As I've stated before. I'm a huge fan of SOHH. I'm loving the fact that they have a wide range of blogs discussing different topics. My favorite now is Biko's HH4PREZ blog where he's covering politics from the Hip-Hop side of things. First off congratulations homey on making it out to Denver and covering the festivities. A job I wish I could have had as me & the wife would have loved to have gone.
In Biko's newest post he list 5 things he believes will help Obama on to victory that first Tuesday of November. While I agree with you Biko on a lot of stuff in your previous post, I've got a few things that I gotta talk out with your list.
#1 He Needs to Keep Working with Clintons - True
You won't get an argument from me. What REALLY needs to happen, besides campaigning in the battleground states, is the Clintons need to deliver Arkansas. While it's only worth 6 EV, it's 6 EV that's taken away from Sen. McCain. If Bill & Hillary can pull that off, they'll really restore their standing in the party.
#2 Stops Pissing Off Veteran Black Leaders - False
Here's where we get some static. I don't know if you know this but Jesse Jackson & Tavis Smiley are the ONLY Black leaders that really went off on Obama (Bob Johnson doesn't count); and both of them only did it for personal reasons. Jesse was mad that Obama pretty much told the Black community what we needed to hear and is getting shine from it while Jesse isn't getting any play while Tavis just felt slighted because Obama didn't attend. James Clyburn, John Lewis, Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton and the rest have ALL voice their support for Obama. Farrakhan even forgave and embraced Obama after Obama was FORCED to rebuke him. The Congressional Black Caucus never felt slighted by Obama and are all now behind him 100%, at least in public. The CBC, if they do indeed feel slighted, need to get over it and work hard for this man, simply because he's for ALL Americans, not just specifically for the Black community.
#3 Embrace Hip-Hop Culture But Not Get Caught in the Fu*ckery - Plausible
Now this is indeed a rock & a hard place, but it's a rock & a hard place that Obama need not be. If any one puts him there, IT WILL BE US. We as Black folk CANNOT expect Obama to fully embrace Hip-Hop because we KNOW for certain how that will look. If WE force Obama to address his lackluster support for Hip-Hop WE doom him. Not only that, but Black folk need to get off that BS about not voting for him because he doesn't voice his liking for Hip-Hop for 2 reasons: 1. He's already said he listens to Jay-Z and Luda and 2. Black folk need to be looking at his policies not his playlist. Obama need not ever mention Hip-Hop again unless he chooses to because it shouldn't even be an issue.
Obama has plenty of Hip-Hop advocates. In fact, Hip-Hop has been told to tone down it's support for Obama before we scare off the working class White vote. People like Jeezy, Luda, Jay-Z, T.I., Kanye, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and plenty others have been putting his name in their raps for a minute now. It's Black radio and the listeners' faults if their not hearing it.
#4 Stop Hiring Outsiders to Organize Urban Communities - False
Do you know why the campaign isn't hiring leaders from local urban communities? Because they aren't showing that much interest. If local leaders are really, and I mean REALLY, that hype and eager to go help and canvas for the Obama campaign, they need to call in and let them know. The "outsiders" you call them are the super excited Democrat activist who are eager to go to every corner of every neighborhood and talk to every citizen in them about supporting Obama. Local urban leaders cannot be so full of themselves as to just sit on their hands and wait for the call because it's not coming. If they really want to fight for Obama then they've got to git up, git out and git something, word to Outkast & Goodie. You always have to reach for the brass ring...
#5 Obama Needs To Read This Blog - Plausible
While I do think it's a great blog, Biko, it's a little too urban centric for Obama's platform.
You, I and a great deal of folks desire to see Obama in the White House. We just have to make sure that we as Black folk keep those chips off of our shoulders and realize that we as a race are not #1 on his list, but we as Americans are.
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1 comment:
Black people always get upset when they see "non-us" in the hood trying to organize "us". I get them calls (and upteen e-mails...) just like them, but unfortunately, I (like a lot of other people) don't place 'Going door-to-door for B.O.' as high on my 'Sh*t To Do List'. Call me lazy, apathetic or whatever. Hey, I make no excuses. However, I didn't thumb my nose at the older white couple outside of K&W who tried to get me to vote and give me an Obama sticker. I applaud them for not just talking about change, but actually creating change in their own little way.
Black folks have to stop complaining when we have just the same opportunity to do sh*t.
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