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Michelle Obama & American Pride

Posted by ANGELA WINTERS in Uncategorized.
Feb 19th, 2008 | Comments

I realize that the Right is desperate at this point and that might be why they’ve decided to take Michelle Obama’s statement and use it to turn her into Teresa Heinz Kerry. Here it is:

“What we’ve learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback and let me tell you something, for the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I’ve seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it’s made me proud. And I feel privileged to be a part of even witnessing this, traveling around states all over this country and being reminded that there is more that unites us than divides us…”

They are questioning her patriotism and saying that her statement means she has never been proud or very proud of anything about America before. Their accusations are without merit for many reasons. One reasons is because anyone who is even mildly objective knows that she was speaking in the moment to a crowd. Another reason is that any reasonable person would believe that a woman seeing her husband (of any race) have a real chance to be president would be the proudest moment in her life and no reasonable person would believe she meant she’d never been proud of this country before.

More importantly, what I see here is the problem with race in America. It isn’t about the KKK or your everday bigots.

It’s about men like Joe Scarborough and Sean Hannity (who I like, but I’m just picking on them because I saw them ridicule her) who come from the most privileged group in America passing judgment on the American experience and perspective of someone not from that group. Is her patriotism really in question? Of course not. Michelle would be the first to tell you how good this country has been to her and how much she loves and is proud of America. Seriously, would she be risking the safety of her entire family by supporting her husband’s quest for the White House if she didn’t think this country was worth it?

The problem is that too many, although not all, men like Scarborough & Hannity have a lack of tolerance for anyone who’s recollection of America isn’t the same as theirs. When they think of the signing of the Constitution, they think of a perfect time in history when wise, just men declared life, liberty, justice and freedom for all. Michelle probably remembers a great time in history where the groundwork for democracy and a great country was laid, but we were also still slaves for another 100 years. Many of those wise, just men owned slaves and more than a few of them were not so kind to their female slaves. Those men don’t recall that, but a black woman does whether she wants to or not. If she were to bring this up, her patriotism would be questioned because she doesn’t see a “perfect time.”

When men like Scarborough & Hannity ask why can’t the world be like it was in the 50s, they imagine/remember a time where life was perfect, there was good will, prosperity and values made us a strong country. Michelle remembers all the good things about the 50s, but she also knows that black men were being lynched every weekend as a picnic theme among other things. This isn’t to bring up a list of injustices and “woe is us” statement, but just to show that only a fool would expect her assessment of this country would be the same as theirs.

She also knows that while Scarborough & Hannity remember an America that has said “yes” to everything, she, as she has mentioned before, remembers every “yes,” but she can’t ignore every “no” and “wait” heard many times which Joe & Sean don’t recall. Still she fought and prospered. For them to be proud of America and stand in judgment of others is easy. For her to be proud enough to do what she’s doing now, is truly patriotic. The Right is going to have to do better than this.

Stop The ACLU: Is Michelle Obama the Next Teresa Heinz Kerry?

Hot Air: Michelle Obama hasn’t been proud of America in at least 26 years?

Political Punch: Michelle Obama: “For the Firm Time in My Adult Lifetime, I’m Really Proud of My Country”

Michelle Obama finally proud of America – BostonHerald.com

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DLS

If we put aside the anticipation of Sean Hannity's barking and howling about this, or Ann Coulter saying something vicious after checking if this story becomes in any way significant, we can consider this, psychologically:

Maybe Michelle Obama is relaxing and is indicating confidence now that her husband is likely to be the nominee (and likely next President). Maybe she has reached the point she can relax and even feel confident about the campaign.

RickMoran

Rarely have I come across such a grossly shallow, ridiculous, deliberately obtuse article as this.

There are so many idiocies I can't begin to list them. So I'll just take two obvious ones.

"Their accusations are without merit for many reasons. One reasons is because anyone who is even mildly objective knows that she was speaking in the moment to a crowd. Another reason is that any reasonable person would believe that a woman seeing her husband (of any race) have a real chance to be president would be the proudest moment in her life and no reasonable person would believe she meant she’d never been proud of this country before."

As opposed to any "reasonable person" simply taking her at her word? It is Winters arguments that are unreasonable, a stretch, without logic or merit, and extraordinarily blind. The only basis by which one can critique Mrs. Obama's words are on what she said, not what you wish she had said or shouldn't have said in the heat of the "moment" or any othe cockamamie notion of why "reasonable" people would take her meaning for anything else except what came out of her mouth.

"When men like Scarborough & Hannity ask why can’t the world be like it was in the 50s, they imagine/remember a time where life was perfect, there was good will, prosperity and values made us a strong country."

What in the name of all that is good and holy are you talking about? When have either of those gentlemen or any conservative ever said anything about wishing that the world was the way it was in the 1950's? You just made that up out of whole cloth - an infantile view of conservatives and conservatism that one would find only uttered by someone without the education to know better. Or perhaps, the dominant liberal view among those without the education to know better.

I have written to Joe about this post - utterly devoid of substance, logic, and insulting the intelligence of his conservative readers.

shika_one

I came to this country from Tokyo, Japan when I was 14 years old right before my freshman year of high school. Throughout my 4 years of high school in Georgia and my college years, I have said many times:

I HATE AMERICA!
I'M NOT PROUD TO BE AMERICAN!

Because of stupid bigots I became "down" on America. But when I met my now good friend and TMV co-blogger T-Steel, that changed. I became proud of America through him and his wife. I shucked off that cloud and I would defend this country to the end. That's what I took from Michelle Obama. She's a black woman and has probably experienced racism and sexism. No matter how rich you get, that isn't easy to shake. Now she sees her husband getting support from all colors and creeds for his presidency and it fills her with pride. And that's a bad thing?

Your right Angela. Intolerance to other people's experiences is nasty. Not that you have to "feel" for everyone. But you should recognize that people get to where they are in different ways. Common sense actually.

shika_one

And intolerance isn't an exclusive right wing and/or conservative issue. That's unfair and untrue if believed. I have associates in the "left-sphere" that are so intolerant that it makes my eyes bleed.

Brainster

Sorry, but this is absurd. If Michelle had said something like "I've never felt prouder of my country," you could make the argument you did. But when she says "...for the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country," she reveals herself as a typical, angry, bitter leftist.

Davebo

have written to Joe about this post - utterly devoid of substance, logic, and insulting the intelligence of his conservative readers.

Oooh, gonna tell the baby sitter eh? Good for you Rick. After all, you can't just delete it.

Mrs. Obama's words are on what she said, not what you wish she had said or shouldn't have said in the heat of the "moment" or any othe cockamamie notion of why "reasonable" people would take her meaning for anything else except what came out of her mouth.

OK, so she said "for the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country"

Now, does that mean she has never in her adult lifetime been proud of her country?

Or the perhaps now she is more proud of it, "really" proud of it, than she has been in the past?

Oh well Rick, you're the mind reader so I'll let you decide.

DLS

I just paid attention to the timing of it during the campaign, rather than worry about bizarre, typically-dishonest leftist mischaracterization of Americans or of American society.

RickMoran

Why are you trying to parse this? It's ludicrous. She said what she said and what she said has been uttered by leftists in this country for more than 30 years. It's not like we haven't heard this before from liberals.

It's not a question of mind reading at all. You're the one trying to make out that she didn't really mean what she said.

RickMoran

And Gandleman is the proprietor of this blog and takes responsibilty for its content. Your calling him a babysitter is not only inaccurate - it's insulting.

But I've come to expect that from you - which is why most of your comments are deleted on my site.

Davebo

Yes Rick, I'm sure Joe is racing to a wifi hotspot to delete this post immediately.

I think John Cole said it best.

The way these guys on the right manage to gin up controversies over NOTHING and then have it widely repeated and circulated is simply amazing. They are so good at the bulls*it, that to read them, they honestly sound distressed.

But by all means, enjoy your outrage. It's healthy!

And creates a great caricature as well for all observers.

tomkraj

If people are going to criticize the lady at least get the quote right: "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country."
Focus on the words: adult lifetime, really, my country. Really! Did the lady say she has never been proud of her country in the last 25 years? NO, she said she was now she was REALLY proud of her country. She was proud before but now she was really proud to see the positive response to a call for a better America.
I was in the service of my country 40 years ago in Louisiana. I saw the white only drinking fountains. I saw white servicemen arrested for disturbing the peace because they entered black bars. I saw Jim Crow in all his ugliness. Ten days ago a Michelle’s husband got nearly as many white votes in that state as McCain and Huckabee did. That made me REALLY proud of my country. I was in the audience yesterday when Michelle spoke. This 60 yr male cried tears of joy as I realized America could reach its full potential.

GeorgeSorwell

OMG!!

Rick Moran is telling on you!!!

You are so busted!!!!

Polimom

Rick, I'm sorry, but while I can see why folks might be affronted by Michelle Obama's words, I think you are guilty of over-extrapolating here.
what she said has been uttered by leftists in this country for more than 30 years. It's not like we haven't heard this before from liberals.

There have been quite a few times in the last couple of decades when I can honestly say that I have not been at all proud of my country... and nobody's ever thought to label me -- liberal or otherwise.

Not only that, but while I don't feel compelled to jump to Michelle Obama's defense (she strikes me as more than capable of speaking on her own behalf), the reaction from the right-of-center blogosphere looks pretty over the top, and utterly without room for any possibility that someone else might indeed have a different frame of reference. Altogether, a very narrow view.

Davebo

the reaction from the right-of-center blogosphere looks pretty over the top, and utterly without room for any possibility that someone else might indeed have a different frame of reference.

Sadly, it's not just the right wing blogosphere, which of course we expected. Larry Johnson and Taylor Marsh are stirring the pot for all it's worth.

DLS

I still say it's a possible sign she feels confident about her husband's prospects.

Maybe that's why the Clintons may be trying to get delegates pledged to him to change sides. (Left unsaid is how they will be encourag$$$ed or otherwise motivatedirt-dirt-dirt to change sides.)

elrod

Well, I guess it all depends on what "really proud" means, huh? A true America-hater would never feel "proud" of his/her country so "really proud" would be out of the question. The term "really proud" implies something beyond the standard Lee Greenwood-style red-white-and-blue patriotism. It's the sort of moment you have at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Or when a man lands on the moon. Or when the Berlin Wall comes down. Or when people lined up to give blood after 9/11. Or when some other unusually wonderful moment comes to pass. Maybe Michelle Obama didn't feel "really proud" of America during these other moments. But that doesn't make her some deranged anti-American leftist. In fact, watching the Obama campaign in action has made me "really proud" to be an American too. Not the first time, mind you, but a lot more than normal.

kathyedits

...while I don't feel compelled to jump to Michelle Obama's defense (she strikes me as more than capable of speaking on her own behalf), the reaction from the right-of-center blogosphere looks pretty over the top, and utterly without room for any possibility that someone else might indeed have a different frame of reference.

Well said, polimom.

RickMoran

Just so I have everybody's defense here down cold...

It doesn't matter what someone says but her "frame of reference" or some other illogical formulation that dismisses the actual words that came out of her mouth and substitutes...what? What am I missing here?

If words have no meaning why bother talking?

pacatrue

This is only an issue if you are already convinced that the world is filled with crazy leftists who hate America. If you see the world this way, then this interpretation makes a bit of sense. Of course, such a stereotype is hopelessly misguided about the millions and millions of Democrats.

Or we could try putting the statement in context: A woman and her husband spend years working in their state legislature, fighting for a better Illinois; they do community organizing; they work as attorneys and corporate executives; they decide to serve in the federal Senate as well; and even have the temerity to run for President because they think they have ideas which will improve the lots of Americans for years to come; all things which I think of as serving your country in various ways. And then - gosh! - she says one sentence which can be twisted to fit a stereotype of anti-American leftism and, boom, the truth that they hate America has been revealed! Twenty years serving America tossed out because of a sentence. Nice.

Good lord, conservative philosophy is better and stronger and more articulate than this. It can wage a battle of ideas. Conservatives do not need to descend to this.

T-Steel

I see no one here dismissing her words. What I see here is people saying that she may have felt a certain way about America until she saw the outpouring of support for her husband's candidacy. Why call her unpatriotic, stupid, and in some circles, racist (not saying you said such Rick) when she feels differently now? Why is that scary for a potential First Lady?

ChrisWWW

I mean come on, how dare Obama's wife say she hasn't been 100% blindly patriotic for her entire life. And *gasp* her husband doesn't wear a flag pin!!!

As for Rick, he's just another cog in the machine that prevents us from evaluating solutions candidates offer to solve problems we face as a country. Instead, we're wrapped up in this never ending battle over what candidates (and their spouses) are allowed to say. God forbid we actually see some honesty or innovative thinking.

To put it another way: you better parrot conventional wisdom, or you don't support the troops.

elrod

All this said, I do think Michelle Obama needs to explain her comment a bit better. The danger is that it will be used in TV ads in the general election. If she clarifies she might put it to death for good.

StockBoySF

"Good lord, conservative philosophy is better and stronger and more articulate than this. It can wage a battle of ideas. Conservatives do not need to descend to this."

pacatrue, you're absolutely right, conservatives should wage a battle of ideas, and not battle over the phrase, "...for the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country."

I've always been patriotic and sometimes I've been prouder of my country than other times. In fact there have been times I've been really proud of my country. However seeing the Dem. nomination come down to a choice between a woman and an African American has made me really REALLY proud at how far my country, which I love so much, has come.

I'll let other folks argue to death over whether someone they've probably never met should have been really proud of their country or just merely proud.

StockBoySF

Angela, I agree with you. Michelle's (and Barack's) experiences as African Americans in today's America is very different than whites in this country. It's easy for rich white men to take for granted many of the things handed to them. Whereas African Americans have to deal with racism, and other issues that RWM (rich white men) don't encounter as part of their existence.

The fact that we may actually have a black president is proof how far our country has come, but racism is still alive and well in our country. Thankfully racism is being shown to the door.

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