Every time I hear a newscaster say "President Obama," I experience cognitive dissonance. After eight years I am conditioned to expect "Bush" after "President."
This evening while walking I had a realization after hearing President Obama mentioned on the radio. Not only have we never had an African-American President before, I don't think we've had a President who wasn't of Northern European extraction. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Jackson, Tyler, Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hoover, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton... None of Italian ancestry, none of Polish, none of Slavic, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, let alone Native American... No Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Mormon Presidents either, and only one Roman Catholic.
So much for the melting pot image our nation had of itself well into the last century.
It also intrigues me to read/hear the comparisons of President Obama to President Franklin Roosevelt. While I see similarities in what they've been dealt, we really can't compare their presidencies until President Obama has completed his term of office. And I'm still waiting for the comparisons of President George W. Bush to President Hoover.
Peace,
Jeff
No comments:
Post a Comment