President Obama has been ignoring African American voters since the day he took office but no more. Now he's remembered that we exist. Why? Because it's time to get us out there to vote in the mid-term elections, that's why.
"Head to your beauty shops and your barber shops, and spread the word", the President told a group of African American voters in Philadelphia recently.
And we all know that the only places that African Americans hangout are beauty shops and barber shops, right.
Isn't it amazing that when Obama speaks in front of groups other than African Americans he tells them what he will do for them but every single time Obama speaks in front of an African American audience he is always asking us for something or worse, telling us to do something.
I learned long ago that people who are always asking for something from you but don't ever seem to be able to return the favor are just dead weight in your life. Barack Obama has become dead weight in the lives of African Americans.
During non-election times Obama is adept at ignoring or belittling the needs of African American voters. The President talks about unemployment to White voters but refuses to acknowledge the higher than the general population unemployment rates among some groups of African Americans.
Obama never seems to have anything for African American voters and yet he breaks his neck trying to assure White voters that he's keyed into their needs. The President never misses an opportunity to make promises to groups of White voters and never misses an opportunity to ignore African American voters concerns.
African Americans and in particular African American women have suffered disproportionately in the mortgage meltdown and yet it's Whites who have lost their homes that the President seems to focus on.
The President made sure that White farmers in Missouri got over a billion dollars in aid this past summer while Black farmers who are owed billions by the government didn't get a cent. In 2009 Obama took funding away from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and in 2010 gave it back. And I suppose we were supposed to ignore the fact that HBCU's gained nothing in all of that and are in fact still underfunded?
And when it comes to education policy for public schools Obama hired Arne Duncan who ran one of the worst public schools systems in America in Chicago and since Obama has done nothing but talk about firing teachers. And the teachers who he is ready to fire are mostly African American women who teach in failing inner city school systems.
And do I have to remind you of the list of Black people Obama has fired from his administration?
But forget all of that, it's election time and Obama needs us to get out to vote for those wonderful Democrats. According to polls quite a few incumbent Democrats will have a fight on their hands in November. And trust me if they didn't have a hard way to go to re-election Obama would not even be speaking to African American audiences. He's desperate and that's why he's coming calling.
Well many of us are desperate too. The unemployment rate in many Black communities is double the White unemployment rate. Many of our schools are failing. Many of our communities are ridden with crime and despair. Many of us are lacking basic health-care despite the Presidents fancy new health-care bill.
So it seems to me that when President Obama comes knocking on our collective door that we should treat him like the friend that is always asking for something but is never there when we need something.
Don't answer the door.
8 comments:
Incredible read.
I realize that you and I are on different sides of the fence, as it relates to Obama. But it has never prevented me from hearing your thoughts with a clear and open mind.
So when I tell you that this particular post is as point blank as it comes ... believe me.
What more needs to be added? Hardly anything, if you ask me. I could speak upon the less than impressive manner that Obama has with other voters as well, but what good would that do? Lol. It would prove even more damaging.
I guess the only thing I can do is sit here and wonder if Obama truly has thrown his African American people under the bus.
If so, then why?
I won't be opening my collective door this November, that's for sure! There's this saying in the black community, don't know if it originates there: Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me!!
I haven't watched any Obama stuff for months and especially not this call on the black community--I'm too easily embarassed. And I hate watching someone lick his own ass and pretend like he's not--makes me feel like they don't think I can decipher what my own eyes are telling me!!
But when we voted him in (those who did) what did we truly expect beyond having a New Negro First?
If he would give black people their fair share and fair due, that would go against what makes America great, standing on our backs! If he would stand for poor people throughout the world, he would truly be an anti-American president!
It was impossible for him to be what some of us would have wanted. And now the bitter horse pill has to be swallowed.
Anna Renee
I was talking to older black folks this weekend and one of them said something very interesting. He said that we “Black Folk” expected Obama to be act black once he got in office. I guess because he was a community organizer in “The Hood” we thought he would be sensitive to “our” needs. I never thought that because of his background. His family tree looks like a Benetton ad. I know I have been tough on Obama on my blog and I have been catching hell from folks. The reality is that I think Obama is a nice guy and in his mind he means well. But Val has made some very good points that shouldn’t be overlooked because we feel the need to support “Symbolism over Substance”. Although I disagree with the Health Care Bill because it doesn’t have a public option. But while they were trying to get public support for that they should have been talking to black folks then. When they were bailing out the banks they should have been talking to black folks then. Until recently I haven’t heard Obama on any “black” radio programs. It reminds me of when politicians show up at black churches near election time. The same people that were running around talking about how Obama was going to save the world are now talking about “voting for the lesser of two evils”. When did Obama become the lesser of two evils when he was so well loved 2 years ago? I left the Democratic party partly because of stuff like this.
@Don
"I guess the only thing I can do is sit here and wonder if Obama truly has thrown his African American people under the bus."
I think Obama and his people have made the political calculation that no matter how much he ignores us that we will still support him at election time. And it's not just him but the Democrats as well.
@Anna Renee
"If he would give black people their fair share and fair due, that would go against what makes America great, standing on our backs!"
That is both true and sad. I suppose it would be nice if we got a few crumbs at least. We've always at least gotten that. Now we just get ignored until election time.
@CO
"...we “Black Folk” expected Obama to be act black once he got in office."
I didn't expect that but I didn't expect him to be harder on us than White Presidents, that's for sure.
Yep, Democrats have been pulling the 'church move' on us for decades now. It's old and we need to be more politically sophisticated.
At some point we are going to have to stay home to show the Dems that we are tired of being both used and ignored.
Every brother ain't a brother.
@?
Ha! You summed up my post in one sentence!
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