America’s Obsession with Silencing Cornel West

[mhd]

funny, just ran into tavis and cornel at breakfast

[mhd]

The NAACP, Urban League and Congressional Black Caucus has been very silent these past 3 years. Why is that?

tight post, my man, but this line is not accurate, given the light and heat that obama attracts, the press sees Obama as the principal spokesperson for black america

[Daniel, Grand Duke of Stony Island]

tight post, my man, but this line is not accurate, given the light and heat that obama attracts, the press sees Obama as the principal spokesperson for black america

I don't know all the statements they would make on a given issue, and I'm not saying those orgs haven't done significant WORK, but as a voter and someone who watches politics on the daily (and not just cable news), I haven't been able to pinpoint where statements and action on issues significant to me have reached me. I may have missed a few things, but I wouldn't have missed everything. That's what I should have stated, but alas, hasty posting on my part.

But yeah, I'm tired of the notion that the proportionate response of shoring up the middle class will address the disproportionate effects the economy and social issues related to immigration, unemployment, etc. have on the black and Latino communities. It's a complete fallacy. Specific problems require specific solutions. This president just didn't want to be seen as black America's president or the minority president. There's a gaping hole here, man. Say, for example, the economy improves and job creation blooms, taking employment down to Clinton era levels: 4.8% for 40 months. Factor in the disproportionate effect ratio for black folks and you would still have 9% unemployment in the black community.

9% unemployment OVERALL has Barack Obama in a tight race against a BUFFOON! Yet, 9% unemployment amongst a community of 36,000,000 American citizens can and would and will be acceptable.

When the economy is in full swing again, that will make the African American one giant depressed community. But that's ok. Middle class blacks may be able to fall in with middle class whites, right?

You take a separate nation of 37M, anywhere on the globe, with the issues uniquely faced by the black community in America and the IMF, the UN and the EU would be all about assisting them so as not to throw off the equilibrium of the global economy. Black folks in America aren't so lucky. Black folks have the unemployment ration of frickin' IRELAND. No World Bank for us, tho'.

[mhd]

Speaking of Polls:

Trouble for Obama
Dig into the polling numbers and you find some warning signs for the president heading into the general election.
by Charlie Cook
Updated:
May 31, 2012 | 5:00 p.m.
Gallup has now finished its first six full weeks of tracking surveys for the 2012 presidential campaign, interviewing 20,565 registered voters. Yes, you guessed it: President Obama and Mitt Romney are tied, 46 percent to 46 percent. The margin of error for a sample of this size is just under seven-tenths of a percentage point; Gallup, though, modestly reports it at +/- 1 percent, for the sake of simplicity. One benefit of a poll this size is that it allows you to look at demographic subgroups of voters without worrying about big margins of error. So when you get a chance to look at “supersized” data, grab it.
Each day at 1 p.m., Gallup.com reports the three-day moving average for Obama’s job-approval rating. At the same time, it also reports the seven-day moving average for the presidential-election trial heat between Obama and Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, by averaging more than 3,000 interviews a week. Each Monday afternoon, the Princeton, N.J.-based granddaddy of polling firms reports detailed demographic breakdowns for the combined most recent three weeks of interviewing. This week, Gallup released six full weeks of results. The first half of these were interviews between April 11 and May 6; the second half were from May 7 through May 27. (It’s a good thing that I am not addicted to this stuff.)
The gender splits were almost perfectly symmetrical in the two batches. Among women, Obama led Romney by 7 points, 49 percent to 42 percent, in the first three weeks, and by 8 points, 50 percent to 42 percent, in the second. Among men, Romney had an 8-point lead, 50 percent to 42 percent, in both the front and back halves of the six weeks of interviewing. If you recall, in 2008, the exit polls showed that Obama edged Sen. John McCain by 1 point among men, 49 percent to 48 percent. Among women, he beat McCain by a whopping 13 points, 56 percent to 43 percent. Among white males, Romney had leads of 27 points in the first three weeks (59 percent to 32 percent), and 25 points in the second (59 percent to 34 percent). Among white females, though, the Romney advantage was considerably narrower: a 9-point lead, 50 percent to 41 percent, in each half.
If you think of politics as a tennis game, each candidate is holding his serve nicely. Obama won the support of 88 percent of Democrats in both the front and back halves of the six weeks of tracking; Romney won just 7 percent of Democrats in the front and 8 percent in the back. Among Republicans, Romney won 89 percent in the front half and 90 percent in the back half. Obama pulled 7 percent of Republicans in both three-week periods.
Independents split down the middle; Romney edged Obama by 1 point in the front half, 43 percent to 42 percent, and by 2 points in the second, 43 percent to 41 percent. The percentage of partisans that Obama and Romney are holding is pretty typical. The fact that independents are splitting pretty much down the middle suggests an election a lot more like the close ones in 2000 and 2004 than like 2008, when Obama carried the independent vote by 8 percentage points, 52 percent to 44 percent, and the overall election by 7 points.
Not surprisingly, Obama is winning the African-American vote by gargantuan proportions: 90 percent to 5 percent in the first half of the survey and 88 percent to 6 percent in the second, not far off his 2008 showing (95 percent to 4 percent). Among Hispanic voters, Obama’s margins were also very similar to his level four years ago. He led 68 percent to 23 percent in the first three weeks of tracking and 65 percent to 25 percent in the second. In the 2008 exit polls, Obama beat McCain 67 percent to 31 percent among Hispanics. Among non-Hispanic white voters, Romney romped by 17 points in the first three weeks, 54 percent to 37 percent, and by 16 points in the more recent three weeks, 54 percent to 38 percent.
The important caveat is propensity to vote. Gallup asked registered voters to rate, on a 10-point scale, how likely they were to vote in November. Eighty-one percent and 82 percent of non-Hispanic whites indicated 10. For African-Americans, it was almost as high: 79 percent and 75 percent chose 10. Among Hispanics, though, just 58 percent in the front half and 65 percent in the second half put their propensity to vote at 10.
This data suggest that Obama is on track to replicate his performances in terms of support among African-Americans and Hispanics. The Hispanic-turnout problem, though, is very real.
The most striking poll finding was the generational divide among white voters. Among whites 18 to 29, Romney led by 3 points in the first three weeks of interviewing; Obama had a 1-point edge in the second three weeks. Among whites 30 and older, the Romney advantage ballooned to 19 points in the first half and 20 points in the second. But it’s the likelihood of voting that should worry Democrats: 84 and 85 percent of those 30 and older said their likelihood of voting was 10; only 61 and 63 percent of those 18 to 29 indicated 10.
On one level, the presidential election is a fight for the hearts and minds of independents in the middle. For the Obama campaign, though, the second fight is to get young and Hispanic voters to show up. The intensity of four years ago is hard to find today.

[DeesKo]

IMO, to maintain proper balance, we need the hyper-critical just like we need the devout supporter. You can't have one extreme without the other, and without the extremes on both ends, there's no way to judge or find a viable middle ground where reason exists.

It's just the natural balance of things.

My personal opinions on who plays which role or their motivations is essentially unnecessary and devoid of much meaning as I have no power to silence either, and should respect their purpose and the fact that they need to exist as bookends to reasonable thought.

Small minds, people; great minds, ideas & all that jazz.

As for the seemingly sparse energy... IMO, it's still early in this race & people in general are weary to politics. Things will pick up. Rather than pointing out a lack of energy, lets focus on bringing some to those around us. Smiles are infectious.

However, it seems inevitable to me that an incumbent would face less enthusiasm on his 2nd run because they've now had the opportunity to not be everyone's superman, not be everyone's savior, not solve every problem, be everyone's boogieman, be everyone's failure and no one's success and any other metaphor you can come up with the describe the impossible task of making everyone happy.

Peace

[mhd]

Alan and Danny,

Alan, from where you sit you have to defend, we all appreciate your perspective, its a blessing to you and to us, its also problematic. Take a look at the Adrian Fenty mayoral campaign here in dc. while its tempting to look at the deval patrick gubernatorial victory in mass and Corey Booker's mayoral victory in Newark, the real lesson is Adrian's race. Adrian and Anthony Williams before him, was managed by Tom Lindenfeld, former partner of David Axelrod, Adrian is a friend, but, became jaded by his own success and like Obama now, failed to manage his base, which was African American. As the most loyal wing of the Democratic party, managing black expectations is very easy, as MarkB constantly says, we don't demand much. There is no way Adrian should have lost this election, but, he actively ignored, disrespected and alienated the black constituency, even as his education record was stellar! and who benefits most by improvements in education? the black community. so, even though he could point to many objective achievements, much like obama, he lost, because he was viewed as not caring or not on the side of the black community. To his credit, Tom Lindenfeld realized this, much too late, and gave Adrian a strategy to overcome this deficit, Adrian ignored it, pointing to his record as proof of his bonafides to the black community. He lost. He lost because Tom failed to recognize the issue early enough (tone deaf white guy) and Adrian failed in the same manner.
Obama is on this path, Messina, Axelrod and Plouffe are on this same trajectory, tone deaf white guys, advising a candidate in a bubble and no one telling or listening to the hard truths.

Now, here is the calculus, when you looked at the various paths to 270, all of them had a singular assumption: in battleground states where there is a sizable black population, like Ohio, PA, Florida, Michigan, VA, NC etc, that Obama would carry the black vote much as he did in 2008. I think that notion is severely flawed, a similar perception like Adrian has been here for years and its growing and that will suppress turnout, more importantly, however, are nationwide coordinated efforts to challenge black voters en masse with various iterations of voter id laws and requirements. This factor raises the margin of error for obama and lowers it for romney.

Sue T mentioned that Tavis was a nuthugger to Clinton. You gotta ask why? One reason may be that Clinton appointed a black man, Bob Nash as White House director of Personnel, his deputy was also black, and a veteran of the Carter white house, since Dems had not occupied the WH for 12 years. What they accomplished is building a bench of solid, gifted (black) political operatives that gained valuable experience for 8 years. These are the voices that are currently ignored and that circumstance has this presidency in jeapordy. Thankfully, its not too late

Food for thought:

Obama Campaign Starts Searching for Black Staffers

1
April 26, 2012 7:49 AM
Seven months before Election Day, the Obama campaign is seriously searching for black staffers to work in its predominantly white Chicago headquarters and field offices across the country.


It's a move, frankly, that should have come much sooner - but better late than never.

In an e-mail labeled "Urgent," Stefanie Brown, director of the campaign's African-American voter outreach initiative, recently appealed to the black community for help.

"The Obama for America campaign is in the process of really staffing up in states around the country, and I need your help to find qualified, African-American candidates for some of these positions," Brown wrote to supporters last month, according to POLITICO. "This is a fast moving process and your (quick) support is greatly appreciated."

Brown's e-mail comes as a photo of the Obama campaign surfaced that showed dozens of white staffers in the Chicago office and not one African-American in the large, warehouse of a room.

The push by the Obama campaign to hire more black staffers took on greater significance this week as President Barack Obama traveled to three colleges speaking to students about reducing college loan interest rates while also courting young voters.

When I visited the Obama campaign headquarters six months ago, I watched a room-full of enthusiastic young white staffers sitting under large cardboard signs of most American states, working the phones and rallying Democrats from coast to coast.

I also saw several senior black staffers typing furiously on their laptops, analyzing polling data, and talking about innovative ways to increase black voter turnout - people like Valeisha-Butterfield Jones, who leads the national youth campaign; Mike Blake, deputy director of Operative Vote; Clo Ewing, a spokeswoman for the campaign and Broderick Johnson, a senior campaign advisor.

But the question that continued to echo in my mind was this: Why aren't there more African-American young people working for the campaign when President Barack Obama is in the White House? It's a legitimate issue, especially since Obama campaign manager Jim Messina says racial diversity is an important component of the 2012 election-year crusade.

Jones' "urgent" e-mail to the black community was noteworthy because, for the first time, civil rights activists learned that assembling black staffers is now a pressing issue for the Obama campaign. The president's senior campaign advisers are hoping to duplicate the historic enthusiasm among African-Americans from 2008 and they are keenly aware that more black staffers are needed to reach out to black voters.

With a new poll that shows Obama taking a slim lead over Republican Mitt Romney -- 49 to 42 percent -- Obama's aides say every vote in November is important and voter turnout is critical.

Speaking privately, several influential black Democrats in Washington, D.C., have expressed frustration with the Obama campaign's lack of African-American staffers, with one black professional saying "the campaign is three years too late" with its black recruitment efforts

[Chuck P]

Alan and Danny,

Alan, from where you sit you have to defend, we all appreciate your perspective, its a blessing to you and to us, its also problematic. Take a look at the Adrian Fenty mayoral campaign here in dc. while its tempting to look at the deval patrick gubernatorial victory in mass and Corey Booker's mayoral victory in Newark, the real lesson is Adrian's race. Adrian and Anthony Williams before him, was managed by Tom Lindenfeld, former partner of David Axelrod, Adrian is a friend, but, became jaded by his own success and like Obama now, failed to manage his base, which was African American. As the most loyal wing of the Democratic party, managing black expectations is very easy, as MarkB constantly says, we don't demand much. There is no way Adrian should have lost this election, but, he actively ignored, disrespected and alienated the black constituency, even as his education record was stellar! and who benefits most by improvements in education? the black community. so, even though he could point to many objective achievements, much like obama, he lost, because he was viewed as not caring or not on the side of the black community. To his credit, Tom Lindenfeld realized this, much too late, and gave Adrian a strategy to overcome this deficit, Adrian ignored it, pointing to his record as proof of his bonafides to the black community. He lost. He lost because Tom failed to recognize the issue early enough (tone deaf white guy) and Adrian failed in the same manner.
Obama is on this path, Messina, Axelrod and Plouffe are on this same trajectory, tone deaf white guys, advising a candidate in a bubble and no one telling or listening to the hard truths.

Now, here is the calculus, when you looked at the various paths to 270, all of them had a singular assumption: in battleground states where there is a sizable black population, like Ohio, PA, Florida, Michigan, VA, NC etc, that Obama would carry the black vote much as he did in 2008. I think that notion is severely flawed, a similar perception like Adrian has been here for years and its growing and that will suppress turnout, more importantly, however, are nationwide coordinated efforts to challenge black voters en masse with various iterations of voter id laws and requirements. This factor raises the margin of error for obama and lowers it for romney.

Sue T mentioned that Tavis was a nuthugger to Clinton. You gotta ask why? One reason may be that Clinton appointed a black man, Bob Nash as White House director of Personnel, his deputy was also black, and a veteran of the Carter white house, since Dems had not occupied the WH for 12 years. What they accomplished is building a bench of solid, gifted (black) political operatives that gained valuable experience for 8 years. These are the voices that are currently ignored and that circumstance has this presidency in jeapordy. Thankfully, its not too late

Food for thought:

Obama Campaign Starts Searching for Black Staffers

1
April 26, 2012 7:49 AM
Seven months before Election Day, the Obama campaign is seriously searching for black staffers to work in its predominantly white Chicago headquarters and field offices across the country.


It's a move, frankly, that should have come much sooner - but better late than never.

In an e-mail labeled "Urgent," Stefanie Brown, director of the campaign's African-American voter outreach initiative, recently appealed to the black community for help.

"The Obama for America campaign is in the process of really staffing up in states around the country, and I need your help to find qualified, African-American candidates for some of these positions," Brown wrote to supporters last month, according to POLITICO. "This is a fast moving process and your (quick) support is greatly appreciated."

Brown's e-mail comes as a photo of the Obama campaign surfaced that showed dozens of white staffers in the Chicago office and not one African-American in the large, warehouse of a room.

The push by the Obama campaign to hire more black staffers took on greater significance this week as President Barack Obama traveled to three colleges speaking to students about reducing college loan interest rates while also courting young voters.

When I visited the Obama campaign headquarters six months ago, I watched a room-full of enthusiastic young white staffers sitting under large cardboard signs of most American states, working the phones and rallying Democrats from coast to coast.

I also saw several senior black staffers typing furiously on their laptops, analyzing polling data, and talking about innovative ways to increase black voter turnout - people like Valeisha-Butterfield Jones, who leads the national youth campaign; Mike Blake, deputy director of Operative Vote; Clo Ewing, a spokeswoman for the campaign and Broderick Johnson, a senior campaign advisor.

But the question that continued to echo in my mind was this: Why aren't there more African-American young people working for the campaign when President Barack Obama is in the White House? It's a legitimate issue, especially since Obama campaign manager Jim Messina says racial diversity is an important component of the 2012 election-year crusade.

Jones' "urgent" e-mail to the black community was noteworthy because, for the first time, civil rights activists learned that assembling black staffers is now a pressing issue for the Obama campaign. The president's senior campaign advisers are hoping to duplicate the historic enthusiasm among African-Americans from 2008 and they are keenly aware that more black staffers are needed to reach out to black voters.

With a new poll that shows Obama taking a slim lead over Republican Mitt Romney -- 49 to 42 percent -- Obama's aides say every vote in November is important and voter turnout is critical.

Speaking privately, several influential black Democrats in Washington, D.C., have expressed frustration with the Obama campaign's lack of African-American staffers, with one black professional saying "the campaign is three years too late" with its black recruitment efforts

Very good read, thanks for sharing this...

gained perspective can solidify or weaken a stance or position, the "urgent" email at the 10th hour is especially sobering......

[Daniel, Grand Duke of Stony Island]

Alan and Danny, [snip]

Speaking privately, several influential black Democrats in Washington, D.C., have expressed frustration with the Obama campaign's lack of African-American staffers, with one black professional saying "the campaign is three years too late" with its black recruitment efforts

I brought up the staff ratios of the Obama campaign sometime just before the Corey Booker brouhaha. You just can't deny there's a huge gap for this president in addressing the needs, concerns and perspective of people from his own family's community. And I gotta say it - if it wasn't so trite and banal, I'd swear it feels like Successful Chicago Brotha Syndrome.

POTUS's steelo in the WH is like when John Moultrie opened the Jazz Oasis back in the 90s and made black folks stand in long ass lines all night. Seriously. An entire 4-year long campaign couldn't be the equivalent of a nigga moving to the South Loop, now could it?

Aaaaahahahahaha!

"Can I borrow a dolla? Oooh, you a star now!"

[cleodine velvet jackson]

Food for thought:

Obama Campaign Starts Searching for Black Staffers

1
April 26, 2012 7:49 AM
Seven months before Election Day, the Obama campaign is seriously searching for black staffers to work in its predominantly white Chicago headquarters and field offices across the country.


It's a move, frankly, that should have come much sooner - but better late than never.

In an e-mail labeled "Urgent," Stefanie Brown, director of the campaign's African-American voter outreach initiative, recently appealed to the black community for help.

"The Obama for America campaign is in the process of really staffing up in states around the country, and I need your help to find qualified, African-American candidates for some of these positions," Brown wrote to supporters last month, according to POLITICO. "This is a fast moving process and your (quick) support is greatly appreciated."

Brown's e-mail comes as a photo of the Obama campaign surfaced that showed dozens of white staffers in the Chicago office and not one African-American in the large, warehouse of a room.

The push by the Obama campaign to hire more black staffers took on greater significance this week as President Barack Obama traveled to three colleges speaking to students about reducing college loan interest rates while also courting young voters.

When I visited the Obama campaign headquarters six months ago, I watched a room-full of enthusiastic young white staffers sitting under large cardboard signs of most American states, working the phones and rallying Democrats from coast to coast.

I also saw several senior black staffers typing furiously on their laptops, analyzing polling data, and talking about innovative ways to increase black voter turnout - people like Valeisha-Butterfield Jones, who leads the national youth campaign; Mike Blake, deputy director of Operative Vote; Clo Ewing, a spokeswoman for the campaign and Broderick Johnson, a senior campaign advisor.

But the question that continued to echo in my mind was this: Why aren't there more African-American young people working for the campaign when President Barack Obama is in the White House? It's a legitimate issue, especially since Obama campaign manager Jim Messina says racial diversity is an important component of the 2012 election-year crusade.

Jones' "urgent" e-mail to the black community was noteworthy because, for the first time, civil rights activists learned that assembling black staffers is now a pressing issue for the Obama campaign. The president's senior campaign advisers are hoping to duplicate the historic enthusiasm among African-Americans from 2008 and they are keenly aware that more black staffers are needed to reach out to black voters.

With a new poll that shows Obama taking a slim lead over Republican Mitt Romney -- 49 to 42 percent -- Obama's aides say every vote in November is important and voter turnout is critical.

Speaking privately, several influential black Democrats in Washington, D.C., have expressed frustration with the Obama campaign's lack of African-American staffers, with one black professional saying "the campaign is three years too late" with its black recruitment efforts

MHD, thank you for this post. While running errands today, I stopped by an Obama campaign office on my route:
1. There were no visible signs it's a campaign office; I had to ask where it was located.
2. The office is out of the way of most foot traffic.
3. The field organizer is a young white male from another state and likewise his black female assistant.
4. The democratic ward office is 3 blocks away and NOT cooperating with that Obama campaign office due to a money issue.
5. The office looked boring and uninviting.

I had a conversation with both and told them my feelings. I also indicated that if they think they're going to get the black vote in my constituent area then they are sadly mistaken because many are disillusioned, disgusted and apathetic this time around. I also told them if the democratic-power elite in my constituent areas is NOT on board Obama will lose a significant number of white voters, also.

Most importantly, I told them I was slightly offended the Obama campaign went outside of Philadelphia to get folks to staff that office. And if I'm slightly offended, I know for a fact others will be, too. It's so obvious to me they're going to have a difficult time getting folks on board and excited like 2008. However, I did invite them to a GOTV event planned for 6/30 where I expect at least 500 registered voters in my constituent areas to attend.

MHD, again, thanks for the post.

[Koffy Brown]

You're full of shit. You're a shit-starter and a hater just like those cats. Why don't you just carry your sorry ass on an vote for Mitt, stop trying to take others with your sorry ass. A damn shame. Grown ass rich men still mad 'cause they didn't get an inauguration ticket. Mad 'cause they're rings didn't have to be kissed along the way to the White House. Btw, none of you know what the fuck went down between all concerned.

And the rest of Ya'll are being bamboozled, taking part in this psuedo intellectual, crabs in a barrel, circle jerk fucking convo.

Fuck that. There's an election to be won. For alot of folks, the Civil War never ended. And if we don't put our best effort forward, many of us, especially those of us who are black, will be fighting that bitch all over again. Those of you who AREN'T black certainly have alot less to fear.

Buddy, Boyce, West, Crabis, these jealous niggas need to be put on ignore. Simple as that. Fuck'em. Anybody got doubts as to what this President has or hasn't done during his term in the White House, please go to:

WhiteHouse.Gov.

Word up!!

[KBig]

Im a huge BHO supporter and I would like to see more of a presence in our communities ...


I also for the life of me dont understand why the DNC didnt get its ass to Wisconsin SOONER for the Recall to ensure the vote gets out. ? da fuck?

Where is the DNC's presence regarding the Eliz.Warren Scott Brown Race?

I would love to see more blackfaces in BHO's campaign as headliners.... Im not saying they arent there but certainly not at the forefront.

BHO would be smahht to pick up a Danny G, MHD, PDub, or even a cleo to help his tone deaf appearence right now...

hint hint AK

[cleodine velvet jackson]

or even a cleo to help his tone deaf appearence right now...

hint hint AK

Or even a Cleo?

I'm doing my thing in Philadelphia and folks are listening. But, if the Obama team hired me, I could do much more in an official capacity. In my multi-racial and multi-ethnic constituent areas, folks know the work I do and have done. Even committee people call on me to get things moving because they know I CAN. If I had $250,000 to work the 1st, 2nd and 39th Wards (at least 75,000 registered voters), I would HOUSE the VOTE like nobody's business because my youth brigade is ready to "take it to the streets and door-to-door, along with my Block Captains United (BCU) group!!!

And let me be very honest: As it stands right now, Philadelphia will make or break President Obama in Pennsylvania...a state he needs to win.

Kbig, so sweet of you to think about me.

[SuzanneT]

Or even a Cleo?

I'm doing my thing in Philadelphia and folks are listening. But, if the Obama team hired me, I could do much more in an official capacity. In my multi-racial and multi-ethnic constituent areas, folks know the work I do and have done. Even committee people call on me to get things moving because they know I CAN. If I had $250,000 to work the 1st, 2nd and 39th Wards (at least 75,000 registered voters), I would HOUSE the VOTE like nobody's business because my youth brigade is ready to "take it to the streets and door-to-door, along with my Block Captains United (BCU) group!!!

And let me be very honest: As it stands right now, Philadelphia will make or break President Obama in Pennsylvania...a state he needs to win.

Kbig, so sweet of you to think about me.

When I saw that article mhd put up, you were one of the 1st persons I thought of.

[The Good Reverend Rollo Goodlove]

$10 after midnight ... early arrival is suggested

[cleodine velvet jackson]

When I saw that article mhd put up, you were one of the 1st persons I thought of.

Lady SuzanneT, being my friend on Facebook, you've have seen what I've done and trying to accomplish in Philadelphia! Thanks so very much for your kind words.

[House]

Alan and Danny,

Alan, from where you sit you have to defend, we all appreciate your perspective, its a blessing to you and to us, its also problematic. Take a look at the Adrian Fenty mayoral campaign here in dc. while its tempting to look at the deval patrick gubernatorial victory in mass and Corey Booker's mayoral victory in Newark, the real lesson is Adrian's race. Adrian and Anthony Williams before him, was managed by Tom Lindenfeld, former partner of David Axelrod, Adrian is a friend, but, became jaded by his own success and like Obama now, failed to manage his base, which was African American. As the most loyal wing of the Democratic party, managing black expectations is very easy, as MarkB constantly says, we don't demand much. There is no way Adrian should have lost this election, but, he actively ignored, disrespected and alienated the black constituency, even as his education record was stellar! and who benefits most by improvements in education? the black community. so, even though he could point to many objective achievements, much like obama, he lost, because he was viewed as not caring or not on the side of the black community. To his credit, Tom Lindenfeld realized this, much too late, and gave Adrian a strategy to overcome this deficit, Adrian ignored it, pointing to his record as proof of his bonafides to the black community. He lost. He lost because Tom failed to recognize the issue early enough (tone deaf white guy) and Adrian failed in the same manner.
Obama is on this path, Messina, Axelrod and Plouffe are on this same trajectory, tone deaf white guys, advising a candidate in a bubble and no one telling or listening to the hard truths.

Now, here is the calculus, when you looked at the various paths to 270, all of them had a singular assumption: in battleground states where there is a sizable black population, like Ohio, PA, Florida, Michigan, VA, NC etc, that Obama would carry the black vote much as he did in 2008. I think that notion is severely flawed, a similar perception like Adrian has been here for years and its growing and that will suppress turnout, more importantly, however, are nationwide coordinated efforts to challenge black voters en masse with various iterations of voter id laws and requirements. This factor raises the margin of error for obama and lowers it for romney.

Sue T mentioned that Tavis was a nuthugger to Clinton. You gotta ask why? One reason may be that Clinton appointed a black man, Bob Nash as White House director of Personnel, his deputy was also black, and a veteran of the Carter white house, since Dems had not occupied the WH for 12 years. What they accomplished is building a bench of solid, gifted (black) political operatives that gained valuable experience for 8 years. These are the voices that are currently ignored and that circumstance has this presidency in jeapordy. Thankfully, its not too late

Whoa! This is heavy

[House]

Word up!!

fo sheezy!

[cleodine velvet jackson]

fo sheezy!

Now you know that's so wrong!!!



(I just couldn't resist! )

[House]

now you know that's so wrong!!!



(i just couldn't resist! )

lol!

[AK]

Lots of good points, and I can assure you the president is not tone deaf to them.

And Danny, you know I'd love to have that mythical president flying around with the black S on his cape, but he will never be elected or reelected in these United States.

[Chuck P]

Lots of good points, and I can assure you the president is not tone deaf to them.

And Danny, you know I'd love to have that mythical president flying around with the black S on his cape, but he will never be elected or reelected in these United States.

I honestly believe that the fellas have very very valid points, I do, however, believe that what the AA community is requiring has the potential to lend its self to political suicide because everyone expects the first AA President to focus solely on the needs of AA's and completely dismiss all others..........

After reading some of the other posts in this thread though, I have to say that there should definitely be an increase relative to meeting the needs, concerns, and issues that are being faced in the AA community this time around (2nd term) as there are no more terms to position and posture for..............

[cleodine velvet jackson]

http://www.policyshop.net/home/2012/...lutocrats.html

Meek in the Land of the Plutocrats

Bob Herbert

The youngsters filed into the large conference room at the Community Service Society in Manhattan. Each picked up a slice of pizza and a can of soda from a small table that had been set up along one wall, then took a seat at the large table in the center of the room. They were from a public school in the Bronx, about 20 of them, 13 and 14 years old, and they’d agreed to talk to me about their lives.

One of the girls, noticing the bright sunlight streaming through the tall windows of the venerable office building, said, “I like it down here in Manhattan. I’d like to live here someday.”

And then they began talking, raising their hands politely when they wanted to be heard. As they spoke, there was an undercurrent of emotion that was disturbing. So I asked if they were generally happy with their lives. Only five raised their hands. When I asked the others why they were unhappy, they said because their neighborhood was not safe, because one or both of their parents had died, because there was no father in many of their lives, because their families were poor.

Several began to cry. One girl said she’d been raped when she was three years old. She looked down at the table and murmured, “I never feel safe.” Another said, “I saw someone on my block get shot. After that I didn’t want to go outside. When I go to school I always look at that spot where he was laying on the ground. It hurts to think about it.”

The kids spoke of drug dealers and gang members and people they had known who’d been shot and killed. Several of the youngsters, boys and girls, said they never wanted to get married because they saw domestic life as never-ending strife and grief. They spoke of 16-year-olds who were parents and adults without jobs and parties ruined by shootouts, with people running for cover as if they were in the Wild West.

“I don’t like my life,” said one girl. Another said she felt there was no purpose to her existence. One child who was weeping said she didn’t want to say why. “It’s too personal,” she whispered. “I can’t talk about it.”

We’ve failed these youngsters in so many ways. Too often their own parents have failed them, and the politicians at every level of government, and the general public, which is monstrously indifferent to the plight of the poor. There was nothing unusual about that group of youngsters from the Bronx. You’ll hear the same stories of grief and violence and deprivation on the South Side of Chicago, in South Los Angeles, in East St. Louis and Atlanta and Philadelphia and Newark. But the movers and shakers in media and government would rather swallow strychnine than confront this catastrophe head-on.

You won’t hear about it in the presidential race. Barack Obama can barely bring himself to say the word "poor." And Mitt Romney was famously dismissive about even the deepest concentrations of poverty. “I’m not concerned about the very poor,” he said. “We have a safety net there. If it needs a repair, I’ll fix it.” He later described his comment as a “misstatement.”

Fifty million Americans are poor and another 50 million have been characterized as “near poor,” which means they can feel the awful flames of poverty licking at their heels. That’s almost a third of the entire U.S. population. You’d think, in that context, it would be disconcerting to see the president yukking it up at the White House correspondents dinner with the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian, Kate Hudson and George Clooney in the audience, and later raking in the dough at a $40,000-a-plate fundraiser at Clooney’s home in Los Angeles.

But that’s standard procedure in a country that has given up on its great promise of upward mobility and widely-shared prosperity. The Obama and Romney camps are planning to spend a billion dollars each, a truly obscene amount, in their fight for the presidency of a nation that is now unabashedly of, by, and for the rich.

Poor kids don’t stand a chance in this land of the plutocrats.

[Daniel, Grand Duke of Stony Island]

And Danny, you know I'd love to have that mythical president flying around with the black S on his cape, but he will never be elected or reelected in these United States.

If cats can't see that 13% unemployment in the largest minority sector of the US is an American problem more than it'd ever be exclusively a black problem, then perhaps those cats shouldn't lead at all.

A higher unemployment rate than Jamaica, Alan. A higher unemployment rate than MEXICO. On par with Tunisia. Syria has a frickin' civil war going on and they have more jobs for their people than America can provide black folks.

So no, my politically and economically well-heeled friend - I'm not looking for a myth of a man with a black S on his cape. I'm looking for a president of all the people. That would include black people. A president of all the people wouldn't be able to stomach a population of 37 million people living like the 3rd world in the heart of the jewel of the 1st world. A president of all the people wouldn't sell a false notion that shoring up the white middle class would somehow ameliorate the bleak socioeconomic condition of an entire segment of Americans.

A black S on cape, huh?

13% if the population. 13% unemployment. 13% of the population, yet 35% of black children under 18 live in poverty. 45% of black children under 5 live in EXTREME POVERTY. Black children are three times as likely to be poor (35%) as White children (12%) Black children are more than three times as likely as White children to live in extreme poverty. The four million Black children (more than one in three) living in poverty in 2009 represented an increase of over 150,000 since 2008 and almost half a million since 2000. Black children under five are the poorest group. Forty-two percent of them are poor compared to 14 percent of White children. These young Black children are more than three times as likely as White children to live in extreme poverty. Forty percent of Black children are born poor, compared to eight percent of White children. More than two-thirds of Black children born poor will be persistently poor for at least half of their childhoods. Black children are seven times more likely than White children to be persistently poor.

This is America TODAY. Right now. Right the fuck NOW. Black S on cape? President of all the people, not just black people? Black people ARE the FUCKIN' PEOPLE. I'd be happy with a president who can see that. Forgive me for figuring that a black president would be able to see that more than anyone.

Black S on cape, huh? How about we just agree that I'm fuckin' up the vibe by bring up what should be obvious. Otherwise we're going to have a tumultuous 5 months before the president of all the people is reelected to lead 3 different Americas that no one is supposed to discuss but from which everyone locks their doors at night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...mployment_rate

http://www.childrensdefense.org/prog...inequality.pdf

http://www.childrensdefense.org/chil...erica-2010.pdf

[Daniel, Grand Duke of Stony Island]

I honestly believe that the fellas have very very valid points, I do, however, believe that what the AA community is requiring has the potential to lend its self to political suicide because everyone expects the first AA President to focus solely on the needs of AA's and completely dismiss all others..........

After reading some of the other posts in this thread though, I have to say that there should definitely be an increase relative to meeting the needs, concerns, and issues that are being faced in the AA community this time around (2nd term) as there are no more terms to position and posture for..............

When are the needs of African-Americans not the needs of Americans? In what reality are African-Americans not Americans? How has the existence of a black First Family somehow sent, for good politics sake, African-Americans to some politically nebulous region to wait out when it'd be ok to have their needs and rights as Americans DEFENDED? Just so white folks don't see the black POTUS as being just for black folks? That's a valid reason for MILLIONS of American children - who happen to be black - to have their defense from EXTREME POVERTY deferred? Hungry and unsheltered children are politically expedient?

The way you sound, the election of America's first black president reduced us back to 3/5ths. Are you comfortable with that? It's okay for black folks in America to be some OTHER type of American until when? A lame duck term so white Americans won't punish him for being human?

[Chuck P]

When are the needs of African-Americans not the needs of Americans? In what reality are African-Americans not Americans? How has the existence of a black First Family somehow sent, for good politics sake, African-Americans to some politically nebulous region to wait out when it'd be ok to have their needs and rights as Americans DEFENDED? Just so white folks don't see the black POTUS as being just for black folks? That's a valid reason for MILLIONS of American children - who happen to be black - to have their defense from EXTREME POVERTY deferred? Hungry and unsheltered children are politically expedient?

The way you sound, the election of America's first black president reduced us back to 3/5ths. Are you comfortable with that? It's okay for black folks in America to be some OTHER type of American until when? A lame duck term so white Americans won't punish him for being human?

I'm not saying that I'm good with political posturing, but let's be honest, it's par for the course, I've given your posts some serious time and I agree with you, but that does not change the fact that a radical approach to dealing with the needs and concerns of the AA community will ensure a 2nd term for the prez.........

Your words and research are alarming though and I'm not saying that I'm settling moreover I just understand the politics of this thing whether we like it or not..........

Let me add though that the aforementioned does not mean that WE cannot ask the tough questions of our POTUS, posturing and pandering is his job, not ours, we have the right to ask the tough questions and speak on the inaction that we feel has happened under this administration.........