Is Michelle Obama playing the race card?

[ruggerson]

FWIW, I think it's fine if she is. Just as I think Bill Clinton playing the gender card, if he did, is okay as well. Both Clinton and Obama want to win the nomination and appealing to natural constituencies, as long as it's done in a positive way (as opposed to the McClurkin fiasco), is all part of good campaigning.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/11/sweet_blog_special_black_ameri.html#more

With polls showing African-Americans have yet to give overwhelming support to White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), his wife Michelle said “black America will wake up and get it" in an interview running on MSNBC on Monday.

MSNBC is using excerpts of a Michelle Obama interview to run in full on Tuesday morning. In a clip that’s featured in the afternoon cycle, Michelle Obama invoked the name of civil rights leaders Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. when talking about African-American turnout, a crucial voting bloc for the Illinois senator.

Michelle Obama said there was a "natural fear of possibility" and that there were times in her life when she was put down and not encouraged. There is "always that doubt in the minds of people of color."

She said the African-American community has to shake of its fear

(more)

[rodeodance]

1. simple, she is a women, he is Black. the 'cards' are bound to surface and they

can play them as far as i am concerned.

[aquart]

2. I don't see anything untrue or mean-spirited in this sample.

But Hillary is a woman and she doesn't have my primary vote (although she still has my admiration). We can acknowledge and be quite proud of the achievements of our own without agreeing with them enough to vote for them in the primary.

[msongs]

3. thre is also sometimes doubt in the minds of people of no color :-) nt

[XemaSab]

4. If Edwards can play the "mill" card and Clinton can play the "woman" card,

why is this an issue?

People want to hear the candidates' personal narratives, and the Senator and his wife are Black. Talking about being Black is an important part of that narrative in a country where Blacks have seen a lot of racism.

[democrat2thecore]

5. Isn't Obama (and I LOVE him) just as white as he is black? -nt

[Bullet1987]

6. You don't understand what it means to play the race card if that's what

you use to define it. Talking about women or Black people is not playing a CARD! It's using your gender or race to gain sympathy or aggression. Clinton saying "the boys are piling up on me" is playing the gender card. Michelle Obama didn't say anything was happening because Obama is Black.

[democrat2thecore]

8. I agree 100% - You misunderstood me. -nt

[ruggerson]

10. Actually

when Hillary went to Wellesley and gave a speech, a very small part of which mentioned the historical aspect of her campaign, the media went into a frenzy about her using the gender card.

[pnwmom]

16. You misquoted Clinton, who clearly said the other candidates (not "the boys")

were piling on her because she was the front-runner, not because she was a woman.

She no more played the gender card than Obama did -- but each should be able to use as a strength the characteristic that others in the past have often used against them.

[Bitwit1234]

7. How can she play a race card. You can see the lady is black and what's wrong with her saying so.

I think people just want to cause conterversary. Just like Hillary admitting she is a woman. OK she is so what.

[Lucinda]

9. I don't like the implication that black voters supporting someone else

aren't "awake" and thoughtful about their choice of a different candidate. I see that as insulting.
But other than that I see no problem with her comments.

[journalist3072]

11. Well, that's exactly the kind of thing Obama's camp (with the help of people like Tom Joyner) haveb

been saying..that basically there's something wrong with Black people who don't support Barack.

For example, Michelle Obama was on Tom Joyner's show a little while back, and Tom asked her "What is up with Black women?" Tom Joyner was basically implying there is something wrong with Black women who don't support Obama.

Also, when Tom Joyner had Barack Obama on recently, Tom Joyner was saying that it would be an entirely different race, if all the Black people supporting Sen. Clinton, would support Obama instead. Obama agreed with that, and said that Sen. Clinton's lead in the polls "would virtually vanish" if all the Black people (like me) supporting Clinton, would support him instead.

They are asking us in Black America to engage in group think, and I am offended by that.

[democrat2thecore]

12. Very well-said

I can see that.

[Bullet1987]

15. I don't think she was saying that...

It kinda reminds me though of why Black people have always thought that if a Black person became President they'd get shot? It's THAT mentality that Michelle was talking about. I'm Black myself, and it's this kind of defeatist mentality Black people have towards politics.

[ecstatic]

13. thanks for making light of a serious topic nt

[ruggerson]

14. why don't you just elucidate your thoughts

instead of throwing around baseless insults? which is more productive?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. Racism And Sexism Still Exist

My problem is criticizing one person for suggesting sexism still exists and lauding another person for suggesting racism still exists...


If neither still exist then there is no need for affirmative action... The fact that there is still a need for affirmative action suggests racism and sexism still exist...

[pnwmom]

17. I agree with you that Obama and HRC are both well entitled

to point to their natural constituencies as a strength of their candidacies. They have spent their lifetimes working with the challenges of his race and her gender. If now, they can point to the strength their backgrounds give them, more power to them.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. Politicians Plays All Kinds Of Cards And Exploit What Can Be Exploited

Like John Kennedy said "life isn't fair"...

What disturbs me is the selective outrage when one candidate does it and the collective yawn when another candidate does it...

[pnwmom]

19. For some reason it is expected when Obama does it,

but when HRC does it people are horrified.

[Sparkly]

20. Appealing to a group of people for votes

is only "playing a card" when that group of people has traditionally been oppressed -- racial minorities and women, for example.

That's why I hate the whole "cards" thing. Somehow, there isn't a gun-totin' hunter card, or a Nascar card, or a good ol' boy card, or a hate-immigrants card. So the whole thing strikes me as some odd kind of backlash.

[Grandrose]

22. Don't forget the......

Soccer Moms and the Security Moms! You nailed the situation absolutely right!:)

[TheFarseer]

23. the interviewer asked her her opinion

and she gave it. Do we just want BS politically correct answers or do we want to know what people really think? If we just want BS, then why even ask the question?

[beaconess]

24. Ironically, she's being accuse of playing the race card by responding a polls about black voters

So apparently, it's perfectly ok for pollsters and the media to analyze how black people will vote in the primaries, and whether they will vote for the black candidate or the white candidates, but it's "playing the race card" for Michele Obama to give HER interpretation of the meaning of such polls.

Give me a break!

[NOVA_Dem]

25. black people don't trust white people to follow up....

and I think that's what's happening in SC. I'm a Black male and what I hear from other people in the community is that many people believe white people will say one thing to your face but when they're in the voting booth it's a whole other deal.

Honestly, in the black community IMO the majority are really voting to put Bill back in the WH and not FOR Hillary.

[laureloak]

26. Yes she is. Didn't take long, did it? n/t

[beaconess]

27. You think responding to a question about Obama's poll numbers in the black community

by discussing how many people in the black community feel is playing the race card?


So, the media can conduct polls about how many African-American voters are going to vote for the only black candidate in the race. And the media can ask the wife of that candidate what those polls mean. But when she answers the question, SHE's playing the race card?

Interesting.

[laureloak]

28. Yes. I think anytime you use race as an excuse it's "playing

the race card". It would have been wise to dicard that card.

[beaconess]

31. How did she use race as "an excuse?"

She was asked why black people seem to be voting in certain patterns. She answered by explaining her view of how many black people think. How is that using race as an "excuse" or "playing the race card?"

[ellacott]

30. Excellent point

This has been a very good thread. An intelligent discussion on a very sensitive subject. :)

[themaguffin]

29. no.

[BenDavid]

32. You damn skippy she is and like Donna Brazzile

said this afternoon this is an affront to African American people. The way Michelle Obama said this and worded this was like you afican americans need to vote for Barack because he is one of you. Throw aside if you think he is not the one that will do the most for the African American interests because he is one of us.

I honestly believe Michelle Obama has put her foot into a hornets nest here and she and Barack will never recover especially in the black community. Black folks are upset at what she said because from all reports they accuse her of honestly believing black folks do not honestly have the capacity to vote for the right person.

What a shame but I guess when Barack got into the argument about whether he was black enough kinda opened the doors and AFRICAN Americans got a clearer picture of who this man really is....

More fallout will occur on Wednesday and look for this to be brought up during the debate.....

Ben David