Is Obama black?

[Steve]

Came up in another thread, ballen says Obama isn't black, and therefore is NOT our first black president. What does everyone else think? I'm genuinely curious about this.

 

[CoryKS]

I thought Bill Clinton was our first black president? I'm so confused.

 

[Big Don]

Came up in another thread, ballen says Obama isn't black, and therefore is NOT our first black president. What does everyone else think? I'm genuinely curious about this.

Well, his dad was black, his mom was white, so, he's half and half, although, running as half and half wouldn't have garnered nearly as much hype as running as black...

 

[Steve]

I thought Bill Clinton was our first black president? I'm so confused.

That's funny. I remember when that was thrown around.

 

[elder999]

Race is an artificial construct, so he's whatever he says he is, pretty much. However, based on appearance alone, he would be identified as "black" by a majority of Americans if they were unaware of his "bi-racial" status, and he certainly would garner some attention if he self0identified as "white", though there's nothing preventing him from doing so.

Biracial?doesn't that mean that his daddy was E.T., or something, and his mom was a member of the human race? :lfao:

 

[Darksoul]

-Sad that 'color' is still so important. Should we call him our first 'mixed' color President? How individuals indentify him and how the country as a whole indentifies him should be moot at this point. He's in office. People should judge him by his actions.

Andrew

 

[Steve]

Well, his dad was black, his mom was white, so, he's half and half, although, running as half and half wouldn't have garnered nearly as much hype as running as black...

So, you think this is a legitimate distinction? What if his mom was half black and his dad was black? Could he claim to be black then?

I've heard allegations that he's not an American. I've also heard allegations that he's not actually a Christian. But this is truly the first time I've ever heard that he's not really black.

Would you go so far as to say he's not legally black?

 

[Steve]

-Sad that 'color' is still so important. Should we call him our first 'mixed' color President? How individuals indentify him and how the country as a whole indentifies him should be moot at this point. He's in office. People should judge him by his actions.

Andrew

I agree to an extent. While he certainly should be held accountable and measured as a president by what he does, to ignore the significance of a black president in this country is, IMO, the wrong thing to do. Like it or not, we have baggage, and the election of a black president is a significant social milestone in our Nation's history. We may as well forget Jackie Robinson (first black pro-baseball player), Thurgood Marshall (first black Supreme Court Justice), Sgt. William Carney (first black Medal of Honor recipient), or any of the other black "firsts".

 

[Ken Morgan]

You guys are deeply in debt, are running huge deficits on the city, state and national level, have high unemployment, are running trade deficits with damn near every country you trade with, and THIS is an issue????

I don’t care what colour my car is, I want it to get me and my kids from A to B in one piece.

 

[Steve]

You guys are deeply in debt, are running huge deficits on the city, state and national level, have high unemployment, are running trade deficits with damn near every country you trade with, and THIS is an issue????

I don’t care what colour my car is, I want it to get me and my kids from A to B in one piece.

Let's keep things in perspective, Ken. This isn't "an issue." It's a topic of conversation that came up in another thread and has nothing to do with the other things you mention.

 

[CoryKS]

You guys are deeply in debt, are running huge deficits on the city, state and national level, have high unemployment, are running trade deficits with damn near every country you trade with, and THIS is an issue????

I don’t care what colour my car is, I want it to get me and my kids from A to B in one piece.

To be fair, though, if the only reason you bought the car in the first place is because it was blue, you'd want it to actually be a blue car.

 

[elder999]

We may as well forget Jackie Robinson (first black pro-baseball player),".

FIrst black major league player-there was aprofessional "Negro League," where Jackie Robinson played before the signing with the Dodgers, and which Obama would have had to play in at the time, had he been alive and wanted to be a ball player, and had the talent. Just as he would have had to ride in the back of the bus in southern states, and been unable to vote, and been lynched for whistling at a "white" woman, and been unable to be elected anything but dog-catcher.

And not because he looks "biracial" at all......:lfao:

 

[yorkshirelad]

Race is an artificial construct, so he's whatever he says he is, pretty much. However, based on appearance alone, he would be identified as "black" by a majority of Americans if they were unaware of his "bi-racial" status, and he certainly would garner some attention if he self0identified as "white", though there's nothing preventing him from doing so.

Biracial?doesn't that mean that his daddy was E.T., or something, and his mom was a member of the human race? :lfao:

A coworker of mine told me how important it was for him to see "a black man" as POTUS. He told me that it was a shame that his father didn't see it. I asked him if it mattered that Obama was half white. He answered that as far as he was concerned, even "a drop of black" would make him black. So using his logic, we're all black!!

 

[Darksoul]

I agree to an extent. While he certainly should be held accountable and measured as a president by what he does, to ignore the significance of a black president in this country is, IMO, the wrong thing to do. Like it or not, we have baggage, and the election of a black president is a significant social milestone in our Nation's history. We may as well forget Jackie Robinson (first black pro-baseball player), Thurgood Marshall (first black Supreme Court Justice), Sgt. William Carney (first black Medal of Honor recipient), or any of the other black "firsts".

-Yeah, I guess I just wish we were farther along as a country in terms of being past certain things. Might happen someday. Might not.


Andrew

 

[ballen0351]

So basically who cares about his white mother and white grandparents that raised him as long as his sperm donor was a black man hes black?

 

[elder999]

So basically who cares about his white mother and white grandparents that raised him as long as his sperm donor was a black man hes black?

"Black" children are adopted and raised by white couples all the time-doesn't make them "white," does it?

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

WOW how nuts is it that this even is worth discussing?
It almost reminds me of the Native American Indian Blood issues... or more importantly the ever changing blood percentage to be considered a member of a specific tribe or not..
Its funny how they tend to increase or decrease depending on what is needed at the moment..
if its about sharing tribal funds from casino profits it usually becomes pretty hard to claim heritage without a large percentage of blood...
but when it comes time for benefits for the tribes based on how many members they have those restrictions tend to loosen up..
maybe its something like this with Obama..
one race will claim him when he does something they like, and the other side will deny him, and then when the opposite happens they can change course...
sounds like a great thing to keep all those small minded race worried people occupied.
When the hell are people going to grow up and realize race is unimportant in this type of a situation?

 

[Blade96]

Came up in another thread, ballen says Obama isn't black, and therefore is NOT our first black president. What does everyone else think? I'm genuinely curious about this.

he's mixed race. Thats how I see him.

I think he's called first black pres cause he obviously black in him. Half black. And he looks black. not white.

 

[Scott T]

So basically who cares about his white mother and white grandparents that raised him as long as his sperm donor was a black man hes black?

For me he's biracial.

This is for you, how do you see Halle Berry?

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

For me he's biracial.

This is for you, how do you see Halle Berry?

as Hot.... is that the right race?