<p>Okay, I went into youtube and listened to a Hillary video, from a speech in Selma. To my Southern ear, she didn’t sound very Southern at all. I do think she was playing into the ways and “sound” of the evangelical church where she must have been speaking-- but no Southern accent there at all, to my ear. Anyone who pronounces “New Orleans” as two distinct words, with clear consonants and syllables, isn’t talking with a Southern accent.</p>
<p>So I figured I listened to the wrong video, so I watched another. This one, she did sound much more Southern. But I guess I give her a pass (and not Obama), because she did live in Arkansas for many years, and she has been married for a long time to a native Arkansan. Has Obama ever had a close connection to the South, or to Southern African Americans?</p>
<p>Oh, absolutely not, Janie! I assumed you were just a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter, perhaps even one of her koolAid drinkers;). Nothing you’ve said justifies a charge of racism (as far as I can tell). Just criticizing Obama’s platform (or in your eyes, lack thereof), does not at all mean you are racist. How idiotic it would be to think that!</p>
<p>I asked the question because it seems glaringly hypecritical to hammer one person for doing something, but not another for doing the exact same thing. It certainly suggests bias, not NOT racial bias.</p>
<p>Still haven’t made up my mind, but I do admit-- I am leaning more towards my gender, mainly because she’s my gender. I admit it. I’m also waiting to see who Edwards (my real choice) ends up endorsing. She has clearly stated (even without an endorsement), that she will have him in her cabinet if she is nominated/elected. I believe her and think it was a smart move, though he’s keeping pretty silent about it all.</p>
<p>Thanks, poetsheart. I’m giving her a pass because of the Arkansas connection, as stated earlier, and because she’s a woman. No, seriously.</p>
<p>Hillary makes an international faux pas…So much for experience ;)</p>
<p>"When Hillary Clinton said, way back in New Hampshire, that Vladimir Putin “doesn’t have a soul,” I figured that would be the sort of thing the Russian wouldn’t be pleased about. But when I called the foreign ministry the next day for comment, it was Orthodox Christmas, and I let it slide.</p>
<p>He was asked about the remark at his press conference yesterday, however, and indeed wasn’t pleased.</p>
<p>The former KGB lieutenant colonel appeared to lash out at U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton — a leading Democratic candidate for president — when one reporter quoted her as saying that former KGB officers have no soul:</p>
<p>“At a minimum, a head of state should have a head,” Putin said."</p>
<p>My understanding is that Obama grew up around a LOT of different kinds of people, and under the influence of a LOT of different kinds of speech patterns and accents. His father was Kenyan, and his mother, a middle American white woman. A lot of his formative years were spent outside of The United States, and then several childhood years with is white grandparents in Hawaii. Later, he spent years as an inner city Chicago activist and politician. He has been a member of the same predominantly black church for 20 years. I’m sure all these factors have affected his speech (as well as his perspective) at one time or another.</p>
<p>LOL epiphany! Edwards was my candidate, too. I was so hoping he would hang in there and somehow snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Now, I think he’s just waiting for his opportunity to play king (or queen) maker, should the chance arrive.</p>
<p>I agree epiphany. However, on this thread, unless we can say the same thing about Hillary, we will be considered sexist. :eek: Oh well. I’ll concede.</p>
<p>The race would have been very different had Edwards stayed in it. He would have accumulated quite a few delegates and today he would be far better positioned to play the role of king/queen maker if that was his intention.</p>
<p>vicariousparent: I agree. ^ I have no idea what possessed him to drop out when he did. I honestly thought maybe it was a health issue with Elizabeth, but if so, I think that would have surfaced by now. I do think he got bad advice though, to drop out when he did.</p>
<p>From what I can gather, Edwards suffered from severe lack of media attention, and – apparently-- those who couldn’t see their way clear to vote for him, just couldn’t square the “son of a mill worker,” subsequent tragedy with his son, and Elizabeth’s health crisis-- with his youthful-obviously-leading-a-charmed-life good looks. ?? Some people just have good genes, though, and manage stress really well. He does look like he’s in his late 30’s though (even in person without TV make-up). </p>
<p>So, in a way, I’m glad he didn’t stick around to possibly get the job. That presidency job seems to seriously and badly age those who get it. So, for those who don’t (like Edwards), I’m glad he’ll get to keep his youthful good looks. :)</p>
<p>Okay, but Obama grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, didn’t he? And his own speech patterns would have been formed, too, by his parents-- father from Kenya (not the American South), and from his Kansas-born-and-raised white mother. </p>
<p>All my ancestors came from England, Scotland, and France-- but I don’t sound English, Scottish, or French.</p>
<p>After the age of two, Obama saw his father just one time before his death. His father was in no way present in his life to influence speech patterns. I imagine that in high school (Hawaii) and college (Occidental, Columbia) he hung out with other African-Americans who might have had a more Southern speech pattern. Changing one’s speech to match that of an audience/peer group – whether based on geography, ethnicity, gender or class – is normal, according to the field of sociolinguistics. In fact, people who don’t adapt intuitively to speech patterns around them can have a very hard time making friends… thus the trouble for people with Aspergers who often are not able to process external cues in speech settings.</p>
<p>“Clinton now faces a difficult mathematical challenge. She will need big margins in upcoming states to make up ground. A split of 52 percent to 48 percent in Ohio on March 4 would net her only about five more delegates than Obama would gain. A 60-40 victory in Ohio would give her about 30 more delegates than him. In Texas, a 55-45 split would give Clinton about 19 more than Obama, although Texas rules are so convoluted that those numbers may overstate the difference.”</p>
<p>Give Clinton all of those, and a 60-40 split in Pennsylvania. Obama wins in Wisconsin, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Oregon, and she still can’t catch up. </p>
<p>He could have a heart attack (so could McCain), or a large scandal, or some such. It wouldn’t be the first time such has happened in politics. But barring that, I don’t see how she could ever lead in pledged delegates, and the rats (unpledged) are leaving the sinking ship.</p>
<p>George Bush “grew up” in New England, moving to Texas in his Middle School years. (His dad sure didn’t sound Texan, did he?) His accent has varied greatly throughout his political life, too. Again, I find nothing sinister or devious in any of this. Positive reinforcement of minor mannerisms, including speech patterns, will tend to make the speaker unconsciously accentuate the things which generate positive feedback. That unconscious response to positive feedback is why most people tend to adopt the accent, attire, mannerisms and social mores of their community, rather than any conscious decision. They’re not trying to deceive anyone, they’re just being human.</p>
<p>Yeah, well, I don’t know if Obama’s prep school in Hawaii had too many African Americans attending, or if Occidental did at the time he attended-- but, yeah, whatever. No matter what anybody says on here, the majority are gonna support Obama. I’m actually waiting to read a headline about him walking on water. When that happens, I know some posters will claim that he didn’t really-- that it was really just phony camera work-- but whatever. I know it’s pointless to say anything bad about him at all, so . . . I think I’ll just start spreading that rumor about him and his Aspergers. :)</p>
No, seriously.</p>