Wednesday
Jan092008
Vote For Obama....Just Cause I Said So
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 12:38PM The Blogmother
Professor Tracey, WAOD Contributor
On last night's Black Women's Roundtable podcast, a black male caller strongly stated that any African American that did not vote for Barack Obama was "lost." He further proceeded to take any black woman to task that dared to expect anything from Barack Obama.
Now, this same gentleman could not offer one solid tangible political, social, or economic-based reason why black women should vote for Barack Obama other than the fact that Obama was the first black man with a real "chance" to win the presidency. His stance was basically that you don't need to know anything, because Obama had done all the "heavy lifting" by defeating "mighty whitey" in Iowa, so all we needed to do was shut up and vote for the brotha!
Now, I'm not against Obama as a presidential candidate, but I am against being told to vote for him with the singular reason of "cause I said so." In fact, I can't recall taking "cause I said so" as an answer since I was a little girl and I had occasion to lose my mind and as my mother "why?" about some random thing or another. And since my childhood, I have not met anyone that had the power to make me understand what happened to Lot's wife with a single look like my mom, so "cause I said so" ain't gonna fly with me from some ordinary joe.
(cross-listed post from Aunt Jemima's Revenge, per Gina the Warrior Princess' request)
On last night's Black Women's Roundtable podcast, a black male caller strongly stated that any African American that did not vote for Barack Obama was "lost." He further proceeded to take any black woman to task that dared to expect anything from Barack Obama. Now, this same gentleman could not offer one solid tangible political, social, or economic-based reason why black women should vote for Barack Obama other than the fact that Obama was the first black man with a real "chance" to win the presidency. His stance was basically that you don't need to know anything, because Obama had done all the "heavy lifting" by defeating "mighty whitey" in Iowa, so all we needed to do was shut up and vote for the brotha!
Now, I'm not against Obama as a presidential candidate, but I am against being told to vote for him with the singular reason of "cause I said so." In fact, I can't recall taking "cause I said so" as an answer since I was a little girl and I had occasion to lose my mind and as my mother "why?" about some random thing or another. And since my childhood, I have not met anyone that had the power to make me understand what happened to Lot's wife with a single look like my mom, so "cause I said so" ain't gonna fly with me from some ordinary joe.
(cross-listed post from Aunt Jemima's Revenge, per Gina the Warrior Princess' request)
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Reader Comments (15)
Ashe Gina!
You better do what a man tells you to do and like it, and don't ask questions. Now git!
LOL @ Kitty! That's right, he is THE boss, so you'd better bow down and recognize!
*sound of me choking on my own words; too horrid to describe*
SMH. I can just see that male caller beating his chest. Good thing many of us don't feel this way about Blk political hopefuls.
@kitty_glendower: ROFL
I wanted to say,
"Yes Mister. I'll do anything you say, Mister. Can my sustah Netty stay with us, though?" LMAO
Ya'll got jokes!!! LMAO!!!
All I got to say is - ..."until you do right by me".....I ain't voting for nobody!
LOL!
Ladies, give it a rest. How many times are you going to light up when you encounter this particular perspective or point of view from a man?
You all react to that POV with so much outrage you sound more shrill than reasoned. Now we've already gone our ten rounds on this topic and I've not the energy to revisit and I think we all know where we stand. But enough already, we know you all have brains and that ain't nobody gonna tell you how to think.
Honestly, is it so very hard to understand the thinking of this man and others like him? You don't have to brand them as BTP for it. 400 years in this country. One of our own has a credible chance to become the leader of the free world and after all the foolish people we have supported, I don't find it hard to understand people taking that position. I think most have made the same calculation I have, which is that from a qualification standpoint, Obama is as good or better than any other democrat running for the nomination. So why shouldn't we support him? But you've already heard my "He's qualified, credible and bonus, he's black" argument and are unmoved.
But under the circumstances and given the historical context, the many failed leaders of the past who received support and shouldn't have, people are engaging in the audacity of hope indeed. Hope that Obama can win and in so doing lift all of our spirits and be a leader we can take pride in.
Call them BTP if you will, but they are just people being hopeful.
-Aaron
I sincerely understand that black people are not a monolithic group of people who all "stan" for blackness; but I do agree with Aaron and Alaine. Yes we are divided by race, gender, class, sex, education but I do believe that it would be nice to come together and Vote for Obama cause it would be a proud day in history for the US and African Americans.
Many of us don't identify with Tiger Woods or golf; but many of us are happy as hell that he has been competitively destroying white folks on the green for over a decade and that he will go down in history as the world's best golfer.
I think black women issues are important; but I believe that Barack Obama represents the best of what a Black Family can be and I'm proud of him. He has a beautiful black and independent wife with two beautiful black daughters...should'nt that count for something on this site?..
Now I understand that we should understand our candidates and their stances on issues; but what sincerely does Barack Obama have to give to Black Folks to make them happy? And honestly is there one candidate that can please all Americans or is it about reaching that happy medium?
I pray that this situation doesn't become another divide and conquer victory simple because black people are short-sighted and are missing the wonderful opportunity to put a well-liked African American man in the white house and the history books.
Gina, have you gotten to see his big, multi-page urban policy handout? A good chunk of change to programs & agencies that look pretty damned good, I think. Let me know over at my blog (only because I'm HORRIBLE about checking back at places I left comments and get e-mails about comments on my own blog) if you want me to get you the PDF somehow. Then you can see how you feel, putting that & his public statements together.
Katie which blog and can you leave a link. I have read his policy papers at his website.
Aaron,
You don't run nothing round here. If we sound shrill to you, imagine how you sound to us basically telling a group of Black women bloggers to "give it a rest" ie "SHUT UP!"
I question your judgment. You can disagree, but whats with the namecalling and demands that we stop doing something we LOVE... talking because we aren't saying what you want to hear. This brother knowingly comes back to the podcast and he is enjoying himself so what is it to you? let u have our fun discussing politics and campaign strategies or is that only the province of White folks and Black men?
Obama fanatics do not have a monopoly on hope and if your hope is based on telling people who don't agree with you that they are "lost" then that does not sound much like hope at all.
To paraphrase Rev. Martin Luther King, a man should be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.
So, that's how I'm judging Obama. And I'm not thrilled by what I see.
Gina's already covered how Obama is reluctant to get involved in civil rights issues like the Dubar Village hate crime. That makes me question his desire for justice for the least in society. Obama's seeming indifference is baffling since he professes to be a Christian.
Also, there are planks in Obama's platform I don't agree with. He is for gay marriage, a position I don't share due to my faith.
Obama is pro-choice. I'm pro-life because of the devastating effects abortions have had on Black America. Read the stats below:
http://www.blackgenocide.org/home.html
So, I can't in good conscience support Obama. When I vote a Black man into the White House, he'll be one of character.
Whew Fred you stepped out there with that Brother, I wonder if Aaron is going to call you shrill?
also folks y'all need to listen to Tavis Smiley's commentary on this very issue http://www.blackamericaweb.com/tavis/010808.html
I wrote an endorsement of Obama, but I guess it came down to:
1. The Disposal of the Imperial Presidency.
I believe he's our best hope to rid ourselves of the Imperial Presidency. It's the legacy that he will give to ALL Americans, and to future generations -the restoration and respect of checks and balances.
2. The First Black President.
Well, we could write eons on that.
3. We actually might get some respect back in the rest of the world.
I think it's a good thing if the rest of the world doesn't positively hate us.
No offense to Tavis, but I haven't heard him mumble the same words against Hillary and Edwards.