The Obamas Are a Great First Family

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Laura — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:15:05 GMT

lovedannygansle: Thank you for your polite response. My intent was not to offend; however, being familiar with FOCA, which Obama has said that he will support, I think that "abortion on demand" is an accurate description; and I used "Robin Hood economics" as a quick catch-all phrase (and I believe that it has some accuracy). I'd be happy to take suggestions on different phrases that I might use... Also, in the context of the post (by Laundry & Children) to which I was responding, the terms work as a counter to the stereotypical image of the "those folks" to which Brett Singer refers. Again, I didn't mean to offend. Calm such as your would be appreciated elsewhere on this site.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Manjari — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:47:13 GMT

Yes, they are a wonderful first family. I am so thrilled!

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

lovedannygansle — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:42:05 GMT

Laura,

When you describe the policies that Obama supporters espouse as "abortion on demand" and "Robin Hood economics", you are hardly extending the olive branch that you and other conservatives want and deserve. It's OK to disagree on policy issues, but when you use those terms to describe your differences, you create an even bigger chasm.

People from all different political persuasions will come together here and discuss parenting, and occasionally, political issues. Unless we use respectful language and refrain from knee-jerk classifications, this'll never be a community where everyone feels respected.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Brett Singer — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:55:35 GMT

Laura,

Thanks for your comment (thank you to everyone else as well). Basically, I agree with what you wrote: "the original quote is weird and can be construed as racist," and I couldn't think of a way to discuss it without getting into dopey stereotypes that seemed out of place in this particular post. To answer your question: "do you think that white and/or conservative Americans expect to see the Obama girls freak-dancing in the White House?" No. Do I think there are probably SOME people, regardless of race or political leanings, that have thoughts like that? Sure. I hope that isn't the case, but I think it probably is. The bottom line is that I was surprised to feel like I had anything in common with someone who just won election to the highest political office in America, possibly in the entire world.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Laura — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:11:29 GMT

Laundry and Children: Thank you for your poised and gutsy post, which clearly did not stoop to name-calling and was not an overreaction. I am a right-leaning moderate and am also tired of the intolerance of the so-called tolerant and the condescension that comes with so many of the posts here and on other sites. You are exactly right: Just because I don't support things like gay marriage, abortion on demand, Robin Hood economics, etc. (issues that you yourself may or may not support--after all, we are a diverse bunch!), doesn't mean that I hold any sort of hate towards the Obama girls, or their working mom. I wish them the best in their new environment, hope that the girls are protected but not stifled, and that they are able to have as normal as a childhood possible under the circumstances. Thank you, L & C.

That said, to the blogger: What the heck is "I guess that means that… you know, I don't even want to say what that means. I hope it's not true, although I'm sure it will be" supposed to mean? I get it that you don't want to play into sensationalism, but do you think that white and/or conservative Americans expect to see the Obama girls freak-dancing in the White House? Or something like that? I understand that the original quote is weird and can be construed as racist, but you're unfinished sentiment seems equally weird to me; I wish you would've confronted the issue head-on rather than putting strange and bizarre imaginings into my head. Voodoo? Black Panther paraphenalia? Snoop Dogg at a 7 year birthday party? Yikes.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Amy Kuras — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:00:28 GMT

Sasha seems like a fairly irrepressible little girl, and as such reminds me of my daughter. My husband and I were watching her at the DNC and turned to each other and said "Remind you of anyone?" at about the same time. She likes them and wants to meet them, she told me the other day.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

bbbgmom — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:19:21 GMT

Laundry and Children - your prayer for the Obama family is lovely. You sound like you have your head on straight. I am what one might call a tolerant, open-minded, liberal democrat. What I cannot tolerate, however, is the "family values" vitriol that I heard so much four years ago - the assertion that a person with my liberal mindset is a "baby killer" - for example. I do not lump conservative republicans under one label. However, I am completely turned off by the so-called family values people moaning about how a woman's right to choose and gay marriage are destructive and anti-family. I think that's the point here - republicans have not cornered the market on conventional in-tact families. And one reason I vote democrat is because as a party we seem to define family with a bit more flexibility and love than many of the republicans I hear and read.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Laundry and Children — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:08:09 GMT

I gotta say for the party of "tolerance" I am getting little sick of the intolerance that many Democratic supporters show towards Republicans. I suppose that you thought that any Republican who didn't support Obama must have been thinking "Oh holy crap. Look at that family, if you could call it that. Get that wife back in the kitchen where she belongs. And while you're at it, knock her up again. Only two kids isn't a family, it is just the start of a family. I bet they all read bedtime stories about Marx and penguins with two daddies. Oh Holy Hell! The country is doomed." That is kind of what you implied with the statement "I wonder what those folks had to say when they saw the Obamas take the stage Tuesday night."

Personally, as a conservative Republican, what I thought when I saw the new first family take the stage was, "Boy, I hope those girls can still have a normal childhood. While all of this must be terribly exciting, it might be a little frightening too. I will add them to my prayers tonight because their lives have changed forever." Now you know what a conservative Republican was thinking.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

feefifito — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:01:14 GMT

They remind me of my own family much more than the Palins ever did.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Huffybike — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:57:35 GMT

And who doesn't love a puppy! http://tinyurl.com/6e59yw

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

John — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:44:39 GMT

They don't remind me of my own family but do remind of the families of my more successful and more ambitious friends. Like the Obamas, in ten years they have gone from paying their student loans to reaping the rewards of their hard work and sacrifice but remained level headed and normal, never forgetting their working class roots.

They do remind me of my family in as much as they all seem to read a lot.

re: The Obamas Are a Great First Family

bbbgmom — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:14:02 GMT

Yes - I do feel a kinship with them. My two oldest boys are the same ages as the Obama daughters so I relate to the normal mom stuff that Michelle inevitably goes through. They certainly are a great looking family. I have high hopes for Malia and Sasha - Amy Carter and Chelsea Clinton emerged from the White House as intelligent, grounded, interesting young women. The Bush twins were a bit older going in and coming out so it's harder to say much about them and I don't want to really "go there" in re their underage drinking and other naughtiness because they seem to have evened their keels.

Wait - why no boys in the White House? Has it really been 45 years since there was a little boy in the White House? Hmmm... future presidential hopefuls - make sure you have daughters - apparently that's a key criterion!!