Brittney's breakdown and Clinton's Cry for Help

I don't study politics but I do study people - and this week has been quite a doozey. We get irritated about the Brittney coverage when quite frankly, the media has finally made me sympathetic toward her. I don't know any woman who wants the details of her life, career, marriage failure, parenting, clothing misses, etc. blasted in living color - 24 hours a day, without reprieve. And while I don't care for her music or her popularity, I feel bad for her because she is way too overexposed during the worst time in her public life. Clinton has the same issue. The only difference - I don't feel bad for her at all. No sympathy whatsoever.

I was listening to NPR today when one of the Mocha Mom's being featured indicated that she didn't want support of Obama to be seen as hate for Clinton. I admired her comment, but I reflected on my own position and decided - I must have room for growth. I have come to believe that the redeeming qualities of Clinton are long gone. She's lost any past or future support - and if by some chance Barack doesn't get the nomination - I'm a swing vote to any Republican with the exception of the man who brought his mistress into the mayor's mansion. That, I just won't do.

Here are the most recent confirmations that Clinton does not deserve support of this female voter, or any of those educated, articulate, passionate, politically astute women I know. Although the reasons to not vote for Clinton are endless - let's start here.

1. The tears don't move me. Her campaign chair told her she wasn't getting enough compassion points, and she turned it up a notch. They told her if she really cried she'd be seen as soft, so she stopped just short of an ugly cry. PLEASE. Anyone who believes that stunt deserves her as president, but I pray she'll never get the chance.

2. A change candidate she is not. They said he's for change, we're for experience. And because she's so honest, I really want to believe her. Judge her on experience I decide. When she was first lady, her first duty was as a wife, and she surely should not get credit for Bill's work. That's what we women fought for right - we're our own people . We have our education, our experience, our own stance in the world. So please Hillary, stop taking credit for Bill's stuff. Unless, you want to have a honest dialog about the indiscretions of his term, the lies, the inability to keep home and state separate. Hillary is Washington establishment if she is anything, and if health care is any indication - this is experience I don't need.

3. Flip flopper accusations. After getting her own fairy tale checked, she has started to announce herself as the candidate that can create change. Thou needeth an original boneth in thou bodyeth. First you say change is what you say when you have no experience - then you say I'm the woman for change. Make up your mind. Or not. No make it up.

4. Dirty Politics. Again. If anyone believes that she didn't personally author the attacks on Barack's name, religion, drug use, etc. - you must be smoking. Not inhaling of course, just smoking. I'm not naive enough to believe that dirty politics don't exist - or that there isn't a place for a hard edge - I want someone who can make tough decisions. I don't however, need a candidate who is into politics as usual. 2 terms of Bush and Clinton, that is enough of both of those families. I'm ready for something new.

5. Washington Insider as the only experience. I happen to believe that the Harvard experience, the Chicago experience, the community organizing experience, the middle class family experience, the husband and father experience, the lost a public office experience, the won a public office experience, the Attorney as a profession experience, the racism in America experience, the immigration experience, etc. - counts. I need a decision maker, not an experience touter.

6. It takes a Village. Well, not exactly. I'm all for a good quote and an African proverb is no exception. There are plenty of people in my life that I can thank for getting on the straight and narrow. But, when it comes straight down to it, my family raised me. And when it comes to family values - Clinton's need a village. The rest of us will do well to focus on where it starts - the family unit. Relying on other people to step in , step up, step to it - it is nice in theory but it isn't reality. Public education works when parents are involved, and a community organizer understands that. I digress.

7. The Minority Card. It is frowned on when we talk about the racial background of Barack, but perfectly fine to tout the historic nature of being a woman in this presidential contest. I'm just not drinking this kool aid. When its convenient clinton's camp wants to pull out the code words "electibility, viability, potential to compete, ready from day one, fit for the real contest" and the list continues. The same small minds that wouldn't vote for Barack because of his name or his heritage aren't rushing dear Senator to put a woman in there either. Hello - going negative might do something, but guarantee you a 2nd tier vote - better check your polls. You aren't doing so well as the second choice, either.

I don't have some unclear love of Barack - I think he is a man with promise, but a man. I'm married to a pretty great one, they have their limitations. Barack has positions I'm TOTALLY against, but as far as raising the bar for this election process, he's impressed me. I used to give $25 every time I had a warm and fuzzy feeling, but I'm running out of money. I'm getting that feeling so often that I have to space out my contributions. I think he has something greater than experience - he has the confidence of the people he'll have to lead. (Well some of us...there is still more work to be done.)

Yet, with the oversaturation of last minute Clinton crap, I had to write something. I couldn't sit down at the computer without a column, video post, clip or quote - attacking the man that will once again prove that we're tired of politics as usual. Brittney and Clinton have a lot in common.

Too much press. Troubled home life. Anticipated comeback received with dismal feedback. Visible breakdown. Support from played out people. And my favorite - media personalities coming to the rescue. (Since when does Clinton entertain Fox interviews and ongoing access?) Here's what I know for sure - I'm sick enough of Clinton I'd vote for Brittney right about now. She'd surely throw a good party. Lucky for us, we don't have to. We've got Hope and Change, Angry Edwards, My Main Man Mitt, and even the Huck. Let's elect any one of them - but give clinton's cry the rest it deserves.

African American Men for Hillary Clinton

I received an email today that included the link to Senator Clinton's website and a compiled video clip of African American Men who support her campaign. I was in some ways saddened by the establishment rhetoric of individuals who are promised to benefit from her election and the implication that we don't have time for anyone "learning on the job."

I find it amazing that at a time when we have the first truly viable African-American presidential candidate of our time, with the credentials, vision, pedigree and financial support necessary - so few high profile people of color even speak to his viability as a candidate. As I listened to Dr. Maya Angelou talk about her pride of supporting a woman, I couldn't help wonder - is anyone thinking about electing change?

Hope. Audacity. I think those words still speak volumes about what Barack offers. I have heard individuals say that the true goal is to vote for someone who can beat the Republicans. In our politically interesting household - we talk often about what the future holds. Republican candidates of today can't pretend to be the moral majority. Democratic candidates can't be soft on foreign affairs and security. This is not your mother's era of politics.

Regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic station - we have an opportunity to let our voices be heard in this election. Barack needs our support to turn American politics on its ear. I'm done being sad over what I find to be a patronizing "Bill was our first Black president" embrace of Hillary. They are no more Black than I am white. Our charge is to elect someone who can represent our country and take the necessary actions to put us on a better track - security, health care, education, affordable housing, justice. I think more people, should reflect on those issues, and vote for true change.

To make your voice heard, join my efforts to raise support for Barack Obama. Oh yeah, and I guess I'm going to start my own support network:
~ African American Women for Barack
~ Smart Women for Barack
~ Mothers for Barack
~ Republican households of Color for Barack
~ People who don't believe the Hillary Hype for Barack
~ Individuals who vote, for Barack

Why don't you join me if you are sick of the establishment hype. Donate today.

Dust Up - Hillary & Barack

I didn't watch the entire debate based on you tube questions, but universally everything I have heard has been uninteresting. To that end, media needed something to talk about and a walla "Barack and Hillary have a dust up."

So imagine my irritation when I heard supposedly conservative talk radio debate Barack becoming Hillary's VP. I'm sorry but that is just plain mess. If there is going to be business as usual I don't think it will come at Barack making that type of silly mistake. If we aren't voting for her already then pairing her w/Barack doesn't make her more palatable. Actually, it makes me think that we should keep all of our options open.

Should we not like what one party has to offer, no problem - the lines are so blurred you can find lack of morals, lack of focus, lack of real life experience, lack of understanding the issues facing real families - on any side of the aisle.

Has anyone figured that the easiest response to this stupidity is....make another contribution to Obama 08.

Scooter Libby Scoots Out

President Bush proves his lack of morality and values in a stunt reserved for the privileged few. This is the political equivalent of thumbing your nose at the American people.

The Republican Party has had a problem for quite a season, with President Bush being their most visible representation of the morals and values that they have used to secure their supreme stance for many years. Today's decision by the President to commute Libby's sentence speaks volumes about an administration that speaks a completely different language than they are prepared to follow. This is pathetic. Further, I hope the legacy of this administration and history books for generations to come tell the true story of a corrupt America gone really wrong. If this doesn't make everyone vote, nothing will.

This is what presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, had to say:

“This decision to commute the sentence of a man who compromised our national security cements the legacy of an Administration characterized by a politics of cynicism and division, one that has consistently placed itself and its ideology above the law. This is exactly the kind of politics we must change so we can begin restoring the American people’s faith in a government that puts the country’s progress ahead of the bitter partisanship of recent years.”

On Barack: An Open Letter

A friend forwarded me an open letter on Barack, written by a female black professor. My hat goes off to B.L. Jackson - I appreciate her clear statement that captures so many of my own thoughts. I've posted about Tavis Smiley before. In summary, I appreciate his voice but I have no respect or appreciation for his hypocritical digs at many "worthy of respect" true leaders. Can we skip the Al and Jesse discussion please.

B.L. Jackson ends her letter with the following feedback:

"The best thing Barack can do for us is to win, not show up at yet another black forum simply to prove he's one of us by placating the egos who believe Barack should clear his calendar for their "ultimate black" event! There are plenty of other candidates (and so-called leaders) who warrant our scrutiny and skepticism - not to mention a host of misogynistic lyricists, child molesting musicians, and other unaccountable black-community-made millionaires. Barack, however, has proven with his excellence, his achievements, his commitments, and his life's work that he warrants our support.

Rather than using his credentials and connections to build his personal wealth, Obama chose to pursue careers like providing job training for residents of poor neighborhoods, directing voter registration drives and fighting for civil rights. Unlike other candidates in the race, Obama has been consistent in speaking against sending our black babies to murder, and to be murdered by, brown people in the Mesopotamia for the sake of multinational corporate interests. He has successfully forged coalitions with people across racial and political lines to introduce a host of legislation that would, among other things, get guns off our streets, reduce greenhouse emissions, and limit the influence of special interest lobbyist on Capital Hill.

As for whether Barack's black enough, let us not forget that race exists in America not in our biology, genetic code or even our phenotype, but rather by the institutionalization of the economic and social construct of chattel slavery and its vicious offshoots. Under that regime, "a dab'll do ya." Whiteness equates to economic and social privilege and that privilege fades as it traverses the racial spectrum. Anyone who has any black ancestry living in this country, whether for a day or for generations, will experience the vestiges of slavery and the consequences of white privilege, making the question of whether one is descended from enslaved Africans or colonized and oppressed Africans irrelevant. It is not simply the experience of that oppression, however, that demonstrates loyalty to our community and that deserves our community's loyalty, but rather recognition of the injustice of it and actions taken to dismantle it. Clearly, Obama has met this test!

Let the record of each candidate speak for itself. But, for the sake of our ancestors and, more importantly, our descendants, do not inadvertently become a pawn of white privilege by demanding that Obama's record be scrutinized more closely and meet a higher standard than his white counterparts simply because some narcissistic crab in a barrel didn't find himself at the top.


Sincerely,

B.L. Jackson

A Sister Who Unequivocably And Without Apology to Hillary, Bill or Al Supports Barack Obama for President And Invites Other Thoughtful Brothers and Sisters To Do the Same

And on that note, I will just add, I am thankful that I do not reflect and wonder in vain. How can we talk about the future and think like the past? Barack Obama is not the second coming, but I surely believe he has the potential to change the face of this country and his time is long overdue. If he can hasten my research, investigation and action in politics - in many ways he has served to create a new landscape not before seen. Barack is a credible threat to politics as usual - without the establishment obligations to be the next public joke . Give him a chance already. Haven't we already seen what Hillary has to offer.

Black Women and Barack

It doesn't surprise me that black women vote in greater numbers than the general public. It does surprise me that at this stage of the political campaign process CNN, NPR and the likes have started reporting on the leaning of black women. In a CNN article about Clinton's standing among Black Women on the line...I was surprised at the quick references about the number of devoted Clinton supporters vs. those considering Barack. People, we are not supporting "the Clinton" Whitehouse, it is Hillary Clinton that is running for office. Bill is not.

To be fair, I only caught the tail end of the NPR story. I listened to black women who sound nothing like the black women in my peer group talk about why they are supporting Hillary. "She can get elected they said." If you give her your vote, most assuredly she has that potential. So, it isn't rocket science to understand, if you give Barack your vote, he has that same potential. Skip the lecture about white male voters, I was sitting with them at the last Barack event I attended.

I'm generally conservative. I'm that "stupid black people who voted for Bush" unknown factor - that surprises people to this day. Not every black woman is signed up on the Democratic party line waiting for the next savior of health care, education, social security and the like. I wouldn't be allowed in some circles because I don't have all of my accepted identification in tact - NAACP current membership, die hard liberal bumper sticker, by any means necessary support of anyone to get the Republicans out of office.

The best articles identify black women as a powerful group. They understand that we are all different and we are making many assessments about who to support. All I know is the power of my own circle. PhD's, MBA's, MEds, students, wives, mothers and frankly, we are ALL supporting Barack. Those that haven't made up their mind, we are working on them too. Maybe the good thing is, we are not just talking about it, we are actually working on the campaign, organizing fundraisers, meeting on Saturday's to discuss the latest moves, and inviting our other SISTERS to join us. Yep, go ahead all you want and tell the front page story of the black women who support "the Clinton's."

Meanwhile, will all the sisters (women with common thoughts and ideas, who enjoy politics and conversation about education and the spa all at the same time) that I know, and those I don't, put your energy into your next donation, next story, next blog, next email, next something to support the power of being audacious and hopeful. I'm becoming both. The only other person that I hear even mentioned in the presidential race among my friends is a guy from New York, who cheated on his wife, kicked her out of the home, brought his girlfriend into the public eye, and then subsequently missed the next few years of his children's lives. From a conservative, moral high ground for any Republican candidate has long been over. As a wife, I'm just not clicking a button for someone who doesn't give less than a D#$% about the institution of marriage - I have no doubt that he'll have a hard time defending something he doesn't believe in.

Here are a few headlines for you:

Barack supporters cross all color barriers
Barack supporters cross all economic lines
Barack supporters cross all education levels
Black, Brown, Purple, Yellow, Green people support Barack
White women, men, youth, college students, first tie voters support Barack
Women support Barack
Men support Barack
Conservatives invest in future of Barack
Wives overwhelming support Barack
The Mommy Factor and the overwhelming support of Barack

and hey, just for the heck of it "Barack takes the primary in an unprecedented landslide...."

This black woman is sure that the story that captures it all is yet to be written. Donate today. Barack Obama has the potential to win, he just needs your support to do it.

The Dr. Condi Lesson

By any measure, Condolezza Rice, Dr. Rice - is a smart, educated, accomplished and distinguished African-American woman. As the mother of a 7 year old daughter, I aspire to teach many of the lessons her parents so clearly taught her. At a time where she couldn't eat a cheeseburger at a Department Store counter - they convinced their daughter that she could be anyone, do anything, reach the stars if she decided that to be her course. Condi evidently believed them.

There are many lessons to be learned from Dr. Condi - I use her title because I think people forget, she has earned her academic and political standing. Her parents, both educators, realized that the most powerful lessons are taught at home. Her mother, an accomplished pianist, taught Condi how to play in the comfort of their home. There is a lesson to be learned right there. You can only teach - when you have something to offer. Further, when the world outside is ridiculous and cruel, the comfort of home is designed to be a safe landing place. I think both lessons are often missed in a society that seeks fame and fortune. Outside attention has become such an accepted lifestyle that we can easily become prey to what others think of us. We live in a culture that values the success story - earned and unearned. Or do we?

If we valued success, we would routinely praise Condolezza Rice for setting her own course. We would recognize that her pursuit of education didn't rest with what she was taught by others, she "actively pursued" knowledge and learning throughout her life. The daughter of two educators, their love for education was a living legacy for their daughter. She started college courses in high school and graduated at the age of 19 magna cum laude. From personal experience I know what it is like to change majors in the midst of your college education. No matter what the revelation, you need Jesus himself to help people to understand why your are making that choice. Rice decided that her love of Piano was not enough to make it a full time career - and thus began pursuing other options. I started off wanting to be a chemical engineer...that too was not to be.

The answer came in a classroom presided over by Josef Korbel, the father of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. A lecture by Korbel on Josef Stalin mesmerized Rice. Fascinated by the intrigues and complexities of Soviet politics, she decided on the spot to major in political science. For more information about Rice there are numerous links. This paragraph comes directly from a free black history resource worthy of your visit. The lessons continue. Rice was encouraged to find her voice and to seek her highest calling, and she did just that. A parents ability to teach a child to find their own way in the comfort of their support is laudable. We can all take a page from their lesson plan.

Rice's parents had to do quite the job in teaching her to be resilient. When you can be on the receiving end of the extreme bashing from liberals such as barbara boxer and tavis smiley - you have to be resilient. Not that Rice is above criticism, but the slant of her critics tends to be so extreme you can't take it at face value. I secretly mourned Rice not slapping boxer as she went on a rant about not being in touch with those who are at-risk in the war. I am not supportive of the war as it exists, but I think boxer was low, no-dignity in her comments. Regardless of Rice's marital status, or her lack of children, I find it hard to believe she is devoid of any sensitivity to what is happening as far as the war. Barabara was equally low in her assessment of a black conservative judge in California - while signing every possible piece of legislation that sings the praise of pro-choice. Never mind that the choice happens after a baby is conceived, not before. She doesn't champion that choice. The criticism of anyone, regardless of their lack of moral backbone, can sting.

Tavis Smiley is an entirely different story. At a recent PBS fundraiser he gave a speech regarding love in political discourse - a part of his series about American living up to its promise. He did what he intended to do - for me that is - I left thinking more about the impact of race, politics and America than I had the night before. I agreed with his fundamental premise, we must live up to our personal promise, for America to live up to hers. I am working diligently on that pursuit. Meanwhile, he indicated that love should be the primary calling card in public conversation - and he showed no love to Condi. His comments at first were uncomfortable but ultimately showed me a dimension of hypocrisy that seemed lost on many in the audience. If we are called to show love, he did anything but when it came to Condolezza. He later sealed my discontent when he indicated that J. Jackson had earned his political stance while Barack Obama had yet to prove anything... clearly we should always look at where the criticism comes from, before we invest too much energy. Jesse Jackson can not be a political hero for me. I appreciate Condi's resilience.

In a day and time when role models are hard to come by, I appreciate the diversity offered by Condi. Her academic, political and foreign policy knowledge are worthy - not because she is a black woman alone, but because she is good. I don't have to agree with her loyalty to Bush to appreciate that she has a stance and an approach and has been unwavering to it. I doesn't make me like her politics necessarily, but I still admire her.

I admire Rice with some level of disappointment, however. In 2003, Rice was drawn into the debate over the Affirmative Action admissions policy at the University of Michigan. As a resident of the state at the time, I was deeply moved by the discourse and discussion about whether or not Affirmative Action was even necessary. The debate brought to mind a memory of being on Purdue's campus when a heated classroom debate led me to walk out of a classroom before tears rolled down my face. Short of cussing, I tried to eloquently inform the entire class that both my ACT and SAT scores were so far above the national average, that I was indeed not a product of affirmative action. I went on to give a litany of views on racism, favoritism, alumni preference, corn field preference - I was probably anything but graceful when I thought about the implication of the comments in the room. As one of the primary crafters of Bush's position on race-based preferences, Rice stated that she believed race-neutral means were preferable - although race "could" be considered with many other factors. Here we disagree.

Unlike her predecessor Colin Powell, Condi appears to fail to mitigate disaster or give unwelcome advice about the consequences of failure in Iraq. Instead, she has seemed to fade into the background at key times when her independent voice is most needed. I don't get a sense of who Condi is and what she believes, and thus it appears that she is a "Bush yes woman" at any cost. That stance has colored my impression of her, and I would be lying if I stated it any different. That, does not however, remove her from being significant in the lives of African-Americans, in the lives of women, or in the life of this country. She is a testament to what can be done when you tap into your skills, talent and passion. I simply wish that her presence was more powerful because of the voice she wielded independent of Bush.

As a mother I think there is plenty to learn from the Dr. Condi story. I want to raise my daughter to be clearly aware of her power and to pursue her greatest ambition without limitation. In that pursuit, however, I want her to be a voice for people who have come before her and will come after her. I don't want her legacy to be in the shadow of a man misguided or the criticism of people misdirected. I want her life to be a testament to the power of Christian women, African-American women, educated women, and women who believe that choice is best made before - - not after intercourse. Most of all, I aspire to be a woman and mother that teaches as well as learns, and then offers a safe place to land when life is not well.

One of my greatest wishes for Dr. Condi right now, would be a safe place to land. A place not filled solely with judgment, jokes and justifications for the liberal position - just a safe place to land. I'll trust that in the absence of her parents, her relationship with God will serve her well. With so much to offer, let not her legacy be determined by people who have neither balance nor perspective on what our future really needs. She's got a lot of life ahead of her. I hope history serves her well.