Obama's Race Speech: How to Talk to White People

Watch this "personal" look at Obama from 2007 - video here (hat tip rut)

Judith Klinghoffer has an interesting post on how Obama learned to talk to white people. I strongly suspect he will be employing the same tactic when he makes his GREAT RACE speech tomorrow. How rich that he's making a speech on race knowing what we know.

OBAMA ON HOW TO TALK TO WHITE PEOPLE  History News Network

In the good, old tradition of revolutionaries, Obama hides in plain print. So, before listening to his speech, it's worth while to note the following passages from his autobiography:

On p. 94-95 he describes an effective tactic to deal with White people:

It was usually an effective tactic, another one of those tricks I had learned: People were satisfied so long as you were courteous and smiled and made no sudden moves. They were more than satisfied; they were relieved - such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man who didn't seem angry all the time.

Indeed, when he was a community organizer (age 22 prior to going to law school) he happily cooperated with Rafiq, a former gangster turned Nation of Islam. He even believed that Black Nationalism was a good therapy for Blacks. That was also the reason he supported Wright (pp. 190-200). For he shares Michelle's sentiments of alienation, came to believe that race should trump everything and it should be anti-white:

 

. . . :all the black people who, it turned out, shared with me a voice that whispered inside them - "You don't really belong here."

In a sense, then, Rafiq was right when he insisted that, deep down, all blacks were potential Nationalists. The anger was there, bottled up and often turned inward. And . . . I wondered whether, for now at least, Rafiq wasn't also right in preferring that that anger be redirected; whether a black politics that suppressed rage towards white generally, or one that failed to elevate race loyally above all else, was a politics inadequate to the task.

It was a painful thought to consider, as painful now as it has been years ago. it contradicted the morality my mother had taught me, a morality of subtle distinctions- between individuals of goodwill and those who wished me ill, between active malice and ignorance of indifference. I has a personal stake in that moral framework; I'd discovered that I couldn't escape it if I tried. And yet perhaps it was a framework that blacks in this country could no longer afford; perhaps it weakened black resolve, encouraged confusion within the ranks. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and for many blacks, times were chronically desperate. If nationalism could create a strong and effective insularity, deliver on its promise of self respect, then the hurt it might cause well-meaning whites, of the inner turmoil it caused people like me, would be of little consequence.

If nationalism could deliver. As it turned out, questions of effectiveness, and not sentiment, cause most of my quarrels with Rafiq.

In other words, Barack was willing to sacrifice his mother and his grandparents on the alter of black nationalism. His sentiments were in line with those of Rafiq, the Nation of Islam activist. That is the reason he chose a black nationalist church run by "Reverend Wright" who explained to him (p.284):

"Life's not safe for a black man in this country, Barack. Never has been. Probably never will be."

Sorry, guys, but there is nothing post racial about Barack. He has merely learned that it is advantageous to convince whites that he is.

WHERE ARE MODERATE AFRICAN-AMERICANS?

UPDATE: Cassandra has Obama's speech down cold.

Comments

[Fetiche Nouvelle]

The separatism has to stop at some point, but Obama doesn't look like the man to stop it. Neither does Hillary Clinton. Are we going to get sensible before we become a continent-size replay of the Balkans?

[jjmurphy]

I wonder if all the celebrity and high-profile Obama supporters are having second thoughts? What am I thinking. They don't "think" to begin with. Besides, they are married to him for better or worse. Now they have to sink or swim with him. It should be interesting to watch.

Maybe they should have actually checked him out a little more thoroughly before jumping on the bandwagon. I know. Silly statement.

[RISE_UP]

How to talk to white people..makes me recall something I read years ago about some missionarys who wrote much the same when they arrived in a remote area of Africa to try and save people who wanted to put them in a pot. So Obama doesn't really believe blacks have come very far from the late 1800's? I will bet Martin L.King would be surprized to hear that. And surprized and shocked that a dimwit preacher would roll back all of his efforts that he died for.How can racism die when there are parasites like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton to name just two. And how long does Obama and his church hear those whispers of: you don't belong here before us whiteys start whispering back?
In a nutshell,the only difference in Obama's church and a mosque, it ain't round. Otherwise, the teachings and preachings are the same.
Oprah...oh...Oprah...I remember you trying to be the savior of some white folks(kkk oriented) in Georgia and a wanna be supporter of gun control. How quickly you learned to get off that ship..unlike Rosie. So now Oprah..you got yourself another ship that you actually sunk money into..what a hypocrite you are Oprah..I saw a poll on fox that over seventy percent of people said Obama can do nothing to overcome what has been laid bare.
What a disservice to some other blacks that are qualified to be president.

[Always On Watch]

Hmmmmm....So, Barack Hussein Obama is a black separatist.

That information alone should sink his nomination. But will it?

Right now, I'm waiting to hear his next "response." Let's see how well-coached he is for this speech (as opposed to last Friday's speech on Hannity & Colmes.

[duncan]

How is it that people can just love to hate so much? At some point doesn't it just make you feel awful about yourself? You people are fueled by hatred. It's so sad.

[Jane]

d****n - You recently posted a comment saying that you hated Jews. How is it that you just love to hate so much? Doesn't it just make you feel awful about yourself? You are fueled by hatred. It's so sad.

[Shy Guy]

Dunc*an does it again. Can't distinguish between cause and effect. People here hate the haters. Why don't you try reading just a bit beyond your rose-shaded spectacles.

We can all see that it's hard for you to deal with facts, unmodified videos, transcripts and verbatim quotations, but unlike you, most of us here prefer the truth to wishful thinking.

But the real implication of your posts, Dunc*an, is that you tolerate the original promoters of hatred. You are consistant in that in your posts. Tolerating tyrants and racists, Dunc*an, is what has led to 100s of millions of dead people, from ancient history until today.

How does it feel, Dunc*an, to be someone that enables them to get away with it, to be an accomplice? For that is what you are.

[JCL154]

Separatism is supported by our ruling elite’s. They are letting immigrants into our country that not only refuse to have any allegiance to the USA, but want to destroy the USA. Then the immigrants refuse to learn English, and want us to change to THEIR ways! (Teaching in Spanish, Arabic, footbaths for Muslims, restriction of speech, etc.)

How can we maintain a country with no border, with different languages, where we cannot communicate to each other, and the immigrants themselves want to destroy or take-over the country?

It doesn't look good.