Race, ie, "blood" is a social construction. Heritage is cultural, not genetic. Papa Doc was once asked how many White people there were in Haiti, 99% he answered. The interviewer, knowing all of haiti is dark skinned challenged him, PD answered something like "In America you count anyone who has a drop of African blood Black, why should Haiti be any different." Why are we doing this about Obama's Irish heritage and not his Black Heritage?

@ Santa
"Why are we doing this about Obama's Irish heritage and not his Black Heritage?"

Because he's visiting Ireland at the moment, and I don't believe his distant Irish ancester was black.

but if he visited Kenya or an African country where he had an ancestor its fine. But we look at a visually black man and say "hold it there buddy you are not Irish." I'm not saying your racist, Im saying that we as a society classify people, those classifications are about as real as any other classification that Obama wants to make for votes

Visiting Kenya would be very different, as his father (or so I've been told) was Kenyan. If there is some sort of advantage to be gained by sharing a genetic heritage with voters, then there would be a far stronger link with Kenyan Americans than with any Americans with strong Irish roots. I will confess I haven't the foggiest idea how the politics of African nations is reflected across the pond. Would Kenyan roots appeal to an American voter of Nigerian heritage, or quite the opposite?

What does the initial post of this thread mean? Are you saying people voted for Obama because he's Irish? I mean, there's no doubt that he is, but I've never heard that used as a reason to support him politically.

No, I'm asking if people voted for him because he was part Irish? I assume that some Irish Americans do as so many American Presidents make huge efforts to claim Irish heritage, but have no idea why. I also have no idea how far away from Ireland you can get and still claim to be Irish American. A Great great great grandfather seems to be pushing it. By that definition I'm very irish

Why does it matter that his father was kenyan, he wasnt raised by his father. His father only provided DNA, I would argue hes more culturally Irish than he is kenyan.

You are stuck in this idea that people are looking for a blood connection, most are not, they do love, however, to see a president embrace their cultural heritage.

Obama is a stupid nigger. His stupid nigger blood more than likely eradicated his cultured Irish blood long ago. On the plus side of the ledger, Michelle O looks like she can suck a mean one.

@ Santa

Culturally he's American. I don't think there are many people who look at Obama's actions and words and say "my word, he's so Irish it's uncanny". If I was to pigeon hole his culture I'd say upperclass American/political.

Also, it doesn't interest me in the slightest how Kenyan he is. You're the one who keeps bringing it up :p.

I find it extremely unlikely that anyone who would vote for someone based on their ethnic background would vote for Obama based on his Irish ancestry. He might be just as white as he is black, but the black sure is easier to see.

As for Irish presidents, a quick Google search shows that the only modern Irish-American presidents were Kennedy and Reagan, with an asterisk by Clinton for being a Scotch-Irish invader.

Are you American, Octavious? This sort of conversation is so strange.

What are you talking about you stated "his father was kenyan so that would make sense" why does having an absentee father who is kenyan make Obama more kenyan than English or Irish, its obviously a observation based on the percentage of his "blood." Whos to say Obama wasn't always interested in his irish roots, or that his family preformed the irish culture some ways?

Shmooey Abelman posted,...."... why does having an absentee father who is kenyan make Obama more kenyan than English or Irish"
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The absentee father is the ever-present nigger crutch, that's why. It's like stealing, or dealing drugs, or being lazy. It's one of the things that makes a nigger a nigger.

Fuck, Clauso-Heeb. Even a stupid jew like you should be able to stop counting his pennies long enough to realize that.

;)

@ Invictus

Nope, I'm British. A quick BBC search says that every President since Kennedy, aside from Ford, has claimed some Irish heritage. I am asking about it purely because it's such an alien concept.

Well, the Irish make up about 12% of the US population so that's almost inevitable. This is really a non-topic here, apart from it being a little interesting that Obama is black and Irish but not Black Irish.

I think voter turnout for Obama was based on three things. Race for many blacks (despite his being of mixed race), party backers, and those disenfranchised by the other party (or just plain afraid of what Palin would do to the country in the event that McCain keeled over from a heart attack). I don't think any significant number of people voted for him because he was "Irish". After all, McCain is more clearly Irish, seeing as his name and his family come from Ulster, County Antrim, Ireland.

@ Santa
Misquoting is lazy, old chap. Don't do it :p.

I spoke a little about his Kenyan side because you brought it up. Genetically, Obama shares a lot with the people of Kenya (with respect to the average American). In terms of culture, it is harder to see much that Obama shares with the people of that country. Obama shares very little with the people of Ireland in terms of genetics and culture (again, with respect to the average american).

Who knows what Obama does in secret in the basement of the Whitehouse? But the the image of himself the media captures is not culturally Irish, nor does he have strong Irish genes, so why the huge effort to promote his small Irish root if it doesn't generate votes in some way?

I didnt misquote shit, I had the complete spirit of your post. Still you are fixated on a genetic link to race. There is none. Race is decided by society not by your genes, Robert Kennedy shared very little with the culture of Ireland but was considered Irish. Bottom line is this is a politician preforming a cultural heritage. It wasnt news with any of the other presidents you spoke of, why is it a big shindig now?

@ Invictus

"the Irish make up about 12% of the US population"

Would that be Irish in the sense that Obama and myself are Irish, or Irish in the sense that they could apply for an Irish passport if they wanted to?

Again, I must point out that McCain *is* Irish. Now, trying to garnish 2012 votes is different, but then he isn't trying to tell the average Irish American "see, I'm like you" so much as say "we are all in this together". But we all know that *no* politician is in this with us. They are rich and don't understand the needs and desires of the working class, middle class, or anyone with a mortgage and car payments and only one home.

Why is McCain Irish?

@ Santa

You implied I thought it made sense, when I don't think any of it makes sense, so you missed the spirit by a large margin.

"Race is decided by society "

Yes, race is decided by society (a bit meaningless really, as every definition is decided by society), but society has decided that race is linked to genes.

"why is it a big shindig now?"

Because Obama is visiting his ancestral Irish home now, and I do topical threads. I didn't write about the other Presidents because Obama has been the only US President while I have been a member of this site. You will notice my shocking lack of comments on almost every single US, British, and indeed all other political figures. That's because most of them aren't doing much today.

For whatever reason many Americans of some Irish descent have more pride in being of Irish descent that people who live in Ireland. I never understood it. They've even managed to perpetuate this myth that the Irish were discriminated against in America.

@Santa - Um, because his family heritage can be traced back there? Just as I am Scottish and German (mostly German by blood, but Scottish by name), he is Irish.

good, Obama has this mystical thing called "irish blood" so he must be irish as well.

And Putin, Catholics were discriminated against in America, and the Irish were catholic.

@Santa - I also already answered this with a bit of his lineage. McCain is Irish as his name *and* his family come from Ulster, County Antrim, Ireland. He is a direct descendant of the Ulster Irish.

Yes, but they've claimed it was Irish specific. "No Irish Need Apply", that sort of thing.

Well, the Irish in New York and Chicago ran the police and the Italians ran the Mafia. Every one else was caught in the crossfire.

But we all know if it ain't Scottish, it's crap!