About Politics

Joe Hunley asked:


Obamas first 100 days, Democrats Celebrate and scream of the accomplishments this Administration has performed in such a short time. Obama takes to the air for an Hour long Press Conference remarking on the moves the Prez. has made. Once again, if nothing else, Obama has proven that He is indeed a Brilliant spokesman, and there are indeed multitudes of individuals who are willing to celebrate “Nothing”!.

Exactly what is it that this President has achieved in his first 100 days that sets Him aside from the rest? Surely anyone can see that the support and praise Obama is receiving is worthy of an individual (President) who has made a great impact on the Nation and the People. What impact, other than the ability to “Swoon” the people has He achieved. Set aside the laughable nominees that this President has chosen for various positions, nominees that came with certain “Problems” I.E.–Taxes. Set aside Obamas promise to “Eliminate” lobbyists having power to sway decisions in Washington-remember Lynn? Obama condemned excess spending by the Government “Pork”, yet pushed a Pork “All You Can Eat” Stimulus Package. The brilliant plan to bailout the auto industry (Take Control) has proven to be little more than a joke. Billions given to G.M–yet they are still are asking for more, laying off personel, and talks of Bankruptsy. The abuse of the Bailout Program and Stimulus Package can be read Daily, was there no control outlined in this–but then do they care. Obama is spending money at an alarming rate, and is not protecting the peoples investment with a little something called RULES–see A.I.G.!! It is to soon to state the impacts that the Presidents Economic Hope Package will have, as it has only been 100 days, but given the speed implemented, and what seems to be the lack of carefull planning–one can only believe that this President and His Administration will fail, and just as his speaches are on a Grand Scale–so will be his Failure!

Obamas plan for a united world–don’t kid yourself, there are those that hate us, and no amount of beautifull words, handshakes or hugs will change that. Obama has made himself a welcomed American President–How? He has given numerous Nations what they want–The Apology Tour. Yes folks–We are the problem in Mexicos mounting Drug Lord killings. You see–they would not be having such a problem with Illegal Drugs if the American People did not have such a “Thirst” for them, nor would they have such a violence problem between these honorable drug lords if we didn’t supply 90 percent of their guns to them–which I might add is “BULL”–Hillary and President Smiley need to do their research before spewing their bull–at the cost of the people. Given Obamas need to Put Down, Blame, and apologize for actions our nation Has not committed, leads me to believe that Obamas need to be the “Man of the World”, a true World Leader is more important to him than the people who put him in office. Obamas Foreign Policy?–He apologizes for the U.S., and shows Weakness–Obama will be “Seen Thru” by the American People, and other Nations over the course of a couple years–Failure.

Well, there are a couple of my thought’s. I would be interested in hearing why we have so much to celebrate this Political Messiah, and what has He done or placed into operation that will yield this “Hope and Change”



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Roland Laird asked:


During a recent segment on an ESPN sports show, Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers was being interviewed by one of the show’s reporters. As the hour wound down, the in-studio host asked Mr. Iguodala, “Why did you do the interview outside? It’s so cold, and you’re not even wearing a hat.” Iguodala replied, “Hey that’s how President Obama did it — in the cold with no hat. I have to step it up.”

Iguodala then went on to mention how excited he was about President Obama, and that in his hometown (ironically, Springfield, Illinois), the test scores for Black males have gone up since President Obama was appointed to office.

The ad hoc interview responses of a Black athlete are far from a testament of Barack Obama’s impact on the Black Community. They do, however, point to a state of mind — at least in some sections. For instance, I’ve gotten a significant number of emails from people recapping their Inauguration Day experiences. All were upbeat and ranged from how proud they were to be Americans, to this occasion being the first time they’d ever seen their father cry. In the same vain, barbershops are reporting a resurgence of the “caesar” cut that Obama wears, although now it’s being called an ‘Obama’. There is even a humorous comic strip making the rounds that speculates 5 years from now, the first day of school in the Black Community will have scores of children with names like ‘Obamalita Jackson’ and ‘Obama Taylor’, to name a few.

I’m clearly stating the obvious by saying the emergence on President Obama has had a positive impact on the mood in the Black Community. A cynic could legitimately say that good feelings can only get you so far, but I think the cynic would be missing the point.

One of the major issues in the Black Community is the negative and stereotypical reporting of the news. I’m not a big news watcher, but whenever I sample it there is a preponderance of my people being reported as criminals or crime victims. Every now and then there are “feel good”stories, but those stories are far outweighed by the ruinous and painful stories I mentioned. Without fear of contradiction, I can say that Barack Obama’s Presidency has changed the texture of the nightly news for the next four (hopefully eight) years. Night after night, the news will report on a Black man who also happens to be the most influential and powerful person in the world. In tracking the impact this will have, the closest thing I can think of is the impact Muhammad Ali had on young Black boys like myself in the 1970’s. Ali stood tall, and spoke without any equivocation. He was Black, he was proud; but more importantly he was a man of his time.

Now Barack Obama is not the outspoken, pull no punches man that Ali was, but he doesn’t need to be; he is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. When he speaks, no matter the amplitude or intensity, people have no choice but to listen. Just as Ali impacted people like me to be proud of who I am and to pull no punches, President Obama casts an image of dignity and grace under pressure. He too is a man of his time, for in these boisterous days, seeing a Black man exude a quiet strength, day after day, and night after night will over time bring civility and decorum into sharper focus in our communities. Seeing a Black man express his anger with dignity and without “cursing people out” in the most pressurized of situations is a positive that I look forward to seeing.

Again, the cynics will see little to no value in any of this. But the parent raising a child in the inner-city or the burbs knows this value implicitly. The school official that sees young Black children being heckled at assemblies after being given awards for excellent academic achievement knows the intrinsic value of President and First Lady Obama.

Now this is not to say that the cynics don’t have a point to make. There is a good deal of blind hero-worship of President Obama; and the fact that he is the President of all America by definition means that some of his decisions may not be pleasing to us. When the going gets particularly tough and he needs to raise approval points, he may even decide to take the “Bill Cosby” stance of blaming low-income Black people for some of the problems that confront them. When Obama is wrong or we disagree with him, we have to voice it. There’s no denying that fact.

Being President of the United States is the toughest job in the world. But like most jobs, the proof is in the pudding. If President Barack Obama is able to turn the American Economy around and loosen the grip of partisan politics, he will be viewed as an excellent president. A Black man demonstrating excellence on a daily basis, in the highest office in the land, will bolster our ambitions; and equally important, it will soften the stereotypes of black people that still infect much of American society. If a cynic can’t see that bolstered ambitions and the erosion of stereotypes are a major impact on the Black Community, then I only have one question: What impact would a McCain Presidency have had on our community?

Copyright © 2009 Roland Laird co-author of Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans



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