(Liberal) Fear of a Black President

Jesse Jackson's ridiculous comments about Barack Obama "talking down" to black people -- as opposed to Jackson's totally reprehensible comments insinuating violence being committed against Obama (click here to see the video) -- are only the latest in a litany of derisive remarks directed at Obama from stalwarts of the left. Ralph Nader and Geraldine Ferraro and Al Sharpton and Bob Johnson and South Carolina State Senator Robert Ford have all maligned Obama as being everything from a "lucky" black man to not being black enough.

While it's never a shock when operatives of the far, far right have trouble with a person of color achieving stature (though I do believe they play ball better with those in the fold), what a long strange trip this campaign season has been watching so-called liberals fumble the hot potato that is Barack Obama.

Why? Why is Obama of such consternation to the Old Schoolers?

For one, Obama and his candidacy challenge the liberal establishment; by not miring himself in the politics of hand outs Obama elevates blacks above and beyond a herd that was fed the grain of entitlements in exchange for votes. In addition to extolling blacks to take more personal responsibility (a position a Pew research study finds the majority of black Americans hold), Obama has also questioned race-based affirmative action and understands -- again, as the majority of black Americans do -- that what's good for the country is good for all of us. To Jackson that's "talking down" to blacks. To Nader that's "talking white." But to the tens of millions of Americans who helped Obama win the primary (as opposed to Jackson and Nader who have yet to win an election) Obama is simply talking to America.

Moreover, what scares the Old Schoolers is that Obama's potential election removes from them the victim stick with which they flog their diminishing relevance. Obama as president would be empirical evidence that, while there are and probably always will be racists in America, America is no longer a racist nation. There are a lot of liberals who've made good bank stretching out the "you done me wrong, now gimme something" politics of the sixties well into the new millennium.

Obama wants change.

And change for the Old Schoolers ain't a good thing.

Comments

[crabcake]

I have been reading, and all I can say is, "have you people lost your minds?" This is, or should not be about black or white, but what is best for America. We have two candidates who are exactly the same. The difference---one is black and one is white. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?

[MaddiK]

McCain the pseudo hero is going to continue the eight years of helI we are going through"7 years of war, 4660 dead young Americans and rising, 9 trillion $$$ of debt and rising, and still no bin Laden in sight. Obama the pseudo changer is going to sacrifice his principles just to get elected"he"s moving to the right as we speak. No more two-party sell out. We need a true third party that belongs to the people, NOT big corporations. It"s time to take back the government " vote for someone who"s not afraid of taking a stand on OUR behalf, and is not into big corporate interests like the other two. WWW.VOTENADER.ORG. It"s time for a REAL change.

[GravitonX]

Look, I know why Obama had to say what he said, and sometimes things have to be said for political expediency, but let's not sit here and pretend that this is the lightning bolt from Heaven that empower the masses against the odds. Obama is in trouble with the white vote, and like Hillary he has to pull certain levers to get them out to vote for him. Let's just hope he doesn't go overboard and lose the Black vote in the process, which would be certain doom for his election.

[GravitonX]

The is possibly the lamed defense of Obama I've seen, yet. Old schoolers, of which I'm not one (I'm barely into my 30s), are simply criticizing Obama because he's new and they're jealous. Can anyone think on their own and actually come up with a legitimate or convincing argument of rift with the "old schoolers" rather than a juvenile dismissal?

I guess Bush was right, if something is repeated often enough, it becomes the truth. Demagoguery becomes reality.

"For one, Obama and his candidacy challenge the liberal establishment; by not miring himself in the politics of hand outs Obama elevates blacks above and beyond a herd that was fed the grain of entitlements in exchange for votes."

So, what handouts have exactly been doled out to Blacks? Please, innumerate and explain.

[barackobama4prez]

"Moreover, what scares the Old Schoolers is that Obama's potential election removes from them the victim stick with which they flog their diminishing relevance."


I fear you are correct on that end. Dang BHO has it coming from the left, the right and the middle too!

I just came from reading that the Black female Candidate of the Green Party is also against BHO.

I wonder does he know what he was getting himself into! The very fact that so many politicians are against him means that he actually IS a different kind of politician.

[meleon]

Best John Ridley commentary EVER! I plan on printing it and keeping on my person to pull out "when neded."

[Strain]

I wished everyone would get off the race kick. Who gives a damn anyway. I don't care if they're white, black, brown, red....whatever. Can they do the job? And can they govern this huge nation so that everyone will be able to benefit? I'm tired of people picking on Senator Obama for one thing or another. If you can't think of something, well by damn, make it up! Enough already. Personally I think Senator Obama is wonderful young man. He is neither arrogant nor elitist. If you want to talk arrogant and elitist, take a good, long, thoughtful look at who is in power now. Do we want more of the same? This country is in one hellava mess, and McCain (read Bush, friends and cronies) will make it more so. Get off your pitty pots and see what we need to do for the country as a WHOLE, not just one or two or three issues that will affect just some of us. We have to pull together.

[TheMastadon]

well said

[SaulGoode]

it's the left that is concerned about race. The right disagrees with his positions.

[clyde44]

Yes, personal accountability is where problem solving starts. Take a good look at self, and ask if you have done all that you can do for yourself, first.That being said, we live in a country that STILL practices legalized slavery( look up privitized prisons and see firsthand what legal slavery is). That a black man still has problems driving(DWB), walking thru a store without being followed like a criminal, are blamed for single parent households when social services programs almost garauntee if a man is in the house, benifits will be minimal, if at all( hence many men leave out of economic necessity. I know you might say, "get a job", but if you have minimal education, and most unskilled and semi-skilled labor is shipped overseas, your options are very limited. Our government policies have wrecked black families as much as drugs and jail, and that isn't paranoid racism, that's proved fact. This is what REV. Jackson and other "Leaders" are saying without having to come right out with it. They want Sen. O to acknowledge this in public as not to seem too soft on the subject because as these issues fade from national conversation, they fade from the agenda and never get addressed. The old heads want issues that have never been honestly dealt with addressed and feel that with a Black president that chance might come. They want to see more committment to an eternally oppressed people, that's all!!!

[clyde44]

I think you are at the center of this whole debate: Personal responsibility and everyones sense of entitlement. If you see certain groups of people receiving entitlements, you naturally ask"where's mine". That's human nature. The problem is not recognizing other peoples needs as much as acknowledging they exists, or assuming they exist due to laziness, lack of motivation, etc... There are some legit barriers to some persons achieving on the same level as others.However, many are real and not perceived due to being bread in a society that devalues certain people to justify the marginalized treatment. Whether it's unequal funding for schools, poor housing choices, or cuts to college financial aid programs, for poor people, the choices are limited, therefore, the product produced is needy and unprepared and we wonder why..

[dreamseeker9837]

Jesse now gets slung under the bus with Bob Johnson, Bill Clinton, Tavis Smiley and the rest. Haters galore!

[ramara]

I think there is another level of meaning to this. Obama is literally the child of our idealism - he was born in 1961 to a young idealistic mother, and her work took them to different countries. So there he is, all grown up and some of us don't know what to make of him. He is independent of our causes - he is their result. He is from us, but is his own person, not carrying on the struggle, but embodying the benefits from those who went before, and we don't quite understand what happened.

It's not the fear of haivng a black president; rather it's the feeling that the old struggles have become something unexpected, and we don't know how we feel about it. (I say we because I'm just a few years younger than his mother would be.)

[DHFabian]

John Ridley betrays his ignorance: "...by not miring himself in the politics of hand outs Obama elevates blacks above... a herd that was fed... entitlements... for votes." It's the old catch phrases used to transfer funding from common-good programs to corporate welfare. Aid for the poor doesn't win votes.

Such irony -- Obama, accepting massive donations, condemning "hand outs"! At it's highest, welfare used 6% of the budget, and was no more of a handout than other taxpayer-funded services (police/fire depts, schools, etc). After decades of corporate welfare to "create good-paying jobs", are we better off? While losing jobs, workfare is pouring thousands into the workforce. That's a problem..

Before "reform", 80% voluntarily quit welfare in under 5 years. Welfare provided stability vital to moving forward, and education/training enabled people to secure jobs, repaying this via their own taxes.. Health improved, prison populations fell,. reducing public costs. "Reform" locks people into poverty, using them as replacement labor, creating an expanding temp help workforce. This is powerful for crushing unions and suppressing wages. Infant mortality increased, and we can't build prisons fast enough.

We want a scapegoat toward whom we can feel superior. But our (anti)social policies have harmed all of us. We must re-examine poverty realistically. Unfortunately, this is not in Obama's plans.

[Strain]

If what you say is true , then why do we have 4th and 5th generation welfare receipients? And not just Blacks either.
I think Mr. Ridley is right on the money. I used to respect Jesse Jackson....I don't anymore. Dislike "sour grapes" by anyone, and this is what Mr. Jackson's remarks sounded like. Same with Mr. Nader and all the rest of them. Too bad color even has to come into it. Who cares? If he or she can do the job, they can be purple for all I care.

[Vurz]

"And not just Blacks either"

this statement is why color keeps coming into it.

[DummieBommieDave]

This post is the usual conventional wisdom mixed with odd negativity. However, in this case it's at least pointed at the right targets.

Ridley, you should quit the WGA and write posts full-time!! Oh wait.

[orangepetal]

No sir, we are not fearful, we don't like his character ( and yes character is an issue and not a diversion, as THEY want you to think ), has that possibility ever occured to you.
Obama can not win this because of his skin color, it does not work like that. He has inconsiderately offended millions of Democrats and they WILL revolt against him. I for one will vote against my best interests because I feel his extreme left stances will be detrimental to the best interest of our people, our freedoms and our nation. They will benefit small groups while dictating to many.
His leadership skills need to still be developed and we can't afford at this time for that to happen in the WH. Sorry.
PUMA

[Misterdc]

And so you will vote for...?

Apparently you have not been researching Obama much. The one thing that it seems all who have worked with him agree upon is that he has excellent leadership skills. You just have a problem with the direction.

[spartacus275]

Vote against your own best interest? McCain will be the answer to all the ills in this country, RIGHT! Sounds like you've had your head in the sand for the last 7+ years.

[BrianMac]

Tell us which "small groups" you're referring to. You're hiding behind vagueness.

[wbramh]

I agree with you almost completely. The exception being that I believe this is still a racist nation - only less vitriolic and (numerically speaking) more enlightened. Senator Obama is running as an American and that does indeed remove "The victim stick."
If he's elected this Fall, perhaps we can all finally move past a wretched past and elect our representatives based on their intelligence, competence and ideals.
I never thought I'd live long enough to see that day, but then again, I never thought I'd outlive the Polar ice caps, either.