Obama's first Order of Business......

[Veilan]

It's racism to call a mulatto black. It is demeaning and denigrating to his white heritage, by insinuating it is somehow inferior to his black lineage and not worth mentioniong or acknowledging.

I'm dead serious. It's not near as hurtful as racism towards black people - since white males usually aren't in a position of suffering and being subjugated by a different majority, - but just imagine the howls of outrage if it was the other way around, and we called Obama white and denied the african americans their ownership of him.
By the way, on a side angle, I'll lean out of the window and say the african american vote, even after considering democratic party affiliation, was more influenced by racism than the white one. It seems to be not only the case that blacks favour black candidates due to the candidate's race, but also, somehow, it is politically acceptable that they openly state so. This is a puzzling tolerance of open racism.

I'm not saying it's currently as problematic as white racism - because racism only becomes really painful if the majority in power is the one applying it. However, it's still racism, and will need to be checked at some point to ensure a functional, harmonious society of all races and creeds.

And yup, I'd have voted for Obama, as sadly the McCain of 2000 only came out in a brief glimpse in his concession speech. Good guy forced to be a jerk is how his prior campaign came across to me, but if he lets himself be forced in hopes of winning over principle, then meh. But of course, I really am a Clinton european...

[NickD]

I don't think it's necessarily racism for black people to vote for a black candidate. I would consider it to be rather self serving, as a black president would be perceived to be more likely to address issues that affect them. And you should vote for the person who serves your interests the most.

Also, I was of the impression that black people generally vote democrat anyway and that from polling, the increase in the "black vote" for Obama wasn't especially significant.

[AsteroidX]

I feel sorry for Obama myself. The scrutiny this man will be under, as the first ethnic president we have elected, every decision he makes will be scrutinized 100 fold from any of his predecesors.

Just imagine if he has the receptionist rolling his cigars......He has an uphill climb up a slippery slope as we all know the media and republicans will be right there to grab ahold of any selacious or policy decisions that hint at a lack of perfection.

[Brokenbone]

"Mulatto" is considered an offensive term in many parts of the United States, although in the earlier part of the 20th century, it was still common to see on census forms I gather. Sometimes it meant 1 white + 1 black parent, sometimes 1 white + 1 native american parent.

Lots of countries find the terminology in common use though, but hell, the word is based on the Spanish for "LITTLE MULE", i.e., horse/donkey mix, I seem to recall mules being sterile? Anyhow, it's animal terminology, you're not going to find many people embracing that as a label for themselves. "HELLO, I AM A LITTLE MULE!"

Anyhow, biracial is a term that gets thrown around in the U.S.

As to what label a person should attract, I'd tend to go with "whatever they want." If a guy calls himself black, follow suit. If the guy calls himself biracial, follow suit. If the guy says African-American (which is in OB's case, traceable to his immediate prior generation), follow suit. It's when people start using terms about a guy, that the guy himself rejects, that you get into hot water. It's just rude. If a guy identifies himself as black, calling him "a fine strong negro" could get you decked!

...

As to the first order of business topic, energy ain't going to be it... economy is having the short term, and long term, and oh-my-god-I-lost-the-house impact that even $10 a gallon gasoline would not distract folks from.

[Veilan]

I think you'll be severely underwhelmed by what is actually going to come up in "change" and new stuff. Perhaps next term.

[Brokenbone]

I don't think presidents can do much about economies. Markets are sort of a world-spanning, untameable beast... no matter who pretends otherwise. There's things you can do to irritate it, but not much to bend it to your will.

[zicada]

All this nitpicking and tiptoeing is so unessesary!

If you yourself know you are not a racist, that is all that matters. I honestly doubt any fairly intelligent black person is going to be offended by being called black. All this emphasis and energy spent on what constitutes this and that, is exactly what results in racism.

I believe the best way to solve these issues, is to act and talk around kids like we don't see anything different with people at all. They have to learn that everyone is equal, not that there's a billion social norms we have to follow because of color. The latter is what tells them that people ARE different, and hence the domino effect is still at large. So, WE may be too messed up from history and political correctness to be unable to subconciously and conciously believe and thus act like we are all the same, but kids are definately not. Help change society and perceptions by not transferring this negative aspect onto children.

[Veilan]

As to what label a person should attract, I'd tend to go with "whatever they want." If a guy calls himself black, follow suit. If the guy calls himself biracial, follow suit. If the guy says African-American (which is in OB's case, traceable to his immediate prior generation), follow suit. It's when people start using terms about a guy, that the guy himself rejects, that you get into hot water. It's just rude.

That's a lovely sentiment. Let's all make up our own reality and ignore those pesky, pesky facts.

No, seriously - this sentiment is part of why we have to suffer so much ignorance and stupidity. Sometimes, you must be allowed to tell a powerfully stupid person that he's stupid, despite him rejecting that label for its perceived rudeness . It's especially odd with something that is a clear and immutable fact, like your heritage. Calling yourself black when you're not is delusional.

That said, of course, using these factual things to slap on labels and apply group think is a really counterproductive mechanism in the first place. I think zic has a point, but I'd also add that while we must accept that it's normal for people to be different, we can still be aware and in realisation of the factual differences that are actually there. Like, y'know, women are the one's giving birth .

[Brokenbone]

I just suggest that those belonging to an identifiable group choose their preferred identifiers, not outsiders. Labels aren't pesky facts, they're just labels, and if people cling to them, I'm not going to force them not to, or pick a different label for them either. I.e., if someone identifies as first nations, I'm not going to call him an indian or a native or an aboriginal. It's no skin off my nose to use the terminology he wants, if it even comes up!

[zicada]

I just suggest that those belonging to an identifiable group choose their preferred identifiers, not outsiders. Labels aren't pesky facts, they're just labels, and if people cling to them, I'm not going to force them not to, or pick a different label for them either. I.e., if someone identifies as first nations, I'm not going to call him an indian or a native or an aboriginal. It's no skin off my nose to use the terminology he wants, if it even comes up!

Well, if white people are called white people, black people are supposed to be called black people. Why make it any more complicated than that ?

I think to be brutally honest, that if somebody black have real issues being called black person, the issue is on them. There are many issues one could put ones energy into that would benefit people alot more, than bickering about logical semantics...

[Mayhem]

I have a question vis the idea that it is insulting to white folk to call Obama black.

When - not that long ago, really - black people were not allowed to sit in certain places, use certain water fountains, vote etc.

Would being half white have been enough to get you treated as white, or would you have been discriminated against like all the other black folk?

[Grand Fromage]

Not at all. The popular notion was that if you had "one drop of black blood" in your ancestry, you were black and treated as such. And you didn't have to actually be African--there was a famous incident in the 50s where an Indian ambassador was refused service in a Texas airport because they considered him black, and thus not allowed to use white facilities. Most black people in the US have some white ancestry, there was a lot of slave-banging going on.

To this day, there's no real distinction between "pure" black and half black or three-quarters black or whatever. If your skin's dark, you're black. Obviously it doesn't have the same connotations it used to, but the reaction is based on skin color, not the detailed ancestry. It's a visual thing, and you can't tell if someone has a white mother or not just by sight.

[Mayhem]

That's pretty much what I thought.

[hollyfant]

[danielmn]

Good one, Holly!