Poverty still missing from the presidential candidate's vocabulary

[question everything]

Poverty still missing from the presidential candidate's vocabulary on Katrina third anniversary
Earl Ofari Hutchinson | Posted August 21, 2008 8:32 AM


Presumptive presidential contender Barack Obama and Republican rival John McCain have made splashy, big media photo op visits to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast since the Katrina horror. Obama says he will push a sweeping and costly Katrina recovery plan. McCain, on the other hand, took some heat for voting against the billions the Senate allocated for Katrina recovery projects. But he opposed the funding as Senator McCain. As presidential candidate McCain he now calls President Bush's response to the Katrina disaster "terrible and disgraceful." Though McCain is vague about whether he'll propose billions more for Katrina recovery, he at least acknowledged Bush's failure to deal with the crisis. But the two candidates have been virtually mute on the campaign trail about the real story and tragedy of Katrina. That is the naked face of poverty Katrina exposed to the world three years ago. The dire poverty remains just as naked and shameful three years later.

A recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation on the experiences of New Orleans residents three years after the debacle found that the overwhelming majority of residents say that the city is even more divided than ever by poverty. Nearly forty percent of adults and children in the city are poor. That's the same number that was poor three years ago.

Obama and McCain are not insensitive to the poverty issue from a policy standpoint. Obama's campaign web site spells out detailed proposals to attack poverty that include a massive increase in job training funding, housing tax credits, boosting the minimum wage and expanding uninsured health care programs. McCain talks about vouchers, tax credits, expanding health care programs and providing more funds for private industry job training programs. But they have been loath to use their campaign stump as a bully pulpit to talk about poverty. That reluctance is no surprise.

(snip)

In a post-Katrina assessment of public opinion on poverty, more Americans agreed that the government should do more to end poverty. Civil rights leaders, the Congressional Black Caucus, and anti-poverty groups saw an opening and pounded the Bush administration and Congress to do something to whittle down the ranks of the estimated 35 to 40 million Americans that still wallow in poverty. Again, that was three years ago. The national soul search about attacking poverty has evaporated. The irony is that by a thin majority, New Orleans residents say they are optimistic about the city's future. But a majority of the residents in the Kaiser Foundation survey still say that Congress and the nation has forgotten its promise to fully rebuild the city, and to deal with the poverty that created so many of the problems in New Orleans before, during and after Katrina.

(snip)

For a brief moment, mostly shamed by Edwards' attention-getting talk about poverty, Obama and Hillary Clinton made the poverty fight a campaign issue. They hit Bush hard on the Katrina failure and specifically cited the poverty that became the ugly face of Katrina. But they quickly dropped the issue in their campaign talks. Neither gave any sign that if elected they would fight for the billions that it will take to enact a comprehensive program to combat poverty.

(snip)

http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2008/08/poverty-still-missing-from-the-001057.php

[Naturyl]

1. K&R

"Poverty" is a word you'd have to look up in the dictionary if politicians were your only source of info.

http://theequineschool.org/ged/index.php?title=Poor_people

[bobbolink]

2. Thank you.

I'm too low today to add anything else, but K&R...I appreciate you posting this.

It sux, but it helps me to know that others NOTICE.

:yourock:

[question everything]

3. Sorry that you are low

Hope you feel better.

[bobbolink]

11. thank you

I really appreciate the sentiments. :hi:

[kdmorris]

4. Somedays, it just feels so...hopeless

For a couple of weeks, they did talk about poverty, after John Edwards dropped out.

But, it's gone by the wayside again. I don't know if two rich people can ever really understand what poverty is all about, much less make a platform on it. It's just...well, one wants to despair.

[Naturyl]

5. True...

And I definitely understand that feeling.

But every once in a while - maybe only once or twice a century - somebody like FDR comes along and goes to bat for us.

Edwards, sadly, was never an FDR figure. For a while he talked a little of the talk, but he undid himself with his inability to manage his urges. It's a loss but not the worst possible loss because he was obviously never "the guy" to begin with. I don't know who is, but he or she will come along eventually.

Kucinich certainly *could* be the guy if he were electable. But he just isn't, and that's the reality of it.

Here's hoping we live to see the next FDR, whenever he or she appears.

[kdmorris]

6. What you say is true

I keep telling myself that what happened with Edwards is between he and Elizabeth (it actually is). But, I just don't understand why he ran, knowing this would come out eventually. It does make me wonder what he really thought. Was he just talking the talk?

I love Kucinich and it makes me angry that the media has made him look like a raving lunatic.

Here's hoping I see another FDR type in my lifetime!

[jrlee2]

15. FDR was the right president

at the right time. I believe it is something like 12% in the US that is poor. Back in 1932, the poverty rate was something like 48% or something. Fortunetly we dont have that high of a rate now. Unfortunately, the top 88% seems to just worry about themselves or their own class.

[bobbolink]

16. I feel so much better about being homeless, knowing that some consider

us to be fewer now.

:wtf:

[bobbolink]

8. I so much appreciate your understanding.

But I also must take issue with your praise of Kucinich.

I was working on his campaign starting in '03, and I distinctly remember when he dropped poverty from his campaign list of issues.

He WASN'T "the guy".

And working on his campaign, I can tell you that his supporters weren't focused AT ALL on poverty, which also gives a clue what he, as the leader, was promoting with people.

I got completely disillusioned with him.

And with Edwards.

And with "progressives".

And with clergy who supposedly "care".

As I said in another post, we poor folk are political ORPHANS.

[Naturyl]

9. Interesting... and discouraging.

I could definitely see that being true of a lot of Kucinich supporters, though.

I'll have to read up on Kucinich's current platform more carefully, I guess. I always assumed he must be strong on poverty because he's so strong on everything else. But now that you mention it, I gotta admit I haven't necessarily seen a whole lot to support that. So I'll do some checking.

Thanks. :)

[bobbolink]

10. It was a strong part of his book, "Prayer For America"

"Poverty Is A Weapon Of Mass Destruction" was part of that.

BUT, as I said, in mid-campaign he had his supporters vote on the most important issues, and poverty was dropped.

I remember it distinctly.

And how crushed I felt.

[Naturyl]

12. Hmm... they took a poll and decided to drop poverty?

You're right, that's shitty.

I never figured Kucinich for the type who makes policy by consensus.

As for those who voted to drop the issue... I really shouldn't express my feelings for them beyond saying that they need to be paid a visit by Mister Karma. Such ignorance, sadly, cannot be corrected except through experience.

[bobbolink]

13. I thank you for listening, and for understanding my pain on this.

I felt betrayed.

As a matter of fact, it was so hard for me to believe that he actually DID it, that I stayed working on the campaign for quite a while afterwards!

It finally broke through my consciousness what had really happened, and I dropped out with a lot of anger and sense of betrayal. It is the MAJOR reason why I no longer get involved or give my energy to any other issue besides POVERTY.

Again, thank you for understanding how this has affected me. I get so much flack on this from Kucinich people, and it hurts.

I truly don't understand why we can't all work together, but that is NOT the current reality. :cry:

[bobbolink]

7. .

:hug:

I think I have some clue of how you're feeling, because I'm beyond despair, myself.

Well, I bounce back and forth between anger and hopelessness.

We just have no support, no power, no.... anything....

We are truly ORPHANS in politics.

:hug:

[question everything]

14. Perhaps there is hope with Biden

who is one of the "poorest" (everything is relative) in the Senate.

And the way they are trying to emphasize Obama's mom living on food stamps, and Biden's humble background perhaps they will find room to talk about poverty and, more important, once elected, about doing something.

[Naturyl]

17. Hope is scarce, but I do like Biden.

He isn't rich. And that's a start.

[maryf]

18. But...

He did sponsor the bankruptcy bill that benefitted the credit card companies, and his son is an executive of MBNA, one of the biggest credit card banks...I found him tolerable until I heard that...

[bobbolink]

19. The real point is NOT the candidates, although leadership is certainly important.

The telling point is that "PROGRESSIVES" as a whole simply aren't speaking out, and don't spare much time to THINK about the issue of poverty.

Without a MANDATE and a giant PUSH, Obama will do NOTHING. Certainly, his proposals contain nothing new, and I simply see no sign that he will do ANYTHING, much less anything different.

Where is he on the campaign trail? Why isn't he speaking to large groups of poor folk?

Why aren't his supporters right here on DU speaking up, and taking part in any of the calls for action?

Very telling.

And very ... well, what's the opposite of "hope"?

[undeterred]

20. I was in line at the food pantry today

(and this line has been getting longer every week since I started going in June) and a black woman was walking past the line asking if everyone was registered to vote. People weren't answering her and she said come on, women and blacks have fought and died for this right, don't just take it for granted! Then a couple of people admitted they had never voted because they didn't know how and they were kind of embarrassed.

So I started talking to people and telling them they should watch the debate tonight and they could find out their polling place from their address and the lady who was registering people kept going through the line. I was grateful for her passion. I kind of lose it sometimes.

[tosh]

21. My thinking may be flawed,

but I feel strongly that getting the Repugs out of the white house is the absolute Top Priority. Until that happens, nothing changes.

I am so optimistic now. The Obama campaign has the momentum but must maintain it. I *have* to believe Obama's heart and soul are in the right place and that once the messiness of this campaign is behind him, he will turn his focus to his dream and ours.

In the meantime, I will carry on with my efforts to get these voters to the polls and to put use whatever resources I have to help get him elected.

I *have* to believe.

[bobbolink]

22. Yes, there is always a Top Priority that keeps attention from poverty.

I have NO "HOPE" that Obama would change ANYTHING in my life, or the lives of other poor and hurting people.

It's all about the muddleclass for Obama. That's all he talks about, and it's all his supporters want to hear about.

We're forgotten and ignored.

[Ocracoker16]

23. I am not poor myself , but give me a chance

I really agree that Obama is not going to do anything for the poor. However, I have to say that I was so caught up in Obama fever that it wasn't until 2 weeks before the election that this truth dawned on me. My pastor was preaching and she started talking about the election. I thought that she was just going to suggest that we should pray about which candidate to vote for. I don't want to offend anyone so let me just cut to the chase. She decided to comment on Obama. She told the congregation that she had heard plenty of talk about making sure that the people on Wall Street didn't get all the resources leaving little for those on Main Street. She agreed with that, but she said that she hadn't heard anything about those living on Martin Luther King Dr.(insert name of main road in urban area). It was then that the bubble burst and I realized that while I really liked many of his policies I had failed to notice the absence of attention to poverty.

I almost couldn't figure out why I never tired of the endless repitition of the phrase, "middle class". Honestly, it taught me that I am far less sensitive to the needs of the poor than I would like to think. I can talk for a long time on my work at a day shelter, a womens group home for formerly homeless, and my participation in efforts to expand affordable housing and supportive housing. However, I failed to see that Obama's economic plan would have no meaning for the people I work with. It would just be status quo continued.

I am sorry about being off topic. I will post later on how other issues always seem to come ahead of poverty.

[bobbolink]

24. Thank you so much for sharing your epiphany!

What you have posted is sooo very important!

Now, can you help us figure out how others can come to this same awareness?

Please, don't apologize! You aren't yet able to post on your own, and where you put it is perfect!

:applause:

Welcome to DU, and please share more on poverty with us!

:toast: :bounce: :toast::bounce: :toast::bounce: :toast::bounce: :toast::bounce: :toast:

please check this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4716799&mesg_id=4724583

:pals:

[maryf]

25. The term Middle Class

often signifies, misleadingly, to many that they are "decent" people. Its a stigma to be called "poor" as it, again misleadingly, signifies "lower" (class). I would prefer the word class not be used as it sets up a hierarchy implying that those on the "lower" rungs are somehow less worthy, less to be esteemed and respected than those of the middle and upper. Its a very subtle thing that so many of us get caught up in, until something hits us, as it did you. Thank you so much for your honesty here, its a very important discussion to bring up!

[Naturyl]

26. Yes, exactly.

I'm glad more and more people are "getting it," although this forum is still way too frequently ignored.