I just heard Andrew Klavan say that he felt race relations got worse under Obama, and he asked Shelby Steele what he thought. (The episode is called “Shelby Steele Debunks the Race Hustle.”)
Steele agreed, and he said it was because Obama was elected for no other reason than that he was black. He didn’t have the qualifications to be president. He was just a means for white Americans to assuage their guilt.
Well, he had all the qualifications the Constitution demands.. except being a natural born citizen. (I kid, I kid!)
I think it’s a better idea if we draw our leaders from people who have experience in managing things, whatever sector that be from, than otherwise. Certainly Obama and Trudeau Jr. were both elected for reasons other than their accomplishments and this hurt both nations. But on balance I’d rather have the occasional “unqualified” outsider than only the products of some qualification process. Of course, right now we have the worst of both worlds: unaccomplished insiders.
From an outsider’s perspective it felt a little like things got worse but I wonder how much of that was merely everyone’s disappointment. I think a lot of people, even people who didn’t accept the Lightworker’s messiahship, somehow felt that things would be better after his election, somehow: symbols have power. And there’s no one angrier and more cynical than an idealist who’s lost his faith.
“Qualified” is subjective, to some degree. Some people would think you have to have been elected to some public office to be qualified, which would have made Trump unqualified.
I think the larger point is Steele’s argument that Obama was elected for no other reason than that he was black, and that white people voted for him out of guilt.
I think Obama hurt race relations. People thought that by electing him we would stop all the recriminations and race hustling nonsense, and that we’d finally be able to say “we’ve made progress — let’s look forward.” Of course nothing like that happened. Obama peddled to the race hustling crowd too, so we were left with an amateur politician who didn’t deliver on the one thing he was expected to deliver on.
If race relations have deteriorated, it is most likely not due to any flaw in the ability or character of Obama. One should rather look to the white supremacists becoming increasingly inflamed upon seeing “them people” taking over. It reminds me of when Al Gore chose Joe Lieberman as his running mate. I was living in Germany at the time and had an American colleague there. One day he came to my office, almost in a panic, and said that Gore must be defeated because his Jewish running mate will have an allegiance with Israel rather than the USA. I was actually taken aback. I never expected that guy to be inflamed with Antisemitism. But there it was. Anti-Catholicism was also inflamed in the wake of JFK.
The hypothesis that white people voted for Obama because they felt guilty is hogwash, totally devoid of evidence.
QUOTE: Steele agreed, and he said it was because Obama was elected for no other reason than that he was black. He didn’t have the qualifications to be president. He was just a means for white Americans to assuage their guilt.
Not sure where Steele got his insights. Yet, according to those who voted for him, Obama wasn’t elected president because he was a black man. It was primarily because the country was facing an economic crisis and embroiled in two unpopular wars and crying out for change. More specifically 2008 voters said in exit polls:
* Despite Obama’s strong personal appeal, his supporters overwhelmingly said they favored him based on his issue positions, not his leadership and personal qualities.
* Obama had the right judgment to make a good president.
* Obama’s experience was seen on par with his opponent. While 59% said McCain had the right experience to be president, 51% said the same about Obama.
*Voters said they disapproved of the job George W. Bush, and many thought if McCain were elected, he would mainly continue Bush’s policies. Among voters who said that McCain would continue Bush’s policies, the vast majority favored Obama.
* As for race, only a small share of white voters (7%) said that race was important to their vote. But their impact was overshadowed by a much larger proportion of whites who said race was not important (92%). Obama’s race was a likely factor in bringing out large numbers of new African American voters to the polls. Blacks made up a larger share of the electorate in 2008 (13%) than they did in 2004 (11%) or 2000 (10%), and they supported Obama at higher rates than they did either Kerry or Gore.
*Voters said Obama is in touch with people like them. In fact, a third of Obama’s supporters reported having been contacted by the campaign.
So, the exit poll data tells a different story than the speculations Steele offered. I suspect Steele’s story is more palatable to Obama’s political opponents and a way to assuage their disbelief that he was elected twice and left office with a historic high approval rating.
QUOTE: I just heard Andrew Klavan say that he felt race relations got worse under Obama.
According to a longitudinal Gallup study, during most of Obama’s tenure both Whites and Blacks perceptions about race relations were fairly stable (very/somewhat good) and consistent with previous years. Interestingly, the numbers started to dip near they end. That timing corresponded with Trump’s campaign and election. Since that time the numbers on race relations have declined for both Blacks and Whites.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/1687/race-relations.aspx
I think Obama exposed race relations. Certain white people have a big problem with a black guy saying anything like an order or direction. If a white guy like Jimmy Carter says it, they just ignore it. If Obama says it, then he’s getting uppity and should know his place. His place? You mean like the oval office? Trump through Bannon certainly courted the far right vote. Make America White Again certainly was a rallying cry.
I now wish that Mitt had won because maybe no Obama second term, maybe no Trump. IDK. I voted Obama both times. I liked Obama more than McCain the presidential candidate. If McCain the senator had run for president, might have voted for him. But, geez, the absolute moron for VP he nominated was a disaster. In either case, my vote was moot in this red state.
McCain is the only Republican presidential candidate I did not vote for. Part of it was Palin. Most of it was that I never trusted McCain.
QUOTE: I think Obama exposed race relations.
Good point. It seemed to put it out in the public square for national reckoning. It initially brought some hope for change but as time went forward it reinforced some historic perceptions.
Some black people had high expectations and were disappointed when Obama didn’t single-handedly right all the perceived wrongs of the past relative to racial injustice and enhanced civil rights. That was exacerbated by the outcomes of some nationally covered incidents involving the controversial deaths of some young black men (e.g., Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile). It opened old wounds and they felt Obama didn’t do enough to change things. Also, that he didn’t do enough to improve the perceived economic, educational and employment imbalances between blacks and whites.
As well, as you indicated, some white people were put out by Obama’s style and they questioned his legitimacy as president. That enabled things like the “birther” conspiracy, outrage relative to his commentary about an incident with Cambridge police, interpreting his wearing a tan suit as demeaning the office (despite his predecessors having done the same), having his political opponents shout out during a State of the Union address, “You lie!”, viewing his strong oratory skills as being “snarky” or “uppity” and even attacks on his family…his daughters criticized for their attire at a WH thanksgiving event and his wife being depicted as masculine as well an Internet post endorsed by a local mayor that stated…“It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified first lady in the White House. I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.”
Lastly, it created some discontentment with other groups because race tended to be discussed as a matter of just “black and white”. Other groups felt as if their issues weren’t given as much priority.
Despite the aforementioned, generally, perceptions remained fairly stable for much of Obama’s tenure. Then, came Trump’s campaign and things went on a whole other level!