When Senators Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton had that private meeting at Senator Dianne Feinstein’s house in 2008, everyone wondered about the details. My gut told me that Obama said he would be a reformer for his first term and if the country wasn’t feeling his leadership, Hillary could have it 2012.
My gut always said that Michelle Obama got the same promise from the now-president shortly before that meeting. Like Alma Powell, she has obvious concerns about crazy people’s actions. If not for Mrs. Powell’s concerns, Gen. Powell would have been president rather than Bush 43 and the nation would have avoid much drama. And what would be the barometer of public opinion for the Obamas and the Clintons? The 2010 mid-term elections would be the indicators.
My gut didn’t see the Tea Party Movement coming nor did I see Sarah Palin’s meteoric rise to the leadership of conservative movement. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels or former Governor Mitt Romney are presidential material but if the mid-terms are successful for the Tea Party Republicans, Palin will get the nod from the GOP Primary. Sarah Palin could be president of the United States of America. I divide the T.P. Republicans from “regular” Republicans while others don’t.
If Palin and the T.P. Movement are positioned to take the White House, the possible Hillary-Obama plan from Feinstein’s house might be employed. He might be ready to go since the “yes we can” has become “yes he can.” Dam, the cheering masses haven’t kept their end of the change movement but he still has me.
Bottomline: If you want Obama to even run in 2012 get those who voted for him in 2008 to support congressional Democrats who are in his corner on Election Day 2010. If not, he could seem like a lame duck as early as Thanksgiving and POTUS doesn’t deserve that. Everyone except Democrat voters know the election next week is really a referendum on Obama. The President had finally started saying that openly.
I have never seen so many whining southerners in my life. From think-they-are-victimized Tea Partiers to lethargic Obama supporters, a relatively small percent of the population could change the game as others sleep. While driving an old pickup truck in middle Georgia this weekend, I came across a country song on the radio called “Lucky Man” by Montgomery Gentry. The guy in the song basically stated he couldn’t complain when you break it all down.
The luckiest man in Georgia politics is GOP governor candidate Nathan Deal. He might win the election on November 2, or take the contest into overtime with a runoff. Libertarian John Monds is benefiting on some level from voters disenchanted with the negative campaign ads from the two major parties’s candidates. Former governor Roy Barnes must be getting the message because in his new ad he sits behind a desk and ask the voters to make him governor again.
If or since Democrat voters are slow to come out for the general election, the Democrat ticket must “go hard” now. The traditional GOP establishment must be watching the clock and eager to get this thing over before the political center notices that the Tea Party has commandeered their party and those cats are out there…really out there.
There is an old joke about a football game between the insects and the bugs. The insects came from behind in the second half once the centipede came in as running back. The surprised coach asked the centipede “Man, where were you in the first half” and the centipede said, “In the locker room lacing up all these shoes.” It’s the second half and fourth quarter, the Democrat team needs to lace ‘em up and get in the game or the next two years will be rough Coach Obama. I don’t want to hear a word of whining from Democrats who didn’t push, pull or drag their friends and family to the polls.
The Georgia 2nd congressional district race comes down to one simple point for me: Rep. Sanford Bishop is the goose that laid the golden egg. We, the 2nd district voters, have positioned him to serve our state and that posturing took time and effort. Tossing our employee now wouldn’t be smart.
An Albany, Georgia, city councilman who is also a college professor recently called Bishop, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, a $100 million per year industry for South Georgia. I can get concerned about staff miscues and oversights but protecting a 100M per year is a bigger concern.
Where were these budget-minded people when we were spending billions “nation building” in Iraq. No one supports our troops more than me but I wish we would have allowed the military the leeway to take down Saddam and his sons with a Navy Seal Team quickly rather than a prolonged situation that had us building schools, hospitals and roads there while our infrastructure crumbles.
The conservative movement seems hypocritical because Bishop is one of the few Congressional Black Caucus members willing to work with conservatives on issues. To me, the massive effort to remove Bishop is centered on 2012. With moderate Democrats gone, the remaining congressional Dems would be more liberal and easier targets for presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
It may sound silly but keeping Bishop and his seniority reminds me of that comedy bit by Sommore. Her man explains that the woman he is with provides the resources he uses to acquire Sommore’s nice things. Sommore tells the man to cover her up so the “blank” doesn’t catch cold.
Bishop’s slight oversights are nothing compare to governor candidate Nathan Deal’s mulitmillion dollar oversights but I don’t care about oversights; cover Bishop up so he doesn’t catch cold. Bill Clinton was “involved” with a chubby intern but his economic policies led to record budget surpluses; we covered Clinton up so he wouldn’t catch cold. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss protects our regional farm and military interests with Bishop; cover Saxby up with an appropriate red blanket so he doesn’t catch cold and cover up GOP Rep. Jack Kingston so he doesn’t catch cold while he works (again with Bishop) to securing funding to deepen the Port of Savannah, a leading economic engine for the South.
To confuse the golden goose/poultry parallel, Bishop could be the 100M golden goose or a chicken on the TV show Survivor. While some castaways want to eat the chicken for protein now, wiser team members protect the bird for a constant supply of eggs. Everyone outside the Tea Party Movement know the Obama reelection wave of 2012 will take the 2nd district back for the Democrats. So, bouncing Bishop would hurt south Georgia for no good reason. We shouldn’t rally to help Bishop and Obama; we should rally behind Bishop to help ourselves.
I am ticked off that “rallying” is needed anyway. Let me get this right: Obama comes on the national stage and folks are crying and swooning (he is a great leader.) But, Bishop has been break his neck for Georgia for decades and folks need to be rallied. Excuse me. Sommore needs to be his campaign manager because nobody knows money like Sommore knows money.
Oh, we know Bishop after decades of public service and we know the he wouldn’t jeopardize his status or legacy behind some little part-time jobs or small scholarships. Please. Bishop’s efforts regarding job creation involves billions and college money would be billions in regular scholarships for working people and veterans education benefits for our returning troops and their families.
Democrats and reasonable moderates need to vote in southwest Georgia or our goose is cooked. Tea and golden goose liver pate would be one costly dish.
I watched the movie The Blindside on cable on-demand with my mother yesterday and she enjoyed the first football film of her eighty years on earth. Watching a movie was a welcomed departure from the political campaign ads but that movie still had me thinking about election season 2010 which is more like the movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Moms understands football blocking and protecting the quarterback now. Big Mike’s Crusaders football team seems like the Democrats and that would make either President Obama or Rep. Sanford Bishop the quarterback.
The massive, quiet and undeveloped talent of Big Mike brings to mind Obama supporters. While we are in the proverbial fourth quarter and the clock is ticking, the gentle-natured giant that is the Democrat base needs to get aggressive and start blocking. In sports, few things are more gruesome than watching an unsuspecting quarterback get hit on his blindside. Rather than staying in the pocket, his first inclination is to start running up field alone. As the rapper rhymed in “Walk it Out,” even Jesus had twelve disciples and don’t start that Obama Messiah talk again. But, it does seem like that gospel song that say “must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free…there is a cross for everyone…there is a cross for me.” Mr. Luke could raise that hymn at St. Johns in Poulan, Georgia, during my childhood. My point is everyone needs help.
The coach and the quarterback can only do so much; they need blocking and play execution or the game is over. While continuing the football parallel, we must acknowledge the tenacity and determination of the other team. As we say in the South, it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of fight in the dog. The GOP and their injection of adrenaline/steroids known as the Tea Party is undersized but hard-working and crafty.
About size, it burns my britches to hear Tea Party folks (some of whom are my friends) say, “All I hear is this,” “everyone I know thinks this” or “Obama and the Democrats never listen to people because I told them what to do and they didn’t do it.” Do you hear yourself? Like Sandra Bullock’s character in that movie ,they seem to be living in a bubble on one side of town with zero knowledge about the existence of other parts of town. But for God’s grace and mercy, Big Mike could have been any of us.
Big Mike’s tutor (Kathy Bates) was the only Democrat the Tuohy family knew. When Michael saw that famous Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving painting, he wanted to have a family holiday dinner for the first time. I couldn’t help but think that some people realize the painting isn’t realistic because an old woman couldn’t hold a turkey that size at that angle without falling over. We should leave a tender moment alone because the same type ugly people who point out that turkey fact are the type people who spent November 2008 saying “it won’t work….America can never come together…I hope the young president fails with this hope and change crap.” Norman Rockwell would have enjoyed the Blindside and likely voted for President Obama because the social progressiveness in his art is legendary. From that old lady to Obama supporters, we should never underestimate our strength.
As President Obama repeatedly says, the Tea Party Movement Republicans have valid concerns about the size and role of government but I share the president’s concern with the TPM’s” my way or the highway” mentality. They seem to ignore the people who voted for the other guys and want officeholders to do the same. Okay, the ugliness of the TPM seems like the loudmouth football player that Big Mike eventually blocked off the field and into the stands.
We have two weeks to start blocking for the Democrat quarterbacks or it’s game over. I have always favored political teams and groups that look like a microcosm of America or my southern state. Ask yourself if the TPM protest looked like Georgia. While they are acting sweet and nice now, they showed they natural -sses during that healthcare debate and it seemed like 1968 all over again. Oh regular Republicans like Senator Isakson and Austin Scott have a variety of supporters across the state but most of these TPM candidates listen and learn from people in their circle of friends and associates only.
In The Blindside, that family and Michael learned about different ways of life and everyone grew. That situation is similar to the positive energy that catapulted President Obama into the White House. We were hopeful after lifetimes of ugliness, division and bitterness. What kinds of people thrive on bitterness and smirk at every little misstep someone makes. Is that really how someone wants to live life? Who wants to carry rage and anger constantly in their hearts? I know the national debt is too large and owing China keeps me up at night but did Democrats go crazy when Bush 43 made costly decisions about Iraq. I, for one, respected the president and I would appreciate the same courtesy from my friends on the Right now. (And people in hell want ice water but they are not going to get it.)
That family in The Blindside must have been thinking about the benefits of developing that gentle giant; we shouldn’t be naïve. President Obama, Roy Barnes, Sanford Bishop and other high-profile Democrats will be okay personally but I am more concerned with regular people like me who want to see our South move forward with positive energy rather than falling back into that classic “us reverse them” mindset. President Obama sought counsel from the conservatives in congress when he took office but few would break ranks and enter a dialogue.
I know for a fact that Rep. Bishop has always cultivated relationships with every type southerner. While some aren’t watching the congressman’s blindside, many still have his back because he has had their backs during decades of public service. You might get knocked down but just don’t stay down.
At this point in the game, we can’t blame the other team or the referees. It’s time to collect ourselves, focus and start blocking for our team—play your position and the rest will take care of itself. In football and in life, size and raw talent can be defeated by a determined and focus smaller opponent. Winning at football and at this political game also requires good coaching, a little cheerleading and some motivational pep rallies. Hell, Obama must quarterback, block, cheer and drive the team bus. If we lose, we deserve it because we didn’t do our parts.
Some old friends recently started the facebook page Georgia TruthSquad and we will be having a few pep rallies—better later than never. Sandra Bullock’s character has nothing on the lady who create GTS because she simply refuses to have her hometown represented by a TPM congressman. I know too well that the coach of the GTS has no problem “motivating” the team.
Sidenote: I wrote the blog post below during the healthcare debate protest in the summer of 2009. I turns out that I was wrong about the GOP creating a moderate section to balance the Blue Dogs. That protest movement know as the Tea Party actually took over the GOP and they might win next month (if unchecked) by using time proven techniques. It’s called winning ugly. My daddy took a train from Macon, Georgia, to study agriculture and play football at North Carolina A&T in the 1930s when one of the best ag schools in the nation was just up the road in Athens. He had to attend grad school years later at Tuskegee when one of the best ag schools was just up the road in Athens. Oh, we have been down this road before and we are heading back to the future. He was proud of Sanford Bishop but he never would have imagine Barrack Obama in 2008 or our complacency in 2010.
I am moderate Democrat and understand that Blue Dogs are moderate to conservative on some level. However, the latest campaign ad from Rep. Jim Marshall might have crossed the line. The ad slams Speaker Pelosi more than she could possible deserve.
The same Mrs. Pelosi who engineer the Democrat takeover of the House and helped the Obama/Biden ticket. She is from San Francisco but her leadership isn’t ultra liberal, as some would have you think. If she is so bad, why did Rep. Marshall vote for her for speaker? Can he ask for Democrat votes while never admitting if he voted for Obama or McCain?
If the ad say Marshall is supported by groups that wouldn’t have anything to do with a Pelosi supporter, what will become of those who wouldn’t have anything to do with a Nancy Pelosi slammer. How does he feel about Rep. Steny Hoyer and Rep. Jim Clyburn of Pelosi’s leadership team.
While we are fighting to support real Democrats, several Dem freshmen members of Congress recently learned that funding support for their reelection might be pulled and redirected. They must be smart with cash for the final push but those brave freshmen that supported President Obama deserve help before a veteran like Marshall who brags about “voting the same as Republican leaders 65% of the time.” Hear that sound, it the erosion of your base.
What in the world could get Obama supporters voting this election season? Watching Fox Cable News for one hour. That’s it; I have done it again and gratis I unfortunately add.
The word unbeknownst comes up in conversational English rarely but many southerners work with people who “unbeknownst” to their neighbors are being brainwashed by the Rightwing media. We aren’t talking about extremists or separatists; I am referring to average hardworking Americans who have been whipped into a frenzy by a constant dosage of well-crafted propaganda designed to pit Americans against Americans and drive T.V. and radio ratings. Dig this: the ultimate goal isn’t necessarily winning elections. The goal is getting gold..staying paid.
The propaganda is rooted in truth but amplified to a dangerous level. For example, we all had radical phases in college but had to back off that “knowledge and wisdom” before we went too far. Too much Public Enemy would make you slap someone and like get shot with a deer rifle. (Flava Fav is dating whom again…and Ice Cube is America’s dad.)
On the morning after the talent rich Atlanta Braves ended another season without a championship, the talent rich Democrats wonder why we can’t win when obviously helping hard-working people weather a rough economic storm. It’s because Fox Cable News has twisted voters’ minds so well. Barrack Obama, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are collectively the anti-Christ or something. Those people at Fox know what they are doing and they are very good at it.
If you voted for Obama/Biden, you should have someone ducttape you to a chair that is out of arms’reach from the remote control and watch the national Fox cable channel for one hour. The methods and ugliness of that channel will close the enthusiasm gap with a quickness and make you vote. If not, you are doing the president wrong by voting for him but being ghost when the heavy lifting starts; he can’t do it alone. The cats on Fox News are smart people and they know deep inside that Obama isn’t the things they are saying. To be fair, MSNBC is fast becoming a Left version of Fox so turn to CNN and toss the remote out of the window.
For the college kids, watching Fox News could be a new drinking game; take a shot every time you say “Say what” “Dam” or “Nasty.” The Tea Party type Republicans aren’t your daddy’s GOP and as freshmen members of congress they would commandeer that party like the inmates running the asylum.
As quiet as it is kept, I have some close friends who are Black conservatives. Those people have had some sleepless nights over the direction of the Republican Party. One would think Black conservatives would be hot commodities with President Obama in the White House but that isn’t necessarily the case.
The Tea Party Movement (TPM) Republicans have pushed pass most Black conservatives and told the GOP moderates to sit in the corner. While most conservatives agree on policy, the techniques and methods of the TPM resembles protested from our troubled past too much for some people. Disagree, yes but don’t do it in a toxic combative manner.
In Georgia, we went from centrist Senator Sam Nunn to regular Republicans as senators without trauma or drama. But, going from moderate Sanford Bishop to a Tea Party-type Republican would be too much. That Tea Party candidate might fit well in a conservative district but Georgia’s 2nd is a mixture of rural and urban and includes two HBCUs. Quick question: who around the TPM knows what a HBCU is and no it’s not an intercontinental ballistic missle..that would be ICBM. I attended events at Albany State University’s homecoming and never saw a thing in support of Bishop’s opponent and would imagine the same was true at Fort Valley State’s homecoming last week. With 20,000 people on “the Yard,” a second district congressional candidate should have been there gladly.
The only time I saw TPM members at ASU was during the healthcare town hall meeting. To be fair, we have two senators who have no problem visiting Black colleges; Isakson has a long relationship with Morehouse College and Chambliss leadership on the Senate Agriculture Committee connects him to FVSU Ag department’s research programs. Rep. Jack Kingston maintains a friendly and functional relationship with Savannah State University. I worked for Bishop predecessor and his post-homecoming game reception was the place to be—a tradition that Bishop continued.
Why in the world would a poor region bounce a member of the House Appropriations Committee for a TPM Republican who would be a one-termer. The TPM wave this year is strong but the reelection Obama wave in southwest Georgia in 2012 will be even stronger.
The GOP candidate in the 2nd District might have a future in a conservative congressional district but this isn’t it—not now and not here. In preparation for 2012, the masterminds of conservative movement really want Blue Dog congressional seats. Let me hip you to the game: if most moderate to conservative Democrats are bounced from office in 2010, the remaining Democrat Caucus would be more liberal and easier to demonize in 2012. Those Blue Dogs are often the voices of budgetary restraint in party meetings and the Democrats who work better with conservatives.
My conservative friends said glowing things about the GOP moderate movement of Christie Todd Whitman and Michael Steele in the past. Oh, they were going to create a less bitter, “stick to the fact” division of the Right that would appeal to moderates, centrists and independents. That (blank) fell apart and most moderates were tossed out of the GOP…don’t let the doorknob hit you….
I went to hear Steele, chairman of RNC, speak recently and couldn’t help but think what could have been if they followed his blueprint for inclusion and diversity. Steele and I talked briefly and I told him that he should have won that U.S. Senate because that was a more natural fit for him than chair of his party. I then told him that I wouldn’t hear him speak in Albany, Georgia, because the Blue Dog Democrat in my district was a better fit. Little did I know but the 2nd District TPM candidate rejected having Steele’s bus tour come to southwest Georgia. They chose to have a prominent RNC member arrive on the bus the following Tuesday. To me, that move was cold. If you running against one of the most conservative Black members of congress, how do you turn down the Black GOP chairman who is in your area. I am not making that racial but it is surely a sign that Steele’s moderate history rubs the TPM the wrong way.
In south Georgia, we have grown accustom to moderate Democrats and even some Republicans but a TPM congressman representing Georgia’s 2nd District will not fly.
Recently, some old friends and I started a facebook page called the Georgia TruthSquad to share information about this election season and to answer one amazing question: what’s happening with low turnout and involvement from the Democrat side.
After the energy of the 2010 election, the coalition that support President Obama didn’t remain engaged as the Right conducts a textbook display of grassroots and Astroturf. There seems to be a disconnect this Fall regarding the importance of a mid-term election.
To me, Obama deserves better than the coming hell of two years of far Right congressional opposition. What we experienced in 1994 with Clinton was nothing when compared with what’s next if folks can’t look up from the football season long enough to notice the coming wave and vote.
The enthusiasm gap is more like the Grand Freaking Canyon and a zillion campaign ads can’t do it alone. It’s time for some old fashion get out the vote rallying featuring those who (like the Tea Party) understand the methods to light fire under some tails. Can you say impeachment?
I feel like Chicken Little but would perfect a little chicken—smoked with some John Boy and Billy barbeque sauce. It’s hard for a brother to publicly admit a love for yardbird but it is time to tell the truth. After watching a zillion campaign ads a month before the election, I wish those fellows would spend 5% of that money on some good old fashion barbeque chicken rallies so real folks can talk about the real mess we are facing. The folks on the Right are out hustling moderates with those events this years.
The Chicken Little thing comes from running around say that we should diversify our political portfolio by understanding moderation and some elements of conservatism. Well, the Blue Dogs became the closest thing to Democrat conservatives and that put big Election Day targets on them. Because political portfolios are like my nonexistent stock portfolios, we thought we should also hedge our bets my investing in some reasonable Republicans, those slightly over the political centerline. That stock would have dropped like BP stock because the GOP got rid most of the few moderates in their ranks as they drove farther Right…scary far Right.
Barrack Obama is Jimmy Carter and Sarah Palin is Ronald Reagan. Like my homie Carter, Obama is the smartest guy on the planet but not smart enough to realize that our party doesn’t deserve him. From Georgia Tech and the Naval Academy, Carter was a brainy president who campaigned telling the truth and wanted to govern the same way. If we listened to Carter and changed our energy consumption in the 70s, our involvement in the wild Middle East could be limited to wanting peace rather than needing their oil.
President Obama, like Carter, is too nice for the rough, sneaky world of politics. Obama planned to help regular people and watch them show their appreciation my supporting Democrats at the polls. Sugar, Honey, Iced Tea. People didn’t appreciate Carter or Clinton and November 2 will be Obama’s unfortunate wake up call.
You can’t help people who won’t help themselves. President Obama and the congressional Democrats have done a good job during a terrible period and history will realize that fact. Jimmy Carter has a vibe about him that seems to say, “If you would have listened to me.”
I can’t understand why the current GOP is loving on Ronald Reagan so much because everyone knows that the conservative movement has moved so far right that Reagan wouldn’t pass their purity test. Reagan would be a Blue Dog. But boy, ole boy, President Reagan had Hollywood style charisma; dude was a natural leader.
Which brings me to natural leader Sarah Palin. The GOP actual has quality presidential material sitting on the bench in Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan. But, No…that would be too much like right. They want Palin and she is like butter because you know she is on a roll.
Sarah Palin, who has as much business being president as I have, is using this mid-term election to take control of congress and give President Obama hell. But checking this out: she isn’t creating an army of regular Republicans—regular Republicans wouldn’t be too much different from Blue Dogs. Palin is taking over with the Tea Party Movement and if she were successful next month she would be the GOP candidate for the White House. If moderates don’t vote, we are greenlighting President Palin.
I think Reagan would reject the whole witch hunt technique of the far Right and the birthers. When big money and power are on the table, people will resort to anything. As President Obama often states, the TPM is primarily regular Americans concerned with the size and scope of government. But the brains behind the movement are nasty nerds who didn’t study political science in school; they studied marketing and got really good at it. The same ad men who design marketing plans for soap, burgers and cars also design political plans that whip people into a frenzy of hate and divide this nation.
Before his political career, Ronald Reagan was one of the few Americans who stood up to the witchhunting red scare of Senator Joseph McCartney. As Gil Scott Heron sang, “When other celluloid saviors were cringing in fear from McCartneyism, Ron stood tall.” Reagan went before the congressional committee and said that as a young actor he had various friends and some had usual political affiliations. If Reagan were alive today, what would he think about the attacks Obama took during the 2008 campaign?
Gil Scott Heron broke it down in his classic “B Movie.” The political song was about America’s desire to have a president who rode to the rescue like John Wayne in B Movies. “..but since John Wayne was no longer available, we settled for Ronald Reagan.”
The first line in “B Movie” (just before the righteous bass playing started) was “And the first thing I want to say is mandate my ass.” He went on to say, “we have been convinced that 26% of the registered voters—not 26% of American people- forms a mandate or a landslide.”
Almost thirty years later, Heron’s grasp of political numbers is still important. How big is the Tea Party Movement. What the hell difference does it make because the most salient statistic is this: 100% of them vote. Do we need chicken, fried fish, and one of those kid bouncy room things to entice regular folks to vote? If we do, we deserve the Tea Party as mean-spirited leaders of this nation. How is this for enticement—President Palin. Beck and Limbaugh will tell you in a minute that their jobs aren’t running the nation but generating ratings. If a cultural civic war happens as a result, ratings will be off the chart—more money.
We listened to Gil Scott Heron vinyl and tried to understand trickle-down economics. A rich guy needs to be richer so he can get a bigger pool and I get my money as his pool cleaner. They get the rest of the masses with church stuff; like Democrats are godless heathens.
Democrats help people who don’t vote or follow politics but don’t let a football game come on the box. I came up with a little test this morning:
Ask a southern guy to name as many SEC football head coaches as possible then ask him to name the same number Supreme Court justices. Ask him to name as many NFL starting quarterbacks then name one U.S. Senator from that player’s teams’ state.
My point is football is important but voting and good leadership directly affects your family and your wallet. Conservatives generally aren’t bad people but their plans for leadership center on allowing people to suffer and struggle to encourage them to prove their condition—tough love style. Vote for those you want to govern but by all means vote.
Grown folks knew what is happening was going to happen when we elected President Obama. They said that the same people who cheered and jumped up and down would be the same people who did vote in the midterm elections.
I can see it in the First Lady’s face; a face that looks like mine. She is telling him, “remember when I said you can run only with the understanding that if it doesn’t work, if the nation doesn’t want or appreciate us….we walk away.” She looks like she is thinking, “we don’t need this mess.”
Oh, do we need them. We need her to cut loose and tough talk with regular Americans about what we can do to improve our situation with the moderation, planning, focus and deliberation that made the Robinson family successful.
She could create a new moderation that opens the door for moderates being shown the door by the far right. The emergence of these new moderates gives a voice to those who read Hill Harper, Bill Cosby and Joe Scarborough books. The Blue Dogs were correct all along and that’s why the crafty cats on the far Right want them gone; no moderate Democrats mean the Democrat Party is primary liberal and an easier target in 2012.
But, first things first: vote in the midterm. In Georgia, a 2010 vote is more important than your 2008 vote. A very vocal and energetic segment of population has ginned up voters with a desire to take over the congress from the Democrats and even the Republicans. Yes, the far Right section of conservative side is looking at the regular Republicans as if to say “this is how you do it” and you know what they do if you are over 40 years old.
Grown folks, we need to talk. After we talk, we need to call, email, text, tweet or whatever whose under 30 and tell them (not ask them) to vote. The Republicans have a few quality guys who might be president in the future—Rep. Paul Ryan and Governor Mitch Daniels come to mind. But, this midterm election is the next step in the Palin for president plan and her Tea Party congressional candidates will be spending the next two years graying the rest of Obama’s hair with subpoenas and impeachment efforts.
We shouldn’t hate on those who use “any means necessary” to stop an agenda they dislike because they couldn’t do it if regular folks would take 10 minutes to early vote. By any means necessary (cookout, Sunday dinner, half-time talk at the high school football games), we should remind our community to vote. Early vote or the Obama presidency effectively ends early–not four years but two years when he should have eight.
You might as well dust off your 70s vinyl because we are about to go back to the future next month if you we don’t vote. I am listening to that haunting R&B flute with fond memories of the past but also clear recollections of our community being voiceless and the South being a powder keg. By mid November, reasonable people will be saying “I want my country back” when referring to last month.
A Pyrrhic Victory is a victory offset by staggering losses. King Pyrrhus’ of Epirus Army suffered tremendous casualties in the defeating the Romans in 280 BC—winning at all cost. As a student, studying the massive loss of human life during the American Civil War was rough.
Some observers have liken the current political battles to Pyrrhus’ situation since there are those who want to win with little regard for functioning after the election. The GOP has been tossing out quality conservative incumbents because the likeable lawmakers have histories of attempting to serve all the people. While it might be selfish, I have supported a Georgia senator from my area because his knowledge and leadership on agriculture and military issues helps key economic engines in rural Georgia.
The Blue Dog Democrat who represents southwest Georgia is in a serious mid-term battle and the far Right is giddy about their chances. They should remember Pyrrhus or better, Pickett and Lee at Gettysburg.
While I am busy be selfish, I can’t understand why more voters in swing congressional districts are standing idly by as a relative small group of very involved activists, Tea Party, shape elections and policy. From President Obama down to my city block, Democrats are too freaking nice…to each other. I have seen the enemy and it’s the complacent face in the mirror. We should find solace in the fact that our lack of voting produced the coming results.
A bust of Pyrrhus in a Copenhagen museum is missing it’s nose. I couldn’t help but think about wild voters in 2010 who seem eager to cut off their noses to spite their faces. That Georgia Senator has a staffer who evidently wrote something ugly on a blog when he or she should have been protecting the farm bill provisions on crops, nutrition programs and renewable energy so our southwest Georgia troops can return home soon rather than being entangled in hostile oil-rich regions of the world. Pyrrhus and I wouldn’t have been cool because I am selfish and hella practical.
I am pleased to see the White House finally pushing their supporters to the polls with references to their legislative record–talk about your Pyrrhic Victories.
People who skip voting this year are nuts who should be shunned. In rural Georgia, we spend hours every Friday night at high school football games but early voting takes less time than a marching band’s halftime show. What’s up with this one or two tubas stuff? We had an army of tubas back in the day but today I can’t feel the bass. In the political arena, I am hearing too much from the highs and little from the bottom (the bass or base). We are selecting decision makers and nothing tickles off your fancy boss more than knowledge that his vote carries as much weight as yours.
After the success of the Clinton’s presidency, Gore should have been a shoe-in if the working people they helped simply would have voted. If you don’t vote, you have zero right to gripe and moan about governmental policy. Hell, we should have paid attention to the process starting in the primary season because good candidates from any party should be heard.
South Carolina GOP Rep. Bob Inglis has spent the time since his primary defeat telling it like it is. He should have spoken sooner because some of the cats about to take power are out there–really out there. As President Obama says, they are concerned Americans and their commitment is admirable but let’s be civic.
Support reasonable candidates from both major parties because those people Inglis calls the Flame throwers are reckless. You don’t want to win a high school football game in a dirty manner and the same should apply to elections and governing. After winning elections, winners must then govern.
President Obama said, “They talk about me like a dog.” But, who are they? I am tired of hearing rough talk about this White House from Democrats eager to toss whomever under the bus to win reelection. Of course, some political observers think this plan was cooked up in the House Speaker’s office, the DNC or maybe the White House itself.
In Georgia, Rep. Jim Marshall and Governor candidate Roy Barnes aren’t mincing words about their disdain for the healthcare reform law. No Bush or Clinton would take this from inside their party; Hillary would be on their blanks. If the Democrats continue offending the base, they are toast. Recent polls indicate that losing one or both Houses of Congress is a forgone conclusion so let’s have the losing ones be those who don’t understand loyalty. And if some Republicans must be elected, we should hope they aren’t the crazy ones who are hell-bent on fear and division.
I thought a dog was man’s best friend but some of these Blue Dogs are biting the hands that feed them. In my community, we might need to take a better look at that Que dog, Morehouse Man and Libertarian running for governor, John Monds. A dog can’t stop an attacking elephant or donkey but one can make them think twice and you must admire Monds’ dedication to what he believes.
The people Democrats are trying to help are the same people who took three hours to see the movie Takers this week but they can’t take 10 minutes to early vote. Al Gore learned this the hard way and President Obama doesn’t deserve this from his party. In my corner of Georgia, the congressional Blue Dog has earned our support. Can you say the same about yours?
6. Are Moderates and Minorities being overlooked by the Conservatives?
I must hand it to the GOP; they are serious about purifying their ranks. I wish we would do a little housekeeping on the Blue Team ourselves because anyone can put on a “D” jersey then slam President Obama all day long. With friends like you, we don’t need the other political side. On the national level and in Georgia, GOP moderates were forced to shape up or ship out. Quick: name a Georgia GOP moderate leader?
That situation is a shame because national parties should have a range of thoughts at the discussion table. If they keep that hardcore mentality, their suitability to lead a diverse superpower will be jeopardized. In other words, that angry cowboy mentality is not healthy.
Moderates and minorities are being pushed out as the Far Right elbows their way to the front. Will they hold their position inside the GOP, departed to become Blue Dogs or chill as Independents in the center? I am not saying you got to go home but…..
7. Are other nations receiving too much American time and resources while the homeland struggles?
We hear this question from regular folks in church parking lots and barber shops. As one of the only superpowers, the United States is involved in a range of activities around the world. At some point, citizens wonder why we are building infrastructure overseas as bridges, road and schools crumble here. Should they send HUD rather than DOD?
To be fair, President Obama ran on a soft power foreign affairs platform that focused on bread over bullets. I say teach a man to fish by exporting their agricultural knowledge. That idea creates new markets for our farm equipment, Ag chemicals and seeds while improving other parts of the world so people will stop trying to come here.
8. Can the political Center create a more functional form of moderation?
Centrists aren’t confused or wishy washy people in the political middle. Some people prefer public policy that includes good ideas from all sides. Black southerners who vote have always been moderate to conservative. Solutions for our community start in every individual home and center on personal decision making rather than governmental involvement. With public funding scarce, we must carry ourselves in a wiser manner–like the civil rights era folks did. We should think about what they could have done with the opportunities we squander.
3. Are some Blue Dogs sidestepping the political heat?
First, I have an original Blue Dog pin and will never sell it on Ebay. Blue Dogs are a unique breed of moderate to conservative Democrats, but they aren’t Republicans. If you think about it, the Democrat Party looks like America with diverse groups at the table debating issues. President Obama has a bold policy agenda and at some point the issues are too progressive for some Blue Dogs. I was working at the Congress on the day current gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal switched to the GOP—we liked Nathan the day before and we liked him the next day. Deal’s departure seemed natural or organic for a person from his conservative district.
Congressmen walk a thin line between party loyalty and independence but when the GOP needs their members, those members are there. Why can’t President Obama have that same loyalty on historic votes? Loyal Democrats are catching “hot heat” for the healthcare reform vote while others are chilling in the shade. The same Blue Dogs who ran campaign ads featuring their support of a GOP president will be slamming Obama and congressional Democrats on the air this fall. These members are tossing fellow Blue Dogs under the bus.
4. Are some Republicans uncomfortable with non-GOP supporters?
Have you ever seen a candidate who doesn’t want public support? To be honest, some Black activists took a backseat during the Obama campaign so the effort did not seem like a Black v. White situation (which it wasn’t.) In a similar situation, some GOP candidates seem to downplay their supporters who are Democrats because their base might feel they are slipping to the left. Say What?
I think most candidates enjoy any sincere support, but the campaign staff often comes from the red meat selection of their party. When the campaign event comes on the local news, I want to see a crowd that looks like Georgia. We must highlight Georgia’s history of peaceful living as an economic development tool. Companies don’t want to bring jobs to a region if they think employees will be fight a mini Civil War in the break room. In the era of the angry mob, GOP candidates with a range of supporters deserve respect.
5. Are Fox News and MSNBC putting political agendas over journalism?
I love CNN because the reporting is balanced—literally. This Georgia based operation puts pundits from the left, right and center on the stage at the same time. Fox News and MSNBC seem to execute a political agenda that flexes the traditional rules of journalism. While I watch these channels for diversity reasons, I can’t help but think that the slant is blatantly obvious to some and not to others. Glenn Beck was correct when he said that his job is entertainment—not running the nation. I hope other Americans know that.
President Obama should listen to the jam band Cameo during his Martha’s Vineyard vacation. Of course, he must hit the Black Dog Tavern and cop a t-shirt and cap. An old friend sent me a Black Dog hat and people in south Georgia wonder if the “Black Dog” is an African-American sub-group inside the Blue Dog Coalition.
It should be because people can’t understand how some Democrats who benefited from President Clinton and President Obama conveniently sidestep the Dem team at times. Cameo is coming to Albany, Georgia, next month and I hope they do the slow jam “Don’t Be Lonely” in honor of President Obama since the lyrics summarize how some Dems are running from him or how the Democrat base might feel about some candidates—“Hey, long time no see.” “Don’t be lonely…you’re not the only one who feels the way you do.” “What would you do if you were in my shoes..you insist on trying to find a way back into my heart..I was never one to take two steps back and I will never start.” It sounds like Larry Blackmon was singing about slick candidates.
The dictionary’s definitions of “cameo” include “a brief but dramatic appearance of a prominent actor in a single scene.” In politics, the cameo appearance of candidates in our community will be central to swaying swing elections this fall—come correct.
At black college football games, Cameo’s “Talking Out the Side of Your Neck” is another standard. With important issues on the table, more voters are well-informed these days and candidates can’t say one thing to one group and something else to another. Conservative Georgians in both parties have concerns about the healthcare reform law while other Georgians will back those who supported President Obama’s historic efforts. Mr. President, you shouldn’t be lonely- enjoy your vacation and come back ready.
One day, I am going into the Black Dog Tavern and buy my own t-shirt. If you see a brother in ATL, MIA, NYC or DC with the Black Dog logo, it is a sign of success. I really shouldn’t rock that hat while my wealth is shorter than a midget on his knees (Ice Cube lyric.) At the same time, candidates shouldn’t rock “Democrat” on the ballot if they can stand up for the sitting President as GOPers stood up for President George W. Bush.
The field for the general election is in place and our community needs to check and double-check every aspect of our situation relative to political realities. The candidates’ records, actions and potential must be checked along with their staffing histories and efforts regarding whole community representation.
When we watch the news reports, we always look to see if the crowd behind the candidate looks like Georgia—you know what I mean. Candidates were pulled or naturally gravitated to the far end of their parties during the primary but can they seriously think about winning without a functional relationship with the center or our community.
I am putting fresh batteries in my remote control next month so I can flip the channel during the coming onslaught to T.V. political ads with candidates wearing denim shirts, playing with children, sitting on tailgates and walking with dogs. That stuff is nice but some of that ad buy money could be checks for real events with real people so they can get a real ear full and create a real bond.
The political establishment smirked when two candidates I know personally went on walks to meet the people but those guys learned a lot from a range of Georgians. As a community, we should fairly give everyone a listen and ask tough questions because the future of his nation is on the table and it is no time for grandstanding or playing political fear factor. The Democrats are about to rollout the mother of all GOTV efforts and some folks are going to have a very merry Christmas from those fat checks but please ask the candidates and their supporters what’s the plan for creating jobs, fighting crime, improving education, and supporting our troops…oh yeah, and do it on budget.
The Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania made a good point on T.V. yesterday. Pat Toomey said that the GOP “check” of the Clinton White House after the min-term elections actually helped Clinton’s presidency. But it must be serious Republicans with genuine policy experience rather than those who live off fear and ugliness. “Checkout” Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels as an example of Harry Truman-like leadership.
Sadly, we must check the laundry list of Black GOP candidates in Georgia who didn’t make it to the general election. It might be time to check into a more open election process so this Democrat could vote for Black conservatives with taking the GOP primary ballot. Is it time to check if they want you arround becasuse some quality candidates didn’t stand a chance.
We need to check with the White House about the Democrats who keep running from President Obama. In my neighborhood, we don’t play that while we are fighting to protect the seats of good Democrats. If you check, President Obama has more Republicans in his cabinet than Congressional Black Caucus members and the southwest Georgia congressman was the only CBC member seriously considered for a top spot. Obama might need to check under his tree in December to see if we groomed a sensible congressional GOP freshmen or two.
If this blog post seems like Czech to your campaign, write me a check or hit Palpay and I will help you understand. If I get enough checks, I can checkout my old friends in the Czech Republic after the election. Prague is lovely that time of year.
Cliff Claiborne on Cheers and Daymon Wayans’ character on In Living Color were the best conspiracy theorists in T.V. history. Daymon could have a field day on First Lady Michelle Obama’s trip to Spain.
“See, my brother..the plan was put in place hundreds of years ago. Ergo, we were brought to the shores in the hulls of ships..you see..but Kunta Kente never forgot his Islamic roots and held Kizzie up to the east at midnight…understand…because the Moors, who occupied Spain for years but it’s not in the (His)tory text books, prayed to the east as the descendants of Abraham’s other son.”
“But the Knights Templar didn’t decode the messages in the Moorish-Spanish tiles that HGTV recommends be added as an exotic touch to suburban kitchens. Unbeknownst to the untrained eye, a couple meets in Chicago and starts the reign of power planted as a seed years ago. So, what seems like a touristy jaunt to Espana for paella is actually fulfillment of the circle..hear me. As dynasties collide, the future leader of the free world goes to read and decipher those Moorish tiles and stymie the House of Bush’s alliance with the House of Saudi…Harvard v. Yale…and we are mere pawns in a globe chess match that has lasted ages…and stay mindful of recent new beginnings in the House of Little Rock. ”
That was a fun exercise while waiting for the runoff polls to close in Georgia. But, some nuts out there would actually believe this mambo jumbo. As we approach the midterm elections, common sense is the best guide to “decipher” the agendas of those in the political arena. At the end of the day, people should do what is right for them and arrive at logical conclusions with their regions and wallets in mind.
Black folks can read it in the First Lady’s eyes: she has had it with fake smiles, life in the fish bowl and people slamming her good man. The “Blame Bush” approach is not consistent with Obama natural style and his White House team needs some adjusting. I say let Mrs. Obama be herself on the trail this Fall because she has a low tolerance for ignorance and self-pity. Dr. Condi Rice is really a moderate and Mrs. Obama is really moderate to conservative from the “Do-for-self” school of thought. She is the best conservative in the White House but consevatives are too busy tripping to see it.
As a side note, ABC had a show called “Life on Mars” than I watched because Lisa Bonet had a small role. Brothers from the 80s still support the women from the Cosby Show and A Different World—as Ludadcris said, even Rudy Huxtable is all grownup and a Spelman Delta. If you didn’t grow up where and when I did, you couldn’t imagine the feelings of seeing a real Huxtable family in the White House. Then again, I can imagine what some friends think is the ultimate plans for a new world order.
On the finale of Life on Mars, it was revealed that the main character was dreaming during an Earth to Mars flight in 2035. Upon awakening, the astronauts were told that President Obama wanted to be in the control room but her father was ill so she and her sister went to Chicago. Moorish tiles? Who did she beat? Senator Prescott Bush or Mr. Clinton R. Mezvinsky.
It’s bittersweet being part of a group or organization. From college fraternities to street gangs to labor unions to political parties, group membership requires that you act collectively at times. If you get a flat tire in the middle of the night, you can call a brother but sometimes you will be getting up at 3:00a.m. It’s part of the deal.
On his birthday, President Obama spoke with the AFL-CIO about sticking with Democrats during the mid-term elections. Without Big Labor’s money and members, the Democrats have little juice. But, labor rightfully expects loyalty and their money has supported some Democrats who have no problem picking and choosing when to be team players.
In the 90s, I was proud to be part of a party that looked like America. From sea to shining sea, the Democrat Caucus in Congress was a hodgepodge. Like any family or group, we had disagreements but understood that once the decisions were made membership for the most part should circle the wagons. As a congressional staffer, I enjoyed visiting friends in the office of Rep. Charlie Hayes of Illinois. Mr. Hayes had hands like the gloves soccer goalies wear and he had a gravely voice that made him the unofficial uncle to young Black staffers. “Whose office are you in…the Peanut guy from Georgia…good man…he’s alright.” Mr. Hayes had labor union coursing in his veins; he loved what unions did for his community in Chicago.
Rep. Charles Hayes
During this congress, most Democrats have made some tough votes while a few sidestepped the rough stuff. Let’s not be naïve: these carefully crafted actions were planned deep inside the DNC. While members and candidates from both parties will flex and bend on issues to win in swing districts, old school gentlemen like Mr. Hayes would never let members enjoy considerable union support and openly slam major Democrat policies. That would be too much.
When conservative to moderate Democrats stand with other Democrats, it confirms that the general body of the party is basically respectable. I am glad Mr. Hayes isn’t around to see what is happening now to a president from Chicago.
The AFL-CIO still has big shoulders and will only take so much; it’s not the AFL-CIO M-O-U-S-E. After budget and appropriations votes, the congress only makes a dozen or so major votes each year. The stats we hear about “this guys votes with his party 97% of the time” is window-dressing. The National Journal and Congressional Quarterly list the major votes in an unbiased way. A member who votes against his party on those issues could be on his or her own in November.
Members of fraternities, college sports team, Masonic groups, elite military teams or even street gangs don’t ask questions when they see a brother in a fight; they come in swinging. If you hit one Navy Seal, you hit them all. Actually, the political party situation is more complex with some thinking that conservative Democrats are voting the will of their districts while functioning “deep cover.”
In our community’s history, the original deep cover was house slaves and friendly Whites. Recently, I rewatched Roots on you tube and the White friend of Tom Harvey “masterfully” play his part in the exodus of the family. At one point, skeptical freedmen didn’t want him in the meetings and plans; he rightfully questioned his position also. I had forgotten O.J. Simpson acting in Roots.
I was glued to the T.V. when Juice broke the rushing record and disappointed when he broke ties with our community. Oh, but the second he gets in the ultimate drama, he comes home. Right. Watching Roots as an adult poses great questions about loyalty and group membership that reflects into the current political situation. Burl Ives played a former Senator who reassured his friends that a system could be created to protect their way of life.
To me, political power and positions will always be secondary to economic power and money—Booker T. Washington was right after all. We can have a million college degrees and thousands of political titles in our community but money determines power. An old coworker once said that at the end of the day and after the speeches, the powerful are those few at the table when the money is counted.
In Roots, the exodus plan was foiled when Lloyd Bridges’ character wisely had some guys with guns follow behind him. Chicken George thwarted their plan by coming behind the new guys with his guns. Old Chicken George one up them and stated that you must have a second plan or option if your first plan is not working. Our community needs to do the same thing politically and economically because times are changing and we must change also.
Union jobs, teaching positions, military service and government jobs moved many Black families into the middle class. Unions fought for better wages, benefits and safer workplaces. At some point, they pushed so hard that labor cost forced some industries out of business or overseas. A union lobbyist once told me that a third of the cost of a new car was the benefit package for the autoworker; there’s too much. A teamster can sometimes make more for driving crops to market than the farmer made for actually growing the produce for months. Teachers’ unions battle for better compensation but fight moves to tight salaries to student achievement. In their defense, many families are half-raising kids and these students aren’t prepared to sit down, be quiet and focus on learning. These teens need to watch Roots with their parents to better understand how lucky they are and on those shoulders they stand.
Yes, we can have a frank and honest discussion about improving our community and the role of government. But, we must also remember Mr. Charlie Hayes and others who taught that membership in a political party involves commitment and loyalty. President Obama said he was tough and he must have been to grow up as the only brother around during most of his childhood. As we prepare for the middle term election, he should let us know who is with him and who is about the “okey dokey” —to use his term; start naming names or let big labor do it.
The NAACP Scholarship Banquet in Tifton, Georgia, “advanced” me profoundly last night but then again, they say the hardheaded never learned. In college, we were too radical to be involved with this organization. It was all about Public Enemy’s lyrics like “Mandela..cell dweller…Thatcher, you should tell her.” In retrospect, the grassroots chapters of the NAACP have brought us from a mighty long way.
Rodney King was at my table. Not that Rodney King but a 20-year-old fellow who won’t hesitate to tell you about the good works of his church. Both Rodney Kings spent a lot of time in the hospital but this R.K. is employed a Tift Regional Hospital. When I told him that my mother was there last year for several weeks and that he was luck because that camp is “full,” he looked at me as if too say “I am protected my check rather than being concerned with that stuff on the job.”
Young people from King’s church served the food at the banquet while other young people sang and praised dance. Two young students from the community received scholarships and words of wisdom from Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham. Justice Benham told the audience that they were in the wrong place if they wanted to hear negative information about the community because he would be speaking about positive experiences. While he spoke, a slide show of Black history flashed images from the March on Washington to Little Rock to Medgar Evers to Obama speaking to the NAACP. Justice Benham remained us that the NAACP has been fighting the good fight for years. In his official capacity, he has ruled for and against the organization’s positions but he appreciated their efforts.
Justice Benham was introduced by a long-time friend of his who isn’t Black and several of the honorees weren’t Black. I remembered that Whites have always been involved in the NAACP. I also remember that like any organization the NAACP has local chapters that are as different as leaves on a tree (that is what Helen Blocker Adams says about the Augusta Tea Party events.) President Rev. L. Chris Solomon and the Tifton NAACP chapter seems to emphasis community improvement and encouraging the youth.
Since I am often alone, I thought I mastered taking cellphone pictures of myself—I had to get one with the anti-lynching slide. When I when to take a photo with Justice Benham, who told me he married an Albany State University grad, a women asked me why would I take a picture of myself when she could have the professional photographer do it. Again, the hardheaded never learn that some things require the help of others; it’s called community.
One of the honorees was a county commissioner with a long history of cleaning up the community street by street. I met her a dozen years ago and told her husband and her congrats on their civil efforts. Morehouse student Ambrose King help organize a fine program. With old friends at NAACP events and the other contributor on this blog speaking at Tea Parties, community involvement is happening while I am sitting at his keyboard….blogging.
Project Logic Ga 