Obama the ‘Magic Negro’

March 19, 2007
By Billy Dennis

obama_blackandwhite.jpgsidneypoitier1.jpgYep. That’s the actual headline to this Los Angeles Times opinion piece. Its intent is to portray Sen. Barack Obama as not being black enough. If this writer wanted to cost Obama votes, he ought to not have compared him to Sidney Poitier, who I understand is considered by some females to be attractive and charming, which is the last thing people want in a president.

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12 Responses to “ Obama the ‘Magic Negro’ ”

  1. ollie on March 20, 2007 at 7:42 am

    dammed if you do, damned if you don’t. I hope that Obama just keeps being himself and ignores morons like that.

  2. Josh Carter on March 20, 2007 at 7:53 am

    At some point things are going to get nasty. The question is when and how they are handled. If he keeps his cool and presses forward on the issues…he will continue to get good numbers..He will not win this election though, but he will stand out.

  3. Cory on March 20, 2007 at 8:04 am

    If I recall properly (which I may not because I’m a bit young), Poitier is considered something of a national treasure.

  4. Josh Carter on March 20, 2007 at 8:19 am

    Cory, whats young..under 30?

    • Cory on March 20, 2007 at 9:05 am

      Yes, under 30.

  5. justanobserver on March 20, 2007 at 8:43 am

    Did anyone actually read this piece? Its intent is to characterize white people as shallow and simple-minded when it comes to support of black leaders. The Times didn’t make up the term Magic Negro, it has a basis in sociology. It’s not criticizing Obama for not being black enough, it’s criticizing whites for not being able to accept someone for who they area.

    • Cory on March 20, 2007 at 9:10 am

      I was just making an observation about Sidney Poitier. I haven’t had a chance to read the article yet. My boss frowns on me spending more than 30-60 seconds at a time on these here internets.

    • ollie on March 20, 2007 at 9:42 am

      Yes, I read the piece, and it is still dumb.

      If anyone met the “magic negro” criteria, it would have been Alan Keyes.

      Remember that much of Obama’s support is coming from African Americans and from young people (example: Obama gets more support from the younger set My DD site than the older “Daily Kos” site folks.)

  6. Anon E. Mouse on March 20, 2007 at 8:26 pm

    I did a little research into “Magical Negro” and I find it pretty amusing and very interesting.
    Justanobserver did a pretty good job of summing up what the article was intending.
    The theme being, Barak Obama has become the first African-American candidate for U.S. President acceptable to mainstream white voters.
    Yes, there are a lot of factors that work into this. The first of which is that race DOES play a factor. Whether it is racism, predjudice, or just simple old stereotypes, the fact is that the still exists an “Us” and “Them” on both sides of the color line.

    What are white people afraid of? Well, check out the movies
    Trey Crews in “Idiocracy”
    Chris Rock in “Head of State”

  7. Eric Daniels on March 22, 2007 at 3:21 pm

    Obama is the ‘Magic Negro’ of the white imagination because he like Micheal Clarke Duncan, Don Chedale and other blacks who ‘transcends race’, they give the majority white population hope that America can overcome it’s sorted history. The main problems are economic and are tied into our politcal, social moral attitudes about Afro- Americans who don’t trust white americans in general. Obama because he is mixed and grew up internationally, does not bring that baggage of ‘racial cold war politics’ that has infected issues of race for the past 40 years. Do I think he will be elected President maybe, but even a President Obama can’t heal 390 years of racist hate between Afro- Americans and the majority white population. Afro- Americans will never trust whites americans and whites will never let go of the privledge.

    It would be just better to judge Obama on his ideas instead of making him the “Magic Negro” because all that does is offends Blacks like me who if that’s the case would vote GOP than have some phony multiracial person hearlding some new day in race relations when it’s just “meet the new boss, same as the old one”.

    • C. J. Summers on March 22, 2007 at 3:38 pm

      “Afro- Americans will never trust whites americans and whites will never let go of the privledge.”

      This reminds me of a song by Steve Taylor:

      “Life unwinds like a cheap sweater,
      But since I gave up hope, I feel a lot better.
      And the truth gets blurred like a wet letter
      But since I gave up hope, I feel a lot better.
      While the world winds down to a final prayer,
      Nothing soothes quicker than complete despair
      I predict by dinner I won’t even care;
      Since I gave up hope I feel a lot better.”

  8. K. Lewis on March 28, 2007 at 10:47 am

    The “left” has gone all out recently to portray themselves as the “Better than the Right” party. There are NO perfect politicians and NO perfect party. If you throw all of the Republicans out of office, we will still see and hear this kind of thing on the internet.
    The primaries will be interesting to watch. The democrats are going
    to rip each other to shreads. The REAL magical one??? Sandy Berger!
    He STEALS from the National Archives and gets a slap on the hand.
    Bush fires a LAWYER and they want to throw he and the atty. Gen. out on their heads!! Hipocracy and self-righteousness RULE the Democratic party. That my friends is a total shame for all of us!
    MLK said it best, “Injustice ANYWHERE is a threat to justice EVERYWHERE”. Please use your own mind. That includes you too Mr. Obama.