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10-98 ASSIST

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I Guess I'm Being A Little Too Sensitive About Obama Jokes

Thu Nov 6, 2008 2:41 AM EST
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By 10-98 Assist
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My daughter, a student at San Fransisco State U sent me an email that I had never seen before. I guess the author of the joke was waiting for the outcome of the election I don't know. But the joke went a little something like "At five am all white people are to report to the cotton fields-Pres Obama." Giving the power of the moment in history I was taken aback. I mean I've heard the Obama jokes before, even the old ones recirculated like painting the white house black but i thought when I woke up this morning after such an historical event things would be different. I fired a response to her and I said bluntly, You should know better, not only is the joke cruel, we don't need anything as a people to change positive public discourse about our president. I mean isn't it like 43 to 1? How is it that now we can gloat about this victory. Can't we just put this aside and be bigger that all of that? Then I asked myself now that we've come so far why do I still feel that we as a people have to look in the rear view mirror? I mean she didn't mean any harm, she's in college with the crowd having fun and she voted for Obama so what was my problem. I'm just asking for your help out there. I need someone to set me straight.

A few hours later the same joke was sent to me from one of my co-workers. He did not vote for Obama, a stanch McCain supporter so I was a little shocked that he sent it to me. Maybe he thought I would keep it going and that I needed Obama gloating material. This time I replied with the words from President-elect Obama's speech when he said "Too those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight but I hear your voices, I need your help and I will be your president too." He later sent me a reply "hahahahaha."

Hahahahaha? I fired back with what I thought was a true winner and all that returned was hahahahaha. Maybe the joke is on me. Maybe I am too sensitive. Or maybe I am just tired of the same old stuff and yearn for something a little different. Maybe I am too Obama defensive. Am i alone with these feelings. Am I getting all butthurt for nothing. Someone just tell me they would feel the same way but would react differently. Whatever you do lets keep it positive and please...NO MORE JOKES.

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dandemacy

Were you vocally against all of the Bush jokes that have been going around for the last 8 years?  I am betting not.  What about 8 years of Clinton jokes, 4 years of Bush Sr. jokes, 8 years of Reagan jokes, 4 years of Carter jokes?  Do I need to keep going?

This election was won by race, plain and simple.  I didn't vote against him because he was black, but a lot of people did cast their votes (for and against) based on the color of his skin.  Black people wanted a black president, and some white people wanted to show that they weren't racist.  White racists wouldn't have voted for him if they agreed with him 100%.

I agree that the cotton field joke is in bad taste, as are the other racially motivated jokes that have been going around, but so were a lot of the jokes about other presidents.  This is how this country deals with things.  We make jokes.  I am not saying it is right or wrong, it is just the truth.

What is also the truth is that Obama is not prepared to make a lot of the decisions that will be put to him.  He is also going to make a lot of decisions that are going to be profoundly bad for this country.  As did Bush, Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan, Carter, and every other president.  No one is perfect, but my prediction is that future generations will look back on the things that Obama has yet to do, and declare him one of the worst presidents ever.  And I am basing this on the assumption that he will only do half of the things he has promised to do.  If he does them all, this generation will declare him the worst ever.

And not because he is black.

  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Thu Nov 6, 2008 12:33 PM EST
10-98 Assist

Thank you for your response but I think you missed the point.  Whether or not you agree or disagree with the direction President Elect Obama would like to take the country is another issue.  Although I do believe that hopefully his nomination and the way he was nominated changed the election process i.e. smear campaigns, 527's, pacs etc. I am hopeful that the decisions he will make in the future will be best for our country....That is why I voted for him.  As far as the Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan and Carter jokes, I was hoping for a new public discourse on how we view our leaders.   After re-reading my post and waking up from the euphoria of a black president, I have come to the conclusion I was being a bit too cynical and I gave my daughter an apology and sent her a few extra bucks to spend. 

    #1.1 - Fri Nov 7, 2008 5:33 PM EST
    10-98 Assist

    Oh, one more thing I forgot to respond to.  Give me our opinion on how and why this election was "Only about race."  I am curious to find out because I was initially a Clinton supported and neither race or gender was a factor.  I will admit that as it became apparent to me that Obama could very well be the next president, I thought the color of his skin would permit it from happening.   That is when I thought race would be a factor, not in him becoming president but hindering him from the presidency.  Are you saying that the only reason he became president was because of the color of his skin?

      #1.2 - Fri Nov 7, 2008 5:54 PM EST
      dandemacy

      I think that the color of his skin is not the only factor, but one of the major ones (if not the most major one).  Lets face it, this country has been plauged with racism against black people for as long as it has been a country.  It is also a fact that this country is the least racist it has ever been.

      I believe that a lot of white people want to prove that we are no longer a racist nation, and to do that, they voted for a black man to be president, regardless of his inexperience, extreme liberal views, and questionable ties to people who are bad for this country (Wright, Ayers, Rezco, etc.).

      Are you aware that he would probably not qualify for a top secret security clearance based solely on his relationship with William Ayers?  Now, of course, he doesn't even need it, as there is no higher clearance than the Oval Office.

      I am certain that there is a lot more to the Ayers connection than Obama is willing to admit, but what if there is more than is even suspected?  What if he is more closely tied to Muslims than he has let on?  What happens then?  What will he do with our nations most closely guarded secrets?

      And what about the socialist type programs that he has promised he would give us?  Programs like the government paying for health care, and his "spread the wealth" ideas are very much socialist.  And how is he going to pay for these things?  The only way the government makes money is through taxes.  And he fails to see the truth behind the fact that lowering taxes for the richest 5% increases tax revenues, and increasing their taxes lowers revenues.

      My biggest fears are:

      1) He will be tested in a military/terrorist way (as Biden said that he will be) and he will fail the test.
      2) He will run this country into the ground.
      3) He will make this country as socialist as the Europian nations (some of which are moving away from socialism.)
      4) The liberal Americans, along with the rest of the world, will love him for it.

      • 1 vote
      #1.3 - Mon Nov 10, 2008 2:02 PM EST
      Reply
      SpoxLogic

      IMHO, people can joke all they want.  As long as they keep it to jokes.  If Pres Obam can take it - I don't see why his supporters can't.

      In fact, they can criticize all they want, too - but, such criticism should have a foundation, not just done for the sake of criticizing.

        Reply#2 - Thu Nov 6, 2008 2:52 PM EST
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