FSU Voice

Issue date: 1/27/10 Section: Features

Media Credit: Monique Vaughn Eboni Oliver

Recently, US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, was in the news regarding his comments made about President Barack Obama. He described President Barack Obama as a "light-skinned negro with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Senator Reid immediately followed up his comments with an apology. FSU students were polled to see if they felt Senator Reid's apology was sincere, or was it to help justify his position since he's up for re-election?

Eboni Oliver, Senior
"His apology was sincere. Several people took it out of context, because not everyone knows how to express their self. We all make mistakes, so we shouldn't be so quick to condemn others."

Kevin Hollingsworth, Senior
"Harry Reid meant everything he said, however his comments were true. Obama was elected because he can reach both races. People don't mind because he is from a mulatto descent. Reid apologized for political reasons, but he said nothing wrong."

Brandi Drayton, Freshman
"The apology was to cover his grounds. He tried to cover up what he said, but at the same time he meant everything he said."

Jameka McKoy, Sophomore
"I would not place anyone in the position as President if they could not speak properly. As far as Obama's race, it's the truth so I feel no apology was needed. I feel he didn't mean his apology, he did however mean what he said."

David Feliciano, Senior
"It's politics, they'll say anything at the time to help get them in the lead. President Obama has strong supporters. He couldn't attack him that way, so he had to try another method. President Obama won the presidency because unlike others, he avoided using "dirty" politics. "The apology came because he realized that what he said did not come off the way he expected, although at the time he meant it."

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