The mid-term elections are over and the people have spoken. A non-violent revolution occurred. The Republicans won. A strong, resounding message was sent to Washington.
The Barack magic is over or at least very challenged.
Too much change. Too little change. The wrong change. The "Yes We Can" mantra was stopped or railroaded. And the wonder of Barack Obama is over. Reality has been tested.
The American people's mood ranges from disappointment to disgust, to frustration and fear. These are all negative factors. Whatever the rationale, the Republicans won and the next few years won't be the same.
The Obama administration is at a critical stage; they may very well have destroyed the Democratic Party. Their creditability is seriously impaired. It would not be surprising if the party asked Barack Obama not to run for a second term, for fear of losing. Who wound run? Perhaps, Hillary Clinton--even though she insists that she will not run for president in 2012.
The inexperience of Pres. Obama is showing. The absence and need of Rahm Emanuel is telling. The White House needs to change and figure out where it all went so wrong.
I'll tell you one thing for sure; there are not enough Black people in the Obama administration's immediate surroundings. And thus, the handlers have been successful in turning the first Black president of the United States into a White, male, elitist.
Why?
Black situations have been poorly handled consistently by this administration, meanwhile these handlers seem to be afraid to even use the words African-American and/or Black in their political vocabulary.
Furthermore, Barack has lost the beautiful common touch he had with the average guy, and now he's lost the average guy and the average touch. Barack has succumbed to the pitfalls of the glass bubble. Somebody, somewhere, needs to be on the ground to listen to the people.
Who is the go-to person for the President on the ground? Who is the in-the-community person? Who is speaking to the people? On that note, the overall communication strategy of the Obama administration could improve and new strategies are needed. For example, the rally that the President had on the Midway in Chicago (at the University of Chicago), might have rendered more votes had the rally been blocks away, in Washington Park.
The difference between the two rallies was White faces versus Black faces in the crowd. Say it doesn't matter, I would argue that indeed it does matter. One national newscaster got it all wrong and confused, and misidentified the South Side's Midway as Grant Park, where the President accepted his historic nomination.
The White House is out of touch.
The Obama collective was thought to be a guaranteed win; it wasn't. First Lady Michelle Obama was thought to be the magic solution; she wasn't. In fact, the First Lady's popular presence lost more than it won.
We need a connection. The president is reading too many teleprompter speeches; we need to hear his heart more in his own words.
This midterm loss might be a lesson and bring about a turnaround. The people have spoken; I hope the White House heard their voices. The mood of the country has changed. When people speak up and speak out, they should not be frowned upon; someone should listen to them.
When Tavis Smiley held his Black Agenda Summit last year at Chicago State University, former Alderman Dorothy Tillman said people were fearful. She spoke to a fear that she had never witnessed before, akin to the McCarthy era, and she was right on target.
In some way, I would hope Barack and/or the handlers would find their way home to the base. No politician can afford to lose its power base and when they do, it spells disaster. Barack lost his base and the White handlers caused it. The administration does not have enough Black input. He has alienated his base and some of the most powerful members in the base.
Chicago voters proved once again to be among the most sophisticated of the voting populous. They voted Kirk in rather than Alexi--Republican in, Democrat out. Barack Obama lost his Senate seat in Illinois and it speaks volumes; to wit, the next U.S. Senate will not have one Black face in it.
Illinois politics voted Governor Quinn in and kept Brady out. Brady carried the collar counties; Quinn carried the County of Cook. Black votes caused the win for Quinn, without a doubt. Still, Barack came to town in full force for Giannoulias, truth be told, and Quinn was a sidebar. Giannoulias was the primary focus. Barack never campaigned for the Black candidates, David Miller and Robin Kelly, and both lost.
Voters have sent a message. The races were closed. The Democrats and the Republicans are challenged. Third parties are forces to be reckoned with. They are serious; they are movements where people are saying they are tired of the same old politics from both parties. Maybe it's time for something different and new.
I hope the politician forces heard the voters' voices.