For black Americans, the road to political inclusion that has allowed Democratic candidate Barack Obama to make a serious bid for the White House has been long and difficult.
After the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in 1863, a series of laws and amendments to the U.S. constitution allowed Hiram Revels to be elected to the senate in 1870 in Mississippi as the country's first African American congressman.
But only a small number of black Americans have entered the U.S. senate or become state governors since then and most of those who have found a slot on a presidential ticket had no chance of winning.
Maybe in some areas of the country, there is a measure of truth to this. But allow me to call your attention to the 2006 Pennsylvania Governor's race. Republican Lynn Swann (a black man) lost a landslide election to Democrat Ed Rendell (a white man) by a 60.4 - 39.6 margin. If that's not enough for you, maybe we can recall the 2006 US Senate race for the state of Maryland. Republican Michael Steele (a black man) lost to Democrat Ben Cardin ( a white man), by a margin of 54.2 - 44.2. Since neither Swann nor Steele are well-adept at playing the race card for votes and other forms of sympathy, it would appear they do not stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected in two fairly liberal states, with large black populations. And Steele had to endure some pretty nasty racial remarks from Democrats, many from other blacks.
Isn't it funny how neither of these gentlemen are even given a mention in this article? Evidently, they are not black enough. Evidently, they did not get the Sharpton/Jackson "seal of approval", when they were running their campaigns. Evidently, the blacks that live in their states didn't vote for them when the election was being held.
This gives us all just another reason to shake our heads in disbelief, when the soft bigotry of low expectations rears its ugly head, for all to see. That is, all but the MSM. They only see what they want to see in their narrow tunnel visions (and damn the rest).
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Columnist and Republican Strategist Cheri Jacobus recently said, “From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working. After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK, and Ronald Reagan. 143 days. I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than that.”
We should acknowledge Obama’s oratory is quite sophisticated. It has to be. Mr. Obama lacks experience, does not appear to have that “judgment” he keeps assuring us that he does have, and his record reflects that he is one of this countries most liberal politicians. In Chicago, he supported a ban on firearms and then recently said he supports the court’s recent decision with respect to the Second Amendment. Through oratory, he wants to convince voters that he has a viable plan for America even though the opposite is true. Through words, he is appealing to emotion to convince voters that we really do need expensive programs, and that we can actually afford them. His speeches are a good attempt to demonstrate that he really is a reasonable, moderate politician, even when his record tells us otherwise.
Barack Obama’s political base is, and has always been, black voters who “feel the pain” of past injustices, and white voters joined by a liberal media who willingly accept the concept of racist guilt. As more black conservatives begin to rally behind Obama, and in doing so repudiate the outstanding individuals you mentioned in this post, we ought to wonder why.
Voting race is an acknowledgment of a belief that white society has persecuted black citizens, and I must say that for the 45 years this has simply not been the case. Select any social demographic, and the answer to questions about absentee fathers, teen pregnancies, high rates of crime, and dependency upon the government is directly attributed to black leaders (who’ve made a fortune from racism), and democratic socialist politicians.
Buying into Mr. Obama’s hype is simply unsophisticated and irresponsible. Worse, it places race above our beloved country. It is unpatriotic, and it is dangerous. When blacks vote for Obama because he is a black man, they follow the inverse example of Southern Democrats years ago when they implemented “Jim Crow” laws.
Honestly, the best choice McCain could make as a VP running-mate is Michael Steele.
I see your point Mustang, but have to disagree on Steele as Veep choice. The press will pillory him for doing this, accusing him of pandering in an off the charts fashion.
He's better off choosing an Hispanic guy in my opinion. Richardson has been mentioned in Obama's camp but he's a risky choice since Barack is already in trouble with the clinging gun-toting branch of the party, who he claimed don't trust foreigners coming in taking their jobs. He can't pick another black person, and picking a woman not named Hillary seems out. So I think he'll probably pick a high experienced white guy like Richard Holbrooke.
McCain with a high-profile Hispanic might not cotton to the far right but it might be enough to win. depending on who Obama picks.
Too bad Colin Powell won't be McCain's VP. Too bad Powell wouldn't run for President, in fact.
Anyway, in addition to the race-baiting, I laughed out loud when I heard the BHO camp was attacking McCain on his military service. I mean, if McCain is inexperienced, what does that say about Obama?? But one has to thank the Obamatons for reminding us all of what McCain did in Vietnam: he put his country first when it was most difficult to do so; he resisted real torture (not GITMO torture, mind you) to defend America. That says a lot about his character.
What choo got, Obama? Anything? Let's see, when the going got tough, Obama threw all his old friends, his church, and his grandmother under the bus. Let's put him in the White House! What could possibly go wrong?
Here's a great article on the guy who should win in November...
http://tinyurl.com/5pl6t6
//143 days. I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than that.”//
Wouldn't happen in my house.
Every 3-4 days, Mrs Sunsett goes on a fridge-cleaning rampage. It's always guaranteed when I offer to do the dishes. You can run the water, you can have most of them done and then out of nowhere thinking you are done, and here she'll come saying we need to clean the refrigerator out.
You are one lucky guy Mustang. Be thankful.
//McCain with a high-profile Hispanic might not cotton to the far right but it might be enough to win.//
Either that or a moderate woman that would guarantee the sour grapes Hillary crowd. In this race, the running mate may actually be enough to swing this election, either way. that's why both camps will think long and hard.
Longshot prediction for Obama, Evan Bayh.
//I mean, if McCain is inexperienced, what does that say about Obama?? //
This means that JFK having his boat sunk in WWII was not enough to qualify him. The other laughable irony to this is, Clark forgets that he spoke publicly about how 3 months of in theater service in Nam, made John Kerry a hero and gave him ample qualification to be C in C.
Knowing this, it's hard to imagine anyone with any sense giving any credibility to what Clark says. How he ever got his stars is way beyond me. He is a fool.
Either that or a moderate woman that would guarantee the sour grapes Hillary crowd. In this race, the running mate may actually be enough to swing this election, either way. that's why both camps will think long and hard.
I agree 100 percent, especially about McCain picking a woman, something I haven't given much thought to. Conventional wisdom seems to be that he needs a younger person ready to go (due to his age) but they never want to pick someone to upstage the main guy, so it's tricky. Who do you like?
Longshot prediction for Obama, Evan Bayh.
Maybe. I'm torn on him because he's a relatively unknown guy outside Indiana, and he might also come across as young and inexperienced to some, not sure. I actually like the choice personally. After all, everyone needs to hope both candidates pick the best person since we all have to live with the consequences.
//Who do you like? //
That's a tough one. Not many women in government are from the GOP. Elizabeth Dole is too old. There are two RINOs from Maine, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. Both are moderates by whatever loose political definition you want to apply. There is a governor from Connecticut whose name escapes me. Any one of them could cut into the Dem's hold on the northeast.
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