Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: Just a couple

of 'gringos' campaigning in Florida, Oct. 20.

 

 

Semana, Colombia

Obama: A Negro Gringo (Or a Gringo Negro)?

 

"It's not for being Black that Obama will reach the presidency (though to a small degree, because of it), and not in spite of being Black (although, there's a little bit of this, too). It will be because, among the gringo candidates, he is undoubtedly the best. … and he has the pluses and minuses, the advantages and disadvantages, of being Black in a racist society that is rapidly shedding its racism."

 

By Antonio Caballero

                                     

 

Translated By Halszka Czarnocka

 

October 18, 2008

 

Colombia - Semana - Original Article (Spanish)

An Obama supporter in Denver, listens to the candidate, Oct. 26.   BBC NEWS AUDIO: Will the 'Bradley Effect' scuttle Obama's chances?, Oct. 25, 00:03:52

I know well that one shouldn't say “gringo” or “Negro”: these are two politically incorrect words. One reveals a visceral anti-Americanism, the other, racism. But the reality is more obstinate than political correctness - and the fact is that Barack Obama, the next president of the United States, is a gringo - and a Negro. Or, if one prefers, he's a Negro and a gringo.

 

(Caution: the order of the factors changes the product).

 

It's not for being Black that Obama will reach the presidency (though to a small degree, because of it), and not in spite of being Black (although, there's a little bit of this, too). It will be because, among the gringo candidates, he is undoubtedly the best. Now that he has eliminated his Democratic rivals, all he has to face before Election Day is Republican John McCain (plus two or three marginal candidates: the indefatigable and tedious Ralph Nader, a Green woman and a mad libertarian). And McCain himself is a mannequin, a stiff puppet who sounds like a rusted machine - which is even worse when he laughs - and whose main asset, as presented on TV by his vice presidential candidate [Sarah Palin], is that “he knows how to win a war because he’s been in one.” Yes: he spent almost the entire Vietnam War as a prisoner of those who eventually won it.

 

 

But neither is it just because McCain is so bad, nor because he is burdened with the sins of the super-bad government of his fellow Republican George W. Bush (which has crashed the economy, the influence, the morale, the prestige and the self-esteem of the United States) that Democratic candidate Barack Obama is going to win this election. He's also going to win thanks to the promise of hope in his governing platform, which is less selfish or short-sighted than that proposed by his Republican opponent: domestically, health care for all and higher taxes on the over-protected rich; in foreign policy, fewer lost wars and a more responsible energy policy. And above all, he's going to win because of his own virtues and talents: eloquence, sincerity, naturalness, intellectual preparation and political coherence. And by his capacity to raise funds: money is the raw sinew of democratic elections.

 

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

Poll of polls for October 27

 

Barack Obama is amazing. It’s been a long time since one has heard an American presidential candidate speaking as well as he does: perhaps not since Robert Kennedy. It’s been a long time since anyone has seemed so sincere: perhaps not since Jimmy Carter. None have seemed so natural, so un-artificial: perhaps not since Dwight Eisenhower. None have shone with such intelligence: perhaps not since Adlai Stevenson. None has kept such consistency between his professional career and his electoral promises: perhaps not since Woodrow Wilson. None have presented such a well-structured program for governing: perhaps not since Franklin Roosevelt. None has had this inborn, powerful, hard to define gift called charisma: perhaps not since Ronald Reagan or John Kennedy. And in terms of amassing campaign contributions, Obama looks like a pyramid scheme!

 

(All this sounds quite impressive upon rereading. Perhaps, over the top).

 

And moreover - or but, depending on your point of view - Barack Obama is Black. Moreover: he's a Negro who has become a candidate for the Presidency of the United States for a party of national dimension: He's the American dream made flesh. But he is a Black candidate and now they're throwing it in his face: uppity Negro, terrorist Negro, Negro gone White; kill him. His name is Obama, which sounds like Osama (as in bin Laden). And his middle name - all gringos have them and Obama is a gringo - is Hussein: Barrack Hussein Obama, like the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the one they hanged more for being an Iraqi than for being a dictator. And he's not even a domesticated Negro, a “house Negro,” as Harry Belafonte memorably called secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice; he's a “barking Negro” (within certain limits of prudence and composure). It's worth reading his splendid speech on race in the United States, which was delivered mid-way through the campaign . In short, he has the pluses and minuses, the advantages and disadvantages, of being Black in a racist society that is rapidly shedding its racism. Let’s remember that when Obama was born, it was nearly impossible for an American Black to gain notoriety as anything but a boxer or a trumpeter. Today, the almost surely future president is the same age as the historic Black civil rights march on Washington in 1963.

 

Senator Barack Obama delivers his now historic speech on race

in America, March 18, 2008. WATCH

 

But - or moreover, according to your point of view - Barack Obama is a gringo. Which means he has characteristics of a professional politician, of a senator, of a gringo president: hypocritically religious, militarily jingoistic and inevitably imperialist. Since his mother was an agnostic, Obama has to show that he's a practicing Christian (worshipping in one of a myriad of Black protestant churches in America; Trinity United Church of Christ). Since his father was from Africa and Obama spent his childhood in Indonesia, he has to put on (and has done so) a lapel pin with the stars and stripes to make a show of his patriotism. And given that he thinks the war in Iraq is madness and doesn't subscribe to the “Bush doctrine” of preventive aggression, he has to prove that he believes in the messianic “exceptionalism” of the United States, which was called on by Providence to interfere all over the world in order to save it. Empires are imperialist. And Barack Obama is - stands on the brink of being - the emperor of the currently prevailing empire.

 

Better than McCain? Without a doubt (and it's not so difficult to be that). But the world should not have too many illusions about Barack Obama. He's simply about to be the new president of the United States.

 

CLICK HERE FOR SPANISH VERSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US October 27, 4:32pm]