Black Folks Support Obama - But How Will We Benefit?
Barack Obama reportedly gets 90% of the Black vote. My question: What do (will) Black voters get in return? Bragging rights…if he becomes president.
So what if he becomes the 1st Black president in our lifetime (read U.S. Had 5 Black Presidents post). Politics ain’t about bragging rights. Politics is a vehicle we drive to get from one destination to another. It’s about getting something in exchange for supporting a candidate. In other words, we support you, now show us how you will support us.
If Obama is elected president how will Black folks benefit? We need to ask this of ALL candidates. I only point out Obama because Black folks are voting for him in such large numbers.
It’s time to get passed the emotionalism and symbolism of Obama’s presidential candidacy. Black folks need to focus on a concrete agenda right about now. Everybody and their mama has an agenda - except us.
What do we need? What are our issues? What legislation/policy do we need passed? How do we measure the success of such legislation/policy? How have the candidates dealt with our issues in the past? In the past, how have Black folks benefited (or been harmed) by previous legislation/policy supported by these candidates?
It’s time to stop “nutting” over Obama and let’s get down to the nitty gritty of how politics really functions in America. In sum, what’s in it for us?
This post is sponsored by EmpowerBooks.net and The Naked Truth Podcast.
April 15, 2008 at 7:28 pm
The Democrats have a dilemma: Obama can win the nomination, but not the general electron, whereas the opposite applies to Hillary Clinton. Here are the reasons: using the 2004 presidential election results as a reference, the 2008 general election will essentially be divided between the ‘red’ and ‘blue’ states. The advantages that Obama had with the black voters and the caucus process can disappear easily in those ‘red’ states in the general election. On the other hand, Hillary has been able to capture most of the blue states in the primary, despite strong completions from Obama. When weighing in different voters compositions (races and genders) and the general perception about the candidates, Obama may lose one or two of big blue states such as CA, NY and PA, besides Ohio. On the other hand, Clinton has a very good chance to keep all the blue states in the camp, besides being favored in Ohio and Arkansas, and possibly FL.
I wrote these comments before the exposition of Wright’s preaching and his relation with Obama, which could further handicap Obama in the general election. Thus, if democrats do not understand the above message, McCain will be the next president. What’s wrong about McCain being the next president? He is a little old, too stubborn, and committed too much to the Iraq war. Any person who does not understand that our nation has deteriorated in the past few years because of the Iraq war does not deserve to be our next president. So, Obama and Clinton supporters, please do not dog fight anymore. If you do, you may become the victim in the old Chinese saying “Fish and clam fight, the fisherman profits”. Please also understand that voting for Obama in the primary is equivalent to supporting McCain for the next president. Please think about this carefully.