Friday, September 2, 2011

Barry, Where You At?

I remember making a point that President Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination on the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and never once said his name. He mentioned a preacher from Atlanta and we all knew who he was talking about, but the fact that he failed to say his name stood out to me like... a black president. Several of our foremost black political leaders are calling Mr. Obama out on his tendency to appear to shy away from blacks and black issues. Could it be that Obama's campaign feels that they have the black vote in the bag and need to spend more time courting those whose votes will guarantee him the oval office? Certainly, he will receive almost every black vote, won't he? Is it fair that some folk want Mr. Obama to seemingly parade around in a dashiki and drive his motorcade through the 'hood? Does he need to do that to protect the black vote, to prove how black he is? Is it fair to say he needs to secure his "base", as a CNN contributor so remarked. His base meaning, just people of colour. Is not his base the Democratic party? I'm not completely disregarding the sentiment that our president may be distancing himself from or not giving as much attention to the neighborhoods who four years ago were so proud to line up and cast that ballot. I'm not denying either that many of those same black supporters waited with an extended hand for some kind of "hook up" from a black man who just became "The Man". It's as if some were looking for a payday, waiting for Obama to do them a solid, because remember, this was OUR president. Yes, we had Clinton, but this was a black president fo' real! But to openly criticize the president in the midst of an upcoming campaign for re-election can only do more harm than good. Is this what Roland Martin and Rep. Maxine Waters are looking to do? By asking these questions now, and demanding President Obama visit black communities to prove one thing or another is only taking away from the good he has done and is looking to do if he gets to keep his job. Addressing welfare, poverty and healthcare is a duty that is taken on by any president, white or black. And those topics, bullet points on every president's list, are not merely black and minority issues. I support Obama as well as the freedoms we have to speak out against him and I wish to follow the candidates as they prepare for this race without becoming railroaded and blinded by RACE.


10 comments:

  1. "Certainly, he will receive almost every black vote, won't he?"
    How is that not a RACIST point of view? Seriously.

    You should never end a sentence with a preposition: it should read, "Barry, where you at, Jackass?!"

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  2. Racism is defined as believing that one race is superior to another. Acknowledging the fact that this man picked up almost every black vote in the 2008 election is hardly racist. That's just facts.

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  3. So the fact that he picked up almost every black vote in 2008 has nothing to do with race?
    OK, if you say so.
    It must be nice to live in a bubble.
    Another alternate title suggestion: "Pop Goes the Weasel"

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  4. He received almost 100% of the black vote. African-Americans who never voted before, or who had stopped voting altogether woke up that morning and voted for him. It has everything to do with race... but that's still not racism.

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  5. So your stance is that all those voters cast their ballot on BO's political experience and solid plans of action, and NOT on the color of his skin? Like Peggy Joseph (remember her)? Wow! That's hard for any rational person to believe.

    Treating someone differently because of their ethnicity (eg, voting for them) is most certainly racism.

    "Racism is the belief that there are inherent differences in people's traits and capacities that are entirely due to their race, however defined, and that, as a consequence, racial discrimination (i.e. different treatment of those people, both socially and legally) is justified." -New American Oxford Dictionary

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  6. My stance was that the prominent black "leaders" calling the president out for not including the black community and its issues in his bus tour and re-election campaign is bad timing and poor judgment. No one should be looking for a handout or waiting for a payday. I mentioned the voting merely to say this, black people are going to vote for a black man. Even if he's only half-black. Young white people voted for him too, to be a part of something historic. Your use of the word "racism" is inappropriate because Blacks didn't vote for Obama because they think his skin colour makes him superior nor to discriminate against John McCain because he was white.

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  7. Yes, they did. You said, "Certainly, he will receive almost every black vote, won't he?" Isn't that what we're talking about?

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  8. Yes, that is fact. I've already admitted that almost 100% of the black population voted for Obama based on the colour of his skin. They never dreamed there would ever be an African-American candidate for president. Even if he is a half-white one. They felt they could relate to him. Some voters also mistakenly felt that because of his race they might enjoy an easier life. A lot of whites voted for the same reason. But I don't see the connection to racism here.

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  9. "I've already admitted that almost 100% of the black population voted for Obama based on the colour of his skin... But I don't see the connection to racism here."
    ...
    I think we're done here.
    No, really. I can't argue with that.
    Have a great life in that bubble!

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  10. Let's not act as if there are whites who refused to vote for Obama not because of his policies and/or presidential potential but because he was black. Now that's discrimination and racism. Enjoy your time in your bubble as well.

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