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TechnographMore flagrant fouls on Obama
By Sujay Kumar
Posted: 6/20/08 Section: Opinion Columns
Sometimes when I run into an African-American man over the age of twenty, I have a knee-jerk reaction to talk about the basketball game last night. It's a stupid urge, rooted in my own excitement and the racial stereotype that all black people like basketball.
In light of this and in fear of engaging in the "fear of hope," or what "The Daily Show" calls "Baracknophobia," I'd like to steer clear of speculating on whether Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama enjoys shooting hoops.
If we can be certain about one thing this election, it's that you don't mess with the Obama. While Obama isn't a Mossad secret agent with a thick Israeli accent (an unconfirmed rumor), the Democratic presidential candidate has suffered a wave of race-based attacks.
During a Fox News segment about conservative attacks on Obama's wife, the graphic on the bottom of the screen read "Outraged liberals: Stop picking on Obama's baby mama!" As other networks noted, baby mama is an urban slang for an unmarried mother. This myth was quickly busted, since Obama is happily married to his, ahem, babies' mother.
"The Sock Obama" was meant to be a cuddly presidential toy, made after an "affectionate…and charming association between a candidate" and a sock monkey. Instead, many thought the monkey with black hair, a suit, and big red lips made a horrible comparison of African ancestry to primates. The anti-monkey-slander Obama squad was quick to deflate the toy, prepared by a Curious George (in T-shirt form) whack at the senator earlier this year.
A Fox News anchor took her own jab when she suggested that an on-stage celebratory fist pound Obama shared with his wife could be a "terrorist fist jab." The segment dissected what the fist "thump" may have meant. A body language expert said the fist "pump" may be akin to how her husband squeezes her hand three times to say "I love you," and she squeezes back four times to dispatch an undisclosed message. She added with a wink that young people are going to like the Obama's "kind of representing a little bit."
While the baby mama, sock monkey, and fist thump/pump/jab/pound may not have been intentional racist attacks, they are all obvious examples of poor judgment given the colorful political climate. But as November nears with the possibility of our first black president, we'll be faced with stories that aren't as clear cut. It'll be our choice to decide whether to blow the race-whistle or not.
On a side note, it turns out that the flashy, free-wheeling ball player, nicknamed "Obomber" for his jump shot, felt that while shooting hoops he made his closest white friends "on turf where blackness couldn't be a disadvantage."
Oh. So Obama does like basketball.
With five months left on this election game clock, there may be hope for a buzzer-beating shot to send Obama off the bench and into the White… (whistle) I'll stop with the basketball references.
Sujay is a senior in biochemistry and wants to stress that "Obomber" does not = terrorism. Go Celtics.
In light of this and in fear of engaging in the "fear of hope," or what "The Daily Show" calls "Baracknophobia," I'd like to steer clear of speculating on whether Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama enjoys shooting hoops.
If we can be certain about one thing this election, it's that you don't mess with the Obama. While Obama isn't a Mossad secret agent with a thick Israeli accent (an unconfirmed rumor), the Democratic presidential candidate has suffered a wave of race-based attacks.
During a Fox News segment about conservative attacks on Obama's wife, the graphic on the bottom of the screen read "Outraged liberals: Stop picking on Obama's baby mama!" As other networks noted, baby mama is an urban slang for an unmarried mother. This myth was quickly busted, since Obama is happily married to his, ahem, babies' mother.
"The Sock Obama" was meant to be a cuddly presidential toy, made after an "affectionate…and charming association between a candidate" and a sock monkey. Instead, many thought the monkey with black hair, a suit, and big red lips made a horrible comparison of African ancestry to primates. The anti-monkey-slander Obama squad was quick to deflate the toy, prepared by a Curious George (in T-shirt form) whack at the senator earlier this year.
A Fox News anchor took her own jab when she suggested that an on-stage celebratory fist pound Obama shared with his wife could be a "terrorist fist jab." The segment dissected what the fist "thump" may have meant. A body language expert said the fist "pump" may be akin to how her husband squeezes her hand three times to say "I love you," and she squeezes back four times to dispatch an undisclosed message. She added with a wink that young people are going to like the Obama's "kind of representing a little bit."
While the baby mama, sock monkey, and fist thump/pump/jab/pound may not have been intentional racist attacks, they are all obvious examples of poor judgment given the colorful political climate. But as November nears with the possibility of our first black president, we'll be faced with stories that aren't as clear cut. It'll be our choice to decide whether to blow the race-whistle or not.
On a side note, it turns out that the flashy, free-wheeling ball player, nicknamed "Obomber" for his jump shot, felt that while shooting hoops he made his closest white friends "on turf where blackness couldn't be a disadvantage."
Oh. So Obama does like basketball.
With five months left on this election game clock, there may be hope for a buzzer-beating shot to send Obama off the bench and into the White… (whistle) I'll stop with the basketball references.
Sujay is a senior in biochemistry and wants to stress that "Obomber" does not = terrorism. Go Celtics.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 13
Viraj
posted 6/20/08 @ 10:29 AM CST
Very well written, Mr. Kumar. I hope the other people reading it can pick up on your message :p
I find it really telling that the media seems to be obsessed with pointing out Obama's race and (simultaneously) pointing out his flaws. (Continued…)
Linda
posted 6/20/08 @ 3:51 PM CST
What rubbish, Sujay.
From the beginning of this campaign, Obama wanted to have it both ways - his campaign was entitled to make use of his race (which is mixed, by the way, not black) as a factor stimulating the black vote, while anybody else wasn't entitled to utter the word race. (Continued…)
Josh McRoberts
posted 6/20/08 @ 10:01 PM CST
Obviously Obama suspended his Trinity Church membership ONLY when the political price of still being there became too great. Basically he added to the insult of a twenty years membership to a racist church the injuries of hypocrisy and opportunism. (Continued…)
Mona Charen
posted 6/21/08 @ 3:20 AM CST
Goosebump Politics
I am so excited by Barack Obama's new politics. Like Chris Matthews, I got a thrill down my leg when the senator announced his candidacy promising a "new kind of politics. (Continued…)
Tiffany
posted 6/22/08 @ 2:33 AM CST
In response to Josh and Linda and their continued "flagrent fouls" on Michelle Obama:
Last I checked, affirmative action helped sway opinion on admission into a college. (Continued…)
Hugh
posted 6/22/08 @ 4:50 PM CST
Kumar's article goes on on the lines of Barack Obama's attribution to John McCain and the GOP of the intention to use racist appeals in the campaign ahead is despicable. (Continued…)
Hugh
posted 6/22/08 @ 5:07 PM CST
Tiffany, I am sorry you felt offended by Josh and Linda's posts, but you yourself are a perfect example of incompetent students being admitted to UIUC on the sole basis of their minority status. (Continued…)
TruthSeeker
posted 6/23/08 @ 12:27 AM CST
It may be a matter of taste, but I wouldn't call Obama's pathetic, verbose, long-winded, transparent attempt at damage control (when it appeared clear that his extremely long and intimate relationship with the reverend from hell cost him in the polls) "one of the most important and honest speeches made on race since Dr. (Continued…)
TruthSeeker
posted 6/23/08 @ 12:33 AM CST
New information comes out regarding the shady dealings between Saint Obama and the indicted crook Tony Rezko.
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/tony-rezko-and-obamas-shifting-positions-on-iraq/
The well-researched article also shows how Obama's flip-flopping and abrupt position shifts regarding the Iraq strategy follow closely the interests of the indicted crook Rezko - Obama's close friend. (Continued…)
TruthSeeker
posted 6/23/08 @ 12:37 AM CST
From Cristopher Hitchens (who was fighting racism while Kumar was struggling with the diapers), a fascinating article on Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama's extraordinarily inept Princeton thesis, and on Obama's tardy, unconvincing "disowning" of the reverend from hell:
http://www. (Continued…)
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