Should President Obama use all this controversy about Harry Reid as a teachable moment?

[Stinky The Clown]

Should Obama - because he *is* president - use the events and story lines of the last few days as a teachable moment. Should he enter into some discussion about race?

The fact is, this country is nowhere near "post racial" yet. It may be closer than it ever was, but it still has a very long way to go.

What do you think?

[blondeatlast]

1. I don't know whether the president should, but if we had a press that took its role in democracy

seriously, I'd like them to.

Unfortunately, we don't have that kind of press. Instead, we get talking points from tax-exempt RW think tanks spewed past a vapid, hypnotized-by-their-own-delusions-of-importance media and nothing constructive comes of it/

[C_Lawyer09]

18. Where does this rank in importance?

Secondly, does this surprise anybody? We set ourselves back by any focus on this single incident, because in the big picture it is irrelavant to anything but the character of one person. Let's stimulate the economy.

[muffin1]

2. I think he should.

He's probably the best one to show the dolts around the country the difference in Harry Reid's statement and the one Trent Lott used.

I just wish he would use Prop 8 as a teachable moment. President Obama has come out on the race issue a couple of times (even had a beer summit). It's time for him to do the right thing by the GLBT community that supported him so strongly.

[rug]

3. He should have Harry over for a beer.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Negro Modelo?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=509505&mesg_id=509506

[vincna]

19. Hilarious, would defuse the situation...

and besides, Negro Modelo is a very good beer.

[RoyGBiv]

4. If it is a teachable moment ...

It's going to have to come from someone other than Obama. The people who need to be taught are not going to hear it from him.

In my view, it's far past time white people in this country own up to their white privilege and acknowledge how it has shaped their thinking on various things. A teachable moment might include Senator Reid explaining why, honestly, he used the language he did. And, a lot of white people need to acknowledge why it made *them* feel so uncomfortable.

[blondeatlast]

6. Very true. Reid awkwardly spoke the truth--and the fact that it has become such an issue speaks

volumes about how far behind we still are.

[FrenchieCat]

5. You mean like when he was bar-b-qued for mentioning his thoughts on

Professor Gates?

Perhaps others need to start doing this;
perhaps the media should learn a thing or two....
cause they are the ones perpetuating the stupidity.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. I don't think that was handled very well

Plus it was an issue that didn't concern him quite so directly.

How about this?

How about (as was also suggested upthread) he and Harry do a joint sort of thing. It might help Harry in Nevada - or not. More importantly, it would allow the discussion to be framed by the principles and not the mediamotherfuckers.

[blondeatlast]

11. Tough call on the "joint thing" or for that matter, any response.

Look, you know, I know, any halfway politically savvy person to the left of center-right knows this is a manufactured controversy. I'm fairly certain Obama does too.

The dialogue is important, but now it's framed in a completely distorted way. Your idea has lots of merit--but it also plays into the RW political manipulators hands (I'm speaking of the tax-exempt hink tanks that are responsible for much of this drivel).

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Not arguing ...... but .....

..... we (every one of us on the left, no matter where we stand on this controversy on this day or where we stand on this president in this cycle) need to stand up to the right wing spinsters. We're every bit as smart as they are. Yes, we don't own the media, but we could at LEAST use some message discipline. And that starts with framing. And not being knocked off message. We always seem to be too busy pissing in each other's cornflakes.

I'll use Lawrence O'Donnell and Rachel Maddow as but two examples of good tone. Olbermann is a cartoon anymore, even though I love him. Just coordinate that message. And that could, indeed, start with some messaging from the white house. I fear, however, they're more interested in what's good for them in the short to mid term than for the country, long term; not a specific knock to them, that has been true of EVERY white house for at least the last 40 years.

[blondeatlast]

14. We really do need a dialog and soon. I see an upside to this "controversy," though.

I'm seeing that even here on this board people are questioning it, wondering "why now," and able to think about it critically.

DU seems to me a bit ahead on political trends, so I'm guessing that Americans are realizing that there is bias in the media--and it's not left wing.

Maybe they could offer FAUX exclusive rights to it--seriously, that would curl a lot of short hairs!

[Stinky The Clown]

16. "Maybe they could offer FAUX exclusive rights to it"

No joke. I think that's brilliant!

[CakeGrrl]

8. No, the President made his statement

Anything else would have the MSM in a frenzy to see how they could twist it against him.

That the Right is making anything of this is just their usual crass, hypocritical opportunism. If someone from the opposition could get a spot on one of the political shows, let THEM say that about it. The Rs don't give a damn about propriety or racial justice; they just want to see another Dem senator booted out.

[gratuitous]

10. Well, if you think some people can be taught

Perhaps it's a teachable moment, but there is a sizable contingent with access to the biggest and loudest megaphones, who want to do nothing but score cheap political points. The majority of folks will be distracted soon enough by the next shiny object. Getting to post-racial will probably have to wait until a substantially greater number of people my age and older die off. Sorry we didn't do better, but at least we took a few stumbling steps down the correct road.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. I fear race is a perpetual problem. Chronic.

[gratuitous]

15. I've seen encouraging signs from the next generation

Grandkids seem a lot less mindful of this sort of thing than I ever was. But then, I grew up in a lily-white small town and didn't meet a person of color up close and personal until late in grade school. My problems were mostly ignorance and unfamiliarity, but I don't see that quite so much in the overt actions and speech of younger folks. Who knows what's transpiring in hearts and minds, but for now I'll see the situation as better than when I was that age.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. I've been around the block a few times

Racism is alive and well.