I, and I suppose, many African Americans have been asking myself, lately, is our support and, increasingly, defense of President Barack Obama would be the same if the president were white. I mean, white-skinned. We are, after all, specifically if not exclusively referring to the quality of pigmentation in the man’s epidermis. This insanity, of how tan a person is, has been the basis for centuries of violence, hatred, social unrest and oppression. Taking race out of the equation, I see a man with lofty, perhaps naïve goals, and a gang of irrational, extremist nuts out to kill him. I see his friends caving in and turning against him out of cowardice and opportunism. I see people obstructing important and vital legislation, and causing severe further damage to the nation’s economy over the idiotic debt limit fight. I see a man trying to save America and I see people willing to go to any lengths to stop him, up to and including making things worse, provably and demonstratively as a direct result of their single-minded agenda to unseat the president.
I see good and I see evil. I support the president, not because he’s black but because any man who can inspire this level of sheer hatred, focused on one man and to the exclusion of serving their nation during a time of national crisis, must be onto something good. He must be a simply amazing individual. Abandoning him for one of the GOP Muppets would be utterly ridiculous.
I’m appalled by both the hatred thrown at President Obama and the lack of respect given to the leader of this country. If we narrow the discussion to the so called “white and black people”, both are guilty of the same offense. This man has taken on the responsibilities to govern this nation and, as Mr. Priest points out, has been judged not by his ability and leadership, but by his skin color. When he was running for office and was elected people cast him as both the Savior and the Anti-Christ.
I don’t understand why people are denouncing him, saying that he hasn’t done enough of this, he’s not enough of that, let’s block everything he tries to do, I not doing enough for this group or that group, he’s not a citizen, he’s a kill monger, he’s weak on this, he won’t do that. How can this man do the job he was elected by the people to do if all his efforts are sabotage and his supporters turn on him?
The politics of this country is strange. People only want this country to work for their own personal benefit. No one wants to compromise so that progress can be made in the governing of this nation. The vultures are circling.
“If we narrow the discussion to the so called “white and black people”, both are guilty of the same offense. ” Absolutely agree. “I don’t understand why people are denouncing him…” Because he’s the guy in the hot seat, and becuase he wasted three years being Hamlet. Look: like the guy or not, I think even Tea Folk would agree: the president should have gone all-in. He is being hammered now because he was not leading but guiding. There really is a difference. A leader says, “Take that hill!” A guide shows you where the hill is and lets you decide what to do.
I agree. President Obama has not taken charge of the congress so they think he’s a punk. And everyone else see this.
Did not see the speech that inspired this, and would be glad of a link to help me learn the context.
Otherwise, this makes sense to me based on what I know and understand so far.
Y’know, there’s a clip of it on the page… and it’s all over YouTubb. Hiya, Dwight. Long time.
Priest,
I’m not sure if Smiley and West’s Poverty Tour is necessarily motivated purely by revenge for previous social snubs. Instead, I suspect that, like many progressives, they’re frustrated because he hasn’t been as strident in promoting their values as they would like.
Nor, honestly, can I blame them. Obama was certainly packaged as a strong progressive leader, and the reality is that he isn’t what was written on the box. Extraordinary rendition continues. PMCs are still widely used as support for our military. The public option was taken off the table far too soon, and so on.
If Obama was living up to what he promised, would you have to ask these questions? There is no doubt that he is doing everything in his power to keep the ship from sinking while the Tea Party is setting the sails on fire, but Democrats are starting to get sick of how much we’re called upon to compromise.
“Obama was certainly packaged as a strong progressive leader, and the reality is that he isn’t what was written on the box.”
Yeah, but isn’t that *always* the case? I’m really struggling to understand the American mindset, that we rally around these politicos every few years, swearing allegiance to them and having arguments with friends and loved ones over this leader or tat policy. They’re all liars. They’re all phonies. Every single one of them premise us the moon—look how outrageous and ridiculous the outside promises the GOP candidates are making. But, it’s like, after you win, they take you in a back room and show you how REALLY bad the country and the world is, and you end up doing the same ol’ same ol.’
To his credit, Obama has indeed *tried* to do what he said he’d do. He just squandered most of his first term trying to change the culture of Washington—which is not why I voted for him. I voted for him to go and fix Bush’s mess. And instead of doing that, he compromised it all away. And now he’s reaping the political whirlwind. He may as well have just done what he said he’d do.
If you actually think ANY politician—Romney, Perry, et. All—will actually accomplish ANY of the nonsense they are promising, you’re in for a huge letdown. Governing is not anything at all like campaigning. It really is that simple. The dementia we collectively suffer every years, waving those banners and planting those lawn signs, is pure idiocy. Once they’re in, and they see how bad things actually are and how impossible it is to change anything, they all move toward the center. They all disappoint.
This is why I believe Smiley and Cornell are being ridiculous, harmful and dangerous to the very cause they allegedly serve. If they actually believe President *Romney* will do more for Black America than Obama, they’re just idiots.