by Mark Silva
"Mutts like me.''
With those words - mouthed about the pound puppies that the Obama family might be looking at in search of a new dog for the White House - Barack Obama has casually reduced the sensitive question of race in America to a simple matter of familiar melting pot dynamics.
"There was something startling, and telling, about hearing his self-description -- particularly in how offhandedly he used it,'' the Associated Press' Alan Fram writes about Obama's casual response to a question about searching for a puppy for his daughters at the first press conference of the president-elect.
"The message seemed clear -- here is a president who will be quite at ease discussing race,'' Fram writes - "a complex issue as unresolved as it is uncomfortable for many to talk about openly. And at a time when whites in the country are not many years from becoming the minority.''
"Our preference would be to get a shelter dog,'' said Obama, explaining that the family will need a hypoallergenic pet because one of his daughters is allergic. "But, obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household.''
Obama, son of a white mother from Kansas and black father from Kenya, will become the nation's first African-American president.
In a nation of Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans and, increasingly, Mexican- and other Latin-Americans, the African-American-elect is suggesting in his own off-handed way that, with the exception of those direct and undiluted descendants from the Mayflower, we are pretty much all in the same boat in America. And it's a pretty big boat at that.
Comments
Will the pooch be officially known as FDOTUS - First Dog Of The US (FDOTUS.com) - just like POTUS and FLOTUS (President of the US and First Lady of the US)???? Would that be pronounced "Fido-tus"?
Posted by: sally | November 8, 2008 12:48 PM
By the way, Obama's great grandfather came from Ireland, where they lived in the 1850's, so he is part Irish also. There is a village in Ireland where the parish priest has the ledger with the family info written, you can Google for some little videos, etc. about it.
Posted by: Josef Tornick | November 8, 2008 12:54 PM
It's almost embarrassing how much the Swamp writer is fawning over his candidate Barack. Does Mr. Silva really want an Obama administration job that badly?
Posted by: Regime Change at the Tribune | November 8, 2008 12:54 PM
I'm sorry. What was the point you were trying or hoping to make with this article.
Find other relevant subject matter to write about.
Posted by: Warren Jackson | November 8, 2008 12:56 PM
I quite sure that if one to investigate the genealogy of most “whites" you would find that at some point their bloodline had been interrupted by color, maybe it is time for the Census bureau to rethink how the racially categorize people. As an African American I am so proud of most of whites in this country I feel a special sort of obligation to protect the ones who made the investment a leap of faith to vote a man of a different ethnic origin other than their own.
Posted by: Curtis J | November 8, 2008 1:03 PM
There aren't any people descended purely from passengers of the Mayflower. If there were, they would be hideously in-bred. If you want to find purebred people in the U.S., it's quite the opposite: look at recent immigrants.
Posted by: Jesus | November 8, 2008 1:09 PM
This showcased for me, once again, that this man has the sensible, realistic outlook on public and personal life that we desperately need in the White House.
How fantastic for him to state his preference for a shelter dog in a warm, offhanded way - without any hesitation or self-editing that most other politicians would fear. "Let's see, before I say this - was I given any money from the AKC?"
I knew I loved this guy, and now my rescued Greyhound knows why, too.
Posted by: Brad Cornelius | November 8, 2008 1:15 PM
You did it! You Did it!!
People, you were MAGNIFICENT! FANTASTIC! As I said before, I am Soooooooo PROUD! of you. And Sooooooo PROUD! to be one of you. My pride in all of you is OVERWHELMING! You took on the longest, toughest, most bruising campaign EPIC! in American history. Then you repeatedly stepped up to the plate to do your duty for each other, and for the greater good of the World. :-)
In spite of the extremely serious conditions confronting us, I can barely keep my feet on the ground from the euphoria I feel over how heroically you all stepped forward for each other, your country, and the greater good of the World. You are a great people.
Some of you repeatedly stood in voting lines for hours determined to cast your vote. Others seemed so determined to vote they looked like they were on a pick nick, ready to endure whatever it would take to cast their precious votes. It was a BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! thing to see.
President Obama, and the First Lady Michelle Obama are highly intelligent people, and seem to have their values, and hearts in the right place. It's about the people, and their needs over money and material things in a time of great need. (Papulo Primo) - The People First.
President Obama has been very wise in seeking the advice, and counsel of many of our best experts. All of whom seem genuinely eager, and willing to help however they can. We are all very fortunate to have them.
And we are very fortunate to have continuously had the help, and support of the Worlds people, and their leadership in spite of the highly negative, and hostile relationship they have had to endure from the Bush Cheney administration.
Over the coming days, months, and years ahead we will have much to do. But I know that what ever the challenge is we can handle it, and count on each other. This is America again. And you have made that perfectly clear.
I am Sooooooo PROUD to know you.
God bless you all
jacksmith - WORKING CLASS :-)
Posted by: jacksmith | November 8, 2008 1:41 PM
It's almost embarrassing how much the Swamp writer is fawning over his candidate Barack. Does Mr. Silva really want an Obama administration job that badly?
Posted by: Regime Change at the Tribune | November 8, 2008 12:54 PM
Yes of course....A political blog should not contain anything about........the president elect. I think at this point, anything about the republicans would be irrelevant.
Posted by: bill r. | November 8, 2008 2:01 PM
If the Rethugs were smart they would learn from the beating they took in this election that America is a melting pot made up of mutts - i.e. hispanics, blacks, whites, gays etc etc and they would adjust their message to appeal to ALL of these groups and not just the rich white guys. Until they do this they will continue to fail on a grand scale.
I suspect that all the Rethuglicans will pick up on is how to tailor their future talking points to fit an electorate that has grown more progressive.
Then, no matter how they've portrayed themselves, as soon as they achieve power again, they'll veer right back to taking care of their corporate masters and dividing the country with wedge issues.
That's the nature of the Wingnut beast. They will literally say anything to win. Rethuglicans have no respect for an American public who have believed them (and voted for them) over and over again. They are now just biding their time figuring out the best FACADE to present us with the next time.
Posted by: John E | November 8, 2008 4:02 PM
I thought this was pretty good until I got to "direct and undiluted descendants from the Mayflower". Then it didn't make any sense at all. But I'll give you 'E' for Effort, as your heart's in the right place.
Posted by: Tom J | November 8, 2008 6:51 PM
Clipping or abbreviating words, a standard process of word formation, sheared mutt from muttonhead, a pejorative term meaning "a stupid person" based on the notion that sheep are stupid.
Mutt in its first recorded use in 1901 is used in the same senses as muttonhead, but it is soon recorded (1904) as a term of contempt for a horse and then (1906) for a dog.
Posted by: Fallon | November 8, 2008 7:52 PM
You're making an awful lot out of a very nothing remark, Silva.
Everybody I have ever known is a "mutt", and very frequently refers to him/herself as such. As do I. So what?
.
Just because the Obamessiah has now also said it, it's the "Sermon On the Mount II"? Give us a break!
Posted by: MJ | November 8, 2008 8:22 PM
Clipping or abbreviating words, a standard process of word formation, sheared mutt from muttonhead, a pejorative term meaning "a stupid person" based on the notion that sheep are stupid.
Mutt in its first recorded use in 1901 is used in the same senses as muttonhead, but it is soon recorded (1904) as a term of contempt for a horse and then (1906) for a dog.
Posted by: Fallon | November 8, 2008 7:52 PM
Fallon, thanks so much for the words of wisdom from your youth. Such memories you must have had!
Posted by: Op109 | November 10, 2008 11:52 AM