Here We Go: Touré Says Obama’s Reelection Will Advance Racial Harmony
by Yvette Carnell
In the lead up to Obama’s 2008 election, many of us thought electing a black President could heal America’s racial wounds. We were, sadly, and 
unmistakably, wrong. For those who envisioned Obama ushering in a period of racial detente, those dreams were quickly dashed. If anything, the election of the first black president made racists more vocal and forceful, with President Obama being referred to as a “tar baby”, an illegitimate Kenyan, and a man who “hates white culture.”
Does anyone still believe that President Obama’s reelection will do what his historical first election could not? Yep. Touré. In a TIME op-ed, Touré writes:
Anyone would vote for a superhero who lived up to my mom’s standard of having to be twice as good. But for it to embrace a nonmagical black person who cannot promise anything but hope, intelligence, sweat and experience, now that comes closer to equality. Equality is freedom from having to be twice as good to get ahead.
The thing is, most liberals and moderates, those who will vote to reelect Obama in 2012, were already there. The Left has no need for a “magical Negro”, and hasn’t for quite some time. Are members of the Congressional Black Caucus magical? How about the mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed? Or Deval Patrick in Massachusetts? Or Jesse Jackson? There are racists on the left, sure, but the problem of race hatred is embedded on the far right, and those folks haven’t changed a bit, and we shouldn’t expect them to.
To be clear, President Obama didn’t get elected in the last election cycle because white people thought he was magical. He was elected because he beat John McCain fair and square. He was elected because no one wanted Sarah Palin within a heartbeat of the presidency. He was elected because Obama’s campaign effectively drew parallels between McCain and Bush, and painted a McCain win as a third Bush term. President Obama was elected because he was, hands down, better than the other guy. That’s racial progress, but it doesn’t have a d**n thing to do with magic.
Yvette Carnell is a former Capitol Hill and campaign staffer turned writer. She is currently an editor and contributor to Yourblackworld. You can reach Yvette via Twitter @YvetteDC or on Facebook.
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
Boy, does he needs to quit….He should get some big white lips, and a black painted face. And he can deliver his message by buck dancing in the process. He is really trying to keep his job. He is Pitiful!
(LMAO) I love it!!!
I never went there, I looked at his record and I deemed him qualified. I thought that a person who had been voted by his peers to serve as President of the Harvard Law Review, and graduated magna c*m laude with a degree in Law were enough credentials to at least discern the requirement of the job. With the intransigence of the Republican Party he has done a herculean job of being President. I am honored to vote for him again! Obama/Biden for 2012.
I’ve read comments on different blogs, I must say we black are very much as racist as the whites.
As far as I can tell he is not into working with the repubs. at all, it’s his way or no way!
I’m not sure intelligence along qualifies you to be President. There’s a awful not of people who belong to mensa and are smart enough to understand they would not be a good president!
I can only say things are not better since he has been in office. I could be president if every time I messed something up or was unable to complete something I could blame it on the person who had the job before me and everyone says yes that’s right!
I’ve got 39 days to decide if he is worthy of my vote again. Let me think what has he done earn this black mans vote other than having the same skin color.
You obviously do not understand my comment. I am not talking about Pres. Obama. I am talking about this clown Toure who is stating the above headline. I think that is the point that others on this thread is speaking from.
Pres. Obama did accomplish a major FIRST in history… the FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT of these United States. And there were some White folks who helped put him in there. But as far as us living in a “post racial” society…that has not happened. Even Pres. Obama is treated with great disrespect from some of these racists, hate groups…and the right wing nuts in the Tea-Publicans. It seemed like his election stirred up the white racists…and they came out of the cracks to put a stop to any more of the uppity Blacks getting too far ahead.
Onesilverbac, If you believe that things are worse now than it was when the President took office in January 2009, you must be living in another planet. Go back to the fourth quarter of 2008 and try to recall the condition of the economy, including the number of jobs that were lost up to that period and repeat the totally stupid statement you made in your comment. You sound like one of those African Americans who expects the President to release all black criminals in prison through his Executive Order. My advice to you is to get yourself a college degree or vocational training and see how things will “get better” for you. Things might still be hard but I promise you, you will be more competitive in the job market. Ask not what President Obama can do for you to make your life better but what YOU can do for yourself.
You do not have to vote for the re-election of the President. Vote for the Republican Romney and watch how “better” things will get for you.
This person Onesiverbac is a fraud. He is a GOPer.
Onesiverbac sounds like a Peckerwood who Hates Black Authority,this is something New for Crackers especially Down South Demons! Please Massa Bush Protect us from the Terrorist! Massa Bush please! Nobody remembers who Bush was or what he was doing! Bloodthirsty Cracker Warmonggers thief some Negroes have no clue,The Bush’s are big oil in Texas this is how they purchased the Texas Rangers! Then this Cracker Bush turned around & made the American people pay Double for that Stolen Oil lol you Braindead Dummy!