Black America's divide over Obama

[humbled_opinion]

Source: St. Petersburg Times

When Barack Obama was elected president, millions of Americans believed that the United States finally was entering a postracial period when race no longer mattered in any serious way. But the Obama presidency has, ironically, heightened racial tensions, and we are seeing old divisions return.

One of the most unexpected developments resulting from the Obama presidency has been the resurgence of conflicts and name-calling among blacks themselves. Not since the heyday of the Black Nationalist movement of the 1960s and 1970s has there been such bitterness among blacks about who is "authentically black" and who is not.

The source of this renewed infighting is the dashed hope that Obama, the first black president, would improve life for blacks — "his people." Life has not improved for blacks under Obama. The unemployment rate among blacks is 16.7 percent, nearly double the national average. Forty percent of black children are living in poverty, and the housing crisis has hit blacks harder than other groups.



Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/black-americas-divide-over-obama/1197982

---

This is more of the narrative on how the GOP intend to secure a percentage of the black vote. This is why Herman Cain has momentum and could possible be on the GOP ticket.... A Romney/Cain ticket with Cain running as the attack dog on Obama is exactly why this article exists.

[bluestateguy]

1. And white racists (a key Republican constituency) will stay home

Don't pee in my Wheaties.

[humbled_opinion]

2. Alright...

So exactly what does that number translate too?

Where is the data?

I'll bite and say 10 percent in the south so do you actually believe that Obama will win the south?

Aren't the racists eveil enough that they would see enough in the White boy on the top of the ticket to at least make sure that "the white house gets white again"...

LOL your argument is moot they stay home strictly because they want to allow a black man to stay in the White House.... give me a break.

[defendandprotect]

3. Neither "blacks" -- nor liberals -- are going to vote for anyone on the right ..... and that's why

Obama is in trouble ---

Conyers and Cornell West and many others have made clear the problems "blacks" have

with Obama and they're the same problems that liberals have with Obama --

this is a pro-corporate president and anything like what we thought we were voting for.


We need a challenger from the LEFT to step forward -- !!



But one of the things voters have to keep in mind is that FDR and NEW DEAL were worthy

of our trust but not much since then -- JFK's and FDR's are rare.


And, we should also remember what Thurgood Marshall told us of about "color" ---

"It's not the color of a snake that is imporatant --

What's important is whether or not it bites!" --


And that's also true of gender!

[tblue]

9. That so sums it up for me.

I am black (well, half, like our President). To be honest, most black folks I know are very devoted to this president. They make every excuse for things he does. They can't stand anyone saying a word against him. They see themselves in him or they don't want to see a brother fail, something along those lines. I understand, in a way. I want to see our first black president succeed, too, but not at the expense of the community.

I don't know how to support someone when I don't support the things they do. I also would never back a politician, no questions asked, solely because they are black (Herman Cain), or even because they are a black Democrat (Pres. Obama). That's a good start but it's nowhere near all that's needed.

All things being equal, I would vote for the black Democrat. But this president, who I so badly wanted to get elected and be a great progressive leader, is nothing like that. He is brilliant at telling people what they want to hear. But he is responsible for what he does and it's no crime for you or me to say that out loud.

[defendandprotect]

16. Third Way control over the Dem Party now complicates things even further ....

And make no mistake about the role of Third Way. Third Way runs the policy apparatus of the Democratic Party. In Congress, staffers attend regular Third Way policy briefings, where the group hands out pre-packaged legislative amendments in legal form, generic press releases, polling around those policy ideas, and talking points. It’s a soup-to-nuts policy apparatus. Most of these ideas are harmless – like increased volunteerism – but some are not, like various tax proposals.

The group has enormous juice. On the Congressional side, it has six honorary Senate co-Chairs, and seven House-side co-Chairs. Jim Clyburn, a co-Chair, is in the House Democratic leadership. Two current cabinet members are former co-Chairs. Steny Hoyer, the House minority whip, held regular briefings for the freshmen member staff in the last Congress.

On the administration side, former Third Way board member Bill Daley is now White House chief of staff. Ron Klain, who was Biden’s Chief of Staff, is now with Third Way. The White House is pretty much full of Third Way-style apparatchiks.

Third Way also echoes, nearly entirely, the White House’s political line (though it is slightly ahead on gay rights). Here’s Third Way praising the Gang of 6 talks, opposing cut, cap, and balance, encouraging entitlement cuts, pushing various free trade agreements

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/07/




Additionally, I recently saw Jonathan Cowan, Pres. of Third Way on C-span's early morning show

and he made clear that it is Third Way policy that "the base of the party is to be ignored" --

and that "poupulism and populist discussion/debate is the equivalent of Karl Rove propaganda of

extremism" --- !!!!

After 20 years and more of Koch Bros. funded DLC influence over the party and its candidates and

agenda, hard to say what may be left of the Dem Party!




:hi:

[1StrongBlackMan]

20. Well ...

Neither Conyers or West speak for THIS Black man! I don't have a problem with President Obama, especially since I believe that accomplishing the imperfect is far better than posturing and getting nothing done.

[glowing]

4. Just another tactic to divide. The only way Republicans win

lie and divide.

[kwassa]

5. This is a dumb article.

Tavis Smiley never supported Obama, Cornell West barely did, both are would-be self-appointed spokesmen for black America who lost much of their traction because Obama became the first black president, not them. Herman Cain is a right-wing nutjob who should never be included in any serious critique of Obama or black America or anything else.

Black America is not very divided, Obama still retains big support. This is a non-controversy.

[tblue]

11. It is, but not for the reasons you say.

To put Herman Cain in the same category as Smiley and West is really stupid. Makes no sense unless you don't look below the surface. Smiley and West want Obama to do more for the black community. Cain wants to abandon everybody except the corporate titans he serves, including himself.

Tavis Smiley and Cornell West never said they want to be president. Where did you get that idea? I don't question their motives and they make some good points. They knew they'd catch heat, and they did it anyway, because they thought the cause was worth it.

Obama has not done enough to help black folks, but most of his supporters (black and otherwise) are perfectly fine with that. I have relatives in that category. They don't even want to talk about it. They will stick with him through thick and thin. He can't do wrong enough to turn them off, no way, no how. To me, that's kinda weird, but it is what it is.

[kwassa]

19. I never said they wanted to be president.

They wanted to be spokesmen for black America, particularly Travis. I don't think that either thought becoming a black president in this era was even feasible.

[NOLALady]

6. I think most Blacks are aware

that Obama must help to improve conditions for all Americans. And Cain is a joke to many Black Americans.
Infighting? In their dreams.

[Historic NY]

7. Really...you never know it from the MLK dedication.

[Number23]

8. Oh God. Unrec

This is the biggest load I've read in months.

I can't tell which is more idiotic, the oft-repeated idiocy of a "post racial" America ushered in solely by this president's election or the subtle blaming of Obama for "heightened" racial tensions. Obama's election only highlighted the racism that has dwelled in this society since its inception.

This author is an idiot.

[FrenchieCat]

14. Looks like some folks are fishing.....

Looks like they maybe got one bite out of 10. :rofl:

[ingac70]

10. This assumes black people think a black Pres....

should give them special unicorns and ponies no one else gets. What a load of shit.

[Skittles]

13. CORRECT

kind of insulting

[wellst0nev0ter]

12. What. Foocking. Divide?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/10/obama-black-voters-jobs-approval-ratings_n_1003973.html

Obama's numbers among blacks is only 79 percent instead of eleventy-billion percent, oh noes!

Well, to be honest, it is quite a drop from his high of 94 percent among blacks, and you can count me as among one of those black folks that are not entirely satisfied with how he's doing his job (but who is NOT accusing him of not being "authentically black), but seriously, that's just over top and he's obviously fishing for some controversy.

[FedUp_Queer]

18. I don't like Obama. I'm not a fan.

However, as a gay person, I can just imagine having a bisexual president and people saying that he's not doing enough for gay people along those same lines. The whole point is that a president is not supposed to "do for" "his/her people." Straight, white presidents for too long did for straight, white folks and left people of color, GLBT people and others not "in the mainstream" out of the picture. My beef with Obama is that he does too much for the 1%.

[Newspaper Boy]

15. Remind me not to subscribe the the St. Petersburg Times

[elana i am]

17. what?

<<<When Barack Obama was elected president, millions of Americans believed that the United States finally was entering a postracial period when race no longer mattered in any serious way.>>>

wouldn't you have to be, like colossally naive (read: a damn fool!) to believe this?

[Doctor_J]

21. More right-wing propaganda

you people need your own forum

unrec