…..THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON OBAMA

While perusing the blogworld, I came upon this blogsite from AngrygayblackCanandian (http://orvillelloyddouglas.wordpress.com), and his post entitled, “Obama Is running For Second Place” (http://orvillelloyddouglas.wordpress.com/2007/08/20/84/). Orville discusses how ready, or not, white-run America is for a black president. He also states that Obama’s black American wife is an asset for Obama, as everyone who lives in America knows, the race of the spouse of any presidential candidate is still of utmost importance to many Americans. This post by Orville got me to thinking about some comments I made on Obama at another blogger’s site, early this year.

Around March 1, 2007, Rachel, of http://www.rachelstavern.com/?p=428#comments put up a post (“Framing Barack Obama and Black Voters”) on why the newsmedia was questioning why black voters were not flocking to supporting Senator Barack Obama’s candidacy in droves. The white-run media was concerned why black people did not show a lock-step mentality in every black candidate that came along, even with Obama. Never are the intentions and desires of white voters questioned, but, let a black candidate come along, and it becomes “What do the black people think about such-and-such-black-candidate?”  Never is the integrity or political decisions of white voters dissected, picked apart, pulled apart, nor put under a microscope and examined like some festering disease. No. Only the voting decisions of black people are examined as if there is some aberration to what black people want from a candidate.

Here is an excerpt of Rachel’s post, where the news media questions “lack of black support” for Obama:

“This CNN article titled “Is black America Ready to Embrace Obama?“  I just wanted to point out the absurdity of the “story highlights” listed at the top of the page.  There seems to be an assumption that black people should like Obama and vote for him because he’s black–as if his other policies don’t matter at all. 

The article starts with highlights:

• In a new poll, Obama leads Clinton 44 to 33 percent among black voters
• Some blacks doubt that Obama understands their experience
• Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, is the Senate’s only black member
• Polls say blacks are less likely to believe America is ready for a black president

Are you missing the irony here?  The title seems to imply that Black Americans are skeptical of Obama, but then points out that 44% of Blacks favor Obama, in a race where there are a bazillion candidates.  He leads everyone else, but people are questioning whether or not Blacks are loyal to Obama?  The doubt angle is reiterated in the second “highlight,” and then the last highlight seems to reinforce Black Americans’ doubt in Obama, which is expanded in the text:

Blacks, in part, may be slow to warm to the candidacy of Obama because, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll suggests, they are less likely than whites to believe that America is ready for a black president.

The poll, conducted December 5-7, 2006, found that 65 percent of whites thought America was ready, compared with 54 percent of blacks. The poll’s margin of error was plus-or-minus 5 percentage points.

I agree with Rachel that black citizens ARE MORE than ready for a black president, BUT, white America is definately not ready for a black American president. How can such a thing be, when there is still so much institutional, structural racism rampart in America? What white people say, is an entirely different thing from what they do. And that goes for the rest of non-black America as well. Am I to believe that Latinos, Native Americans, Arab-Americans, Asian-Americans—-Eskimos—-will go out and vote for Obama in droves, forgetting about his “blackness”and concentrate on what they know and understand of his supposed stand/policies on various issues? Truth be told, no, I do not think that non-blacks are any different than white America when it comes to black people. White people are not the only people who are shoring up and keeping the white status quo going, and for Obama to become president, will require his overcoming some serious hurdles of racism, classism and race perception in ALL of America, which stills assigns black people to the bottom of the barrell in the racial heirarchy.

ACTIONS STILL SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

Rachel ends her post with the following:

“Why am I not seeing those stories, particularly for Edwards and the other white male candidates (and to a lesser extent Clinton)?  Maybe that’s because people are surprised that Barack Obama isn’t automatically getting Black support (although as Black voters learn more about Obama, he is garnering more support), but the recent statewide elections in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland should have shown that black voters don’t just run willy nilly to the first Black candidate that comes along.  Maybe these reporters believe only whites have to prove themselves to black voters.  Would we ask similar questions to white voters–why are you skeptical of John Edwards; do you feel he’s not white enough? Why are you voting for Obama when there are several other white candidates.  Either way the assumption is really unfair, and it reveals some unfortunate racial double standards.

I wish the mainstream media could just accept the fact black voters don’t automatically vote for Black candidates.  Perhaps black voters care more about policies than they do about a candidate’s racial identity.  Now isn’t that a novel idea, voting on policy.”

Yes, a novel, shocking idea, indeed. I wish AMERICA would accept the fact that black citizens do have minds of their own. That black citizens do have a sense of autonomy, agency, and self-actualization.

Even though black people know enough to face the truth that America will never elect a black president with the state that American race relations are in. And even if they do, what proof do black Americans have that this black president will not sell black people down the river? What proof do black Americans have that a black president will try so hard to please white people that he is a “good, not in your face” black man, who will aquiesce to white people at the expense of black people?

Why should blacks vote only for a candidate on the sole reason that he/she is of the same race as them as if that’s the end-all-be-all?

Why should a black man be president first?

Why not a black woman instead?

So far, neither Obama, Clinton, Edwards or ANYONE of them has yet convinced me I should vote for either one of them.

Here are my comments that I left on March 1, 2007 in response to Rachel’s post:

Ann on March 1st, 2007 9:54 am

Rachel.

Many aspects are highlighted in your post:

1. White America’s double-standard towards her black citizens
2. White Americans who broke their necks running to embrace Obama
3. Many black Americans who skeptically hold back on “willy-nilly” accepting Obama just because white America so desparately want us to accept him. White America’s still continued decrepit belief that ALL of black America walks lock-step “Nazi-Gestapo-style” in agreement with any and all black candidates who run for office
4. Black America’s knowledge of white America’s quick acceptance of Obama because he DOES NOT SHARE the same history of black America. (He is afterall, of Kenyan/white American woman descent, NOT, black American father/mother descent, OR, at least non-black American father/black mother descent.

The last comment is very important, and I will speak the most on that aspect.

Point 1.

Due to white America’s hypocisy in her mistreatment of her black citizens, she has shown disregard time and time again in what black people truly want in this country. Equal rights. (Yeah, we’re will still fighting for that.). The right to be treated as citizens of this country, and not as aliens. The right to have better schools, neighborhoods (if we can go to city hall meetings and ask for repair, upgrade of our communities, just like white and other citizens, then we have just as much right to have our voice heard. And by having our voice heard, that means don’t start on repairing the predominantly white neighborhoods FIRST all the time. Have enough spine to start on black neighborhoods, as well (and lest anyone boo-hoos and thinks I’m leaving out other non-whites [I’m not], and to start on reparing their neighborhoods as well. White-run America still has a me-myself-and I mentality when it comes to all of her non-white citizens, especially her black citizens. It’s been that way, and it is still that way. Her favouritism for non-black non-white groups reeks, and is very obvious to those who want to open their eyes and see the truth. Her constant grabbing by the collar, by the shirtsleeve, non-black groups over to her side as “Honorary Whites’, is very sad, very pathetic. All it does is make her look like the hypocrital Jezebel that she is in the world’s eyes.

White America’s stalking/racial-profiling/insulting degrading treatment of her black citizens is legendary, and there obviously is no let up in sight.

Point 2.

Those out there in white Americaland who’ve broken their necks (well, at least have given themselves a severe case of whiplash), embracing Obama just shows that some of them have a colorstruck mentality mindset. Yes, Obama’s cute, he’s so nice-looking, he’s not jet black/skillet-black/coal black looking, so white America can not only embrace him with their eyes. Heck, they can even embrace him with their arms. When Shirley Chisholm ran for president of America, she was not embraced whole-heartedly by white America either. And she was coal-black. Yeah, some of you may say, well that was then, in the 1970s, this is now.

Well, if you’re thinking that, then pay attention to what’s going on now. “That was then” is still with us, and white America suffers from a still racist standard for black America.

Point 3.

White America is standing on the sidelines waiting with **baited breath** for black America to just rush into the arms of Obama.

Sorry.

Not gonna happen.

And why you may ask, white America?

Well……can it be that we black people have minds of our own? Wow. Will wonders ever cease. Yes. Black people have minds, desires, thoughts, and mental capabilites. Yep, that secret is out of the bag. Sorry to have to burst your bubble white America, but we black people are fully capable of thinking for ourselves. We are conservative. We are liberal. We are middle-of-the-road. We do not believe in thug-gangsta behaviour. We believe in morality and abstinence. We believe in frugality, thrift, industriousness, responsibility, resourcefulness. Many things that, gasp, white Americans believe in!

We do not all agree on the same thing, but, many times, we are able to agree to disagree, and get on with our lives.

Bet you didn’t know that white America? Those of you who don’t pay attention.

We definately don’t need or want your help to think for us.

Remember, we black people want to excel and improve in this country, not slide backwards in this country. No thanks, but, we don’t want your way of thinking. (Well, some of us don’t.) We want to progress, and the only way to do that is to think and make decisions for ourselves. If we let ya’ll think for us, we’d be right back into slavery (thanks, but, no thanks). As for segregation, well white America, let’s just say that segregation never left the house, and is still alive and well.

Obama has not proven himself to many black Americans.
And neither have so-called white candidates proven themselves.

Black America has every right to distrust Obama. Just because some white Americans are falling down and worshipping Obama does not make him okay in my eyes. Dems and Repubs have stabbed black citizens in the back time and time again, and I have no proof that Obama will not do the same to black citizens.

Just because some white Americans say he is okay, does not make him okay.

Will he be wishy-washy when push comes to shove if elected? Will he be a puppet in white America’s hands or will he be a real man and stand for ALL Americans? Will he work for the best interests of all Americans? Will he abandon and kick to the curb, then turn around and spit on black Americans the way so many white candidates have done? Will he really make a difference to any and all people who so desparately want to see some real change for the good in this country?

The jury is still out on Obama with me. He has yet to prove himself to me.

So, I’m holding my vote close to me. Obama has not earned my vote, yet.

And that goes triple for Edwards and all the other non-black candidates out there.

You have to earn my vote, and I do not cast my votes like pearls before porcines (not saying anyone’s a porcine). It’s that my vote is precious to me, and too many people died that I might have a right to vote for me to just throw it up in the air for grabs just because white America said so.

Which brings me to my final point.

Point 4.

Newsflash white America!

Obama is NOT a black American. Yes, he has “black blood” in him, albeit, African blood, but not black American blood, therefore, he does not share the same history with me. Oh, yes it is all nice that he self-identifies with black America. Hell, anyone can do that (Arab, Jew/Israeli, Native American, Latino, Asian), but that would still not make them a “black American.”

Big, very important difference.

Obama has no ties to the history of black America, and therein lies the crux, the real truth of the matter.

White America has not, and never will come to terms with her viscious, sadistic mistreatment of her black citizens during slavery and the recently departed, at least on paper, reign of terror known as Jim Crow segregation. White America knows she has done the most savage cruelty to her black citizens and she has not owned up to that, and never will. Hence the reason she so willingly embraces Obama. He is not a black man born of a black American father/mother, and he is especially not a black man born of a black American mother.

Since he has none of what white America would see as black American history (slavery, segregation) to contend with, and he is of African (Kenyan father), and white American (white American mother), that makes him more palatable in white America’s eyes.

When white America looks at Obama they do not see in him 400 years of brutal chattel slavery. They do not see 400 years of barbaric, sadistic, sanctioned mass gang-rapes of a race of defenseless women. They do not see 100 years of denying the most basic human rights to their fellow citizens: the denial of the vote, the denial of an entire race of people’s humanity, the denial of a people’s right to be treated as citizens who have contributed tremendously to this country.

White America does not see in Obama 100 years of lynching, castration of black men and boys (which, if you want to be honest, castration of black males were sex crimes in themselves). White America does not see the slow torture of black men, when they look at Obama. Torture that would go on for hours and hours on end, with the burning of the black human being, and the remains handed around as souvenirs to grasping greedy hands of the sadists who attended the lynching as if they were at a carnival or picnic.

When white America looks at Obama she does not see the many centuries and decades of beating, starving, tearing to pieces, denying, disenfranchising, forced peonage, chain-gangs, and killing of innocent black citizens and throwing their dead bodies into lakes, rivers and earthen dams in the middle of the night, like those black women, men and children were so much trash to be disposed of.

When white America looks at Obama she does not see a little 15-year-old child who was so brutally tortured and then murdered for just whistling at a white woman. A child whose body was so twisted and mangled from hours of torture, that even his own mother could not recognize him if not for the particular ring he was wearing the night he was taken to his death by two middle-aged racist white murderers.

That child’s name was Emmit Till.

When white America looks at Obama they do not see four little girls. Four little innocent girls who were blown to pieces while worshipping at their church, the 16TH Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, by vicious savage racists who threw a bomb that destroyed the church and took those little girl’s lives, a bomb that had so much TNT in it that it destroyed the front of the church and houses that were nearby, and seriously injured 20 people.

Those little girls had names, white America.

Their names were:

Cynthia Dianne Wesley
Denise McNair
Addie Mae Collins
Carole Robertson

When white America looks at Obama they see a man who does not share the same history with me.

And that makes it so much easier for white America to embrace and accept Obama, when many of them still will not accept as equals their own black citizens who have contributed so much to this country.

This country that we black Ameicans have loved so much, but, has not loved us back.

No.

I do not need, nor want, white America to speak for me.

I can do that very well myself, thank you.

And my vote is very precious to me.

I will decide whom I will vote for, and I definately do not need nor want white America’s stamp of approval.

Obama has to earn my vote just like any other candidate out there.

And his identifying with my people is not enough.

He’ll have to put his money where his mouth is just like any other candidate.

And he has yet to do that.

Ann on March 1st, 2007 10:23 am

“I think they are missing the point here; just because people may think the US is not ready for a Black candidate, doesn’t mean that they are not willing to vote for a Black candidate. My perception is that the vast majority Black Americans are ready for a black President, but most Black Americans believe that many White Americans are not ready for a black President. (I tend to agree.) So I think reporters are confusing skepticism about whites willingness to accept a black President with skepticism about Obama himself.”

Yes, many black Americans are ready for a black president. A black president who will not be more of the same flotsam and jetsom that white presidents have vomitted on everyone. We also see with the behaviour of white America (racial-profiling of black Americans, racist patterns in home loans and residential segregation, racist stereotyping of black Americans, racism in renting/buying housing in certain neighborhoods [when a black person speaks on the phone to real estate agent for an apartment, etc, and is told of a vacancy, then appears to look at the property, and is then in turn told there are no vacancies, or the black person is steered to another apartment/house in another part of town, and then when a white person is sent to inqurie about the very same property, but is given a different and more positive response], then it is understandable that black America is convinced that white America is not ready for a black president.

Lips can speak anything when someone is not paying attention.

But, actions speak louder than words.

And white America’s actions speak volumes.

Ann on March 1st, 2007 5:40 pm

Mike Reynolds.

“Ann would you really vote for Hillary or any of the current candidates over Obama?”

Hell, no.

ANYONE running for office has to never forget that THEY are a public servant.

They are to answer to their constitutients who voted them into office.

I am not the servant to Obama, Edwards, Clinton or anyone else runnning for office. They are to be servants to me as well as the rest of America. That is what running for office involves, only so many people, in office, and out of office, have conveniently forgotten that.

Once in office, you do what your constituents ask of you, and you do not kick them to the curb, once you get into office.

I vote for the person who I’ve talked to BEFORE I go to the polls. I ask them where they stand on issues of importance to me.

But, I don’t just vote on political candidates, only.

When I go into that voting booth I vote for the following:

-Propositions

Anything that helps the community as a whole.

And if it means an increase in taxes, I will live with that. If it means more municipal/county/state/federal funding for libraries, neighborhood parks, firemen, police officers, street/sewer repair, better lighting in neighborhoods, more employment for citizens, anything that helps the citizens as a whole, then I am all for it.

People running for office is not all there is to vote for, and I can assure you, there have been times where I would vote for NO ONE because none of the candidates represented MY best interests.

If in extremely rare instances where they did show capabilities to do for me and my fellow citizens what they promised, and did not renege once in office, THEN, I voted again for that person, whether he was white, black, red, yellow, etc.

Not just because she/he was black. Not just because she/he was white.

And as far as president is concerned, we citizens do not elect the president of America.

It is that useless piece of chicken-fried crap known as the Electoral College that says to hell with our votes, and then decides whom it will put into office. We can vote for president until the cows come home, but, still the issue of the electoral college has to be taken into consideration. I will believe that my vote for president counts when I see the so-called “popular vote” of the citizens is treated with the respect that it deserves.

“I have a low opinion of African Americans who vote against Black Candidates. Voting against Black candidates stops African Americans from forming political elite.”

And I have a low opinion of people who vote for someone just because of the color of the candidate’s skin. If Obama can sell me on his stand on issues that matter to me, then I will vote for him. If not, then neither he, nor H. Clinton, nor Rice, nor, anyone else will get my vote.

They all have to earn it.

And my vote remains not up for grabs as if it is some mess of pottage to be sold to the highest bidder.

“I often vote color and I am not ashamed of it. When there are school elections with multiple candidates of whom I do not know or have seen, I will vote for the most Asian, Hispanic, Jewish, Arab, or East Indian sounding names. If I had to choose between an English name like Jones or Polowski I would go with the Polish sounding name because I believe in racial diversity. This has been my pattern for years.”

So, you mean to tell me, that you do not take the time to learn of a candidate’s stand on issues that may be of importance to you. You lad-de-da, vote ‘em all in just because they are minorties? Doesn’t sound like you are using your vote for all it’s worth.
I will vote for the candidate who is least likely to stab me in the back, and as far as I am concerned, the vast majority of them pretty much do that. If you do not keep on them, and yes, that takes time and effort to do, but, if you do not let them know that your vote put them where they are, by calling, writing or e-mailing them as to what you need from them, then you have no one to blame but yourself if things that you, as a citizen require, don’t get done.

“Yes America needs a larger Black good ole boys network. That network would also include Women. Imagine Black family names with weight like the Kennedy’s, Clinton’s and the Bush’s. Until the day that Race Relations Change dramatically minorities need to vote for minorities. There are exceptions to this rule but this should be the rule for everyone interested in diversity. Vote for minorities unless you really feel that the will be awful leaders.”

And I agree that America does certainly need more black leaders elected, as well as women of all races/ethnic groups. And the few people whom I have voted for (men, women, blacks, whites, etc.) who have worked in my best interests still get my vote. But, only because they have a proven track record.

I did say that UNLESS Obama can sell me on his approach to what I consider of importance to me, that he will not get my vote.

If he can convince me otherwise, then he gets my vote.

In the end, when I go into that voting booth, I will vote for the BEST candidate.

Not whom white America says I should vote for.

Not whom black America says I should vote for.

Not anyone.

It is up to Obama to convince me, not everyone else.

Natalie.

“I have a big problem with the whole “Barack isn’t really black” argument. Yes, he doesn’t have the same ancestral background as most African-Americans but, is he not an obviously black man living in America (and yes, I realize he has lived other places also)? Simply having black skin in America will get you related to in a particular way but white society. No, he may not have the same ancestral history but that has nothing to do with his personal experience. He lives on the South Side of Chicago, a highly African-American community. He goes to one of the largest Black churches in Chicago. He had to go through an ivy league education as a Black man. People don’t care how you got to be black, if it was from an American slave or a free African. In America you are black no matter what.

Yes, we are all black in the rest of America’s eyes.

True.

But, as I said to Mike Reynolds above, my vote must be earned before, and after the election.

I have a problem with the whites out there who are just a little-bit too gung-ho for Obama. Makes me very leery of them for championing Obama’s cause a little too much. Especially with the way this country still shits on its black citizens. Unless Obama shows that he can work with ALL citizens, then he has to prove it to me, the same way a white candidate has to.

It’s not enough that Obama lives in the Southside of Chicago. It’s not enough that he goes to the black church he attends that I have read glowing reviews of.

Show me NOW what you’ve got, Obama. I at least deserve that much now, in the early part of 2007. Show me what your voting record is on many issues that affect most American’s lives. Show me where you stand on America’s problem with education, health care, employment, Iraq, the prison system, how you will be capable of working with foreign governments, such as Iran and Pakistan.

And I do know that I have a right to know where Obama, and all the rest of them, stand on just these few issues.

Yes, he does not have to have black American ancestry, and yes, he has aligned himself with black America.

Fine.

But, I need to see what he’s capable of.

How he will handle himself now, when the real tough questions come down the pike, will say alot about him to me.

And as for Hilary, I wouldn’t advise her to start gloating now.

She/he who laughs last, laughs best.

Ann on March 1st, 2007 6:01 pm

Mike Reynolds.

So, what if the majority of black America votes for Obama?

Then what?

We black people are going to vote him in all by ourselves?

Wow. When did the majority of America become black? Hmm? No one told me that.

And you also have to accept the cold hard facts Mike Reynolds that unless white America, and the rest of non-black America wants to get with the program as the old saying goes, we black people better accept the fact that our votes ALONE will not get Obama into office.

Yes, it’s high time that white America let go of its death-grip of holding on to race hatred. White America has never been the voice of moral reason in this country, and from all accounts, never will be.

Yes, this is white America’s chance to be better than all the racist, murdering and destroying white people who came before them.

This is white America’s chance to stand tall with her black citizens and to start treating us as fellow citizens and human beings, and not as 2ND and 3RD class citizens.

Until white America decides to stand up and be MEN and WOMEN, and not crying, sniveling, greedy “all for me, and none for you” people, I have no reason to believe that white America is ready just yet to share power with black America.

White America has to prove itself to me.

And white America hasn’t done to good a job of doing that.

Oh, a few you can count on one hand.

But, the majority of them who are truly ready to work with ALL of the citizens in this country.

I ain’t holding my breath.

I’m not going to be waiting to exhale.

I’m just going to keep on breathing.