Roseland Heights Community Association

Being President While Black  by Gerald A. McIntosh

I don't think anyone was under some real illusion that the election of Barack Obama actually meant the end of racism in America. I'm pretty sure that the president-elect knew it better than anyone. After all, he saw it every day, from the moment he announced his candidacy. To some degree, he saw it within his own party during the primaries. And he saw it in all ugliness during the general election. For half of this country, he was "That One." No matter how big and clear his victory was. No matter how smart he is. No matter how decent he is. No matter what a true patriot he is. No matter how optimistic and positive his vision for America was. All that didn't matter. Because at the end of the day, he was still black.
I'm quite old. I remember, vaguely, where my parents were on November 22, 1963. I've seen so many presidents. Some were feared, some were hated, some were adored, some popular and some not. But all of them, without exception, were treated with the highest respect deserving the office of the president of the United States.
That is until a black man won the right to occupy this office. It's been 13 months now, and in the eyes of so many, Barack Obama is still that one. He is being disrespected and at the same time being held to the highest standard of any president I've ever seen – and not just by the Republican side! He has to perform three times better than any president in history, and even that may not be enough.
For the media, he is many more times just "Obama" than "President Obama." They create scandals out of nothing issues. It took them at least 6 years to start giving Bush a small part of the sh-t he deserved. It took them 6 months to begin crap all over Obama because he's yet to fix the catastrophe that was left for him.
They use condescending tones when they talk about him, and only mildly less condescending when they talk TO him. With anyone else, CNN wouldn't dare go to commercials every time the president speaks, like they did during that summit on Thursday. They wouldn't dare be counting how many minutes George Bush or Bill Clinton were talking. Chris Mathews wouldn't dare make an issue out of Ronald Reagan calling members of congress by their first name, like he is not actually the president. They fully cooperate with the Right-wing smear machine when it comes to president Obama's national security performance – even if almost every independent and military expert actually thinks that he's a terrific Commander-in-Chief. You'll never see them on TV, and virtually no one from the Left, in congress and outside, defend the president on this matter.
I don't care about the Far-Right. They're just crazy ignorant Neanderthals. It's the way the beltway and the mainstream treats this president that is shocking. On Thursday, almost every Republican had no trouble interrupting him in the middle of a sentence. They looked like they're going to vomit every time they had to say "Mr. president." They all had this Eric-Cantor-Smirk whenever he spoke. Then they went out and started to spit their stupid talking points, to the delight of the media. Sarah Palin, a woman who can hardly read, thinks that he was "arrogant" towards John McCain, and somehow this is an important news. Because you see, "Obama's Arrogance" is the talking point of the day.
Oh, those talking points. He is arrogant (because he knows the facts better than all of them combined). He is an elitist (because he uses big words that they don't understand). He is weak on national security (because he actually thinks about the consequences). He divides the country (well, he did that the day he had the audacity to win the election). Worst of all, he actually thinks that he's the president. He even dared to say so on Thursday. How arrogant of him. You'd think that previous presidents didn't have any ego. Somehow it turned out that the one president who treats even his biggest opponents with the utmost respect – is the arrogant one. I wonder why?
I expected that his winning the Presidency would bring out some ugliness, but it's been far worse than I imagined. The racism coming from the Right is obviously clear and shameless, but there's also some hidden and maybe subconscious and disturbing underline tone behind some of the things that I read here and throughout the Left blogosphere, even before the end of Obama's first year -- 'He's weak, he's spineless, he's got no balls, primary him in 2012.' It'll be dishonest to deny that.

The fact is that for millions in America, Barack Obama is this uppity black man (Not even a "real" black), who received good education only due to affirmative action, and has no right to litter the sacred Oval Office with his skin color. They just can't accept the fact that the president is a black man, who unlike his predecessor, was actually legally elected. But what's really sad is that it's not just the fringe, its deep in mainstream America.
President Obama's ability to remain above all this slob, to keep his optimism and his strange and mostly unjustified faith in people, while continuing to gracefully deal with an endless shitstorm – is one of the most inspiring displays of human quality I have ever seen. And I can only hope that the Cosmos is on his side because God is and He never makes a mistake.

Gerald A. McIntosh (G-Mack)

Holy Schmoley is this right on! I found this on Facebook, where it's being shared. Good job! I'd love to jack it for my blog www.houseofnina.com . As an ole' Black woman, I've got to thank you in any event. :)

Yes this is all very true, it is unfortunate that most won't even think of agreeing with this let alone write it in print.  What is also sad is that it is not just from the opposite race either.  More ethnic groups outside of Black and White can see it and they have not been so tainted with the racial madness that the United States has.  Most of them wish they had the opportunity to have a Barack Obama in there country.  His Mother and Grandparents did a hell of a job raising this man from the inside out.  He is so comfortable in his skin that it is shattereds others beyound their comfort zone to see a Black Man this unshakable and resilent in his core beliefes and soul.  If you never believed that a higher power has a part in a soul who is open to believing and trusting in a God or power unseen Believe it. President Obama and First Lady Michelle, Must walk by Faith because if they even tried to do anything else what has been seen by their eyes even before this man got his foot off the ground to run would have knock them so hard on their butts they would not have been able to stand by what was thrown at them.  Never before did a running candidate have to have the CIA insist that they accept protection almost as soon as Mr Obama's annoucment to run was completed on the airwaves.  That alone would have been enough for most of us no matter what color, creed or purpose to grab up our beautiful young innocent little family and headed in the opposite direction faster than the speed of light. This President will one day be wrtten and seen as one of the Greatest Testiments to Mankind when all is said and done because the powers above always remain the wiser and has the last word.

This was truley a Great Read, I enjoyed it and appreciate it immensley.  Thank you for sharing :0)

Gosh, I am so sorry I was so excited I forgot to use spell check before hitting post in my above comments.  I hate when I do that.  So here it is with the corrections. LOL

Yes this is all very true, it is unfortunate that most won't even think of agreeing with this let alone write it in print.  What is also sad is that it is not just from the opposite race either.  More ethnic groups outside of Black and White can see it and they have not been so tainted with the racial madness that the United States has.  Most of them wish they had the opportunity to have a Barack Obama in their country.  His Mother and Grandparents did a hell of a job raising this man from the inside out.  He is so comfortable in his skin that it shatters others beyond their comfort zone to see a Black Man this unshakable and resilient in his core beliefs and soul.  If you never believed that a higher power plays a part in a soul who is open to believing and trusting in a God or power unseen Believe it. President Obama and First Lady Michelle, Must walk by Faith because if they even tried to do anything else what has been seen by their eyes even before this man got his foot off the ground to run would have knock them so hard on their butts they would not have been able to stand by what was thrown at them.  Never before did a running candidate have to have the CIA insist that they accept protection almost as soon as Mr Obama's announcement to run was completed on the airwaves.  That alone would have been enough for most of us no matter what color, creed or purpose to grab up our beautiful young innocent little family and head in the opposite direction faster than the speed of light. This President will one day be written and seen as one of the Greatest Testaments to Mankind when all is said and done because the powers above always remain the wiser and has the last word.

This was truly a Great Read, I enjoyed it and appreciate it immensely.  Thank you for sharing :0)