Just Wondered/Michelle Obama's Thesis ?s

[VolleyballQt07]

Why is Michelle Obama's thesis (written in 1985), "Princeton Educated Blacks and the Black Community" not being released until the day after the election? I am an Independent, not sure for whom I will vote come November, but since it appears Ms. Obama is the Senator's number one advisor, I think this thesis should be shared to let us know more about her. JMHO, of course, and I am open to reasons this should not be open for discussion until after the elections.

Well JMHO and flame away but I wish that I didn't have any worries in life except "digging up" a paper written 20 years ago. WHO FREAKIN CARES!

Must be nice to have nothing better to do or worry about
in life than to put so much energy into crap like this.

. And for the record, I am voting for Obama but I could personally care less about all the crap being spewed about McCain lately. Its all childish and ridiculous IMO.

I mean really, people ,is that all you worry about is trying to find out something sinister about the other partys candidates? I know its "just politics" but some people have way to much time on their hands.

Sometimes I think people on these boards act like a bunch of kids the way they carry on about this kind of stuff. Well she did this and he said that...God what a bunch of babies. Grow up and find something real to worry about or at least get a new hobby. Thats half of what is wrong with our country, instead of working together to fix things, we just compete to bring each other down. It's getting old.....

Tell me WHY McCain or Obama would be good for our country, not what they (or their spouses) may or may not have done years ago. Who cares. Mistakes are made , people change, ideas change. I can guarantee every one of us is not the same person we were 20 years ago or that we have all made a stupid mistake or two that we wish we hadn't made.

And for the record, I could care less if I get points for this, getting points on an anynomous internet message board is not going to a major crisis in my life. Actually it won't be a small crisis either, I have more important things in life to worry about.

Have a wonderful weekend.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Not sure I care about it actually, but she is making herself somewhat a face of the campaign, even if she's not running as "co-president". Some are making a deal out of McCain's wife. Many harped on Laura Bush's traffic accident when she was a teenager. Spouses have certainly not recently been off limits.

I also find if fascinating that folks think Obama is different that other politicians (i.e. "he's more transparent"). He's very inspirational to be sure, but he's still a politician. He's not the great hope of the world (any more that Kennedy or Reagan were the great hope of the world), he's just a politician.

If he's President, IMO, the US cannot afford to have our first Black President fail. The puts a burden on the opposition, IMO. But it also means that I hope he stops his Messianic act soon - not sure we can sustain that as a nation for very long.

I don't think people harped on it but let's admit that Laura Bush had more than a "traffic accident". That makes it seems like it was irrelevant that a person was killed, I means it wasn't a fender bender.

 

[StrollPatrolMom]

Why do you care so much about a master's thesis written over twenty years ago?

but we're supposed to care about garbage accusations about John McCain from 20 years ago according to the NYT.

 

[Charade]

I don't know how "involved" she was in her husband's run for office before reaching the national spotlight but I wonder if we are seeing another Bill and Hillary "tag team" emerging.

 

[Galahad]

I don't think people harped on it but let's admit that Laura Bush had more than a "traffic accident". That makes it seems like it was irrelevant that a person was killed, I means it wasn't a fender bender.

Um...it is irrelevant (to current events) that a person was killed. Just as what Mrs. Obama wrote 20 years ago is likely irrelevant to current events.

 

[Christopher Robin]

But why do we need to see it? She's not running. If she were the candidate, I'd want to know why it wasn't public. There's been some discussion about why Hillary has not released her tax returns and THAT is a valid issue.

Neither are the thousands of other authors of thesis papers, yet they remain publicly accessible. Why the special standard for her then?

 

[Fitswimmer]

but we're supposed to care about garbage accusations about John McCain from 20 years ago according to the NYT.

ummm...he's running for office. That's the difference.

 

[smartestnumber5]

My guess is that they know that her thesis (like most scholarly works that have to do with racial issues) will say things that most Americans will find crazy.

When I have brought up actual scholarly research on race (which generally always shows that there is still a very strong strain of unconscious and structural racism) on these boards I've been told it's simply crazy or the researchers must have just found what they were looking for (That's an amazingly valuable trait people have for being able to evaluate scholarly studies without even reading them--scholarly journals sure could use talent like that !) I'm sure Michelle Obama's research is little different than any other research on this subject, and thus likely to be dismissed and ridiculed.

At least, that's my guess.

 

[wvjules]

Curiosity about the thinking of a candidate's wife. Some people care, some people don't, but I can't almost guarantee that many more people will care when a paper is mysteriously made "off limits". Then it becomes a topic for discussion.

 

[budbeerlady]

It doesnt matter to me, it wouldnt matter if it were anyone who is running and their paper. None of us are the same people we were 20 years ago, my opinions have changed and so has my outlook on everything to some degree. This is just silly and I dont see why anyone should care.

 

[JARNJ3]

Did anyone go digging for Laura Bush's college papers?

That comment -- made me laugh out loud!

The only reason I think they are keeping it under wraps is because it probably contains some opinions that may be blown out of proportion and\or may be controversial.

I have no problem with their keeping it under wraps - unless its being done as an exception only for her - then the issue would be that she's getting preferential treatment.

Even so - SHE is not running for president.

I'd be more interested in reading his written opinions throughout the years.....

 

[TLHB70]

I will contact his office, but I don't have much faith it will be forthcoming.

Please update and post their response.

 

[Charade]

My guess is that they know that her thesis (like most scholarly works that have to do with racial issues) will say things that most Americans will find crazy.

When I have brought up actual scholarly research on race (which generally always shows that there is still a very strong strain of unconscious and structural racism) on these boards I've been told it's simply crazy or the researchers must have just found what they were looking for (That's an amazingly valuable trait people have for being able to evaluate scholarly studies without even reading them--scholarly journals sure could use talent like that !) I'm sure Michelle Obama's research is little different than any other research on this subject, and thus likely to be dismissed and ridiculed.

At least, that's my guess.

OK, if it's not "crazy", is it significant?

 

[Fitswimmer]

OK, if it's not "crazy", is it significant?

It might be if she were running for office....

 

[Charade]

It might be if she were running for office....

That's not my point. I was wondering if the basis of her thesis is significant.

 

[lilyv]

It might be if she were running for office....

Which is exactly the point. She's not running for office. This is such a non-issue.

If we really want to ask about something important, look at the tax return situation with both candidates. I think the Obama's showed an impressive level of transparency when they released their tax returns automatically. I'm not interested in spouse papers. I am interested in the candidate's tax return.

 

[Charade]

I did find this.

:In her 1985 Princeton senior thesis, "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the
:Black Community," Michelle LaVaughn Robinson lamented that white
: professors and classmates always saw her as "Black first and a student
:second."


:She had surveyed alumni to see whether they sacrificed their commitment
:to other blacks on the altar of success, and foresaw for herself an
:uneasy future: "further integration and/or assimilation into a White
:cultural and social structure that will only allow me to remain on the
: periphery of society; never becoming a full participant."...


:As Michelle Obama wrote in her thesis introduction, "My experiences at
: Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'Blackness' than ever before.
: I have found that at Princeton no matter how liberal and open-minded some
: of my White professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes
:feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong."...


:Michelle Obama was guided in her choice of thesis topic by a consuming
:concern that her success might compromise her black identity. As she
:wrote in her conclusion:


:"I wondered whether or not my education at Princeton would affect my
: identification with the Black community. I hoped that these findings
:would help me conclude that despite the high degree of identification
:with Whites as a result of the educational and occupational path that
:Black Princeton alumni follow, the alumni would still maintain a certain
:level of identification with the black community. However, these findings
:do not support this possibility."...


:Michelle Obama's fears of losing touch with her roots without ever being
:embraced into the mainstream led her to promise, in her thesis
:introduction, "to actively utilize my resources to benefit the Black
:community."

 

[salmoneous]

Are you really going to base your vote for president on a paper the candidate's wife wrote for college more than 20 years ago?

 

[lilyv]

I did find this.

And the point of this is????

 

[Fitswimmer]

That's not my point. I was wondering if the basis of her thesis is significant.

but John, that is the point, it's NOT significant because SHE is not running. HE is running and HIS stuff is out there.