OBAMA: Damned If He Does, Damned If He Doesn’t
He’ll have to be a president for all people
By Doni Morton Glover, www.BMORENEWS.com
(BALTIMORE – July 10, 2008) – During an interview with Fox News, American hero Rev. Jesse Jackson was taped - unbeknownst to him – whispering a comment to another interviewee about Illinois Senator Barack Obama: "See, Barack's been talking down to black people. ... I want to cut his nuts off."
During today’s “Larry Young Morning Show”, this was a hot topic of conversation. While Young, the former state senator from Baltimore’s 44th state legislative district, defended Jackson’s mistake in-part, Young’s partner, Coach Butch McAdams, took a harsh stance against Jackson.
In my best opinion, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Callers quickly jumped on the tow sides of the bandwagon. While some insisted that Obama is a poor example of a black leader who is seemingly forgetting about black concerns, others pointed to the alleged selfishness and greed of Jackson. Some went so far as to say that he essentially used the Civil Rights Movement and even the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to make himself rich.
Now, I’m not going to get into whether or not Jackson, a presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988, is still an American hero. He is. Hands down. Has he made some mistakes? Sure! Who hasn’t? However, should he be crucified and thrown out with the bath water for this week’s blunder? No.
As for Obama, he has bigger fish to fry. Yes, people like Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton did start the presidential continuum of which Obama is now a significant part. Nobody can doubt that.
Honestly, I have never gotten the impression that Obama is unaware of the fact that he's black or that he has not shown the two elders - and others - the due respect. I personally think he is well aware of who he is, where he is, and what role he plays in the bigger scheme of things.
What’s unfortunate, however, is that some black people in particular are questioning their support of Obama. Black people: This is not the time to waver!
Every political animal understands that currently, the fight is to win non-supporters. John McCain is trying to win over people from the left. Obama is trying to win over people from the right.
Black people must understand that Obama, if elected president, has to be a leader for all people. Yes, again, he knows he is black. As a community organizer, he knows about housing and education and drug addiction and employment issues. He easily knows the struggle of the poor and disenfranchised.
At the same time, black people, he has to deal with more than just black issues. He has to deal with Iran busting off caps into the middle of the night. He has to deal with the Jewish lobby in America, one of the most powerful groups in the world. He has to have a plan to deal with trade deficits, the formation of a Serbian government, veterans, national and not just black unemployment, North Korea, energy, and health care.
Quite honestly, if black people are looking for Obama to be merely a Civil Rights leader of the same ilk as MLK or Malcolm X, then such black people are clueless. Sure, he will pay the necessary attention to doing what he can to help even the playing field, but an Obama administration alone is in no way going to correct all of the ills and issues of the black community. And for any black person to think so is ludicrous.
Not to point fingers, but most would agree that he will have a lot more concern about the black plight in America than say – Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Young said the exact same thing on the radio. And I concur.
No, Jackson is not perfect. Obama is not perfect. And the radio revolutionaries on black talk radio who have never supported any candidate whatsoever are not perfect either. However, in the midst of our imperfections, I personally believe that blacks ought to still support Obama’s candidacy and not take on the matra of a hater. I say, give the man a chance!
Frankly, I believe if this country has twice allowed George Walker Bush to lead this great democracy, then surely, Obama deserves at least one chance. These are just my thoughts.
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