# Has the Obama presidency made racism acceptable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 11, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404 "2010-09-11T14:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/21 "2010-09-11T16:50:10Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > This is not about politics, it’s about racism. Racism had not disappeared from our culture, but the struggle against nearly has. The racists no longer feel shame when they openly spew their intolerance. But it is not anything new. The social acceptance of racism declined through the 60s and 70s, but then became acceptable again as Reagan told his lie about ‘welfare queens’. Then bit by bit under the careful tutelage of Pat Buchanan, who established the Crossfire ideal that all ideas are equal, racism once again became an acceptable mainstream view. People disagree with my lack of tolerance for the intolerant, but I don’t stand by while people spit their venom in my eyes. Cowards will always be with us, but if their cowardice is acceptable, it is our fault for providing them haven. In this case though, aren’t they tied together? The feeling that I got from my co-worker is that the politics act as a cover for the racism. And maybe racism hadn’t gotten better, maybe it was just more underground. But I don’t think so. I think that with every passing year, it does become less and less. At least I hope so. (naively, maybe) ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/22 "2010-09-11T16:51:11Z")
> [@Mozart1220](#): > > As a blond haired, blue eyed, never tan, burn and peel, White guy I can only say this about racism. > > No Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Martian has ever done me any direct harm, but MANY White people have managed to do so. > > Who am I supposed to hate? Is that a trick question? Them! ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/23 "2010-09-11T16:51:13Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > > [@joew](#): > > > > I think it is standard procedure to refer to the president as President Joew the first time and all subsequent times refer to him/her as Mr./Mrs. Joew > > Funny, he doesn’t look Joewish. without even thinking about it, my sons initials are JEW. I wonder when others will pick up on that 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/24 "2010-09-11T16:52:37Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Mr Obama is disliked in DC because he’s an outsider. Think about this. The Clintons worked for decades for the Democrats, they gave their all to the “Democratic machine” Hillary was the expected winner. She had the “machine” behind her. Then comes Oprah who thinks Mr Obama is so cute and boom he upsets everything. > > So a lot of regular Democrats were upset by this. The point of working for years for a poltical party is you are going to get rewarded by showing how well you can work with the “machine” or party. But here comes Mr Obama who no one ever heard of and boom he’s it? > > Now the regular Democrats are like, “What’s the point of working hard for my party, when an upstart can get in.” It’d be like if you worked for a company for ten years and worked hard and when the time for the promotion came your boss gave it to his brother-in-law. Hogwash. Ted Kennedy, the most regular Democrat there was, endorsed Obama during the primary campaign. The only person who thought had the right the nomination was Hilary herself (and Bill, judging by many of his appearances on the trail). ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/25 "2010-09-11T16:53:43Z")
> [@Mozart1220](#): > > As a blond haired, blue eyed, never tan, burn and peel, White guy I can only say this about racism. > > No Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Martian has ever done me any direct harm, but MANY White people have managed to do so. > > Who am I supposed to hate? But who do you spend the majority of your time around? Up until 5 years ago, I am not sure I had ever even spoken to someone not white. That goes for most of my family and that doesn’t keep them from being racist! ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/26 "2010-09-11T16:55:20Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > [@Markxxx](#): > > > > Mr Obama is disliked in DC because he’s an outsider. Think about this. The Clintons worked for decades for the Democrats, they gave their all to the “Democratic machine” Hillary was the expected winner. She had the “machine” behind her. Then comes Oprah who thinks Mr Obama is so cute and boom he upsets everything. > > > > So a lot of regular Democrats were upset by this. The point of working for years for a poltical party is you are going to get rewarded by showing how well you can work with the “machine” or party. But here comes Mr Obama who no one ever heard of and boom he’s it? > > > > Now the regular Democrats are like, “What’s the point of working hard for my party, when an upstart can get in.” It’d be like if you worked for a company for ten years and worked hard and when the time for the promotion came your boss gave it to his brother-in-law. > > Hogwash. Ted Kennedy, the most regular Democrat there was, endorsed Obama during the primary campaign. The only person who thought had the right the nomination was Hilary herself (and Bill, judging by many of his appearances on the trail). Also, isn’t that cutting your nose off to spite your face? Obama in the white house could only help them, why would they fight him and hurt their own party and ideals? ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/27 "2010-09-11T17:05:10Z")
> [@joew](#): > > > [@Mozart1220](#): > > > > As a blond haired, blue eyed, never tan, burn and peel, White guy I can only say this about racism. > > > > No Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Martian has ever done me any direct harm, but MANY White people have managed to do so. > > > > Who am I supposed to hate? > > But who do you spend the majority of your time around? Up until 5 years ago, I am not sure I had ever even spoken to someone not white. That goes for most of my family and that doesn’t keep them from being racist! I grew up in a small Iowa town where the “minorities” were the “non Lutherans”. Since then I have lived in a couple large cities and while the majority of my friends were White, I worked and “played” with people of all races and ideals. I’m a musician, and so my criteria for choosing friends tends to be based on musical taste rather than skin color. While music is often cultural, one dear friend in Salt Lake City is Hispanic and one of the finest rock guitarist I’ve ever heard. Our neighbors across the street are Black, and I consider them the best neighbors we have. Great people. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/28 "2010-09-11T17:05:19Z")
If this is going to turn into a D vs. R political fight, stop and consider where the ‘Obama is Muslim’ meme arose. It started well before any republican considered that Obama would win the Democratic nomination. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/29 "2010-09-11T17:34:05Z")
> [@joew](#): > > So is the cyclical hatred of democrats not worse with Obama? To me it seems that it is, but of course that could be thanks to the explosion of media/coverage. We all know that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so the fringe groups get more airtime. I would imagine that this feeds upon itself to make things markedly worse. I think that the Internet and Twitter have killed the centrist filtering that the media used to impose on political dialogue, enabling a much broader range of voices to get public attention. And the side that’s out of power is usually going to seem angrier. > [@Mozart1220](#): > > Who am I supposed to hate? Salieri, obviously. He’s behind everything that’s happened to you. ---
**Author:** ![Empire\_State](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Empire\_State](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Empire_State)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/30 "2010-09-11T17:49:56Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > > [@Empire\_State](#): > > > > Edit: Maybe it’s a topic for another thread, but what’s with the “Mr. Obama” stuff? Do people just have so little respect for the office? I sat through 8 years of Bush, which was regrettable, but I still refer to him as “President Bush” when I’m speaking in public. > > Funny how perceptions differ. > > I took that to be a conscious sign of respect since GWB was usually referred to - on internet forums at least - as ‘bush’ or ‘shrub’. When the alternative is “shrub,” then I suppose Mr. Bush is preferable. I do think it’s interesting that Glenn Beck and his crowd are trying to not-so-subtly shift blame. “We didn’t make this about race, the liberals did. They’re the real racists.” All the while protesting the building of a Muslim cultural center with a chapel in it next to ground zero. Or are we still calling it a mosque? I guess it makes for a better sensationalist headline that way. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/31 "2010-09-11T17:58:16Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If this is going to turn into a D vs. R political fight, stop and consider where the ‘Obama is Muslim’ meme arose. It started well before any republican considered that Obama would win the Democratic nomination. Ditto for the birther movement. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/32 "2010-09-11T18:00:24Z")
Personally, I think a bigger racial turning point was the OJ Simpson trial. That was widely perceived as an issue where black people were on one side and white people were on the other - and it was perceived as a divide where the black side defeated the white side. I think that had a chilling effect on racial relations that lasted for six years. I think the event that brought the races closer was 9/11. First, the tragedy tended to bring all Americans together. But in addition, the “them” of the American “us vs them” became terrorists or Muslims or foreigners or whatever - but black people once again were perceived as being part of “us”. White people and black people joined together in being suspicious of people that looked Middle Eastern. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/33 "2010-09-11T18:09:54Z")
I am convinced that the main reason so many Obama-haters cling irrationally to blatant lies – e.g. “Obama is secret Muslim,” “Obama is a socialist,” “Obama was born in Kenya,” etc. – is because those lies are convenient masks for their racism. For them, a black man in power is the most frightening thing there is, because to them Obama as president represents the dwindling of white male hegemony. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/34 "2010-09-11T18:14:04Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > …I think that the Internet and Twitter have killed the centrist filtering that the media used to impose on political dialogue, enabling a much broader range of voices to get public attention. And the side that’s out of power is usually going to seem angrier… And the Internet and proliferation of media outlets has made it easier for people to only read/watch/listen to media they already agree with. ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/35 "2010-09-11T18:39:41Z")
> [@Empire\_State](#): > > > [@qpw3141](#): > > > > Funny how perceptions differ. > > > > I took that to be a conscious sign of respect since GWB was usually referred to - on internet forums at least - as ‘bush’ or ‘shrub’. > > When the alternative is “shrub,” then I suppose Mr. Bush is preferable. > > I do think it’s interesting that Glenn Beck and his crowd are trying to not-so-subtly shift blame. “We didn’t make this about race, the liberals did. They’re the real racists.” All the while protesting the building of a Muslim cultural center with a chapel in it next to ground zero. Or are we still calling it a mosque? I guess it makes for a better sensationalist headline that way. If the Republicans have one great strength, it’s the realization that nothing gathers supporters like a common enemy, real or otherwise. Japs, Huns, Commies, Terrorists, Gays, Liberals, Muslims…whatever the flavor of the month is. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/36 "2010-09-11T19:01:45Z")
Shrub was short hand for Bush the second because his dad was pres and had the same name. It distinguished them. Molly Ivans was the first I read who used it. There is nothing particularly bad about “shrub”. ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/37 "2010-09-11T19:16:05Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > I am convinced that the main reason so many Obama-haters cling irrationally to blatant lies – e.g. “Obama is secret Muslim,” “Obama is a socialist,” “Obama was born in Kenya,” etc. – is because those lies are convenient masks for their racism. > > For them, a black man in power is the most frightening thing there is, because to them Obama as president represents the dwindling of white male hegemony. This. I’m sure many of them are not consciously racist. That’s why they will deny it so vigorously and sincerely. The racism is subconscious, but all the more powerful to them because it comes from inside and is not based upon rational reasons or verifiable actions. It’s xenophobia, and these folks are probably also creeped out by all of the different “others” around them, but only Obama is in such a high profile seat of authority. This raises their discomfort up to outright fear. And since they can’t rationalize an irrational fear they have to find something concrete upon which to ground that fear. As \*\*Knorf \*\*says, these are convenient masks, hiding their racism even from themselves. ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/38 "2010-09-11T19:23:02Z")
> [@Mozart1220](#): > > If the Republicans have one great strength, it’s the realization that nothing gathers supporters like a common enemy, real or otherwise. > > Japs, Huns, Commies, Terrorists, Gays, Liberals, Muslims…whatever the flavor of the month is. No, I think this is because they actually HAVE so many common enemies. They have retreated so far into their little tent of elite white guys that now pretty much _everybody_ else is an outsider. They’re neither making it up nor playing it up. Theirs is truly a siege mentality. The fact that it is they who have made everyone else the enemy doesn’t change the reality of it. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/39 "2010-09-11T20:21:18Z")
> [@joew](#): > > So this got me thinking…I see blatant hatred of Obama everywhere I go and everywhere I look. And I wonder how much of it is because of race? Where were you when the ‘Bush = stupid’ meme was running? Have you and your black colleagues actually considered that most of those who profess dislike of Obama for his policies simply dislike him for his policies and no more? Did black Democrats dislike Bush because he was white? Of course, I speak through the filter of 3000 miles of Atlantic ocean. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404/40 "2010-09-11T20:30:40Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > For them, a black man in power is the most frightening thing there is, because to them Obama as president represents the dwindling of white male hegemony. I’m still looking for the missing step, though. It’s not that his poll numbers _ **are** _ low; it’s that people who didn’t have a problem with him back then have a problem with him now. I wouldn’t be surprised if, upon teasing out the numbers, we need to explain a solid number of white males who even voted for the guy – and then proceeded to give Obama-as-President solid approval ratings for a while – before changing their minds about him _ **after** _ a solid number of months had gone by. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-obama-presidency-made-racism-acceptable/553404.md?page=3)