What did Obama mean when he said he doesn't look like "other presidents" on the currency?

[hiaasenrocks]

I heard that his campaign is saying he didn't mean race.

I've read the excerpt and I have to say I think they fumbled the explanation. The way I see it, it requires us to believe that he meant he doesn't look like Washington, Lincoln, etc. down to every detail, which would, of course, be impossible.

Why not just admit he meant race and defend it from there, if he can?

I VERY much doubt we'll see this again because they have to know that it doesn't help.

[C_U_L8R]

1. No powdered wig

[hiaasenrocks]

6. That can be changed. :)

[jezebel]

2. He meant he is not old and steeped in the Washington culture. nt

[quantass]

3. +1

[hiaasenrocks]

5. Neither were Washington and Lincoln.

:shrug:

[blondeatlast]

4. They have white hair, he doesn't. However, there IS a candidate

who does share their hair color now that I think of it.

[WCGreen]

7. He's not all green and crumply

[Fovea]

8. It's the ears.

Really. Not Jackson, Franklin, Washinton, or even TR had such ears.
But at least he doesn't have the Lincoln adam's apple...
Or the wart.

[27inCali]

9. he meant exactly that

that he is something new and though race is a part of it. There is something deeper there to.

The Repugs have been race baiting. They've been doing it from day one. He called them on it.

DON"T BACK DOWN NOW>

[hiaasenrocks]

12. Didn't his campaign say it wasn't about race?

Maybe I am getting this wrong. If so, I'd welcome some quotes or links. I think I read it correctly, though.

What race baiting was he responding to? Do you mean in this campaign cycle?

[butterfly77]

19. Its not but..

it is in the eyes of a lot the republicons and even some Dems..

[me b zola]

32. Race has been a topic to attack Obama since the primaries since SC

If you don't recognize it, if it hasn't made you sick to your stomach the way that racism as been played against Senator Obama, then there is no link that I could provide to you to make you see what is under your nose.

Senator Obama is merely attempting to deal with the coded attacks that he is having to deal with. I agree with Rachel Maddow, the coded attacks say more about those that would defend them than they do their target, Senator Obama.

[TwilightGardener]

10. The shot was fired across the bow. Those who needed to be warned were warned.

Now it's up to the McCain campaign to decide how far they want to take this. If they were smart, they'd have left it alone. But they're using up their "black attack" far too early now. Besides, he could have meant that he looked youthful in comparison. As opposed to his rival, who's an OLD dude with white hair.

[hiaasenrocks]

16. I don't this ageism is a good tactic. We'll have to disagree there.

It'll be easy enough to drown McCain in his own policy flips and flops and his rampant dishonesty. Not to mention his hyper-war-mongering.

What is the "black attack" you are referring to? Specifics?

[TwilightGardener]

24. The one that's already in progress, and was surely going to get worse--

remember Rev. Wright? The much-rumored Whitey tape? Now the Ludacris song, that they will try to pin to him? Do you hear the cries of presumptuousness and arrogance because he dares do a good job of running for President (get back in your place, Obama)? Obama was not talking about the official approved ads and actions of the McCrazy campaign, he was talking about the GOP in general, the 527's, the RW talk radio crowd, the Freepers, the emailers. And as far as "ageism" goes, race does not affect your ability to do a job--advanced age DOES, and it shows in McShitbag's case.

[hiaasenrocks]

44. McShitbag? LOL

I don't know how old you are but even though you might be correct, you lost a little credibility talking like a 12 year old who just learned a curse word.

[TwilightGardener]

48. Oh well, can't please all the thread nannies all the time.

[my2sense]

11. I agree - it was a fumble

He was anticipating the kind of attack that would be launched against him.

[crimsonblue]

13. he was telling the truth

and he should never go on the defensive about race.It is true that he is being attacked differently because he's black. Make the racist mcfuckwad defend his racism.

[hiaasenrocks]

18. What examples are you referring to?

[crimsonblue]

29. mccain's racism?

he refers to vietnemese as gooks, he continues a worn stereotype of blacks as uppity, unintelligent, wreckless, shallow, and inherently dangerous. That's fucking racist.

[hiaasenrocks]

45. Quotes about the "uppity, unintelligent" etc? Thanks.

[Teaser]

61. presumptious = uppity

that's how it's being used. that's what is meant.

And I won't discuss this further with you, because you know it too.

Your next statement, of course, will be a denial of this, but that statement will be a lie.

[butterfly77]

14. Why doesn't it help..

is it because it is the truth?

[hiaasenrocks]

20. Because what is the truth?

[butterfly77]

23. What you already know ...

and are pretend to not know what you do know...

[hiaasenrocks]

46. So you have nothing? Why post?

Others have presented some good info here. Please join in!

[GoesTo11]

15. McCain had an ad with Obama's face on the $100 bill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zOOoXsphxs
19 seconds in

I saw a different version of this ad where it was more pronounced.

The idea was that it was hilarious to show a face like his on money (because it looks so different from
other people whose faces show on bills).

Obama's reference didn't come out of nowhere, and now the MSM and McCain are acting like
O's statement was bringing race into it.

[hiaasenrocks]

21. AH! Thank you! I was unaware of that.

It's definitely part of the relevant info here.

[Pirate Smile]

25. That is so strange because they have the World Trade Towers getting hit by the planes shown

so prominently the entire time while the language is about Obama and changing other things. Trying to associate him with 9/11.

[goodgd_yall]

37. Wow, you're right!---That is one sick ad n/t

[TwilightGardener]

26. WOW! Thank you--did not know that existed.

edit to add: someone should send that to Keith or someone in the media.

[goodgd_yall]

38. Good idea! n/t

[Whisp]

27. thanks so much! I didn't know that...

but will the 'media' show what obama was referring to.

NO

[gblady]

28. that was amazing....

the over and over 9-11 pictures...
what did that have to do with the change theme?
sick!

[Blu Dahlia]

31. your post deserves its own thread. I had no idea

and I don't think a lot of other people know about this.

[FrenchieCat]

35. I just sent this link with a letter to some in the media.

I'm going to kick CNN's ass on this.

[goodgd_yall]

49. I don't think the link is McCain's original ad

It looks like it's been mucked with (the Twin Towers isn't in the original, I don't think).

[Tinksrival]

50. Are you sure?

That that is an actual McCain ad? There is no McCain "approve this message" at the end and I can't find it anywhere except that one link? I sure would like to confirm it.

[GoesTo11]

54. Here's the actual original McCain video and an old WaPo article about it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDTJDv4hevU&feature=related
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/channel-08/2008/06/mccain.html

[jenmito]

17. They're white. But Obama did NOT say McCain played the race card. He said the Repubs. WILL TRY

to scare people by using his middle name, etc. The campaign didn't say he didn't mean race. They said they don't think McCain IS using the race card. That's different from other Repubs. who MAY use it.

[americanstranger]

22. He's not grayish green? n/t

- as

[blondeatlast]

30. Damn--ANOTHER way that one of the candidates is just like those guys on the dollar bills!

White hair and grayish-green; yes, indeed.

[JBoris]

33. It seem that if Obama mentions he is black, he is "playing the race card"...

I kinda agree, they fumbled the response. What they prob meant to say was that he wasn't playing the race card, he was talking about their not-too-subtle scare tactics.

[Cronus Protagonist]

34. 'cos he's all about CHANGE!

NOT BILLS

[goodgd_yall]

36. Yeah, he meant he's not a white guy like we're used to seeing as presidents

But I don't think he meant to say that McCain is necessarily using those tactics, but that McCain's campaign and supporters are trying to make Obama seem scary because "he's not like us." That's the message they're sending to the American people. Maybe McCain is too dense or too much in denial to know his campaign is playing the race card (they are, not Obama), so maybe, just maybe, he gets a pass. But his campaign people know what they're doing and it's to play on the xenophobic/racial fears of Americans for whom the shoe fits.

[Median Democrat]

39. Responds to McCain Charge That Obama Is Measure Drapes and Putting His Face On Dollar Bill

[TexasObserver]

40. he was probably alluding to the Obama $100 bills that the GOP put out

They created an image which was spread around online, via email, of Obama on a $100 bill, I think it was. I'm sure it is out there somewhere for those who wish to find it.

That spiel he used is not new, so he was probably talking about something fact based.

[elehhhhna]

41. DINGN DING DING you win. End of thread.

[hiaasenrocks]

47. Yeah, that's what it looks like. I had never seen those before.

[TexasObserver]

51. the way he mentioned, I just felt he had to be talking about something THEY said about Obama

It's just that he didn't mention it with specificity, and that made it a non sequitur of sorts in his spiel.

[Bluerthanblue]

42. not only his ethnic make-up, but his youth- and the reality

that he DOESN'T resemble other presidents- He said "I have a 'funny name' before he said he didn't look like the presidents on our money-

If Mccain's people USE Barack HUSSEIN Obama's name against him- they can hardly blame him for pointing that out. I would like to know how two very wealthy blond women entertainment 'stars' resemble Obama in any way at all? Obama was taking the golden opportunity GIVEN to him by Mccain's foolish choice to go gutter- and picking up some of the junk being thrown at him and holding it up for people to evaluate for themselves.

Why didn't Mccain use some credible 'celebrities' to contrast with Obama- Like Will Smith, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington???- It would have made the point they claim they wanted to make, without being so deceptively rude.-

:shrug:

[opihimoimoi]

43. The Pubs are Desperate...nit picking whiners...framing the discussions with moot shit...

Where are the discussions that really affect us?

[doc03]

52. He meant race and should admit it rather than trying to

smooth talk his way out of it. The Republicans are using the race card and he should have said so in no uncertain terms rather than trying to be cute about it. You are dealing with an American public with the intelligence of a 5th grader and the attention span of a gnat.

[polichick]

53. In June he said the same thing, only mentioned being black...

msnbc has played the clip several times tonite.

[Skip Intro]

55. Of course he meant race.

And his excuse to the contrary is bs.

Is it some huge game changer? Very much doubt it.

But we should be honest about it.

[JackORoses]

56. skip whole post

[Skip Intro]

62. oh you know it as well as I do

it's not that big of a deal, but pretending soemthing that happened really didn't happen isn't helping anyone, Jacko

[Cosmocat]

59. Did any McCain ads say "black" ???

No, but the pretense to a lot of his ads and most of the RNC/527 ads hides the veneer of race baiting ...

He called them on it at the level of communcation they are operating from ...

[JackORoses]

57. egads, the concern is overwhelming

[Monk06]

58. He's saying the Repug establishment is racist, in spite of the high

profile careers of Condi and Powell. Neither
would ever get the nod for president from
the R's. Some tiny flaw, (not related to race
of course) would be found to make them 'unelectable'

Saying that a large number of Americans will never
vote for a black person is not racist it is a fact.
Racist RWers have developed a code for their racist
views that relies on turning the tables on discussion
regarding race.

Eg Those who advocate for affirmative action are 'Race Pimps'

Those who merely mention reparations for slavery are 'Pandering'
to blacks.

Democrats who advocate these issues are accused to trying to
keep blacks on the 'Democratic Plantation'

Black vernacular is derisively termed 'Ebonics' especially if
it is derived from Rap culture. RWers also routinely refer to
Rap artists as 'haters' followed often by 'gang bangers'

Personally I have no problem with Obama talking about race. The RW
started the discussion when they slandered Michele for her so
called white hating anti Americanism and belief in 'Black Liberation Theology'

BLT is actually a coded reference to Rev Wright, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King
and other black leaders who refused to wait for whites to support equal rights

[Thrill]

60. Obama is right. When was the last time a Presidential candidate was called exotic or radical?

He's confronting them on their bs. So when they do it. People will pick up on it

[Hoof Hearted]

63. 2004

[kurtboss]

64. It's Fine For Obama to Use

Just stupid of that spokesman to deny it was about race. Obama makes it very light hearted and makes the race argument seem silly, so he shouldn't stop it. Just don't be silly and say its not about race. McCain=Bush's Third term.