Gawker
Can we just say, the day after, that we're still totally impressed with Barack Obama's speech yesterday? Jon Stewart, after a whole routine about it that fell 90% flat, suddenly summed it up quite nicely: "and so," he said, "on a Tuesday at 11 a.m., a Presidential candidate actually spoke to Americans about race as though we were adults." That is actually unprecedented—since the 1960s, at the least. It was so odd, in fact, that it melted the brains of the people whose job it is to trivialize everything about the campaign. Times columnist Maureen Dowd filed a column last night that only barely resembles anything she's written in a decade.
To be sure, there are unnecessary cheap shots against the Clintons, she seizes on the color the suit Obama wore as representative of some larger point (it was gray do you see?), and she calls Obama "naïve" (is there a dumber storyline she could've picked for such a savvy sonuvabitch?), but there are no cutesy nicknames (besides one "Saint Obama"), no inept sarcasm, no armchair psychoanalyzing of any politicians, and very few of the tropes and tics that have made Ms. Dowd an irrelevant self-parody. She calls the speech "momentous and edifying" and seems impressed despite herself with the sophistication of the guy she's been calling "Obambi", because she couldn't think of an appropriate pop-cultural or pop-literary reference for him that wouldn't sound offensive.
This uncharacteristic reasonableness is spreading—the intolerable opinion page of the New York Sun today runs a column by linguist and Cosby-defending black curmudgeon John McWhorter that represents, if you'll forgive us for borrowing Jon Stewart's language, the very first example we've seen in the press of talking about the offensive sermons of Reverend Jeremiah Wright as though we were adults.
Some things, of course, never change, and the Wall Street Journal is quite upset that Barack Obama told the whole country that his white grandma is a racist.
Comments
Yesterday I painted portraits of Obama and Clinton in Emperor Justinian garb:
[flickr.com]
[flickr.com]
Thank you, Barack, for stating the obvious so eloquently.
Palpatine for president!
[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]
Summary of The Greatest Speech Ever: Obama sells out racist grandmother for political points, wows corporate media with trite (obvious) revelations about race in America, suburban wine drinkers think he's still The One (again), and DLC breathes a sigh of relief. Still remains least despicable option amongst three big-money celeb candidates.
Cut at the last minute from MoDo's column: "P.S.: He has a vagina!"
Can Maureen Dowd take a long walk off a short cliff? That dried up old cunt gets on my damn nerves.
Even here on the internets and on this site, we too are so very used to our immediate and stock answer for everything as a quip, a sarcastic toss, a cynical eye to belie the knot in the belly as the foolishness builds. A trait we had to fine tune over time, and especially over the past ten years what with our government running without checks and allowing them to distract us with shiny things like gay marriage, the social security okie doke and religion over practical matters.
So now we're confronted with someone who doesn't want to play that game because it is dead serious for him and not something he can chuckle or shoo away. Not only is he convinced that America can be above distractions and get down t o business, but be also, incredibly, believes that America can save itself, and he's the guy to do it. And he wants to show by example by "doing it" the right way.
We've always wanted transparency; he's been providing that on his end.
We've always wanted straight talk and honesty; he's stepping up to the plate.
And what do we allow to do? We look forward to American Idol. We wait until the media chops up its soundbites and feed us which minute bullet points from a 40 minute speech we should be chewing.
I had a friend who recently said without hesitation "Black people don't vote." That insulted me because I've been voting ever since I could and that was back during the Dinkins time and I brought my son with me since he was a baby to show him this is our duty and our right. I'm tired of waiting for polls and poll breakdowns by race, gender, education to try to tell me who I should vote for.
Just put it on the table, make it plain, and I can make my own damned mind up.
(sorry for the AM rant. No coffee yet)
Things white people like: Being told that "what ails the African American community" is the fault of white racism.
@SinisterRouge on Notice!: But she's still, in a way, hot.
@The Real JR: What?
@The Real JR: I love how Barry brings out the earnest in you. It's kinda sweet.
@In Other News...: In the way that if you were 85 looking for a 65 year old hottie trophy 4th wife right? I'll give you that.
@In Other News...: She's hot in that "desperate-and-would-sleep-with-you-if-you-quoted-her-writing-back-to-her-and-called-her-"brilliant"-at-a-cocktail-party" kind of way.
@SinisterRouge on Notice!:
:)
I dunno, since 2004 I had been a rather grumpy person. Now that old youthful idealism I used to have back in the day has started to pry itself from that rusty old tin I've been calling a heart...
Dear Barack: Don't muck it up!
@In Other News...: Agreed. Maureen Dowd -- for all her numerous deficits -- is still, in a way, hot. Here, here ::banging fist on table::
@The Real JR: Aw!!! Who knew! It took Barack for JR's heart to start beating again.
um can we do without calling people c*nts?
Wow, so who did you vote for, Pareene? Cuz I can't tell.
@SinisterRouge on Notice!: @Nard38: Come on, admit it - her avatar turns you on.
I Have A Carefully Constructed, Politically Advantageous Dream
@scarletmenace: That's why she's on notice.
@The Real JR: You're absolutely right. I wonder if we're ready to stop being treated like children with ADHD?
@The Real JR: I know what you're saying about gay marriage being used by the Republican party in an incredibly cyncial way to divide people and play on their basest fears and prejudices. But it is a legitimate civil rights issue, and it is extremely disappointing that Obama doesn't embrace it as part of his platform. It wasn't so long ago that his parents' marriage was illegal is many states.
@lawyergay: But that would imply taking an actual policy position, which apparently aggravates Obama's eczema or something.
@scarletmenace: What happened to my Gawker?? Cunt used to be thrown around just for the fuck of it. Now it's looked down upon? :( Sad.
@SarahHeartburn: I'm on notice for offending the sweet sensibilities of the proper ladies on the Jezebel. Uptight whores.
@SinisterRouge on Notice!:
And The Real JR, with his feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without condescension! It wasn't too trite!
"It came without pandering, lying or fright!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then The Real JR thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe politics," he thought, "doesn't have to suck sack.
"Maybe politics...perhaps...can be saved by Barack!"
And what happened then...?
Well...in DC they say
That The Real JR's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He sent a campaign donation through the bright morning light
And he said "Yes we can!" And on Gawker he wrote,
That he...
...HE HIMSELF...!
The Real JR would cast the first vote!
@lawyergay: He does. He is more like to bring the topic of the Geighs up in front Non-Geighs. In fact, he just recently mentioned us at a black church if I am not mistaken.
@John Carney:
Ha.ha. You're being funny right? Why don't you take a long walk in mainly white nieghbourhoods and say that? And see if they don't laugh in your face and tell you that 'those blacks are just lazy'? Or actually the Washington post comments on their blogs could tell you that..
Such a predictable comment. Sigh.
@crooked_teeth:
Comment on New York Still Baffled By Non-Pandering Race Speech I think you mat have missed the point. I don't think he "threw his grandmother under the bus". I think his used her example of how complex human realtionships can be. Perhaps you were brought up in a more progressive household, or had younger relatives, but I had a Grandfather that would say the most innapropriate things, and many times, I was glad none of my friends were around to hear it. It didn't mean I loved him any less. So I knew exactly what Barack was taking about. You can repudiate the things someone says, but still accept them for the other things they bring into your life. _________________________________________________________________ Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging. You IM, we give. http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/?source=text_hotmail_join
@lawyergay and @TheHonJudgeSmails: He voted against the defense against marriage act and wants to repeal the don't ask don't tell military policy AND expand civil rights to include the LGBT community.
Policy is there, you just have to look.
@Nard38: Gorgeous. Bravo!
@lawyergay: And I agree with you. What was frustrating over the whole gay marriage discussion is that it quickly devolved into an OMGZ TEH GAYZ thing in which they used homophobia as a form of distraction.
Personally I feel that civil unions and partnerships should be recognized and observed and you're right, perhaps he's playing it too safe by not putting his ideas on such things on his platform. Then again, nobody is talking about it in general in this cycle. Dunno. I just feel that, in general, we're fed only superficial things to hide not only the core issues, but in a way to keep the masses dumbed down by not showing us the big picture. Much how the subprime crisis has been broadly explained as a probem with credit risk people getting mortgages and not that its these financial firm who repacked and resold many times over these loans largely unchecked. Presto! An okie doke and blame it on the small guy.
@The Real JR:
what you said, 100 percent
obama is the first politician in my adult life who is not campaigning for office by running against poor people, who is not busy convincing poor people that their problems are caused by even poorer people, and who appeals to our better angels rather than to despair
he is working to change the frame and change the story
that is a huge, important, generational shift
he is the anti reagan: channeling charisma and intelligence into promises of better things, rather than the destruction of other human beings
i started out favoring edwards in this campaign, because i saw him as the only one interested in afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted; when he withdrew i voted for obama in the primary
obama and hillary both -- and all democrats -- are held to a completely different standard in the media than republicans. he took it back to the mass media and then some with things that needed to be saying
now let's see the mass media hold mccain accountable for the hate speech of all the wingnut preachers, con artists and blowhards who pontificate daily on tv, radio and in their churches. i'm waiting ... waiting ... waiting ...
@SinisterRouge on Notice!: I think you're wrong there, sugar.
Gawker commenters are cool because they find ways to disparage the deserving cleverly. Anybody can toss around a few expletives.
kthxbai
@scarletmenace: LOL. Are you attempting to run me out based on the premise of circle-jerk punnery? It's cute.
@lawyergay:
Did you not see Obama talking about the Gay issue in a full on Black church? What's McCain done? Or Hilary the saviour of America?
Here's the link, [www.towleroad.com]
When does Admiral Adama enter the race?
@Nard38: ;P
The racist grandma story isn't even new. It was covered in more detail in his book "Dreams From My Father," which came out in the '90s, I think. I read it a few months ago, so it's pretty fresh in my mind.
In any case, he wasn't putting her down, so anyone who would be upset about that is missing the point.
What a great speech. I heard a repeat of it on public radio last night and I hoped that people would really hear it instead of taking snippets of it out of context. Sigh.
Most people want to be victims of the injustice of being treated as idiots.
@drunkexpatwriter: After Obama's speech yesterday the interwebz and Daily Kos all broke out in unison: "So say we all!"
Also this non-sentence is bothering me: "To be sure, there are unnecessary cheap shots against the Clintons, she seizes on the color the suit Obama wore as representative of some larger point (it was gray do you see?), and she calls Obama "naïve" (is there a dumber storyline she could've picked for such a savvy sonuvabitch?), but ..."
Is there a moratorium on nitpicking before 11AM ET?
Hey! I am an URBAN wine drinker!
I am still quite moved by hearing the man speak, if slightly aghast at my being so. It is beyond refreshing to hear a voice of intelligence that simply does not join in on the circle jerk of media Medianess to create bloated talking points passing as discourse. I just fear that the stupendous dumbing down of living under a president who has neither English as a first language nor the intelligence to be given a pass for fumbling oration has forever doomed us to believe only that which makes for mildly effective bumper stickers--as if the world could be summed up in a text message. What was spoken yesterday is what is needed in the White House, not what we have seen and heard for as long as I can recall (and yes, I'm certainly old enough to use that phrase).
@scarletmenace: um can we do without "um" and "kthxbai"?
I assume Jon Stewart will do his best to cause Obama to lose, lest he go without material for four years.
@scarletmenace:
Emphasis on the clever
Decisive evidence of pandering: the amen chorus reaction to the speech.
@trescharmant: So, you're saying that you are clever enough for Gawker? Could you be any cooler?
@The Real JR: Don't apologize. That's the best comment I've read here in a long time.
@WideStanceRomancer:
here's what made me think that obama can harness forces to change this country back to something resembling its ideals, rather than the lying thieving sideshow of incompetents and crooks it has become under the boy king:
"Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends...white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze - a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many..."
This time we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. This time we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn't look like you might take your job; it's that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.
@John Carney: Which is exactly what Obama took pains NOT to say in his speech.
But why don't you just write your own speech containing everything you expected him to say? That's pretty much how most people approach politics anyway.