| Author |
Message |
    
Robynmarie
Regular Poster
Username: Robynmarie
Post Number: 433
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 11:23 am: | 
|
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is delivering pointed critiques of the African American community as he campaigns for its votes, lamenting that many of his generation are "disenfranchising" themselves because they don't vote, taking rappers to task for their language, and decrying "anti-intellectualism" in the black community, including black children telling peers who get good grades that they are "acting white."
As he travels around the country in his effort to become the nation's first black president, Obama has engaged in an intense competition for black voters -- a crucial Democratic Party constituency that accounts for as much as half the electorate in some key primary states such as South Carolina. But the first-term senator, who has sought to present himself as an agent of change eager to challenge political convention, has taken the unusual route of publicly criticizing his own community.
In a brief interview, Obama said he is simply giving broader exposure to the problems that African Americans discuss with great frankness in private. "It's what we talk about in the barbershops in the South Side of Chicago," Obama said, adding that he talks about these problems more in the black community because they are more pronounced there. "There's an old saying that if America has a cold, we have pneumonia," he said.
Aides say there is no specific strategy to target black voters by injecting these themes into the race and note that Obama speaks to white audiences about the importance of parents turning off their kids' televisions and demanding that they finish their homework. Obama says he is echoing the concerns he hears from and shares with other African Americans.
"In Chicago, sometimes when I talk to the black chambers of commerce, I say, 'You know what would be a good economic development plan for our community would be if we make sure folks weren't throwing their garbage out of their cars,' " Obama told a group of black state legislators in a speech in South Carolina last month.
Obama is not the first or only candidate to have a specific pitch in front of African American audiences. Bill Clinton occasionally adopted a tone similar to the one Obama is using. In a 1993 speech, Clinton told a crowd in the Memphis church where the Rev. Martin Luther King. Jr. gave his last sermon that, if King were there, he might have said, "I did not live and die to see 13-year-old boys get automatic weapons and gun down 9-year-olds just for the kick of it."
As his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), campaigns for black votes, she often adopts a Southern twang she does not usually use in front of white audiences and is more likely to assail the Bush administration over its response to Hurricane Katrina -- a particular frustration of many African Americans because that disaster struck majority-black New Orleans.
'Special license'
Obama, too, employs a slightly different style of speechmaking in front of black audiences, invoking, for example, a hypothetical "Cousin Pookie" in a speech in Selma, Ala., to talk about African Americans who do not vote. But while Obama has eschewed overt appeals to black voters, comparable to the way Hillary Clinton targets women with specific policy proposals, the substance of his remarks to African Americans, some Obama allies say, reflects an ability to speak about issues that a nonblack candidate probably could not have.
"There's no one else who could say what he said about black people and their responsibility to the larger community," said Charles J. Ogletree, a Harvard Law School professor who was a mentor to Obama there and is supporting his presidential bid.
"I suspect Obama has a special license for that kind of discussion," said Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), who listened to Obama's speech in front of his state's black legislators but has not endorsed any of his party's presidential candidates.
Some of Obama's recent remarks have called attention to a generation gap among African Americans, in particular when he criticized rap music lyrics for using the same offensive words that white radio host Don Imus used before he was fired.
Al Sharpton, who has at times depicted Obama as an overhyped media phenomenon lacking in substance, praised Obama for his critique of rap music.
"I think his addressing it is good," said Sharpton, 52. "I agree with everything he's been saying because I've been saying it."
On the other hand, Lennox Yearwood Jr., 37, who runs a group called the Hip Hop Caucus and seeks to organize voting drives and other political activity for people born after 1964, said: "There's so much more to this generation than saying 'ho' and the N-word and talking about guns and drugs."
Yearwood added, referring to Obama: "Before he makes an overall statement about hip-hop, he should know more about the complete culture of hip-hop."
Accused of hypocrisy
Obama has been criticized for hypocrisy on the issue because he met in his Chicago office last year with the rapper Ludacris, who has been in a public feud over his lyrics with one of Obama's biggest boosters, Oprah Winfrey.
Obama aides acknowledge their eagerness to appeal to older black leaders. "It's very important because of who votes," said one Obama adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "The generation that is of the civil rights era are pretty reliable voters."
But the concerns Obama is addressing are not just the province of older African Americans.
"I consider myself a hip-hop child, but I think his criticism is right on," said Jared Roebuck, 21, a black student at City College of New York who attended one of Obama's speeches and wrote about it on his blog.
The concept of "acting white" and worries that African Americans are not pushing their children enough to focus on education have been long-standing concerns of Obama's -- he has mentioned them in several recent speeches -- and issues that many prominent members of the community, mostly notably comedian Bill Cosby, have focused on in recent years.
But some scholars assert that even if black kids do say that other black students who excel in school are "acting white," it is hardly a sufficient explanation for the achievement gap between black and white students, which remains vast. The gap is "not because black 7-year-olds are holding back other black 7-year-olds," said Melissa V. Harris-Lacewell, a professor of African American studies at Princeton University. "This black pathology argument is appealing, but I think he's wrong empirically."
Political positioning?
And there is a more general concern that Obama is saying these things as political positioning. Lacewell likened them to a speech Bill Clinton gave in 1992 when he criticized hip-hop artist Sister Souljah, who had said after riots in Los Angeles, "If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people."
That speech was largely seen as an effort to allow Clinton to distance himself from parts of the black community in a bid to win over white centrist voters. Aides said that is not the case with Obama's recent rhetoric, pointing to a 2006 speech he gave at a Chicago church after a pair of shootings in a black neighborhood and before his presidential candidacy.
"All of us know little shorties, and we see them when they are young. Something is happening to them around age 4 or 5. A darkness comes over them, and you can see the loss of hope in them," Obama said then. He added: "There is a reason they shoot each other, because they don't love themselves, and the reason they don't love themselves is we are not loving them, we're not paying attention to them, we're not guiding them, we're not disciplining them. We've got work to do."
|
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 8519
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 12:53 pm: |
|
Oh no he didn't! By playing the "actin white" card in regard to black children falling behind in education, Obama just sealed his doom with chrishayden and Tonya. Of course, he doesn't have a chance to win without their vote. And this travesty he uttered has surely dimmed the stars in Yvette's eyes. tsk-tsk. |
Robynmarie
Regular Poster
Username: Robynmarie
Post Number: 434
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 01:00 pm: |
|
Some of what Senator Obama says is true. My dismay is that he does not say these things to white audiences too, since that is who he is really taking to.
|
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2022
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 01:00 pm: |
|
What about his words makes you think I wouldn't be as supportive of his candidacy? I agree: We have work to do. And I think he would be an energetic, dedicated, and skilled person to lead in that work. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 4684
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: 
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 01:03 pm: |
|
1. Obama could free up some of his valuable time by recruiting Bill Cosby to deliver his campaign speeches within the Black community.
2. He should tell us how he will facilitate the repair of these issues, rather than just flapping his lips to point out all the problems that WE ALREADY KNOW we have. Because Black people aren't stupid.
3. This is yet another reason why he should just go sit his Black ass down now.
|
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 8522
Registered: 01-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 01:23 pm: |
|
Come on, y'all. Get real. Obama the politician has to tailor-make his speeches for his audiences. He can't get to uppity when speaking to white people or can he reveal his plans to improve the lot of black folks should he get elected. If he did, he wouldn't get elected. I think I'll vote for him. I like his finesse although he let Hillary Clinton take him out of his game during the debates with the other Dem candidates. |
Robynmarie
Regular Poster
Username: Robynmarie
Post Number: 435
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 01:32 pm: |
|
And of course all black people think, live and act alike...
I wonder if Senator Obama will cobble together some Spanish and talk to Latinos about everything that they need to do to improve...
Bill Richardson who is Latino, would never address his natural constiutiency in such a manner... |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 9347
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 01:48 pm: |
|
Robynmarie,
The problem I have with what you've posted is it seems unclear whether Obama himself actually said what's being attributed to him and/or there's almost no context being provided with respect to what's he's alleged to have have said. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2024
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 01:49 pm: |
|
No: he's only "half Latino." 
|
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 5428
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 01:57 pm: |
|
I agree Robynmarie. There's gotta be some balance when discussing these issues....especially coming from someone like Obama. His words carries too much weight, and like this article states, as a Black man, he can pretty much get away with saying anything about our culture, no matter how true or false, unproven, or how racist it may be.
Nobody disagrees that we are in dire need of self examination, reflection and criticism. No argument there. Slam dunk. The challenge is finding the person(s) who can do it in a reasoned, responsible way.
(Need I say again that this guy is a Cosby Democrat??? LOL)
|
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 8525
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 03:12 pm: |
|
Good grief! Isn't it obvious that the quotation marks around the phrases included in this article are there because they are direct quotes from Obama's remarks? Did some hood rats tell ABM not to get good grades in composition because this was "actin white." LMAO. Face it. Obama is bougie and if you don't like it, then don't vote for him. |
Robynmarie
Regular Poster
Username: Robynmarie
Post Number: 436
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 03:56 pm: |
|
Abm-here is the link. Senator Obama was at the AME in L.A. last weekend.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18426890/
The black community and all of its ills is an easy target for criticism. I am disappointed that Senator Obama is apparently going for applause lines, trying to sound "down" rather than dicussing his ideas for solutions ( with black and white audiences).
Sometimes it sounds like Senator Obama is exploiting stereotypes rather than working to destroy them.
|
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 5430
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 04:06 pm: |
|
Obama is bougie and if you don't like it, then don't vote for him.
He's also "empirically wrong", so says the Prof. of African American studies at Princeton University.
quote:The concept of "acting white" and worries that African Americans are not pushing their children enough to focus on education have been long-standing concerns of Obama's -- he has mentioned them in several recent speeches -- and issues that many prominent members of the community, mostly notably comedian Bill Cosby, have focused on in recent years.
But some scholars assert that even if black kids do say that other black students who excel in school are "acting white," it is hardly a sufficient explanation for the achievement gap between black and white students, which remains vast. The gap is "not because black 7-year-olds are holding back other black 7-year-olds," said Melissa V. Harris-Lacewell, a professor of African American studies at Princeton University. "This black pathology argument is appealing, but I think he's wrong empirically."
And as I said before, The Laws of Attraction is the more credible theory, imo. ...So there's really no surprise that a former "Blow" addict would see some things the way he does.
http://www.thumperscorner.com/discus/messages/179/26409.html?1178218266#POST9780 9 |
Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 5431
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 05:21 pm: |
|
Obama Gets Secret Service After Reported Threat
by Richard Esposito
May 3, 2007 - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has been put under the protection of the United States Secret Service, ABC News has learned, reportedly because of security concerns that include threats against the candidate.
It is the earliest time in an election cycle that the Secret Service has ever placed a presidential candidate under its protection, the Secret Service said.
The United States Secret Service confirmed that a security detail had been put in place Thursday. U.S. Secret Service spokesman Darrin Blackford said on the record, "Yes, we can confirm we are protecting Senator Obama."
Two separate sources would not elaborate on the reasons why the detail was put in place, beyond acknowledging that there are security concerns, including a threat that warranted the protective detail.
Robert Gibbs, the spokesman for Obama, referred all questions to the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service.
The Secret Service would not comment on or confirm any threat. They also would not elaborate on the nature of the security detail. "We are not going to discuss the nature of the protective detail now that it has been put into place," a Secret Service spokesman said.
The Secret Service has protected major party candidates ever since New York Sen. Robert Kennedy was gunned down in June 1968.
Candidates qualify for Secret Service protection after a committee approves someone as a major candidate. That five-member committee includes the speaker of the House, the House minority leader, the Senate majority and minority leaders and one additional legislator selected by those committee members. It is chaired by the Department of Homeland Security.
The criteria normally include an announcement of candidacy, prominence, major party affiliation, fundraising and matching funds. Some of those criteria may not be required at this early date.
According to a recent report in Newsday, Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said he expected to spend $88.5 million next year for bodyguards and bomb-sniffing dogs to protect the 2008 presidential candidates. That's on top of this year's $21.4 million, bringing the total for this election cycle to $106.6 million, up from the $73.03 million spent when President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney ran for re-election in 2004.
Agents recently informed Democratic candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton's neighbors in Chappaqua, N.Y., that they were boosting security, according to a report in the New York Post. Clinton receives Secret Service protection since she is a former first lady.
(Copyright 2007 by ABC News. All Rights Reserved.)
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=politics&id=5249516
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/05/obamas_secret_s.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/03/politics/main2758784.shtml
http://www.nbc10.com/politics/13253505/detail.html |
Yukio
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 2321
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 03, 2007 - 08:35 pm: |
|
Now, the majority of you know that I disagree with Cosby. But, I think that the comparison between Cosby and Obama is only partially right.
1. The article is predicated on the assumption that it is unusual for black politicians, leaders, et al to criticize black people. This is false—ahistorical. Frederick Douglas, Maris Stewart, Ida B. Wells, Booker T. Washington, Du Bois, A. Phillip Randolph, Garvey, Nation of Islam, MLK, Malcolm X, et al criticized the black community.
2. The difference between those above and Obama, on the one hand, and Bill Cosby, on the other hand, was that they also, with the exception of Booker T. Washington was critical of white folk and white institutions. I have heard Obama speak enough to know that he has criticized the government-white institutions-and worked for civil rights in Chicago, in fact.
Cosby, on the other hand, may criticize the so-called anti-intellectual acting white syndrome among blacks, but both the form—satire—and the content—belittling—is different significantly from the style and content of Obama's delivery.
Finally, in the context of his other speeches, I really doubt that African American children are responsible for the educational gap. I think he is appealing to blacks who vote, especially the older folk; I think his challenge is to distinguish the “immoral” hip hop from the “respectable” hip hop…as if there is a such of thing…LOL! Common [Sense] and others use the N-Word, the B-Word, and are quite homophobic. I really doubt too that the socalled hip hop generation, especially the strivers and the middle-class cats like myself, will not vote for Obama because his criticism of Hip Hop is overstated. That would be foolish!
|
Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 4325
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 05, 2007 - 10:50 am: |
|
I've been telling you this Negro will not even be around for the primaries.
Now watch him start falling in the polls and flip flopping. |
Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 4328
Registered: 03-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 05, 2007 - 11:47 am: |
|
Also, even though I like her, that wife of his runs her mouth too much. He got a Teresa Heinz problem. |
Nels
Veteran Poster
Username: Nels
Post Number: 833
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 05, 2007 - 10:34 pm: |
|
Chris --
"I've been telling you this Negro will not even be around for the primaries.
Now watch him start falling in the polls and flip flopping."
Q-tips please! |
|
Email This Page