positioning myself in any political party. Quite frankly, I think Bill Clinton should have been our forever President. Plus, I think he’s kind of cute, that Bill Clinton. But regardless. All I’m saying in this post is, if you are going to have an opinion about our President, any of them…past, present or future, please check to make sure it’s because of his qualifications (or lack of) for the job. Period. I’m not a political person. I don’t even know which side I’m on…as far as political parties go. All I know is, Iwouldn’t want the job of President in this economic or political climate so you have got to feel kinda sorry for the poor guy. I think McCain would have been just as judged anyways. Seems our President becomes a kind of scapegoat for things that people don’t like. Even when it’s other people causing the problems. OK, read on then…
I asked, over on Twitter, why Jimmy Carter was a trending topic. For those of you who don’t know what a trending topic is, it’s a focus of conversation that is being heavily tweeted or talked about, over on Twitter. With Jimmy Carter being one of the leading trends.
I was sent this link to CNN politics.com. So I read it. It’s good to get out of my self-involved little corner for a bit and see what’s going on in the world.
Yay for former President Carter. He said what some of us were thinking. Judgment has been placed on our President Obama because of his skin color. And that SUCKS.
Seriously people. Get over your prejudice little selves.
Since when does skin color dictate how good you are at something?
Because from where I’m sitting, our last President, who was voted in for TWO TERMS (and not ONCE by me, thank you)!!!
He is as white as my ass.
And he made the biggest disaster area of our country.
#1 by Loukia on September 16, 2009 - 7:54 am
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It completely and utterly boggles my mind that racism exists. I don’t get it. I mean, if evolution really works, why are people who think like morons still alive? Seriously! Obama is amazing… people in Canada are madly in love with him as a politician… if only we had someone as great leading our country! I’m sure, like all people in politics, like all Presidents before him, he will be far from perfect – but I think he’s doing a good job so far! What a classy man, and his entire family – totally gorgeous. Anyway… people who are prejudiced are completely brain-dead and huge idiots.
#2 by Tara R. on September 16, 2009 - 7:57 am
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Unfortunately both sides of the aisle are throwing around the race card. It should be about the ‘character of the man and not the color of his skin.’ One has nothing to do with the other.
#3 by TeacherMommy on September 16, 2009 - 8:41 am
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The link didn’t work for me!
#4 by Emily/Randomability on September 16, 2009 - 8:46 am
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Didn’t work for me either..
#5 by Maria on September 16, 2009 - 8:56 am
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I’m sorry, but I felt the need to write here. If Alan Keyes was running against Obama, you bet your butt I wouldn’t have one single issue voting for and supporting a black man.
I, for one, am tired of all the “race” excuses being thrown out there. I say it over and over and over — we conservatives DO NOT CARE what color the president’s skin is. We don’t care if the president is black, white, yellow, green, blue or red. Whatever. We are all so very tired of the whole bizarre “race” excuse that Dems are throwing out there. I have a very wide group of conservative “tea bagger” friends, and we all adamantly agree:
It is NOT Obama’s skin tone we don’t like, or his race (and let’s remember he’s half-white now) but HIS VIEWS, VALUES, BELIEFS, LIES AND IGNORANCE. Big government has spent more money and taken more control of our lives in the past 9 months than Bush did his entire career. The fact that Jimmy Carter or any other idiot continues to say that the “opposition is racist” is just ignorant and quite sad. I’m tired of it. It’s a scapegoat. 1.7 million people showed up in D.C. to protest government spending and taxes. Some of them were also protesting Obama’s extreme liberal views. I guarantee you that the majority of those people could give a flying leap what color Obama’s skin was, and is more concerned for the welfare of our country and and its economy.
Love your stuff, but this one got my skin boiling. No one plays the race card but the Obama administration and the Dems. Pot calling the kettle black, I’d say (no pun intended).
Again, Jimmy Carter’s an idiot…
(and I’m too Christian to use stronger words, but I’m sure thinking them…)
#6 by TeacherMommy on September 16, 2009 - 9:08 am
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I don’t think all opposition is racist, but I do agree it plays a role in the virulence used. Obama is not the first president to suggest national health care or a number of other ideas. Bush’s administration started the bail-out. The hatred that is tainting a good bit (though not all) of the opposition stems, I think, from a combination of the intense uncertainty and fear that our current economy is triggering along with some deep-seated racism.
I think a key phrase Carter used is that regardless of whether or not one agrees with the president, a certain level of respect is due. Did I like Bush? No. And I was guilty of some disrespect at times. But I did try to balance my disagreements (and they were strong) with a fair acknowledgment of what he did well.
#7 by Heather on September 16, 2009 - 10:01 am
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I couldn’t agree with you more, girl. It shouldn’t matter at all about skin color.
And, in my opinion, Obama was going to be screwed either way. He stepped into a pile of shit that Bush left, and there’s no way for him to come out without looking like a failure. It’s unfair, but I still believe that he can change things for the better.
#8 by MommyMamaMom on September 16, 2009 - 11:30 am
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Here’s another conservative that could care less about his skin color. I believe that he is an intelligent, classy gentlemen. I admire his drive and his determination. I respect his office. But I HATE his politics. And that is the general consensus of all of my conservative friends. We do not agree with the direction he’s leading this country (nor did I agree with everything the previous president did). But saying that because I disagree with him makes me racist makes my blood boil. I love reading your blog, and comment when I have something to say, but this I find insulting.
Yes, President Obama is leading us towards change — but I don’t agree with the change he wants; I honestly do not believe that it’s what is best for our country. I would have been just as adamant in my opposition to such change if it were Bill Clinton, Hiliary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, etc. The change I want to see, I long to see, takes us back to the basics of the Constitution. It reduces the amount of legislation, moves the politicians back to being the ones that serve us instead of the current flop, and it prevents excessive taxation. Even if a Republican or Independent or any other party you could think of, held the White House and tried to implement the changes that are not being seen, I would be against them. So please, stop calling me a racist just because I disagree with the President. I like the man, but I hate his politics.
#9 by Hyla on September 16, 2009 - 11:33 am
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I believe Obama can make changes for the better and I am glad he is presdent. I think if Mccain had become president the world would end sooner.
#10 by MommyMamaMom on September 16, 2009 - 1:04 pm
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Melissa, I would like to apologize for implying that you specifically were calling anyone a racist. You never said that and I’m sorry I implied you did.
However, it has been said many times by people from “the other side”. I responded before I had a chance to calm down and what I said was a knee-jerk reaction. I still stand by what I said. I just should not have ever implied that you specifically said I was racist.
I still disagree w/ you, though. I do NOT believe that the majority of people that oppose him do so because of his skin color. Instead, I’m fairly certain that it is because they simply do not agree with his policies. And the implication that it is all racially based does offend.
#11 by Mommy X on September 16, 2009 - 4:46 pm
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There are people at the tea party with signs that say things like “Monkey See, Monkey Do” and “Homey Don’t Play Dat”…..I’m pretty sure those are some racists. And I believe that they are implanting themselves among the conservatives to rile them up over issues that don’t exist. My own mother has been a staunch Republican for years. She and I are not close but chat via email from time to time. She told me that she and my step-father are disgusted with those in their party whose only aim seems to be to divide people and spread lies. She says that her so-called friends have been sending very disturbing emails about the president being a Muslim and not being a citizen. These same people choose to spread lies about the president funding abortions with the national health plan and funding illegal aliens. Never in history has someone so severely disrespected our president and had the audacity to shout “YOU LIE” in the middle of a presidential address. No one even did that to Bush, and you know what, a lot of people had issues with his policies but they still demonstrated respect for him. I was proud to see Senator McCain showing such class by standing behind some of what the president was doing and for having the courage to stand up to some of his own in his party and say “Hey, wait a minute!” And what has happened to him? He’s been booed himself. You say racism has nothing to do with this, people? I say you have your head in the sand. Just one girl’s opinion. Just looking at this logically. My mother is leaving the Repubican party and becoming an independent. She’s had enough and refuses to blindly follow any party when some of what people are doing is just wrong to her. We have our differences in lots of ways, but I’m proud of her for standing up against this foolishness. I’d like to think that I would do the same if I were in her shoes.
#12 by Mommy X on September 16, 2009 - 4:46 pm
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There are people at the tea party with signs that say things like “Monkey See, Monkey Do” and “Homey Don’t Play Dat”…..I’m pretty sure those are some racists. And I believe that they are implanting themselves among the conservatives to rile them up over issues that don’t exist. My own mother has been a staunch Republican for years. She and I are not close but chat via email from time to time. She told me that she and my step-father are disgusted with those in their party whose only aim seems to be to divide people and spread lies. She says that her so-called friends have been sending very disturbing emails about the president being a Muslim and not being a citizen. These same people choose to spread lies about the president funding abortions with the national health plan and funding illegal aliens. Never in history has someone so severely disrespected our president and had the audacity to shout “YOU LIE” in the middle of a presidential address. No one even did that to Bush, and you know what, a lot of people had issues with his policies but they still demonstrated respect for him. I was proud to see Senator McCain showing such class by standing behind some of what the president was doing and for having the courage to stand up to some of his own in his party and say “Hey, wait a minute!” And what has happened to him? He’s been booed himself. You say racism has nothing to do with this, people? I say you have your head in the sand. Just one girl’s opinion. Just looking at this logically. My mother is leaving the Repubican party and becoming an independent. She’s had enough and refuses to blindly follow any party when some of what people are doing is just wrong to her. We have our differences in lots of ways, but I’m proud of her for standing up against this foolishness. I’d like to think that I would do the same if I were in her shoes.
#13 by Carolyn on September 16, 2009 - 5:51 pm
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To add insult to this situation, during all the self-made hysteria over his educational speech, our local newspaper did an article about school’s “opting out” of the speech. One person was quoted as saying that he wasn’t going to let his child listen to that speech by a black man. Needless to say, I was speechless when I read it.
I tried to go back to the newspapers archives to find the article because I wanted to share the link with you, but it has since been removed (probably for obvious reasons). I live in the South and I hear all the racist rhetoric towards Obama almost on a daily basis. Bottom line; Obama can be the smartest person in the world, but because he is black, a lot of people consider him unacceptable as a President.
It is a shame that people cannot appreciate a person without looking at the color of their skin. I thought this country had come further than that when he was elected, but apparently a portion of this country has not.
I am more worried about this country on a social level than I am on a financial level at this point. With all the fighting – not arguing – but down right fighting from whatever direction Obama suggests taking this country in, I’m seriously worried about another civil war-type event happening again.
The only reason(s) I can see why he is called the ugly, derogatory, and racists names that he is is because he will not follow the “status quo”. In other words, there are certain ways of doing things in Washington and if one does not follow that path, one is ostracized to their death.
Thank you Melissa for putting out your soap box and saying what you did! A lot of people in this country need to grow up and get their asses out of their heads before they themselves bring the rest of the country down.
#14 by trisha on September 17, 2009 - 5:04 pm
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well, i don’t like obama. Not cause he is black. Cause I dont like him or the policies. I just just frustrated that anyone would think that I cant like someone because of their polices and assume its due to race.
Should i PRETEND to like him so i don’t get accused of racism? Doesnt sound…well…American to me.
trisha
momdot.com
#15 by Im BeingHeldHostage on September 20, 2009 - 11:18 pm
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I usually just walk away when a post goes political, but I’m with Maria, MMM and Trisha. I don’t like the man’s politics and skin color has nothing to do with it. I do love when you get feisty over something though