Paradoxically, it was the events of last weekend, and especially the aftermath among the talking heads, that put me squarely on Obama's side for the first time. I actually was emotionally detached from the situation--my frame of reference being rather different from the average person's--until Monday.
And now I'm angry. I only have a few minutes to get into it now, so I will limit myself to a few bullet points. (1) I still haven't heard Obama's speech from start to finish, but from the snippets I've heard or seen in various venues I say it really makes a difference when one quotes one or two sentences in isolation vs. having larger chunks of the speech to work with. (2) I am especially upset that the subtleties of Obama's argument get lost in the process. (3) I am really pissed when I hear white commentators respond solely by questioning whether Obama has done enough to distance himself from Wright. This was the first thing that upset me, and retrospectively I am now really upset with the prior and continuing behavior of the Clinton camp. I am furious that Obama has to be put in this position. He could not do more to raise the tone above the level of racial polarization, and yet the race baiting now accelerates. Of course we all expected this, but the entire Democratic Party should be united in opposing the climate that has been created by this particular sequence of events. My worst fears have been aroused, my buttons have been pushed, and now I'm on the warpath. I haven't lost sight of the larger picture behind the superficial popularity contest, but I am seriously disturbed by the turn this has taken. (4) I'm wondering how Bill Clinton expects to be received next time he sets foot out on the streets of Harlem. If I had more time, I'd have a few more choice words about him. (5) I haven't spoken with any Obama supporters for a week, so I haven't had a chance to canvass their reactions. I think there is another story here about the division among white people that I sense at work here. What's so weird about this is that it's not--well, not when I checked last week--even a left-right division, given Obama's support from white independents and moderate Republicans. Some whites are now getting a taste for the first time what race-baiting is like, albeit only by proxy. I'm curious to see how they will react. Others will take the bait and react against Obama. There is another ironic factor at work, which carries the danger of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy: many white people (and black people too) don't want to vote for Obama because they fear that other white people won't vote for a black president. I think this is a significant factor, and one of the two major factors now occupying the Democratic leadership. They are now crunching the numbers to figure out their best option. But there are only two factors that really count: (a) Calculation of the odds as to who can beat McCain; (b) The Clintons' personal lust for power and the loyalty of their supporters among the leadership. They could be bluffing, but they may not realize that Hillary is finished. -----Original Message----- >From: Charles Brown <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Mar 20, 2008 9:06 AM >To: marxism-thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu >Subject: [Marxism-Thaxis] dream team > >I agree with you...but then I "dreamt" on it last night, woke up and saw >a poll report that the Independent vote comparison between McCain and O >swung from O ahead by ten percent in February to McCain ahead by ten >percent now and I realized I've been in O's "Dreams from his father" and >MLK's dream. And the nightmare of racism in America is still strong >enough that O can't win. O's campaign has shown that White Americans >have come along some compared with 20 years ago, but not enough. There >is still too much racism in too many of 'em. > >O's relationship with the Rev. Wright and his church aspect merely >expresses the fact that O is an average Black person , not a Clarence >Thomas/Thomas Sowell negro-type. But his being an actual Black person >is what will prevent him from winning. > >I don't know if O can get the nomination. The super-delegates are >likely to be pragmatic enough to see that America is not quite there >yet. > >You've come a long way America, but you are not quite to MLK's dream >land yet. > >CB > >>>> Ralph Dumain <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 03/19/2008 3:06 PM >>>> >I don't have time to bore you with the lengthy reasoning, deliberation, >and conversation that went into the following conclusions I reached in >the past week. > >(1) After the Pennsylvania primary, Clinton should withdraw from the >race. > >(2) The Clintons should throw the full weight of their influence behind >Obama. > >(3) Obama should pick John Edwards as his running mate. > >(4) If the Democrats play their cards right, they can beat McCain in >November. > >(5) It will be a tight situation, but even with negative press >coverage, Obama has enough positive pull in the press to match it. The >positives and negatives for Obama, in comparison to those for Hillary, >and also to those for Mccain, come out in favor of Obama, especially >coupled with Edwards. > >(6) Symbolic capital: Though symbolism doesn't mean much to me >personally, here's how I see it. Clinton has to follow through on the >Pennsylvania primary. If she were to win by a landslide, that would be >an even better time to drop out. In any case, she will go down in >history (with Bill) as a person who put the good of the country against >vulgar personal ambition; if not the first woman president, then the >white woman who helped the first black president get elected. Edwards >has even more positives than Clinton could possibly have. Symbolically, >a Southern white man (with a populist profile) as a junior partner to >our first black president-elect would pack a symbolic wallop. Though it >won't solve any world problems materially, an Obama(-Edwards) victory >would drastically elevate the USA's damaged prestige in the world. > >I don't say any of this out of a misplaced audacity of hope or any >radical change I believe in, or any particular political allegiance to >Obama. Given the cards dealt, I think this is the best option. It's >good for the Democratic Party, and it's good for the country. > > > >_______________________________________________ >Marxism-Thaxis mailing list >Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu >To change your options or unsubscribe go to: >http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
