Andy Rooney On The Election

Andy Rooney Reflects On An Historic Election Day

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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I've lived through a lot of interesting elections in my lifetime starting with the one between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover, but none were more interesting or important than the one we just had that elected Barack Obama our next president.

I'm a proud American but I'm often embarrassed by our loud mouthed insistence that we are the greatest nation in the world even though I think it's true. The fact that the citizens of this country, 80 percent of whom are white, freely chose to elect a black man as their leader simply because they thought he was the best choice makes me think that we have a right to be proud of ourselves.

While watching the elections results last Tuesday, I got thinking about a piece I did in 1997 in Little Rock Arkansas about the 40th anniversary of the forced integration of Central High in Little Rock.

I spent some time walking around one of the poor neighborhoods near Central High once the single biggest High School in the United States.

I remember watching my friend Harry Reasoner report the story the day that Orval Faubus blocked black kids from going in.

Reasoner: Do you think there will be more trouble this year?

Kid: Yes sir, I do.

Reasoner: Would you help make it if you had to?

Student: Yes sir, I would.

Reasoner: You don't want negroes in school?

Student: No sir.

Reasoner: Is that a pretty general attitude? How do you feel about negroes in School?

Student: I don't think negroes should go to school with the white people. They should stay in their own class.

"To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices, I need your help. And I will be your president too," Obama said during his acceptance speech.

"This is our moment, this is our time to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids. To restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace. To reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many we are one. That while we breathe we hope and where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us that we can't…we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes we can. Thank you. God Bless you and may god bless the United States of America."

We've come a long way - a good way.

[ethisyst]

When Andy speaks from a historical context, the fact that the citizens of the US chose a black man as president is a reason to be proud; the nation has indeed come a long way. It is when the day comes that it doesn%u2019t matter whether or not a president is black or white, or any other race, that the US can truly be proud without qualification.

[tom_d2]

Andy, I have another perspective re your comment - "We have come a long way" - refering to the election of Barack Obama as the first black president. My perspective would be - We have taken one step forward and several steps backward. The reason for my perspective is that we have elected a black president, this is a big step forward. But he is a staunch supporter of abortion. Isn''t his primary role to defend justice for the innocent ? Who is more innocent than the unborn citizens of our country ? May God help them and us.

[wvboy7]

Mr. Rooney,

Shame on you. First of all, you diminish off-handed the 62 Million people that voted for Senator McCain. By saying those who elected Senator Obama should be proud, you infer that those who did not should be ashamed.
Secondly, you implied through you video of 1957 that those who did not vote for Obama were racists.
If indeed the people who voted Obama in, did so because they thought he was the best man for the job, why do you cheapen their vote by saying they should be proud to have voted for a "black man".
You really sent a not so subtle message of what you believe is a biased Republican Party.

[wunder62]

So far I see no mention of the phrase, "freely chose to elect a black man as their leader simply because they thought he was the best choice". What''s missing is the statistic on how many people voted for him because he is black. Though I agree with several of the earlier blogs - he''s half black half white and raised by white grandparents -- I think that tips the scales to the white side -- if we must play the one feature defines a person game! I''ll give those who lived through segregation that is monumental. The kids partying in front of the White House were born after affirmative action. A lot of the new voters voted for him because 1) he''s not Bush 2) The Obama team did a phenomenal job with this campaign (internet contributions and free concerts wow!!) 3) they wanted to be part of history and 4) let''s be honest - many new black registered voters voted because they had a black candidate!

[hkjmaser]

Picky, picky, picky! The gist of the message is what was important here. This was not meant to be reporting statistics or news.....it was Andy''s OPINION, and as usual, he was right on!

[mrahaman-2009]

Good Commentary. Correction as noted above - certainly not 80% white but we understand the point, i.e., a lot of white people voted for Obama...maybe some of those very students who did not favor "negroes" attending the same schools as whites.

Also..by year 2030 (before perhaps)those who identify themelves as whites would make up less than 50% of the population.

[kphx]

80% white ???? Where did he get his numbers ... or is it a subconscious thing to put his own race ahead ... if it would have been 80 % white, we all know slavery would still be thriving ... 80% white ...

[mk446699]

Andy, don''t retire! We love your commentary. This one was very insightful.
In reading blogs, I generally find uneducated hate blogs mixed in with some intelligent ones. I think it will take 100 years of focused attention for America to educate its citizens properly. Does hate like this come from frustrated uneducated people? How can America educate children to actually think through issues rather than blindly hate.
By the way, there is nothing wrong with optimism that Obama may have the intelligence to undo the damage done by Bush.

[r3261005]

Keep up the good works but get some young blood on the program. I''m 76 and enjoying every minute of retirement, try it, you''ll like it. My income does not permit me to pay income tax, but my bills are paid.

[cdiane720]

Like Andy Rooney, I too was very impressed by this election. However I was taken aback when he said 80 percent of the population of this country is white. I think that is true only if you count all Hispanics as white. (I checked the census website before writing this.)
In this day of such great diversity in our country I think it is not very responsible or accurate to convey the impression that one race predominates (or primarily served to elect our newest president.) We need to celebrate and embrace our diversity, not hide it or distort it''s true vibrant beauty and capacity to work together and create change.

[pookiesanfor]

Barack Obama is not Black. He is Multi-racial. Please get you racism straight. His wife Michelle is black - he is as white as he is black - Therefore if you must categorize him by race, the accurate term is: Multi-racial

[pookiesanfor]

Barack Obama is not Black. He is Multi-racial. Please get you racism straight. His wife Michelle is black - he is as white as he is black - Therefore if you must categorize him by race, the accurate term is: Multi-racial

[raid102]

Andy Andy Andy,
Why do we have to bring race into discusions on the election. We are never going to get over racial prejudice if we keep focusing on it all the time.
AND, if you have to go into race you should at least get your facts right. Obama is as much white as he is black, but nobody seems to want to mention his whiteness. The correct technical term is half-cast.

You like many other media commentators seem to have completely missed/ignored the facts. I guess this is why the written and TV media is dieing. You can only pull the wool over peoples eyes for so long, eventually a more intelligent audience will call you out.

Don''t get me wrong, I have watched 60 minutes for years, and love the format, but Andy you let the team down. Perhaps it is time for you to move on, let others take the lime light. You have done a fantastic job, quite while you are ahead.