No matter how many times people try to hang the "racist" sign on Obama, it just isn't going to stick.

I think you're interpreting the phrase to mean something it doesn't. When he says, "a reaction that's been bred into our experiences," he's clearly saying that his grandmother's reaction is "typical" because it reflects her cultural training. To acknowledge that we share certain preferences and prejudices because our culture has hammered them into us all, is not to attribute her feelings to her race. It's simply naming how people of her race (and age) have been taught to think.

It's as discriminatory toward white people as it would be toward men if I said, for instance, "a typical man is more attracted to slender women than to obese women." That preference may not be fair, but I'm not slandering men when I say it, just acknowledging that they could hardly help but think otherwise in this culture.

I am going to be candid and direct in response to your post.

When you say that you were a critic of his speech this week, you don’t speak well of yourself in my eyes. If you value Democratic ideals (aside from the candidate of the moment,) how is it that you can’t see the value in this speech? It is incongruent to put those two together.

Any pretense (especially by a White person enjoying the privileges of the dominant race and uninitiated in the disadvantages of the dominated race) of not understanding Obama’s use of the expression “a typical White person” in the context in which he did, is an attempt at stopping the conversation that Obama bravely opened up in his speech.

Resistance to change is rampant.

Scary and confusing as it may be, this conversation is a must; it is due. Obama was brave to start it and when questioned about his grandmother line he did nothing other than to use language that is actual, even if often covert, in everyday conversations.

I ask you: Do you value the message and the need to continue this conversation or do you value the twist of words?

I am pasting here something I asked from another poster who stated her/himself as non-racist because s/he “treat[s] people the same, as members of the “Human Race.” I didn’t receive an answer. Maybe you can give me your thoughts:

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In this very day and age the "typical White person" still doesn't socialize with the "typical Black person."

Some people don't want to recognize this and like to believe that all the race problems have been solved; but this is a racially divided country.

As a "typical White person," how many dinner-parties, barbecues, weddings, graduations, funerals... of "typical Black people" do you regularly attend (and vice versa)?

If we are all [treated] the same, [as] members of the "Human Race" how is it so rare that we share the same spaces and venues in our private lives?
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Denn, it might not fit your ideals of living a non-racist life, but out there, there happens to be a “(typical) Black world” distinct and separate from a “(typical) White world;” rooted in a racist way of life in a racist country.

S/he who tries to understand race relations gets out of her/his comfort zone to meet "the other" half way and to take in new information. One focuses on the information, not the -fortunate or unfortunate- use of one word.

Sounds like a typical white person to me. If she's a typical white old lady, probably also like Lawrence Welk more than Snoop Dogg, too. But that would be racist to assume so.

Well like I said, if you claim "typical white person" *denotes* prejudice then you have cut the debate off from the many other meanings that might have been implied. "Typical" has numerous connotations. To you it apparently connotes "all". To me it connotes "average".

She is an "average" white person (not a saint, not a Sean Hannity). She has stereotypes. that doesn't mean she's a racist. Most of us are average folks, most of us operate under stereotypes. Some are true, some are not. Some are just rules of thumb to help us get by, others when expressed can be hurtful.

So you see there are multiple interpretations. Multiple "connotations."

To be consistent with almost everything else he has said, I think my interpretation is more accurate.

Obama just clearly hates all white people in general, and his grandmother in particular.

It was an unfortunate slip on his part, but that's all it was. He was speaking off the cough in a media interview, answering questions.

We have to give a little allowance for pols to flub language sometimes. When we parse their langugage and jump on them for it, it encourages the type of candidates we've had forever: strange animated manniquins who look like they're reading off of cue cards even in the most informal of situations.

He misspoke. Screwed up. It happens.

Read Barack Obama's "Dreams From My Father", and you will understand what he is talking about.

His grandmother asked his grandfather for a ride to work. Something was bothering her. She explained a panhandler had bothered her, thats all. His Grandfather was upset with his Grandmother, didnt want to give her a ride. Obama couldnt understand what the big deal was. He offered to give her a ride. Then Obama's grandfather told him the truth,

"She's been bothered by men before. You know why she's so scared this time? Before you came in, she told me the fella was black...thats the real reason she was bothered, and I dont think thats right." (pg. 88)

Obama's response,

"The words were like a fist to my stomach, and I wobbled to regain my composure. In my steadiest voice, I told him that such an attitude bothered me, too. but assured him that Toot's fears would pass and that we should give her a ride in the meantime. Gramps slumped into a chair in the living room and said he was sorry he told me. Before my eyes, he grew small and old and very sad. I put my hand on his shoulder and told him that it was all right, I understood. We remained like that for several minutes, in painful silence... After they left, I sat on the edge of my bed and thought about my grandparents. They had poured all their lingering hopes into my success. Never had they given me reason to doubt their love; I doubted if they ever would. And yet I knew that men who might easily have been my brothers could still inspire their rawest fears." (page 89).

I hope this puts his comment into ontext. He is referring to a jarring incident in his family. But there is still much love there. And he is right to say that we as a country need to start having an adult conversation about this.

Context is everything. Why don't you quote all of what he had to say. Did he stop after saying 'typical white person?' Is that all that he said? Granted it wasn't the best use of words, but you know damn well that proper context leads any thinking person to a better understanding of what is actually meant. Plus he addressed this today in a press conference with Bill Richardson.

Anyway, Fox and CNN have taught you well. Keep spinnin'.

This is a tough one, because there is a double standard at play - and I admit to having it. "Typical black person" would absolutely cause a major reaction even if it were used in the sense of "regular joe" (which is in the eye of the beholder on this on - but I don't think the logical weight falls in that direction.)

As a white person, I wasn't offended by the comments, though it takes quite a bit to offend me. I do think the statement could have been said more diplomatically. The fact is we do react to people based on perceptions and stereotypes. I will react differently to someone on the street based on dress, demeanor, age and yes, race. My reaction will likely be internal rather than external, but we cannot help but react - it's how we're made.

As to the idea that the statement denotes prejudice - I'm not so sure. Not in the pejorative sense of racism as commonly used, anyway. I think the statement does reflect Obama's belief that there is still distrust of non-whites in a large portion of white people. I think it's more nuanced than that and the frame that Obama puts his grandmother in would be different than the one he puts me (a mid-thirties white male from a large city.)

Race is a huge, complex, messy issue made worse by the history of this country. I also think we need to step back from the literal words used by people and take in the context. By context I don't just mean the words around the words, but how the words were said, in what setting, the audience and how they fit in to other things said by that person. Perhaps a bit too "lit-crit", but that's how I'm approaching this particular statement from Obama.

The funny part is, the more conservative the white person, the more likely they are to think, as Wallace said in the Fox clip (and this is a paraphrase, but he said something to exactly this effect), something along the lines of: "Well, he has a point. Most white people are a little afraid of black men in the street. I have to admit that I sometimes think that way ..."

I don't know whether "most" white people feel a bit afraid of strange black men in the street (i.e., whether it's "typical"), or not. But certainly that fear is not uncommon (nor is it limited to whites, or even to non-blacks). Saying so isn't a claim that most whites dislike black people. But many whites, and others, who feel that way are probably being honest about having internalized the violent-black-criminal stereotype that we all -- including black folks -- have grown up with. Honestly, I think people who take offence to this are being either oversensitive or, as gdubs suggests, they're being deliberately disingenuous in an attempt to find something, anything, negative to say about Obama.

The real point is that Obama's Grandmother is not around to defend herself of being slandered as a racist and the equivelent of hater Rev Wright. Of course usually it would be up to her grandson to defend her of these charges, but in this case it was her grandson who threw her under the bus. I will defend her and say judging by Obama's track record she never was that bad and Obama is using her for political spin to have people give him a pass on his very poor judgement.

Generally and due to the context and History of this country, these two stereotypical expressions are not equal:

- "the typical White person"
- "the typical Black person"

They don't refer to the same stereotype and don't carry the same connotations.

Void of context, other than the Historical, "a typical White person" enjoys more privilege -as in Education and Socioeconomic standing- than the “typical Black person” and as such portrays someone more assimilated to the status quo and more valued by the status quo.

So when someone uses those two expressions, I don't get two pictures of two people that are the same except for their tan.

If someone were to use the expression "typical Black people" I would have to look at the context and the message intended before I form an opinion about it.

However, those two expressions don't express the same idea.

Denn:

If Obama had spoken of the "typical bl