Obama Calls Grandmother ‘Typical White Person’ in Radio Interview
Barack Obama called his grandmother a “typical white person” in a radio interview on Thursday, raising eyebrows among some of his critics only days after he sought to bridge racial division in a major campaign speech.
Obama had pointed to his mother’s mother in his speech Tuesday as an example of someone who harbored fears of blacks based on racial prejudice. The Illinois senator revisited his relationship with his grandmother on Thursday in an interview on 610 WIP, Philadelphia Sports Radio.
He denied his grandmother held hatred toward blacks, but described her as a “typical white person.”
“The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity — she doesn’t,” he said. “But she is a typical white person who, you know, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn’t know, there is a reaction. That has been bred into our experiences that don’t go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way.”
On Tuesday, Obama described his grandmother as a woman who was at times fearful of black men.
In the speech, he said: “I can no more disown [Wright] than I can disown my white grandmother, a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed her by on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.”
The remarks weren’t the only ones focusing on race and the campaign on Thursday.
Geraldine Ferraro complained that Obama had lumped her in with his controversial pastor, whom she called a “racist bigot.”
Obama mentioned the 1984 vice presidential candidate on Tuesday in his speech on race and his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., whose heated, anti-U.S. sermons raised questions about the company Obama keeps.
“To equate what I said with what this racist bigot has said from the pulpit is unbelievable,” Ferraro told the Los Angeles newspaper, The Daily Breeze, on Wednesday. “He gave a very good speech on race relations, but he did not address the fact that this man is up there spewing hatred.”
Ferraro, who left Hillary Clinton’s campaign finance team after saying Obama wouldn’t be where he is if he were white, said she had “no clue” why Obama included her in his speech. She said Obama’s relationship with Wright raises questions about his judgment.
“What this man is doing is he is spewing that stuff out to young people, and to younger people than Obama, and putting it in their heads that it’s OK to say ‘God damn America’ and it’s OK to beat up on white people,” she said. “You don’t preach that from the pulpit.”
The Wright controversy lit up shortly after Ferraro left her post on the Clinton finance committee following her initial interview with The Daily Breeze on Obama’s success.
In his speech, Obama drew a comparison between the two individuals.
“We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias,” he said.
Speaking in Philadelphia, Obama then argued that the issue of race cannot be ignored and that to over-simplify and focus only on the negative aspects of the matter would distort reality.
Overall, Ferraro said Obama’s speech was “excellent,” aside from the part where her name was mentioned.
Click here to read the article in The Daily Breeze.
I am a republican and the following is my opinion. I think that Ferraro was correct in what she said. Obama is riding a wave of popularity based on good speaking, good looks, a good education and the fact that he is a younger black man that has a very good chance of becoming the next president of the United States. I think that it is racist to not vote for a person because he is a black man, but it is also racist to not treat that same person as you would treat any other cadidate. As a voter, you want to know who a person is, what a person believes and how the person will lead. We don’t know alot about Obama and that might be the reason for the swell in popularity. I try to keep up with the news, but I don’t know alot about Obama outside of the little info regarding his time as a senator. In the absence of a third party telling you how a person is, you rely on the person in question to tell you how he is. In Bush’s case, he is not a great speaker. I like the man, but have a hard time listening to him due to his struggle to speak. I believe he is sincere, but he does better when other people talk about him. Obama is different. He looks better when he talks about himself. When a witness of his life talks, it doesn’t come off as that great. I think people get lost in the words sometimes and in the absence of info, people lean towards the good or bad in a person. In Obama’s case, he represents the first black man to grab the presidency. No person wants the first black man that becomes president to have any bad traits, so when anything bad is suggested, it is looked at as racist, because that trait wouldn’t exist. This is a historic time and Obama represents the black community and that standard bearer couldn’t have any bad traits. The reality is that he does have some bad traits. The question is how do you discuss those traits. If you say that he made a mistake in judgement, how is that talked about without sounding racist. For instance, lets say that Geraldine Ferraro is correct in her assessment of Obama. How could you explain that opinion without offending people. Do you have to be a black person to bring up that opinion or do you restrain asking that question because you fear rebuke. The question is not if Obama has bad traits. Everyone has something bad or makes mistakes in some areas. The question is whether people that are not black can participate in the process of asking questions and receiving answers about who Obama is and how he will lead.
The question asked from a non-black person was why he picked a church with a pastor that is so hard on non-black people. The sermons were not in the framework of black oppression as much as they were framed in a verbal assault on America and Americans, those same people he wants to lead. Most politicians designate a church that they ‘attend’, but in Obama’s case, he is very faithful to his church, which is good. He has a good relationship with his pastor and the people that attend that church. The question that arose was since he did know the pastor and the pastor is his spiritual leader, how could he promise to be ‘different’ from his pastor when he put so much stock in the leadership of this man.
I think the questions that Obama should be asked are the following:
Personal Questions:
People:
- Who shaped your thinking and opinions during your life.
- Who are your ‘heroes’ in your life. Earthly people.
- Who did you want to be like when you were growing up. Earthly People.
Media:
- What is your favorite book (outside of the Bible)
- What is your favorite movie.
- What is your favorite place to visit for vacation
Social Politics:
- What is your view on abortion
- What is your view on Homosexuality
- What is your view on marriage
Church:
- What churches have you been a part of during your life, other than the one you currently attend.
- Have you every thought about leaving your church to attend a new church with opinions and sermons that you agree with more. If so, what church would that be.
- Did you make statements about Rev Wright because you were attacked. Would you have said the same things if you were not attacked.
Race:
- Would you attend the church you attend currently if you were not black.
- Would you help the black community as much as you do now if you were not a black man.
- Do you think Oprah would have supported you as she does now if you were a white man running for office.
- Do you have a black grandmother. If so, did she ever say anything about non-black people in a bad way.
Just some questions from a young non-black person.
Come on, now, Obama: While most of us in ordinary life wouldn’t have significant cause to “disown” grandma, we certainly could change pastors—even “avuncular” ones, what with so many American cities and towns replete with so many churches. Your obfuscation here is just so much political BS that cannot dismiss the conclusion that the good Pastor Wright’s rhetoric resonated just fine with you for all these twenty years—much like the unswerving congregants who attend each love-filled homily of Louis Farrakhan. Well, you’ve put the fat in the racial fire now. So if I sense some modern shucking and jiving going on here, does that also reveal the mindset of a “typical white”? Which further begs the questions, What, exactly, is a “typical white”? Is there a “typical black”? A “typical Asian”? A “typical Latino”? A “typical Latvian”? . . .
She certainly should be offended , so should all Americans , Obama has no clue , he just learnt how to make speechs pretty in style hollow in content.. As a black guy i dont share his views and i doubt his sincreity.. Racism is a product of ignorance , it presist anywhere ignorance presist .. i have seen it all over the world and not always Whites are a part of it… No fair mind can ignore how MOST of white America is considerably sensitive toward social justice and how she is willing to do something about it , affirmitive actions as example , even better Obama himself as a living example, could he survive againist Hillary without WHITE support? .. Can we say the same thing about black america? are my brothers real about race issues? understand it and have clear cut vision on how to overcome it? or they just surrendered to cunning leaders and allowed them to breed prosper on thier own misery..
Geraldine Ferraro, very good for you…….Obama can’t compare a Lady like you with a racist
that HATE the white people and USA…Jeremiah WRIGHT, his mentor for 20 years.
Obama is not ELECTABLE!!!!!!!!!
Obama is garbage, this time maybe some of his brainwashed, zombie, mob driven supporters will see the light.
I’ve seen slick talking people before like Obama who glaze over issues while screwing you behind closed doors.
If this current Wright situation isnt enough to finally realize that Obama cannot become president than I’m not sure what the heck is.
I personally dont like all three contenders, but I would vote for a Chia Pet before I would vote for that black elite racist Obama.
I still do not understand the reaction to Ms Ferraro’s candid and honest statement regarding Obama’s popularity based on his race. I think her statement was right on the mark and anyone who equates it as a racist remark, and puts her in the same category as Rev. Wright needs some serious counseling. I listen to talk shows all day and the majority of the callers seemed to defend Obama and his lack of outrage at the good reverends remarks. I guess people can justify just about anything when it comes to our personal biases. I think Obama owes Ms Ferraro an apology for even bringing up her name in his address. I have just one observation that nobody in the medial has brought up — Rev. Wright is very fair skinned. Where does his hatred for white people come from?
I am a senior citizen and have always been a political junkie,therefore I watch all I can on the candidate,I am amazed that Barrack Obama has been able to win over so many people,and especially knowing he redards his Pastor highly(who is in my observation a racist)he has repeatedly said he has attended the same Church for 20 years,was married by this Pastor,and daughters baptized by the same,his wife has never been proud of the usa,Obama has no experience,prides himself as being against the war all along,but this is easy as this man was not even in the senate when this vote took place!I am very concerned about this country,that could put this man in charge,I am old and may not live long enough to see such results should this happen,IPRAY IT WILL NOT!GOD PLEASE HELP US!WE ARE IN ANOTHER MESS! I love my country have come from a military family with many of my family there now fighting for us,we need someone who can help this country get back respect and the dignity we have lost.I will pray Senator Clinton somehow becomes the nominee!Thank you and may GOD BLESS ALL!
I completely agree…Ferraro’s comments could NEVER be compared to Wright’s hateful speeches…Wright needs to go live in other countries for a while to see what unfair treatment is…he would come back and he would kiss American soil as he landed!
You touched on something there Bill when you mentioned the Left Media is absolutely
prasing, adoring and falling all over, Obama’s crap filled speech on race.
By the way, Obama did not start a ‘Unity’ with his speech, he started a ‘Division’ with his speech.
When a Politicial makes a ‘Historical’ speech, as the Left Media is stating, everyone would know
because there are tons, upon tons, of ORDERS by the public to BUY-PURCHASE that speech to i.e., place in a frame to hang it on the wall for instance.
There’s NOBODY buying the stupid worthless ‘racial-divide’ speech.
It did the opposite, division, not fregin’ Unity at all.
I know people that are readying for the next Civil War.
There was none of that before Obama and his undergroud race agenda was exposed.
He has started the biggest race problem since the 60’s and Civil War #1.
He opened a ‘Pandora’s Box’ and it ain’t over till’ the fat lady sings. And it’s a long way from that song.
Mr. Hansen, please forgive these 50-year-old eyes. I read “Beth Hansen” rather than “Bert Hansen”