by Latoya Peterson
Reader Kanani writes:
I was reading through Facebook, and saw this: “How well would Barack Obama have done if he had come forth with a 17 year old pregnant, unmmarried, unemployed daughter?”
Thoughts?
I always get mad at myself for being genuinely surprised at how the right will say anything to get elected. I found myself ranting and raving during CNN the other night when I first encountered female Republicans defending and celebrating Palin’s daughter’s decisions. I just thought, how dare they? How dare they demonize and ostracize young girls and their choices all these years, and then turn around when it’s one of their own and act like she is the poster child for family values? How dare the Republicans shame and humiliate girls for getting pregnant before marriage, and declare it to be a moral value, WHEN THEY DON”T EVEN REALLY BELIEVE IT?? They believe it when it’s convenient for them. How many women’s lives did they ruin for something they don’t even really believe in?
If Obama had come forth with a 17-year-old, pregnant, unmarried, unemployed daughter, he would be dismissed from the presidential race outright, no question about it, with some comments about welfare queens and black deadbeat dads hurled at him on his way out. My mom’s line: “He would be, like, deported! From the planet!”
@Jaye:
http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/cc_insider/2008/09/jon-stewart-ann.html
I think anyone who reads Racialicious knows the answer to that one.
The hypocrisy doesn’t surprise me anymore. It just doesn’t. The only thing that surprises me is that anyone out there doubts it. Or that anyone thought that there was much that could change the wingnut’s view of their favored candidate once they’ve decided to love her.
Unless she had an abortion. That might do it.
I think that if it were Obama with the pregnant 17 yr old I think the media would have a field day with it. There would be so many stereotypes launched at the family. The media would critizied the Obama’s parenting skills. It would be totally different if this had happened to the Obama’s. I mean hell the media is always looking for dirt on Obama anyway so they would love that kind of scandel.
@Jaye
Don’t be surprised Conservatives and Republicans always wage Amnesia Campaigns. One of their own does something or screws something up (like Bush/Cheney/McCain, etc.) Then they say “elect us to solve the problems we caused in the first place ” or “forget that we said that people the did thing we just did were demons, because we just did the same thing- elect us. “
I answer in the form of a link to a Daily Show video.
Also: What Jaye said.
I think it’s pretty clear that there is a double standard placed on Barack and his family, and Palin and hers.
I think one speaker at the RNC made a pointed attack at Michelle about how Palin doesn’t go around sipping tea on Sunday Talk Show’s or some ish like that.
Then there were Republicans out there that were upset that Barack had an ‘family’ interview with access hollywood, and that he was using his children as political tools.
Seems that they would like to downplay the successes of a black family, while also sweeping the problems within a white family under the rug.
I second that, Jaye
The media, the Republicans, and some people of various hues would paint the Obamas and the the most irresponsible parents, “slut-shame” the daughter, play his “fathers oughtta be responsible” speech ad nauseum and point out the hypocrisy, and top it all off with sober (and slobbering) analyses of how oversexed and promiscuous The Black Community is, with disproportionate numbers of “out-of-wedlock” births and montages of video vixens. Amy Holmes will host the “Special Report” about Black sexuality on Fox.
Oh yeah, and the New Yorkerwill attempt another “satirical” cover.
I heard Tavis Smiley asked Newt Gingrich this question and it was quite an uncomfortable moment for poor old Newt.
um, yeah, the media would have a field day with this.
people would say hateful, racist things about Obama and how it’s “typical for black girls to get knocked up.” there will be racist and sexist commentary targeted at his daughter.
with Sarah Failin and her daughter, they are being hailed as a “genuinely American” and “real life people” because they are WHITE, CHRISTIAN AND CONSERVATIVE!!!
Sarah Failin is a two-timing liar, deciever, and hypocrite. She is forcing her daughter to marry the daddy and making it all look like the kids are in love when we all know that’s BULLSHIT.
I am so FUCKING sick of this double standard political bullshit crap from the Mainstream Media Whores!!!!!
You can bet that there would be no talk of “off limits” or “private family matter” from the right. Instead we would be treated to talk about how “those people” are oversexed and bad parents who don’t teach their children morality. I was also thinking this applies to Palin’s family of 5 children and McCain’s family of 7 children. If the Obamas had this many children we’d hear the same thing about being oversexed and that they are too stupid to figure out how to use birth control.
I’ve been saying it since Palins story broke.
If it was Obama, the right would say
“He can’t even take care of his own family, how can he take care of the country?”
Yet, when it’s one of theirs then it’s a “brave decision to keep the child” (Don’t decisions require, you know, CHOICE?)
Well . . . I think we know how his opposition would spin it. Michelle Obama – driven careerist who should have been home caring for and paying more attention to her family rather than out shaking her fists at the world. Barack Obama – neglectful, absent, distracted, lax. Everything you’ve always expected in a black father. Even the educated and successful among them exhibit those pathologies we know to be common to their community. Why can’t they get it together??????
Of course, these messages would primarily be delivered via some under the radar, coded language B.S. akin to “hard working Americans, white Americans” and “As far as I know . . . ” re: the secret Muslim question thus making it hard to battle/refute without being accused of using this “private, family concern” for political means or playing the race card.
that’s easy (and a really cool question). because one (defined ??) would expect a black man (race and gender as destiny) to have a young black girl child (loose, brown, undereducated) who was pregnant- it would just be a sign that he was just another nigger who was overreaching by trying to be the nation’s leader. which might actually make it easier for people to articulate why he is not a worthy candidate – and why they are not voting for him. for palin – it’s a badge of honor – that reinforces her belief in noble (white) family values.
I’ve also heard grumbling about her participation in an Alaskan separatist group. What if Barack were found to have been a member of anything similar?
I also saw a report that Palin’s office has a flag of Israel hanging up. Again, what if Barack had say a Kenyan flag up?
JR ~
Seems that they would like to downplay the successes of a black family, while also sweeping the problems within a white family under the rug.
These folks are so invested in black inferiority, that for any black family to be wealthy, stable and driven they must be so out of touch with “reality and normality”.
Of course, pointing out any hypocrisy would be playing the race card…
TCS~ don’t forget hip hop and OJ!!
If this were one of the Obama girls you can bet that this would not be a private family matter. A black person who enters the public spotlight is considered representative of their race. They would play up the Jezebel angle and infer that all black women are licentious.
Bristol is getting special treatment because she is white and a child of privilege. Where she of a different class and any other race of color the republicans would be having a hey day. I think that the intentional kindness that Bristol is getting is very telling about how we view motherhood, and race and class.
They’d have crucified him.
What would they say?
They would launch to their FAMILY VALUES diatribe. The term “family values” hasn’t become part of the American vernacular for no reason… Hypocrisy.
Man, how disingenuous is this question? Could ANY presidential candidate would be fatally hamstrung by an unemployed, unmarried, pregnant daughter. Obama being black in that scenario is irrelevant. Your VP could, maybe. MAYBE. But not the prez candidate.
::smacks head::
@ gatamala–friend, how could I forget hip-hop and OJ? Yeah, that’s definitely gonna be in Amy Holmes’ Fox special. Oh, and let’s not forget those interviews at the beauty and barber shops, too. Maybe Bill O’Reilly can do his after-special commentary at Sylvia’s?
::eyeroll::
FOX news referred to Michelle as Barak’s “baby mama,” which they justified because she jokingly refered to herself that way in a speech.
Palin’s daughter actually is a baby mama, but FOX news media isn’t calling her that.
If they’re so excited about trying out new vocabulary, why no attempt to apply it accurately?
@ Ford
Man, how disingenuous is this question? Could ANY presidential candidate would be fatally hamstrung by an unemployed, unmarried, pregnant daughter. Obama being black in that scenario is irrelevant. Your VP could, maybe. MAYBE. But not the prez candidate.
Nothing could be further from truth. We have constantly been reminded of just how black Obama is so why would race not factor into this situation if it was one of his daughters that were pregnant? The Obamas were called uppity yesterday by Rep Westmoreland. and that is just one example of race playing a role in how he is viewed. His very body is problematic or we would not consistently be reminded of the obvious, that he is a black man.
@Ford MF
Do you really believe that Obama’s race is irrelevant when it comes to the behavior of his children (or any other aspect of his personal life)? That’s some willful ignorance right there. Have you been paying attention to this election at all? Heck, have you ever spoken to a black American? Any one of them could tell you plainly how personal choices and/or mistakes are quickly extrapolated to problems of “The Black Community.” A pregnant black teenager in the public eye would be ripped to shreds, as would her parents. And then there’d be interviews and tv specials about Black America’s teenage pregnancy problem. Obama wouldn’t have been on the ticket as the Pres. or VP with a pregnant unwed daughter.
@Renee:
I just don’t get how the media paints a successful black couple who have each pulled themselves from being dirt poor to well-to-do as “elitist,” yet gives Cindy McCain, heiress to her family’s beer company, a pass when she struts around in a $300k outfit and travels the state of Arizona via private jet while her husband, who holds the deeds to seven houses, talks of the ills of working class Americans from job losses to mortgage crises and gas prices.
I guess it’s just that biased liberal media at work again. *shakes fist*
Cosign on that Chris.
I think we all remember what happened to John McCain and his black lovechild, now, don’t we?
The Bushes played dirty, racial pool with the “canvassing” and McCain kissed their converse in order to tap into his voters in this election.
If Obama’s daughter were 17, unwed and pregnant, he’d be politically destroyed by the right-wing evangelicals.
And the sad part is that the media has allowed some very nasty things to be said about black teenage pregnancy/fatherhood (or lack thereof) and are letting it slide while Bristol Palin’s unemployed fiance scurried over to Zales to get a ring. Or he probably went to Jared’s. 
So, if the Republicans don’t like “elitists” then I guess a guy with a pregnant 17 year-old daughter can be elected to the second-highest office in the land? Not if he’s black.
“When you’re white, the sky’s the limit. When you’re black the limit is the sky.” Chris Rock.
I think that the media would have used this as ‘proof’ that Black families (especially the women in those families) are inherently bad and immoral. They would have finger pointed and then torn the Obama’s credability to shreds. So sad, but so true.
It’s terribly unfair how the Obamas are held to a higher standard by White America (by both rich and poor whites) than the McCains/Palins. If they were to slip up even once immediately they and their whole race/community would be held accountable. I bet you if any dirt was to ever come out about Barack cheating on his wife the same condemnations would occur where the actions of one individual are supposedly indicative of the behavior of a whole race of men (in this case being that black men are always perceived by society as being deadbeat dads/perpetual baby daddies).
WORD, Chris. If I hear one more person accuse the Obamas of being elitist, this generally mild-mannered woman will quite possibly lose her mind, as evidenced by a verbal torrent laced with profanity.
You beat me to it, Whitney! 
You all know the acronym, IOKIYAR, It’s OK if you are Republican. Well, there is the other acronym, IOKIYAW, or more accurately, IOKIYAWAR, It’s OK if you are white and rich.
B and M Obama are ELITE, not elitist.
What is it with people who want to be ruled by drinking buddies, fantasy MILFs, and people who got mediocre grades at school?
(Yes, American anti-intellectualism and anti-rationalism has been around for a long time, but it seems to be getting worse by the minute.)
This is really a question that could go unanswered but needless to say the brotha would not even have been considered for the position!
I’ve also heard grumbling about her participation in an Alaskan seperatist group. What if Barack were found to have been a member of anything similar?
Good observation. Anyway, the Jeremiah Wright controversy answers that.
Obama being black in this scenario is irrelevant!
What the world?Much of what the opposition has focused on in terms of criticizing him has been about his color. I know people wish that the concept of color did not make the different that is does but as it stands-we are not in a colorblind world.
Disclaimer: I didn’t read all the comments, so I apologize if this was already discussed.
But here is my question: Is there ANY hope that this situation with Palin’s daughter will dispel the myth that all young, unwed mothers are A) dark, B) poor, C) irresponsible, and D) whores?
If we can accept that this “proper” white girl got pregnant accidentally, or, at the very least, through some action that was in no way immoral, irresponsible, or something other word starting with “i”, can’t we also dismiss the stereotype that says all other young, single moms are otherwise?
UGH!
I apologize for my use of the word whore. I was attempting to use the language that is often aimed at those I discussed. In no way does that portray my feelings on the ladies discussed. Sincere apologies…
I am so disgusted with this whole Palin B.S. For nearly the past two years the Media and the republicans have put the Obama Family through the wringer. They Micro analyzed every aspect of Their lives and are still doing it.
But Sarah Palin has been on the scene for the past 7 whole days and She and her Family are embraced as the “American story that must be told” .
Palin and the Republicans started deceiving the American People the moment they first step out on stage last Friday by trying to hide the Daughters pregnancy by using the 4 month old and a blanket as a cover up. Then, They only decided to reveal the “truth” after questions began to arise. If for no other reason than that, I find Palin disgusting!
@Brianjk,
I think that Palin has no choice but to extend her advocacy to ALL pregnant unwed mother from ALL parts of society. Why? Most people that have a special needs child didn’t choose to have one, so Governor Palin did the right thing based on her morals. When her daughter laid down in the backseat of her boyfriend’s Jeep and gave up the pooty, she made a choice to let him skeet skeet skeet aww skeet skeet skeet. That CAN lead to a crumbsnatcher nine months later.
An intelligent 17 year-old girl that menstruates every month knows that she can get pregnant in some part of her brain. An intelligent 17 year-old HS boy that watches TV or R-rated movies knows this, too.
If the GOP villainizes the black kids for having sex in bad circumstances, the kids that have two parents and a car need to be taken to task as well. After all, the kids in the nice neighborhoods test better on standardized tests than the inner-city black kids, so what the heck is THEIR excuse for making the same mistake?
Also, the GOP playing the Bristol Palin pregnancy as a blessed event makes me gag. And the media has whiffed on the timeline here as far as Bristol Palin’s bout with mono and the date of conception. We’ll probably never know, but I’ve read that if Bristol is five months pregnant, her conception date falls around the point when she was supposed to be laid up (out of school) with mono. Are you supposed to be letting someone near your virginia when you have mono, particularly if he’s not using protection? Ick. Double ick.
But since this was an intimate situation, I don’t think anyone will EVER know precisely when Bristol gave up the goodies to her out-of-work fiance.
The hypocrisy in this country is really disturbing. If anyone has been watching “The Daily Show” lately, I’m sure they have an idea about what I’m talking about.
It’s all about choosing sides. It’s the basics in stereotyping and prejudice — if the OTHER group suffers from something, then the situational factors are not put into consideration. Instead, the group is blamed because of their group affiliation or some genetic disposition.
But when their OWN group suffers from the same incidents, the SITUATIONAL factors are brought into the light. Oh, every family goes through that, they say. All families have problems, they say.
They didn’t say the same thing about Jamie Lynn Spears. They accuse Democrats and Liberals of “sexism” when THEY made sexist remarks about Hillary Clinton.
So yeah, no doubt they would come after Obama on that and exploit it.
The entire story definitely would have played out quite differently had it been the Obama family dealing with a teen pregnancy.
Mr. Obama did take the high road by saying families are off limits and stated his mother had him when she was only 18 years old.
Although he has not attacked any opponent’s family or their values, the media has even insinuated that the Obama family doesn’t have a nanny only to appear that they are not “elitist”. Has anyone considered they simply prefer to have a trusted family member take care of the girls when they are not home?
In my opinion, I don’t think it’s fair to the child to parade her in the media, try to marry her off and make her the poster child for the teen pregnancy issue in America. Where is the value in that?
Brianjkoscuiszka: “If we can accept that this “proper” white girl got pregnant accidentally, or, at the very least, through some action that was in no way immoral, irresponsible, or something other word starting with “i”, can’t we also dismiss the stereotype that says all other young, single moms are otherwise?”
IMO, as long as white people are seen as individuals and POCs are seen as representative of their whole race, then what you’re hoping for has no chance of happening. No way in the world will Bristol’s case become representative of all young white women. Even then, judging this case in a positive manner instead of the negative one that is saved for POC and working-class people does nothing but move from one extreme to the other. Nobody’s having any real discussion about teenage pregnancy. So as long as the dynamics can change for certain people and remain the same for others, it just a waste of time at best and another mechanism for oppression at worst.
They would have eviscerated the Obamas and would have done it with a dull knife.
Poor Sarah ,she being treated so unfairly, she has five children and one is a special needs child, her son is being deployed to Iraq (on 9/11 no less who did they pay for that), poor Bristol her pregnancy is a private matter.
No , poor me for having to listen to all this drivel.
Bill O’Reilly called Jaime Lynn Spears parents pinheads and laid the blame for her pregnancy at their feet. But now since it’s the Great White Hopes daughter who has become the “baby mama” it suddenly becomes a triumph of family values.
If it had been a teenager of color, she would have been lazy, immoral, irresponsible and stupid; looking for a way for the good taxpaying White folk of America to take care of her and her illegitimate spawn.
They probably threaten “baby daddy” with statutory rape unless he married her.
Do these people think they are never going to die and have to face God’s judgement? But that is a whole other issue.
They’d blame hip-hop at some point.
L @43-
Great point. Perhaps I’m simply being idealistic. But you would THINK that something like this would HAVE to make the double-standard obvious to certain members of our society. Unfortunately, that is generally not the case. “The Daily Show” did an amazing job of juxtaposing commentators comments on Spears a few months ago (negative) against those they made about Palin recently (positive) to demonstrate this, but of course, they will insist, “It’s different.” If they would at least admit the the “difference” is race-based and nothing else, we can BEGIN to have a conversation to debunk their views. Unfortunately, this will ultimately turn into one of those conversations where those who see the light are simply told they don’t understand what makes it different.
Sigh…
I think, to take it even one step further, one could argue that if Obama were White, Palin with her inexperience, family issues, etc., would never have been added to the Republican ticket. But because he is Black, what kind of people do you think, really think, they are trying to lure with Palin?
Let me say something “meta” for a moment. There is some danger in posing hypothetical questions like these.
By posing this hypothetical, and then answering the hypothetical based on your past experiences, you are, in a way, giving power to those that would keep the status quo.
As expected, most contributors believe that the press would have had a field day with the scenario of Obama with a pregnant teenage daughter. (And, they are probably correct, but bear with me for a moment.) Everyone is in agreement; everyone has reinforced this opinion in others; and is has passed from hypothesis to fact without being tested.
The argument becomes “I think I know what would happen because I know what always happened before.” The implication is that today is just like yesterday, and tomorrow will be just like today.
Let me pose a question that is just as unlikely.
Q: “What if a black freshman senator tried to secure the Democratic nominator against Hillary Clinton.”
A: “He hasn’t a hope in hell.”
You just never know what future will bring, or when, collectively or individually, we will do the right thing.
The controversy around Palin’s umarried, 17 year old daughter is not just about her unmarried, 17 year old daughter. The controversy is really about the fact that not only is she completely unqualified, completely unknown and the mother of a 4 month old, but she is also the mother of an unmarried, 17 year old daughter. It’s too much family drama on top of not enough experience…it all adds up to her possibility as VP being a complete joke.
I am NOT an American and, therefore, can judge the Palin subject more objectively. Race and gender aside, to me, she comes across as too aggressive and condescending towards Obama. Her Republican Party tries to do everything to prevent Obama from winning the election; including propagating (c)overt lies if necessary. The problem is that many conservative (mostly white) Americans swallow these untruths without much thinking. So, it may very well be that McCain will be sworn in as the next US president, much to the chagrin of the rest of the world. McCain himself is a decent person, but I have my doubts about the [Edited - See Things to Remember Post].
If Malia Obama had ended up like Bristol Palin, the White media would have a field day.
They would’ve been destroyed. I’m sorry, the Palins are NOT the Kennedys. They have benefited from their race irrespective of class and been afforded privileges reflective of this.
There is no well on God’s green earth a black candidate with Palin’s qualifications would even be able to run a chicken shack much less a state.
It’s so embarrassing that her inequities are so obvious that the right needs to spin Obama’s achievements as some a bad thing.
I’m sure this has been said a billion times.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of New Demographic, a diversity education firm. Her perspectives on race and diversity have been featured on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, USA Today, and The New York Times.
Celeb Snax 5/9/08: Gwen Stefani’s Post Baby Body& More – Amy Grindhouse on 05 Sep 2008 at 11:24 am
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