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My feelings on Obama and the "First black president."

MatthewMatthew Registered User regular
edited August 2010 in Debate and/or Discourse
From where I stand, I feel that right now, there are two ways Barack Obama will be remembered when he eventually leaves office.
At worst, a failure.
At best, underwhelming.

Why do I think this? I've thought this over for awhile and I think I finally have the right words for it. There's no way he can live up to what is expected of the "The first black president."

It's not really his fault, it's the fault of the culture that he was unfortunate enough to be elected to lead. Ever since integration, the concept of the first black presient has been built up in people's minds. He's become a figure of myth and (more importantly) prophecy. Like something from a cheap fantasy novel.

"He will descend from the heavens, and stand atop all men. He will motion with his hand and justice and great deads will spiring forth. He shall open his mouth an wisdom shall flow like a river. He will bring light o'er all the land."

This is what the first black president has been built up to be, and it's something that no human can live up to. (The first female president will have the same problem. God help the poor guy who's chosen as the first homosexual president)

Obama is almost a sacrifice in some ways. A sacrifice to break the spell which "The first black president" holds over America. It's a sacrifice that will hopefully lead to a black president with more substance in the future.

Matthew on

Posts

  • PhantPhant Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    Eh, like most presidents we will probably remember his biggest fuckup and the biggest thing he gets right. More to the point, we will remember the biggest things of historical importance that happen during his term. You don't really think of JFK as the 'First Catholic President', you think of the Cuban Missile Crises or Dallas.

    Phant on
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    edited August 2010
    We have an Obama thread, located here: http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=125236

    Also, what's with the quotation marks around first black president?

    Henroid on
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