Why does Hillary get the Black vote? (aka Why I love Barack)

I was checking out Bossip and saw an article on recent comments from Jesse Jackson. They were related to politics and you can check it out here.

The reader comments turned into a debate over Hillary, Barack and others. Of course, I had to comment. Since I wrote a novel and haven't written lately, figured I'd post my response. lol. Seems to be a trend...no blog post for a month...Bossip post gets me heated.

Before the novel…let’s get this straight…1. One should not support a candidate on race, gender or *gasp* electability alone. 2. NONE of the candidates have experience as president. ALL of the candidates will need “on the job training” as Hillary calls it. lol.

I support Obama because he's the best candidate IMO. Reading his book and learning about the actual man and the choices he’s made, led me to trust him and that’s not something I do easily. When given a chance to earn top dollar in some fancy law firm, he went to the Southside to help REGULAR folks like me. Could he be a puppet? Maybe. But, I don't think so. The above example (and many more that I read) lead me to believe in his moral character and what he TRULY stands for.

Truthfully, all politicians are puppets to some degree or another. They have to play to both sides and know how to straddle the fence. But, I'm not sure why we'd elect someone who has SHOWN us exactly how effective they are when needed and is nothing more than a talking piece. How exactly has Hillary shown her ability to lead the country? She’s polarizing to both Republicans and Democrats. She and Bill’s movement towards the right hasn't exactly earned points with Democrats. And now Bill is hanging with Bush Sr.?! I am not a conspiracy theorist; however, I believe she and Bill are now part of the New World Order with Bush, Cheney, Thompson and ‘em. That “no ways tired” nonsense seemed like a routine from the “baiting negroes playbook” and yet we failed to jump on that. Why?! That showed what she thinks of us. Throw a little slang at ‘em and you got ‘em. She talks the talk but is not walking the walk.

We Black folk give her credit because of Bill. No matter what you say, that's the truth! Being Bill's wife is not true experience. She didn't know he was creeping in THEIR home with another woman. How much did she really learn about his job and what it takes to do it? Recently, Bill said he opposed the war from the start. Oh really? Hillary said she supported the war because, by watching Bill, she understands these situations. Well apparently she was watching Bill from the wrong angle because, she voted for the war and continues to straddle the fence on ending it.

Don’t get me started on Bill! Black president my ass! As a teen and young adult, I was all about Bill. But that love affair has died. As I got older, I learned more about his policies and realized he is FAR from the left and was damn near a Republican when he left office. That’s why his approval ratings were so high! Some call these “centrist” politics what we need. But, Black people, we need to read between the lines and look at the policies these folks create. For example, did you know BILL CLINTON is the guy who signed off on making drug dealing a DP offense? Oh, he added dozens of crimes to the federal DP list and opened the floodgates for more of us to get death in what is known to be an unjust system.

When given the chance to address the disparity between crack and cocaine sentencing, he chose to only “recommend” change while he oversaw legislation that made those disparities law. And now, under the Bush administration, the Justice Department has changed its guidelines…but that law stands in the way! Bill pushed folks off welfare. On the surface, it may have sounded good. But what has changed?! I don’t see it, where’s the training and development he promised? Where are the economic gains and independence for our community?

It doesn’t take much to go to Wikipedia or wherever you research to see the policies and laws these people support. Read up on NAFTA and some of Bill’s other disasters. Giving Hillary credit because of Bill is not really saying much at all. What EXACTLY did she do, as first lady or Senator, which worked and made us better? Yes, she did draft a healthcare bill and told us “it takes a village.” But, that healthcare bill was not jiving with the times and her new one isn’t either. Go to her site and read her plan…then check out Barack’s. He is being truthful when he said her “plan” is to force us to get insured. That’s not a damn plan. That’s not dealing with the real issue…which is cost.

During the recent debate, Hillary called $97,500/year middle class. When questioned, she basically said “well that’s who I represent.” Meaning, she represents the wealthiest in the country and will create policy based on them. Those PACs and lobbyists she takes money from -- unlike the other Dems -- will be her new constituents. Now I could just look past these facts – my husband and I make more than that – but I’m worried about us as a community and want to raise up the bottom. What are we doing about poverty? Who can we trust to really address the issue?

We as a people need to stop voting in fear. That “most electable” stuff is BS. Black folks and women could play an important role in this election. So, we’re the ones who can determine what is electable. “The Man” does not have as much power as we give him. But he gains it exponentially when we choose to vote in fear or even worse…not voting at all.

Will the real Hillary please stand up?

I was a big Hillary fan. When she became a Senator, I hoped she had bigger aspirations. If any woman could do it; Hillary could! A few months after the announcement, I started to rethink things.

Sure, she's intelligent, strong and has some great ideas. But, she tries too hard and because of that, there's a constant reminder that she's one of them...and a lingering feeling that she's "up to something."

Bill has charisma to spare and that's part of his appeal. But, Bill was a perfect politician. He knew how to play to his audience and he did it well. Despite the obvious coaching from hubby, she is horrible at best! I worry that she'll fail at president too. I mean, if you can't make Americans like you...

Bill was a natural and you almost always thought he was sincere...but we know that wasn't exactly true. Hillary bounces from being robotic to singing negro spirituals (see second video below.) You have to wonder about someone with so many faces.

What is SO funny Hillary? This is a little scary...like she has a twisted plan to take over the world or something. Speaking of which, I hear Bill and George Bush Sr. have become bosom buddies.

We can’t let this election be about who can work the system the best. We have to fundamentally change the system if we’re going to see progress on health care or education or the war.



For old times sake...I don't feel no ways tired...

Jena Six...What if they were YOUR sons?

I mentioned it yesterday and soon realized I have never posted the info here. I am hoping that any and everyone is aware of the Jena Six. I am also hoping everyone knows about September 20th. If not please see the links below. Words cannot express the feelings I have surrounding this story.

It's time to STAND UP and speak out people. These could be your children facing 20+ years over provoked nonsense. What happens when YOU need help? Let's join together and make a change!
If you cannot make the rally, please support the boys by wearing ALL BLACK next Thursday, September 20th!!!!!

http://www.michaelbaisden.com/Article.asp?id=470156 (Best source for info on Jena Six story and the upcoming protest on Sept. 20th)

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/10/1413220

FYI....Per Tom Joyner, the leading Democratic candidates were all contacted for support. Obama's team responded within hours and have requested briefs to see how they can help. They are still waiting for Hillary's response....

Officially Obama!!

If you have followed this blog, or happen to know me personally, you know I am a life-long Democrat. The party is not perfect and I don't follow anything blindly (ask my husband!) However, I am a PERMANENT Democrat. The parties would have to do a 180 for me to change that.

As you can imagine, the last seven years have been rough! Between the 2000 election debacle and the never-ending Iraq war, I was *this* close to giving up on politics. When your country is headed in the WRONG direction, what do you do? I'll tell ya. You feel like a prisoner in your own home and become completely disengaged. I have bounced between both feelings...and yes, I do take it that seriously!

After years of anger and outrage, I realized action was my only choice. Martin Luther King, Jr. once quoted Marti Jose with, "I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees." That sums up my beliefs on everything in life. I have never been one to shut up, only to get "done" in the end. Again, my husband can vouch for me on that one!

When the media started covering the 2008 election (back in 2006!) I knew it was time. I have spent my entire life watching from the sidelines and there was no time like the present to change that. While I enjoy offering commentary, words without action mean nothing. As the cliche goes, "You are either part of the problem or part of the solution."

Mention the Jena Six, Imus/Hip-Hop, Genarlow Wilson or NCLB and you're sure to boil my blood. This country is topsy-turvy if you ask me. The rich get richer (check out this satirical Onion piece) and the poor get killed after unlawful break-ins by COPS.

We need a resolution...and I am convinced Senator Barack Obama is the answer.

I did not make this decision lightly. I started off as a STRONG Clinton supporter. I know what we'd get with Hillary...I mean she's just Bill minus the charisma right? Despite what the conservatives say, I thought she was the one. Then I read Audacity of Hope! If you saw my posts, you know this book really touched me. I think it should be required reading for the voting public. Barack is not a politician, he's a motivator and one of the best sociologist I've read. He knows what he's talking about and has gone to great leangths to analyze our issues and provide reasonable solutions to them. He is not defined or limited by his labels (e.g., Black, newcomer, Democrat, liberal.) This man is the truth and for that reason, I am officially Obama now!

I attended a volunteer meeting this past Saturday. It was not surprising to see dozens of supporters in the Atlanta area (due to a large population of Democrats and minorities.) However, it was surprising to see so much diversity in the room of supporters. The crowd was a mix of generations, colors and even sexual orientation, and we were all there to support our first Black president.

As I walked to my seat, I was greeted by a young Black male. When I first saw him, I assumed his parent forced him to come. I couldn't have been more wrong! This HIGH SCHOOL student was one of our leaders and an official Camp Obama graduate! After local politicians shafted his school--and failed to make promised repairs--this young man took action. After seeing Obama on TV, he was intrigued to learn more and read everything he could find on the senator. He then signed up to help out because, as he said, Barack is the only truth-speaker/seeker out there...and I totally agree!!!

So, for those that aren't too sure about Barack I suggest you watch the videos below and then cop The Audacity of Hope. I promise it will move you...hopefully it will move you to vote for Barack!!

www.barackobama.com

Winners/Losers

It's only humpday but I already have some winners and losers....

Winners:

Rutger's womens basketball team and their coach - I hate to say this but…they made me proud sounding all articulate and what not ;) You know how some like to think articulate Black folk are uncommon (Biden/Obama). Loved how eloquent and respectful they were. If you still aren't offended, something is WRONG with YOU.

Proctor & Gamble, Staples and Bigelow Tea – Kudos for dumping Imus. Green matters more than any color these days (as the Rutger's coach pointed out) and I'm glad a few recognized the power of Black dollars.

Some NFL players – I hear a few players were concerned Adam and Chris were messing with their images. Well, they should be happy now!

Al Sharpton – I don't always agree, but I always respected Al's game. Dude is the best interviewer! I listen faithfully and already knew this. But he really did it to Imus yesterday. If only all journalists were that honest and real.

Losers:

NFL teams – So the new commish wants to hold teams/owners responsible for player misconduct. Wow. I know a lot of folks are worried. I fully expect the draft and future negotiations to focus on moral issues and off-field behavior.

Pacman and his college buddy Chris Henry – Damn. One year for 80k in ones! ;) Just kidding, I realize he was questioned in ten incidents. But, a year still seems like a lot. He's going to miss out on $1.2 million in pay. OUCH! I bet he stays away from Magic City and tries to hunt down those other strippers…he needs his money back! And I'm late because I just realized they played for the same college team. Birds of a feather….

Imus, MSNBC and WFAN – Do I even need to say why? Okay, what the hell is a two-week suspension? Screw y'all!

Hilary Clinton – She just lost my support. Why did I receive an email telling me to join her in sending words of "respect" to the Rutger's team? Um, Hilary, please stop trying to bait us Black folks. If you really want to do something, publicly denounce Imus and vow to NEVER go on his show. My baby-daddy (Barack) is in Atlanta on Saturday. Wanna guess where I'll be?

Bama:

Deion Sanders...that burgundy get-up bothered me. And yesterday he did an interview from his steps...indoors...with a sweater and fedora on...

There goes my hope...

In today's WP, there is an article which claims being a Mormon or an old smoker would hurt a candidate more than being a woman or minority. We are supposed to be happy, I guess, to see these results. But, here are the issues I have:

We are only a few weeks into the '08 race and nearly every news story revolves around Barack's race and Hillary's gender. Obviously, these things matter. We have yet to see a minority or female run the country. I get it. It's a historic thing. But, in the grand scheme of things, will race or gender affect one's ability to run the country? What our country needs is moderate leadership that brings us together and allows us to tackle the tough issues. While I'm not convinced we are ready for a minority or female prez, doing poll after poll will get us nowhere. We need to get to the nitty gritty and let people see more than the superficially obvious. Barack has yet to pay his Black Tax and Hillary needs to pay her Strong Woman Tax. The only way, to do either, is to allow them to prove themselves BEYOND race and gender. They need us to forget WHAT they are and determine WHO they are. Enough already with the race/gender stuff.

People lie. Yeah, I know it's anonymous. But, if a stranger calls your home and asks you a bunch of sensitive questions, most people will give a PC answer! Even the biggest male chauvinist or racist, knows (usually) that his views are not polite in our (somewhat) civilized society.

If people are willing to discard a guy/gal over smoking cigarettes or being a Mormon, well I think it's safe to say we're all in trouble! I know cigarettes are unhealthy and no, we don't want our prez dying off. But, I'm willing to take a smoker if he has the right answers for our country. Reagan is called one of the greats (haha), and was elected TWICE. He was almost eighty when he left office. Now we know Nancy was basically holding him up and feeding words to him! Okay, on second thought….no old guys. But, to the point, we're focusing on the wrong things….I think ;)

Hillary vs. Barack

No there's no new drama to report...though I'm sure it's brewing in some journalist or staffer's mind. But, in my own mind, there is a battle. Beyond the obvious question (can either win?), I have struggled to form an opinion on the who's the BEST man/woman for the job.

Here's what I know so far:

Hillary is smart, strong, empowering and has some good ideas.

Obama is smart, eloquent, charismatic, inspiring and has good ideals.

I'm currently signed up to help both. So far, this only means tons of emails begging for my money. Hillary is hoping to raise $1 million this week. Supposedly, doing this will make a big statement and be historic according to Madeline Albright's email. I'm not excited.

After a THREE month wait, on my library wish list, my number finally came up for Obama's book. A day later, $40 million slaves was available too. I thought I'd won the lottery! LOL. Honestly, I want to read Rhoden's book first. But, in search of Obama's ideas (vs. ideals), I am reading his book. Like his speeches, it pulls you in and makes you feel good. But, I'm still searching for the ideas beyond a "new" government where everyone works to find an answer. Or maybe, that is the idea? Hmm...

Hopefully, this election will require candidates to actually present IDEAS and not rely on bashing each other or scaring their base into voting. I know only time will tell, but I'm really looking forward to hearing how Obama, Hillary, and all the others differ.

Obama/Hil Thowing Bows; Hip-Hop is Poison

So Hillary and Obama are feuding. David Geffen, a former Clinton supporter turned Obama fan, had a lot to say to a NY paper. He accused Bill Clinton of taking away from the party and distracting the entire country. He said no matter how smart or great she is, Hillary is equally polarizing. Now Hillary's folks want Obama to apologize. And Obama, being the cool cucumber that he is, said he cannot apologize for someone else's words.

Bill has been called polarizing over and over again. But, when his second term ended, he had higher approval ratings than any president in history! Key word was ENDED. After Monica, and the various”scandals" Rove dug up, Clinton had high approval ratings. I think it's popular to hate him in public. It makes the speaker appear moral and compassionate. Denouncing a philanderer somehow erases your transgressions.

But, behind closed doors, most of us liked him! *Sigh* I hope they make nice. Joining forces may be their only hope for living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

___________________________________
So Paula Zahn, of CNN, hosted a special on Hip-Hop last night. The title was "Is hip-hop an art or poison?" Based on that alone, I knew there was no point in watching! As a proud child of the hip-hop generation, I know my opinions were different from Paula Zahn's fanbase. Not surprisingly, 53% of her fans think hip-hop is a poison. Since I did not watch, I am not sure what they based this theory on.

But, I did watch BET's The Top 25 moments that (mis)shaped Black America. Landing at number 20 was "Negative Images in Hip-Hop." I couldn't agree more! I definitely think the images we put out there are detrimental to how we are viewed by ourselves and others. I'm still a fan and totally understand "keeping it real," but when booty shaking and gun toting are the MAIN public visual of Black America, everyone is affected. Americans start thinking those images are true for all, or at least most, Black Americans. When we start hollering about street cred and "real" gangstas, we imply a culture defined by violence and thuggery. We imply ignorance and rebellion from knowledge. We imply the Barack Obamas of the world are truly unique for being "articulate" and "clean".

Note to Paula and her fans: Hip-hop is (almost) ALWAYS an art form. And, at the same time, it can be a poison. The two are not necessarily exclusive of each other.

How Historic

Hilary Clinton. Forest Whitaker. Tony Dungy. Eddie Murphy. Lovie Smith. Jennifer Hudson. Barack Hussein Obama. Nancy Pelosi. What do they have in common? In just three weeks, all have made 2007 a history making kinda year.

We went from wishing Black folk would get nominations to African-American candidates taking home three out of four of the major individual awards. Not to mention Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty - both minority creations - taking home the big TV honors. Dreamgirls, the Black "movie of the decade" (as noted by legit critics), won the globe for best musical or comedy movie. It was raining Black folk on Golden Globe night. Now let's see what the Oscar noms look like...

So far, no Black coach has made it to the Superbowl. We all remember Doug Williams' historic season that landed the first Black QB in the Superbowl. He gave us hope in the 80s and hope never looked so good back then. With AIDS, crack, bad fashion and hair trends, and Reagan, times were tough! But Warren Moon, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick and Dante Culpeper - or any other Black QB - have yet to make it...let alone make it, win, and take home the MVP award. So, we've been aching for the next Black historic moment in football. You know we cling to this stuff like it holds meaning right? And maybe it does. But, it rarely adds up to the growth we expected. Okay, I got sidetracked, but the point is GO Lovie and Tony! We went from no Black coaches, in a Superbowl, to TWO going at each other in 2007. Shoot, Black coaches have a hard enough time landing a job. The league bullies teams into interviewing us. And now we're going head-to-head in the BIG game. How cool is that?! Maybe, just maybe, we can move to a point where these interview quotas aren't needed.

I remember, with great disdain, the moment the 2000 election was stolen…I mean won...by Bush. Oh what a night I had drowning my sorrows as I made plans for the end of days. Well, hopefully, we're actually going to make it to 2008. With Dems in the House and Senate, we just might have a shot. The year jumped off with history making Democratic news. We swore in the first Muslim and took over the House and Senate. But the biggest moment went to Nancy Pelosi our new Speaker of the House. Dressed in her designer duds and flanked with cutesy grandkids, she took the reigns and accomplished all of her 100 hour plans. Now that's mission accomplished!

I look forward to watching politics over the next two years. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. We could be looking at our first female (Hillary Clinton) or Black (Barack) president! How historic.

Oh, no they didn't go and make history!