Philly radio to Obama: 'Stop by (when) president'

"The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity," Obama said. "But she is a typical white person. If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know. . .there's a reaction in her that doesn't go away and it comes out in the wrong way."

Just who is the racist now? Grandma is the typical WHITE person? How about Grandma is the typical person? Please stop the justifications. You are not helping yourself.

Those are some promising words. Not going to happen though. So sad.

This man Obama is our future. A man who bridges across all races and religions. I believe he's more qualified to run the country than any other person.

DON'T BE FOOLED MY THE MEDIA(FOX NEWS, CNN...)

They want to decide your vote. Thats why the play the card in every primary. "Who vote for whom?" "Latinos voted this way, women voted that way, white men voted like this....etc". Make your voice heard. Obama 09

"But she is a typical white person."

Oh, oh. That's worse than anything Rev. Wright said.

Sit back and hear the ocean roar.

"But she is a typical white person. If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know. . .there's a reaction in her that doesn't go away and it comes out in the wrong way."

A typical white person? WTF is he smoking? Please tell me what a typical black person is....the type that robs rapes and kills any chance he gets? WTF it a "typical white person" and what the heezy is "typical" for a black person...angry black sermons?

I know, I know, we'll have the mob now clarify that's it was innocent and he meant something else that my "brother sister uncle is a 'typical' white person so its 'OK'"....for some one above stereotyping and divisiveness...

Wat to go JFK...and I see animosity and the quote above are a nice way to mean the same thing but say it in a different way. I mean really "anyone" is just a reference to anyone different than her so I'm assuming this would mean she harbors a fear of anything but white. Way to Go Obama! "Typical." Stereotypes.

'President of what?'

President of that anti-American, whitey hating church you belonged to for over 20 years?

Paulo

What exactly is "a typical white person" according to Senator Obama? Apparently, in Senator Obama's view, a typical white person is someone who is afraid of black men on the streets? Perhaps the sport jocks did not notice this race-based comment as they were fawning over Sen. Obama. But can you imagine any white politician using the phrase "a typical black person" and making a generalization about blacks? What would be the reaction if Sen. McCain were to use such a phrase? Condemnation, I would think.

As a typical white person I heard fear of the unknown was generally universal. I can even remember Rev. Jackson relating how on a lonely dark street he was relieved to turn around and see white people.
His poor grandmother, sacrificed her time and effort raising an ingrateful little boy. (Who has a math problem)

I like Barack. He's honest. HONEST. A politician who is candid. IMAGINE THAT!

If Hillary said "typical black person" she would be crucified.
Now we know why he didn't leave the church, he is the very definition of a racist. Please save us, anyone!

Typical White Person?
It wasn't even a case of it being just some black man his grandmother passed on the street. It was an aggressive, threatening man that confronted her at a bus stop,demanded money and continued to act threatening towards her even after she gave him money, he just happened to be black. This coming from Obama's own book. How would most people react to this situation? I think it's becoming more and more obvious that despite what Obama says, those 20 years of listening to Wright have rubbed off.

I'd like to add that Jesse Jackson said once that he was afraid of passing by black men on the street. So I guess that makes Jesse Jackson just a Typical White Person!

Then I guess Barack must be a "typical white person" too because he confessed to the same fears in his book:

-- Barack Obama from 'Dreams of My Father',
"When his grandmother wants a ride to work because the day before, while awaiting the bus, she was threatened by a black panhandler, he is outraged -- at his grandparents. . . Later, when he moves to the South Side of Chicago in 1984, he eventually discovers that, like his grandmother, he’s sometimes scared of black males on the street, too."

And Jesse too:

-- The Reverend Jesse Jackson, as quoted in US News, 3/10/96,
"There is nothing more painful to me ... than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved. "

James said "This man Obama is our future. A man who bridges across all races and religions. I believe he's more qualified to run the country than any other person.

DON'T BE FOOLED MY THE MEDIA(FOX NEWS, CNN...)

They want to decide your vote. Thats why the play the card in every primary. "Who vote for whom?" "Latinos voted this way, women voted that way, white men voted like this....etc". Make your voice heard. Obama 09"

Darling James, you're missing the point. If he is truly a uniter, then he would have not labeled his dear grandmother as a "typical white person". If she gets that treatment, then what can the rest of us expect? Obama's slip of the tongue shows that 20 years of listening to Wright has had some impact on Obama. If a white person said that someone was a "typical black person", racism would be screamed from the highest mountain.

It is typical of nearly every person, black or white, to feel a little frightened by a black man on the street, especially a young man. There are three reasons:

1. Young men in general commit far more crimes than women or older people, and young black men commit crimes slightly more often than young whites.

2. Some black men (and some white) dress like hoods. When I see a black man dressed in a business suit carrying a newspaper I am never afraid of him.

3. Unfortunately, the mass media and our long history of racial animosity have given us an exaggerated fear of black people. This is the problem Obama addressed in his speech, and this is what we must come together as a nation to overcome.

Being afraid of young men who dress like criminals is not something we need to overcome. It is common sense! You would be crazy not to be afraid of them.

I guess Obama means that a typical white person is a person that is all too aware of the obvious behavioral differences between blacks and whites when it comes to crime and violence. The racial divide in this country has absolutely nothing to do with skin color. Skin color is as relevant as the color of your socks. It's all about behavior and the races do in fact differ in behavior and crime statistics prove it beyond any doubt so Grandma is not being racist when she clutches her purse when a black man approaches her she is being prudent, using the knowledge she has obtained in life.

oh for God's sake, all of you! You complain that the media focuses on little nothings and not the issues, then you fill up two pages of comments having nothing to do with anything. I know EXACTLY what Obama is talking about. His honesty and straightforward approach (taking the bull by the horns) is refreshing. It is also intimidating to those whose fears are grounded in ignorance.

oh, and by the way, if hillary made the comment, "He is a typical black man who might not look at white politicians the way you and I do..." her comment would have been both honest and understandable. She would not have been crucified as one commenter suggested. Likewise, Obama's words were true. Get over it.

I am amused by the "typical" (i.e. incredibly common) references to Jesse Jackson in this. So far, Tony is the first person I've seen to give the full quote: "There is nothing more painful to me..." (Although Tony utterly lies about the incident described in Dreams from My Father. If you're interested in the truth, see pages 87-89 of the 2004 paperback edition. Obama's own white grandfather, the grandmother's own husband, is the one who expressed outrage, not Obama. Obama expressed only understanding and kindness toward his grandmother. It's sad that people feel the need to slander him.)

Jackson did not say, "I am glad to feel this way" or "I am unembarrassed to feel this way" or "I am wholly justified in feeling this way and someone who feels otherwise is irrational."

No, he said that it is painful to him that when he fears crime and then sees it's a white person, he feels relieved.

Everyone has racist thoughts. Nowadays, decent people recognize them as such and try not to let them influence their speech and actions. That they do not change their pattern of behavior because the person with whom they interact is black instead of white, or white instead of black. Obama was right -- his grandmother was typical in her race and generation for voicing and maybe acting on those thoughts. It's sad that in the fight to say "You're racist!" "No, YOU'RE racist!" that qualities like decency have fallen by the wayside and been replaced by an enjoyment of others' mistakes, others' failings.

PG...the point still remains that Obama distorted what had happened with his grandmother, there's a big difference between confessing a fear of passing a black man on the street and telling someone that you had been approached by someone, threatening and demanding money. And what's the difference between whether Jackson was glad to feel that way or not glad. I'm sure noone feels particularly glad to feel fear. The point was he expressed that he felt it.

If anyone's interested in Obama's actual description of that incident, rather than Steve Sailer's summary in an article described by Sailer's own assistant editor as racist (http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2007/0705.konetzki.html), I have transcribed it here (http://bertrandrussell.blogspot.com/2008/03/no-more-lies-about-dreams-from-my.html) in the faint hope that people still care about the truth.

"Obama"; My grandmother was a typical white person.

"Michelle Obama"; I have never been proud of my country.

"Reverend Wright"; God Damn America! America is run by rich white people.

Anyone ever heard the sayings "birds of a feather" OR "we're judged by our friends".

NO OBAMA....not now, not ever.

I never realized that race plays such a big role in politics. Obama's speech was only in response to all the uncertainty and accusations being raised by the media. He has never spoken about race until that point.

Its sad that at every turn the media and honestly many Americans have tried to crucify this guy on the platform of race. First with Farrakhan. Then with a picture of Obama wearing traditional garbs of Kenya tribesman, and now with Wright. Now those who were so desperately looking for reason point and yell "WITCH!" feel as though Wright has given them enough reason.

Its amazing how people see what they want to see and believe the worst despite Obama's candid and sincere speech about a taboo topic.

Has anyone asked these same questions about Hilary Clinton? Absolutely not, because she isn't the candidate where race plays a role. That's hypocrisy at best.

Read the following and ask yourself if you feel like Obama is the candidate caught up in race or religion:

http://www.alternet.org/election08/80248/?page=entire

It's over. Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Seriously, though, Obama was a fool to say "a typical white person." Even I can't defend that.

Once the rest of the media gets a hold of this remark, he's going to be toast.

I'm surprised more people haven't posted here, but I'm guessing it's because the title doesn't capture this quote.

Wait until tomorrow.

So now Obama's claiming 20 years experience. Nice try. Most of those were at local levels. He's had 2 terms at the state level during which he was starting to run for US Senator, and 2 years in the Senate where he freely admits he was running for President the minute he got in. When did he actually represent the people who elected him? Sounds like another exageration on his part.

"I guess Obama means that a typical white person is a person that is all too aware of the obvious behavioral differences between blacks and whites when it comes to crime and violence. The racial divide in this country has absolutely nothing to do with skin color. Skin color is as relevant as the color of your socks. It's all about behavior and the races do in fact differ in behavior and crime statistics prove it beyond any doubt so Grandma is not being racist when she clutches her purse when a black man approaches her she is being prudent, using the knowledge she has obtained in life."

R U NUTS?

What are you sipping on? There is no such thing as a "typical" white person. There are only stereotypes. As matter of fact what Obama attributed, defined, as behavior belonging to a "typical white person", is EXACTLY what is considered typical for ANY PERSON with a BIAS. Black or White will react in the same manner. Only a guzzling kool-aid kult member who has not the SLIGHTEST idea of race and bias issues would consider BLATANT STEREOTYPING some sort of NEW DIVINE insight.

But than again you might be that "typical white person" so to you all that matters is that Obama's black and anything he will say must either always be CLUMSY VERBALIZATION that must be excused or be right.

As matter of fact I'd love to hear about these "obvious behavioral differences between blacks and whites when it comes to crime and violence."

And the movie CRash is not an option here.

"so Grandma is not being racist when she clutches her purse when a black man approaches her she is being prudent, using the knowledge she has obtained in life."

And the typical black man's behavior is to approach old white women to reach for their purse because he feels like spreading the wealth, using the knowledge he has obtained in life.

I'm assuming you will now provide statistics that show that one is more likely to be victim of your own race to prove this bull. Because it seems to me as a typical white person you are painfully all too unaware that is usually the case if we're looking at race and behavior.

DON'T BE HOODWINKED BY OBAMA! DON'T LET HIM BAMBOOZLE YOU! DON'T LET HIM GIVE YOU THE OLD OKEY DOKE. THESE ARE HIS WORDS TO THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. BY THE WAY THEY ARE ALSO THE WORDS OF MALCOLM X IN THE MOVIE BY SPIKE LEE.

"She would not have been crucified as one commenter suggested."
--
This is nonsense. Just look what happened to Ferraro....

Gosh, poor Granny! Maybe the fear she has of black men was actually a premonition of her own grandson.

She is the typical white person, many whiote have this misconception of blacks. Most white people group all blacks in the same category because of teir inner hate. And they hate for no good reason; only because many have been raised with hate within their household. Whites commit just as many crimes but is not report on the news as they report blacks. Whites do more drugs than blacks, is that reported? Do they lock them up in jail? NO. Open your eyes and check out the racism in American. Or do you really care.

"There is nothing more painful to me at this
stage in my life," Jesse Jackson said in 1993, "than to walk down the
street and hear footsteps ... then turn around and see somebody white and feel
relieved."