Top Ten Reasons Blacks Support(ed) An Obama Presidency - And Why We Need to Reevaluate Things

As I continue shedding old skin and reordering my thinking now that I'm outside the Matrix I find myself revisiting my support of Barack Obama. While I would still likely vote for him again I have to think of all the ways I can benefit from this alliance while measuring it for reciprocity. You can't ask for anything until you know what you want though. I'd like to think of myself as enlightened on some topics. Still with other issues I am just now realizing how much I'm learning. Discernment is more valuable than all the coltan in the world.

So aside from the usual arguments from people about how we need to give Obama time (sounds like an excuse) or how much is on his plate (he wanted the job) I want to explore the reasons why he gets so much support from blacks and what influences that decision.

1. Michelle Obama and the (assumed automatic) kinship she's thought to have with other black women. Also the one we want to have with her.
   
2. Powerful Symbolism - aka the "razzle dazzle" "pomp & circumstance".
   
3. Seen as validation of  blacks' worthiness - continuing to use outside signifiers instead of building strategic alliances.
   
4. Not Clinton/Edwards/Mccain. 
   
5. He's a man - because if it was about qualifications and race more would have voted for Cynthia McKinney.
   
6. Emotional payoff - the comparisons to MLK (and somehow NEVER to Malcolm X). 
   
7. Cheap thrill to stick one's tongue out at whites.
8. Believed the promise of "change".
9. Decided he was "black" enough after the Clintons started race-baiting. 
   
10. Many (most?) think he will look out for black interests strictly because he identifies as black.

We need to rethink our loyalties. Black women actually represent the single largest percentage voting block for Obama, yet I don't recall him discussing ANY specific agenda or policies that directly and singularly assist us. I know health care, green energy and other things will benefit everyone but still we have a unique set of needs. This doesn't mean our needs can't be addressed but we have ensure that they are and be prepared to walk away if they aren't. Will blacks actually do that?

The White House Council on Girls & Women doesn't have a prominent placement or direct contact on the White House web site. It has potential to be a heavyweight office but like everything else we must measure how things have improved from their previous condition and what are expectation for the future are. He nominated Regina Benjamin to be the next Surgeon General and she gets attacked for being overweight. I saw the larger black community's complete SILENCE on this issue with few exceptions and only after WHITE oriented-media and feminist organizations stood up for her. How many black men publicly decried her treatment? Now think of all the print and tv time given to covering Skippy Gates - why even the President stepped into the fray. People spend their time and resources on things they love - not things they feel obligated to. I find it rather challenging to even have a conversation around the Idol worship going on. Blacks are NOT prepared for the brewing backlash. We are spend, spend, spend with NO safety net. 

If financial advisors like Suze Orman urge people to save at least 8 months' salary in cash to use for a rainy day fund when the times were "good" to cover during the hardships and unexpected tumbles then how much more should we be doing this for our political lives? No wait, our "actual" lives. We know whites have been stockpiling weapons. The KKK has resurfaced - they're never far away. I'd like to petition the Justice Department to classify then correctly as a domestic terrorist group and use the full weight of the Federal gov't to crush them once and for all. 

Then there's these birthers, the teaparty participants and all those other agitated people who showed up for the McCain/Palin rallies. They haven't gone anywhere. The only thing I'll mention with regards to Skippy Gates (since I've discussed why he's NO friend to black women) is how he's considered an upper class, non-threatening black man. If it's open season on grandpa then it's open season on ALL blacks and not just the men. Black women are also victims of law enforcement railroading tactics.

Calgon Take Me Away

So the Geritol generation gets someone they can relate to. Makes me really look forward to them dying out and us youngsters taking over. Apparently Joe isn't filthy rich, has two young daughters and is firmly established enough. He's, quoting Obama from his speech today, "Ready to be President". Hmmm. If the Colored Dude would be #1 and the White Female political juggernaut is #3 the people behind the curtain NEED an older white man in at #2. You know just because. So I get it, he wasn't picked to appeal to me. Cuz it's all about winning baby. And it wasn't Clinton. Ol' Joe just better stick to his attack dog purpose and keep in his mouth shut unless it's been scripted. Of course the Rethugs will run all the times he said Obama wasn't experienced enough. With friends like these!

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Already there's lots of crunchy stuff to chew on as this political race heats up before the final combust in less than 11 weeks. And then the next set of obstacles, problems and needs for protest will rise up like weeds from this putrid garden we've scattered our seeds of discontent throughout. Gee that wasn't very positive was it? Oh well. It is what it is.


There's a Free Tibet march going on right outside my window as I type this. A nice preliminary for the Convention. I am more interested in the so-called anti-establishment events like those of Progressive Democrats of America, World Can't Wait, We Are Change Colorado, Recreate68, Code Pink and others.

I. Am. Tired.

For the first time in my adult life I really.... see how not knowing what's going on, not making things a priority and leaving things up to other people has put our lives in a very precarious situation. Or severe dire straits. It's all in how you look at it.

Things are actually fine according to some. It's all in our heads. If we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps we'll be fine. Unless we make better choices it's all our fault. Institutional injustices be damned. Not physically being born in this country was a matter of pre-determination. Some people are just especially lucky afterall.

We have hope and change waiting on the horizon.

So why do I feel uneasy? Why a sense of dread? Why do I feel like something is not quite right? Why do I want to be wrong, so very wrong? Hopefully I'll be able to shake this after a few days of combining hob-nobbing with protesting because I am nothing if not a contradiction. I like pretty things and nice surroundings and comfort. I don't want to think about people in Haiti who are being forced to eat dirt due to our greed. Yes, it's ours. We should own up to it. It's not a pass the buck type situation. Well passing the buck has helped contribute to it.

I just want to bury my head in the sand. Wake me up when it's all over. It's not just political apathy. It's a spiritual hole in our souls, a mental hiccup in our psyches. It's questions with no answers because we have free will to do whatever we want. Except, except there's always a price to pay somewhere down the line isn't there?

When we have questions about life doesn't it make you feel somewhat empty? Or do we avoid even thinking about it? Do we numb ourselves to lack any awareness so that we only focus on what's right in front of us? If we run can we hide from ourselves?

Or escapism tends to fall into certain parameters:

a. Puff puff
b. Snort snort
c. Toot toot, hey beep beep

or

d. Stuffing our faces with every comfort food imaginable.

Actually it's not the food per se but the amount of food. actually let me throw in another caveat. I take issue with the modified food starch and corn syrup added to virtually everything in this country. Do you know it's banned in the UK? It bloats us up, makes us sluggish and lethargic. Just to ripen us up for an evening in front of the 500 + channels on the teevee.

Some go far far off the path and hurt people in every way imaginable because they were hurt by someone.

Did your desire to acquire lead you down a path of never-ending want? If you are currently struggling but had not before did you consider others who had less than or not enough?

See, it's a cycle that can repeat itself over and over and over. Though being aware of it you can do something about it. Change your mindset and perspective. It may not come easily or happen quickly. Some things may take a generation or two. Or three.

Hmmm I'm starting to feel better already.

*****

There IS hope afterall. And change is just over the horizon. There is a Promised Land. Zen philosophy has us currently in it. And heaven is here on earth right now, not some far away place we go to when. I think that takes us back to the responsibility portion of our lesson. How we have the responsibility, the opportunity, no the PRIVILEGE to look outside ourselves and DO for OTHERS. That is how we'll get our needs met.

So let's be grateful for people who ask questions, who lodge complaints and demand more from us than what we find comfortable. It's because we can do it.

A true bottom-up government requires active participation from ALL of its citizens. It starts with those elected to:

1. School Board
2. City council
3. State gov't
4. Judges at all levels

Let's focus on having a few well-placed people un-bought and un-bossed and we can see REAL CHANGE. Old people with old mind-sets be damned!

Do Something

Hmmmm there's lots going on today. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones may have succumbed to life-threatening injuries.

Some Obama supporters have already given up and there's an awful lot of complaining about what he's not doing:

a. Speaking for Black People. Advocating for Black People. Talking in glowing terms about Black people. All the time!!!
b. Fighting/Attacking/Kicking Ass and telling whitey that they're whitey and they're racists and they suck.
c. He's too articulate. He needs to speak s-l-o-w-l-y and spell his words and use a 3rd grade primer because most voters are dumber than a doorknob.

Now I admit I'm not 100% team Obama. I have questions. I don't want any surprises. I don't expect him to save me, but I don't want to find out "Satan's" been pulling the strings either. It's beyond hope in a jar. It's like Mr. Right showing up at your door and you send him away because he's nothing like what you expected so you REJECT him. Instead you go back to the guy who cheats on you and beats you. You hate it, but not nearly enough to walk away from it. The abuse is comforting in its depravity.

We're so jaded and doubtful. We also need to think critically, hold him accountable and make sure our voices don't get drowned out. I shouldn't have to worry about that $250K donor getting access over me, but that's how this country operates. The thing is.....we can change that. Or at least lessen it's influence.

I figured it was going to be Clinton vs. Guiliani. I was not looking forward to this election cycle really because it was going to be another situation with choosing the lesser of unsatisfactory candidates. Yeah I got the "Bill Clinton was an Amazing President and Our Budget Was Balanced" memo, but..... I saw that NAFTA sucked and millions of jobs disappeared into the ether, there was a tidal wave of newly poor risking life and limb to cross the border, the FCC went to sleep, Clear Channel bought everything that wasn't nailed down and I stopped listening to the radio. Oh yeah...let's not forget WalMart and the Big Box stores taking their revenue out of their area of operation, the crappy pay and discrimination. I just couldn't get on board the Clinton Express. I didn't think staying with a man who'd humiliated you for years was a reason to vote for the wife of a former President.

Yeah, yeah I know comparing the Clintons to the Bushes is a big no-no. But those years went from bad to worse to me praying for the 2004 version of Noah's Arc so we could start over AGAIN. But my conscience is clear because I never voted for Shrub. I was in the UK in 2003. I saw the bodies of the dead children and people with limbs blown off because it wasn't censored by the media. I read articles in the newspapers protesting the war and Tony Blair's capitulation to the US. I even marched in a million-strong protest in Hyde Park. It got so bad I had to tell people I was Canadian. Being Black gave me no reprieve from the anti-US gov't and citizen outrage of the Brits and Europeans.

I was relieved when Obama started kicking butt and taking names despite a whole bunch of shade being thrown his way. By other Black people in leadership positions. By so many people who thought they were above racism. By a lot of pampered and privileged white women. By other people who either wish to co-opt or destroy what they can't control. Of course there are some deep pockets and powerful people supporting his candidacy. This country wouldn't have it any other way. It was built on back-room deals, exploitations and murder.

But let's be positive shall we? I really like Michelle. No I don't know her but she seemed like someone who knew what time it was. Of course all the attacks on her personage appear to confirm that. Yes the Obamas have to be vetted for their commitment to all of us regular folk, but we let our votes be taken for granted by white people for YEARS. Yes - some of us - have woken up. FINALLY. It's about time!

There is another great candidate running on the Green Party ticket. Cynthia McKinney. Watch American Blackout. She is fierce, she is unbossed. She was chewed up and spit out for fighting the good fight. She might still get my vote just because. If the Green Party gets 5% of the vote nation-wide they'll get Congressional representation. Anything to break up the 2-party monopoly! In a fair and just world......

So here we are 10-11 weeks away from Doomsday. How many people are going to limit themselves by voting against their interests? I'm not even going to get into why voting for McCain should result in an immediate ban from living in this country. "Satan" doesn't have to pull his strings. That was strictly a volunteer assignment! He will certainly be beneficial for the ones that benefit from back-room deals, exploitation and murder. Now is not the time to be dumb. God gives us choices and then we have to live with them. The Republicans have had free reign for 8 years and you can see the result of that. If you only care about yourself and foolishly think there won't be any blowback then go ahead and pull the lever for the liar/cheater/wife-beater.

There's things we the average Joe, Juanita, Janiqua or Jamal can do.

1. Phone Bank
2. Register people to vote
3. Sign up to be a Poll Worker - cuz you know some funny stuff will go down
4. Write about the hypocrisy of the Corporate Media and all their surrogates
5. Donate money

You know we could talk about how wrong things are, how unfair the system is, how we have questions, how we're not sure, how some candidates are not fit, how we don't like the way they're running their campaign, how we'd do things differently if WE were in charge, blah blah blah!!!!

DO SOMETHING AND STOP TALKING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING.


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Remember the Macy Gray song on her debut album? I really liked it when it came out. Now that it's been nearly a decade you can see and hear how well her songs and videos have held up. She is definitely not your average girl with a record deal. We need more artists like her and Santogold and M.I.A. and Rachel Yamagata and Res and Roisin Murphy and Choklate and Zaki Ibrahim and Estelle and Sia and J*Davey and __________ add your own artist, plant the seeds and watch them grow.


Enjoy!

Bush Ain't the Only Rethug We Can't Wait to Get Rid Of

Sub-Titled: "People Who Have to Suffer Because Some of You Voters Are IDIOTS"


Here in California I believe a lot of residents are experiencing what some would call buyer's remorse. Except those of us who were taken along for the ride reluctantly. When former Governor Grey Davis declared war on Enron and what turned out to be the doctored rates and fake rolling blackouts, the Rethugs put out their version of a fatwa on his candidacy by offering up a Reagan for the Millenium. Who is that you may ask? Why action star Arnold Schwarzenegger of course. Good looking [to some] - check. Famous - check. Married into the USA version of foreign royalty - check. Right wing attack dog in mumbled English-speaking clothing - check, check, check!

See Grey Davis was actually doing his JOB questioning a company who ran in league with the Frat Boy [a lovely and apt term I got from Field Negro] and charging our state ridiculous rates for electricity and spotty service. Remember those $1000 bills for what had been say $350? Who do you think was behind that being that we're a solidly Democratic Party stronghold, aka a Blue State?

The Republican Party has been trying to subvert the existing laws and slowly chip away at progressive issues in a direct attack on those of us who seek a more just and fair world. There were enough of us in the Bay Area to see past the movie star glow and Kennedy wife to not support his candidacy. What about the rest of you? We get the government we allow.

1. CA Marriage Amendment
2. State Budget Crisis - when hasn't the state had a balanced budget while Ah-nold's been in office?
3. The attempt at killing rent-control.
4. Pay demotion of SEIU members from union wage to federal minimum wage - coincidently huge Obama supporters - connect the dots.....
5. Now he wants a 'temporary' increase in the state sales tax. We already have one of the highest rates at 8.5%.
6. Redistricting plans.
7. Voter Suppression.
8. Have I forgotten anything else?

And remember those plans to change to Constitution [as if it hasn't already been abused and subverted enough] to allow a foreigner to run for POTUS?

You Ain't Slick!

This is NOTHING less than an assault on the poorer, the less fortunate, the future activists of this state. Without a diverse constituency this state would go Red and be in the hands of the Rethugs once again. I have many many many issues with the Democratic Party. I am in total support of a viable insurgent 3rd Party to counterbalance the corruption that is rampant on both sides. I would have loved having a Mayor who was a member of the Green Party. To make a significant change you cannot go back, you can only move forward....with a solid plan. What can YOU do to help stop/slow/thwart this?

1. Call or email to remind him he's elected to represent the people, not his rich friends and not big business [one in the same I suppose]. People's governor my ass! He tried to take down the nurses/firefighters/teachers/our backbone of infrastructure before. He needs a reminder of how well that went over.

2. If the budget is in such crisis why not reduce the salaries and per diems of state employees and legislators making more than $100K who also have a $35K+ living expense bonus? Or how about not giving TAX BREAKS to sub-prime mortgage lenders who helped bring the economy down to begin with?

3. Time for some more marches and rallies I think. You know how well the Frat Boy likes them. He hasn't set foot in the City of San Francisco for fear of being caught on camera with protesters calling for his impeachment.

4. Contact Secretary of State Debra Bowen regarding our election laws. We need to make sure we don't have another case of the missing ballots. Can we know put to rest the entire fallacy of the so-called 'Bradley Effect'? He supposedly lost by x number of votes and six months after the election a missing ballot box with x and surplus amount of votes floated back to shore from the Pacific ocean. The fact is, he had enough votes to have won and the election was stolen from him. The end.

5. I don't know what else to suggest. People have to be informed. People have to take action. And let's thank and support those that are not rolling over and playing dead like so many other politicians - yeah I'm talking to you Congressional Democrats!

**I just found out there's an Assembly meeting scheduled for Friday at 1pm to discuss the budget.