First Black President? Really?

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  1. BillyDRitchie profile image61
    BillyDRitchieposted 13 years ago

    Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that he is the first mixed race President?  If so, why do the blacks get to claim him?

    I don't know about every state, but in Georgia, where I live, birth certificates list the race of the baby as the race of the mother.  If that is the case in Hawaii, it would explain why Obama has never just made his Birth Certificate public.  Obama's mother is white, which would make Obama listed as such, effectively doing away with his claim to fame as the first black president.

    For the record, I am not a "birther"....I do believe Obama was born here and has every right to be President, even if he is an incompetent one....

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    1. pisean282311 profile image62
      pisean282311posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      he is most competent president in recent times...and honestly after what bush did to usa, none could have done better in any case...coming to white/black...well i agree he is mixed...

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      1. BillyDRitchie profile image61
        BillyDRitchieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Well, if by competent you mean expanding government, Constitutional overreaching, and promoting a solidly left agenda, then yeah, I guess you could call him that....

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        1. pisean282311 profile image62
          pisean282311posted 13 years agoin reply to this

          no by competent i mean in spite of inheriting worst mess , thinking long term in spite of facing opposition from both majority of masses and republicans ...

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          1. couturepopcafe profile image61
            couturepopcafeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            pisean - I don't know how long you've been around these parts, but I'm of the opinion that most U.S. presidents inherit a mess, face party opposition, and have to deal with foreign diplomacy issues.  With respect, I've found that most of the immigrants I speak with think Democrat stands for democracy.  Read the history of Chicago's politics.  You'll gain some insight into Obama's rise to glory.  I'm not saying he's any better or worse at presidenting than any of them, but don't be fooled.  Can anyone say George Soros?

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            1. Doug Hughes profile image59
              Doug Hughesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

              What a nit-pickin' OP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

              Please, let us know how Obama is allowed to identify his racial background.

              It's not a secret - his mother is white, from Kansas originally. His father is from Kenya. That's a country in Africa, for you wingnuts. So he's first generation African-American, and the term in vogue for that racial group  for the last 40 years, has been 'black'.

              WTF do you want?

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              1. BillyDRitchie profile image61
                BillyDRitchieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                Thank you, thank you very much.  Just trying to show Obama some of the same love that was shown to President Bush for eight years.

                It really is one thing to dish it out and another to actually take it, huh?

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            2. profile image58
              C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

              I can say George Soros, but it hurts my ears when I do.

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              1. habee profile image91
                habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                Good one, CJ!

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    2. habee profile image91
      habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I live in GA, too!

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    3. Evan G Rogers profile image59
      Evan G Rogersposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That's actually a pretty interesting argument.

      I don't know what the rules are in Ohio about birth certificates... I haven't had a baby -- or any other reason -- to investigate.

      Either way, your argument highlights the absurdity of claiming to be one race or the other. I just wrote a paper on this in one of my grad school classes.

      Pretty much every single day I went to this class it was "Rich white men are killing, raping, murdering, and secretly destroying the world!!", and I just couldn't take it anymore. I wrote my final paper - despite the assignment's rubric - about how focusing on one group of people is completely pointless and hopeless because calling someone "white" is to show a lack of understanding of science. We're all Africans.

      The argument is also flawed because to be rich isn't a bad thing. I pointed out that "to be rich" is to have had numerous ancestors who wisely invested money into profitable enterprises. And, I continued with the argument that "poor" by today's standards is to be "fantastically and unimaginably rich" by 1800s standards.

      And on top of that, I argued that it was further pointless to argue along the lines of race because species is a much more important marker of success. Squirrels would LOVE to have a day's work mean being able to sit around in a warm apartment and watch tv... they just aren't able to do it.

      Anyway, I like your argument, but I think no race is actually able to "claim" someone. People claim their race because they hope to mislead the masses. I'm not really white - I'm African. So is everyone else who claims the Homo Sapien species.

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      1. profile image56
        foreignpressposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        One cannot argue with the liberal mindset. It is incapable of reason or logical thought. That's why emotion is such a strong part of the liberal argument. BTW, 9/11 cost the U.S. billions of dollars -- if not trillions in the long term -- which Bush had to juggle with the liberal Congress' ongoing spending spree. Obama is spending because he has no idea what else to do. And, yes, Obama was born in Kenya. He has now spent over $2 million keeping his secrets hidden.

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        1. Ron Montgomery profile image61
          Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Liberals and moderates however, are capable of writing hubs.

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          1. habee profile image91
            habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Lol!

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    4. profile image0
      Brenda Durhamposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Obama straddles fences all the time.
      Just wait----as soon as it becomes politically-correct to be white, he will try to claim THAT heritage.  The chip on the man's shoulder is moveable from one side to the other, just like his feigned morality.

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      1. Ron Montgomery profile image61
        Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Better to straddle fences than build walls...

        Merry Christmas Brenda.  May the holidays bless you with the hateful intolerance you seek.

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        1. Uninvited Writer profile image76
          Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          ((hugs))

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    5. Teddletonmr profile image68
      Teddletonmrposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Wow, you guys are enjoying this way too much. Mr Obama is the first black man born to his white mother, how about we take it for what it is, work with each other and make, or may I say keep the United States of America the home of the free.
      God bless, Merry Christmas, and please let's make it a great new year...

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      1. couturepopcafe profile image61
        couturepopcafeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Ted - I thought he was the first white man born to his white mother, with some of his black father's outward attributes.  cool

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    6. profile image0
      klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Does it really matter????
      http://s2.hubimg.com/u/4331093_f248.jpg

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  2. paradigmsearch profile image59
    paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

    .
    *** POOF! ***
    .

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    1. habee profile image91
      habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, racism exists ONLY in the South.

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      1. pisean282311 profile image62
        pisean282311posted 13 years agoin reply to this

        well does it still?...

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        1. habee profile image91
          habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Are you asking if racism still exists? I think you know the answer to that. Racism exists - world wide. Until we're all the same race, I think it will, unfortunately.

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          1. pisean282311 profile image62
            pisean282311posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            nazis tried that but failed smile...on serious notes ya...may be as we become more interconnected , we would move beyond race ,religion....may be we would develop new way of viewing things...

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            1. habee profile image91
              habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

              I hope we evolve to that one day! Why can't we just judge people on their character and humanity?

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              1. pisean282311 profile image62
                pisean282311posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                why is tough to answer...guess since we have evolved from jungle as hunter who tend to remain in group....we tags people into groups...

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            2. tom_caton profile image76
              tom_catonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

              nah.., have you seen the religiuos forum? or the atheist forum? it's a bloody battlefield! Being more interconnected just allows us to push the agenda of our beliefs into peoples faces every time they happen to be online, which is a lot in todays world.

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      2. paradigmsearch profile image59
        paradigmsearchposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Good point.smile

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    2. profile image58
      C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Ugly and partially true. It's not a phenomenon specific to Southern good ole boys. Check into the histories of Detroit, Chicago and other northern cities.

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      1. paradigmsearch profile image59
        paradigmsearchposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Yep, I should not have picked on the South there...smile

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        1. habee profile image91
          habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          That's okay - we're used to it!! lol

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        2. Evan G Rogers profile image59
          Evan G Rogersposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          I'm astonished someone ACTUALLY admitted to being wrong, and then went about correcting it.

          Well done, good sir. Well done!

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          1. paradigmsearch profile image59
            paradigmsearchposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            The South related remark was not the reason for the *** POOF ***, but thanks anyway.smile

            I plan to pick on the South again sometime so as to torture habee.smile

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            1. habee profile image91
              habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

              LOL!! Torture? Kinky!

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              1. paradigmsearch profile image59
                paradigmsearchposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                lol
                .
                I'll only do two...
                .
                .
                Q.  Why do Driver Ed classes in redneck schools use the car only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays?
                A.  Because on Tuesday and Thursday, the Sex Ed class uses it. 
                .
                Q.  What's the difference between a southern zoo and a northern zoo?
                A.  The southern zoo has a description of the animal . along with a recipe. 
                .
                .
                .
                Edit: I'm from California. That should give you all the ammunition you need...smile

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                1. habee profile image91
                  habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Guilty on both counts - especially #2! At least we know where our meat really comes from. lol. And I bet none of yore fur coats is homemade, either!

                  You might be a yankee if:

                  Your roads are better in the winter because the pot holes are filled with ice and snow.

                  You say "you guys" or "youse guys," even when you're talking to females.

                  You cook fish in a pot with a lid, and the fish still has its head.

                  You don't know the plural of "y'all."

                  You dream about visiting or moving to warm, sunny Dixie!

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                  1. paradigmsearch profile image59
                    paradigmsearchposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                    .
                    My moving things around are messing things up... I'll put it back.smile

                    "I'm from California. That should give you all the ammunition you need...smile"

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                  2. Teddletonmr profile image68
                    Teddletonmrposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                    habee maybe you could clear something up for me. When visiting a fellow Jar-head in south Ga, his mamaw asked me if I were a damn yankee, or a GD yankee, what is the deal with that?

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                  3. couturepopcafe profile image61
                    couturepopcafeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                    habee - as a Jersey girl, I can attest to the truth of all of it - which by the way makes it unfunny.  And the fishhead thing?  I got 2 brothers and an uncle that'll break your kneecaps for you if you don't watch out.  cool

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    3. kerryg profile image82
      kerrygposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The one drop rule was put into law in Virginia in 1924, which effectively defined anyone with any known black ancestry, no matter how remote, as black. It was overturned by Loving vs Virginia in 1967.

      Ironically, it was actually stricter than the laws in Virginia when slavery was legal. In 1822, you needed at least 25% black ancestry to be defined as black.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_theory
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_Integrity_Act

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    4. Teddletonmr profile image68
      Teddletonmrposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your understanding...

      replyreport
  3. Greek One profile image64
    Greek Oneposted 13 years ago

    I think that Obama was around in the 1800s, he would have been seen and treated as a 'black' person...

    so yes, I think it is fair to say that he is the first black president (and also the first of a mixed black and white mix)...

    As such,I think his election, regardless of what you think of his policies or usefulness, is a testament to how far America has grown up

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    1. habee profile image91
      habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree. Even though I didn't vote for Obama, I felt a sense of pride watching his victory speech. As the old commercial said, "We've come a long way, baby!"

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  4. Greek One profile image64
    Greek Oneposted 13 years ago

    one day, we will have fully evolved and integrated so that every single person can proudly stand up and say, "Yes, I am a Greek one!"

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    1. profile image0
      klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Merry Xmas Greek!

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      1. Greek One profile image64
        Greek Oneposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Merry Christmas Klara!!  (if they have Christmas in Miami, that is) smile

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        1. profile image0
          klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          No christmas for us. We celebrate Three Kings' Day - January 6th. That way we can get all the after christmas sale specials. smile

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          1. Greek One profile image64
            Greek Oneposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I wouldn't call Bosh a King... maybe James and Wade.. but not Bosh

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            1. profile image0
              klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

              Poor Bosh! He got stuck carrying the myrrh and they gave him a donkey instead of a horse. He's still a KING. You're just jealous! yikes

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              1. Greek One profile image64
                Greek Oneposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                not as envious of him as his illegitimate children
                smile

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              2. jcales profile image52
                jcalesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                If Bosh is a King what is Gasol, Josh Smith, Boozer, and now  Love?  Bosh is extremely average.  Beasley coudl've exceled as he is now in Minnesota since the pressure will be off him and on Wade & James

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  5. profile image58
    logic,commonsenseposted 13 years ago

    How about one day, we focus on a presidents qualifications, his policies, his actions.
    Race, gender, financial status, should not even be a consideration.  Should not be touted or dismissed. 
    Let's judge on the merits.  For example, Obama, for all the gushing the press and his sycophants have done, has actually accomplished very little if you really boil things down to the nitty gritty.
    It's all about perception, not about the reality. A sad commentary on our society today.

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  6. paradigmsearch profile image59
    paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

    Paradigmsearch turns chicken.

    I consider it almost a certainty that some activist is going to come along and twist what’s been said to meet their own agenda.

    At the very least they will start screaming racial insensitivity.

    I don’t need the grief.

    Therefore, as to my initial post:

    *** POOF! ***

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  7. Ron Montgomery profile image61
    Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years ago

    His nickname in college was "tripod".  Scientifically, this means he has more of his father's negroid genes, and fewer of his mother's caucasian ones.  If a person is even 51% black, he must by law be declared "brotherly" for census purposes.

    I'm glad I could clear that all up for you guys.

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    1. jcales profile image52
      jcalesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      "he must by law be declared "brotherly" for census purposes. " 
      This has or will change, the other box or mixed will be acceptable. What are Asians or Mexicans who are mixed with white ?  Asians or Mexican? And I am talking about dark skinned asians, filipinos or darker skinned hispanics
      pretty obvious the old ways have to be changed. Other is in the demographics in Wikipedia. In Obama case, the african gene is prominent unlike other mixed parents ala Derek Jeter

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      1. Ron Montgomery profile image61
        Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Thus Jeter's nickname: "minnow".

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  8. melpor profile image91
    melporposted 13 years ago

    Obama is called a black person because he is part black and that is the predominant feature you see in him. I do not believe anyone will called him a white man. Tiger Wood is part Asian, black and couple other groups, again he is called a black man because that is the feature you see in him. Some people  may call him a black asian since they see his asian features. I myself am part native american and black and I am recognized as a black person. I have no problem with that. It the predominant feature someone sees in person when they classifies them. This not racist. This is the way of the world. It is just a matter of observation.

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  9. habee profile image91
    habeeposted 13 years ago

    But doesn't Obama describe himself as being black?

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  10. melpor profile image91
    melporposted 13 years ago

    Yes. Obama describes himself as a black man. I do no think he went around and said he is a white  man. Keep in mind, there are a lot of black americans who have whites and other groups of people in their family tree, but their image is that of a black person. That is what you see when you look at any person, their skin color.  You do not see Obama as a white man. He does not look like an anglo-saxon white person.

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  11. paradigmsearch profile image59
    paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

    fyi:

    Google has gone Christmas. Mouseover it.smile

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  12. Jim Hunter profile image60
    Jim Hunterposted 13 years ago

    I thought Bill Clinton was the first black President?

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    1. profile image0
      Brenda Durhamposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ROFL!

      Nah, he was just the first one to try to re-define sex.

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      1. profile image58
        C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        and the word "IS"

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        1. profile image0
          Brenda Durhamposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          "chuckle"
          yes indeed.

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    2. Ron Montgomery profile image61
      Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That is correct.  He is also the first President to state, "it depends on what the definition of is is."

      Also the first to confuse a vagina with a humidor.

      He's sort of a maverick.

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      1. profile image58
        C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        LMAO....

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  13. ftclick profile image56
    ftclickposted 13 years ago

    when you see Blake Griffin from the NBA, they will call him what?? I'd call him just an athlete. There is nothing prominent there in regards to skin tone, and you know he is mixed.
    Same with many women on the cusp of offspring from 1 white/latino/asian and a black parent.
    Yes, it depends on the skin tone where you will classify yourself. There are even Latinos who can pass for Asian from their features. I know a latino with those features, who learned Mandarin, and travels there often and still interacts a lot with both races.

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  14. Mighty Mom profile image74
    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Really? I don't recall a single incidence of anyone referring to Bush as black, African American or mixed race.
    Mixed up, yes.
    Mixed race, no.

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  15. SpanStar profile image60
    SpanStarposted 13 years ago

    As I recall from years ago before Blacks gained Civil Rights and Human Rights and one who had one drop of Black Blood was considered Black in America.

    Tiger Woods is mixed but when he became popular the press had no problem classifying him as Black.

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