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.
I’m not complex. Don’t have time for all that. And all that complex stuff bad for the stomach. Just color me simple and plain with a twist.