General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Barack Obama and Treyvon Martin [View all]Skinner
(63,645 posts)For one thing, I don't see President Obama as "kowtowing to whatever powers that be" the way some here on DU have portrayed him the last three years. I see him as a politician who understands the need for compromise in order to get things done. And frankly, I think he has already lined up a record of accomplishment that beats any President since LBJ.
Now, I think it is true that many of the people who oppose him are racists, and the intensity of the hate toward him is due in part to his race. But that does not mean that the President of the United States has been treating his opponents as if he had been pulled over by a racist white police officer, staring at his feet mumbling "yes sir" and all that. The comparison feels emasculating and deeply disrespectful to our President.
There is a difference between keeping your cool and being deferential to authority. President Obama has an extraordinary ability to keep his cool and keep a level head even when everyone else seems to have gone completely insane. This is a very admirable quality, and it makes him a better and more successful president.
Context: I'm a white man, so that may or may not have some bearing on how I read your post. I guess I would be curious to hear how some African-American DUers feel about this.