Who is the Real Barack Obama? A Real American Like You and Me.

October 26, 2008

Article by David Lightman: Is Barack Obama a Real American or a Harvard Elitist?

I was reading through the Sunday fishwraps online and noticed this article posted in the Miami Herald. I couldn’t resist, mostly because of the article title – the implication affording us the knowledge people who study at Harvard are not “Real” Americans. Who knew? Aside from the poorly chosen title, the article is actually a mosaic of impressions (quotes) offered by the writer which represent the view Barack Obama is not a real American and does not have the country’s interest top of mind. I believe Lightman is being objective in his approach, only using the commentary to illuminate a point of view. In any case I have felt the McCain campaign has perpetuated this idea of Obama being un-American or not putting the country’s interests first. Some of the comments made are disturbing or ridiculous and deserve a retort. I shall snipe from quotes offered in the article:

Firstly, there is an implication certain areas of the US are full of people who are more patriotic than others; you know, those small towns, primarily Republican-heavy areas of the country. How insulting. Then there is this quote…

“A real American is the average person who works 9 to 5 for an average paycheck, and John McCain understands that,” said Jan Gardner, a nurse from Dolores, Colo.. “When Barack Obama talks he seems to be talking down to us.”

Jan, for your information McCain has no idea what it means to be an average person. He comes from a long line of elite Navy pedigree and is married to a woman whos father started and built the largest beer distributorship in the US. McCain is loaded. He owns a number of houses and has never had an average 9 to 5 job or made an average salary. Barack Obama, on the other hand, paid his own way through school or took loans in order to get through Columbia and Harvard Law. He and Michelle just recently paid off their school loans. There is one difference between McCain and Obama worth noting, however, as Obama is much smarter than Mccain and this could lead you to believe he is talking down to you. My guess is Obama is smarter than most people he comes into contact with and this can be intimidating and even lead some to feel as though he is talking down to people. It’s not intentional, I assure you.

“”A real American is the kind of person who lived in my old neighborhood,” said Doris Waywell-Smith, a retiree who ran a beauty shop in Mt. Sparta, N.J. “They all did the same thing. They wanted to get their hair done on Saturday and go to dinner Saturday night. They were all ethnic and minority groups, and they just wanted to live a good middle class life.” When she looks at Obama, she sees someone who’s “a Harvard elitist. He never grew up in a middle class environment. He understands Harvard elitists and movie stars.”"

Doris, I know you are not trying to be insulting, but you are. Just because I am not from your neibhorhood does not mean I am not a real American. And, yes, Obama did grow up in a middle class family. In fact at one point his mother had to use food stamps -  not really the upper class diaspora, is it? And where the hell did you get the movie star background, a McCain slam-ad?

“McCain last week said that western Pennsylvania “is the most patriotic, most God-loving, most patriotic part of America.” His supporters are spreading the same message. Nancy Pfotenhauer, a McCain adviser, said that the “real Virginia” would respond better to McCain’s message than would northern Virginia, which she said was now “more Democratic.”"

Ok, I get it; Republican equals  “Real” and Democrat equals “Not Real.” Im a registered Independent (no affiliation) but comments like this make me never want to vote Republican.

“Reese Resnick, a Durango oil and gas industry salesman, grew up in a small Texas town, the only son in a family of seven. “I had to work for everything I got. That’s what I was taught, and Sarah Palin understands that,” he said. “People like Obama, they get driven in vans all over Washington. Palin’s a working mom.”"

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Obama has never indicated people will not have to work for what they get. Do your research before you make unfounded judgments. Did you know, for instance, Obama will give upto a $4000 credit to students who do community service or serve their country?

Obama is a Real American like you and me, and yes, like John McCain too.