Obama Criticism - He should not get a pass just because he is BLACK
Being a critic does not mean I do not support Obama. It simply means that I WILL treat him the same way I would another politician. With his "Change and Hope " speeches (getting old), Barack Obama is still a politician who has to pander and even lie to get elected. Just because he is black and I am black, does not mean I will become blind to that fact, or become an irrational member of this new church: Obama Full Gospel. With this, I would like to point out:
On May 22, 2008, Barack Obama decided to go to Boca Raton. He had a speaking engagement there. It was not surprising that he assured his audience he will be in their corner during his hopeful presidency. His audience: Jewish Americans. According to his aides and himself, he wanted to assure the American Jewish community that he will be 'their man', and that he will use every measure to protect Israel. All this protection for Israel - but none from cops who continue to bash in the heads of black men.
Now, I have a few questions. Has Barack singled out a black organization to go 'chat with'? Has he meet with the Congressional Black Caucus to discuss black America's issues? Didn't he refuse to attend the Tavis's function? I can't recall him going to the Urban League or even the NAACP to 'chat about our issues'. Seriously, I have not heard a thing. Perhaps, the one time I decided to forgo watching CNN and FOX a report of his presence was reported??
Barack is my boy because he is the best candidate of the three - but he is just like all the rest: A Politician. And, most politicians do not give a damn about our issues because our votes in the end will not secure he/she a victory.
How much longer will we be a fool for these politicians? I ain't gonna join the Barack Obama church like so many of us have. Getting all emotional and the Holy Spirit! I select to sit back, encourage my folk to register to vote and then vote, vote for him in the general election, and if he wins I will continue to do what a tax payer should do:
Make these Capitol Hill cronies do their job!
Written by Muata. Inspired by Patrick Medley.
Being a critic does not mean I do not support Obama. It simply means that I WILL treat him the same way I would another politician. With his "Change and Hope " speeches (getting old), Barack Obama is still a politician who has to pander and even lie to get elected. Just because he is black and I am black, does not mean I will become blind to that fact, or become an irrational member of this new church: Obama Full Gospel. With this, I would like to point out:
On May 22, 2008, Barack Obama decided to go to Boca Raton. He had a speaking engagement there. It was not surprising that he assured his audience he will be in their corner during his hopeful presidency. His audience: Jewish Americans. According to his aides and himself, he wanted to assure the American Jewish community that he will be 'their man', and that he will use every measure to protect Israel. All this protection for Israel - but none from cops who continue to bash in the heads of black men.
Now, I have a few questions. Has Barack singled out a black organization to go 'chat with'? Has he meet with the Congressional Black Caucus to discuss black America's issues? Didn't he refuse to attend the Tavis's function? I can't recall him going to the Urban League or even the NAACP to 'chat about our issues'. Seriously, I have not heard a thing. Perhaps, the one time I decided to forgo watching CNN and FOX a report of his presence was reported??
Barack is my boy because he is the best candidate of the three - but he is just like all the rest: A Politician. And, most politicians do not give a damn about our issues because our votes in the end will not secure he/she a victory.
How much longer will we be a fool for these politicians? I ain't gonna join the Barack Obama church like so many of us have. Getting all emotional and the Holy Spirit! I select to sit back, encourage my folk to register to vote and then vote, vote for him in the general election, and if he wins I will continue to do what a tax payer should do:
Make these Capitol Hill cronies do their job!
Written by Muata. Inspired by Patrick Medley.
4 comments:
Reader Response:
I think you're right on point re: the accountability issue. Obama should be held to the same expectations that other presidential candidates have been. To me, Obama is simply a well intentioned "politician" with honorable ideals set against a genuine American Story backdrop. And, I would wager that at least 95% of all persons entering politics start out that way. Just to be clear, as a Black man, I'm extremely proud and excited to see Obama (a man of color) as a viable presidential candidate, but still, he's only a man. To your point, it's up to each of us to keep the politicians honest. It's just like Bob Johnson and BET, whom I was initially proud of as he achieved success in the TV industry, however I quickly railed against him once I realized his success was at the expense and exploitation of our Black culture.
Many have argued that Obama is not showing enough "public" support of so called "Black Issues". Again, as you stated, Obama is a politician, and I think if we really believe Obama's message of "hope and change", we should allow him to execute the strategy. Here's what I'm saying: if Obama started engaging on all of the "perceived Black Issues", his campaign would've been over from the start, much like Alan Keys in 04 & 08 (for reasons of race and too many others to name), Al Sharpton in '04 and Jesse Jackson in '84.... In fact, just a couple of days ago, I caught a CNN interview with an old White man in KY, who offered some pretty good advise to Obama. When asked what would he tell Obama to do to win the Presidency, his remarks were, "Get your act to together. And stop being so Black". Now I know that was only one old White man from KY, but you'd better believe that for every one man that speaks out, there are a whole lot more nodding their heads in agreement. So, to that end, I think Obama has been running a pretty sound campaign, and the only critical mis-steps, thus far, have been his initial responses to the Rev Wright remarks, which consequently provided the impetus his outstanding speech on race, and "bitter-gate", which I'm still awaiting his speech re: class.
Further, let's call a spade a spade, politicians have to be everything to everybody, all of the time, and the only way to do this effectively is to be a fantastic liar, or master the art of "spinning", so that they can say one thing to a particular audience, then "spin it" so that it means something different to the next. And the real truth re: why "Black Issues" are not given much "pandering" is because we continue to claim exclusivity. To get the attention focused on issues that disproportionately affect the Black community, we have to begin to talk about them in the broader context of the American community, i.e., Black children aren't the only ones being "left behind" academically, he!l, the Chinese and Japanese have been kicking our AMERICAN (Black, White, or otherwise) azzes for years. Another example is economic viability in the Black community. The economic plight of Americans in general is worsening (although, Bla cks feel it disproportionately more). The dollar has been declining in Latin America, Europe and Asia, and thus, they can come to the US and buy up real estate, businesses, lobby for our jobs to be offshored to their countries, etc! While most Americans are suffering as a result of failed domestic economic, social and trade policies, which seemingly have benefited only the rich and super-rich. Some good news in all of this: with the US dollar on the decline, labor costs abroad becomes more expensive for US companies. That's Capitalism.....the good, the bad, and the ugly. Americans need to unplug from the grid of capitalistic greed and deception to see that "there is more that unites us, than there is that divides us."
-AE
Reader Response:
I will have to correct you on something. He was not able to go to Tavis's function and stated that his wife would be able to go. TAVIS refused as if his wife were not good enough and started bashing him.
I really do think he will address a lot of the issues you are talking about. Right now, I believe he has a strategy. He is a person of all the people. He cannot just single one group out or it will make him look like he is only after the black vote. He may not have done all the things you are talking about yet, but I believe he will. Right now, all of this is politics. Sorry to say, to get over the echelon that Jesse and Al (and I praise them) tried to do, BArack is just trying to do it a different way to cross the finish line.
-CG
Reader Response:
I voted for Barak in the primary and given the chance again, with what's out there, I'd do it again in the general too. Given, however the circumstanses of the prior two general elections, and with Hillary in the race like it ain't over (reverse it as though Barak were in the same position as Hillary and how long ago he'd have been *ahem" forced to concede.) Because it's so hard to predict what to expect, I'll just keep options open.
-EAS
Muata Responds to CG:
CG-
I am aware Barack rejected Tavis's invitation, and that Barack offered to send Michelle in his place. However, you have not addressed the issue: Barack has not pandered to the black community like he did today (May 23, 2008) with the Cuban American community in Sunrise, Florida.
It is amazes me that many of us cannot see that Barack Obama has neglected us in this campaign. All we can appreciate is that he is BLACK which is understanable. And, then we rationalize his avoidance of us with: "He is a man of the people, not just black people." Again, why not come to us and press upon us his dedication to what is important to us? Is it because he is black and he is afraid they (the white majority) will assume and/or accuse him of 'favoring' black people? No one is saying this when he goes to an exclusive Cuban or Jewish community.
It is apparent we all have different issues thus the reason he selects to address various/different communities e.g. blue collar workers in West Virginia, seniors in Florida, etc.
Have black people become so 'apart' of the American community that we have lost the fact we have been strategically placed behind the eight ball?
Let's come down from this HIGH and see this situation with REALNESS.
-Muata
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