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My mom watches CNN and liked Obama as President. But my parsing of her comment—I haven’t talked to her about it, just saw it pop up when my aunt responded “me t
by rayiner 2mo ago
My mom watches CNN and liked Obama as President. But my parsing of her comment—I haven’t talked to her about it, just saw it pop up when my aunt responded “me too, sister”—is that she views Obama as the patriarch so the buck stops with him to police the party messaging.
This is maybe an odd view for an American but it makes sense within a Bangladeshi social context. And democrats are the ones who chose to cultivate an electoral map based on immigrants like my mom in states like Virginia and Michigan.
- runako 2mo ago> Obama as the patriarch so the buck stops with him to police the party messaging. Sanders is not a member of the party. AOC didn't run for office until Obama had been retired a few years.
- MisterTea 2mo agoI get that you are trying to state facts but to the average person they are all Democrats so it don't matter.
- runako 2mo agoYes, this is part of why it was so stupid for Sanders to not actually join and support the party. Had he done that, it's entirely possible he could have won the support of the actual voters he needed to win the presidency. Also, it's still insane to expect Obama to police e.g. AOC's language 10 years post-Presidency. That's just an insane expectation. Reality is many voters are crazy.
- rayiner 2mo agoHe’s the elder statesmen of the party. In my mom’s part of the world he’d still be de jure in charge of the party. Then if he wasn’t replaced by another man of similar stature, control of the party might pass to Michelle (like happened at least four times in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan). Its not like it’s totally alien in America. After Biden’s disastrous debate in 2024, Obama was the one who swooped in to lead the party through the chaos. And if Michelle ran for the nomination, she’d probably win. If she had stepped in in 2024 she would’ve won the nomination and the election.
- runako 2mo ago> He’s the elder statesmen of the party. In US politics, that mantle holds until someone else takes the nomination. That role is Biden's. It seems really odd that a former leader other than the most recent would be in charge of the party anywhere. (Remembering here that Biden is still alive and generally capable if suffering age-related decline. Also contextualizing with the fact that the sitting president is also obviously suffering age-related decline.) > control of the party might pass to Michelle (like happened at least four times in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan). Yeah, I can see how someone from one of those countries might project onto US politics things that are not commonly done here. Relevant here is Obama beating Hillary for the nomination in 2008. > After Biden’s disastrous debate in 2024, Obama was the one who swooped in to lead the party through the chaos I am a political sicko, and I do not remember this happening. Are you perhaps elevating the importance of a single speech Obama gave?
- rayiner 2mo ago> Yeah, I can see how someone from one of those countries might project onto US politics things that are not commonly done here Yes, that was my point. Someone asked me why my mom lumped Obama in with “radicals” and I tried to explain that she probably thinks it’s his job as the most senior man. Biden isn’t because he’s too old and sick. The patriarch is someone like Obama’s age. Gray haired but still vigorous.
- grubbydiff 2mo ago> Someone asked me why my mom lumped Obama in with “radicals” and I tried to explain that she probably thinks it’s his job as the most senior man. Another explanation is that she is misinformed and brainwashed by all the Facebook memes targeted towards boomers. It's not exactly a secret that Meta continues to push right wing propaganda in order to help elect conservative politicians.
- rayiner 2mo agoNo she watches CNN in a loop. But she left an unstable third world country and viscerally dislikes what’s going on with DSA, immigration, etc. That said she also hates Trump’s Queens immigrant affect, unpredictability, populism, etc. She loves Obama’s Anglo-Protestant affect and mannerisms but seems to dislike that he’s so tolerant of the DSA types.
- NuclearPM 2mo agoEducate her.
- rayiner 2mo agoMy mom grew up as a woman in a socialist muslim country in the 1960s. I grew up in a comfortable virginia suburb. What wisdom do I have to impart onto her, lol?
- deleted 2mo ago[deleted]
- ethbr1 2mo agoYou have the wisdom and lack of ego to know when something should not be done. :) (High praise)
- Cool_Caribou 2mo agoMedia literacy and critical thinking.