Obama Again Uses Grandmother in Ad
This time, we see and hear Madelyn Dunham, but only for four seconds
by Rich Thomaselli
Just weeks after calling her a “typical white person” who made him “cringe” at times with racist remarks while he was growing up, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has again featured his grandmother in a political advertisement.
This time, we get to see and hear Obama’s maternal grandmother, Madelyn Dunham — albeit for only four seconds.
“Well, I think it’s given him a lot of depth and a broadness of view,” the 85-year-old Dunham says in the 30-second commercial that focuses on the women in Obama’s life: his wife, Michelle; their two daughters; and his half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng.
An Obama spokesman told The New York Times that Dunham’s remarks refer to Obama’s willingness to listen to people, “which allows him to better empathize and understand what they are going through.”
Obama started something of a controversy when he addressed racially charged comments by his former Chicago pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, by referencing his grandmother. Obama, who is of mixed race, called Dunham a “typical white person.”
But later, in a powerful speech on race in America, Obama said he would no more disown his former pastor than he would the black community in general or his own family, and he praised Dunham, the woman he still calls "Toot" — short for the Hawaiian phrase of endearment for a grandmother or elder, "Tutu."
Still, the comments have spawned something of a cottage industry for both detractors and supporters. At Cafepress.com, you can order T-shirts and other merchandise with the “typical white person” catchphrase, while at Obamagrandmama.com, Obama backers can order “I’m an Obama Grandmama” shirts.
It’s the second commercial that includes Obama’s grandmother. Previously, in a 60-second spot titled “Opportunity,” Obama talks about the American Dream being made possible by his family.
“I was raised by a single mom and my grandparents. My grandfather served in Patton’s Army and my grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line. They didn't have money, but they gave me love, a thirst for education, and a belief that we're all part of something larger than ourselves.”
The commercial is punctuated by black and white still photos of an infant Obama with his mother; a picture of his grandparents posing; another photo of a young Obama with his grandmother; and a color photo of Obama sitting between his grandparents on a New York City park bench while he was a student at Columbia University. Interspersed are black and white video of World War II-era Army troops and an airplane assembly plant.
Obama was raised, in part, by his grandparents, Stanley and Madelyn Dunham. He lived with them in their apartment in Honolulu from the age of 10 until he left for Columbia.
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