Black Backers Steadfast for Clinton
and
Committed: Why I'm Sticking With Hillary
They bothered me. They bothered me for several reasons. The main thing is that they're putting out there, in the MSM, that Black folk are pressuring them, for no good reason. Like, ' irrationally', Black folk are demanding they switch their allegiance to Obama - JUST BECAUSE HE'S BLACK.
And, that's simply not the case.
This came to me last night, and I'll present it to you:
Imagine if this were any other ethnic group. They had one of ‘their own’ running, and the main competition race-baited/ethnic-baited ‘your own’.
Please explain to me what other ethnic group would remotely tolerate THEIR elected representative supporting the competition POST race-baiting?
Can you imagine it with ANY other group? Yeah, neither can I.
WE’RE the only ones who would allow this BS….and SHAME ON US.
That's the key for me:::: POST RACE-BAITING::::
And, why I say, straight up, I have no respect for any Black Clinton supporter.
I tried to explain this point on another blog last night:
I have Black Republican friends who won't vote for Obama on philosophical grounds. I respect that.
I have Black Radical friends who won't vote for Obama because he's not radical enough and they disagree with him on philosophy - they're going Green Party. I respect that.
But, considering that Black folk vote 90% Democratic, I expect them to vote for Obama, who is the most Progressive between the two, and is Black.
ESPECIALLY post race-baiting - there is no excuse. The only Black folks for Hillary now, post race-baiting are either: Handkerchief Heads or Haters.
Post race-baiting is the key. That is a dealbreaker.
Like I've said before: Black folks will take care of Negroes that help the Clintons ' Stack the Deck'.
This blogger asked:
So what you're saying is that there is no acceptable reason for voting for Hillary because of what they did in South Carolina?
That's what I'm saying.
When they race-baited Obama, it wasn't even about Obama anymore. It was about ANY future Black politician with aspirations higher than a gerrymandered Congressional Seat.
If the Clintons succeed, then they will have given the blueprint for how to defeat other Black politicians.
We are right at the cusp of a new generation of Black politicans. They are the post-Civil Rights generation, and most of them have decided, on their own, to use the same track as Obama.
That is...
They are NOT running as The Black Candidate.
They are running as The Candidate who happens to be Black.
Corey Booker. Adrian Fenty. Deval Patrick. Harold Ford, Jr., Artur Davis. Hell, even Republican Michael Steele. They all run that way.
Even those who used to run as candidates that are Black, have tried a great deal to change themselves to The Candidate who happens to be Black - I'm thinking about Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. He's definitely in a trick bag, because of his name - without it, he wouldn't have been elected to Congress. But, since the moment he arrived, he's been trying to turn himself into a post-Civil Rights candidate. He really is a very smart guy, with a terrific wife.
The problem with what the Clintons did was multi-fold:
1. They pretended to be the Black community's friend...who can betray you MORE - an enemy or a friend?
The racial attacks on Obama by Cunningham and the TN GOP this week? Rolling off the backs of Black folk - because we never thought they were friends in the first place. But, the Clintons? supposed friends.
2. Obama, to his credit, never really altered his message - though he was criticized by many, who thought he should have added more ' fire and brimstone' when speaking to Black audiences. Me? I thought it was the only way for Obama to keep on message and keep with consistency.
In doing so, Obama ran this campaign on his own terms, and ' The Community' spent the better part of a year - from February 2007 to January 3, 2008 - getting used to , psychologically, thinking and then accepting Barack Obama as
" The Candidate Running for President Who Happens To Be Black"
and ALL that means. That was a HUGE psychological breakthrough and quite a victory for the Obama campaign. And a victory for the future of all Post-Civil Rights Candidates.
And, just as we, The Community, were making peace with it, and getting comfortable with it, here come THE CLINTONS trying to turn Obama into THE BLACK CANDIDATE, marginalizing HIM, and, by proxy, the Black community.
THE Black Community which has been THE BASE of the Democratic Party. The Community which has been the most loyal. The Community which, through thick and thin, showed up, and fought for the Democrats, when everyone else had abandoned them.
It cut deep.
Me? I never had high impressions of The Clintons. They never were willing to expound political capital to help out 'controversial' Black nominees/appointees...and, threw them under the bus without blinking.
But, I watched, as The Clintons broke the hearts of family and friends, who were HURT, truly HURT by what they tried to do to Barack Obama....made me even most pissed at them.
Now, post South Carolina.
The use, REPEATEDLY, of Black surrogates to attack Obama - PERSONALLY.(Bob Johnson, Magic Johnson, Tubbs-Jones, Jackson-Lee, Maggie Williams etc.) Therein lies the rub; using Black folk to do your dirty work, thus being able to pretend that the mess isn't racial. Volunteering yourself for the dirty work, and then thinking that Black folk ought not to call you on it.
HELL NO.
The MSM, of course, is deliberately skipping over the issue of WHY supporting Clinton at this point, is seen as a betrayal.
BECAUSE OF THE RACE-BAITING....that hasn't stopped, but put a Black face on it, so it's supposed to not make it so.
Despite what folks have been telling The Black Community - we know race-baiting when we see it...and, we respond accordingly.
Why shouldn't we respond to being insulted? What is it about Black folks that folks believe we should just sit there and take being continually insulted, and make it ' no big deal'?
I ask again:
Please explain to me what other ethnic group would remotely tolerate THEIR elected representative supporting the competition POST race-baiting?
Can you imagine it with ANY other group?
Posts
5 comments:
My friend Rikyrah
On the race baiting issue - I can agree with you. When an outsider does it indeed it needs to be nipped in the bud.
One day I would love to see you and others enforce this same issue across ideological lines where as no longer can leftist cartoonist Ted Rall make "race themed" illustrations of any Black elected official that is operating in their official capacity and have the Black community not condemn this on RACIAL terms despite the lack of POPULARITY for the given ideology. (I won't even bother to as you to extend this same code to Clarence Thomas. I fear that he is too far gone in your view based upon reading your various posts.)
[quote]And, why I say, straight up, I have no respect for any Black Clinton supporter.[/quote]
This is a bit of an over generalization. There are plenty of disagreeable acts and faults that people will find with their candidate. Rarely will you see them express an admonishment in public.
[quote]
But, considering that Black folk vote 90% Democratic, I expect them to vote for Obama, who is the most Progressive between the two, and is Black.[/quote]
So are you saying that all Black Democrats are also "progressives"? Many of my friends who are also diehard Democrats are "corporate types". Those of whom that are Hillary supporters are not inclined to buy into the Obama based "Audacity of Hope" and the continue to believe that the Clintons are the best vehicle to restore the restore the "Democratic hope". (No need to debate me on this. You know how I feel about both of these two candidates)
[quote]
1. They pretended to be the Black community's friend...who can betray you MORE - an enemy or a friend?[/quote]
The "Black Community" sure as hell were enchanted by the bright teeth of these "Foxes" who were assumed to be smiling at them. I recall about 4 years ago when the now incarcerated former Democratic mayor of Atlanta Bill Campbell had a radio show. The biggest event of the century was the fact that they got Bill Clinton, the first Black president on to do a live interview with them. They simulcasted the interview on the sister station V103 with current Barack supporter, DJ Frank Ski leading the cheerleading for Clinton during this time of "Bush". Frank Ski is now the biggest cheerleader for Barack Obama. The key point of this tale is that Bill Campbell's side kick Gene Ross made the following statement after the interview was over, recollecting how she met Clinton in person "His eyes were so blue that they pierced right through me".....she is now the news director for the station (WAOK).
I find it quite disturbing that the MAIN PEOPLE who carried the emperors chair for Clinton through areas in the Black community that he as a White man would not dare go alone.....AND NOW these same people have him out of favor.
As an independent and a critic of the ideology that the majority of you all that are reading this - I can only note that ALL OF THESE ACTORS in this intramural conflict are of the same party, the same ideology and will eventually gather together at the same convention in a few short months.
I question your antics from a BLACK perspective!!! You are free to operate within your party as you will. However, when you attempt to fuse your PARTY'S INTERESTS with Black Interests and expect everyone to not remember all that you have done to lead our people on....THIS is a problem and SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT!
[quote]
Therein lies the rub; using Black folk to do your dirty work, thus being able to pretend that the mess isn't racial. Volunteering yourself for the dirty work, and then thinking that Black folk ought not to call you on it.
[/quote]
Rikyrah - you will never know how much I wish you could see that this same thing happens far more with Black people with respect to IDEOLOGICAL conflict than you have witnessed in this intramural conflict. The Democratic party has so many Black folks lining up to do what you have indicated above that they literally no longer have to create advertisements to get Black folks to VOTE FOR THEM. They only need to do advertisements for Black people to GO TO THE POLLS. It is a foregone conclusion what the average Black is going to do - in the minds of the Democratic operatives - Black and White.
Thus I must ultimately question if some of you are operating as a means of advancing your PARTY and your IDEOLOGY or are you centrally working to improve the conditions of the Black community. You are hard pressed to make the case that the latter is true.
I totally agree with you on this. I have no respect for any black person that supports Hill-Billy either. Bill was here in Dallas this past weekend at the Potter's House. Wasn't TD Jakes part of Jr.s Faith Based Inititive 4 years ago? They are trying to stich up the cut they put in our backs, and there are some sorry-ass negros that are holding the needle steady for them.
You asked if any other race would stand for this bullshit. What do you think would happen if Hill-Billy tried this type of shit with Latino's? All the Hispanic vote would jump ship.
I swear I don't understand my people at times.
I have posted on this topic on my Blog several times this month and I do not prescribe to having a more or lack of respect for anyone who chooses how they vote, as long as they have a definitive reason WHY they VOTE and do Vote. Passion just isn't enough. I so agree that those Church Leaders that pushed the Republican Agenda last in 2004, were never taken to task as much as Black people deciding to vote for Hillary (the Democratic Agenda) and yet Black folk just swept all that under the rug.
Other ethnic and cultural groups have definitive reasons why they vote and often do so with DEMANDS. Passion is never a reason. If Obama was running on a Afrocentric platform such as Jesse Jackson or a Al Sharpton did (which was really on a Civil Rights Platform), they would get all the Black Votes (which they did) and a fair number of Brown votes but not all the required votes needed for President.
To accuse Blacks for being a traitor for not supporting Obama is a passion attack on their loyalty, to Party, Race, Sanity, and or Religion but it can also be centered on one simple reason; their acceptance and clarity of the ISSUES.
Some people are Liberal-Conservatives (Hillary Clinton) and some are Democratic Socialist (Barak Obama). The differences are slight and it is in that difference which is enough to be divisive enough to pit one ideology against the other. This is what we see now between Obama and Clinton, the differences are that slight enough to split a Party in half and the national vote.
The truth is, Blacks on a whole are voting on Racial Lines and it makes me crazy that NO ONE WANTS TO OWN UP TO IT. There has yet to be a dialogue that brings to question IF Black folk voted for Obama because he is Black? Just the same, people are slowly allowing the reality that Women are voting on Gender Lines and are truthfully saying as much.
There are differences in the Democratic Parties just as there are differences in the Republican Party. Black folk "NEW" to the whole system of selection (either by youth and experience OR complacency and non-involvement) are crying fowl when their understanding of it seems a little suspect due to ignorance of the rules.
I think, those that are choosing Hillary over Barak are those that are truly looking at their differences and have DECIDED that their RIGHT to choose should be exercised. Because there is no clear winner and the numbers are so close, EVERY VOTE DOES COUNT, but if a person decides to vote their MIND and not their PASSION they do and should have that right without being marched to a tree with ropes thrown over branches.
I just can't get it when time after time I am told since I am Black and a supporter of Obama it's just "PASSION" that I am for him. Please, stop with the insults and wake up.
This is what has been on my mind as well Rikyrah... How in the Hell can they stick with her after all that has taken place in terms of the obvious racial messages that they have been using? The Clintons are at the point now where they aren't even attempting to disguise it anymore.
And when I mention "they" I'm particularly talking about her Black Superdelegate cheerleaders.
Sheila Jackson Lee and Stephanie Tubbs Jones and others, really make me sick. I think they are being driven more by personal friendship with Clinton than on principle. But the actions by Clinton should be offensive to all Black Americans...all minority groups, regardless of political loyalties. I am a little shocked that these superdelegates have not abandoned her in much larger numbers. Their continued support, in some ways, sends the message that they co-sign the tactics of the Clinton camp.
I am going to see if I can put together a list of these Superdelegates.
And the idea that John Lewis had to really "struggle" with his decision is a joke. His district went 3-1 for Obama... there is nothing gut wrenching about coming to a decision to support Obama.
The Clinton's have the Black elite under some sort of spell.... as though the Clintons are somehow entitled to their support.
This is one of the strange parts about this election season. It seems as though the CBC was dead set against Obama from the beginning. They could have at least stayed neutral for a while... to allow the man to have an even playing field. But they were stacked against him.
Now they will be trying to jump on the bandwagon.
It just shows that the CBC is not the political or moral compass of the so-called "Black community". They don't set the trend or the pace. They are followers now... They have lost what little clout they may have had. Another reason why the group should be dissolved, IMO.
I'll admit... I wasn't on the Obama train in the beginning for 2 good reasons.
1. He was not the candidate who I identified with in the beginning. I preferred Vilsack & Edwards (and Vilsack ended up with the Clinton camp... wth?)
2. I did not think that Obama would be electable.... not because he was not qualified... He's leaps and bounds ahead of the George W. in terms of intelligence. I didn't think that he would get sufficient White support.
It still remains to be seen if he can be successful in a General Election... but he has proven to be a viable candidate.
Since Edwards and Vilsack are no longer in the race, and since Obama has proven to be a viable candidate... then I landed on the Obama train. For me, that proof of viability came on February 5th.
What is taking these Black Superdelegates so long??????
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