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Oliver Clark questions McCain
There are not a lot of guys in America named Oliver. There are even less black guys in America named Oliver.
So when one makes the news, I have to give him props.
I tried to get in touch via Facebook with Oliver Clark, the man who McCain said probably didn’t know what Fannie Mae was before the financial crisis (at Tuesday’s debate). Apparently others have done the same. He just posted the following on his Facebook page:
How did I 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.
Oliver might know something that McCain apparently doesn’t: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac didn’t make “risky loans”; they dominated the secondary mortgage market, i.e. the buying up of loans other people had made.
I’m absolutely sure the folks in the audience were told “Read your question exactly as written on the card then sit down and say nothing else.”
But wouldn’t it be nice if one of the questioners had the courage to actually respond to a candidate when they did this?
To be fair, I’d have no problem with someone doing to Obama if he’s been condescending or less than responsive to the question asked.
But picture Oliver Clark, politely but clearly, saying that to McCain during the debate?
This day, my friends, we are all Olivers!
I AM OLIVER!
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At least McCain didn’t put his arm around Mr. Oliver Clark, look into the camera query, “Who – who – who let the dogs out, my friends?!”
OW you should use the word fewer and not less in that sentence.
My standard-issue white guy boyfriend said the same thing when we were watching the debate, and I told him about this great blogger I read named Oliver who also is black! Unfortunately I don’t think he cared one way or the other.
“My standard-issue white guy boyfriend…”
Patty, you sure have a great way of making your boyfriends feel special!