I don’t see the news agencies reporting on it, but the most striking comment that Obama made at Alfred E. Smith charity dinner in New York last night was the one where he said something to the effect that who would’ve thought there’d be a black man who is married and a father to his own two kids. My hubby and I turned to each other like “whoa!” when Obama pulled that one out of his hat. Humor indeed, but I know he was sending a message to white america and anyone holding on to the stereotype that black men don’t stand by their women and raise the children they helped bring into this world.
Did anyone else catch that?
UPDATE 10/17/08: Thanks aw for the exact quote.
“Fox News accused me of having two African American children in wedlock.”
There were a lot of other comments I liked that they are talking about in the press. Like whoever gave him his middle name never thought he’d be running for president.
Here’s a little snippet summary about the event from World News Australia, of all sources, but they had the nicest short blurb..
Twenty-four hours after their final debate before the November 4 election, the presidential hopefuls were the stars at the celebrity-studded event to raise money for poor children in honour of the late New York governor Al Smith.
Another more descriptive short blurb from NPR…
The two men spoke at the 63rd annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a charity event organized by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York for the benefit of needy children. An estimated $4 million was raised.
Got this in an email and thought I’d post it… (source: unknown)
If you are biracial and born in a state not connected to the lower 48,
America needs darn near 2 years and 3 major speeches to “get to know
you.” If you’re white and from a state not connected to the lower 48,
America needs 36 minutes and 38 seconds worth of an acceptance speech to
know you’re “one of us.”
If you get 18 million people to vote for you in a national presidential
primary, you’re a “phoney.” Get 100,000+ people to vote you governor of
the 47th most populous state in the Union, you’re “well loved.”
If your pastor rails against inequality in the United States of America,
you’re an “extremist.” If your pastor welcomes a sermon by a member of
Jews for Jesus who preaches that the killing of Jews by terrorists is a
lesson to Jews that they must convert to Christianity, you’re a
“fundamentalist.”
If you give your wife dap on stage, it’s actually a “terrorist fist
jab.” If your daughter licks her palm so that she can slick down your
youngest child’s hair on national TV it’s an “adorable moment.”
(Seriously, forget about abstinence only, teach these folks some
grooming skills).
If you’re 18, white, and get a 16 year old girl pregnant “life happens.”
If you’re 18, black, and impregnate a 16 year old girl, you’re a
“registered sex offender.”
If you’re a black man and you use a scholarship to get into college,
then work your way up to being the president of the Harvard Law Review,
you’re “uppity.” If you’re a conservative and your parents pay your way
to Hawaii Pacific University . . . you only have four more schools to
attend over the next five years before you somehow manage to graduate
(it might be five more schools over the next five years. No one has yet
verified whether or not Palin was actually ever registered at the
University of Hawaii at Hilo. But, you know how shady people are who
ever attended any kind of
school in Hawaii).
If you spend 18 months building a campaign around the theme of “Change,”
it’s just “empty rhetoric.” If one week before your party’s national
convention you SUDDENLY make your candidacy about “Change,” that’s “red
meat.”
If you’re a minority and you’re selected for a job over more qualified
candidates you’re a “token hire.”
If you’re a conservative and you’re selected for a job over more
qualified candidates you’re a “game changer.”
If you live in an Urban area and you get a girl pregnant you’re a “baby
daddy.”
If you’re the same in Alaska you’re a “teen father.” (Actually,
according to your own MySpace page you’re an F’n redneck that don’t want
any kids, but that’s too long a phrase for the evil liberal media to
take out of context and flog morning noon and night).
Black teen pregnancies? A “crisis” in black America.
White teen pregnancies? A “blessed event.”
If you grow up in Hawaii you’re “exotic.”
Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you’re the quintessential
“American story.”
Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you’re “unpatriotic.”
Name your kid Track, you’re “colorful.”
If you’re a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fulling vetting the
individual you’re “reckless.” A Republican who doesn’t fully vet is a “maverick.”
If you say that for the “first time in my adult lifetime I’m really
proud of my country” it makes you “unfit” to be First Lady.
If you are a registered member of a fringe political group that
advocates secession that makes you “First Dude.”
A DUI from twenty years ago is “old news.” A speech given without
proper citation from twenty years ago is “relevant information.”
And, finally, if you’re a man and you decide to run for office despite
your wife’s reoccurrence of cancer you’re a “questionable spouse.”
If you’re a woman and you decide to run for office despite having five
kids including a newborn with Downs Syndrome. Well, we don’t know what
that is ’cause THAT’S NOT A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK!
Someone hit the nail on the head with this one! …if that’s fair to
say…
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