A black president and a black governor of New York, or so I hope.
I watched Governor-in-Waiting David Paterson’s press conference yesterday with interest. He’s an appealing guy. He has a very soft and warm manner, he doesn’t speak very well, he makes a lot of humble jokes. Obviously a skillful politician. But his verbal manner is somewhat stilted.
He couldn’t be more different from Obama, who comes off as brilliant, cold, arrogant, and is just a breathtaking speaker.
This is one of the beautiful things to me about this historic year for the American Left. We are able to demonstrate to the American people, or the American people are demonstrating for humanity, that you can’t stereotype black people. Or as an old friend once shouted at me, when I was saying something about women, "You are failing to differentiate the other!" We’re differentiating now alright.
Related posts:
- World Thrills to Obama for Obvious Reasons: Young, Black, With Muslim Connections
- Does Obama’s Being Half-Black Make Him More Acceptable?
- Al Roker’s introspection on black family is likely to be contagious
- Saying He Can’t Win Because He’s Black Is a Racist, Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
- America’s First Non-Black President
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I am not sure I quite agree with your assessment of Paterson's oratory. Obama is smooth, no doubt, and his repertoire of platitudes is limitless. Paterson on the other hand has authenticity of the kind that would have cost Obama all the white male vote, the demographic in which he leads, had he possessed even a hint of it. I can't imagine Obama ever invoking Malcolm X; Paterson does. He is also possessed of a quick wit, as evident in his reply to the reporters who asked him if he was also consulting hookers. 'Only lobbyists', he responded.
Here is the real 'breathtaking speaker'
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/13/david_paterson_invokes_paul_robeson_harriet
I've wanted to ask Geraldine Ferraro – if being black is the major factor in Obama's success, then why isn't H. Carl McCall governor of New York right now?
This is inside politics to NYers. Look up McCall in wikipedia. He was on the board of a state agency I worked for in the 1980s, which is why I even have a clue who he is.
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