Obama an Elitist? Just Another Word For Uppity Negro.

I was astounded by the title of the OP and the title of the article/link. I had to read it to get the gist.

Over the last 20-30 years the Right Wing and Republicans have been infinitely better at labeling and attaching a defining negative characteristic to the left and Democrats than vice versa.

Consider the following:

George Bush had a more elitist background than all but a few Presidential candidates ever in the history of the US...and possibly the most elitest background. His father and grandfather were distinguished and wealthy. He was sent to exclusive "elitest private schools" and afterwards, despite a less than stellar academic record attended an extraordinarily elitist and accomplished undergraduate and graduate school.

His opportunity to attend those schools was a total function of elitism ingrained in those schools that "save" certain positions at their schools for the sons/daughters of alumni and the sons/daughters of the wealthy rather than those who accomplish high academics on their own.

He then used his connections to avoid service in Vietnam, getting into the National Guard at the last moment. This was during a time when the Vietnam war was raging the draft was in effect, the National Guard was essentially an escape from service in the war, and entry into the National Guard was a soft way to avoid direct service while not being branded a traitor.

After National Guard duty he had a totally indistinguished business career during which he never proved himself successful. Ultimately he was invited into an investment group that purchased the Texas Rangers because his father was Vice President at the time. Bush was given a percentage share of the team larger than the percentage share of the investment because of this connection.

Ultimately, prior to selling the team, the ownership convinced the taxpayers of the region around Arlington, Texas to support a tax payer funded stadium, which greatly increased the value of the team upon sale. Essentially Bush made most of his wealth via a combination of family contacts and the willingness to tax the community.

Having done (or slid through) all this, Bush was not touched as an elitist by Democrats. He escaped it. Frankly, his ability to sound "Texas" and speak simply and emotionally negated this history.

Additionally, Democrats simply don't do a good job of labeling and denigrating the opposition. Republicans do it better.

Somehow equating Obama as an elitist is a function of the attacking quality of politics that tends to distract from real issues and focuses on "branded characteristics that opposition parties focus upon". Even thinking about Obama as an "uppity Negro" is a sad commentary on the racist thinking of some. They should look upon themselves.

Barack Obama ultimately came from a less than priveliged background to attend significant universities and law schools, achieved in work afterwards, entered politics and achieved again. Frankly he overcame the stigma of both race and lack of financial wherewithall from his family.

That is the American dream.

John McCain has no doubt proved himself as an American Patriot. He was shot down in Vietnam and taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. He was given the opportunity to be released from capture because his father was a major military leader in the US Navy at the time and refused being released. He recognized the North Vietnamese would use his release as a propaganda against the US at the time. He suffered mightily during the years of his imprisonment.

John McCain also remarried an extraordinarily wealthy woman who was the daughter of wealthy parents. He is one of the wealthiest members of Congress and one of the wealthiest Americans because of this marriage.

As mentioned above one could claim that every member of Congress is an elitist. They spend the majority of their time attending events sponsored by fund raisers and big money interests and then spend a little bit of time during the day making bad laws.

 

I guess this is where I have always lived in my own world... I never knew racism and I lived in the areas that are considered "racist", then I talk to people from the big cities that are supposed to be areas of oneness and I sense huge amounts of racism or hear it from their mouths.

I liken it to people like jesse jackson who perpetuates racism through an anti-racism front.

Until people see the differences as different colors of paint on a masterpiece with equal values, we will have this problem. I would hate to live in an all white place as much as I would an all black place. I would prefer to have all beauty represented. (not leaving out shades in case some idiot wants to make that out to be a racists statement.)

 

Earlpearl did you just write that or was it from somewhere? Just curious.

That seemed like a thought out article. I would have to agree with most, other parts I would guess is correct but no proof. Bush definitely got away with not being labeled by his "down to earth" persona.

 

You are very right. We are all humans. Wonderful flowers of various colours that bloom in this great garden called earth.

 

I wrote it.

 

I see him as a community organizer who lacks experience, poise and tact.

 

It has been a tactic for years. Straying away from the issues and appealing to a lot of Americans propensity to believe the negative just to satisfy their own fears.
They never prove themselves in an open forum, they just scare the uneducated into swaying towards their direction, and making people believe that they are the only ones who will take care of them....and then they screw the common man over.

That is the Republican Party. It's all , [ children running in wheat fields, and veterans in small towns waving American flags]. They sell and image, not ability or intelligence.
People want to believe that image....unfortunately, it has not existed since "I Love Lucy" was on the air.

 

You're all a bunch of uppity negroes .

 

Obama is a member of the CFR (Council on foreign relations) just as McCain. Neither are fit for presidency. Ron Paul is the future!

 

Someone Stumbled the article and left a negative "thumbs down". Stating that :"Obama is now rich and as such is just as much an elitist as the rest....., and this country was meant to be run by people with good intentions and good ideas".
That guy is seriously disillusioned. This country has never been run by "average joe's", because "average joe's" do not have the capacity to think in therms of millions of people, billions of dollars, and the entire world economy.

As I stated, when it comes to someone responsible for trillions of dollars, I want a guy in office that knows what a trillion dollars is.

If we ever elect a poor man President, we will end up a poor country, ripe for the pickens. Just for someone to romanticize the ideal of being President, proves that they have no clue of the gravity of the responsibility of the office of the President of the United States.
Trust me, if a guy who behind on his mortgage, with an average education driving a 6 year old car is elected President, it will be the end of any prosperity we have ever had.

 

I agree. I have read donald trump's books. Even though he might be considered an "elite" for his money and power, he has many good ideas and is good at implementing them well as is obvious from his position.

We need people at the top who are good managers of life, people and it's various situations. People with sound knowledge and experience of the things that are essential to a country and it's people and their collective well-being.
Rather a skilled elite than a bumbling good guy. Maybe we will get/are getting skilled good guys, who are the best of all for the "big" positions.

 

I don't get the connection between "elitist" and "uppity negro". I think this is just another way to say, "If you dare to call Obama an elitist, you must be a racist." One example of why certain people may consider him an elitist, was over his statement, when Hillary made a fuss saying that he was out of touch with middle class America when he said, “So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” Some people may have taken that the wrong way, and feel he is an elitist. Are we allowed to criticize him at all without being labelled as a racist? If we call McCain an elitist, are we in actuality spitting out a racial slur against white people everywhere?

 

There is not much connection. Not all who call obama elitist are thinking that way. Uppity maybe, but the not the other part.

IMO Yes. If we can't criticize a presidential candidate, who can we .
If someone alleges racism upon a critic who intends nothing racist, then the person making the allegations should be ashamed.

 

Of course you can criticize him. If you read the examples of why it is a ridiculous statement, you have to ask yourself why him, and not others:


Quote:

There is a certain elitist attitude that goes along with any man wiling to stand up and yell to 350 million Americans and the world and shout out, “I want to be President of the United States, and you should vote for me, because I’m better than the other people !” It is a characteristic of every man that has been President since George Washington.

Make no bones about it people, Presidential Candidates are rich people. Millionaires. They don’t live paycheck to paycheck. Not many poor men have been President of the United States of America.

In our history, we have had Presidents and Candidates express arrogance, confidence, and zeal. They have use words like, “I will…“, “I can“.., “I have..” “My record“…,”, “My plan..“and “if you vote for me“., all the while asking for Millions of dollars in support…and not once have any of them been called “Elitist” !

We are the same country that puts Entertainers, and Athletes on a pedestal, and most of them wouldn’t piss on us if we were on fire. They have security to keep us away from them. They use different entrances than the rest us. They sell us autographs ! AUTOGRAPHS ! Tabloids pay them millions for their baby pictures, because we spend more time looking at their kids than our own !

So why do we call him elitists ?

 

Yeah but it's not, why him and not others?.
hillary clinton, elitist
John McCain, elitist
John Kerry, elitist

In the media, they refer to many politicians as elitist. Yet, if they include Obama in this, somehow they must be a racist. I just think that is ridiculous, anyway, I have decided to support McCain.

 

How come no one ever talks about Obama's white half?

 

I learned pretty quickly that "anything", absolutely anything you say about Obama, is going to be construed as racist if it is not something positive, or something that is more aligned with the halo around his head.

Question his experience, you're a racist
Question his patriotism, you're a racist
Question his wife's salary increase, you're a racist
Question his upbringing, you're a racist
Question his shady home loan, you're a racist
Question his religion, you're a racist
Question his policy, you're a racist
Question his inability to hold down a job, you're a racist
Question his lack of commitment to his current constituents, you're a racist

What I find odd about this is, Obama is not even Black. What race is being discussed when racist assertions are being made?

The truth here is, if you do not like, agree with, or plan not to vote for Obama, you're a racist.

 

The same reason that on a census report, there is no check box for "mixed" or "half white".
People in American society only dwell on the black half because that's the part that they have no familiarity with, or are uncomfortable with.

Absolutely not true. However, there are certain things in the black community we have become used to as racist attitudes. Many others are just hearing of them , now, but it is old news to us.

That just happens to be one that goes back to the 50's that was used to disrespect Martin Luther King, and many other educated black people of the time.
Segregationist, and racists repeatedly called blacks who were standing up for equal rights and fair treatment "Uppity (insert "N" word)". So it does draw some blood, because we still cannot judge a man by the content of his character.

There have been many other things done in this campaign that were waaaayy more racist than this:

1) The NY art gallery exhibit called "The assassination of Barack Obama" that featured huge drawings of black penises on the wall and a picture of his kids titled, "Nappy headed hoes"

2) The New Yorker cover that portrayed him in Muslim attire in the Oval Office, with a picture of Bin Laden over the fireplace.

3) Rush Limbaugh's "Barack the Magic Negro" song.

Just to name a few.
These are things that are unacceptable to any man. They are personal insults based solely on race.

If you insult or lampoon someone based on the issues it's one thing..if race is the basis of the satire, I have to question why that is the thing that was picked out.
It doesn't matter who it is, or what race or religion they are. Those are racist attitudes.

 

Obama is called "elitist" is an artful dodge for "uppity." due to the fact he is biracial. He will be the first biracial President.

 

*Excellent* post hmansfield.

It's ok to use racial sterotypes if referring to members of your own race, right? Can I call McCain an Uppity Cracker? Hmmm...we need better racial slurs for white people.