Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin - what if things were switched around? Think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different? Could racism be the culprit?
Ponder the following:
What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three-month-old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?
What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?
What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?
What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain had graduated from Harvard?
What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?
What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?
What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?
What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?
You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are? This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.
Educational Background:
Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
vs.
John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899
Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism
I found this on Anna Empiric's blog, Relish Small Pleasures; she found it on The Engaged Observer.
28 comments:
Hoooooleeeey crap. When the differences are put in that context, the conclusion is damning indeed. Thanks for sharing this.
Nooooooo.... it couldn't possibly be racism!!!
I grew up in a town where people still proudly fly the Confederate flag, where even educated folks think that Obama is a Muslim, and where the N word is used more frequently than one would think.
So, yeah, I'm here to say that it could be racism.
If all those facts were switched Obama would never
have been coinsidered for the nomination. Its bullshit, but its true.
Sitting at O'Hare, NOT looking forward to my 8+ hour flight, but loving that I can read blogs on my phone while we wait to board!
Hi Julia - thanks for visiting.
DAVID!! You are exactly right. Have fun in Paris! I wondered why you were commenting and not on your way. And, yes, this needs to be filed under the "Sad but true files."
I feel a little bad that I stole it from Anna's site, but she stole it :-). Her site is so funny. And this was definitely worth repeating.
Truely mind blowing, HG.
Obama wouldn't even be a senator with a background/record like that one. It does combine the worst of McSame and Pain, though and projects all of it onto Obama. But then, I guess that colorless old Joe just doesn't have that much material, does he?
Obama prolly couldn't even get a job shining shoes in the halls of the congress with a pedigree that looked like that.
omg, this is a FABULOUS post. bravo.
I just came back to read it again, and it's even better the second time.
This? Is genius. I love posts that get me re-thinking everything.
I found this post through Brandy's twitter and it is absolute genius. Awesome work and thanks for writing this!
found this via brandy's twitter too and this is a great post. just wanted to pass that along :)
I found it via brandy's tweet as well and thought it was so good that I re-tweeted it. I definitely think race is an issue.
I feel sick my stomach when thinking that the people who differentiate like that because of the colour of your skin is basically made of the same as me.
FOund via Brandy, too. What a wonderful and thought-provoking post!
This is insanely interesting.
Great job.
These are really important things to point out. Thank you!
i got to you through brandy's post...thanks for sharing such a great find!
Brandy told me to come read this or face some sort of punishment.
So much to say here. I was going to be a smart ass and mock some of your keen observations, but I will spare you this time.
It really is interesting to match the two teams based on experience and intellect. This parading of the Palin family for each speech of hers is so pathetic.
Wow, just...wow. I can't wait for the election to come, so this can all be over-- and so I don't have to lie awake at night thinking that Sarah Palin could be anywhere near the White House, ever. (Except on a tour or whatever, you know what I mean.)
I also got here through 'It's like I'm... mmmagic'.
Although I'm not American, I'm finding great interest in what is surely the greatest US Election of my lifetime (thus far at least). So I'm glad that this is being posted around for more people to read. :)
Ignoring my political viewpoints, I cannot see how anybody could actually support McCain, on the basis of what I've just read. But I'm not sure whether it is a case of racism... In my mind it's more to do with a Republican viewpoint on what a "true American" is, which I suppose people like Bush & McCain would be.
Obama is a politician and perhaps a true leader. And they can say that he has no experience, but at least he doesn't have the wrong experiences.
Thanks, Jo. Feel free anybody to repost it. I think it started on email.
Hey, Brandy and Brandy's peeps - Thanks for coming by. Yes, I thought this was really interesting.
I love your blog, Brandy, you are really something. I understand why you have such a devoted following.
Egan - Special thanks for visiting under coercion. Sorry it wasn't in list form (I recognized you from "so egan will LOVE this")...
Megan - Except on a tour. Ha!
Astharis - I love to hear points of view from outside the U.S. Yes, you are correct. The people who support McCain think they are patriotic and we are not and they are (a particular brand of) Christian and we are not, the list goes on. I think Obama is young enough to not only be a politician. I would say Hillary qualifies more as that. However, both are very smart and I'm so thrilled at the prospect of having a really bright person in the White House again.
It's a good post. Tony Campolo also talked about this on his radio show, Across the Pond. I mention that merely for your information.
One note: The McCain's baby is from, I believe, Bangladesh. Again, it's a good post, but to progress towards eliminating racism, we need to be careful to not frame blacks and whites as opposites and I worry that last point heads in that direction. Otherwise, good post.
It's so one of those "I wish it wasn't so" realities.
Joiningtheconversation: Thanks for your comments. Yes, she is from Bangladesh. Good point. My stepdaughter dates a boy from Sri Lanka and he always refers to himself as brown. Why he feels the need to do so is interesting to me. It's sort of a joke, I guess. Or pride? But the reality is that when they went on a summer trip and ended up in a diner in Arkansas, the place went dead silent. So, sadly, racism is alive and well in the U.S. and, as this post points out, perhaps even with some people who thought they were above such nonsense.
Hey, Miss Britt - yup.
Yes, I do mind you reposting and sending so many visitors to my blog. Thanks.
Wow indeed.
Posts like this one are great at getting a bunch of people who already think something is true all riled up. If you werent sure whether racism played a role before, well after this post we know it does. Wait? This post presented us with no evidence we didnt already know, provided no statistics or research at all. And yet now everyone responding is so emotionally charged. "Its racism!" Fantastic.
It would be foolish to think that racism does not exist and that unfortunately it will play a role in the decision some make in the upcoming election.
However, posts like this and the emotional responses it generates carelessly marginalize the voting choice of a white person voting for McCain or a black person voting for Obama.
Racism is to be denounced wherever it is found and all efforts should be made to foster tolerance and understanding. However, here all that has been presented is broad brushstrokes compiled to produce a certain emotional reaction from its audience w/o regard to basic tenants of responsibility and integrity. Racism is a very sensitive issue that when addressed deserves better than conclusory observations such as those presented here. This type of behavior fosters distrust among races on a level that might or might not be warranted, but certainly is not warranted by such an emotional presentation of selectively chosen information that does not directly or even indirectly address the claim the author makes.
THANK YOU ANON! I am so tired of the assumption that if anyone voted AGAINST Obama (For McCain, Nader, or anyone else) is a racist. And I love that the so called "liberals" who are supposed to be so tolerant, will verbal blast anyone who has an opposing view point.
I would leave my name, but your comment section won't let me post that way.
Both anons: Yawn.
Clearly, this has riled your partisan sides because it is a non-partisan post designed to challenge those who think they are tolerant.
But you can't even figure out how to leave your name here, so how can I expect you to be thoughtful?
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