Obama Talks More About 'Typical White Person' Grandmother

I do not think Barack Obama's grandmother is a "typical white persons". During, what- the 50's(?), Obama's grandmother had a African American Muslim son-in-law. The 60's/70's, his grandmother helped raise a bi-racial grandson. Also, during this time, Obama's mother remarried to another African American Muslim man.

This is NOT a "typical" white American grandmother of her time period.

For the life of me, I will never understand why Barack tossed his grandmother under the bus. He used her as a political talking point in his Tuesday speech. Totally, out of line! As was the Ferraro characterization. There is a huge difference between Ferraro and Rev. Wright.

As a bi-racial man, who voted for Barack Obama. I will say, I will not vote for him in the general election.

Barack was challenged this week, by his own judgement call. He played politics as usual, to get out of a situation he supported for years. That's not the change I voted for.

But... Where are journalists for defender's Obama? ... Where are they? or maybe Hillary is guilty ... Obama: What do you say?? Do you understand his words...?

@ mark:

I don't think most people think Obama is an overt racist- he is, as you point out, of mixed heritage himself. I don't think he means to put down white people, and even if he did, he'd never say it because whites are crucial to his election. So let's put that point aside now - Obama does NOT hate white people.

OK, so here's my issue: For one thing, his remark about the "typical white person" was clearly in the present tense. Read the transcript, listen to the audio. It *was not* about some 'older generations'. The fact that Obama and his campaign tried to spin it that way after the statement was made pisses me off. Most of us are smart enough to listen to a simple statement, and interpolate the meaning. He was talking about the reactions white people have to blacks. There are people that do fit that profile, but his statement was a gross over-generalization, and afterwards attempted to redact and substitute a different context which did not exist. We can see through that, Obama.

Secondly, its a bit startling that he actually thinks this way... Most white people are not afraid of or angry with black people, as Obama suggested. There's no more "reaction" to a black person walking down the street than there is when I walk past an Asian person or Hispanic person. My reaction (if I even notice) is "there's a person walking towards me". I think most Americans feel that way, and that is what makes our country so strong and so great. Now, there are obviously people who do get that "reaction" Obama alluded to. However, for Obama to only point out that white people feel that way is extremely disparaging. Instead of trying to spin it into a context that didn't exist, I would have felt much more comfortable with Obama saying that he made a broad generalization, and that those "reactions" he spoke of exist in every level of society, but are not in any way "typical" of any group.

Does that illustrate my frustration with the situation?

You are all very off base, and it's sad you're inable to understand the concept he's put forward.

Obama is half white. He was raised by whites an his allegiance is to his white mother is stronger than his ties to a father he didn't know. He went to school predominantly with whites. He sees himself as much white, as black, as asian, as anything, as everything.

You, on the other hand, are assuming he's a "typical" black man an that his comments are from those of a "typical" black man raised in a "typical" black environment based on your preconceptions of blacks in america.

It's a broad, complex and nuanced concept. Your inane assessments are sadly banal and childish, and many of these reactions ironically portray exactly the problem with our cultural mindset. You see a man with a black face say "typically white" and you're immediately angered.

Calm down and get out in the world a bit, kids.

Where in the world are some of you getting this notion that it was a reference to "his grandmother's generation"???

He was clearly speaking in the present tense, and specifically said "there's a reaction that's in our experiences...", so lets just toss that lame excuse out the window right now.

Again Obama wants to be the spokesperson for this race or that. You cannot speak for me, Obama. I do not judge people on race as you think "typical white people do". You obviously are hung up on trying to exaggerate these huge rifts in society so that you can appear to repair them. The fact is, people (regardless of color) are able to assess their situations apart from race. If there were a group of young white guys drinking 40 oz. bottles of booze in a dark alley, I'd avoid them as much as I would a group of black guys. It's not about being worried about color. It's about the type of character- and most people are evolved enough to make those judgments that will hopefully keep us out of danger without referring to our flashcards to remember which race does this or does that. It seems Obama is really dividing the people in his own mind, which is counterproductive for society at large, and in direct opposition with his proclaimed message.

I think he's rather confused, and will need to sort out his own demons before preparing to lead any nation. I will remember his words on April 22.

The quote was taken out of context, he ment his grandma's time period. And even if it was about todays time..would that make it less true? Are there not still a large portion of white women that fear black men?..be honest with yourselves.

Obama is a typical LOSER!

I'm uncomfortable that he was so ready to put many people in a neat little box. How convenient to bring up Granny's anxiety when she was approached by Black males on the street. What he forgot to mention on his speach is what he has said in his book.

THIS IS CRAP!!! this man is sticking his foot in his mouth around every corner. he has run his campaign like a popularity contest with the obama girls and similar fiascoes. wouldn't that put a damper on foreign affairs just a bit? aren't we in over our heads as it is? HE'S A FAKE! he doesn't know what he means. he wants to complain about racism and he shows his own by speaking that way of his own family. where do his loyalties lie if not with his family FIRST?

Maybe part of the problem here is that he is talking about his grandmother at all. I mean most people (not all of course) want to think of their grandmothers in a special light. Using her in his speech and interview, while it may be true, real, deep, etc., just doesn't sit well with people. Sen. Obama: stop using your grandmother as an example so the media can get back to the tanking econmony, please!

Obama's right. he is a different kind of candidate. An openly racist one. I guess we are all typical white people who all look alike to him

Obama used a present tense verb 5 times! He spoke in present tense. Not once in his quote did he even come close to implying that he was speaking of his grandmother's generation. Why are some of you trying to convince yourself that he was talking about his grandmother's generation?! You're swallowing his campaign's bogus "clarification" to shield you from the fact that you've been duped by Obama's god like media created persona. Give it up.

Obama said "there's a reaction in her that's been bred into our experiences". Did you actually change the quote on purpose?

To suggest BO is not of significantly above average intelligence really smacks of ignorance. You don't make law review at Harvard, or any law school for that matter, if you are not bright. I do question just how bright in light of his recent attempt to do damage control...

Also, I didn't notice a lot of BO supporters being sympathetic to Geraldine Ferraro after her comment to some obscure newspaper during an interview. The woman doesn't harbor a racist cell in her body and yet she was attacked for stating what we all know deep down is fact. The excitement in the MSM, numerous public figures and throughout much of the African-American community about how wonderful it is that we might have our first black president is self-evident.

And, when I suggested BO could be Dr. Phil or Montel Williams...it is pretty obvious I was being sarcastic. The whole message was about how he does not have the capacity to carry on this dialogue...and how foolish it is to try in the middle of a campaign w/24 hour news cycles. -Big red flag about his judgment. He should have just answered the question he set out to address. Poor Granny.

We don't want to talk about this. Not this time.

How nice. He's running to help us work through these issues. Obama as national therapist? He can't seem to get away from his notion that he's some sort of savior. How does he carry on with the weight of his enormous ego?

Lola is correct. And for us to think that we are not afraid that political correctness and rhetoric speech. Scientific studies with white, black and tutti colors have been made and show stress while approaching black youngsters. And the ONLY way we can eliminate that "perception" is via behaviors and conduct of the black youngsters. A speech and/or a diversity class will not eliminate such fear. Only ACTION from the source can do that! Hello! anybody there?

Apparently Obama didn't have his speech writer with him for the radio interview.

Tsk tsk.

If Obama understood the races as much as he thinks he does, then he'd understand that his grandmother's reaction is probably the reaction of ANY woman, regardless of race. I'm a black woman. When I walk down the street, I've crossed the street many a times when I see black men approaching. I bet Obama's wife does the same. In my car, I'll make sure my door is locked when driving through certain neighborhoods. He really is out of touch if he thinks this is just "typical" of white people. Even Jesse Jackson has said he sometimes feels the same way when he walks down the street and is "relieved" when it turns out the person behind him is white; many of us in the black community are afraid of our own people. Obama really should run his comments through a typical white and/or black person before he says them. Plus, he needs to stop talking about race, because he just keeps putting his foot in his mouth. He thinks because he's half white/half black (whatever that means) that he understands both sides, but doesn't. I agree with the person below who said that this man, Obama, is no uniter. His speech and the comments he has said since then, have done more to divide people than unite them. I'm also not very happy with how he has dragged the African American church into this. Not all of our churches are like TUCC and not all of our pastors are like Rev Wright. He needs to just not talk about race anymore, and tell his supporters (like Kerry) not to either.

If a white person were to comment on what a black grandmother feared they would be told they could not do that because they were not black. Why does obama feel he has the right to do what he did (comment on the feeling of a person from another race
And for the record obama is not black he has only 6.25% african blood-he is arabic/white