VDH writes:
In the current racial circus, the president of the United States, in addressing an assembly of upscale black professionals and political leaders, adopts the style of a Southern Baptist preacher of the 1960s. He alters his cadences and delivery to both berate and gin up the large audience — posing as a messianic figure who will “march” them out to speak truth to power. In response, the omnipresent Rep. Maxine Waters goes public yet again, to object that the president has no right to rally blacks in this way, when he does not adopt similar tones of admonishment with Jews and gays. (Should Obama try to emulate the way he thinks gays and Jews talk in his next address to them?)
Well, I think I’m not alone when I say this, but my answer is… YES! Absolutely. He should do that. In fact all politicians should give that a try. It’d be funnn-eee!
Southern Baptist preachers of the 1960s wouldn't gin up anyone.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm dying to hear what he thinks white Southern Tea Partiers sound like!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTim Pawlenty could answer this question for you. As I recall, he was accused similarly - adopting a phoney southern accent to address evangelicals. I guess he thought sounding like a baptist preacher would help his message too...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAh'm a thinkin' Barry (and all the resta' ya'll) maight be makin' fun a us banjo-playin' moonshine-sippin' Mountain-Williams. But drive on up to our holler anyway, and set a spell. Granddaddy's got an interestin' yarn he'll spin for ya'll. It's about Yankees.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMazel Tov to VDH for his FABULOUS suggestion!
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusewell played sir ...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHe already talks the way he thinks socialist Progressives talk. Of course, it's not an impersonation, so....no points for degree-of-difficulty on that one.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI can't wait to hear his New York Jew impersonation. Let's see how good he is and hear his gay New York Jew impersonation.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThere is one danger I see...
If he's talking to gays, and decided Barney Frank is their 'dialect' The first time he says 'wet me bwe cweer.' they're going to think he's coming out.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's insulting to change the way one speaks in order to influence an audience based on its race or ethnicity, as it implies audience members aren't intelligent enough to know they're being manipulated. President Obama isn't the only liberal Democrat who uses this ploy and black Americans seem not to be insulted by it, but it goes without saying that they would be highly insulted - and the charge of racism would be leveled from shore to shore - if a conservative Republican did it.
Several months ago, two liberal professors at Purdue went crazy when the student newspaper published a cartoon of a black man with big feet lying under a tree upon which was posted a sign that said "Gone Fishin'." Even though the cartoon figure did not look like Barack Obama, the professors assumed the "Gone Fishin'" comment was directed at him because of a "wait and see" attitude that makes him appear to be out of touch and detached from some of the pressing issues of the day.
Although Exponent staff members are not conservative supporters of the Republican Party, that didn't stop one professor from taking a nasty swipe at political foes by making the claim that the publication of the cartoon was prompted by the ignorance and bigotry of conservative Americans who stereo-type black people. On the other hand, no similar outrage was directed at a fully-employed, wealthy black man's demand that black Americans stop complaining, take off their bedroom slippers and march in support of his jobs plan and re-election.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePerhaps those two Purdue profs would be less incensed if the cartoon had shown the President's desk in the Oval Office with a sign that said, "Gone Golfin'".
Or a bumper sticker on the presidential limo that says, "I'd rather be golfin'"
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"... but it goes without saying that they would be highly insulted - and the charge of racism would be leveled from shore to shore - if a conservative Republican did it ..."
I suspect in this matter they would be insulted if any white person did it, and would probably be fine with any black person doing it, rather than by political persuasion.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis has made news because Obama generally doesn't do it (and doesn't seem to do it naturally) but his appearance ALLOWS him to do it.
Didn't Hillary and Bill do this sort of thing on occasion, too?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOh, yes indeed. Don't you remember the "I'm no ways taaaauuuuuurd" fiasco from early in Hillary's campaign? South Park even spoofed it.
I can't decide which bit of fakery is more insulting - Barack's or Hillary's.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSomething tells me Clarence Thomas and black members of the Tea Party would not get the same pass Barack Obama and other liberal Democrats do.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWish he'd just talk like an American.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseReminds me of a skit from "In Living Color," years ago. Jamie Foxx was a newscaster. After a woman broke into a latina accent to pronounce Hispanic names, he used a thick brogue when talking about a donneybrook at O'Malley's pub.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseReminds me of a skit from "In Living Color," years ago. Jamie Foxx was a newscaster. After a woman broke into a latina accent to pronounce Hispanic names, he used a thick brogue when talking about a donneybrook at O'Malley's pub.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Oy vey! As I've said before,Republicans are meshugga. Now the First Lady will talk to you about a healthier way to nosh..."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseQuite frankly I believe we would ALL be better off if the current occupant was MUTE until after Nov 2012. Every other speech/pronouncement from him adds another layer of bureaucratic BS on the backs of some segment of the populace. Enough already! I quote Cromwell but in 'The One's' case he already has enough pretensions/delusions.
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