The Obama Dream and then some…
Senator Obama represents much to many black folks in America. Perceived barriers in America seemed to have been shattered in the black psyche due to Obama’s run. Seeing a black man become the next POTUS represents the realization of a dream. Stories will be told to black children that history was made and Martin Luther King Jr’s dream has been fully realized: a black man is leading a nation where his ancestors used to be slaves. Doesn’t matter that Obama is mixed race with an African father and American white mother. He’s married to a “real black woman” has “real black kids” and heck, looks like a “real black man”. I’m even caught up in the historic nature of his run. But unlike some of my family members and friends, I have great disdain for the Big 2 political process. It makes me not trust even the historic black Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama. But I’m in the extreme minority of Obama presidential supporters. Barack Obama is carrying the hopes and dreams of millions of black people. What a awesome and terrible burden.
Just think about it, Senator Obama is running against Senator Clinton, a white woman and another group that hasn’t had a presidential representative. Of all the times to run a historic campaign, Obama has to go against another historic campaign. And Senator Clinton carries the burden of the hopes and dreams of all women in America. Two historic forces locking horns. Throw in the Michigan-Florida Affair and you have a powder keg of emotion, historic firsts, law, rules, politics, race, and sex. BOOM! (indeed…)
In Obama’s case, even though race relations in America are much better than the what was occurring back in the day, many people have viewpoints about race that don’t work in Obama’s favor. And those viewpoints will not disappear overnight and those who want to denigrate those who have a non-inclusive view of race need to back off. It is what it is. There’s much in America that hasn’t been dealt with regarding race and all sides are guilty of fueling racial nonsense. The sooner that idea is accepted wholeheartedly, the better we will all be.
Yet many black folks are not discouraged. The Obama Dream has been planted and it is growing strong in the black community. Which means that if Obama loses (the nomination or GE), feelings are going to be hurt and hurt badly in some cases. And the following phrase will be said and thought my many Black Americans:
I knew they wouldn’t let a black man in the White House.
Ahh, the joys and pains of democracy. Obama could lose for a variety of reasons and all of the reasons could lack a racial component. But when that much emotion gets attached to a candidate and campaign, what do you expect? The reasoned response? The clear answer? Nonsense. This is an emotional country. Emotionally as a nation, we live fast and die hard. We get behind our guy and/or gal, suit up, and emotionally go to war for them. We take it out to the edges and sometimes run off the cliff. We are emotional. So if Obama wins or loses, emotion will be high in the black community. I worry about that emotion. Not in the sense that there will be riots in the streets (more nonsense) but black people withdrawing from the political process en masse for future elections. I may have withdrawn from Big 2 politics, but I’m very active in third-party politics. But many blacks may see those perceived barriers shoot back up and just disengage themselves. I hope that doesn’t happen but wouldn’t be shocked if it does.
Am I going to say we need to play politics with kid gloves? No! Those running for President of the United States need to get tested. Would be irresponsible not to test them. I don’t want to sound preachy but we all need to be sensitive in dealing with raw emotions in politics. Throwing more fuel into an emotional fire induced by politics is counterproductive to political winners and losers. You can criticize without disrespecting. Fanning flames may generate ratings but it always leave people disgruntled. And these days, we need to keep disgruntled-ness to a minimum.
8 Responses to “The Obama Dream and then some…”
Obama isn't just carrying the hopes of black voters. I come from a very conservative white family and graduated high school in '93. What really made me start to notice politics by the mid-late 90's was the utter vitriol against Bill Clinton from the likes of Rush, Coulter and their fellow talking heads.
At first I thought maybe it had some merit but then I sat down and watched(thanks dad) The Clinton Chroicles. After that laughable piece of garbage I realized two things. First, there are people who will fabricate and mislead to any extent to get their case made. Second, there are millions of people dumb enough to buy into anything as long as it touches on things they already believe, regardless of likely or tangible facts to the contrary. These same people will often not lift a finger to verify this information even if its veracity has a strong bearing on their lives.
Then I noticed it was everywhere, altho often in smaller degrees. Our leaders simply deflecting questions by changing topics, and going after eachother with a visciousness that was very very bad for this country.
I've been waiting for a leader like Obama since I started noticing this whole process. He actually answers questions put to him as opposed to deflecting to talking points he polls strongly in, he seems to be right the first time on issues, and he actually takes stands with a long term solution in mind instead of the quick fixes that fit well into sound bites. From his initial stance on Iraq which was as dead on as you can get, to his rebuff of the silly gax tax proposal, and just about every issue in between I've heard from him, the man just gets it.
So to that burden you mentioned please add a white man's hopes that we have a real leader this go around, one who will actually gets the other leaders to work together to solve problems instead of just manage our perceptions of them, whose got the patience and intelligence and balls to lead instead of just follow from the front.
Points taken Slamfu. I singled out black voters simply because of the 90%+ support they give Obama and my “browness”. I've heard folks that are not black say similar to what you said Slamfu. For all the flaws that Obama has (and he's no shoe-in vs. McCain IMHO) he has excited a large segment of the electorate even though he's new (and this isn't taking away for the equally large support of Senator Clinton). But for a “new dude”, he's done unbelievably well so far.
Interesting times ahead…
Obam has awakened the hopes of a lot of people, not just blacks.
I don't know if he can succeed, but his is the only voice speaking to the need for a different process in Washington politics.
He is simply where I am: not outside or in the fringes, but longing for real change.
Already he has elevated the tone, IMO, and I'm banking on his ability to keep on in the same direction.. No miracles expected, just a hope that his way will be catching.
I would love to hear a presidential address delivered a la Obama, instead of the partisan and/or bullying kind we've had for too long.
thoughtful, truthful piece T_steel. Many of us value hearing from pp who are not posturing.
dr.e
It's not just a huge swathe of black voters (they, not women, appear ready to leap the Final Hurdle this year), and far-left PC-darling cultists whose excesses give us saner people reason to question the lack of qualification of the suffrage (note the comma for the distinction between the two groups!). People find Obama different (at least superficially) than what we've seen since, oh, 1988 if you want to stretch the issue. (McCain is lightweight and often antagonistic to the GOP and to non-liberals, negating the change he represents from the status quo.)
“The Clinton Chroicles”
It pales in comparison to the Bush-bashing, including on this site (blaming Bush for Bhutto's assassination — talk about a graveyard spiral in lieu of quality control!). But it certainly illustrates the problem (as with Bush-bashing): the demonization nonsense (Bush, guns, Clinton's ties to the UN and Satan, etc.).
“I've been waiting for a leader like Obama since I started noticing this whole process.”
His speeches are sound bites and all his appeal to date has been “packaging.”
If he gets into the White House, he can't just speak; he will have to act. We're all going to be waiting and asking ourselves, “What is he going to do?” Who will he bring aboard his cabinet and what will be his grand strategy? Will it just be to go along with the Dem-left powers in DC and approve what a powerful Democratic Congress (both houses) will push? What will he do independently in the area of foreign policy as well as in domestic policy? (What will his Cabinet start doing?)
To what extent will this be different than the leftward lurch beginning in 1993 by the Clintons that rightfully resulted in the 1994 repudiation? Or will it be more subdued or incrementalist, but with the same ambitious goals nevertheless?
We will have to wait and see.
I agree with the following point you made 100%, DLS:
He has to act decisively on SOMETHING if he wins the Presidency. Plain and simple. The first black president (IF he wins) cannot afford to just tow party lines. He has to make some lines. 'Nuff said.