as long as his swagga ain't boring!

But does he pack and deliver like UPS trucks?

What's wrong? The brotha does have swagga and swerve. Unclinch your butt cheeks Steve.

I actually have a different take. I would love it if we could have an in-depth public discussion about issues like how various markers of race and masculinity are "read" in our social and political discourse. Certainly these two are not especially well equipped to lead such a discussion but I see no reason why it should be considered off limits for them or anyone else. If our news programs were not so structured as stilted and contrived as they are, I imagine they could be a great forum for this sort of discussion. Why not? I would actually like to encourage more of this sort of thing. Maybe they will actually get better at it and foster wider cultural understanding.

Where's his m-f'n ice tea?

C'mon. CNN people do this because, to paraphrase Jon Stewart, "they've got nothin'".

I read the post and the first few comments before I watched the clip, but I have to admit that I do agree with brent (@3:11) on this. Yes, the CNN pundits were being childish and facile in the fun they were having, but it would be a very interesting and hopefully enlightening discussion with adults and serious thinkers involved.

This is what happens when you have models instead of anchors and actors instead of reporters.

Not an Oreo
There is the point that black people like Obama because he is not a complete Oreo, As opposed to most GOP black leaders whose only indication of blackness is their faces.

Any intermittent viewing of the afternoon shows on CNN & MSNBC would let you know that Kyra Phillips is very little different than the rest.

The female 'hosts' on CNN & MSNBC have long featured:
- No knowledge of history
- No knowledge of current events
- An inability to grasp that they are regurgitating rethug talking points

I have long wondered if they are not engaged in a competition for the dumbest c*nt on the face of the earth.

This is pretty stupid, but I doubt it's the stupidest thing I've seen on cable news.

Broadcast journalism may not be dead, but it's definitely gasping for air.

Wasn't Kyra Phillips the one who asked if little Ali knew why we had to kill his whole family and blow off his arms and legs?

I dunno about his premise... I seem to recall Chimpy practicing his noobish swagga-esque stride out a few times, but perhaps that was just from the crotch cup pinching his taint from inside his flight suit costume.

Check out thedailyshow.com from last night and check on the "Grading Obama" with Larry Wilmore. They refer to the same clip with the usual 'wonder.'

So if the Republican Party ever breaks up with the Boyz in the Hoodz (the Klean Kut Kidz, nod, nod, wink, wink) -- their base, that is -- which way will the newsies break?

KKK or (hypothetical) no-longer-dogwhistling Republicans?

I figure Fox to break right and go deep. Waaaaay deep. CNN? Who knows?

"National Council for a New America"

Sounds like a New World Order.

I coulda sworn I saw CNN do a piece on Obama's swagger over the weekend. I mean, they started talking about it before I switched to the MLB Network.

Not only have they got nuthin, but they repeat nuthin over and over.

Wasn't Kyra Phillips the one who asked if little Ali knew why we had to kill his whole family and blow off his arms and legs?

Posted by: Boronx

By God, yes, that was her. "Doctor, does he understand why this war took place? Has he talked about Operation Iraqi Freedom and the meaning? ..." This right after the kid's parents had been killed and his arms blown off.

meh. at least there were no facts being abused. that gets me more upset.

what i see is two black commentators talking about a black president the way white commentators (chris matthews) talk about white presidents all the time.

i wonder if talking about obama in terms of blackness is what really is bugging you and other commentators.

"...like a brother" is a racist statement, taken in the same way as "He's walkin' like a nigger now". How do people like this get on the air?

He walks like millions of white and yellow people when they swagger too idiot. Must be the half "white" side of him huh? What an ego...a separatist comment like he's cool now because he swaggers like a brother. You're right to identify it with a "cringe" cause that is exactly what happened when I first saw it before reading your comments. What the hell was this mirror face thinking?

Maybe I missed the glaring Kyra Phillips inanity, what I saw was a black American guy speaking about how he and his black friends recognize certain mannerisms and style in Obama from "black culture", and probably feel good about it: the familiarity, seeing someone "like them" attain the most powerful position in America...

Isn't the utility of having "role models" tied up in this?

Those of us who are black or have black acquaintances have doubtless noticed black professionals will speak and act a little differently when surrounded by black friends vs. predominantly white groups. That phenomenon is laden with significance and assumptions - I think it's pretty interesting and worthy of comment. Maybe dorky Kyra isn't the best one to be commenting, is that the complaint?

Bush had the Texan-redneck-tough-guy persona that he let out (either instrumentally or naturally). The black American subculture is just newer in the presidential context. It took a very long time to get here, why insist on Obama's deracination? Or, at least, why get annoyed when others, in good faith, point these things out?

But like I said, I might have totally missed Steve's point.

"i wonder if talking about obama in terms of blackness is what really is bugging you and other commentators."

I was wondering this myself.

Someone is surprised to discover that CNN stands for Cretins' News Network???

Unlike Steve, I'm quite happy to see non-white cultural topics being discussed on CNN, even if it involves a goofy white gal trying to be hip. CNN covers this kind of crap all the time, but it doesn't strike you as odd then, because the fluff is all white.

My biggest fear regarding the Obama admin is that at some point all the nominal progressives and libs will realize that Obama is not just a black-skinned white guy as they imagine -- is instead actually one of *them* -- and turn on him.