Blacks demand of Obama: 'What about us?'

In the full arc of the 2008 presidential election, the Rev. Jesse Jackson's threat to trim Barack Obama's, um, sails for "talking down to black people" will probably be nothing more than a blip in the hungry cable news cycle.

But Jackson's flash of frustration provided a glimpse of a simmering debate among prominent African-Americans over what Obama is saying as he campaigns for president, and what he isn't saying.

"Barack Obama is not running for the president of Black American. He's running for president of the United States of America," said Curtis Stokes, a Tampa banker and president of the Hillsborough County Branch of the NAACP. (story here)

Comments

[Me]

I have been scanning major newspaper sites this morning. To my surprise, those sites that are opting to have a home page presidential campaign story this morning, a relative minority, are still talking about private comments by a jealous semi-supporter critical of Obama but are NOT talking about the "mental recession...nation of whiners" comments by McCain's TOP economic campaign OFFICIAL or McCain's insulting, lame attempt at humor about the comments. I note that Drudge is headlining the unaired supporter's comments at the top of his page, but the Gramm-McCain flap is well down the list of stories. Thankfully the TV outlets are giving it play, but it sure looks like the dead-tree media has ceded its news and editorial judgment to Matt Drudge, and the continued emphasis on Obama and Jackson is simply fueling the impression of thinking readers that the corporate dead-tree media is fully in the tank for McCain. What the hell is going on in this country?

Obama isn't saying much to white America either. He's running on "Change". Change what? For the good, for the bad? Just for the sake of change?

Where does he stand on the state of the ecnomy? High gas prices?
Immigration?
Abortion?
Gay marriage?
The Iraq War ... this week?

He needs to promise the blacks that they will be in control of our government if he wants to get elected. Also, that Whitey will be required to pay for all government programs and blacks will get huge tax breaks. Once he gives the black community a wink and a nod on that, they will get back on supporting Obama. It's just the way Obama operates--another slick, Chicago politico.

Barack W. Bush?? He doesn't give a hoot about the blacks. He is on his way to becoming just another George Bush. I'm with Nader now.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/barack_w_bush.html

There are African-Americans living locally who sat down at lunch counters to help break Jim Crow; who gained the freedom to participate in American voting only in the 1960s because of the Civil Rights movement they were part of; who have lived long enough to hear the first viable African-American presidential candidate tell them that their primary vote couldn't be counted because of "the rules" and because "maintaining order" required that they not count--exactly the same rationalizations used by Jim Crow segregationists when they disenfranchised some voters fifty years ago.

Obama is a slick national politician who believes in one and only one thing--his own personal promotion. If he won't stand up for counting millions of American votes, who can expect him to stand up for any thing?

6:49 - Your answers are below:

Where does he stand on the state of the economy? He thinks it is bad and the way to make it better is to increase Taxes, especially on anyone who isn't on welfare.

High gas prices? He's against them and thinks that raising taxes and not drilling domestically will fix the problem.

Immigration? He's for legal immigration, that said, he believes nothing can be easily done about illegal immigation so we should ignore it and raise taxes so we can put them on welfare.

Abortion? He's for it because he'd rather not have that discussion with his daughters, it is easier just to get them abortions, if need. And, after all, he acknowledges that too many black men are not taking responsibility of the offspring of their baby's momma (like Jesse Jackson).

Gay marriage? He'll support it (at least until he appoints Judges to the supreme court who will support Sharia as an acceptable alternative to US law (as the chief Judge in England recently did).

The Iraq War ... this week? - He supports all sides of this issue.

Remember THAT in November!

The irony of all of this is that Obama has done more to inflame racial tensions rather than to resolve them. His candidacy is all about race. If he wasn't black, and if he didn't capitalize on his blackness to appeal to white guilt, he would be just another Cook County ward healer. His black supporters saw him as the new messiah. They are now finding out that Obama is an empty suit behind big ears and a big smile.

[Client 9]

What about blacks? What about me? I want to know what his positions on half-Asian, half-Jews are!

[Mencken Jr]

You know, you guys are *almost* funny. I'm just waiting for one of you to start doing hip-hop impressions to try to stir up racial nonsense.

McCain would be a terrible president. He dumped his first wife for a rich trophy wife, he calls his *new* wife a c*nt in front of a reporter, he gets his economic advice from the guy most responsible for Enron and the real estate problems we have now, and *this* is the best you guys can do? Yawn.

Jesse Jackson is nothing but a racist pig himself. It's people like him, Al Sharpton, Lewis Farrakhan and the NAACP that continually incite and inflame this argument. Face it people, Barack will end up going to the top and the blacks AND whites that vote him in will do so because they want change - in general. McCain is too tied in with the current administration and people are tired of it. Remember, the President doesn't have the power to do any of the things that these candidates are promising right now. That would be Congress who ultimately has that power. And the sooner people remember that, the better off we'll be. The President can veto what he doesn't like, but again, your Congress is who has the power to override that. Barack can promise the world to whomever, but he can't deliver it unless Congress says so. Black, white, purple, green, yellow, striped, it doesn't really matter.

Shut up Jesse. We're tired of hearing about you. Go back in your corner and stop clamoring for attention.

This is a stupid made up issue. Do you actually think this matters to any African American that want to see Obama be the next president. President Obama, get used to it.

Actually, I think we should all thank Jesse for showing us the difference between his hypocritical, uneducated and racist views and the intelligence and moral values that Obama possesses. This should help Obama with white voters who were struggling with the fear that Obama would not be the President of all Americans.

9:23 - correct. Obama is clearly 100% above the Jesse's, Al's and Louis of this world. He could teach them a lesson in how to stop using their race to incite anger and unrest.

Wow, Jesse has really gone over the edge and the media is being such panty wasted hypocrites about it. Had a white political operative or hate seller like Jackson had said what he did there would not be any other news.

Jackson should go the way of David Duke they are brothers in hate. Unfortunately, Jackson is also a socially unacceptable, mentally twisted, vulgar bigot instead of just a bigot.

[Omega83]

What school of Divinity ever gave the "Reverend" Jackson a degree? Can it be revoked.

Never have I heard a so-called an ofthe cloth so freely use terms like "Hymie" "nuts" and have ellicit affairs - and not come under some reprimand.

Jackson is a hypocrite, bigot and pig, and there is a spot held open for him in Hell for his decades of false prophecy.

[Omega83]

PS...Had James Earl Ray had a twitch or a sneeze, Jesse Jackson would not be a problem today.

This Democrat is quite sick of Jesse Jackson as well.

i didn't realize barack was black until just now --

The Cadillac crowd versus the Lexus crowd.

I love it!

8:37

You say, "His candidacy is all about race. If he wasn't black, and if he didn't capitalize on his blackness to appeal to white guilt, he would be just another Cook County ward healer."

Isn't that just the coolest: being black worked FOR a politician for a change. If we are dumb enough to judge people by skin tone, then we deserve to have that kind of stupidity wing back to slap us in the face.

Polls show that more Americans will be affected by age than by race in this election, but you must be one of the race guys.

Being black is the only gimmick this wet-behind-the-ears wannabe politico has going for him. Geraldine Ferraro said so and everybody jumped all over her. But she is 100% right.

This is from an influential Democrat who has been a supporter of Obama. It was just a matter of time until his supporters, especially the young ones, found out what they are buying!!

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/whats_wrong_with_senator_obama.html

This from a Democrat who is an influential Obama supporter. Even the younger supporters are starting to hav buyer's remorse.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/whats_wrong_with_senator_obama.html

[Barrack "I'm not black I am a terrorist" HUSSEIN Obama]

Wow, I never thought him being black was the issue, I always thought the real issue is that he is a muslim terrorist who wants to ally with Iran and Palestine and blow Israel off the face of the earth.

But wait now he is turning his back on his own to be elected.

http://ztruth.typepad.com/ztruth/2008/03/barack-obama--.html

[No To Obama]

I'm fed up with Obama. Join the real deal and vote with me for a black candidate who won't change her colors!!!

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-greenparty11-2008jul11,0,3718474.story

NEW POLL BY NEWSWEEK HAS BARACK OBAMA FALLING FAST.

NEXT JIMMY CARTER?

I'm with Cynthia. A real African-American!!

[Donald Lance]

6:31 & 10:58, your posts take racism to an entirely new level. "Vote for me because I look like you do". How stupid can you be? You both sound like someone involved in politics in Baltimore! Why don't you vote for somebody because they have the same values and viewpoints you do and not because they look like you!

[EliJones]

I believe that Jesse Jackson's crude remarks toward Barack Obama were planned and executed to make Obama look good to white voters. Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama are on the same page with this political acting that was designed to show that Obama has a problem with the "Black Victimhood Mentality". That mentality being, anything that is wrong in the black community is the white man's fault. Black leaders have brainwashed their own race into believing and accepting this loser mentality for their own personal gain. Obama is for the same massive social give away programs that all liberal/socialists/Marxists adhere to. Want proof: Google "Obama's S2433" and read how the Obama US Senate bill will redistribute your American wealth to third world dictators. Obama is an Africa first ideologue. We can't afford Obama's change.

[noella]

I think it's disgusting the way people put down the "old timers" like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc. Obama would not be in office if it wasn't for the sacrifices of these people. Love em or hate em, at least they were there when the marches were taken place. They put their lives on the line to speak for those who were lynched, beaten, and assasinated. Maybe some of their ideals are less relevant now, and maybe you disagree with them, but to degrade them and tell them they're no longer welcome to represent the black voice is disgraceful!