It has been abundantly clear that some of the venom directed towards President Obama since he took office is motivated by deep racist feelings among some people in this country.\u00a0 This does not mean that everyone who dislikes the President and\/or his policies does so because they are racists.\u00a0 However, racism has been demonstrated over and over again by the crude \u201cjokes\u201d and cartoons published by some local Republicans in various parts of the country, as well as comments for years from right wing talk show hosts, and not-too-subtle comments during the recent campaign from Romney surrogates like John Sununu that the President was \u201clazy\u201d and more interested in playing basketball than doing the work of a president.\u00a0 It also manifested itself when a Congressman shouted out at the President, \u201cyou lie,\u201d during an address to Congress.\u00a0 I strongly doubt that he would have done that to a white president.<\/p>\n
An African-American friend of mine who is very politically savvy and sophisticated recently raised an issue about the President\u2019s first term in office.\u00a0 He felt that President Obama acted and reacted at various times as the groundbreaking figure that he is.\u00a0 He compared the President to Jackie Robinson who, when he began his major league career, was on the receiving end of constant death threats and horrific racist insults.\u00a0 It has been well documented how Robinson knew he had to \u201cturn the other cheek\u201d to every one of these.\u00a0 He had to show almost superhuman self-control and patience.\u00a0 Somehow he managed to rise above the haters and stay there.\u00a0 His stoicism, humanity and dignity made it possible for much of a skeptical white America to accept him and, therefore, accept a future that included African-American, Latino and Asian ballplayers, even if they still didn\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n
Similarly, President Obama did not react to the racism and hate.\u00a0 My friend believes that it was important that the President not be perceived as an \u201cangry Black man.\u201d\u00a0 The result may have been a misperception of the President as weak, particularly in his dealings with Congress.\u00a0 As he begins his second term there will be no such constraints on President Obama.\u00a0 He will never be a hot-headed man with a quick trigger for a temper.\u00a0 That is not who he is.\u00a0 But I expect he will be more aggressive in his dealings with the bullies who are the Republican leaders in the House and Senate and who pass themselves off as the \u201cloyal opposition.\u201d\u00a0 They are certainly the opposition, but there is little that is loyal about them, except perhaps to their own sense of entitlement to power.\u00a0 Perhaps if President Obama was Jackie Robinson in his first term, he will be Curt Flood in his second.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It has been abundantly clear that some of the venom directed towards President Obama since he took office is motivated by deep racist feelings among some people in this country.\u00a0 This does not mean that everyone who dislikes the President (…)<\/p>\n