Dowd: You’ll Never Believe What This White House Is Missing

[RamboLiberal]

The Obama White House is too white.

It has Barack Obama, raised in the Hawaiian hood and Indonesia, and Valerie Jarrett, who spent her early years in Iran.

But unlike Bill Clinton, who never needed help fathoming Southern black culture, Obama lacks advisers who are descended from the central African-American experience, ones who understand “the slave thing,” as a top black Democrat dryly puts it.

The first black president should expand beyond his campaign security blanket, the smug cordon of overprotective white guys surrounding him — a long political tradition underscored by Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 when she complained about the “smart-ass white boys” from Walter Mondale’s campaign who tried to boss her around.

Otherwise, this administration will keep tripping over race rather than inspiring on race.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/opinion/25dowd.html?_r=1&hp

[SunsetDreams]

1. I don't think this is going to go over too well.

the reason why, is it pits white vs. black, which is never a good idea.

[RamboLiberal]

2. I'm not a big fan of Maureen Dowd - but IMHO she nailed it this time

Obama's crew have been freaked ever since Rev Wright was used against them.

[SunsetDreams]

3. So that means he should decide who is in his

administration by race? I'm all for having diversity, but I think this article stinks to high heaven.

[RamboLiberal]

5. Did Dowd say it had to be someone black?

She gave credit to Bill Clinton who did seem to get it in the nineties when he was president. Of course during Hillary's campaign I was wondering with his racial slipups if I was watching the same Bill Clinton.

This White House lacks an empathy with a lot of people. I don't know how you argue they were clueless on this one and reacted out of some kind of fear of Beck and RW attacks.

They need to grow a spine when these RW'ers make racist attacks, not ask how high should I jump?

And who else are they lacking empathy with - the progressives and liberals who got them in to the WH.

[SunsetDreams]

7. "Obama lacks advisers who are descended from the central African-American experience"

[RamboLiberal]

27. So I guess Jim Clyburn doesn't know what the hell he's talking about

From Dowd's column

“I don’t think a single black person was consulted before Shirley Sherrod was fired — I mean c’mon, “ said Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, a black lawmaker so temperate that he agreed with an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal on Friday by Senator James Webb of Virginia, which urged that “government-directed diversity programs should end.”

“The president’s getting hurt real bad,” Clyburn told me. “He needs some black people around him.” He said Obama’s inner circle keeps “screwing up” on race: “Some people over there are not sensitive at all about race. They really feel that the extent to which he allows himself to talk about race would tend to pigeonhole him or cost him support, when a lot of people saw his election as a way to get the issue behind us. I don’t think people elected him to disengage on race. Just the opposite.”

Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s House delegate, agreed: “The president needs some advisers or friends who have a greater sense of the pulse of the African-American community, or who at least have been around the mulberry bush.”

[Uzybone]

35. No he doesn't

The NAACP made the same error. This was not a mistake made because of a lack of American 100% born and raised blacks.

[Retrograde]

70. Does Michelle count? (n/t)

[pscot]

10. I repectfully disagree

I think it's actually a pretty sharp insight. The people who are going to be offended by the fact that a black man is President, are already offended. It wouldn't hurt the prez to show a little black once in a while, by way of keeping it at least somewhat real. And the guys he has a round him are certainly clueless.

Edited for dislexia.

[MadBadger]

12. "It wouldnt hurt the prez to show a little black once in a while"

Wow.

[SunsetDreams]

13. what you said,

I refuse to reply to that

[DevonRex]

65. I replied to it. Boy, did I evah.

[Drunken Irishman]

52. WTF

[DevonRex]

64. Just what is that "little black" he's supposed to "show?" Hmm?

I'll let you get your mind out of the gutter for a second. 1...2....3...

Okay. Is he supposed to walk around rappin' and break dancin' or sumpum like dat? Or slurp up some chitlins? Or go be some baby daddy?

What?

[Jakes Progress]

81. That is your impression of black men?

Don't you have any positive images or ideas for people who come from black America?

[Exilednight]

59. It seems like the people who are in the administration were picked by ................

race.

Personally, I believe there is some truth to this.

On the other hand, some of the most prominent positions in government were given to minorities, namely, two SCOTUS appointees to women, one of which is a Latino.

To be completely fair, and to put this in persepective, white males have always been falsely (falsely, meaning overly) represented when it comes to top administration cabinet positions.

White males make up around 40% of the US population, and 42% of Obama's top cabinet positions are held by white males. Women are still under represented, as are the Hispanic/Latinos, African-Americans, and American-Indians.

[Orsino]

4. Dowd's a liar.

Clinton's being our "first black president" was a joke.

That the real first black president should have to surround himself with white people is no more surprising than that Clinton had to go hunting for diversity. Less so, in fact.

Dowd needs an editor to catch her grade-school mistakes--but if she had a real editor, she wouldn't have a column, would she?

[JamesA1102]

60. She lied about Al Gore all through 2000

Why would you expect her to tell the truth now.

[Uzybone]

6. Obama and Jarrett aren't black enough eh?

fuck you Dowd.

[firedupdem]

8. +10,000

Guess they are going back to the old divide and conquer routine.

Sorry for her it won't work.

Fuck her and her fucked up ass article.

[impik]

47. Yep. That's exactly it.

Fuck her indeed.

[boppers]

9. Maureen Dowd: Rich white DC columnist, expert on all things African-American

:eyes:

[Ross K]

83. Exactly!

MoDo, unless and until Obama starts telling you how to be Irish, do us a favor and stfu.

[BreweryYardRat]

84. Exactly. n/t

[applegrove]

11. The problem is that the GOP and Fox News just can't get enough

of black/white race issues. They shy away from the whole latino thing but they keep bringing up any suggestion of black/white racism they can find. It stirs up the troops and allows them to bond teaparty to GOP.

[RamboLiberal]

19. Faux shys away from the whole latino thing - huh?

They sure seemed to pile on Sonia Sotomayor and her wise latina woman comment. And they sure seem to be backin AZ immigrant law.

[applegrove]

26. I forgot about Sotomayer. Yes they are against amnesty. But they seem

to bring up half-baked black/white issues just to get what little airtime they can with it. And they don't do that with Latino issues. Those two examples you used are actual real issues. Black panthers isn't a real issue.

[Webster Green]

14. Here's the part that got me...

"The West Wing white guys who pushed to ditch Shirley Sherrod before Glenn Beck could pounce not only didn’t bother to Google, they weren’t familiar enough with civil rights history to recognize the name Sherrod. And they didn’t return the calls and e-mail of prominent blacks who tried to alert them that something was wrong.

Charles Sherrod, Shirley’s husband, was a Freedom Rider who, along with the civil rights hero John Lewis, was a key member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee of the ‘60s.

As Lewis, the longtime Georgia congressman, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he knew immediately that something was amiss with the distorted video clip of Sherrod talking to the N.A.A.C.P.

“I’ve known these two individuals — the husband for more than 50 years and the wife for at least 35, 40 — and there’s not a racist hair on their heads or anyplace else on their bodies,” Lewis said."

Seems like she cut to the chase right there. :shrug:

[Uzybone]

17. The NAACP made the same dumb mistake

I guess they need more AMERICAN born and raised Blacks too.

Once again...fuck Dowd.

[Webster Green]

24. Good point.

I'm not sure it's MoDo's problem though.

Why, with her family history, did the NAACP throw her under the bus so quickly?

[Uzybone]

32. Skittishness, Pavlovian response

The M$M (which includes MoDo) have blasted minorities many times for "reverse racism". The govt. the NAACP and may I add many posters on the blogoshpere all made the same mistake. I think we have all learned valuable lessons that are valid for all situations.

1. Assume conservatives are lying

2. Think before you act

[dkf]

15. Eric Holder isn't white. The energy guy is Asian. Interior is Hispanic.

Who are the white guys? Geithner and secdef? Or Gibbs and axelrod?

[uberblonde]

16. Bob Herbert says pretty much the same thing.

"The most obvious and shameful fact is that the Obama administration, which runs from race issues the way thoroughbreds bolt from the starting gate, did not offer this woman anything resembling fair or respectful treatment before firing and publicly humiliating her."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/opinion/24herbert.html?src=me&ref=general

[Uzybone]

18. no he didnt.

[RamboLiberal]

21. He was basically saying the same thing

And the blame for that falls squarely on the people at the very top in the White House. Why didn’t President Obama or Vice President Joe Biden or Rahm (call me Rahmbo) Emanuel, or somebody somewhere in the upper echelon say, “Hey, what the heck are you doing? You can’t fire a person without hearing her side of the story. This is not the Kremlin. Are you nuts?”

Black people are in a terrible condition right now — economically, socially, educationally and otherwise — and there is no effective champion fighting for their interests. Mr. Jealous and the new edition of the N.A.A.C.P. have shown in this episode that they are not ready for prime time, and President Obama seems reluctant to even utter the word black. Or poor, for that matter.

We hear so much about the middle class, and it’s true that the middle class has suffered in this terrible recession. There’s a middle-class task force in the White House led by the vice president. But the people suffering most in this long economic tailspin are the poor and the black, and you don’t hear much about that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/opinion/24herbert.html?src=me&ref=general

[SunsetDreams]

23. Her entire premise was Obama needed more

African Americans in the administration, who knew about the slave thing?

That has nothing to do with Bob Herberts article. No where in that article did he suggest that.

[RamboLiberal]

28. Then I guess in your eyes these 2 African Americans don't

know what the hell they are talking about: From OP column.

“I don’t think a single black person was consulted before Shirley Sherrod was fired — I mean c’mon, “ said Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, a black lawmaker so temperate that he agreed with an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal on Friday by Senator James Webb of Virginia, which urged that “government-directed diversity programs should end.”

“The president’s getting hurt real bad,” Clyburn told me. “He needs some black people around him.” He said Obama’s inner circle keeps “screwing up” on race: “Some people over there are not sensitive at all about race. They really feel that the extent to which he allows himself to talk about race would tend to pigeonhole him or cost him support, when a lot of people saw his election as a way to get the issue behind us. I don’t think people elected him to disengage on race. Just the opposite.”

Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s House delegate, agreed: “The president needs some advisers or friends who have a greater sense of the pulse of the African-American community, or who at least have been around the mulberry bush.”

[SunsetDreams]

30. no what I am getting at

There seems to be this double standard with this president. He needs to show more blackness.
Well what do you think would happen if someone said a white president needed to show more whiteness???

A white president needs more white people in his administration?

[Tarheel_Dem]

34. "A white president needs more white people in his administration?"

There would be much outrage & gnashing of teeth, and rightly so. :thumbsup:

[pscot]

62. That is a false equivalence

You set up a straw man so you can knock it down. I strongly recommend you read the comment thread that follows the Dowd column. It shows a lot more intelligence and understanding of what she's saying than this thread does. You might make an effort to understand the issue instead of consulting your patellar reflex to shape your argument.

[SunsetDreams]

79. no it's not, it's called a double standard

[KakistocracyHater]

51. that & the fact that the Middle Class is composed from those who were

from the under-class, or poor. That is where the Middle Class came from, people who got good-paying jobs moved from the underclass to the middle class. They will again, if leaders lead & create jobs that fill the needs of this nation.

[eilen]

66. There isn't a more oppressed and discriminated against individual than the black woman

From stereotyping poor black women as welfare queens and prostitute crack addicts to accomplished black women as lazy affirmative action angry racists-- its offensive, ugly and something no one talks about because they all have their agenda -- whether it's keeping their pay below everyone else or some political point to play off.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

[stevenleser]

72. I think those in the LGBT community might disagree

but the point is that both black women and the LGBTers have it pretty bad in this country right now.

[eilen]

80. LGBT's do have it bad, but not as bad.

There is no camo when you are black and a woman.

[Number23]

78. You got that right. And it abolutely breaks my heart.

[SunsetDreams]

20. not hardly

[scheming daemons]

22. Did she forget Eric Holder?

[RamboLiberal]

25. Or how about what this female African-American Columnist says

-----

Obama has already proven himself as the smartest and coolest guy in the room, but two years into his presidency he’s finding out that maybe that thing he’s been trying to avoid, being perceived as an angry black man, is exactly what America needs.

If anything, history has taught us that Americans love a president who isn’t afraid to show off a little swagger, a president who can throw his weight around and get mad.

Ronald Reagan’s cowboy style and directness is legendary. Bill Clinton had Americans eating out of the palm of his hand, despite his own indiscretions, with his “common man’’ approach to anger combined with his raspy Southern charm. And George W. Bush? Well, we all know about his often bumbling and reckless tough talk, yet the guy was not only reelected but many Americans said they wanted to have a beer with him.

Sure, Obama is not a charming Southerner or white. But he is black, and with what’s been going on in the nation, unless he is a robot, he must be angry.

But there is a danger to a black man being perceived as “angry.’’ Generally, white Americans are scared of angry Negroes. They fear what they think angry black men are capable of — crime and violence. It was smart of Obama to put forth an image that highlighted his intelligence and wit. He took the heat out of a campaign that could have easily tilted focus toward his blackness and his rage against what he called politics as usual. It is easy to understand why Obama does not want to flash too much anger, unintentionally giving people the wrong idea.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/07/25/obamas_image_problem/

[SunsetDreams]

29. What's the angle here?

Is your angle more about showing his blackness? and not about having more diversity in the white house?

I don't get it, the OP premise is talking about having more African Americans in the White House.

The article someone else posted, you say says basically the same thing as your OP, which it did not. It talked about his blackness.

Now this one, yet again doesn't even talk about what the OP's premise was, but it talks about his blackness.

With all due respect, please tell me what your angle is? What is your point?

[phleshdef]

31. This is the most diverse administration in American history. Fuck off Dowd.

[Number23]

33. This is what I don't get either

This isn't an issue of race. What happened to Shirley S. should not have happened to ANYBODY. The idea that "well, if the Prez just had some more brothas around, this wouldn't have happened!" is so fucking stupid I don't even understand it.

I'm all for diversity and would love to see a hell of alot more minorities at the top echelons of power. But the idea that this sorry incident happened because "there aren't enough black people in Obama's inner circle" is just mindblowing not to mention utter bullshit. That man is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't about EVERYTHING and to be honest, this article doesn't speak too highly about white people and their ability to do the right thing either.

[Uzybone]

38. Seriously, its about the dumbest Op-ed Ive ever read

silly season is in full bloom.

[phleshdef]

39. I think people forget this man worked his way up by helping low income AA communities in Chicago.

And anything Barack Obama hasn't experienced as an African American that others of his generation have is a void filled by his wife Michelle and her experiences. Everything old is new again. Now that the "Obama is too black" message is falling on its face, they are going back to trying the "he isn't black enough" thing that they tried during the early parts of the primary.

[OhioBlue]

43. my thoughts exactly.

when I read the OP.. all I could think of is "are you kidding me?"

[elleng]

71. “smart-ass white boys” from Walter Mondale’s campaign who tried to boss her around.

(Geraldine Ferraro)

[Nedsdag]

48. Who does she want him to hire?

P-Diddy? Chris Rock? Tracy Morgan?

If he hired more African Americans than whites, the Glenn Becks of this world would multiply.

[zulchzulu]

36. Reverse racism is so sexy when it comes from a priveleged caucasian alcoholic spinster

Planet MoDo can do no wrong... in her little mind.

[FrenchieCat]

37. Can we just get Michelle to kick Maureen's ass?

I'd like to see that!

[Steely_Dan]

45. LOLOLOLOL!

Too funny Frenchie.

[Tarheel_Dem]

40. Unrec'd, because this is a bullshit hitpiece. As an African American, let me

be the first to say that MoDowd doesn't speak for me. And you can trot out as many black op-ed's, and black civil rights era journalists as you want, but I think most black people would disagree with their assessment as well.

I agree with SunSetDreams, that if someone made a public statement that Bush needed to have more white people around him, we would all be super pissed, and with good reason. I am so sick of people monday morning quarterbacking, I could throw up.

And another thing, this president wasn't elected the president of Black America, he was elected to preside over the entire country. I think the better question is why is he M$M so hellbent on tripping this president up in every race related issue that comes up? Why is it so important to get this president on the record, when it comes to matters of race? Maybe I missed it, but did this happen under Bush? If James Clyburn and other members of Congress have issues, don't they have access to this president before they run to the press? :thumbsdown:

[lunatica]

57. Consider the source

Her erstwhile wit has hardened into loathing bitterness, so she writes hit pieces to stay relevant. She just comes across as desperate now, like Ann Coulter.

[Tarheel_Dem]

69. Talk about a "poison pen". I just wish she wouldn't write while drunk.

She's been calling this president names, even before he was elected. I think I respect Ann Coulter more.

[Political Tiger]

76. +1! n/t

[Connie_Corleone]

41. Give me a fucking break!

:eyes:

[ZombieHorde]

42. I have a feeling this issue is a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for Pres. Obama. nt

[Nedsdag]

44. She's full of crap.

If he discussed race she would've jumped on him.

[impik]

46. How about him sleeping every night with descended from "the slave thing"?

What a racist piece of crap. I can't stand this woman.

[Arkana]

49. MoDo has apparently switched to hard stuff.

Seriously, where the fuck does she get off proclaiming Obama isn't "black enough"?

[Jennicut]

50. Oh no. Please don't take ANYTHING that woman says seriously.

She is a disgusting little piece of work who likes to write hit pieces on people she deems unworthy of her lavish praise. F*ck Maureen Dowd. I mean, really. This is a woman who had pure hatred for Hillary, Gore, Kerry, Biden etc. Not legitimate criticism except she just didn't like them. She can go jump off a bridge for all I care.

[Paladin]

53. "...the smug cordon of overprotective white guys surrounding him...."

The quality of Dowd's columns varies, to be sure, but when she's on her game, hardly anyone does it better. Brava, MoDo....

[lunatica]

54. Maureen Dowd thinks Obama isn't black enough

I guess she must be an expert.


:sarcasm:

[geek tragedy]

55. If only he had a strong, intelligent black woman who would

be available to talk some sense into him on a daily basis . . .

[geek tragedy]

56. I bet Michelle Obama would find this funny. nt

[ibegurpard]

58. Tone-deaf Dowd strikes again

Of all the things she could criticize him for...

[alcibiades_mystery]

61. Shorter Dowd

"The Obama Administration need to thug up, yo. In my fevered white middle class imagination, all black folks is a mixture of Ice Cube and Omar Little, without the nuance (and without Teh Gay). I thought they was gonna be more ghetto an' shit, gnaw mean? Wu Tang forevah!"

------------------

Some points:

1. We learned all about who had an easier time "fathoming Southern black culture" in South Carolina (and North Carolina, and Virginia, and Maryland, and...during the primaries, ne c'est pas?
2. Dowd's column is the New York Times equivalent of O'Reilly's I-Can't-Believe-They-Use-Forks routine.

[Spazito]

63. Complete, utter tripe n/t

[hileeopnyn8d]

67. Short on actual facts, MoDo.

As are some of the comments to the article that someone above mentioned were worth reading. Valerie Jarrett isn't the only AA advisor or cabinet level appointee in the Obama White House.

Eric Holder
Lisa Jackson (head of EPA)
Ron Kirk
Rob Nabors
Mona Sutphen
Susan Rice
Melody Barnes
Cassandra Butts
Reggie Love
Desiree Rodgers (replaced, but still)
Joshua DuBois
Patrick Gaspard
Clifford Stanley
Cecilia Rouse
Mark Lloyd

This is getting boring, there are more, but this conversation has grown tiresome, now I must dance.

[Number23]

77. Don't forget he nominated Dawn Johnsen before the Repubs made her confirmation

all but impossible

And our lovely new Surgeon General, the wonderful Dr. Regina Benjamin.

[CBR]

68. The Great White Hope: Maureen Dowd.

:eyes:

[stevenleser]

73. One thing/person the WH definitely needs is Donna Brazile

If I were someone with some decisionmaking power in the WH, she is one of the folks I would bring in. The other is Howard Dean.

[tranche]

74. Dowd is a troll: Obama is white. Bill Clinton understands blacks. Geraldine Ferrraro gets it.

Good God. Whipping up partisans never seemed so simple.

Paging Mr. Holder.

[MadMaddie]

75. This is a stupid article!

This is about a political right wing machine that attacks minorities and attempts to destroy them. They expect no pushback.Let's just get that point understood.

The problem that President Obama has right now is not crushing the right wing and their bullshit lies. We need the Democratic organizations to put blistering ads out and play them over and over.


I am so sick of this stupid shit.

[AlinPA]

82. Dowd is a hateful person. Everything she writes reeks of her hatred of everyone.