I am not an American and am baffled by the comments made by Toni Morrison and other African-Americans males I’ve seen in recent days who are supporting the Clinton campaign when they make this comment. I’m trying to understand the meaning and context but it escapes me? Help!

SS

I could try to explain..but i think Toni Morrison put it best in piece she wrote in the New Yorker in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky scandal and impeachment process.

I found this online…so I hope it’s accurate

“African-American men seemed to understand it right away. Years ago, in the middle of the Whitewater investigation, one heard the first murmurs: white skin notwithstanding, this is our first black President. Blacker than any actual black person who could ever be elected in our children’s lifetime. After all, Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald’s-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas. And when virtually all the African-American Clinton appointees began, one by one, to disappear, when the President’s body, his privacy, his unpoliced sexuality became the focus of the persecution, when he was metaphorically seized and bodysearched, who could gainsay these black men who knew whereof they spoke? The message was clear “No matter how smart you are, how hard you work, how much coin you earn for us, we will put you in your place or put you out of the place you have somehow, albeit with our permission, achieved. You will be fired from your job, sent away in disgrace, and–who knows?–maybe sentenced and jailed to boot. In short, unless you do as we say (i.e., assimilate at once), your expletives belong to us.”

~Toni Morrison, The New Yorker, Oct. 1998

If Bill Clinton was African American he would not have stood by watching as 800,000 people got slaughtered in the genocide in Ruwanda. He would have acted as he did in Kosovo. Stop this BS.

Where was the Congressional Black Caucus during the genocide in Rwanda? They’ve admitted their failure, along with the former president. Clinton wasn’t the only one who failed Rwanda. The world did. That hasn’t much diminished his connection with the African-American community. You can decide whether it’s justified.

No outcry of racism when Obama says that blacks can dance? That’s a clear stereotype and Obama pandered to it, yet there’s no shock. Clinton says that King couldn’t pass laws so he needed lawmakers, and she’s treated like the Grand Dragon. Obama panders to stereotypes and he’s praised as warm.

What a world.

I agree Jack. As long as we are stomping on the egg shells. It was OK for Michelle (Harvard Grad) to use the words “Aint No Blacks” give me a break!

Well, Obama is a good dancer! He dances around every question he is asked and then the spin comes in, where he fumbles around trying to find the answers to questions he was not prepared to answer. He definitely has two left feet…….

The term “African American” is getting on my nerves. I could refer to myself as “Indian Irish French American” because that is where my “roots” are. But I was born in America!! I am an American.
It seems everyone speaks on equality but REALLY couldn’t mean it if they put another country in front of their own Country. My President should be an American not with another “Mother County” before our America name. America the number one!
Vote for one who is PROUD of being called an “American”.
Just a thought, suppose we ever have to go to war with Africa? If we have an African American President does that mean he is fighting with his self? Or is he half and half? Or split decision?
Obama are you an American first?

I’ve noticed that Hillary Clinton is very relaxed when answering a hard question, while often times Barack Obama seems to stutter or hesitate under pressure. This leaves me to believe that Hillary Clinton will fair much better under the hard scrutiny and attacks from the republican candidate and she will definetely hold her ground.

Sharon, that statement you made is the reason why we need a change in America today. Resulting to racism solves nothing. Color needs to be added to the White House to show the demographics of our bless country. Just to note there is no just plain American, society has placed a label to people of color(e.g African, Mexican, Italian), doesn’t mean that they are less American than the next guy. What is being AMERICAN? Is not being white. It is actually believing in this countries values and policies. But we all know that racism is still alive and well…But that is really only 10 percent of the population…cause not one person in the US could truly say that there bloodline is free from being mixed with any other race…if so, just wait ’til your daughter/son bring home there baby from the hospital. Now that wil be a shocker.

The reason Hillary looked so relaxed is because conflict is a natural state for her. At home or at work, she has an innate ability to bring out the worst in people. Her old Whitehouse staff still talks about the broken lamps and furniture the Clintons hurled around the Whitehouse during their constant and ongoing fights. The American people don’t want another Reality TV Whitehouse. The stakes are too high to be distracted by the Clinton’s foolery and lies (been there don that). And the last thing we need is a pot stirrer right now. That’s why you see 40% uncommitted votes where she is the only one on the ticket.

The Clintons had eight years to “Solve” our problems and successfully carried out some things that were already set in motion by previous administrations. But they inherited a different set of circumstances in the ’90’s that didn’t require their undivided attention. Yesterday was practice - Today is the game.

We need someone who can bring people together to address TODAY’S issues with 21st century solutions to the economy, healthcare, war, security, recession, education, environment, infrastructure, etc. Someone who not only brings out the best in people but who will enlist them to help solve problems and to implement new and relevant solutions. Someone we can trust to not just talk the talk but walk the walk. It’s not can you - face it, they all can. It’s will you actually implement your promises. That is the type of leadership we need and what we need to regain the trust and respect we’ve lost domestically and globally.

Well said G9, so well said. And no Librophile, she should NOT fair better.

Duplicitous people are a natural in the face of adversity. Why? Because that is their natural environment. If they don’t create division they can’t function. That’s the kind of person Hillary is coming across to me in this election.

I don’t know her personally, and I have an open mind. I am also a Republican who closely follows the election and positively dislikes the Bush leading your country.

This is HOW Hillary comes across so far.

She simply can’t live in peace. You give her a task of a new health bill, and what she will do? Create walls first, so she can be seen bravely breaking them down. She needs to break at every step. No walls, no Hillary. Break furniture, rules, people - even his husband. (Look at him, he is holding up well, but he is a broken man.) Break her own conviction as Republican.

Unfortunately, it is the worst dictators who strive in the face of adversity WITHOUT being balanced out by a loving and nurturing household. The worst leaders in history turned dictators precisely because of that lack of balance.

Bush clearly lacks that balance. He is ever so remorseful for the lack of love from his parents. And so does Hillary it seems. No love at home, no balance against the overarching urge of wanting to break adversity.

That is when you just feel the need to create adversity first, where there is none. That WILL NOT MAKE HER A GOOD PRESIDENT in any country. Least of all the most powerful country.

Bill Clinton is white, through and through. Black people should not be fooled by this saxophone playing, soul-food eating redneck. Lots of white southerners eat soul food and walk with a swagger, yet they harbor a deep-seated comtempt for blacks. Let Chelsea announce that she plans to marry a black man…Bill would symbolically don the white robe before the day was over. Bill Clinton proved to be a racist when he refused to nominate the first would-be African American woman to the Supreme Court but he approved the execution of a mentally retarded black man who was so developmentally delayed that on his way to the execution chamber, he asked the prison guards to keep his dessert for him until he came back The Clintons and the Bush family are wealthy and protect only those within their inner circle. That circle does not include minorities or whites not in the wealthiest ten percent of the Caucasian population. White supporters of Hillary’s need to realize that she does not care about the problems of middle and lower -class whites. One should never forget that the Clintons and Bush family are friends. If this country is short-sighted enough to elect Hillary as president, the war will never end despite what she says about pulling out our troops in the next sixty days. The Clintons and the Bushes think alike. Don’t let her political rhetoric fool you.

VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA! HE IS THIS COUNTRY’S ONLY HOPE FOR REAL CHANGE AND CARES ABOUT EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF RACE, RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, OR GENDER!

[...] you for that, can we?  At least it’s not So You Think You Can Dance, cuz Obama-Wan-Kenobe obviously doesn’t think you can. “Now, I have to say that I would have to investigate more of Bill’s dancing abilities and some [...]