365 days later, and President Obama admits he underestimated the resistance to his promise of change and vision of hope.Like many of us who found a renewed faith in US politics, President Obama appears to have gotten it. He appears to understand his generated enthusiasm has been short-lived. Fleeting. Gone. This was expected by those of us who have been referred to as Uncle Tom haters, field Negro wet blankets, and pathetic black men jealous of the first black president. Go figure…Jealous. Really?
Reality has sat in. The intoxicating euphoria has been sobered. Of course, this is not meant to imply that there have not been any positive steps taken. Nope. It is a blunt reminder that President Barack Obama will not change the core of American politics: Deep-seated Dysfunctionalism.
Our government is broken. Yeah…you have heard that cliché before. Hearing it this time around has to really ring a bell because a man committed to change has been somewhat defeated within a year. For the second time in history, a president has become a lame duck after three hundred and sixty-five days. Just like Jimmy Carter.
The Demise of Obamamania is threefold:
1) Barack Obama actually believed that those on the Right would heed to his campaign
slogan, Change We Can Believe In. The Republicans NEVER believed in Obama.
2) Barack Obama miscalculated the power of conservative talk radio and television. Rush Limbaugh and Fox News are forces to be reckoned with. Obama’s administration has not fought fire with fire, neglecting to believe that many Americans agree with the Hannity’s and Beck’s of the world. These people actually hate Change that may come from a black man.
3) Barack Obama will foolishly continue to ‘work the other side of the isle’. This effort
continued after it has been solidified that the GOP is a Party of No, not Advancement?
Here is where President stands in the shallow minds of Americans and foreign nations:
Where’s the Love for Obama?
http://www.cnn.com/video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_freevideo+%28RSS%3A+Video%29#/video/politics/2010/01/20/am.costello.where.is.the.love.cnn
World Views Obama’s First Year
http://www.cnn.com/video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_freevideo+%28RSS%3A+Video%29#/video/world/2010/01/20/sot.obama.year.one.world.cnn
The discontent is growing - with a silver lining: black folk will remain in President Obama’s court no matter what. We have to be the most innocently misguided loyal people on earth.
Written by Brian E. Payne. Inspired that person saying, ‘Dang! It has only been a year.’
The Thrill is Gone
http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627069328557054
4 comments:
Reader Response:
The beauty of living in these times is that we can generally speak freely about our beliefs of government and not be persecuted...generally. As a man of color who possesses a decent amount of reason, I tend to take the "ME" out of the whole electoral process we witnessed little more than a year ago. Why? You may ask...I am informed with the ability to know I will prosper spiritually, mentally, and financially regardless of who is "in charge". My issues are kids who have no hope for ever getting out of poverty, disenfrancisement, single parent homes,etc. Lame duck or no...Hope, be it dim or highly illuminated has rarely been seen by young brothers who have issue spelling it. Is that enough? "NO" but it is a start. For those of us who are in the trenches and deal with the future generation on the constant, we know there are hurdles before President Obama and no magic wand was going to wipe out this fiscal fiasco and endless war in 365 days. Anyone with a bit of political prowess knew he had to sell US on the concept of believing some of the promises he doled out. Some call them lies but he knew, just as I did, that handshake deals had to be given in order to initiate change. Let not this brother be judged on 365 days. Should we give up Hope then long live Richie Allen projects, drastic teen pregnancy, substandard schools and never receiving what is rightfully ours. At minimum, we have a man in office who is willing to atttempt to throw a wrench in the "old boys" network. A man who understands that Black Folk have suffered in the Digital Divide and has the stones to say "it aint about me but it is about giving "God's Chosen People" and other ethnicities the opportunity to fly. Read...Valley of the Dry Bones" and "Stolen Legacy". In the words of Jimmy Valvano..Don't Ever Give Up! I'm surrounded by fatherless boys who needed a glimmer of Hope from a man of color outside of the degradation they see daily..so was his first 365 truly a disappointment. I can care less about polls by pundits and voters. We need young brothers to grow up as men who can be husbands and fathers (for sisters who are graduating from post secondary schools) as well as believe they can wear a tie to work if they so choose. Faith is truly the substance of Things Hoped for and I can assure any reader of this that the Status Quo (Anglo prez) wasn't gonna wash for another generation of people of color as all we can hang our hats on were Jackson, Sharpton, Lewis and the like. The polls can continue to show waning popularity but those representing the "grassroots" (many without internet) see a ray of light...insurance or not. Peace, Strive and Hard Work...We know both! Jim...Make a difference in your community for Educational Sterility is not an option!
-JW
Muata responds to JW:
I appreciate your response, and your passion. It shows.
Reality dictates what will happen. Hope leaves one hoping. Hope is an intangible substance that leaves people 'wanting'. In need. Desperate. For some, hope is 'divine' fantasy that's generated via spirituality and religion. And, we know religion is unsubstantiated. Unpredictable. Man-made. Dangerous. Flawed to the core. Reality is 'tangible' e.g. unemployment, escalating crime, mis-education, etc.
No. We should not give up hope. But, it is a hope that many of us including our ancestors carried without realizing that reality comes day by day. I ain't ready to die just hoping.
We have to face the reality that The Presidency in totality does nothing for the black men and women on the streets. What we have right now is a black man in office. Great. What will change for the least of us as a result? America will be what it is: a mess. The division among its leadership is the stalemate. That unmovable political action has destroyed America.
-Muata
JW responds to Muata:
this passion that we both share will co-exist far after we are both long gone yet I can assure you that regardless of whom we have in office, if grassroots efforts are not undertaken, we can all get our 40 Acres and A Mule
yet we will have no knowledge of how to till the land! My people, in general, have no knowledge of self...look at it like this, if you will, ( I,too, appreciate your passion) ..we are the only group of folk to "not" receive what
is justly ours though we suffered the largest atrocity, SLAVERY. Yes, it takes on all forms yet I speak of being taken frm the motherland. Asians received
reparations for WWII and Jews got such for the Holacaust of which funds were used for schools, communities, businesses and financial infrastructure..are you
with me? There is strength and empowerment in knowledge of who we are and as a whole...we have no clue! We don't have AA History as a prerequisite in class.
Gov't aint gonna provide all of that regardless of who is in the seat. It all ties together. We can disagree until we get on CNN yet I can close with this..I
had a dad who was a milkman and I had a mother who did hair. They decided they wanted to be PARENTS first and give me the shot they were denied. What are we
going to do for kids? Are we to depend on Obama? Blame him? It all works together! One day we will tell our seed it is ok to go against what society does! Itz ok to say I'm not having sex because I wanna better my plight and my
soul is worth far mor than as few minutes of fun, especially for kids. I see the lack of HOPE in 14 year olds (and younger) people and my people struggled
far too long (gave up their lives inmany cases) for me to tell some aspiring kid that his dream can't happen. Part of mine has (yea, I'm paid but that is not
who I am) and I'm doing the other part in providing a framework for
Afro-American dreamers. Be it known that pro-Black does not denote anti-White yet I refuse to believe that a WASP can dictate what I can and can't achieve.
Not in this time! The Black woman is the mother of us all...there was no mother before her. In as much, we owe her the respect of truth, a man she can see as
her leader and FATHER for the seed. Be well, Black Man.
-JW
Reader Response:
You are so right. President expected others to accept change, but people do not want to heed to what he is saying. Look at the banks. They will not listen to his ideas to help the common hard-working Americans whether you are black or white.
-SP
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