I have a story up this morning detailing a tense moment from Sen. Barack Obama's youth — when his white grandmother was afraid of a black man who asked her for money while she waited for the bus. He outlined the story in his book, "Dreams from My Father," which offers insight into the man he is today. (Read my story from last fall on candidate books here.)
Barack Obama's white grandmother once stopped taking the bus to work because she was afraid of a black panhandler — a story buried in the senator's first book that helps shed light on why he used her in a speech last week broaching race relations.The revelation from his grandmother when he was a teenager hit the future Democratic presidential candidate "like a fist in my stomach," and was just one example of the journey to understand his mixed race heritage detailed in his book, "Dreams From My Father, A Story of Race and Inheritance."
His grandmother, known as "Toot," also has been the subject of discussion since Mr. Obama told voters in the Philadelphia speech last week that the woman sometimes said things that made him "cringe."
Mr. Obama also compared his grandmother to a "typical white person," fueling more criticism of his views on race, little of which has focused on the details revealed in the 1995 book.
In the book, published long before he became a U.S. senator from Illinois or White House contender, Mr. Obama chronicles his complicated racial history, offering a nuanced and thoughtful look at who he was and who he wanted to become.
"When people who don't know me well, black or white, discover my background … I see the split-second adjustments they have to make, the searching of my eyes for some telltale sign," Mr. Obama wrote in the book's introduction. "They no longer know who I am. Privately, they guess at my troubled heart, I suppose — the mixed blood, the divided soul, the ghostly image of the tragic mulatto trapped between two worlds."
Read the rest here.
I also have a piece up on Pennsylvania, exploring the campaigns' use of star power.
— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times
Comments (4)
Bellantoni, your starting to appear racist yourself when you jump on the race story everytime one breaks. Give it a rest, can't you write creatively enough about something to generate feedback from anyone with more than 3 braincells that is not fixated on the Black/white thing..?
Posted by mark c. | March 25, 2008 11:14 AM
The time for sweeping things under the carpet is over. It is spring cleaning time. Time to bring out them new brooms and sweep the place clean Yeah! Let the dust fly. At the end of it all , when the dust settles each Presidential potential character will stand or fall on their credentials and principles.
This is the testing time. In factories prototypes have to be tested and proved. In the medical profession ,surgeons have to be proved. Pilots and astronauts have to undergo rigorous states.
If the gloves have to come off for the truth to be revealed, let it be.After all the American public have the right to know who will be the next Presidential Nominee getting ready to sit in the Whitehouse.
Not talking about mudslinging politics or POLITRICKS.Talking about honesty,likeabilty, integrity,credibility, sense of good judgement,family values, the right attitudes in any given situation etc etc.
Someone said if you can't stand the heat get out the kitchen!
America must know the truth now about the candidate of their choice by asking respectable reasonable questions on things that matter to them that they hold dear to their hearts.
Let the contest continue. Let the live Election 2008 continue within the rules of the Election Process. America is a great country for freedom of choice and fredom of religion and freedom of speech etc etc etc. This is democracy sifting the chaff from the wheat.God bless America. Errol Smythe.
Posted by Errol Smythe | March 25, 2008 6:31 PM
I agree with Mark C. All this racial stuff is so 20th Century. It tells us more about you, Ms. Bellantoni, than it does about Obama's grandma. It's time you guys packed it in and retired . We are tired of the self-adoring baby-boomers, who have messed everything up and are leaving the country in a mess. I voted Republican last time (and I read the Times), but this nasty racialist stuff nauseates me. I should nauseate all Christians. I am going to vote Obama this time. We have to give the race thing a rest.
Posted by Rob | March 25, 2008 10:13 PM
Time to move on.Time to heal the wounds .Time to stop fussing and fighting ,kicking and biting.Paul,who in the BOOK OF ACTS studied uder Gameliel told the unruly Christian Church at Corinth, "..When I was a child,I spoke like a child, I thought like a child.When I became a man, I gave up childish ways...." ( I Corinthians 14 verse 11 ).All these stories that "...he said he said she said and she said he said that he said she said,..." it keeps the scandal sheets on the front page but it's not helping the healing of the nation.
The nasty racial stuff is just no good. We are all on one planet and we all need each other.Colour is just skin deep and we can if we try look beyond the veil of skin colour and see that in the pursuit of happiness we all have dreams , some of them broken dreams, others unfulfilled, but still we believe in the kindness and goodness resident in the heart and soul of everyone, every man and woman .
The beauty of character is within the soul of mankind.Like a diamond before it's cut by the gem designer, the rough character within our soul desires to be expressed and reflect it's radiant glory only when the chief gem designer with patience and dedication through trials and afflictions cuts away the rough edges of backbiting and fighting back,mudslinging and slinging back mud , bad attitude sto reveal good attitudes like forgiveness, kindness, patience and hope.
America is like a rough diamond like all of mankind,and when the chief designer is complete,the radiant beauty of perfect character, beautiful attitude will shine like a beacon of hope and cast away the darkness of fear of climate change, of strife ,war and bitterness.
God bless America the beacon of hope of good governance and good democracy and let the people look within their hearts and put aside racial tension and distrust and promote forgiveness, faith ,hope and charity and vote with their hearts and minds for the good of America and world peace. God Bless America. Errol Smythe.
Posted by Anonymous | April 10, 2008 8:55 AM