Jack & Jill Politics

Yes, this is an actual title of an actual article in New York Magazine.

When the cover is THIS, you know we’re already in trouble.

There was a discussion that I had in the comments section here a few weeks ago with other posters. My question was why Obama’s White mama and White grandparents don’t seem to get the ‘respect’ that they should -in raising him.

I would believe that his accomplishments would be a testament of how well they raised him.
Columbia University
Magna Cum Laude at Harvard University Law School
President of the Harvard Law Review

I thought these would be talked about as to how well they had raised him, but where’s the pub?

I wondered why.

And, then it it me – Michelle.

His marriage to Michelle negates all of those accomplishments..because..

If they had raised him ‘ right’, then how come he married Michelle?

You know Michelle, humble beginnings Michelle, who wound up going to Princeton and Harvard Law – that Michelle.

But, somehow, his marriage to Michelle shows the ‘mistake’ his mother and grandparents made.

The PSYCHOSIS behind THAT isn’t something that I can relate to, so I had to shrug my shoulders when I came to that realization and move on.

I’ve just been waiting…the attacks on Michelle have been circling this memo, but none had actually come out and said it.

UNTIL NOW.

I get so tired of being insulted by RACIST TRIPE, and then have mofos try and tell me that I ‘misunderstood’, that I ‘misinterpreted’ the English Language.

That, JUST CAUSE it’s in New York Magazine, I’m not supposed to call racist #*$& when I see it.

BULL.

There’s so much to choose from, but here are some select quotes:

A prospective First Lady carries a heavy symbolic burden, but the notions that have coalesced to tongue-tie Michelle Obama are particularly dense. She’s a type we’ve rarely seen in the public eye, a well-educated woman who is a dedicated mother, successful in her career, and happens to be black. This has created confusion for some people, who seem desperate to find a negative quality in her: She’s too big, too masculine, too much like a drag queen. While Obama may be able to play with urban tropes, like dusting off his jacket à la Jay-Z or speaking in a black patois when the time calls for it, Michelle has been increasingly forced to curtail her personality during the campaign, lest she attract rumors of uttering a verboten, anachronistic word like “whitey” or find herself labeled a “baby mama.” As much as any political campaign is an extended meditation on authenticity, the question of just how black the Obamas are has become particularly loaded. Michelle must project herself as black to one community, but she also must act white to another, whatever either adjective means nowadays.

So much tripe, so little time. But, I must.

She’s a type we’ve rarely seen in the public eye, a well-educated woman who is a dedicated mother, successful in her career, and happens to be black.

Well, nothing special about that. Black women like Michelle Obama are all over the country.

As much as any political campaign is an extended meditation on authenticity, the question of just how black the Obamas are has become particularly loaded. Michelle must project herself as black to one community, but she also must act white to another, whatever either adjective means nowadays.

Well, if you don’t know whatever either adjective means nowadays, why the hell did you say it? I believe I’ve recorded darn near every speech Michelle Obama has given on C-Span. And, I’ve told folks, I’ve never paid to hear Barack Obama, but I have paid to hear Michelle, multiple times. In front of predominantly Black audiences. I’m trying to discern this ‘ Black’ Michelle Obama that I paid to see vs. the supposed , what ‘ ACTING WHITE’ Michelle Obama I see on C-Span?

Um….there is no difference.

The description of the Obamas’ life together displays no evidence of their connections to black culture, especially now that it’s not prudent for them to join a new church before the election. They take pains to make sure their lifestyle is as boring as possible. They’ve easily resolved knotty personal issues: Michelle’s 71-year-old mom, Marian Robinson, takes care of the girls, so they don’t have to hire a nanny, which would make them look a little too buppie. (The girls still have the packed schedule of upwardly mobile kids: soccer, dance, drama, gymnastics, tap, tennis, piano. Obama doesn’t like them watching TV.) “When we’re all together in Chicago, we like to play games like charades,” Michelle tells us. “We also love a busy house, which means potluck dinners with our close friends and family as often as we can.” We have little idea of the racial makeup of such potlucks.

The description of the Obamas’ life together displays no evidence of their connections to black culture, especially now that it’s not prudent for them to join a new church before the election.

1. Um, if they are Black in this country, and they live in an urban setting, as they do, they have connections to ‘Black Culture’. – I think, but but but…..
2. WTF does she mean by ‘ Black Culture’?
3. So, when I was searching for a new church home and didn’t belong to any permanent church, I had disconnected from BLACK CULTURE? Just asking.

They take pains to make sure their lifestyle is as boring as possible.

Cause we all know, if Barack wasn’t running for President, he and Michelle would be out clubbin’ every night, drinking 40’s until dawn.

They’ve easily resolved knotty personal issues: Michelle’s 71-year-old mom, Marian Robinson, takes care of the girls, so they don’t have to hire a nanny, which would make them look a little too buppie.

So, if Malia and Sasha were left to fend for themselves, that would be ‘authentically Black’? My Mama made sure there was always an adult with HER children, so did that make Mama buppie? I thought making sure that a responsible adult was looking after the children was what a good parent does?

White folks call it Nanny. Black folks called her ‘ Big Mama’, or ‘ Mis Sis’, or ‘Mis Mabel’ or ‘Mama T’, and she’s been around the Black community since we’ve been here.

“When we’re all together in Chicago, we like to play games like charades,” Michelle tells us. “We also love a busy house, which means potluck dinners with our close friends and family as often as we can.” We have little idea of the racial makeup of such potlucks.

WE HAVE LITTLE IDEA OF THE RACIAL MAKEUP OF SUCH POTLUCKS.

AS IF, it’s your business who the Obamas invite into their home.

I’d like to know when you’re going to ask about the racial makeup of the McCain dinner parties. I highly dout that Straight Talk and the Pill Poppin’ Piece-On-The-Side have ‘potlucks’.

Obama is particularly comfortable in front of black audiences, who inspire him to be passionate and energetic. Watching him, I wondered if in this context he would use the N-word, if only to make a point.

I admit it. I went back and forth as to whether I was going to include this my post. Just that she could perceive of ANY circumstances in which, SENATOR Barack Obama, Democratic Nominee for PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…

Would drop NIGGER in a Black audience….

There’s so much there..I can’t even go there.

Town dropped this in the comments, in reference to this article, and it’s so brutal and on point:

It’s sad but there are white folks who actually think we get up in the morning, kiss our significant other and/or kids and say “Good morning nigga.”

And when we leave for work, we say “See ya later, nigga.”

Then when we get home after work, we say “Nigga didn’t I tell you to put the pot roast on as soon as you got home from work?”

Which will be answered with “Nigga I know you tole me but I forgot. I’ll go to KFC and get a bucket.”

At KFC, the girl says,

“Welcome to KFC nigga. How can I take your order?”

And then you say,

“Nigga, I want a 8 piece bucket with some corn on the cob. Do you have any muthaphukkin’ ice tea?

And she says

“Naw we ain’t got no muthaphukkin ice tea, nigga! We got Pepsi Products all up and thru here!”

And when we get home at night:

“Good night John Boy.”

“Good night, nigga.”

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Couldn’t have said it better.

Back to Michelle:

She’s not quite as smooth a political player as Barack: “Whenever Obama enters the room, there’s a sense of calm and satisfaction,” says a former campaign aide. “Michelle can get a little more tense. Before she goes on-camera for interviews, we’d have to give her a couple of minutes to compose herself. She’ll sit down, raise her hands over her head, and go, ‘Ugh, God!’ ” That’s a mask she’s wearing in public, most of the time, and we aren’t sure what is underneath. When she uttered her fateful words about how, for “the first time in my adult life, I’m really proud of my country,” she unleashed an explosion of emotion, because everyone who’s awake could read between the lines—she was angry about the treatment of black people in America. And anger will not do. Besides, what does she have to be angry about, with her Ivy education and Hyde Park mansion? Isn’t she herself an example of the fact that racism is over in America?

That’s a mask she’s wearing in public, most of the time, and we aren’t sure what is underneath.

Oh, and when you see the Pill Poppin’ Piece-On-The-Side, she’s pouring out her soul for all to see?

Uh huh.

“the first time in my adult life, I’m really proud of my country,” she unleashed an explosion of emotion, because everyone who’s awake could read between the lines—she was angry about the treatment of black people in America.

If you’re Black, and you can think for yourself, please explain to me, what logical reason would you have to NOT be angry?

You don’t even know that’s what Michelle meant.

She could have meant, after watching Reagan, Bush 1, and the last 8 Years of The Constitution being torn asunder (Michelle is a lawyer, ya know); of seeing people be discouraged, and dismayed at what OUR country was turning into, with the Corporations stealing this nation blind, that maybe Michelle was blown away, by the grassroots activism that impressed the hell out of my cynical behind when I first went to Camp Obama.

MAYBE, it was that that made her REALLY proud in her adult life.

But, maybe you’re right – she was channelling her inner Angela Davis.

And anger will not do.

No, I guess we’re supposed to be happy as clams. After all, Pat Buchanan tells us we should be so happy about slavery-it brought us to America.

Besides, what does she have to be angry about, with her Ivy education and Hyde Park mansion? Isn’t she herself an example of the fact that racism is over in America?

Say it with me, people…. YOU UNGRATEFUL DARKIE, YOU!

I mean, Michelle couldn’t have actually WORKED for anything she has. I mean, that would be too much like right.

Let me explain this to White people….it doesn’t matter how much money you have..

YOU’RE STILL BLACK IN AMERICA.

Now, the more money you have, you get the creature comforts and luxuries.

But, YOU’RE STILL BLACK IN AMERICA.

” If you forget you’re Black when you wake up, by 5 p.m. that day, someone would have reminded you.” – MULTI-MILLIONAIRE Percy Sutton

Do you really think they’re a financial level you attain, and suddenly, ‘ You’re not Black’ anymore? Now, I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen with some folks thinking that they can tear up their Black cards (Michael Jackson, OJ, etc.), but invariably something happens to remind them.

YOU’RE STILL BLACK IN AMERICA.

The rest of this insulting piece of trash was just to get to this paragraph, because this IS the crux of the matter:

And nearly 70 percent of whites, according to a CBS/New York Times poll from last month, say that America is ready to elect a black president—in theory. But it seems that a lot of white Americans are wondering about what promised land, exactly, the Obamas are going to lead us to. Even if Obama is the kind of black politician that middle-American white voters can get behind, the secret fear is that he could be a black Trojan horse with all sorts of passengers like Wright—or onetime compadres Bernie Mac and Ludacris—peeping out from under the canvas. He could be … Michelle. Or at least what Michelle represents: a smart, angry black person in the White House.

Barack Obama as TROJAN HORSE….

Barack Obama as Manchurian Candidate….

Sigh.

HE’s alright…until you look at who he’s married to.

Uh huh.

He could be … Michelle. Or at least what Michelle represents: a smart, angry black person in the White House.

Oh my…a smart, angry Black person in the White House.

I asked in the comments, will someone show me the Angry Michelle. As someone who is a verified Michelle-A-Holic, I have to admit, that I’ve missed the Angry Michelle. Will someone point me in the direction of Angry Michelle?

I hear repeatedly from White folks about ‘ Angry Michelle’, but all I see when I look at Michelle Obama, and when I read the interviews, and when I watch the speeches on C-Span and paid my own money to hear her is:

An educated, thoughtful, conscious woman who obviously loves her husband, children and country.

Sisters Gina and Nichelle summed it up well at Michelle Obama Watch:

The message from the article is that Black women are not suitable mates for successful Black men and you can’t trust him because he married HER.

Exactly. That is always the undercurrent in coverage of Michelle Obama. I guess the media is so used to seeing successful, educated Black men like Barack with women who are non-black or very light-skinned if they are Black. Historically, that has been the case so to see Barack with brown-skinned-clearly-black-not-mixed Michelle is making a lot of people lose their conservative AND liberal minds.

Good:)

The Obamas as Racial Rorschach Test, Version Number 29382983.