By Lorenzo Jones and Robert Rooks: First let me say, Black Into the Future is not about supporting Barack Obama. Its purpose is to foster a conversation among real people about the real meaning of the Obama 08’ campaign. It’s written in plain English, by real people, about personal experiences in order to analyze this historic campaign.
February 5, 2008 lived up to the historical hype promoted. At last check Barack Obama had either won or closed the polling gaps between him and Hillary Clinton. While watching primary and caucus results last night a pattern became apparent. Hillary Clinton won in states like California, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Arizona aka, “machine” states. Barack Obama won in Colorado, Alaska, Kansas, Idaho, Utah, Missouri, and North Dakota aka “people” states.
The results reminded me of another legendary Black man, who is considered a matriarch to real people. That man’s name was John Henry. A Black man who competed against a machine that ultimately replaced thousands railroads workers.
In these primary elections Obama and his supporters have talked about him as a John Henry type character fighting against the seemingly unstoppable power of the Clinton’s Democrat machine. Obama, the Ivy League educated, community organizer is everything people like Bill Cosby said didn’t exist in today’s Black community. The rejection of Obama’s campaign by Black “leaders” like Rev. Al Sharpton, Cornell West, Congressman John Lewis, Maxine Waters, Bob Johnson, Maya Angelou, Andrew Young, and Willie E. Gary have only encouraged real people to carry Obama’s campaign. For decades people have asked; have things changed, who is the new Martin Luther King, Jr., where is the next Malcolm X, Huey P Newton or Bobby Seale, where are the organizers like E.D Nixon or A Phillip Randolph. Now we know the answers they have been stymied, killed off, shut down by the machine and their agents. Banging their heads against the boot heals of these Black “leaders”. These Black “leaders” serve as social police who maintain political order to the machine.
We’ve all seen Martin Luther King’s dream become a nightmare with characters like Condoleezza Rice, Armstrong Williams, and Clarence Thomas playing the main villains but now the villainous sidekicks who have operated in the shadows of that nightmare come to light. Langston Hughes once said, “A dream deferred is a dream denied”, these villainous sidekicks of the machine are the dream killers we’ve feared not Rice, Williams, and Thomas. These very “leaders” have told us to dream, shoot for the stars and land on the moon, but their boot heal is the glass ceiling America has been hitting our collective heads against in trying to move forward.
Supporters of Hillary Clinton are correct, nominating her would be historic; but the obvious reality is electing her to the office of President is a commitment to the status quo. Nothing changes; no power-shift, no more dreaming, no change, and ultimately the dream will continue to be deferred at best if not be a continuing of the nightmarish existence.
The irony of comparing Obama to John Henry is if he does well in the primaries and caucuses this Saturday, February 9th, the next showdown will be the Chesapeake primaries in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. As legend has it Virginia (West Virginia being the other) is one of two States believed to have hosted the competition between John Henry and the machine.
Legend has it that John Henry beat the machine but he worked himself to death, dying of a heart attack or a stoke, but his act of fighting the machine, the railroad company, and the inventors of the machine still serves as a rallying point for not only labor advocates but as proof that we will always be up against the “machine” and it’s sidekicks. Whether it is racism, capitalism, sexism, or a collection of all these in Clintonism, we have to fight.
Barack Obama’s emergence and rejection by Black “leaders” is nothing new, people like them responded to Martin Luther King Jr. the same way. The difference is you and me and people who demand a different America. In short a quote from Obama’s speech last night, “We are the Change we have been waiting for.”
Democratic Campaign 2008, summed up is, Barack “John Henry” Obama versus Hillary “Democrat Machine” Clinton, the fight for people power against the continuance of machine production.
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19 comments:
Wow you said a mouth full. The American Revolution was about hope and a need for change. No more business as usual. America then took a stand against the British Machine and won. It is in our blood to fight back against those who continue to thrive on telling lies and confusing the masses. We fought for change that brought America together. We fight for change that gave men freedom. We fought for change for Civil Rights. Today we fight for change to put control back into American people's hands and out of the machines pockets. United we stand, divided we fall. It was disheartening for me to see Maya Angelou's name list among those who are against the Dream of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. I believed Maya to hold her own opinion on someone by their character. Now she is part of the sell outs of America no different than Ms. Rice.
Maya Angelou is just the start. Though maybe the greatest disappointment to me. It's so embarrassing to see these people with their hands out like slaves at the back door picking through the trash at the Clinton Plantation.
The list of people who not only endorse Senator Clinton but by default or suggestion have tried to diminish MLk, Jr's dream include people like U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, US Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, Congressman Donald M. Payne, US Representative John Lewis, US Representative Charles Rangels, NBA great Magic Johnson, and Congressman Gregory Meeks. Congressman Meeks actually eludes to potentially getting a job after the election. It's so embarrassing it makes me want to cry.
it seems to me that the analysis that is missing is one that goes beyond how Barack becoming President is the manifestation of King's dream. it definatley is but there is much more to this story...
i think it is important to look at how devastating Clinton's policies have been for Black people and also how Barack's Presidency will be used and manipulated by middle America if he does not have a new way of engaging Black people in America
Clinton's 96' crime bill has resulted in hundreds of thousands of black men and women behind bars without an increase in publc safety, the way he argued for welfare reform was extremely problematic because he allowed the country to think it was black welfare moms that was stilling from the country when it was known more whites utilized and abused welfare then blacks, his all out attack and onslaught on rap music as Black hate speech compared to kkk, was problematic- of course his gender critic of hip hop was all but absent, his NAFTA resulted in the closing of plants and jobs, search Flint Michigan as an example, to finally, what I think was the most problematic which was this perception that he has this relationship with black people which he used to his political benefit and gave him a pass when it came to his destructive policies and inappropriate behaviors(Maya's first Black President comment was all about his behavior both on the sax and his inappropriate behaviors)
although Clinton did appoint more blacks in government then any other President, we as black people must think and figure out whether or not we want the Clinton black people model to be the model we are happy with. a model that cherry picks Black leadership as a way of legitimizing him/her and not as a way of building political and economic self actualization for black people.
On the other hand, what is Barack's strategy for black America. will he do the same as Clinton and cherry pick Blacks and when things get hot, offer up black peoples heads on the platter to conservatives like Clinton did with the crime bill and welfare reform.? we must think aboutwhat Barack as President will mean for Black people and how things will be different then Clinton. if not, i can imagine all of a sudden your white boss telling you that you must be like Barack and transcend race and not have a healthy response, will the courts be less likely to hear racial justice issues, will society think racism is over?
i don't bring this up to be self defeating and not support Barack, because i do and we all should. i just bring this up to push(if i can) beyond Obamamania and into a level that demands answers to honest questions from Barack. i hope that the answer is what has already been talked about on this blog, which is not to cherry pick blacks and use it as political points but in fact to encourage local political organizing, Black people economic independence and organization through unions, develop new leadership, increase access and political power at the local level and national level. anything else is cherry picking that will only benefit the establishment, whether it be the Clintons, Obamas or McCains.
Hey no wonder Hillary Clinton raised so much money this week. Creflo Dollar sold his Rolls Royce.
You guys have it all wrong. Hillary is what this country needs. Misguided statements about being the machine is exactly why dems will not have unity this Novemeber. We can't allow McCain to win. Stop the divise rhetoric and get responsible. Hillary in 08.
The post by Hillary '08 reminds me of the talk that black people had to endure in the Jim Crow days, as they were urged to be "patient" and "responsible" while they were being lynched, firebombed and attacked by police dogs and firehoses. While we discuss the candidacy of Obama in relation to the dream of Dr. King, we must keep in mind that King was considered an enemy of the state by the United States government and right wingers when he was assassinated, as he would be today if he was still alive. Conservatives speak well of him now, because he is safely in the ground. King's memory has been diluted to the point that many Americans probably think that his "I Have a Dream" speech was the only public address that he ever delivered. His passionate stance against the Vietnam War and the United States' pursuit of hegemony across the globe are never mentioned by the mainstream media. King's dream extended beyond race to issues of class and oppression, domestically and internationally. Barack Obama is most likely the closest we will come in our lifetime to a change from the status quo. How much of a change he could actually be is subject to debate, but four years of a Hillary-Bill Clinton co-presidency clearly does not constitute change of any sort.Talk show host Bill Maher recently pointed out that for the past 19 years, the White House has been controlled by two families. The only way to find out what Obama will deliver is to elect him to office and hold him accountable.
i think that picture of Barack posted on the top left of this website, which came from msnbc is offensive. what are they trying to say? that Barack Obama is satan. as he moves to being the front runner(which he will), we will see more of this type of demonizing
Barack’s Barrage
On February 9th, 2008, Barack Obama did something that indisputably forces any and all skeptics to come to one conclusion. Barack Obama came to play.
As political pundits, media outlets, and Hillary supporters continue to recalculate, re-evaluate, and reiterate all the reasons Barack Obama isn’t going to beat Hillary Clinton the indisputable fact is that he cleaned her ‘political” clock yesterday.
A clean sweep in WA, Nebraska, Louisiana, and the Virgin Islands may not have given him a delegate lead but it did show he can and has won in every type of state in the United States. With the predicted success in VA, DC, and Maryland on the horizon this coming Tuesday, Obama and his supporters will be in a position to look down their collective noses at Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are in a fight to the finish. And with the survival of the DNC, legitimacy of the Clinton machine, and future of our electoral structure held in the balance, change is inevitable regardless of the outcome.
Next year nothing will be the same, nothing!!!!
Barack has put up an admirable fight but you and others need to understand that he can not win!!! It's Hillary's turn. Let's think- what do we really know about Barack Hussein Obama? Where did he come from? Modern America will not vote for a 1 time Senator to be President and I don't think exceptions should be made because he's articulate and african american or black. I hope I did not offend anyone but it’s true...
Hillary '08, in response to your observations, I first would like to refer you back to Renzo's post. I am not offended by your comments. This is a forum for people to express their views.
I am curious as to why you felt the need to include Obama's middle name in your query about how much we "know" about him. Your comment about '08 being Hillary's "turn" speaks to another issue, which is the transparency of the United States' electoral process.
Hillary Clinton's razor thin lead in the presidential race is due to her lead among the mysterious supedelegates. Superdelegates are under no obligation to vote for the candidate who the PEOPLE demonstrate a preference for in national balloting. Like many people, I feel that the superdelegate process should be abolished. One superdelegate who was interviewed last week on MSNBC represented 10,000 votes.
If we are to follow your logic about this being Hillary's "turn", I can only assume that it will be Jeb Bush's "turn" in 2012. After all he is "experienced" and is the family member of a political dynasty. I guess that we should then prepare the "Chelsea Clinton for President" bumper stickers in 2016.
Defined
We the"Black" people have been defined by others rather than ourselves. Words like Nigger, Nigga, and African-American, have allowed a people with no homeland to be called everything except American. Being born and raised in a country should allow you some allegiance to that country.
Obama does not denote that because you share the same defined race as him, you must vote for him. His main purpose is to vote what you believe. However, the primaries in the south have clearly shown that the whites will not stand behind someone they defined many years ago. Therefore, the numbers for Hillary Clinton were greater among the white voters. On the same token "pun intended" defined blacks voted against not just for those of whom had oppressed and defined them years ago. Blacks in the south want to believe in the hope of a better tomorrow not just what has been.
Regardless of Barack's education in school, grassroots life on the streets of Chicago, time in the offices held in Chicago and the Senate, as well as the life experience of being a "Blackman" in the U.S. denote that this defined candidate cannot know or understand the hopes for all American people. I think not.
As a "Black American" in the land of the melting pot, I am in the only part of the population that is not connected to a homeland of birth. I know my ancestors sailed the sea's in chains, but I can only chase my roots to that of the man that defined my name, race, and standing within this country. It has and continues to be world of unfair definition by others than myself. The democratic race for the presidency in 2008 is the beginning for the me to begin to redefine myself and my place in this country-remembering that the constitution was not originally written for me, in fact, it has been redefined overtime.
This election is my opportunity to take a part in the beginnings of a participatory government system that listens to and takes understanding from me the people. So many socialist have all the answers to my problems yet they have never had them nor have they asked me what I think the solution is. The state worker who tells a mother that she does not know how to parent and sends her to parenting school because she missed the school parent teacher meeting too many times. The mother who cannot get off from the two or three jobs held to keep a roof over her child's head, food on the table, and close on their backs. Had she been asked she would offer solutions to the concerned teacher who called the state the in the first place. The teacher defined her. Who defines you?
Can you trust the Hillary-Bill years in which most of the country still fill the affects of good or bad? Hillary's experience depends on who she helped get elected, her work with abused and disenfranchised children, or her headstrong goal getting work done while in the Governs House and the White House. She has had success as well as failures. Her work is to be commended, however what has she learned. She stands on her laurels of what happened then, but has been to far away from the public to truly understand what is going on now. Things have changed since Hillary was gaining the experience. There is a disconnect in her from how it was and how it is. She leans toward what has been: not the actual change that will be compared to how it is.
Can you trust the new kid on the black sorry block that has been working for systematic change through organizing in which the main focus of grassroots organizing is to change systems and the status quo, based on the people most affected by those systems. It has been said that Barack speaks the language of the people. Could this be because He has recently talked to, worked with, and fought alongside the people? How is it that one with no experience can quote what he as done within the areas he has been in as of today not yesterday with a goal for tomorrow.
Can you trust that someone is talking about what tomorrow could bring? Can trust that someone is taking an educated, well studied risk to move this country forward based on the work and words of the people in this country?
"We are the change we have been waiting for," is a quote for Barack in his primary speech Tuesday this week. You can take this quote as a personal challenge in working toward future change together and or just making a change by your vote. Can you trust in the changes you make because you want them or is it ok to have someone make changes for you even if you do not want them. Hillary took the change she did not want with the war.
This campaign is based on who you can trust. But, I charge you to think about a presidency you can be a part of. And if you can, Can you trust yourself?
excuse me hillary 08' but Barack is winning in pledged delegates. i guess the American people didn't get your memo that it was Hillary's turn. ha
...can we all say SUPERDELEGATES!!!
come on people, do you really believe middle America will vote for Barack Hussein Obama. and yes, Hussein is his middle name. snap out of it. i just don't understand why you people don't see that the republicans are using Barack to cancel out hillary and come fall, they will just pounce on Barack. Did you all know that Barack is part of a Black seperatist religion? now what since does that make?
join Hillary and lets win in November!!
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/
Get a grip, Hillary '08. You are condescending, not to mention creepy. You should attempt to program people who lack the capacity for independent thought. Obviously, you recognize that blogs are influential vehicles, otherwise you wouldn't be stalking folks who support Obama.I hate to break it to you, but you are not the omnipotent messiah of presidential campaigns. You are a Clinton flunky, with way too much time on his or her hands.
Hillary '08, you are obviously a member of the Clinton separatist religion. I didn't know that Hillary had Bob Johnson posting on blogs. Maybe you are Hillary's new campaign manager. Based on the "you people" comment, I'm guessing that you could also be Ross Perot.
Your posts are becoming more desperate, which is obviously the result of this past weekend's primary results. You really should be scared. However, verbal low blows are not going to sway anyone here. You need to "snap out of it" and stop believing that you can tell black people (or white folks, for that matter) how to think.
I'll take my chances with Hussein before I listen to the rants of a xenophobe such as yourself. Finally, I will never take voting advice from someone who can't spell "sense".
David, Obama '08 and Clean Slate '08 thank you for setting Hil-liar-y '08straight.
What utter nonsense. Obviously this individual is a sore loser and incapable of stating the facts without using racial or scare tactics. Oh I forgot she is a "Clintonite". There best work comes from racial and scare tactics.
If you want to question Obama's religion you should question your own, since he is a CHRISTIAN. A converted Christian is the most powerful example of God's love for man through Jesus. So his name is Muslim and your name is.........? Let's not forget his father is African from Africa. Most importantly Ms. Hil-liar-y '08, he was raised by his WHITE Mother.
Hillary08 there's room on the bandwagon baby come on over. You've pulled a Huckabee tonight and run out of gas.
The superdelegates won't save you this time. Do you think we are all superstupid?
Another clean sweep. Go Barack
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