I can't be the only one who never wants to be condescended to again by being told what is and what isn't a "teachable moment", right?
I can promise you that of the four people who went to the beer summit, only Joe Biden didn't, over the last two weeks, disqualify himself from having anything to teach me about race relations.
I can promise you that of the four people who went to the beer summit, only Joe Biden didn't, over the last two weeks, disqualify himself from having anything to teach me about race relations.
4 comments:
Meh. I think you read too much into the comment. Clearly, Obama stepped in it big time with his entirely accurate but politically tone-deaf observation that it's "stupid" to arrest a guy in his own home for no reason. It was a dumb thing for the President to say, and he realized that pretty quickly.
So my hearing of the "teachable moment" line was that he was trying to change the subject from "I fucked up" to "let's have a frank discussion about race and the police." I didn't feel that I was being condescended to, I saw him trying like hell to pivot away from a gaffe.
I should also point out that the hollowness of the comment is evidenced by how a frank discussion of race and the police completely failed to materialize. It was just a pivot.
I think you read too much into the comment.
Well mostly it's a frustration with the term. And clearly of those people involved, I need the least teaching about racism.
I happen to not think Obama was accurate in his initial description. But that having been said, I don't have any issue with Obama's handling of this beyond the "stupidly" comment. He needed to do exactly what he did.
I just can't stand the term "teachable moment" when top to bottom those people who run our government have absolutely nothing to teach the American people. Jefferson Clinton can teach us how *not* to hide cash from the FBI and every Republican can teach us how to be sexual hypocrites. Lessons I don't need.
I will comment on my comment that George Will had the right thought about this whole incident, and that is that this has nothing at all to do with the president.
The president of the United States is not qualified to have an opinion on this beyond being a private citizen. We need to stop thinking of our president as Commenter in Chief of every damned thing that happens.
The president of the United States is not qualified to have an opinion on this beyond being a private citizen. We need to stop thinking of our president as Commenter in Chief of every damned thing that happens.
I agree entirely -- the journalist should not have asked Obama the question, and if asked, Obama should have declined to answer.
Did you see Jon Stewart's take on the Obama answer? Hysterical. (Gates is a couple minutes in.)
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