I never truly understood the meaning of unmitigated gall until I saw Hillary Clinton tonight. The woman didn't have the decency to congratulate Obama on his VICTORY but only his "running" during the primary. That doesn't even begin to express her silence during the chants of Denver in the background while she touted her having the most popular votes while missing the fact that those votes won't count.
In many ways I was guilty of being naive enough to believe that Clinton would pull back from the scorched earth policy in the face of defeat. Clinton, should reamain what she is and go off into the sunset with her delusions of victory to comfort her.
I will say it now, If Obama selects Hillary Clinton he will truly be exhibiting the lack of judgement that both Clinton and Mccain have accused him of having.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Poetic Justice
The results of tonight's primary in Pennsylvania really bring home why Obama can't win in November and even more that many people in life get just what they deserve. When I see a complete absence of labor representatives in America providing true context to the disenfranchisement, exploitation and hardship that millions of working class Americans are experiencing in the face of "bittergate", I know things will only get worse.
When multi-millionaire pundits on corporate owned newschannels define what it is to be working class and millions who can barely make ends meet agree with them you know something is desperately wrong. Now, I am under no illusions that the majority of those who voted for Clinton today would have done so regardless of the "bitter" controversy; but to think that many of them would actually think that those comments were more damaging than the marginalized reality of their lives speaks volumes. At this point if someone believes that throwing back a beer and taking a shot equates to defending the working class, you deserve to be downsized and robbed of a pension while corporate CEO's cash out their platinum parachutes.
I expect gas prices to be at about 5 dollars come November with all of the related price increases that come with it. When this happens, I have no doubt that these same salt of the earth, working class people will find another "slight" that justifies voting against their own viability and the future of those just like them.
P.T. Barnum said it best, " A sucker is born every minute" and for some in America that birthrate is at an all-time high.
When multi-millionaire pundits on corporate owned newschannels define what it is to be working class and millions who can barely make ends meet agree with them you know something is desperately wrong. Now, I am under no illusions that the majority of those who voted for Clinton today would have done so regardless of the "bitter" controversy; but to think that many of them would actually think that those comments were more damaging than the marginalized reality of their lives speaks volumes. At this point if someone believes that throwing back a beer and taking a shot equates to defending the working class, you deserve to be downsized and robbed of a pension while corporate CEO's cash out their platinum parachutes.
I expect gas prices to be at about 5 dollars come November with all of the related price increases that come with it. When this happens, I have no doubt that these same salt of the earth, working class people will find another "slight" that justifies voting against their own viability and the future of those just like them.
P.T. Barnum said it best, " A sucker is born every minute" and for some in America that birthrate is at an all-time high.
The Return Of The Race Card
I am switching between news channels watching the usual suspects spew the same spin and revisionist history to characterize Sen. Clinton's victory in Pennsylvania as another great triumph. I must admit I'm impressed by some of the gymnastics involved in characterizing a 20% lead which evaporated into a probable 8% win as a great victory. This would be a rather routine night of sophistry if it weren't for the "first" Black president re-emerging with the good old reliable race-card.
In every adverse situation we see that the Clinton's are willing to stoop to any level to achieve their goals while simultaneously claiming victim status. This phenomenon couldn't be better illustrated than having Bill Clinton claim that the Obama camp "played the race-card" in South Carolina in order to win that primary. Now after a good bit of laughter I realized that by claiming victim status once again the Clintons are clearly planning to racebait voters in North Carolina in an attempt to win that race. What is a real point of interest for me now is how Bill and Hillary will claim that Whites are being disenfranchised in North Carolina without removing the last vestiges of Black support they have.
Watching the Clinton legacy transform and diminish by the minute is truly a spectacle to behold. The "First Black President" and by Clinton logic the first Black female co-President are headed toward becoming pariahs in a community which embraced them as their own. When this race is over and the Clintons having played every race card in the deck return to NY as losers, I can't wait to see how the Black community embraces them then.
In every adverse situation we see that the Clinton's are willing to stoop to any level to achieve their goals while simultaneously claiming victim status. This phenomenon couldn't be better illustrated than having Bill Clinton claim that the Obama camp "played the race-card" in South Carolina in order to win that primary. Now after a good bit of laughter I realized that by claiming victim status once again the Clintons are clearly planning to racebait voters in North Carolina in an attempt to win that race. What is a real point of interest for me now is how Bill and Hillary will claim that Whites are being disenfranchised in North Carolina without removing the last vestiges of Black support they have.
Watching the Clinton legacy transform and diminish by the minute is truly a spectacle to behold. The "First Black President" and by Clinton logic the first Black female co-President are headed toward becoming pariahs in a community which embraced them as their own. When this race is over and the Clintons having played every race card in the deck return to NY as losers, I can't wait to see how the Black community embraces them then.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
BloodSport
For those keeping count we have now seen crying, racebaiting and now what looks like the beginning of a smear campaign along the lines of anti-Islamic sentiment from She-Clinton. To put it short; I love it! For all the years that I had to hear the first "Black President" nonsense, to watching Hillary prop herself up here in NYC as an audition for the Presidency; the whole truth is being revealed.
For a moment I thought that the debacle that was the South Carolina campaign would be all that I would get in terms of a bloodfeud; but with Clinton taking Texas the crimson should flow very freely now. If it goes according to plan and it will, Clinton will lead this fight not only to Colorado but also to court and will ultimately make her and Bill pariahs among Democrats. This will be enough to actually break the almost slavish devotion Blacks have to the Democratic party and she will effectively do what had seemed impossible, she will give McCain the means to take the White House.
Now the prior statement may seem like hyperbole but there are enough elements out there to make it a reality. The first element comes in the form of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. For the vast majority of the campaign both Jackson and Sharpton have been marginalized in a manner that hasn't been seen in nearly 2 decades. The mere appearance of Clinton attempting to "steal" the Democratic nomination through litigation and smear campaigns would be the perfect opportunity for both Civil rights leaders to insert themselves back into the national spotlight. Just picture Al and Jesse leading protesters to Colorado to demonstrate against the will of the people being subverted and robbing Obama of his rightful nomination. Second, we have the aspect of race that has been simmering under the surface since South Carolina. As mentioned, the appearance of the first viable Black candidate for President being robbed of his opportunity with the blessing of the Democratic establishment may be enough for millions of Black democratic supporters to stay home in November. Lastly, there is the influx of new young voters. This is the area that may actually be the most volatile. The diminishment in cynicism that has come as a result of the way Obama has campaigned could easily re-emerge as pragmatism may dictate that he go after Clinton in the area of WhiteWater and Bill Clinton's income among other scandals.
The weeks leading to the Democratic convention should be very interesting to say the least.
P.S. As a reminder for those that don't think this doomsday scenario can take place just look at the NYC mayoral campaign involving Mike Bloomberg and Mark Green.
For a moment I thought that the debacle that was the South Carolina campaign would be all that I would get in terms of a bloodfeud; but with Clinton taking Texas the crimson should flow very freely now. If it goes according to plan and it will, Clinton will lead this fight not only to Colorado but also to court and will ultimately make her and Bill pariahs among Democrats. This will be enough to actually break the almost slavish devotion Blacks have to the Democratic party and she will effectively do what had seemed impossible, she will give McCain the means to take the White House.
Now the prior statement may seem like hyperbole but there are enough elements out there to make it a reality. The first element comes in the form of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. For the vast majority of the campaign both Jackson and Sharpton have been marginalized in a manner that hasn't been seen in nearly 2 decades. The mere appearance of Clinton attempting to "steal" the Democratic nomination through litigation and smear campaigns would be the perfect opportunity for both Civil rights leaders to insert themselves back into the national spotlight. Just picture Al and Jesse leading protesters to Colorado to demonstrate against the will of the people being subverted and robbing Obama of his rightful nomination. Second, we have the aspect of race that has been simmering under the surface since South Carolina. As mentioned, the appearance of the first viable Black candidate for President being robbed of his opportunity with the blessing of the Democratic establishment may be enough for millions of Black democratic supporters to stay home in November. Lastly, there is the influx of new young voters. This is the area that may actually be the most volatile. The diminishment in cynicism that has come as a result of the way Obama has campaigned could easily re-emerge as pragmatism may dictate that he go after Clinton in the area of WhiteWater and Bill Clinton's income among other scandals.
The weeks leading to the Democratic convention should be very interesting to say the least.
P.S. As a reminder for those that don't think this doomsday scenario can take place just look at the NYC mayoral campaign involving Mike Bloomberg and Mark Green.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
True Colors
The euphoria that I and many others felt after Obama's victory in Iowa was soon tempered by the reality of the bloodfeud that had to come as She-Clinton and Obama compete for the Democratic nomination. While it was great to re-examine the reality of racism in America and the possibility of a Black man becoming president from a perspective of optimisim and hope; it is oftentimes best to allow cynicism to enter our minds just to keep things honest.
With the spectre of political correctness permeating nearly every aspect of our society; it is oftentimes difficult to get a straight answer out of anyone when the question pertains to a cntroversial topic. In New Hampshire, Obama had a 10% lead and was about to put another nail in the Clinton coffin until something strange happened, he lost. The only explanation for this outcome is that some of the White voters polled would rather lie about their intentions to vote for a Black candidate than possibly be branded a racist by telling the true feelings. This is where cynicism has its place and in tandem with something negative it NEVER fails to reveal the truth.
If we look at recent history in regard to race relations it is never moments like the March On Washington, Thurgood Marshall's appointment to the Supreme Court etc. that reveals where we stand as a nation, Rather it is events such as the L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson trial that bring out our true colors. The riots and more significantly the Simpson trial had elements that wouldn't allow for fence riding and political correctness: crime, sex, interracial marriage and the Criminal justice system just to name a few forced people to truly speak their minds. In much the same way the Primary being located in South Carolina allowed for the same perfect storm.
The legacy of slavery, the confederate flag and an electorate that was nearly 50/50 Black and White in terms of population gave us the opportunity to have a better glimpse at where we truly stand. Watching some White voters openly stating that " Obama, Osama is too close of a connection" and the first "Black President" and his wife becoming suddenly paler by the minute as a means to win at any cost really demonstrates just how far we have actually come in terms of race relations. While Obama did win and captured 22% of the White vote, what happened in South Carolina was meant to set the stage for the major showdown on Super tuesday.
South Carolina was the only place that the Clintons felt comfortable in making their implicit overtures for the White vote to counter the supposed mandate that Black voters have now given Obama. Taking this into consideration with the crying game, I can't wait to see how things play out on Super Tuesday.
With the spectre of political correctness permeating nearly every aspect of our society; it is oftentimes difficult to get a straight answer out of anyone when the question pertains to a cntroversial topic. In New Hampshire, Obama had a 10% lead and was about to put another nail in the Clinton coffin until something strange happened, he lost. The only explanation for this outcome is that some of the White voters polled would rather lie about their intentions to vote for a Black candidate than possibly be branded a racist by telling the true feelings. This is where cynicism has its place and in tandem with something negative it NEVER fails to reveal the truth.
If we look at recent history in regard to race relations it is never moments like the March On Washington, Thurgood Marshall's appointment to the Supreme Court etc. that reveals where we stand as a nation, Rather it is events such as the L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson trial that bring out our true colors. The riots and more significantly the Simpson trial had elements that wouldn't allow for fence riding and political correctness: crime, sex, interracial marriage and the Criminal justice system just to name a few forced people to truly speak their minds. In much the same way the Primary being located in South Carolina allowed for the same perfect storm.
The legacy of slavery, the confederate flag and an electorate that was nearly 50/50 Black and White in terms of population gave us the opportunity to have a better glimpse at where we truly stand. Watching some White voters openly stating that " Obama, Osama is too close of a connection" and the first "Black President" and his wife becoming suddenly paler by the minute as a means to win at any cost really demonstrates just how far we have actually come in terms of race relations. While Obama did win and captured 22% of the White vote, what happened in South Carolina was meant to set the stage for the major showdown on Super tuesday.
South Carolina was the only place that the Clintons felt comfortable in making their implicit overtures for the White vote to counter the supposed mandate that Black voters have now given Obama. Taking this into consideration with the crying game, I can't wait to see how things play out on Super Tuesday.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
It's On
Barack Obama just won the Iowa Caucus.
Now when the Obama campaign began with the slogan of "The Audacity of Hope" my immediate response was a synical "Another Jackson run". Obama would run as a means of inspiration with no chance of winning despite the multi-million dollar war-chest and the blessings of Oprah. While I still feel the same way; his victory tonight has stripped me of the cynicism I once had.
To make it plain, I don't believe that America is ready for the paradigm shift that would have to occur in order to elect a Black man as the leader of the free world. With that said, I am very much excited and intrigued by how close Obama can get to that unthinkable goal. With Hillary coming in 3rd the coronation is officially over and the bloodfeud that I was expecting is about to begin.
The opportunity to see 'The First Black President" and she-Clinton battle with Obama over who is more authentically Black in places like South Carolina and elsewhere is pay-per view worthy. The possibility that the euphoria of tonight's victory turns into stoic pragmatism amongst White voters as we get closer to November is also a point of interest.
The closest we have been to anything like this was the possibility of Colin Powell running for President. While Powell would win in all of the hypothetical matchups, his viability as a real candidate was never put the test. With Obama, there is something tangible to put all of that prior speculation to the test.
The Audacity Of Hope, while I am not a believer; I am a lot more open to being converted.
Now when the Obama campaign began with the slogan of "The Audacity of Hope" my immediate response was a synical "Another Jackson run". Obama would run as a means of inspiration with no chance of winning despite the multi-million dollar war-chest and the blessings of Oprah. While I still feel the same way; his victory tonight has stripped me of the cynicism I once had.
To make it plain, I don't believe that America is ready for the paradigm shift that would have to occur in order to elect a Black man as the leader of the free world. With that said, I am very much excited and intrigued by how close Obama can get to that unthinkable goal. With Hillary coming in 3rd the coronation is officially over and the bloodfeud that I was expecting is about to begin.
The opportunity to see 'The First Black President" and she-Clinton battle with Obama over who is more authentically Black in places like South Carolina and elsewhere is pay-per view worthy. The possibility that the euphoria of tonight's victory turns into stoic pragmatism amongst White voters as we get closer to November is also a point of interest.
The closest we have been to anything like this was the possibility of Colin Powell running for President. While Powell would win in all of the hypothetical matchups, his viability as a real candidate was never put the test. With Obama, there is something tangible to put all of that prior speculation to the test.
The Audacity Of Hope, while I am not a believer; I am a lot more open to being converted.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Good Old Days
In the aftermath of Sean Taylor's death I still find myself surprised at the consistency in the arguments of pundits who choose to use his murder as an indictment of Rap and Black pop-culture. A staple of their vitriol is the ever-present "Good Old Days" where the Black community was absent of all the ills that currently plague us.
In the mind of these critics every single aspect of American pathology conveniently finds its origins around Rap music and Black pop-culture. What is notable is that several of these individuals are in their 40's and 50's which place them in a very interesting time frame to be so self-righteous.
The imagery, language and sound that currently permeates through Rap/R&B are a reflection of both Blackploitation films and 70's soul music. Both genres are more than 3 decades old and yet when we see their manifestation currently it is supposedly the result of the decadence of todays youth.
When some of these individuals express visceral outrage about: D.L. Hughley, Lil Kim, Snoop etc.I can't help but to be cynical about their anger and disbelief when they were exposed to everything from Pryor, Foxx, The Mack, Pam Grier et al.
There is an inherent flaw in reducing the complexities involved in crime, miseducation and poverty in the Black community that seems to escape many who use it as a basis for self-aggrandizement; and that would be the depiction of Blacks in mainstream media in the first half of the 20th century.
In the first half of the 20th century when the vast majority of Black imagery in mainstream culture was that of Sambo, Mammy, minstrels etc; why didn't the Black community degenerate to that level of behavior? There was less economic prosperity, education and positive imagery in that setting than there is now. If the simplistic 1 to 1 correlation that is being drawn between media depictions and pathology truly existed it should've manifested itself much more prominently back then instead of now.
While we are all guilty of providing a rose colored directors cut of our trips down memory lane; what is going on now is a lot different. What is currently taking place is wilfull revisionism which results in the diminishing of personal responsibility.
In the mind of these critics every single aspect of American pathology conveniently finds its origins around Rap music and Black pop-culture. What is notable is that several of these individuals are in their 40's and 50's which place them in a very interesting time frame to be so self-righteous.
The imagery, language and sound that currently permeates through Rap/R&B are a reflection of both Blackploitation films and 70's soul music. Both genres are more than 3 decades old and yet when we see their manifestation currently it is supposedly the result of the decadence of todays youth.
When some of these individuals express visceral outrage about: D.L. Hughley, Lil Kim, Snoop etc.I can't help but to be cynical about their anger and disbelief when they were exposed to everything from Pryor, Foxx, The Mack, Pam Grier et al.
There is an inherent flaw in reducing the complexities involved in crime, miseducation and poverty in the Black community that seems to escape many who use it as a basis for self-aggrandizement; and that would be the depiction of Blacks in mainstream media in the first half of the 20th century.
In the first half of the 20th century when the vast majority of Black imagery in mainstream culture was that of Sambo, Mammy, minstrels etc; why didn't the Black community degenerate to that level of behavior? There was less economic prosperity, education and positive imagery in that setting than there is now. If the simplistic 1 to 1 correlation that is being drawn between media depictions and pathology truly existed it should've manifested itself much more prominently back then instead of now.
While we are all guilty of providing a rose colored directors cut of our trips down memory lane; what is going on now is a lot different. What is currently taking place is wilfull revisionism which results in the diminishing of personal responsibility.
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