Comments on: How Black Is Barack?

By: MLK Day News Nanos - Ryan Sager - Neuroworld - True/Slant

MLK Day News Nanos - Ryan Sager - Neuroworld - True/Slant — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:02:05 +0000

[...] Another Obama effect — the more you agree with him, the more light-skinned he seems — the disturbing association of [...]

By: Ryan Sager - Neuroworld – Comment of the Day - True/Slant

Ryan Sager - Neuroworld – Comment of the Day - True/Slant — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:42:41 +0000

[...] On: How Black Is Barack? [...]

By: Ryan Sager

Ryan Sager — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:30:20 +0000

Do you think Obama seems gayer to gay people?

By: Ryan Sager

Ryan Sager — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:29:37 +0000

Unfortunately, I’ve not seen a breakdown. Still, there is sometimes a preference for lighter skin, even among non-white cultures. So this is not necessarily an artifact of the sample being white (though, even if it is, it’s just as troubling).

By: palavering

palavering — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:04:14 +0000

I agree completely with you. I do not, however, understand how any race of people could aspire to be White after eight years of Bush–and I’m White.

By: Mathew Hennessy

Mathew Hennessy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:52:50 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt_Ttrqcmcs

He’s not even from da hood!

By: thekingofcheap

thekingofcheap — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:44:49 +0000

That headline sure is loaded!

In the US, it’s very difficult to separate skin color and cultural background when you ask use the word “black.”

Culturally, tonally and presidentially, I’d say Barack isn’t very black — he’s the white establishment re-presented to the public in an attractive light-brown package. His closest advisers and most big-time appointments — excepting Sotomayor and Eric Holder — are all white and represent Wall St. (No, Republicans, Van Jones was not a big-time appointment) President Obama also makes few references to black issues, which also tend to be poverty issues. I laugh out loud every time some clueless Republican compares him to Farrakhan

As for making his skin darker in ads, there are other suggestive camera tricks — angle & zoom level — that can alter the public’s image of a candidate. Darkening skin tone is as slimy as it gets, though.

By: Michael Roston

Michael Roston — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:59:48 +0000

Barack Obama really sets off my Blackdar.

By: andylevinson

andylevinson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:32:23 +0000

He looks like a pure white Chicago political thug to me…how about you?

By: noodleninja

noodleninja — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:11:10 +0000

Nice article, do you have anything on the racial makeup of the respondents? My first argument against this (devil’s advocate) would be if the respondents were all white it could be argued that they see Obama as being closer to themselves color-wise if they agreed with him, and more different if they disagreed. What would be more interesting is if this trend also continued amongst the asian/black communities, highlighting an inter-racial trend of showing lighter skin more preferable, or a trend of self-identification with people of similar views.