Comments on: Obama and Black Party Discipline

By: gazelledusahara

gazelledusahara — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:53:59 +0000

if the number of black republicans are so few, why are there so many of them as pundits and chairperson of this or that speaking on behalf of McPalin?

Just wondering, because it seems like every time I turn on CNN and the like there is a new black republican on there.

By: blacksmythe

blacksmythe — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:31:49 +0000

Thoughts about Obama and Black Politics

By: tom friend

tom friend — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:07:51 +0000

I love your blog professor. It is one of the last sites that did not surrender to Obamamania without critical analysis. I am disturbed that the black community could enter lock step behind this man and never ask for anything in return. This preoccupation with occupying the White House may prove to be no victory at all. Examine the minute or no discussion of the social distress that engulfs the African American community. The idea that Obama cannot discuss race or must remain race neutral tells me that America can only accept a black who does not make them feel uncomfortable. Obama is a star in the vein of an Oprah, JORDAN, AND Tiger Woods. His victory may represent a problem for future black candidates who must circumvent the landmines of race without an identity complex to buffer the slings of racial discourse in the body politic. When are we going to see an increase of the numbers of black congresional reps, How about a some black governors and senators? That is the true test of the Obama breakthrough. Blacks have sold all their political aspirations into Obama. He does not feel the same way about them as will never reciprocate that love in public or in his policies.

By: blacksmythe

blacksmythe — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:41:42 +0000

I understand what you're saying. But I'm not really talking about the civil rights establishment, but rather the black electorate. Very different animal.

By: blacksmythe

blacksmythe — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:33:27 +0000

The web shouldn't really be an arbiter but the only other option is black talk radio. To the extent that black criticism of Obama can be placed into camps I'd think they are overlapping–the nationalist camp, and the progressive/left camp.

By: Cobb

Cobb — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:13:13 +0000

I've argued that Obama's candidacy, win or lose, takes the national spotlight away from the group formerly known as the Civil Rights Establishment - because Obama has worked his campaign magic without any apparent need for their consent or approval. Aside from that, he simply outclasses them in terms of American political savoir faire. You don't get to be editor of the Harvard Law Review, not having written a single article in it, without having some extraordinary political skills.

As much as I think Obama has collected the last bushel of cherries to be picked for 'first blacks' there are still several trees left on the Right side of the political spectrum and perhaps for Blue Dogs as well. It leaves open the question of what the average hard working activists, pundits and other politicos are to do whether or not Obama wins the White House.

An underlying assumption that I have here is that the past two decades of CBC legislation has been all about nothing and the reason that there is no national black political agenda. That is to say no agenda other than spreading racial fear and distrust of the GOP - in the face of the destruction of Trent Lott, Ron Paul and George Allen over racial remarks. The reality is that Jena has little to do with anything other than Jena, and the journalistic coattails of any major media editor who decides that 'the blacks' need a little more coverage. The incredible success of Obama demonstrates how little has been articulated as a black political agenda.

Tavis Smiley deserves credit here in highlighting by Obama's dismissal of his Covenant with Black America how unconnected are the real political games at the national and local levels. But this also brings to light a deeper issue that as far as I know only Lani Guinier has the temerity to address - as little as she counts nowadays. That is that the creation of majority minority districts as a consequence of Civil Rights agitation has created the net national circumference of black political action. If Maxine Waters isn't whispering in the ear of the Clintons, then nothing is happening for South Central, and this monopoly of black political power established a generation ago has yet to be updated and reformed. Except by the GOP which has dynamically attacked those districts for partisan gain. In other words, black national political representation is deadlocked and moribund in the Democratic party because the same incumbents and their designees have had a deathgrip on minority voting districts since their inception. Hell, I was DJing for Maxine Waters receptions when I was 19. I'm 47 years old.

By: MIB

MIB — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:25:00 +0000

If Black political dissent against Obama — or any candidate, FWIW — were to organize and abide by the rule of machine politics, they probably would have some effect.

Admittedly, that's a huge 'if'. That which usually represents Black political dissent amounts to chaotic shouting and militant posturing after the fact. But while the exercise of dissent is central to Progressivism/Liberalism and most Blacks vote (ostensibly) left-of-center, very, very few Blacks are Progressives. I'm less sure it's correct to equate Black political dissent with Progressivism. Or any 1 political ideology, for that matter.

By: cnulan

cnulan — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:47:07 +0000

There's a Black Party?

Where do I get my registration form for that?