The Black or The Woman?

Ok- I haven't been following the Presidential Campaign. I mean, I know about the Michigan and Florida controversy. I know that Texas and Ohio were suppose to take her out- but Hilary is still kicking. I know that Bill Clinton made some racially charged allegations to disparage the electability and qualifications of Obama when it became evident that he was beginning to siphon off Clinton's base. I also know that there have been quips from Obama and his camp charged with the disqualifying and silencing aims of sexism. (Uhm- yuck.) Even Samantha Power had to step down from her unpaid position. (A problem from hell.)



I fully understand the nature of politics; particularly the rules of playing to win. And, I'm moved to stop listening when all I can hear is thinly veiled racism, which is interrupted by thinly veiled sexism. I youtubed all of the presidential debates (on both sides) early on in the race, but now I get most of what I know from water cooler talk and waiting at the dentist's office- or grabbing dinner at a bar with a tv. I'm not really following the race anymore, but I have some sense of what's going on.

I think Obama will take it. He's got young white kids all geeked up about him, and he's got some Republican cross-over appeal working. McCain or Obama? Never would have thought that would have been the basis of indecision for some white guy from rural Ohio, but it looks to be that way...

I think he just needed to establish his electability so that people didn't see him as a wasted Nader-styled vote; a political statement, rather than support of an electable candidate. And, now that he's Black again- ironically, I think that he'll take the race.

Below are some clips from the State of the Black Union back in February. Dick Gregory really got me to thinking. I wonder if this "First Black President" bullshit bestowed upon Bill Clinton, and this "He's not really Black" bullshit used to disqualify and separate Obama from Black communities is part of what made Clinton think that it was acceptable to launch racially charged attacks against Obama and think that there would be no backlash?



You know how when white people get real cool with you, and then suddenly think it's okay to say "nigger"? You know, they're on the ins now, so they can access in-group privilege. I really wonder what was behind that little flurry. Was it his long standing and respectable relationships with so many prominent people of color, and his being privy to one too many closed door conversations where he heard about Black people not trusting or even identifying with Obama that gave him justification, or maybe the authority in his mind? Or was it just his good old Arkansan white boy sensibilities showing up in play-to-win politics? Both/and?

Hell, I don't know. I did hear Clinton say that she would double funding to HBCU's though, and that she would create green-collar jobs and house training programs in "inner cities." Sorry Clinton, my Blackness still will not allow me to vote for you.

Double funding to HBCU's...
Chile please.