TSU Grad to McCain: I've Heard of Fannie and Freddie
A tender debate moment
I watched the Nashville debate with the throngs camped out on the patio at the Belmont Bongo Java, and when John McCain responded to a young black man's question about the bailout with the line, "You probably never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before this,” the crowd let out a collective groan of disgust. Granted, the assemblage was made up exclusively of Obama supporters, and the grandfatherly McCain might have said that to any questioner under, say, 50, but it was an awkward moment nonetheless.
So I was surprised when the post-debate coverage picked up on McCain's now infamous "that one" statement, but made no mention of the Fannie/Freddie remark.
Well, the story has some legs on the Internet, as Wonkette reported yesterday. Apparently the, uh, questioner in question was Oliver Clark, a Tennessee State University graduate with a degree in poli-sci. Not surprisingly, Clark—who's currently working on his second master's degree—had heard of Fannie and Freddie. Since being hounded by media, he decided to post answers to questions on his Facebook page, seen here on MSNBC.com's First Read.
Here's his answer to the question everyone wanted to ask: How did he feel about Sen. McCain stating, "You probably never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before this?"
Well Senator, I actually did. I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person. I have a bachelor degree in Political Science from Tennessee State, so I try to keep myself up to date with current affairs. I have a Master degree in Legal Studies from Southern Illinois University, a few years in law school, and I am currently pursuing a Master in Public Administration from the University of Memphis. In defense of the Senator from Arizona I would say he is an older guy, and may have made an underestimation of my age. Honest mistake. However, it could be because I am a young African-American male. Whatever the case may be it was somewhat condescending regardless of my age to make an assumption regarding whether I was knowledgeable about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
A diplomatic, evenhanded and well-conceived answer that still manages to (justifiably) twist the knife at the end. Ever consider a career in politics, Mr. Clark?
Comments
absurd. we wonder why we get fed debates that are so boring and devoid of substance and interaction, and in the same breath question why candidates were not criticized MORE for saying something so obviously non-consequential.
Posted 10/10/2008 at 02:30:33 PMturn down the sensitivity dial america, and we might start receiving some worthwhile transmissions.
Racism, no matter how subtle, is always consequential.
Thanks, Jack, for posting this follow-up!
Posted 10/10/2008 at 04:02:09 PM