Ted Kennedy Redeemed?
Pivoting off the great point Mike's correspondent made--is it possible that Ted Kennedy (and the rest of the Kennedy clan) actually came through for Obama? If you look at the places Obama made inroads tonight--older voters, white Catholics, Latinos, the white working class--those are all groups with which Kennedy was said to have influence.
I don't know the answer. (If it's a yes, it's a probably a marginal yes. But, as I keep saying, this is a margins game...) But what's less plausible: expecting Ted Kennedy to pay dividends for you among these voters in a single week (roughly the amount of time between the endorsement and Super Tuesday)? Or expecting the effect to unfold gradually over the course of a couple weeks? Several of the demographics I mentioned are generally slow to assimilate news--and they didn't know Obama very well to begin with. It wouldn't shock me if it took them a little while to get up to speed on him, and if the Kennedy endorsement was the beginning of that process.
--Noam Scheiber
Now, I hadn't thought of this. From where I sit, the Kennedy Endorsements might have done this.
But, I'll go back to Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, who pointed out that the purpose of the Kennedy Endorsements was thus:
To STOP, in its tracks, the GHETTOIZATION of Barack Obama.
Stopped it dead in its tracks, giving Obama the breathing room to succeed during Super Tuesday.
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2 comments:
For some strange reason, people think that Ted Kennedy is Mr. Democrat? Hello People, He's Not. I mean look at the results. He couldn't pull his own state for Obama. The Shriver, Kennedy, Oprah Sorority Party was a bust and couldn't pull California. That was embarrasing, it looked desperate and obvious. Remember California, especially LA is about the glamour but they are also about getting PAID. There wasn't much talk about houw people where getting PAID.
Ted Kennedy is one of those Back Door and Behind Closed Door politicians. His Mojo will be used when those Super Delegates need to be counted and pre-committed and even then you might have a problem because PROMISES have to be made. Those Promises can be and will be in conflict with the Tone and Tenor of the Obama Dialogue With America and by the time of the convension, someone will need to step up and SPEAK CLEARLY WITH DETAILS. If it either side look like their are SECRETS and SECRET DEALS being made, ITS GOING TO GET NASTY. Having people around you known for doing that isn't going to go will with the American Public who are Looking and Paying Attention more so now than ever before.
Also with Obama preachings of getting rid of the established and entrenched Washington establishment, with Ted Kennedy standing/sitting next to him, it was a VISUAL OXYMORON MOMENT. Ted Kennedy needed to throw in his support in private, and stepped back into the shadows. Many people were turned off at the visual on stage and thew in their vote to Clinton.
Was Ted Redeemed ... to be honest, it don't matter. He keeps his power and influence no matter who wins and he has Political Promises and Paybacks that extend from Hell to Heaven.
I will repeat my position on Ted Kennedy and thus the reference that he makes upon Barack Obama:
TED KENNEDY'S POLICIES ARE A THREAT TO ANY CLEAR THINKING BLACK PERSON WHO IS AIMING FOR BLACK INDEPENDENCE OF THOUGHT, INDUSTRIOUSNESS AND THE ORDERING OF OURSELVES WITH RESPECT TO THE COMMON DREAMS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN. Ted Kennedy blows to HELL that proverbial notion of "Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" as he makes his rounds each day at 6am and 6pm, ringing the bell of his fish distribution truck through the Black community. He is the icon of the "snarling fox" that brother Malcolm warned us about.
Sad to say my people have been conditioned to believe that what is POPULAR among Black folks is what is BEST FOR BLACK FOLKS and anyone, like me, who dares to stop the "fish distribution" of the succulent fried talapia (along with hot sauce so we are not troubled with having to bring anything of our own to the feast) is said to be against the interests of Black America.
I don't know Barack Obama with his short time on stage except that he makes a great speech. I KNOW TED KENNEDY like the gum stuck to my shoe in the summertime. Ted Kennedy IS NOT GOOD FOR Black people who have RACIAL DIGNITY about themselves.
The fact that this man saw favor in Barack Obama makes me seek to scrutinize the policies of BARACK OBAMA and the destructive effects that they might have on the self-sufficient Black community who's hopes seems to be fading away.
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