Give Me Some Dap

As the Field Negro said, when they first did it after the speech, I didn't even notice it. See The "fist-bump" seen around the world.

Of course, I'm talking about the dap heard around the world. Barack and Michelle Obama's 'fist bump of hope' shows them silly in love. As Steve Benen said, The bump heard ’round the world:

If you watched Barack and Michelle Obama at their rally in Minnesota on Tuesday night, you may have noticed a cute moment in which the two had a brief fist-pound (or “dap,” as the kids call it).

All things being equal, it wasn’t exactly the most the newsworthy moment of the night. Was it a sweet moment of affection between the two? Sure. But I wouldn’t characterize the brief gesture as important.

Every morning at my house, as we all head off for our daily work/school routine, I pass out a kiss and my husband and daughter give each other some dap. So it's certainly no big deal in my world.

When I looked at a video clip later, I thought it was endearing. In fact, as Benen noted, it's the sort of thing that would appeal to the younger voter, a sign that Obama was cool.

But not for all.

Ray at Phillybits was the first one to scoop this latest scandal, Media Breaks Latest Obama Scandal To Unknowing Populace, intuiting the real meaning behind the ‘Hezbollah’ style fist-jabbing between Michelle and Barack. As he later reported, E.D. (Extremely Dimwitted) Hill of Fox News picked up his cue, and referred to the gesture as a Terrorist Fist Bump.

I suppose it shouldn't be surprising. For those who live in an Unbearable Whiteness of Being, also known as conservatives, life is a series of threats. Threats to one's way of life, threats to stability of life and threats to changes in life. For them, life is a threat. In fact, 9/11 was the ultimate orgasm, since it has given tremendous substance to the fear that rules their lives and they have been high on the fear ever since.

In fact, I believe for many conservatives, Obama's mantra of change is probably as anathema to them as is his exotic background and racial makeup. Change is the enemy to the way of lives of conservatives, who worship the status quo.

These are the people who promote a reading of the bible that is literal, that does not evolve (same with evolution). These are the people who are the "originalists" of the Constitution. They argue that whatever the original framers of our Constitution and Bill of Rights said, must hold true today, without change. For them, change creates a fear of the unknown. Fear is bad. So change must be bad.

I'm just glad I don't live that way. I'd prefer if you'd give me some dap.

(Cartoon: Speed Bump by Dave Coverly)