A closer look at Barack Obama’s campaign strategy and relationships reveal some interesting trends. It would appear that Barack has been able to successfully weave opportunities reserved for “anointed” Black candidates with the credibility of grassroots organizing and charisma. His strategy to accomplish this is not only interesting to watch but may articulate a strategy that can be used by local and national Black organizers, leaders, and politicians.
In order to understand the tight rope that Barack is walking we have to lay out the historic trends that Barack and his campaign staff have to negotiate. Here are a few trends we’ve noticed:
1. Republican support:
a. How is Obama raising so much money and from whom? The Democrats are funding Hillary, it’s not coming from students they eat ramen noodles for dinner, and it’s hard to believe that over 110 million dollars for his campaign is coming from Black communities.
b. Conservatives like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Rielly, and Sean Hannity have shifted from beating up on Barack to “understanding” him after blasting him for the past 3 years.
c. Obama 15 of 43 governors, senators and representatives from Red States endorsing or supporting him. Also, the Republicans haven't produced a legit candidate to compete with him. Barack was the center of attention at the end of the Republican debate before the New Hampshire Primary. Instead they keep talking about competing against him in November.
d. Why is Oprah getting involved? She has never supported a Black candidate before. She and Steadman have been operatives for the Republicans forever.
2. Strategy –
a. Could Obama be the new Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA was used to divide, diminish, and dilute the Black Democratic vote in the 2004 election. Also, many of the major African American (negro) leaders including Congressional members and business professionals.
b. The uncomfortable relationship the Clintons have with Barack. He is everything they claim to have fought for but they want to attack him but can’t without looking like hypocrites. The strategy to goad Obama into a race debate worked in killing Tear-Gate but backfired when Obama didn’t take the bait and provide a platform for the Clintons to role out their civil rights movement credentials.
c. The Democratic Party has never seriously supported any Black candidate for President. Why would they start now especially when he is running against the Clintons? In 2004 Sharpton took money from Republicans while running as a Democrat and used the funds to attack the democratic leader in the primaries. This week Rev. Al Sharpton blasted Barack Obama for no real reason. Maybe, just maybe, Barack Obama too his job.
Imagine this, what is Barack Obama has negotiated a deal (opportunity) with the Republican Party to kill off or severally damage the Clinton campaign prior to the November election. Don’t think of Barack Obama as the Black candidate for the president, think of him as "the opportunist". Obama is a Chicago politician, he has always fancied himself as a middle of the isle type of guy working as much with Republicans as with Democrats while in the Illinois legislature and Congress.
If this conspiracy is remotely true and Obama can keep his balance on this tight rope up until the Democratic Convention in Denver he has to be considered one of the greatest politicians since Ronald Reagan. This potential reality doesn't change anything we want to believe or know about Barack Obama it actually makes him the realest candidate in this election and his strategy thus far is something to behold.
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2 comments:
As a person who would never support the Republican party [I will never forget their Southern strategy] I do say "so what" if Obama is strategically positioning himself to win delegates and ultimately the nomination. It is exactly what he as a candidate should be doing. His ultimate win will depend on a lot of things, personality, money, and policy positions. Another factor will depend on his and his campaign strategists ability to anticipate his opponents' moves and counteract them. Figuring out what the game is and how to ultimately win it is a lot of politics anyway.
I totally agree nicole. Barack and his staff are planning in the big leagues. IN the past I may have had some problems with some of the things Barack have done lie announcing his candidacy at Abe Lincoln's home in MA, playing ball with the republicans, the support of Fox News for him and, his praise of Ronald Reagan today to name a few. But I have to as myself why judge him for something that he needs to do to be competitive. The Clintons are planning such hard ball he has to be as strategic as necessary. Also he can't be worse than Condeleeza Rice or at least I hope not.
I totally agree with the authors of the blog when they say if Barack pulls this off "he has to be considered one of the greatest politicians since Ronald Reagan". Barack's strategy and opportunist moves have proven challenged the belief that people of color can compete in not only business, sports, and academia, but at the highest level of American culture Politics-with a big P.
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