Michelle Malkin » Gag: Obama credited with making interracial marriage acceptable

Gag: Obama credited with making interracial marriage acceptable

By Michelle Malkin • October 15, 2009 01:53 PM

Oh, spare me. Please:

There’s nothing more traditional in American politics than the wholesome family portrait: a beaming candidate, beaming spouse, reluctantly beaming teenagers.

But when Bill de Blasio, a candidate for public office in New York City this fall, put his family in his campaign mailings and TV ads, there was nothing routine about it. De Blasio’s wife of 15 years, Chirlane McCray, is black, his children are of mixed race and, even in one of America’s most liberal cities, no one could remember anything like it…

…With Barack Obama having rewritten the history of race relations in this country, de Blasio may be demolishing one of its last taboos, “For so long in American history, interracial couples went out of their way to keep their relationships out of the public eye that it’s remarkable to see them used in a campaign like this,” said Peggy Pascoe, a historian of interracial marriage at the University of Oregon, who referred to the campaign as “a post-Obama phenomenon.”

That’s a perception McCray said she shared. Obama, she said, “opened a door” and “made it easier for us to go there.”

Nowhere in the article is there even a mention of who over the last decades has made it difficult to “go there.”

No mention of how minority conservative women who marry outside their race are routinely attacked by liberals as traitors, sellouts, whores, ethnic trophy wives, and mail-order brides.

No mention of how Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was excoriated by black liberals for being married to wife Virginia, who happens to be white.

No mention of how anti-government racial preference activist Ward Connerly was also attacked for marrying a white woman.

Need a refresher? Here:

The fact that she is white has drawn criticism from some blacks who see the marriage as evidence that Clarence Thomas has rejected his roots…

…“If he is influenced by his wife, a white conservative who lobbied against comparable pay for women, he will be anti-women’s issues,” wrote USA Today columnist Barbara Reynolds in a July 5 piece. Reynolds, who is black, also is concerned by Thomas’s choice of a white wife.

“It may sound bigoted; well, this is a bigoted world and why can’t black people be allowed a little Archie Bunker mentality?” Reynolds said later. “Here’s a man who’s going to decide crucial issues for the country and he has already said no to blacks; he has already said if he can’t paint himself white he’ll think white and marry a white woman.”

Clarence Thomas advocates a colorblind society, and his marriage may well be an example of that philosophy. But others see a different symbolism.

“His marrying a white woman is a sign of his rejection of the black community,” said Russell Adams, chairman of Howard University’s department of Afro-American studies. “Great justices have had community roots that served as a basis for understanding the Constitution. Clarence’s lack of a sense of community makes his nomination troubling.”

And now, liberals want to give Barack Obama credit for breaking interracial marriage taboos?

What has Obama ever done — what has he ever said — to disavow the bigoted attacks by liberals against minority conservatives in public life who have endured vicious bile because they chose their partners based on the content of their character and not the color of their skin?

Nothing.

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#101

On October 16th, 2009 at 11:21 am, WarTip said:

On October 16th, 2009 at 10:23 am, WarEagle82 said:

WarTip & CiceroKid,

Let me know about that cold San Miguel! Fortunately I can get it here from our better beer and wine stores.

My last typhoon in Manila was over 10 years ago but the water was waist deep on me! There is nothing like wading through the filthy water down on Corner of Taft and Libertad as a typhoon tries to drown you.

Keep your heads up and carry on!

Beers come five in a bucket (6 at some bars and even better deals at an Expat Bar I know) so always room for one more. The flooding is generally not too bad in my part of Bicol but just down the road the last major storms in 2006 buried about 2000 people so yeah, it is a good idea to be prepared. Taft and Libertad got hit pretty hard this time too as did Ortigas and Pasig … still since I have never seen this much press before, I have to wonder if it is because so many rich people’s homes were destroyed. Hard to feel sorry for someone on television crying about having to replace their stoves and refrigerators when I live among people (myself included) who have lost everything and never had the luxury of having appliances to lose in the first place.

Aside from that though, my wife’s business goes live next month so maybe we can finally turn that part around. We can generally squeeze one more beer out of the bucket if you ever decide to head back for a visit. Bicol is a lot cleaner and nicer than Manila as well … especially down around Pasay where you were. That is actually the only place I have ever had any personal confrontations in the Philippines.
#102

On October 16th, 2009 at 12:51 pm, happy2behere said:

Interracial marriage was acceptable before Obama came along. Both my brothers are in long term marriages to women with other genetic heritages than ours, and they have had few issues. And my niece and nephew are beautiful! There will always be jerks, but most people treat the families kindly. Americans are better than the media portrays, and Obama deserves little to no credit for the above.
#103

On October 16th, 2009 at 3:44 pm, FirstSkirt said:

This American married another American 28 years ago. The fact that it was interracial never seemed to be an issue until Obeyme got involved Why do liberals have to drag race into every thing? Sick.of.it.
#104

On October 17th, 2009 at 11:29 pm, Andy said:

Nobama breaking the color barrier? Pluuleeze.

Breaking the tabboo would be like a mixed-race couple daring to show up in Birminham, Alabama at the start of the 60′s to visit family & relatives, knowing that if you got caught in the wrong neighborhoods, you were liable to get lynched. Obambi’s so dark, no one would ever take him for a mulatto, unless he declared himself so.

Lucky for him, he never grew up with his mom in an urban area, say South Side Chicago. He would’ve been tormented and called ‘honky’ among other names and probably get his a$$ whupped on a regular basis for being white. What a zero!