The Clinton’s and Clinton supporters have said Barack Obama is not experienced enough, even though that is exactly the argument the Clinton’s used to get elected in 1992. Barack Obama can’t catch a break. The paradox of the Barack campaign sums up the experiences of Black men in the United States of America. Barack Obama is a Black man. He is articulate and Ivy League educated. His inauguration would be a balm on the lesion of slavery in the United States of America. His campaign has stirred up powerful emotions not only in American citizens but throughout the world. He is not only a qualified and legitimate candidate for President but his real life grassroots experiences are guiding his campaign. The irony of these realities is that he can’t mention any of them in his campaign for President.
Hillary Clinton on the other hand carries many of same credentials. Her candidacy would be historic and her inauguration would show tremendous social growth in America. The difference between Barack and Hillary is Hillary can and has used all these things as reasons to elect her. Barack Obama has been backed into the preverbal corner that Black people are often forced into when seeking support from the general American public.
Understanding this paradox demands a critical look at a social double standard for professional Black males and progressive White females in America. It’s been said and agreed to throughout the media that a debate, public conversation, or campaign that is professional and civil plays to Barack Obama’s favor. An emotional, intimate, and/or personal campaign plays to Hillary Clinton’s favor. Thus limiting Barack Obama to acceptable White American attributes and allowing and validating Hillary Clinton’s personal life experience. Then for good measure the Clinton campaign has rolled out any and every Black person they know to say they are not racist and that Barack Obama shouldn’t be trusted. This doesn’t seem like they acts of Black love by the Clintons, though it is the prophetic reaction (Malcom X) of house Negros when the master’s house is on fire. Black America please keep a list of these Negros and remember them.
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13 comments:
Barack is a Black man and his experience correlates to that of many African Americans. But it would be remiss of people not to acknowledge that he is the biracial son of a recent immigrant from Kenya. What does that reality mean for the majority of African Americans who are NOT second generation Americans but whose families have been here for decades -- centuries even -- and yet continue to exist poverty and be over represented in the ranks of the criminal justice system, among high school dropouts, and the unemployed. I think that Barack's presidency would be incredibly important to the African American community, but I also think its easy for people to consider him in a context of "transcending" his race. And how easy it is for people to consider that he has done that given his ethnic and biracial background.
nicole, i totally agree that Barack should be seen for all of what he is and that to consider him as transcending race is extremely problematic, i do however see Barack as a black man and his experiences in America are and should be included in the black male experience. just like other first generation black immigrants have been an important part of shaping black culture, thought and intellect such as Biggie Smalls, Malcolm X, Sydney Pottier, Colin Powell, it is important and powerful to see us all as part of the diaspora and look to make real connections as it relates to our experiences, culture and the value we bring to the collective black experience.
in regards to him being biracial,
i find myself thinking that people that are biracial are black in the sociological setting and their experience has an important place in the black cultural experience as well. whether they choose to be black or not is interesting because the fact that they believe they have a choice is part of the story of blackness in america. and because of that, they too can not escape racism and or white privaledge and those that are biracial and call themselves black, i don't quesiton it.
Barack issues i think are different. i believe Barack's problems are less so about whether or not he is a black man and more so about how he came on the scene. people especially traditional civil rights leaders do not trust or like that someone is coming in on their turf that they did not bring up or develop. if Barack can do what he is saying he wants to do, which is organize a new constituency of people(including disengaged Blacks), that will direclty challenge thier leadership and position and that is why i think, they are challenging Barack's Blackness
Personally, I worry far less about Obama's dual-identity background than I do about his policy positions. Clarence Thomas, had of course, a very common Black american experience, from his impoverished beginnings to his affirmative action ascension.
While surely Obama's race plays into it--I mean my little girl growing up and seeing the possibility of two gorgeous children who look like her living at 1600 Pennsylvania, and hearing the ever eloquent Michelle Obama speak her Black mother truths--is an incredibly moving thing to watch.
But overall, I think Black folks, espcially "leaders," have spent far too much time talking about the Kenya-Kansas-Muslim-Hawai'i connection, and far too little time circulating analyses of Obama's policy positions, history of votes etc.
We know where he stood on the war, but what is his exact plan for withdrawl. I'm not saying he doesn't have one. I'm saying that this seems more relevent to me. I know where Obama stands on mandatory minimums and the death penalty(opposing), but what is his plan to stop this nation's reliance on the criminial justice system? What's his plan to recover all the children left behind after 8 years of Bush? Or to reverse the rise in infant mortality rates in Mississippi, which is a direct result of Clinton's welfare reform.
From the persecution of undocumented people in this nation, to the persistence of the Gulf Coast tragedy, there are many things we need to discuss about Obama. But I would argue that the particular contours of his ethnicity should not be near the top of that list.
asha - I hear you but who give s shit about Barack's voting record. All of their voting records are ugly on things. I've heard that Barack has had some good votes on things like videotaping interrogations and racial profiling and he has had some bad ones on energy.
Who are we going to vote for that has a great or good voting record. The reality is Barack will move to the political middle in the end anyway. The point is we have to hold Barack responsible just like anyone else.
I hadn't thought about his 2 little girls and wife waking up in the White House before but now that you mention it damn it feels good to envision that.
The options on the republican side are so scary, the clinton bullshit, and the edwards spoiler role in the elections are unacceptable. Barack has shown that he is a man that can contend. It doesn't matter to me as much that he is Black or how he will vote.
The feeling of euphoria about his historical potential, him being a community organizer, and the exposing of the house negros in congress, bob johnson, and progressive liars is worth having someone who can't be worse than clarence thomas may be worth it.
Since, the 16th is my date of birth and this is near and dear to my heart, why have they not raised the number one issue facing Black and Brown America? "criminal justice reform.
The Obama Campaign may have believed that they could use
'hope' and 'bi-partisanship' as their tickets to the White
House, but that route seems to be fraught with problems. The
New Hampshire loss makes it imperative that the Obama
campaign redefines itself as it approaches Super Tuesday. As
both Clinton and Edwards press him, the former on his
character, the latter on his views, Obama will be compelled
to define himself as an independent political figure with a
clearer vision as to what sort of country, indeed world, he
wishes to construct. If he does not, he will be condemned to
be viewed as a motivational speaker rather than a champion of
a new path.
Having walked the fence for so long, I am not sure that
Senator Obama is prepared to be the practitioner of a new
political direction. There is an important place for both
hope and fine language, but if the vote is in his favor, the
question will be: what happens after Inauguration, Senator?
efficacy - I agree with you but do you think Hillary or edwards or any of the republicans have or are going to do what you are asing about obama?
I don't it. Hillary was the first lady when the current criminal justice system was structured. Do you think she is going to change it. No. Just watching the clintons so far it is obvious that they don't care about the racial or fiscal argument to reform the criminal justice system.
I now this blog is about Obama so I get why you are asking about him but I think it is unfair to level that challenge against obama when the reality is that none of the fools running have done or will do what you are asking.
"Barack issues i think are different. i believe Barack's problems are less so about whether or not he is a black man and more so about how he came on the scene. people especially traditional civil rights leaders do not trust or like that someone is coming in on their turf that they did not bring up or develop. if Barack can do what he is saying he wants to do, which is organize a new constituency of people(including disengaged Blacks), that will direclty challenge thier leadership and position and that is why i think, they are challenging Barack's Blackness"
This is true all over the map regardless of color, this is a human thing and happens with all
organizations including drug policy reform. We are in many respects our own worst culprits.
Optimist, your statements are on the money. When one looks at history many are called but few are
choosen. Look at our history as a country and as a people. No matter what we are talking about black folk, the down trodden have been at the center--slavery, civil rights, etc,etc--we seem to take the brunt of the burden.
We can talk about jobs, health care, housing, etc. What is at the center at this point in time is "criminal justice reform(drug war) and a person of color has to take this stand because it is the right stance to take.
Being fair to each of these candidates is not the question. Forty years of a drug war is the question--For what--what are they going to do about it? Drugs have not caused the harm that drug policies have--am I lying?
So, once again a black has to take
center stage on this issue. Understand this though, they will avoid this issue as long as possible. The only one that has brought this to light in a meaningful way is Ron Paul--did you see all the Lebertarians at Morgan St. U.? What do you think??
efficacy - your right. I didn't see the Morgan State piece but I have to totally agree with you. That is the danger of Obama's campaign. He has to do a lot more than the others on issues of racial justice and so forth. The problem is he can't during the primary beacuse he would tip his hand to soon.
I think you are right on though. I hoping that and depending on all of us tohold him accountable if he gets the nomination or runs as vice president. As VP he would be the head of the Senate and he could do a lot. Barack must have some type of criminal justice group or something becasue I heard a lot of "stuff" around sentencing reform was happening in Chicago over the last couple of years.
I had heard some good stuff about Ron Paul then some horrible stuff about his newsletter back in the day. I guess he had a newsletter that had some really racist article in it. Now he claims he didn't now that those things were in it.
efficacy FYI:
The Associated Press
January 17, 2008
Thursday 3:49 AM GMT
293 Days to the Election: A look at the race for 2008
BYLINE: By The Associated Press
SECTION: POLITICAL NEWS
LENGTH: [Excerpt]
Obama discusses approach to drug war
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) Democrat Barack Obama said he would bring a new approach to drug crimes in response to a questioner who noted "if you were arrested when
you were a teenager, then you never would be a candidate for the presidency."
Obama didn't comment on the reference to his teenage use of marijuana and cocaine, which he disclosed in his autobiography and which some of rival Hillary
Rodham Clinton's supporters have raised. Instead, he said the government is not handling the drug problem "in an intelligent way."
"I'm not interested in legalizing drugs," Obama said. "But what I am
interested in is putting more of an emphasis on the public health approach to drugs and less on the incarceration approach to drugs."
He said there should be more programs to keep young people from using drugs. And he said first-time offenders should be given help to overcome their drug use
instead of being locked up at taxpayer expense.
Compiled by Ann Sanner
LOAD-DATE: January 17, 2008
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newswire
Copyright 2008 Associated Press
Sounds good to me but we will see.
"I'm not interested in legalizing drugs," Obama said. "But what I am
interested in is putting more of an emphasis on the public health approach to drugs and less on the incarceration approach to drugs."
Remember,at least for me "a politicians stance on drugs is a leading indicator of character or
the lack thereof"
Now, I know he has to be smart because most people cannot handle the truth. This man has to be held accountable. See this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2uzNnetyzU Without responsibility there can be no justice. Just like
responsibility cannot take a back seat to the cries of racism.
efficacy - He has to be elected to be held accountable. I haven't heard anything of substance from hillary or edwards on the drug war.
I think Obama can be a good president without being a hard line legalizer.
Are you saying that legailizing drugs is the end all to beat all. I wouldn't agree though I would agree that the drug war rationalizes everything else from criminal justice to health care to labor. But I don't think a candidates position on legalizing drugs tells me everything about them. Just like their position on healthcare tells me everything about their potential.
I think we have to be careful about about pigeonholing national candidates on issues that may need to be dealt with through states rights.
"I think we have to be careful about about pigeonholing national candidates on issues that may need to be dealt with through states rights."
Now, states' rights is music to my
ears. Does the name Al Smith mean
anything?
Mean while back at the ranch, Going along to get along makes one complicit in the process.
"Are you saying that legailizing drugs is the end all to beat all."
NO I am not saying that but what a start. The drug war is two degrees from everything in society. The money that goes to fight this drug war is astronomical and could easily go to the things you talked about like health care, etc., etc.,
When one talks about legalizing drugs we are only talking about one thing and one thing only--the redistribution of income and wealth
that is what scares the hell out of everyone in the know.
"But I don't think a candidates position on legalizing drugs tells me everything about them. Just like their position on healthcare tells me everything about their potential."
This is what I said. Leading is the operative word in this phrase.
"a politicians stance on drugs is a leading indicator of character or
the lack thereof"
Great conversation, lets keep it going. Reparations for drug war malidies.
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