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15 de Marzo, 2007
Sharpton's Tone and the O-Litmus Debate
Categorized under Política Estados Unidos , Preguntas | Tags: Obama
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON asks:
Listening to Al Sharpton rip into Barack Obama this week made me wonder: why is it that African American leaders so often feel compelled to give the back of their hand (to say nothing of the serrated edge of their tongue) to emerging black leaders? Is it jealousy? Ego? An unwillingness to give up power?
She seems, by the end of the article, a bit upset that Sharpton is making it evident that he is "not going to be cajoled or intimidated by any candidate [...] for [his] support," or that he has some problems with Obama's stances that he feels hurts the Black Community. Miss Huffington doesn't so much mind Sharpton's "legitimate questions," it was more his "tone." Or more specifically, it is her own visualization talents that have aroused her discomfort; her ability to "picture [Sharpton] drilling holes in his paddle as he spoke."
Hm.
I'm no expert on paddles, serrated edges or African American Leaders, but maybe the resistance to Obama, in part, by the Black community is because they don't want to be told what makes an "African American leader." Not to say he wouldn't make as good or better a leader than the type of person we usually settle for. This is a separate thought.
We're at an odd place, at least in my personal experience of American culture. This is really the first time I can remember the comment and opinion of the Black Community mattering so much to White America. And to this American of Mexican descent (and all that that entails) I would think it feels pretty damn good, to have your opinion be sought finally, first and foremost. When normally, and historically, it has meant so little to the rest of the country. At times, less than nothing. At times, your comment and opinion earned you death. So maybe now that you are actually being treated as a human, not just given lip-service, you want to exercise that will. Maybe you want to take it for a walk. Maybe you want to know it is applied carefully, and that it is heard, and that it is not reflexively running in line with the mainstream.
And you know what else? This is what I can't help thinking, lately: Maybe you want to know that the cat representin' out there is not just going to climb up high and then abysmally disgrace your people in the eyes of the entire world like some pinche vendido who ingrains stereotypes instead of recreating or reshaping them. So maybe you have more patience, and more ethics than White America gives you credit for.
Of course I'm no expert on any of this. Just sayin' maybe.
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Comentarios (8)
Dan dijo:
Maybe some find it funny that the opinion of the Black Community suddenly matters when there is a black candidate.
But perhaps this all comes down to position rather than person. After all, Hillary isn't always the best candidate on women's issues. Any more than Libby Dole is a paragon of women's lib.
"Maybe you want to know it is applied carefully, and that it is heard, and that it is not reflexively running in line with the mainstream."
I think therein lies the crux of the argument against criticism of the candidate of the moment.
Palabras por Dan spat forth on el 15 de Marzo, 2007 at 03:42 PM
negrito dijo:
the problem with obama is that he endoreses joe lieberman and he voted for the patriot act without reading it.
i cannot say about what the african american or black person says is but i always have felt a strong respect for angela davis, barbara jordan the recent maxine waters and such.
racism is a pillar of the conquest of turtle island. i really trust the iroquois nation in their sense of jurisprudence. the women rule.
Palabras por negrito spat forth on el 15 de Marzo, 2007 at 04:41 PM
Professor Zero dijo:
"The problem with obama is that he endoreses joe lieberman and he voted for the patriot act without reading it."
Yes. Which is why I favor looking at voting records, endorsements, and so on rather than speculating about identities and emotions ... the psychodrama of 'politics'.
Palabras por Professor Zero spat forth on el 15 de Marzo, 2007 at 08:17 PM
nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez dijo:
mmmm i lurve speckalatin AND psychodrama.
tho voting records can be fun, too, on slow nights.
Palabras por nezua limón xolagrafik-jonez spat forth on el 15 de Marzo, 2007 at 08:23 PM
Kat dijo:
Thanks for that. I was fummin' when I read that peice on HuffPo. Who the hell is Ariana to say Sharpton is off the mark for rejecting Obama's pro-war AIPAC credentials? Obama does, after all, consider Iran a threat. He only recently said the Iraq war was a mistake after anti-war protestors drowned him out at his own rally. And Obama's AIPAC credentials? Yeah, black America and AIPAC share so many of the same day-to-day concerns.
That said, I often appreciate Ariana's commentary (despite the fact she broke bread with Chalabi and didn't puke at the table). oops. There I go qualifying again.
Palabras por Kat spat forth on el 16 de Marzo, 2007 at 10:27 AM
rikyrah dijo:
I am sort of LOL at the snarky almost dismissiveness of those in the White Progressive Blogosphere about Rev. Sharpton's comments about Obama. If they took the time to read the Black Blogosphere, they would find a nice, hefty chunk out there, talking about the same things.
As someone who has tried to defend Senator Obama in the Black Blogosphere, I understand that Sharpton isn't alone in his opinions.
Palabras por rikyrah spat forth on el 16 de Marzo, 2007 at 11:17 AM
L.G. Fucktard dijo:
Last I heard, Sharpton was considering running in 2008. I guess he's supposed to roll over and endorse Obama, because he has no chance and Obama does. And if Clinton or Gore out-poll Obama, then Obama should give up also. This is how it has always been done. Democrats never compete against one another in the primaries.
Palabras por L.G. Fucktard spat forth on el 16 de Marzo, 2007 at 11:41 AM
nezua
dijo:
just reading back on this L.G. funny how wrong that last one turned out to be, eh? ah, blogs. and the 2008 primary...
Palabras por nezua
spat forth on el 24 de Abril, 2008 at 10:35 AM