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What Does This Photograph Say To You About America Today?
If I wasn’t so darned fond of Obama and Oprah I’d surely find something catty to write.
But what does this photograph say to you about America today?
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20 Responses to “What Does This Photograph Say To You About America Today?”
I’ll go with the obvious: MLK’s dream has been, in large part, realized, the Jena Six case and such disparate threads of prejudice notwithstanding.
In truth. It tells me that Oprah is ready to retire. Finally she found her far left Black candidate she can stake a claim to and come out of the political closet.
I would Love Obama if he had ANYTIME in the public eye to really convince me that one…….hes capable of running anything other then his staff. Two he truly means what he says and can support it with a consistent long term voting record. Three that he is just not another Wanna Be Power Hungry Politician whose ambitions overwhelms his sense of Intelligence.
I actually like his moderate lets all get along message but I think its PHONY to the core. I think he is a phony. I think he is catering to the desires of people to get away from this screaming and frothing at the mouth by both sides. I think his is a calculating gamble with nothing to loose. If he fails this time around in 4 years or eight years if he is still preaching this message and supporting it with leadership in congress…….Ill join his team and help in his reelection campaign.
Rudi flip flopped….Romney flip flopped….Obama? I just dont know….he hasnt been around long enough to even understand what he truly stands for other then a Jimmy Carter smile and an antiwar message of hope that put Carter in the White House and turned the world into a mess.
I agree with Pete’s comment. Blacks have achieved power, success and respect in America. Our legacy of slavery may mean that we’ll never achieve colorblindness, but we have nevertheless opened wide doors that were locked not many decades ago, and black Americans are stepping through those doors and finding opportunities that their parents never had.
I like the trend. It means we are making real progress-even if inequality still exists. Pete’s answer is correct.
The photograph says, unequivocally, “Celebrity is fast becoming a driving force in politics today.”
A larger and larger percentage of Americans will make political choices based on a “personality” that they like and trust, rather than an educated and issues-driven choice.
Why? Because paying attention is just too hard (or dull) for a growing proportion of the electorate.
Just wait until the current younger generations grow older.
Can’t resist impish humor…
Boy, Oprah has some garbonzoes.
Reading the comments, I noticed that people were mentioning the racial aspect, but on my first viewing, that wasn’t in the top couple of things that sprung on me. First I noticed the joyfulness, then the boobies, then the almost iconic smile of obama’s (which at first made me like him less, btw. I don’t normally care for the ‘Mr Gleam’ type in politics). Obama and Oprah really don;t strike me as black in some ways. I really see them more as their social class than anything else.
side note, I think the title needs copy editing. “..say photograph say..” probably wasn;t intended. I’m only mentioning it because it’s a headline, btw.
I’m gping to be the party pooper here.
My first reaction, like Pete’s was also to celebrate the achievementss of Afro-Ameticans.
Ater a pause, my next reaction was to be concerned that the achievements of some will be used to camoflage, or deny, the failures for others.
So. celebration is in order, but not forgetfulness.
To me it speaks of the power of Oprah.
Like Bellisaurius, I didn’t think “race” when I saw the photo.
What? You’re fond of a politician?
How has an “antiwar message” turned the world into a mess?
Celebrity has been used to sell political candidates for a very long time – though not always successfully. Since at the very least 1840 our political system has amounted to little more than a crass popularity contest.
I’ll see your photo and raise you these:
Warren Harding and Al Jolson
Sammy Davis Jr. and Richard Nixon
First of all, both Obama and Oprah are stars in this picture. Obama became one of the front-runners in the Democratic race on his own. Oprah’s support will certainly help him, but he’s already a star in his own right. I bet if Oprah wouldn’t be able to pull as much support if she endorsed Jesse Jackson.
In Eugene Robinson’s Washington Post column today he made the comment that blacks were reluctant to support Obama because they had seen, “an oasis turn into a mirage”. But Robinson also went on to say, “But I’m pretty confident that little or no overt racism is likely to show up in the opinion polls. If I’m right, and Obama continues at or near the top of the field in overwhelmingly white states such as Iowa, then black voters who are so inclined will be more likely to take the leap of faith.”
I have felt that many African-Americans did not support Obama because they did not believe one of their own would be allowed to become President (or even could become President). Which was ironic to me because Obama has a lot of support among whites and the black vote could put him over the top. Their own doubts about Obama being elected would keep him from being elected. So I agree with Robinson’s comment that if Obama continues to lead in white states then black voters will vote for him. I think this is also ironic- since it’s the white support that’s propelling Obama forward. I also am very happy that America has come this far- it’s a very powerful statement that whites support an African American candidate more so than blacks do (at least at this point). But if Obama is to win, then he needs more black support.
So for me the picture says that in America blacks can indeed attain the highest levels of power (and even if Obama is not the President right now he has an excellent shot at the WH and is already powerful). We all know that Oprah has a huge following and wields tremendous influence in American culture. It also says that blacks, like the rest of us, must play by the rules. And yet both Obama and Oprah did not trade their convictions just to be accepted. If they went along with the status quo they would not have brought their own idea to the table and contributed anything. They pursued what they thought was right. Obama thought the Iraq invasion was wrong when it was politically popular to support to the war (and he’s been ahead of the curve other times as well, even though his position was not popular at the time). That’s what I like about Obama. He may not have been around to get a true sense of what he’s like- but I think he has been consistent in his beliefs.
Not only mainstream, but ambitious.
How has an “antiwar message” turned the world into a mess?
All I have to say is look at JC’s record. 18 percent interest rates, Savings and loans failing in droves after he left office, The fall of Iran….Blessings of Saddams Attack on Iran to show those Bastiges…….444 days, The Invasion of Afghanistan…..Boycott of Olympic games because of political problems, I could go on and on.
It takes more then a message to make a dream come true. Martin Luther King never lived to see his message realized. But it took the hard work and sacrifice of generations of Blacks to get to the point where the picture above does not illicit Racial Overtones first and foremost. Obama has a message the antiwar likes. So did Jimmy Carter after Vietnam. What transpired was anything but peaceful.
What transpires after Bush will be anything but peaceful. No matter who the president is. Obama is simply unqualified to carry that banner.
If Oprah can help Obama defeat the Hillary nightmare, then she will have almost atoned for her two decades of dumbing down America and literature.
Almost.
Oprah won’t mean a single vote in the Iowa caucuses, in a general election she will definitely help.
Obliquely related:
Comments by Andrew Young
Dear bellisaurius
thank you for pointing that out. I fixed it. Good catch.
dr.e
Caption: “The Democratic nominee for the 2016 Presidential election, Oprah Winfrey, and her running mate, Condoleeza Rice, wave to supporters on the campaign stump with President Obama.”