A Series on the Impact of Race on the 2012 Presidential Election Commentary
Monday aftern0on before the media began covering candidate Romney‘s latest gaffe, I saw a posting of the clandestine tape of this private Romney speech on Facebook during which he expressed his disregard for 47% of the American voting population. Many of us were quick to express our righteous indignation about his having been “caught ” red-handed dissing a large part of the population.
I could not imagine how the mainstream press would handle this or what his own party would say. It quickly became clear that no matter Romney’s intent at the point that he actually made the comments, he was going to need higher help with the explanation of these comments if he is ever to dig himself out of this faux pas.
In the aftermath of only 48 hours, this topic has been picked as dry as the proverbial chicken bone by the professional pundits much more efficiently than I am capable of doing. But last night, the President was asked about Romney’s comments on Late Night with Dave Letterman. And I can tell you, I was not surprised at all by his response.
In framing his response to questions about Romney’s statements, the President “… told Letterman before the live audience that he cares about all Americans and believes a president should work for everybody – not just for some. Putting the Romney-47% of Americans quote in perspective, Obama said that 47% of Americans voted for John McCain in 2008 but he still work(ed) for them.”
What can you say to that response, other than the Romney-as-presidential candidate seems unable to envision the collective “We” of a leader. I mean, you would expect a responsible leader of a free country to talk about we with a capital W. We are human beings first. We all bleed the same color. We all have the same basic needs. We should all have the same rights. President Obama, without resorting to who might belong to this 47%, modeled the higher level thinking he wants voters to internalize and associate with his leadership with his comments. This is no accident.
The President refuses to talk race in a specific way. Neither will he allow an interrogator to pigeon-hole him narrowly on the basis of his race. So I am asking, is he like my friends who refuse to experience society as racial? For example, two of us walk into an empty luggage store. My friend and I, along with two sales people are the only ones present in the store. Neither sales person acknowledges our entry. No “hello.” No “Let me know if we can help you.” The stand-off begins and though no one says anything, I am interpreting their behavior as being more about their preconceived ideas about race.
I wait to see if they will acknowledge us. They wait to see how long it will take for us to leave. We leave without interaction. When we finally leave, my friend says they probably simply thought we did not need help while as I said, my interpretation is their behavior is 95% about race. But this is not a conversation we can actually have without tension and discomfort, so there is NO conversation. And I think the same is true in society. Talking about race makes people uncomfortable. When it happens, the feeling is that someone must be blamed for this bad behavior.
I think this is also why the President does not discuss race in his speeches. He cannot fist pump into the air that he is a brother because in his life, he is a brother to every man. I realize, some people feel negatively that the President does not take society to task about the inequities suffered by black, or brown or yellow people in the specific. But I am convinced he has chosen consciously to address race and societal inequities more philosophically. He does not talk specifically about the high numbers of poor black people, but he talks about a class of people living in poverty causing many folks to ask, ” Even though I support you, what have you done for me lately?” And when you seek to answer this question for your own life, maybe your own response gets a little fuzzy?
Tell me, have you had any open conversations about race and the upcoming presidential election; and if so, was it a congenial environment?
SomerEmpress says
Hello Patricia,
I enjoyed this article. Thank you! Looking forward to also contributing some writing to the RACE 2012 Project, on my blog page. Monica Medina shared your blog with me, but I also saw it on the Race2012 FB page.
To answer your question: I hope to have a candid breaking-bread of sorts when I write my posts regarding Race & Politics in this Presidential Election; however, to date, during this political climate, I can say that I have not had a congenial discussion with non-blacks regarding race. The comments, directed toward me, though more subtle, allege my drinking of the Kool-Aid versus my thorough understanding of, and unapologetic support for, my candidate’s positions and politics. Rather than real dialogue, I find that there’s either avoidance, or disrespect when the issue of race and politics is raised, and not much in between. My sincere hope is that we can move beyond this and have that discussion civilly. We must breakthrough, somehow.
SomerEmpress
boomrwiz says
Hi
So nice of you to pop over to share. I will for sure be looking out for your posts having to do with PBS2012. By now you may have noticed I have been rummaging around your “clean” house. Loved that post and the underlying philosophy of your site.
Now regarding kool-aid: I too have been accused of drinking the kool-aid by my adult son as it relates to my support for my candidate. Having said that, I am not a fool. So yes, I am with you…. looking forward to a breakthrough. Maybe we will be instrumental in making it happen.
Sienna Jae Fein says
I like your suggestion that the President comments philosophically on certain issues. He must certainly have been thinking in that mode when he made the “you didn’t build that” comment. Smaller minds – those unable to rise to the philosophical level – jumped on the phrase as though it were a simple declarative statement devoid of the substance behind it.
boomrwiz says
Yes, it is a skill I think to contextualize good and bad things beyond one’s personal experience. If we don’t have someone to remind us, we would all be inclined to get down in the mud every time someone said something we disagreed with or disliked. I can honestly say that in my lifetime, JFK was the first president I heard who expressed a global viewpoint that made me feel I was a citizen of the world. Kind of took me out of my personal circumstances and encouraged me to think bigger. I think that is what the current president evokes in his literary flourishes and it just may be beyond some of us citizens.
roycrosse says
Good question Blogger Patton. I think we can adress the question without indulging Mr Romney and his narrow view of the world we share.
In the bad old days of Jim Crow, we could rely on folks like: Joe louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Floyd Patterson to provide a psychological lift, if only temporarily, by exercising their skills to level the playing field and win. They did for us what no other institution or agency could do. I was a child of the Caribbean and I could tell you the joy was Universal.
Mr. Obama, our first black president has not only recaptured that spirit of Hope but has transcended the emotional turf. His very presence in the white house is already “doing for us” without pointing a finger. Had he been appointed as an advocate for black people it would be reasonable to agree with the disgruntled.
He has to be more like Martin Luther King than Floyd Patterson, and talk about issues of race in ways that affects the entire country. Race is a problem for all America not just blacks, and the sooner it is dealt with as a collective, the sooner America can take its place on the world stage.
Too many like Romney, think they can continue to exploit race for personal gain without polluting the atmosphere. But to be fair, America may still be too young too immature to reconcile their history or race discrimination. You have to be all grown up to face your demons.
roycrosse
boomrwiz says
I like the visual of “our first black president has not only recaptured that spirit of Hope but has transcended the emotional turf.” Everyone who pushes past negativity must do this, don’t you think? And “YOu have to be all grown up to face your demons” is the topic of a new blog post. That’s called synergy.
boomrwiz says
The pleasure is all mine. Readers do take a look at aarynbelfer.com/2012/09/race-2012-a-collaboration…