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President Obama


Dog

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I cannot understand why the media are making a big thing of  having a person of half African blood as President being representative of the American people. Surely it would be more representative if he was Mexican. There are more Mexicans in the USA than African Americans.
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[quote user="Russethouse"]Has anyone ever suggested that you remove the blinkers..... [:D][:D][:D][/quote]

I have been asked to remove other things but blinkers have a use - they enable concentration on going forward. If it had been a truly democratic and representative election you would have expected to see many more Mexicans standing for office.

http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/garcia.htm

 

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[quote user="Dog"]I cannot understand why the media are making a big thing of  having a person of half African blood as President being representative of the American people. Surely it would be more representative if he was Mexican. There are more Mexicans in the USA than African Americans.[/quote]

Are there? The 2000 US census reports 35.3 million (12.5%) Hispanic or Latino and 34.6 million (12.3%) black or African American. 

http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/people/a_race.html

Hispanic or Latino covers a wide range of people (and includes heritage other than Mexican) and your own link includes the explanation "the three largest Hispanic groups are Mexican Americans (56%), the Puerto Ricans (10%) and the Cubans (5%)".

Hard to make your assumption stand up, unless you found a better source than the US census?

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I wonder why I sometimes get the impression that some people only post in order to provoke an argument.

Light the blue touchpaper and then retire perhaps?

I doesn't necessarily make them trolls of course, but here's a reminder of the part of the forum code of conduct that deals with that kind of thing...

"The forum is an open discussion board for Francophiles. Please be aware that it is a message board which from time to time is visited by hoaxers and those not necessarily interested in discussing France and French lifestyle. If you encounter users who you feel are abusing the message boards, please do not respond to them. These users are only encouraged when their messages provoke a response, so the best thing you can do is ignore them"

 

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[quote user="Cat"]

[quote user="Dog"]I cannot understand why the media are making a big thing of  having a person of half African blood as President being representative of the American people. Surely it would be more representative if he was Mexican. There are more Mexicans in the USA than African Americans.[/quote]

Are there? The 2000 US census reports 35.3 million (12.5%) Hispanic or Latino and 34.6 million (12.3%) black or African American. 

http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/people/a_race.html

Hispanic or Latino covers a wide range of people (and includes heritage other than Mexican) and your own link includes the explanation "the three largest Hispanic groups are Mexican Americans (56%), the Puerto Ricans (10%) and the Cubans (5%)".

Hard to make your assumption stand up, unless you found a better source than the US census?

[/quote]

 

I cannot understand your point. Yes the Mexicans make up a proportion called Hispanics. But not all African Americans came from one African country and yet they are grouped as one. If there was any justice the president would be a Native American.

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[quote user="Cat"]

I wonder why I sometimes get the impression that some people only post in order to provoke an argument.

Light the blue touchpaper and then retire perhaps?

I doesn't necessarily make them trolls of course, but here's a reminder of the part of the forum code of conduct that deals with that kind of thing...

"The forum is an open discussion board for Francophiles. Please be aware that it is a message board which from time to time is visited by hoaxers and those not necessarily interested in discussing France and French lifestyle. If you encounter users who you feel are abusing the message boards, please do not respond to them. These users are only encouraged when their messages provoke a response, so the best thing you can do is ignore them"

 

[/quote]

Excuse me. I was just pointing out that perhaps Pres obama may want to prove himself worthy of his position. I was under the impression that this was a discussion forum not a site to encourage mutual agreement. It would appear that anyone that does not have a fluffy view of life is labelled a "troll" whatever that means. Not everyone agrees with his so far published agenda and policies, to some they appear a little bit vague.

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Don't think much will change tbh. Probably have that feel good honeymoon period because everyone seems to think he's the messiah and will save the world or something. Once people realise he can't, it will be back to business as usual.

Cynical, I know, but that's politics.

But I do feel sorry for him as he has a massive mess to attempt to clear up after the previous administration. It will not be easy.

R.

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[quote user="tj"]At least he's educated, unlike previous Presidents.

Although I fear he will have to do as he's told,  no new broom here! Mind you he surely can't do any worse than GWB.
[/quote]

He is certainly well educated but a lawyer none the less.

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[quote user="Dog"]I cannot understand why the media are making a big thing of  having a person of half African blood as President being representative of the American people. Surely it would be more representative if he was Mexican. There are more Mexicans in the USA than African Americans.[/quote]

It's all very well saying that there should be a mexican / a black / a woman etc etc etc but those people have to have a desire to to the job and put themselves forward for it (and to be capable of doing it).

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"God Save the King" was the first song to be used as a national anthem, although the Netherlands' national anthem, Het Wilhelmus, is older. Its success prompted a number of imitations, notably in France and, later, Germany. Both commissioned their own songs to help construct a concrete national(ist) identity. The first German national anthem used the melody of "God Save the King" with the words changed to Heil dir im Siegerkranz, and sung to the same tune as the UK version. The tune was either used or officially adopted as the national anthem for several other countries, including those of Russia (until 1833) and Switzerland (Rufst Du, mein Vaterland or O monts indépendants, until 1961). Molitva russkikh, considered to be the first Russian anthem, was also sung to the same music.

It is also the melody to the United States patriotic hymn "America" (also known by its first line, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee"), and was played during the Presidential Inauguration parade of President George W. Bush on 20 January, 2001 and sung by Aretha Franklin prior to the Presidential Inauguration of Barack H. Obama on 20 January, 2009. In Iceland it is sung to the poem of Eldgamla Ísafold. The tune is also used as Norway's royal anthem entitled Kongesangen, and was used for the Swedish royal anthem between 1805 and 1893, entitled Bevare gud vår kung.

The tune is still used as the national anthem of Liechtenstein, Oben am jungen Rhein. When England played Liechtenstein in a Euro 2004 qualifier, the same tune was therefore played twice, causing some minor confusion.

(Good old Wiki.....)

 

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Well, a very stirring speech. If he can pull off all his has promised, he will go down as one of the greats. No idea how he will do it though. Must confess it gave me tingles, something a politician has never managed to do for me.

And why was there so much religion put into the inaugeration if the US constitution is supposed to be a religion free zone?

R.

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[quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Well, a very stirring speech. If he can pull off all his has promised, he will go down as one of the greats. No idea how he will do it though. Must confess it gave me tingles, something a politician has never managed to do for me.

And why was there so much religion put into the inaugeration if the US constitution is supposed to be a religion free zone?

R.
[/quote]

I was hoping some of the speech was going to be in Spanish.

Clinton never gave you a tingle - he must have missed you....

There are a lot of religious people in the US - just trying to include as many as poss.

There were some interesting hats about.

Not many secret service in sight and good to see not to many uniforms.

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