Posted by Rookie:

OT, but why start another Obama thread. Looks like Obama made some comments and a reporter tweeted them before he was instructed to keep it 'off the record'

President Obama has inadvertently put his name into the Kanye West/Taylor Swift controversy after stating that Kanye is a “jackass” for what he did at the MTV Video Music Awards.

When asked about the incident, President Obama said, “I thought that was really inappropriate. You know it was like she’s getting an award. Why are you butting in? The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She’s getting her award. What he’s doing up there? He’s a jackass!”

The President called the rapper "a jackass" in an off-the-record comment during a CNBC interview yesterday, but the comment became public when it was tweeted by ABCs Terry Moran on Twitter, Politico.com reported Monday night.

An ABC statement explains: "ABC News employees prematurely tweeted a portion of those remarks that turned out to be from an off-the-record portion of the interview."

Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards, the rapper jumped on stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech and declared her award should have gone to Beyoncé Knowles.

After fielding a 24-hour firestorm of criticism and apologizing on his blog, West told Leno last night, "It was rude, period....I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt."

West, who has had similar outbursts at previous awards shows, said, "I need to, after this, take some time off and just analyse how I'm going to make it through the rest of this life, how I'm going to improve.

Posted by Rookie:

OT, but why start another Obama thread. Looks like Obama made some comments and a reporter tweeted them before he was instructed to keep it 'off the record'

President Obama has inadvertently put his name into the Kanye West/Taylor Swift controversy after stating that Kanye is a “jackass” for what he did at the MTV Video Music Awards.

When asked about the incident, President Obama said, “I thought that was really inappropriate. You know it was like she’s getting an award. Why are you butting in? The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She’s getting her award. What he’s doing up there? He’s a jackass!”

The President called the rapper "a jackass" in an off-the-record comment during a CNBC interview yesterday, but the comment became public when it was tweeted by ABCs Terry Moran on Twitter, Politico.com reported Monday night.

An ABC statement explains: "ABC News employees prematurely tweeted a portion of those remarks that turned out to be from an off-the-record portion of the interview."

Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards, the rapper jumped on stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech and declared her award should have gone to Beyoncé Knowles.

After fielding a 24-hour firestorm of criticism and apologizing on his blog, West told Leno last night, "It was rude, period....I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt."

West, who has had similar outbursts at previous awards shows, said, "I need to, after this, take some time off and just analyse how I'm going to make it through the rest of this life, how I'm going to improve.

Posted by martin:

Posted by Rookie:

Hey, I almost forgot about this gaffe from before Obama was elected. Seems he was talking off the record again....except someone accidentally recorded the conversation on a tape recorder:

'Remember during the Democratic presidential primary campaign when the then-Illinois senator complained to rich folks at a San Francisco fundraiser about bitter Pennsylvanians clinging to their guns and religion? But there was a Huffington Post reporter there with a tape recorder?'


Now I don't think Obama is a racist (atleast publicly), but this comment seems 'off color' to me.

I think that quote - when it has been applied to be thought as racist - has been shot down a lot. Dig up the context to that speech and get back to us. IMHO You are way off the mark.

Posted by Rookie:

Posted by martin:

Posted by Rookie:

Hey, I almost forgot about this gaffe from before Obama was elected. Seems he was talking off the record again....except someone accidentally recorded the conversation on a tape recorder:

'Remember during the Democratic presidential primary campaign when the then-Illinois senator complained to rich folks at a San Francisco fundraiser about bitter Pennsylvanians clinging to their guns and religion? But there was a Huffington Post reporter there with a tape recorder?'


Now I don't think Obama is a racist (atleast publicly), but this comment seems 'off color' to me.

I think that quote - when it has been applied to be thought as racist - has been shot down a lot. Dig up the context to that speech and get back to us. IMHO You are way off the mark.

What do you mean shot down? Are you saying that there is no tape?

Posted by SupremeCommander:

Systemic racism will likely exist for a long time in this country and, yes, it is a contributing factor in why he is disliked. But let's not forget that until very recently the majority approved of President Obama. As someone who voted for the man, is white, and is now displeased, I think the gaining momentum in his disapproval has more to do with him being hard hitting in rhetoric and soft when it comes to swinging the bat. For example, he talks a big game about financial services regulation and a need for regulation but the regulators come short time and time again--what needs to be done is legislate against an institution being able to bank and speculate. But that won't happen as even though he promised "change" key hires continue to come from the Goldman Sachs tree and that tree is the reason the derivatives market went unregulated for so long. And Obama elevated USAID to a cabinet-level position and has yet to appoint a head to the agency. While I'm not against him speaking to school children or weighing in on the Mr. Gates Harvard thing, maybe he should have appointed cabinet level positions FIRST.

I believe he isn't making good on his promises of change and that really has nothing to do with his blackness or whatever. So Jimmy's right, there's a subset that's flagrant about disliking him because he's black and subtle systemic racism is much more prevalent than most people realize, but there's reason not to like his Presidency outside of racism

Posted by sebstar:

Posted by SupremeCommander:

Systemic racism will likely exist for a long time in this country and, yes, it is a contributing factor in why he is disliked. But let's not forget that until very recently the majority approved of President Obama. As someone who voted for the man, is white, and is now displeased, I think the gaining momentum in his disapproval has more to do with him being hard hitting in rhetoric and soft when it comes to swinging the bat. For example, he talks a big game about financial services regulation and a need for regulation but the regulators come short time and time again--what needs to be done is legislate against an institution being able to bank and speculate. But that won't happen as even though he promised "change" key hires continue to come from the Goldman Sachs tree and that tree is the reason the derivatives market went unregulated for so long. And Obama elevated USAID to a cabinet-level position and has yet to appoint a head to the agency. While I'm not against him speaking to school children or weighing in on the Mr. Gates Harvard thing, maybe he should have appointed cabinet level positions FIRST.

I believe he isn't making good on his promises of change and that really has nothing to do with his blackness or whatever. So Jimmy's right, there's a subset that's flagrant about disliking him because he's black and subtle systemic racism is much more prevalent than most people realize, but there's reason not to like his Presidency outside of racism

lol, SC. I think you are the furthest thing from what Jimmy Carter is referring. You gave smart, balanced, and measured criticism towards Obama's policies. This isnt about being critical of Obama.

There are many issues of which I disagree with the president. Foremost is the consistent capitulation on key issues and the way he bends over backwards for people who carry nothing but ill will towards him. He needs to stop acting like he is a community organizer.

But you ask these townhall/teabagger/fox news addicts what they are objecting to specifically and often times you are met with a blank stare. What you ARE assaulted with is Marxist, socialist, Kenyan-born, Hitler wannabe out to destroy the very fabric of America type sentiment. Obama is now officially "the other". These paranoid delusions have caught fire in recent months and are born out of very dark recesses. Its only a matter of time before somebody takes the bait and "does something about this" (we've already seen people showing up at Obama townhalls armed), as they have been emboldened by mainstream, arch-right wing commentators.

Posted by Rookie:

Posted by sebstar:


lol, SC. I think you are the furthest thing from what Jimmy Carter is referring. You gave smart, balanced, and measured criticism towards Obama's policies. ]This isnt about being critical of Obama.

Then why bring race into it then. My only reason for bringing up charecter is to counteract the race card.