Obama: Not ethnically American (racist, Indiana, Pennsylvania, party)

[Repubocrat]

I was listening to our Conservative morning talk show a couple days ago, and an older gentleman called in, I am assuming he is the typical uneducated Republican but his claim was that Obama does not think like me and you because he is not "ethnically American" due to his Kenyan background and his experience living in Indonesia. I usually listen to these shows mainly for entertainment but the comment struck me as incredibly ignorant, if not racist? It is stuff like this that makes me realize that the GOP "as is" has no future in this country. It is amazing that there people out there who still hold such ignorant, antiquated views in 2009. As a son of immigrants who came to this country and are not "ethnically American", I was truly offended.

[sailordave]

Originally Posted by Repubocrat

I was listening to our Conservative morning talk show a couple days ago, and an older gentleman called in, I am assuming he is the typical uneducated Republican but his claim was that Obama does not think like me and you because he is not "ethnically American" due to his Kenyan background and his experience living in Indonesia. I usually listen to these shows mainly for entertainment but the comment struck me as incredibly ignorant, if not racist? It is stuff like this that makes me realize that the GOP "as is" has no future in this country. It is amazing that there people out there who still hold such ignorant, antiquated views in 2009. As a son of immigrants who came to this country and are not "ethnically American", I was truly offended.

Ignorant, possibly, but not racist. I did a quick search of ethnic and found this definition ethnic definition | Dictionary.com

Part of what the caller said was true. Obama does have a Kenyan background and he did live in Indonesia as a child. However, I disagree with the gist of his comments as a whole.

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

Hmm. I think it's a huge leap to say that the caller represents all or most Republicans.

[Repubocrat]

Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale

Hmm. I think it's a huge leap to say that the caller represents all or most Republicans.

The caller would be the typical Palin supporter/Tea Party rally goer. Kind of like that guy in Florida who made the sign "Obama half-breed Muslin". I think he represents a large proportion of the GOP supporters, mostly uneducated hillbillies.

[delusianne]

Originally Posted by Repubocrat

I was listening to our Conservative morning talk show a couple days ago, and an older gentleman called in, I am assuming he is the typical uneducated Republican but his claim was that Obama does not think like me and you because he is not "ethnically American" due to his Kenyan background and his experience living in Indonesia. I usually listen to these shows mainly for entertainment but the comment struck me as incredibly ignorant, if not racist? It is stuff like this that makes me realize that the GOP "as is" has no future in this country. It is amazing that there people out there who still hold such ignorant, antiquated views in 2009. As a son of immigrants who came to this country and are not "ethnically American", I was truly offended.

It's just ignorant, but maybe not in a bad way....? Maybe he had been earnestly puzzling over this and trying to come up with a reason why he feels so estranged from the president, and that's kind of sweet....that he really did want to know. When in reality it's the right wing propaganda he's been absorbing that's kept him confused instead of helping him understand. Bless his heart. Unless he was being belligerent and negative in the call.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by sailordave

Ignorant, possibly, but not racist. I did a quick search of ethnic and found this definition ethnic definition | Dictionary.com

Part of what the caller said was true. Obama does have a Kenyan background and he did live in Indonesia as a child. However, I disagree with the gist of his comments as a whole.

Obama does not have much more of a "Kenyan" background than me. His parents divorced early on, and he only saw his father one more time. He never lived in Kenya. About all he got from Kenya was his race.

I agree that perhaps the caller was just trying to figure things out.

I see Obama as having a very rich cultural heritage.

[Tymberwulf]

Being married to someone who was born and raised in the Philippines, I can honestly say Obama doesn't think like I do. Growing up in America is not like growing up in other countries, heck I grew up in Indiana, and I am totally different than say someone growing up in Oregon.

While that point is valid, the point that this is the reason he doesn't have America's best interest at heart is silly, my wife lived in the Philippines for 19 years, came to America and within 4 years joined the Air Force. She gave 21 years of her life to serve HER country, so while she doesn't think like I do, I do like the way she thinks.

[EinsteinsGhost]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I see Obama as having a very rich cultural heritage.

Yep. And so do I. To the insecure, however, that can be discomforting. But if they somehow happen to crawl from under the rock they've been living, they just might see the strength in it that it is truly American!

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Tymberwulf

Being married to someone who was born and raised in the Philippines, I can honestly say Obama doesn't think like I do. Growing up in America is not like growing up in other countries, heck I grew up in Indiana, and I am totally different than say someone growing up in Oregon.

While that point is valid, the point that this is the reason he doesn't have America's best interest at heart is silly, my wife lived in the Philippines for 19 years, came to America and within 4 years joined the Air Force. She gave 21 years of her life to serve HER country, so while she doesn't think like I do, I do like the way she thinks.

It's not quite a direct comparison, though. Obama's mother was an American, from Kansas, the "heartland" of America. He was raised primarily by his Kansan grandparents, in Hawaii, which even then was the USA. Yes, it's different from growing up in Pennsylvania like I did (I've been to both), but it's still the USA.

[ScottyG]

Originally Posted by Repubocrat

I was listening to our Conservative morning talk show a couple days ago, and an older gentleman called in, I am assuming he is the typical uneducated Republican but his claim was that Obama does not think like me and you because he is not "ethnically American" due to his Kenyan background and his experience living in Indonesia. I usually listen to these shows mainly for entertainment but the comment struck me as incredibly ignorant, if not racist? It is stuff like this that makes me realize that the GOP "as is" has no future in this country. It is amazing that there people out there who still hold such ignorant, antiquated views in 2009. As a son of immigrants who came to this country and are not "ethnically American", I was truly offended.

There's a big difference when some "loser" on the radio makes comments like that, which may or not be racist. I think you are reading into it a little bit. I guess it is okay when a Supreme Court Justice nominee makes this comment, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life"?