Comments on: Politically incorrect thought of the day http://scripts.mit.edu/~birge/blog/obama-the-first-white-president/ Monkey #121643810 reporting for duty... Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:43:49 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Jonathan http://scripts.mit.edu/~birge/blog/obama-the-first-white-president/comment-page-1/#comment-2098 Jonathan Wed, 14 May 2008 19:19:48 +0000 http://scripts.mit.edu/~birge/blog/?p=124#comment-2098 Hi Pete: I was just pointing out that if Obama were running for office in a hypothetical country that were demographically the mirror opposite of us, he'd be considered a novel white candidate. I'm sure it's been pointed out a million times by others, but I still think it's weird the way a person can be 12.5% black and 87.5% white, and that person is identified as being black, both by themselves and by others. It's perhaps inevitable, but it's fascinating to me that something as personal as your identity would be so tied to the demographics of your surroundings and the relative oppression of your parents. I understand how black trumps white. But what happens if you're half latino and half black? Do you have to wait to see how things play out before deciding what you are? For what it's worth, I don't think Obama thinks like this, either. I don't think he supports group identity politics, either, even though he's inadvertently been helped and hurt by it at various times. Hi Pete: I was just pointing out that if Obama were running for office in a hypothetical country that were demographically the mirror opposite of us, he’d be considered a novel white candidate. I’m sure it’s been pointed out a million times by others, but I still think it’s weird the way a person can be 12.5% black and 87.5% white, and that person is identified as being black, both by themselves and by others. It’s perhaps inevitable, but it’s fascinating to me that something as personal as your identity would be so tied to the demographics of your surroundings and the relative oppression of your parents. I understand how black trumps white. But what happens if you’re half latino and half black? Do you have to wait to see how things play out before deciding what you are?

For what it’s worth, I don’t think Obama thinks like this, either. I don’t think he supports group identity politics, either, even though he’s inadvertently been helped and hurt by it at various times.

]]> By: Pete http://scripts.mit.edu/~birge/blog/obama-the-first-white-president/comment-page-1/#comment-2051 Pete Tue, 13 May 2008 01:32:28 +0000 http://scripts.mit.edu/~birge/blog/?p=124#comment-2051 Under what circumstances could you have a predominantly black America in the first place? I'm having a hard time thinking of a probable alternative history. Under what circumstances could you have a predominantly black America in the first place?

I’m having a hard time thinking of a probable alternative history.

]]> By: Alain DeWitt http://scripts.mit.edu/~birge/blog/obama-the-first-white-president/comment-page-1/#comment-2048 Alain DeWitt Mon, 12 May 2008 23:14:46 +0000 http://scripts.mit.edu/~birge/blog/?p=124#comment-2048 Jon, Sorry for not having visited for so long. That certainly qualifies as politically incorrect alright! And, as Homer says, "It's funny because it's true!" Alain Jon,

Sorry for not having visited for so long. That certainly qualifies as politically incorrect alright! And, as Homer says, “It’s funny because it’s true!”

Alain

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