Knee Deep in the Hoopla

You know how when someone that you don’t know very well starts a sentence with “I’m not a racist, but…” and you know that person is going to drop some racist shit on you posthaste? Well, I know you don’t know me very well, and I’m not a racist, but, I might as well begin this foray into social commentary with something controversial, right?

Apart from the obvious racial differences, is the privileged background that brought Mr. Obama to the highest pinnacle of global power really any different than that of any of our other president’s? Barack Obama was raised by the Stanley and Madelyn Dunham (distant relatives of Winston Churchill) in paradise. No literally, PARADISE! He was raised in Honolulu, HI. After graduating from the prestigious Punahou Academy, he attended Occidental College in Eagle Rock, a Los Angeles suburb whose claim to fame is being selected as a generic Anytown, USA in many Hollywood blockbusters (and maybe more noteworthy, the fictional home of Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder). I doubt if The Game is going to be using Mr. Obama’s tribulations as inspiration for his next track; I daresay Eminem might pass as well.

Mr. Obama attended an elite private school from 5^th grade through high school graduation. He attended prestigious universities and achieved unrivaled (at least compared to me) success in all educational endeavors, all traits of all past presidents. White or black, these individuals have been reared in the very best circumstances, circumstances that many a middle or lower class family (again, white or black) are unable to provide for their offspring. That is not to say that Mr. Obama did not need to work hard to achieve his position, but I argue that doors were opened for him that the vast majority of American’s never see. Not because of race, but because of socioeconomic circumstances.

So what is my point? I’m not sure, but as someone very wise said… “Blogs don’t always have to have a point.” And I did use the word foray, so I count my first blog entry as an unsurpassed success. Seriously though, I am very proud that we (and I mean that in the loosest sense as I did not fully embrace my privilege of suffrage in this past election) elected an African-American to the office of the presidency, but I will definitely celebrate just a little bit harder when the first Budweiser-swilling, pickup truck driving, Toby Keith-quoting Cal Poly SLO grad (African-American or otherwise) is elected president. Now that will be a true departure from the norm.