"Who is the real Obama?" = "He doesn't fit the stereotype we believe about blacks so he must be

[Empowerer]

"hiding something."

This suspicion has been lurking under the surface ever since Obama stepped into the race. For example, in May of 2007, George Stephanopoulos telegraphed this attitude when he actually asked Obama if he was purposely covering up his true nature because people weren't ready for "a fire-breathing black man."

Stephanopoulos: You have a very cool style when you're doing those town meetings where you're out on the campaign trail, and I wonder, how much of that is tied to your race?

Obama: That's interesting.

Stephanopoulos: One of your friends told "The New Yorker" magazine that the mainstream is just not ready for a fire-breathing black man so do you turn down the temperature on purpose?

Obama: You know, I don't think it has to do with race. I think it has to do with when I'm campaigning I'm in a conversation, and what I don't do when I'm campaigning is to try to press a lot of hot buttons and use a lot of cheap applause lines because I want people to get a sense of how I think about this process, I want them to have some ability to walk through with me the difficult choices that we face.

The "How well do you REALLY know this Barack Obama?" mantra feeds on and promotes an unspoken (and sometimes spoken) fear among many white people, a fear based upon a false and negative stereotype - that black men are angry, dangerous and not to be trusted.

Everything we've learned about Obama is directly contrary to that stereotype yet these people are using that, not as proof that Obama isn't any of those things (and maybe proof that other black aren't either), but as the basis for suspicions that Obama is hiding his true self.

They are tapping into America's basest and most hateful stereotypes and encouraging people to believe that Obama's intelligence, grace, decency and humanity are not positive qualities, but are cover-ups for the "real" Obama - an Obama who will put America in danger if allowed to get ahold of the reins of power.

It is cynical and sickening. And sadly, it is an approach that many in the mainstream media, such as Stephanopoulos, have helped to encourage.

[EffieBlack]

1. You're exactly right

Another example is their obsession with Rev. Wright, especially the "he sat there and listened to that for 20 years."

Even though there's no evidence anywhere in Obama's public or private life that he is an "angry black man," they are carefully scrutinizing EVERYTHING he has ever said or done to dig up any evidence that he secretly is one. And their obsession with Wright is based on their belief that the fact that Obama did not run screaming out of the church with his hands over his ears is proof that he AGREED with everything that Wright - the very essence of an Angry Black Man in their view - said and therefore, Obama must also be an angry black man.

[EffieBlack]

2. kicked

Because more people should read this.

[uponit7771]

3. "...so do you turn down the temperature on purpose?.." = Your temprature is normaly up.

Stephan stepped in it on that interview then kept it up with the last debate between Hillary and Obama.

He and Gibson lost a LOT of credibility, I even hear the conversation between Steph and stupid ass'd Hannity and that is EXACTLY were he got his questions from

[FourScore]

4. Stephanopoulos is WAY over-rated.

Personally, I can't stand the guy.

Unfortunately, people really listen to him.

Thanks for the post. It just makes me so angry that we have to deal with this level of ignorant racism in this country. Or anywhere, for that matter.

[hootinholler]

5. Very insightful...

I had not picked up on that as yet, but, I often miss the obvious.

-Hoot