Between Barack and a Hard
Place - Michael A. Price, Jr.
is a political poem about
President Barack Obama
and the many issues facing his administration.
Political News & Views is the political news page for
Black Men In America.com.
We want our site visitors to be informed about national politics as
well as politics in their local areas.
Thanks to our partnership with the
Homeland Colors correspondent Brandon Whitney and MSNBC Political Network,
you have access to the most up-to-date information about the 2008
political election including profiles on the candidates and their
views.
If you would like to
respond to any article
click here
and sign our
Guestbook
to
leave a public or private statement, comment or reaction.
Brandon Whitney
is the
creator ofHomelandcolors.blogspot.coma blog that
focuses on issues that affect the African American community. He is also
a frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable. Brandon has
political experience as an Outreach Director for the Democratic Party
and is passionate about being a positive force in his community
regarding African American issues. He is also a frequent guest on News
and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable.
You can read more of Brandon's work at
Homeland Colors.
President Obama is looking to establish political stability in
our country so that he can push through policies that repair our
healthcare system and economy. The release of the photos and the
prosecution of those who participated and authorized torture
will lead to much strife in our nation and may even lead to the
failure of some of the issues that Americans are most passionate
about. In the interest of peace, Obama is attempting to avoid
the issue of torture in by our government. Releasing the
pictures and prosecuting those who tortured prisoners would be
bad for the country, but ignoring the wrongdoing would be worse.
Obama has shown a tendency to pattern himself after Abraham
Lincoln. Lincoln was a great president, but he made mistakes
that echo into the present. When the Civil War began, Lincoln
failed to aggressively free the slaves of the Confederacy. In
some cases runaway slaves were returned to the rebels as Lincoln
attempted to reestablish the Union. This attempt failed. When
injustice simmers beneath the surface, peace cannot be
maintained. Obama is attempting to form the same negative peace
that Lincoln tried, it will fail. Appeasement is a failing
strategy; those who have abased the constitution must be
punished, not for our own satisfaction, but for the protection
of our democracy. While Obama would like to create peace between
the far right and left in our nation, that peace must be built
on justice, not the compromise of our morality.
There is an argument that torture was justified, I would
disagree with that. Grant Morrison wrote a series called
“Preacher” in which the main character traveled the country and
interacted with people of multiple walks of life. One of the
people he met was a former Nazi who was looking for redemption
for his sins during the holocaust. In seeking understanding, he
asked Jesse, the main character, what one does when the only
choices are committing atrocities or death. Jesse replied “You
die”. Fear and safety are no excuse for torture. Expediency is
no excuse for ignoring torture. We must prosecute all of those
who had allowed us to become a nation of war criminals.
Catching Up With Brandon
Justice Souter
The replacement of Justice Souter should have been the partisan
fight of the year, but considering how the Right has been
picking a fight over everything from the stimulus bill to the
dress code at the Whitehouse, it is unlikely that the fight over
the next justice will be as grand as many think. Republicans may
have had more of an ability to affect the selection of the
judicial nominee if they hadn’t already proven themselves
irrationally intransigent. It is unlikely that they will have
much of an affect on who becomes the next justice.
Wanda Sykes
Lol. Her jokes were inappropriate; the funniest ones tend to be.
But hey, if they didn’t want inappropriate jokes told, they
shouldn’t have invited a comedian. They could have had
politicians tell jokes, people pretend to laugh, and something
unwatchable but they chose funny instead. Her joke about
Limbaugh was priceless.
Charlie Crist for Senate
The Republican civil war is becoming heated. Charlie Crist is
running for Senate and is probably the wrong kind of Republican
for many of the hardcore right. This will likely be good for the
Democrats in that much money will be spent on the Republican
primary and it is likely to be very ugly. Whoever wins the
Republican primary will be thoroughly bruised and many general
election voters are likely to be turned off by this.
The Holocaust
The Pope, who as a child was required to be a Hitler Youth, has
visited Israel recently and the subject of the Holocaust has
been brought to the top of the news cycle. The specific
targeting of the Jews by the Nazi’s for “extermination” was a
horrible thing. We must never forget what happened there and it
is good that the Pope spoke about it. The only problem I’ve had
recently regarding the holocaust is this, although the Nazi’s
had a particular, and irrational, hatred of the Jews, they were
not the only people they killed in the camps. 11 million human
beings were killed in the Holocaust, 6 million of which were
Jewish. I sometimes think we forget about the other 5 million
people were killed by the bigoted Nazi party, and I also think
that it is possible to recognize the horrible pogrom against the
Jews, while at the same time recognizing those others who were
targeted by Hitler without diminishing either group.
By Brandon Whitney
I’m not looking for revenge or justice in the prosecution of
the Bush officials who condoned, and encouraged the torture of
captured militants. I am not vindictive against the Bush
administration; I honestly think most of their mistakes were the
result of arrogance and overconfidence in their own intelligence
rather than spite. I think all legal steps should be taken to
prosecute perpetrators because I am afraid that without a
negative incentive in the executive branch for power grabbing
and subverting the law, our democracy, or Democratic Republic if
you want to be specific, will be endangered.
Democracy requires that the rule of law be obeyed. While I
understand Obama’s desire to move forward and focus on our
current problems, and sympathize with him for inheriting the
mess he has in our economy, environment, and infrastructure, I
believe that he is doing us a disservice should he choose not to
pursue lawbreakers in the former administration. Every time, in
our short history as a nation, that we have decided to move on
for the sake of expediency we have paid a heavy price for it.
When the founding fathers decided not to face the issue of
slavery, and the contradiction it represented in a free nation,
their descendents were forced into a Civil War that cost 600,000
lives. When Lincoln decided not to punish the Southern
leadership who drove us to war, at no provocation from the
North, he was assassinated and Blacks were forced into the Jim
Crow system for 100 years. When the Democrats decided not to
pursue an investigation against Reagan over Iran-Contra, we
ended up getting an administration that believed it could act
with impunity.
Due process must be followed. We have reason to believe laws
sacred to our Democratic Republic were broken. We have reason to
believe that executive power overreached and acted against the
best interest of the Republic. If Obama is to remain true to his
oath to protect the constitution of the United States, he must
ensure equal application of the law to all members of the
society. Those who are in positions of power have the ability to
cause great harm. Negative incentives must exist if the
corruptible are to be prevented from harming our institutions.
The rule of law must be adhered to.
By Brandon Whitney
Barack Obama smiled and shook Hugo Chavez’s
hand. Rick Perry flirted with secession. Who is the far
right angry and obsessed with? Barack Obama. I don’t really know
what Obama should have done in the view of Jingoists. Should he
have frowned when he shook Hugo’s hand? Perhaps he should have
shoved him and kicked him when he fell to the ground. The
foolishness of the right, in light of the real crisis we are
dealing with, shows a profound lack of care for the state of our
nation.
Rick Perry made a semi-serious argument for separating a
state from the country. This he did, because he felt that in the
last 100 days the country has gone horribly off course and his
liberty is in danger. He believes this because of a 3% tax
increase on 5% of the population, a lower tax rate on the rest
of us, and a reshuffling of military spending into weapons that
can actually be of use in our current wars.
Secession is actually treason. (look it up). Shaking a hand
at a diplomatic meeting is…..well diplomatic. I love my country,
even when I’m getting pulled over for being the wrong skin tone.
I never thought Detroit should secede from the United States
when Bush was busy with his many errors and am offended at the
implications of Rick Perry. Being a patriot doesn’t mean hugging
one’s riffle, waving a flag, or drinking the right beer. It
means working for what’s best for your country, even when you
are in the political minority.
Brandon Whitney is the creator of
Homelandcolors.blogspot.com a blog that focuses on issues
that affect the African American community. He is also a
frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable. Brandon
has political experience as an Outreach Director for the
Democratic Party and is passionate about being a positive force
in his community regarding African American issues. He is also
a frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable. You can
read more of Brandon’s work at
Homeland Colors.
Mark Sanford
If there is justice in the world, people like
Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, will get their just
deserts. In his case this would mean losing his next bid for
governor and being shunned in the state in which he resides. Rather
than use the stimulus money to stimulate his state’s economy, he is
planning to use it to pay down their debt. In this author’s opinion
he is doing this in order to have a chance at running for President.
The opportunity cost is the education of many of South Carolina’s
poor and disenfranchised.
It is a fascinating phenomenon that many who yell most loudly of
America’s greatness, the power of pulling oneself up by one’s
bootstraps, and the importance of taking advantage of every
opportunity are also the first to ignore the importance of
education. The right has, thus far, been anti-education for the
common American. They have allowed student loan interest rates to go
up, they have failed to regulate the relationships between private
lenders and universities, and they have failed to fund No Child Left
Behind initiatives or set serious standards therein. How can you
love America and fail to provide for its future? What can we
accomplish as a nation if we are behind our first world counterparts
in terms of education?
We are not just failing our children when we don’t fund education
initiatives. We are failing our nation. Italy was once Rome. It was
once the heart of an empire. In a time when most places depended on
a nearby river for a water source they had running water in the
city. There was a time when the concrete of Rome, the roads of Rome,
and the people of Rome were the envy of all of Europe. Their
descendants devolved into region of city states and then a nation
that, even to this day, struggles to regain their past greatness. We
can become Italy if we coast on past glories and fail to act in ways
that will ensure the continued growth of our country. We will not
get there by coddling the rich and successful as the extremist of
the right want us to do. We have been a socialist nation for
decades, as the policies of Bush I, Bush II, and Reagan have turned
us into a nation whose government protects the wealthiest of us from
hardship by placing the tax burden on the poorest of us. Mark
Sanford represents those who care more about the class in which they
reside than the nation in which they live. If there is any justice
in the world, people like him will find themselves replaced by
patriots.
The Fall of Michael Steele
Mike Steele is in bad shape, but then so is the
Republican Party. A party that has been very much unified, but that
has used a short term strategy deficient in practicality but heavy
in ideology, is on the ropes. Mike has gotten a Republican party
that is in the same condition as the nation, battered and bruised.
Both Barack and Steele are African American men who received
leadership positions after their organizations have been put into
precarious positions, the difference is the level of skill and
competence level that the men possess.
Barack Obama is a grassroots guerrilla guy. His approach to
government is asymmetrical, he thinks creatively and outside of the
box. Obama is an imaginative thinker who attacks problems in new
ways. Barack is revitalizing American government and Mike Steele, if
his approach was similar, could do the same to the Republican Party.
He won’t, or at lest hasn’t so far. Mike Steele seems unsure of
himself. His attempts at being more inclusive of minorities have
been clumsy at best. Mike has be inconsistent in his message, he has
appeared weak an ineffectual in his leadership, both because of his
apology to Limbaugh for stating his opinion, and because he has yet
to hire a staff for the RNC. He is failing and is probably
going to be drummed out of leadership.
As a Democrat, I see the dissolution of the Republican Party and
Michael Steele’s failure as an opportunity to push the progressive
agenda. However, as an American, I find the destruction of the
opposition party, or its return to extremism, to be unfortunate. It
is best when the two sides of the debate are moving in a common
direction even if they have different ways of getting there. The
extremist Republicans vision of America is narrow and self-limiting.
It is my hope that the Republican Party reemerge as a useful part of
our nation’s political process. Unfortunately, at this point it
seems that both Michael Steele, and his party, is sinking into a
mire of self delusion and bitterness. Hopefully, the Party of Reagan
will reemerge as the Party of Lincoln and political debate will
replace the foul and disheartening monstrosity that we have been
victim to since the 1994 revolution.
Brandon Whitneyis the
creator ofHomelandcolors.blogspot.coma blog that focuses
on issues that affect the African American community.
Rush Limbaugh for President 2012 by Brandon Whitney
Many are saying that Rush Limbaugh is the leader of the
Republican Party. Michael Steele, the current Chairman of the Republican
disputed this and said that Rush is simply an entertainer, and then
apologized to Rush for his statement. A title does not make one a
leader, power makes one a leader. Rush Limbaugh has the power to turn
commanding elected officials into Oliver Twist like begging supplicants.
I think we are witnessing the collapse of the Republican Party.
Rush Limbaugh has never been elected to any office. He really is just an
entertainer. Rush is the right wing angry version of Howard Stern. He
doesn’t actually do anything except talk. However, Rush has a following
of mostly hard-line right wingers. These are people who show up in
Republican primaries, and these are people that many Republican law
makers have to please if they want to be re-elected. Here’s the problem
for them, the country is not full of hard-line right wingers. People
reside all along the political spectrum; the extreme right wing is
probably 25% of the population. You can’t win general elections with
just a quarter of the voters.
Rush Limbaugh for president is a sign I’d love to see in 2012. It’s
unlikely, but I’m sure that if his influence remains strong someone just
like him will be the candidate. They won’t have a chance in Hades of
winning. Unless moderate Republicans begin to take control of their
party, the Party will go the way of the Whigs. After all, no one wants
to support a political party who only loves the country when their
running it, and whose idea of bi-partisanship doesn’t involve compromise
but domination.
Republican Wants Hip Hop Votes
Michael Steele, the newly elected chairman of the
Republican Party has said that they will apply conservative principles
to
hip hop settings
.
I think what the former Maryland Lieutenant Governor is trying to say is
that the Republican Party will be trying to get African American’s to
vote for them. This honestly makes sense from their perspective. So, me
being the strategic thinker I am, feel that perhaps the Democratic Party
should go after the Rodeo vote.
Seriously though, Michael Steele is a middle aged African American
Republican man. I doubt he has his fingers pulse on the hip hop
generation. I’m 27 and I don’t know that I still have as great an
understanding as I did five years ago before the I-pod went main stream
and discovered
Gill Scott Heron.
What Steele’s efforts speak to is an attempt to shift the extreme right
back into realms where sane people, and voters, live. It will only be
successful if the party cuts loose the Pat “assassinate elected foreign
officials” Robertson and the Rush “United States of GOP” Limbaugh’s. The
Republicans should take their party back.
There was a time, not long ago, when the Republican Party really were
fiscal conservatives. They really did believe in individual rights, so
much so that they aggressively fought against slavery and for the rights
of manumitted slaves. There was a time when the Republican Party had a
lock on the African American vote. That was a long time ago. That was
before they sold out to the fiscally irresponsible leanings of Reagan.
That was before they sold out to the racist, anti-Semitic, and heartless
teachings of Pat “Gays caused Aids” Robertson. And that was before being
a patriot meant demanding war but not demanding health care for wounded
soldiers. If Mike Steele really wants to rejuvenate his party, he’s
going to have to do more than throughout out catch phrases.
The Republicans and the Stimulus Bill
There are two different types of people, those who look at the big
picture and those who don’t. The Republicans who are currently in
congress care about power, not the American people and fit into the
latter category. There was once a time when the Republican Party worked
hard to ensure that all Americans, even the former slaves, had an
opportunity to achieve their dreams in America. Today the party of
Lincoln protects incompetent executives who are paid too much money to
run healthy companies into the ground. The Republicans are standing
against the stimulus bill, not because they do not believe in it, but
because there is not an advantage for their party in supporting it.
Here are some facts, Republicans have some beautiful ideas. The concept
of low taxes, small government, and self reliance are great ideas. The
belief that everyone will naturally find their own level and that all
one has to do is work hard to get what one wants is a wonderful idea,
but it is not true. These are great ideas in theory that, when applied
to real life, do have not worked. There was nothing inherently wrong
with trying them, but once we realized that they are not successful it
is our duty, to change our course and try something else.
Our current system of a lower percentage of tax on the income of the
rich is regressive and puts an unfair tax burden on the middle class.
Cutting taxes to the wealthy does not stimulate the economy because they
do not spend the money and our economy is dependent on spending. Our
schools, roads, and buildings are crumbling because we don’t have enough
tax income to pay for them. Our economy is at a stand still and a
stimulus bill’s purpose is to spend money to restart it. The stimulus
bill is not too big, it is too small.
The Republicans who are aggressively fighting against the stimulus bill
fall into two different camps. One camp is borderline libertarian and
never believes in government intervention, I can respectfully disagree
with them. The other camp cares about maintaining power, gaining wealth
as lobbyist when they retire, using racism to keep Whites, Hispanics,
and Blacks separated, using religion as a club to beat down God given
freedoms, and about personal gain. They are attempting to stop the Obama
presidency from saving the country so that they can regain power. These
pseudo-patriots deserve our contempt. Their actions on the stimulus bill
are bad for the nation, if you have a senator or congressman who stood
in the way, or continues to stand in the way, of the stimulus bill, call
or write them now and make your displeasure heard. This has more of an
affect than you realize.
A Rant Against African American Tribalism
The Black Artist Association’s leader,
Amnau Eele,
condemned Michelle Obama, saying that she should have worn a Black
Designers dress during the presidential inauguration. Normally, I like
to comment on how we have to pick and choose our battles, and we
shouldn’t worry about such minor things as dresses but in this
particular case I think it is important to call a spade a spade. The
Black Artist Association’s comments speak to a sort of tribalism that
has developed among some African Americans and has affected their
expectations of Obama.
The person who designed the dress the Michelle Obama wore is Asian. I am
going to venture a guess that the reason Michelle Obama wore the dress
is because she liked the way it looked. For Amanu Eele to demand that
Michelle pick a Black designer’s dress to the inauguration is not an
example of racial or cultural solidarity, it’s racist. Having a Black
president is not an opportunity for the African American people to grab
as much as we can like some dictator’s ethnic group in a failed third
world nation. It is an opportunity to live in an America where we are
unrestrained by racism and inequality. Barack is not “ours”. He is of
us, he was molded in many ways by the African American community, but we
do not own him. President Obama belongs to America in all of its shades
and colors. American’s of every ethnic group and background have a claim
on him just as we do. Barack is the President of the United States, not
of Black America.
Finally, two hundred years ago the best job Barack could have gotten in
Washington D.C. is field hand. He would have been a slave. Last week he
became president, a position that not even a poor White could aspire to
at the inception of our Republic. For Amanu to cheapen that day with
race baiting is not only in poor taste, but it is insulting to the
spirit of our ancestors who sacrificed so that a day like this could
arrive.
We've Come A Long Way
I’m happy, I mean really happy about what happened
yesterday. Obama has been sworn in as the nation’s first Black
president. Bush, the worst president since Hoover, has been replaced by
someone who is supremely qualified. Our international, and domestic,
possibilities have brightened. Entropy will most likely be beaten back
for the next few generations thanks to Americans.
Obama didn’t elect himself, he could only vote once. Millions of
Americans voted for him; they gave money to his campaign, they called
relatives to make sure that they voted. There are roughly 40 million
Blacks in this country. This means that countless Whites, Hispanics,
Asians, and Native Americans voted for him as well. And while the
confederate states save for North Carolina and Virginia, voted against
Obama, and the Midwest went right, we can still rejoice in what
president Obama means for the spiritual health of America.
Racism is not dead, but it is more of a serious infection than a
malignant tumor. We have come a long way. Many will try and deny that
fact. Some of the more extreme and foolish of us will try to say little
has changed since slavery. Those of us who are students of history will
disagree with them. Those of us who have sat at kitchen tables and
spoken with grandparents who have explained what it was like to be a
nigger instead of a human being will testify to the difference between
living with separate water fountains and living with a Black president:
To the distance between those two places. We are truly the Joshua
generation and we have a lot of work to do. We are not in paradise yet,
but we have emerged from the desert, after literally forty long years of
sacrifice.
Yesterday was a time for rejoicing, today is a time for work. Let us get
on with the work necessary to improve our people and our country, for it
is our country, and America truly is a place for all human beings
regardless of who they are.
Russia and Low Oil Prices
I really hope that we can figure out how to keep the cost of oil
per barrel low. I don’t hope this so that I can spend less for gasoline,
but because I hope Russia’s economic situation worsens to the point that
Russian’s who have overlooked Putin’s despotism for financial reasons
will cease to do so.
Russia is a country that has never known freedom. Russians have lived
under repressive plutocracies and oligarchies for nearly all of the
nation’s existence. Putin, whose soul President Bush saw, is the Czar of
Russia in all but name. His hold on power is pretty much the result of
oil money. So, beyond even our need to save our environment from global
warming, for the security of the United States, and the rest of the
world, we need energy independence from Russia and the Middle East.
Georgia was sacrificed on the alter of European energy needs. Russian
nationals have been assassinated by their government in Europe by
Putin’s people. Countless former Russian satellites are in danger from
the great bear of Europe. Because of this I hope the price stays low.
The Slavs deserve freedom just like everyone else does.
Merry Christmas: A Pro-Bush Article
I know he’s the worst president in history. The repercussions of
his failures in Iraq, Afghanistan, his rabid deregulation of the
markets, and his purposeful ignorance of the scientific evidence of
global warming will echo for a generation. So I could point all these
things out in detail or I could use a little Christmas spirit to find
the bright side of President Ebenezer. He did better by Africa than any
president had before him.
Under bush aid to Africa went from
1.5 billion to 4 billion.
He also extended health aid to the continent. Now, it could be
argued that he did this because he wanted Africom there, or because he
wanted oil resources from countries like Nigeria and Angola, but hey,
it’s Christmas so I'll pretend he was being altruistic. Besides, we got
less than a month of President Bush left. I can’t help but be Merry.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is Good for Democracy
When a strong man defies the will of the
people in Africa or the Middle East, the West often comments that “those
people” don’t have a culture that is compatible with democracy. We often
act as if it is the strength of out character, not the strength of our
system that makes us a free nation where democracy flourishes. Perhaps
Blagojevich disproves this theory.
Rod Blagojevich is governor of Illinois. He was caught on tape trying to
sell Barack’s old Senate seat for a profit, and he refuses to step down
despite national pressure. Mugabe is the president of Zimbabwe, he has
led his country into ruin, and he refused to step down despite
international pressure. Kibaki is president of Kenya, he refused to step
down despite losing the election and international pressure. Their is no
difference in the character of these three men. The only difference
between them is in the strength of the democracies in which they live.
In the United States Rod Blagojevich is subject to laws that can be
enforced despite his resistance of them. Mugabe answers to no one.
Kibaki answers only to international donors to Kenya’s economy.
Democracy is the right of all human beings and when we pretend that a
people or culture is completely incompatible with democracy, whether it
be one that follows Judeo-Christian values, Islamic values, or some
other religion, we do not doubting their way of life but their humanity.
Siemen's Bribes
Siemens bribed people around the world in order to get government
contracts. They were fined. Nobody went to jail. I have never bribed
anyone, but if I did I would probably go to jail for a long time. Why do
companies that do highly illegal things get fines, and individuals do
time. Makes me wonder.
If we had more people like
Elizabeth Warren, the credit crisis would never have taken place.
She is a champion of consumer rights when it comes to credit, now she is
doing oversight of the 700 billion dollar cash give away that is taking
place. She is ACTUALLY HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. If serious changes
take place, she will be at the root of it.
Obama Victory Means We’re All Americans
By Brandon Whitney
Roughly around the time of my conception Reagan was
sworn in as president of the United States. The great de-regulator
destroyed many of the institutions that made our nation great. He was
followed by Bush who continued his work. President Elect Obama
represents a return to the use of government for the greater good of all
people.
As an African American I am of course happy at the
fact that someone of my background is finally in the most powerful
position in our nation. But more importantly as an American I am proud
to see my nation take a step toward becoming what it aspires to be. For
the first time in my life, I feel that the word American describes me,
and people like me, without qualification.
I am the grandchild of a sharecropper turned teacher, the descendant
of Louisianan Creole slaves, and I am as American as anyone else. The
great dream of America, that hard work can get you where you want to go,
is a true one. Barack Obama will be a great president with sound
and intelligent policies, and this is the most important thing of all.
But more than that, Obama is a great symbolic victory for all Americans.
Overcoming the racism of the past is not just an African American
victory, it's an American victory.
Obama Wins--Wow!
Roughly around the time of my conception Reagan was sworn in as
president of the United States. The great deregulator destroyed many of
the institutions that made our nation great. He was followed by Bush who
continued his work. President Elect Obama represents a return to the use
of government for the greater good of all people.
As an African American I am of course happy at the fact that someone of
my background is finally in the most powerful position in our nation.
But more importantly as an American I am proud to see my nation take a
step toward becoming what it aspires to be. For the first time in my
life, I feel that the word American describes me, and people like me,
without qualification.
I am the grandchild of a sharecropper turned teacher, the descendent of
Louisianan Creole slaves, and I am as American as anyone else. The great
dream of America, that hard work can get you where you want to go, is a
true one. Barack Obama will be a great president with sound and
intelligent policies, and this is the most important thing of all. But
more than that, Obama is a great symbolic victory for all Americans.
Overcoming the racism of the past is not just an African American
victory, it’s an American victory.
So what do you think? If
you would like to respond to this article
click here
and sign our
Guestbook
to
leave a public or private statement, comment or reaction.
How Barack Obama
Works
The good folks at
“How Stuff Works.com” have a
great feature on Barack Obama by
Josh Clark.
Here’s how they divided the feature:
It would be easy to get mad at Tavis Smiley
for his apparent affront towards Obama. What I have found in my
short life is that the easy impulse is often the incorrect one.
Tavis is guilty of the same thing that a lot of African
Americans are. He's stuck in an old paradigm. The State of
Black America is an interesting event. It is good that African
Americans come together and speak about the issues that we are
faced with. It would be nice if most of the people on stage
were not middle aged but I digress. It would also be good if
Obama could attend this event considering the historical
significance of what he is likely to accomplish. It just isn't
as good as him winning the presidency.
Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania stand between
Obama and the presidency, as well as John McCain. As nice as
the State of Black America event is, I haven't seen a grand
shift in the African American community, nor have I come across
anyone who says they have changed their behaviors due to it.
That is not to say that the event lacks importance, but it is to
say that Obama might need to focus more on what can get him
elected then on what will give temporary satisfaction to the
African American elite.
So what do you think? If
you would like to respond to this article
click here
and sign our
Guestbook
to
leave a public or private statement, comment or reaction.
Brandon Whitney is the creator of
