Is America Ready for Barack Obama?

Is America finally ready for a black pres id ent? That's a question many people are asking these days, as Senator Barack Obama takes the firststeps toward a potential run for the White House in 2008. Obama, 45, born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and white American mother, is a popular figure and rising star in the Democratic Party, but faces several hurdle as he seeks to become the first pres id ent in U.S. history to understand what Jesse Jackson is saying. Perhaps the biggest hurdle will be his name, which some Americans are already confusing with another well-known name, as a CNN reporter discovered while interviewing people on the streets of New York .

Reporter: "What do you think of Barack Obama?"

M id dle-aged man: "I think we should be trying harder to capture him. What are we doing in Iraq when Obama is still out there, still a threat to America ?"

Reporter: "No, I mean Barack Obama from Chicago . What do you think of him?"

M id dle-aged man: "You mean he's in Chicago now? How d id he get into the country? Don't tell me he came through Mexico ! We really need to tighten our borders."

When it was revealed that Obama's m id dle name is Hussein, many more people were confused, as the CNN reporter found out on the streets of Atlanta .

Reporter: "What do you think of Barack Hussein Obama?"

Thirty-something man: "He got what was coming to him, that's all I can say. He committed crimes against humanity and got what he deserved. Idon'tf eel sorry for him at all."

Reporter: "No, I mean Barack Hussein Obama from Chicago ."

Thirty-something man: "You mean he was from Chicago ? How the heck d id he get to be pres id ent of Iraq ? Come to think of it, I d id notice a slight Chicago accent. Too bad he d id n't live for a few more weeks. He could have watched the Bears in the Super Bowl."

Barack Obama may seem like a fairly easy name to remember, but even some of his supporters are h avi ng trouble with it, as the CNN reporter discovered on the streets of Chicago .

Reporter: "May I ask whom you plan to vote for in 2008?"

Twenty-year- old man: "I really like that guy, what's his name, Obrack Barama."

Reporter: "What about you, Sir? Who gets your vote in 2008?"

Nineteen-year- old man: "Your Mama."

Reporter: "Pardon me?"

Nineteen-year- old man: "Broke Your Mama. That's who I'm voting for.Broke Your Mama."

Reporter: "Oh, I see. And what about you, Miss?"

Twenty-one-year- old woman: "Me? I'm voting for ... uh ... Baroque Alabama".

Obama may overcome the confusion and concerns over his name, but it'll be harder to overcome racism. I'd like to think that the majority of Americans and certainly the vast majority of the younger generation --don't have a racist bone in their bodies or are at least taking medication for it. But it often takes just a small number of votes to sway an election. The 2004 pres id ential election was so close, John Kerry would have beaten George Bush if he had merely convinced everyone named 'John' to vote for him. The 2000 election was even closer. Al Gore would have beaten Bush if he had merely convinced Larry King's ex-wives to vote for him. If Obama gets the Democratic Party's nomination, bus loads of white supremacists may show up at the polls.

Reporter: "May I ask whom you're voting for?"

Supremacist: "What kind of (bleep) question is that? The white guy, of course."

Reporter: "So you agree with him about Iraq ?"

Supremacist: "Of course I do.. Our country doesn't need Iraq Boboma --or whatever his name is."

The Wrinkled Nightgown

A man and wife were celebrating their 50-year anniversary,
so the man bought his wife a $250 see-through nightgown.
Later that night she was getting ready for bed and realized the nightgown was still in the box downstairs. Walking naked through the house, she passed her husband who said, "My word, for $250 they could've at least ironed it!"


Can You Figure These Out?

  1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years.

    Which room is safest for him?

  2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for Over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together.

    How can this be?

  3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

  4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

  5. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out.

Try to do so without any coaching!

DON'T PEEK...

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ANSWERS:


  1. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.

  2. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it and hung it up to dry.

  3. Charcoal

  4. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!

  5. The letter "e," which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph

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