RoR: Forum

If a white politician had made this quote with the word "mongrel", it would be a career-ender.

Post 1

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 2:58pm

The most disgusting thing about this is that he makes the claim as if it matters in some way. Obama should just resign. He has no idea what he's doing, and absolutely no business leading this nation.

And this from someone considered to be highly evolved:

"...there's still a reptilian side of our brain" [that leads people to not trust others] "if somebody sounds different or looks different."

A Rhodes Scholar he ain't. I don't know if we've ever had a more superficial President. It's plain embarrassing.

(Edited by Teresa Summerlee Isanhart on 7/29, 3:13pm)

Post 2

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 4:10pm

Yeah - he's the hillbilly we were warned against - sort of like a reverse of Steve Martin's movie character...

Post 3

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 8:50pm

Re this Obama quote: "...there's still a reptilian side of our brain" [that leads people to not trust others] "if somebody sounds different or looks different."

Actually, I think this statement may accurately describe reality, from the scientific articles I've read. Our lower brains, where emotions reside, does tend to make us distrust those who seem different from us. It is up to the rational cerebral cortex of the brain to override these emotional reactions and let us see the vast similarities that underlie these superficial and trivial physical differences.

Post 4

Friday, July 30, 2010 - 3:48am

Accept he's using the wrong criteria for "different." Color and speech, as such, don't represent enough of a difference to trigger that kind of fear. Obama neglects to mention behaviour, which does.

If mere color alone were enough to trigger that kind of fear, some physical traits would have been completely bred out of the human genome. Like blue eyes and red hair.

Post 5

Friday, July 30, 2010 - 6:26pm

This is a shameless hijack, but blue eyes are only a few thousand years old -- there weren't any blue-eyed humans prior to 6000 years ago.

Ed

Post 6

Friday, July 30, 2010 - 6:32pm

I was just thinking ... Obama is kind of like a black version of George W. Bush. He's an incurable simpleton and many folks find that to be cute:

Thelma:
Didja' hear Obama speak for all the blacks when he said "we" just know more about it?

Louise:
Oh, yeah, Thelma. Wasn't that cute of him?

Thelma:
I almost fainted from the cuteness. I mean, just think about it: all of those little, black people running around ... knowing more about being a mutt than the "whites" do. [sigh]

Louise:
Yeah, I know, deary. Just so damn cute, isn't he? Say, isn't he half-white, too?

Thelma:
Yup.

Louise:
Well, heavens to Betsy! I just had an idea'r.

Thelma:
Oh, tell me now, don't keep me in suspense.

Louise:
Well, if Obama can speak for all the blacks and he's half-black, well ...

Thelma:
C'mon ... tell me now.

Louise:
... well, then Obama can speak for all the "white folks" to!

Thelma:
[dumbfounded silence]

Louise:
Thelma, Thelma, y'there?

Thelma:
I think I get it, but do go on. Gimme' an example.

Louise:
Okay, okay [clears throat to speak like Obama]: "Us white folks ... we don't care much for watermelon ..."

Thelma:
Oh, Louise?! [pause to think] That's so cute!

Louise:
"... nor fried chicken ..."

Thelma:
Oh Louise! Just stop it now, you are just too damned cute.

Louise:
"Let me be perfectly clear, ..."

Thelma:
[uncontrollable laughter, mixed in with the occasional sigh]

Ed

(Edited by Ed Thompson on 7/30, 6:46pm)

Post 7

Friday, July 30, 2010 - 6:37pm

Yes, but some of us have a non-reptilian side to our brains.

Post 8

Friday, July 30, 2010 - 7:55pm