DISQUS

^That is a excellent idea.

Without black people in this country, life would be so boring and square.

Where can I buy that photo of Barack and Michelle and other photos from last night???

To slam AA, or to openly mention it as if that's the only reason Obama is where he is, is to be completely blind to the fact that White men everywhere, for centuries, have significantly benefited in life due to their whiteness.


If people want to bring up AA, that's fine, I'm just tired of whites doing it in a way that makes it seem that they are now being victimized. You can't bring up AA without discussing the reasons it was brought into existence. White people set up a system through laws and lack of equal opportunity so that they could benefit personally, professionally, and financially.



But I'm not allowed to mention that, right?

The justification of the n-word due to it's rampant use in the 40's, 50's, and 60's is silly.


In fact, there is record of MLK saying the word, too, if you've done some background work on the man. Does that make it OK? He also cheated on his wife. MLK is an incredible person, but to justify that word because, hey, it's been around for generations is silly.



People can try to justify it if they want, but I have a hard time swallowing the idea that a word that was shouted with extreme disdain and venom when slaves were being whipped and blacks were being strung up in trees can somehow be turned around and be a true term of endearment.



It just helps to perpetuate the crime of ignorance.

What Michelle said didn't bother me. If superdelegates go into a smokey filled room and give the nomination to Hillary, you think blacks, the most loyal group to the Democratic party, won't be highly upset?


I don't know if we'll see riots, but we'd see countless protests and many would probably stay home on election day.

This is OT, but I've meant to ask this for awhile.


Why, on the front page, is there half-eaten Watermelon? Seems to me that would only perpetuate black stereotypes.

God, I love this blog.


I almost busted up laughing at work at your interpretation of Obama's words. Thanks for posting this entry.



I saw the interview, too. I think many were waiting for Obama to stand up for his family, as well.

I agree with the post, but I think they talk about it so much because Obama is in the lead (at least, one of the many reasons they talk about it).


When Clinton was seen as inevitable, and when black voters started to peel off, it was, "Clinton is losing the black vote! Why?! How?!"



Also, there are simply more white voters than black in this country, which I guess could be part of the equation.

JJ...how is Obama calling Wright's comments "destructive" throwing him under the bus?


You can certainly agree with Wright's comments, but the way in which Wright went about expressing them was ridiculous. Obama knows that. And this guy is running for President. You want his entire campaign to burn in flames because Wright wants to revel in the spotlight so that he can sell a few more copies of his upcoming book?

Can someone explain to me WHY Wright would do this to Obama? There are so many reasons that I just can't grasp.


1) He has a history with Obama. Baptized his kids. Married Barack and his wife. And Obama placed him on his spiritual committee.



2) For a pastor that seems to want to discuss race and the upwards mobility of black people, how is clowning around and popping up at different locations and, thus, hurting Barack's chances at the White House a positive for the upward mobility of black people?



3) While I have no doubt that his many members are committed to Jesus, I'd have to believe that many of his black followers are also Obama supporters (afterall, he does carry 90+ percent of the black vote.)



So again, even if Wright enjoys the spotlight and wants to promote his upcoming book, how does he figure this is GOOD for him, Barack, and the black race/church at large?

I think the whole comment is unfair. Everyone knows the tightrope Obama has to walk. And he just recently gave a 45 minute speech on race. Do we really want America to put him farther into the category of the "black candidate" rather than just being a candidate running for the POTUS.


Second, I really hope black people aren't expecting a black President to solve the ills our our communities. Black people need to find a way to rectify these many problems themselves. Now, if a man is slain and riddled with 50 bullets, there isn't much that one can do to prevent that type of violence and brutality. But I hope black America isn't expecting Obama to get into the White House and have racial profiling cease to exist within police departments across the country.



Like Angela, I am more excited about what the image of an Obama presidency does for everyone 25 and under in the black community, and for future generations to come who would be inspired and hopeful due to his ascent to the highest office in the land.

But don't you all think there's a difference between being angry and strong? A difference between defending yourself and seeming angry?


I understand he's black, and I understand how America perceives us. I get that. But Barack has charisma. He's a likeable guy. I don't think bringing up Hillary's issues or defending himself more strongly will necessarily paint him as the "angry black man." He might be worried about it tarnishing his "new kind of politics image." But he's got to do something.



I think Chris Matthews made a good point today when he said that Hillary comes across as a fighter and, for whatever reason, Barack doesn't. I love Obama, but he's really strarting to strike me as a guy who feels he's so ahead, he doesn't have to do much work now. Almost like a high school senior in April who is getting a heavy dose of senioritis. The Obama campaign is reminding me of a football team that's up by 21 points in the fourth quarter with less than ten minutes left. Sure, he could still show lots of fire and fight despite the score, but instead feels comfortable enough to play prevent defense and rest some of his starters.



To me, Obama's gotta show that he wants this a little bit more. I have no doubt he does, but show it. Show it. I feel like he's kicked up his feet onto the coffee table, unbuttoned his shirt, put his arms behind his head and thinks, "the superdelegates should be stepping in any moment now..."

gcee,


I know that people were upset by that (MSM coverage of Clinton), but I was more referring to people's attitude towards the election at the time. We weren't saying we are too tired to press on, or we refuse to watch the coverage, or we will stop disucssing politics on the board...duing the month of February, everyone was chanting "OBAMA, OBAMA, OBAMA!"



So all I'm saying is this process ebbs and flows. There will be highs and lows. But you can't get too down on the lows, and you can't get too cocky on the highs.

I think, right or wrong, Hillary voters (mainly women) are upset with Obama like we are upset with Clinton.


They view Obama as an inexperienced young man who is getting an incredible shot at the Presidency due to his gender. That bothers women.



Blacks are upset with the Clintons because they have used their whiteness (or Obama's blackness) to elevate themselves politically. That bothers blacks.



I hope, though, that you don't stop blogging about politics. It's the reason I come here, because I find this to be a rare spot on the internet where I see intelligent black people discussing politics and being very candid.



Let's also not be completely unreasonable here. No one was complaining when Obama racked up twelve straight victories over the course of an entire month.



It's understandable that people are angry and tired, but I find myself consistently less angry and tired when I come to this blog and exchange viewpoints with many like-minded people.

Playing a bit of devil's advocate...


I am firmly planted in the Obama camp and won't ever budge, but at what point do we put some of the blame on Obama himself?



We can talk about the lies, smear campaigns, and race baiting, and while all true, at one point do we objectively stand back and become a bit enraged that Obama had this incredible wave of momentum, and his own blunders here or there have stopped it a bit.



I understand that part of it is just the way the country is. White males in parts of PA are different than white males in some other areas of the country. I get that.



I'm just wondering at what point do we look at Obama. Whether it's Wright, the bitter comments, his Regans comments...even the fact that he was terrible at bowling despite that being a deliberate attempt by his campaign to tap into that "everyman" persona...at what point do we get a bit frustrated with the ways in which the Obama campaign has handled certain issues?



Clinton has done a good amount of damage to Obama...but a lot of that damage has also been self inflicted wounds (or, at the very least, his handling of issues once they have hit the fan. For example, I think the flagpin issue is beyond dumb, but regardless, I haven't heard a decent answer to the question by Obama).

I wonder if picking Rice as the running mate would make the inevitable Rev Wright arguments from the Right seem less powerful?

Anon 2:20...


I know I don't consider most white people racist before meeting them.



But I absolutely believe that white people open their mouths and say things and share view points that they are truly too ignorant to speak about.



It's like me saying that a woman shouldn't be allowed to get offended or upset at certain things a man says or does. As a man, who am I to say what a woman should find offensive, degrading, and utterly insulting?



I just think it's ridiculous that, instead of white people conceding the point that they truly cannot understand minorities, what it's like to be the single black or Hispanic in the room, or the fact that America has chopped off black people's feet in this marathon race we call life, they instead become indignant. They get frustrated and upset--"How can YOU people be angry! Life is good! You can have any job you want! This is the land of opportunity! It's the most diverse America we've ever seen! And I have black friends, too!"



I just think it's insulting. It bothers me personally because some whites are spewing their ignorance--even when they aren't trying to be offensive at all. For example, I was listening to Air America. They had a white man as a host, and he was absolutely confounded and a little frustrated on why black people have to consider themselves black. Why not just be American, he would ask. He couldn't grasp why Barack Obama gets to be considered black, when he's half white. I'm sitting there listening and thinking, "Good God, is it that hard to educate yourself? Have you NEVER heard of the disgusting history of the One Drop Rule?" Things like this are issues CREATED by white people, and yet whites are ignorant of their own history, especially when it relates to the degradation of blacks in America.



They're just upset that we don't forget that history while they continue their selective amnesia.

"I realized Obama disagrees with some of Rev. Wright's believes, but they couldn't have bothered him that much or caused him that much distress because he listened to them for 15 years."


The problem with your logic is that you're making the inference that Wright stood at the pulpit for 20 years and consistently spewed hate about whites and engaged in anti-American rhetoric. I think that's an absurd assumption.



You can have whatever opinion you want, but I would have to believe that anti-American and anti-white sentiments in CHURCH are going to be the exception to the rule when a pastor is giving a sermon. And most people don't give up on something because it's the exception to the rule. They deal with it, even if they dislike it and disagree with it.



When it becomes the rule is when people have a problem. But I have a hard time being convinced that because we've seen 30 sec clips of Wright here or there that that automatically means and shows what kind of preaching he did every single Sunday for twenty straight years.



I'm just not buying into that.

^^Well, exactly. But someone on the fence about Obama could easily look at this and think "hmmm...see, he is all talk. He doesn't care about change or unity at all since he's been associated with Wright for 20 plus years"

I guess I'll play Devil's Advocate here...


Whether you agree with with what Wright said or not, Obama SHOULD apologize for it. Try looking at it from a perspective that is not from your (our) own. Obama is preaching a message of inclusion, bringing people of different backgrounds and races together to work towards a better future.



Wright's statements seem to be that of a militant one to the average American. I think it makes Barack unfortunately look like a hypocrite. How can he talk about us getting over our racial divisions when his own preacher and friend comes across as one who's making divisive statements?

I forgot to omit one curse word. I missed that one. Sorry about that.

All I can think about now is the great Chris Rock stand up back around 1999 or so:


"Man, the white man thinks

he's losing the country.

You watch the news: 'We're losing

everything. We're fucking losing.

Affirmative action, and illegal aliens...and we're fucking losing the country.'



Losing? Shut the **** up.

White people ain't losing shit.

If y'all losing, who's winning?



It ain't us.



There ain't a white man in this room that would change places with me. None of you would change places with me. And l'm rich!



That's how good it is to be white.



There's a white, one-legged busboy

in here right now that won't change places with my black ass.



He's going, 'No, man, I don't wanna switch. I wanna ride this white thing out. See where it takes me.'



That's right, 'cause when you white, the sky's the limit.



When you black, the limit's the sky!

VERY Malcolm X-like.


I have to believe that he wanted to wait until Monday to respond, so that his rebuttal didn't get lost in the news over the weekend. That was a great comeback.



I am starting to wonder if this whole Obama for VP talk we all hate will now benefit him. If Hillary wants to say he has no experience, he can always now throw out, "Well, why do you suggest I be your VP then?

Of course she doesn't want a caucus. She knows Barack dominates the caucuses.