Why Attacking Obama’s Lack Of Cabinet Diversity Is A Phony Issue

[Tx4obama]

Why Attacking Obama’s Lack Of Cabinet Diversity Is A Phony Issue

First, how many of the president’s critics almost always voted for white people and have done little themselves to promote diverse candidates? How preferred the white guys running against him both in 2008 and 2012? Josh Feldman has more:

…with the exception of Hillary Clinton, all of Obama’s “white guy” nominees thus far will be replacing other white guys. And, if you’ll recall, Obama’s first choice for his second-term Secretary of State was a black woman. Susan Rice could have been the third consecutive female Secretary of State, not to mention her appointment would have made three out of the last four State Department heads African-Americans. But if you’ve been paying attention to the news at all since September, you’ll remember exactly why Rice’s appointment didn’t exactly work out.

Another reason why this is particularly ridiculous is that on the whole, Obama’s Cabinet is actually fairly diverse. We have two Asian Cabinet members: Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. Attorney General Eric Holder, an African-American, is staying on for Obama’s second term. Also staying on are Kathleen Sebelius at Health and Human Services and Janet Napolitano at Homeland Security. Do these people not count? And in spite of the fact that Holder, Shinseki, and Chu are not white men, does the fact alone that they are men make them not count?

There is, of course, one more reason why this whole thing is completely ridiculous. Obama still has Commerce and Labor secretaries to appoint.

http://www.alan.com/2013/01/11/why-attacking-obamas-lack-of-cabinet-diversity-is-a-phony-issue/

Related article here: http://www.mediaite.com/online/the-white-guy-cabinet-the-first-pointless-controversy-of-obamas-2nd-term/

[WI_DEM]

1. Not to mention that Obama's two Supreme Court nominees have been women

and one was a hispanic woman.

[Tempest]

7. Funny how that has been convienently left out of the conversations.

You'll never get any honesty from a conservative.

[JoePhilly]

2. The media has always said Obama has a "White Male" problem.

Before the election, the media said Obama's "White Male" problem was that his policies were bad for White Guys.

Now, the media is claiming that Obama's "White Male" problem is that he's far to comfortable with White Guys.

The fact these two claims are diametrically opposed, seems to be lost on EVERYONE in the media.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Damned if he does; damned if he doesn't.

[JoePhilly]

6. One of the funniest examples of this was recently ...

John Stewart showed Obama lighting the Capitol Christmas tree ... and John Stewart said ... or as Fox News Reported ... "Obama disrespects the Jewish people".

He's a Socialist and a Corpratist.

A Weak Appeaser and a Dictator.

He's not very smart and yet also an Elitist.

And once, he put MUSTARD on a burger, which was clearly an attack on John Kerry and his wife, Theresa HEINZ Kerry!!

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. Mustard on burgers is a big thing in Chicago (though not for me).

Of course, that just proves that he is a (gasp!) dreaded Chicago politician!!!111 Oh noes!

[JoePhilly]

13. The funny this is, Mustard on a burger is also common in the SOUTH.

I grew up in PA and when I went to school in TX, and now living in NC, they by default put mustard on burgers.

[greatauntoftriplets]

14. And Heinz does make mustard!

[politicaljunkie41910]

5. Particularly, the white male dominated main stream media as was pointed out

at a news conference yesterday when the white male dominated members of the media questioned him about his white male dominated cabinet.

Agreed this is so much a non-issue.

[JoePhilly]

9. Shocked I tell you, SHOCKED!!!!

[former9thward]

8. It isn't just the media.

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), the second-longest serving African-American congressman in the House, slammed the lack of diversity in President Barack Obama's second-term cabinet Thursday.

"It's as embarrassing as hell," Rangel said on MSNBC's "Jansing & Co." of Obama's top picks. "We've been through all of this with Mitt Romney. And we were very hard on Mitt Romney with the women binder and a variety of things."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/charlie-rangel-obama_n_2447818.html

[JoePhilly]

11. I saw that ... sadly, Charlie was using the *gasp* controversy, to attack America's

first black President for not being diverse enough. Charlie is smart to use this as a platform to make sure racial inequality stays on the radar. But given Obama's record on appointing and supporting diversity, Charlie doesn't really have much to yell about ... but the yelling does have a political use ... and Charlie is smart to see that and use it. The GOP sure will.

Of course, Romney struggled because of the fact that the "binders full of women" is something others gave him, not something he sought. He was uninterested.

Obama however, has had a very diverse administration, not only in terms of who he has selected to positions, but also, and perhaps more importantly, in the legislation he has supported.

But hey ... Obama selects two white guys, and suddenly, he's the Champion of the White Man's struggle.

As a White Guy, I find it hilarious.

[Tx4obama]

3. Also, besides Commerce and Labor secretaries to appoint is Sec of Transportation, see below

Possible replacements for Secretary of Transportation
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251274516

[Cha]

10. Of course it is. And, I'll repost this here: What feminism isn’t about: Cabinet headcounts."

The feminist movement (to the extent that there is one thing that can be called that) is about bringing women’s humanity to bear on every aspect of life, and as I have noted on several occasions, President Obama has spent his Presidency expressing his dedication to feminist values. Over and over and over (and over and over) again, he has done the work and forwarded the ideas necessary to actually change the reality in which women and girls live, to not pay lip service to our humanity but to acknowledge and act on it.

In word and deed, in promise and in policy, my President has demonstrated his feminism time and again, making the country in which I live and in which my daughter is coming of age a better, more perfect union. And that is much, much more important to me than an Oval Office headcount.

http://emilylhauserinmyhead.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/what-feminism-isnt-about-cabinet-headcounts/

The gops, as usual, are stirring up shit to cover their own War On Women. I read joe scarhead was yelling at Mika about it this morning and "later snapped his fingers at her".

Thanks for the links, Tx. Although, I disagree that "Pres Obama's first choice was Susan Rice for SOS".

[bvar22]

15. Way too much emphasis is placed on Gender and Race.

What I want is diversity of Political Opinion.

THIS cabinet had NONE of THAT kind of "diversity":
[font size=3]The DLC New Team
Progressives Need NOT Apply[/font]
[/font]
(Screen Capped from the DLC Website)

Why not diversify by selecting some cabinet members from the Progressive Caucus?

Why not a Defense Secretary who Got-It-Right by voting AGAINST the Invasion of Iraq?

Why not a Sec of Treasury who Got-It-Right in 2007,
and has a track record of protecting Little People & mortgage Holders instead of the Big Banks?

Why not a Head of the CIA who
has a record of PROTECTING Civil Liberties?

Why not a Secretary of Agriculture who comes from the Healthy Foods & Agriculture movement instead of Monsanto?


Gender and Racial diversity guarantees NOTHING.
After all, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Sarah Palin, and Michele Bachmann are women,
and Clarence Thomas and Michael Steele are Black.

I would MUCH prefer that those chosen for positions of authority
have a proven track record of STANDING for Traditional Working Class Democratic Party values
than their gender or color of their skin.


....but thats just me.



You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their gender or the color of their skin.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

[annabanana]

21. Thank you so much! "Diversity" shouldn't always be a "race & gender" thing......n/t

[mr dave]

16. democracy

I agree

[mr dave]

18. democracy

Sir Winston Churchill said democracy is shite but the alternative is worse.
and the great man was right!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

17. Of course it's a phony issue

made even phonier by the fact that people attacking President Obama really don't care about it- It means about as much to me as the LCR criticizing President Obama for anything related to his gay rights record.

Also, the same people would all be lauding all of Romney's nominees and probably wouldn't be critical of their diversity (or lack thereof).......

[mr dave]

19. lib dem

get a grip lad! x

[Proud Liberal Dem]

20. ?

[Tx4obama]

23. Looks like 'mr dave' has been escorted out of the building.

mr dave Account status: Posting privileges revoked - http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=299535

[Proud Liberal Dem]

24. I wondered

Another one bites the dust! What did he ask for on his tombstone?

[Bluenorthwest]

22. He has a rainbow of Republicans offering the diversity of right wing thought and the occasional

sex scandal to keep things peppy. Let's not forget that. Appointing an anti choice, anti gay supporter of the Iraq War is a special sort of diversity that should not go unmentioned!