http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/us/politics/10reidweb.html

Seems that Harry Reid got caught with his foot in his mouth.  A recent book quotes him from the 2008 campaign saying (words to the effect) that O'bama had a decent chance at winning because he has light skin and does not have a "Negro dialect".

Apparently the quotations were accurate, as Reid has already offered up his apologies.

I say lawdy lawdy Mistah Reid, I sho' tries!
::)

Well, Reid is a Mormon...

Mormons didn't even let blacks into their congregations until the 70s.

I say lawdy lawdy Mistah Reid, I sho' tries!
::)


Well, Reid certainly could have made his point a bit more delicately.  Perhaps he should have admired how "articulate" Obama is, like Biden did.  ;D

All of this said, and political correctness aside, I will make a statement (at some risk here) that Reid indeed was making some technically correct points:


Right or wrong, a "light skinned" person is perceived much better than a "dark skinned" person, even within the African American community.  I am not justifying this, just saying that for whatever reason it is a reality.  So technically he had a correct viewpoint, although he should have come up with a whole better way of saying it, and perhaps apologetically.  I would have simply kept my mouth shut on this because I do not know how you can "spin" it into a positive without looking like a flat out racist, even if you are not one.


As to the whole "dialect" thing, again the point is valid but he certainly needed to come up with a better way of saying it.  As opposed to the stereotype that is out there for young African Americans, Obama IS well educated, well spoken, and yes (I'll say it) articulate.  Now other black leaders such as Sharpton and Jackson also fit this description, more power to them.  But far too many of the African American "role models" out there speak in an affected "street talk" where words are not pronounced, english is mangled in every sentence, and a completely affected accent is used.  Know wha I'm sayin'?  I have a former coworker who is a fantastic lady, well educated and professional, very highly paid, and she carries herself much like Obama or Michelle.  But her kids, who have grown up in the 'burbs, speak like street thugs with an accent nobody in their house possesses, like they were "Straight outta Compton", with the nonsensical pronunciation and grammar.  It has to drive their mother nuts.  She knows that their potential will be limited if they do not stop presenting themselves as street players.  ::)  I hope she gets their presentation turned around.


The reality of ths situation is that if, say, in 1990 or so, Obama maintained the exact same policies and viewpoints that he has today, but started talking like a street thug, he never would have been elected to office, not even in Illinois.

As a result, some people accuse Obama of being an "Oreo" or a "Tom", or "not black enough".  While I disagree with many of his policies, he deserves full credit for presenting himself as he is... an educated, intelligent, and productive man.  Given the disadvantages of his childhood, he could have turned out completely differently, and I think he's even written about it in his book.  It is too bad that many similarly intelligent young men (in particular) feel compelled to put on the "street" persona and language, and then wonder why they are stunted in achieving their potential.

(Side note:  Here in Pittsburgh we also have plenty of WHITE citizens who put on a feigned accent that makes them sound and look like they just fell off the turnip truck and landed on their heads, too.  Of the ones I know, many came from families that did not present themselves this way, but for whatever reason, these individuals thought it would be "cool" to talk like morons and it is sad.  But who knows, maybe they ARE morons and the accent simply is a symptom.  But I don't think that is the case for most, and because of how they present themselves, they are dismissed as not that bright.)

^ Totally agree