Hillary, The NY Mag, Liberals and Snakes on the plane

Barack Obama and his handlers have to really watch his political back, now that he has agreed to provide Hillary with the opportunity for a floor vote. But it is not only Hillary he has to watch out for. He also has to watch out for liberal rags like the NY Mag.com as so-called liberal magazine that is dogging out Obama with outragious statements like, "The description of the Obamas’ life together displays no evidence of their connections to black culture."

AAPP: OK, here we go again with Barack Obama and his wife are not "black enough" bull. This time with an academic twist.

This rag, the New York Mag.com went out to find anyone they could to lend credibility to the story. They found someone to degrade the 21st century black bourgeoisie involved in U.S. politics. Yes, Gayle Pemberton was dug up from some academic cave to say as much silly garbage about obama as possible. asking questions like, "And what does the white world know about black people like the Obamas, really? “The black middle class is the most invisible, unknown group in the country,” said Gayle Pemberton, a professor of African-American studies at Wesleyan University.

“There are millions and millions of people in it, and yet we know nothing about them.”

AAPP: Them? Them says, Gayle Pemberton? we already know where she is coming from.

Here are some more excerpts from the article:

One would think that the Obamas enjoy being called the black Kennedys, but maybe they don’t. “This Camelot myth has formed around Barack and Michelle, but they come from almost the opposite place in the world from the Kennedys,” says Obama’s friend Kenneth Mack, a law professor at Harvard University. “If you saw Barack on a yacht, that would be pretty unseemly. He’s the guy from the basketball court who used to go around in jeans and a leather jacket. In law school, he was really uncomfortable with the markers of elitism, like even dressing in a suit.”

It’s a sitcom, this miscommunication between black and white people: In fact, a manager in Hollywood told me that he’s getting calls from producers searching for TV writers to work on All in the Family–style shows for next year—they know the country will be hungry for this type of comedy if Obama is elected.

While Michelle hasn’t made many interesting statements in public—it’s a very small canon of comments, over the course of almost two years of campaigning—they’ve taken on enormous meaning. She’s not quite as smooth a political player as Barack: “Whenever Obama enters the room, there’s a sense of calm and satisfaction,” says a former campaign aide. “Michelle can get a little more tense. Before she goes on-camera for interviews, we’d have to give her a couple of minutes to compose herself. She’ll sit down, raise her hands over her head, and go, ‘Ugh, God!’ ” That’s a mask she’s wearing in public, most of the time, and we aren’t sure what is underneath. When she uttered her fateful words about how, for “the first time in my adult life, I’m really proud of my country,” she unleashed an explosion of emotion, because everyone who’s awake could read between the lines—she was angry about the treatment of black people in America. And anger will not do. Besides, what does she have to be angry about, with her Ivy education and Hyde Park mansion? Isn’t she herself an example of the fact that racism is over in America? More HERE

All of this as Barack Obama's plane was forced to endure an emergency landing after the Democratic presidential candidate's aircraft suffered mechanical problems over Missouri.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Authority confirmed to The Times that there had been an emergency landing in St Louis last month after the pilot notified air traffic control of problems. It is understood that the pilot of Mr Obama's plane had warned that he was having problems controlling the "pitch" of the plane and requested emergency assistance.

A controversy has erupted over the landing. According to a US news channel, control tower tapes show that the pilot of Mr Obama's plane demanded an emergency landing. At the time, both the FAA and Midwest Airlines insisted that there was no emergency.

But Laura Brown, a spokesman for the FAA said that she had said minutes after the incident happened that there had been no emergency because of what she had been told by the agency's public affairs staff for air traffic control. More HERE

AAPP: Right! Something seems just a bit fishy with this story. I wonder what Samuel L. Jackson would say:

I guess Barack has to look out for Hillary, The NY Mag, Liberals and Snakes on the planes.

African American Political Pundit is a 2008 DNCC Credentialed blogger and blogs at African American Political Pundit.com

Obama Needs To Take Off The Gloves and Float Like A Butterfly and Sting Like An Obama Bee."

The Clinton Negative Campaigning is Working - Take off The Gloves Obama!

The Media has jumped ship from Obama to Clinton. "It's time to float Like a Butterfly and Sting like an Obama Bee."



AAPP: OK, "Obama you have been Mr. Nice Guy, Mr. Cool, and Smooth. But at this point The Media and Billary redefining you to the electorate, you are no longer defining yourself." As an example it's crazy that Bill Clinton is sayiing that the Obama campaign played 'race card' on him. Bill Clinton is doing the rope a dope on you. The Clinton campaign along with the media are playing up "Color aroused" questions. You know the script they have been using. Bill Clinton saying about Barack Obama's campaign, "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen..." Remarks made by Sen. Clinton, insulting one of the greatest Americans of our time, Martin Luther King, Jr, and the hundreds of thousands of black and other Americans who fought for civil rights in our country, when she said in regards to civil rights legislation, "It took a (white) president [Lyndon Johnson] to get it done."

Sam Stien has reported that the Obama campaign is aware of the color aroused strategy. From Clinton supporter and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo insulting, "you can't shuck and jive at a press conference." To Bill Clinton implying that Hillary Clinton Is Stronger Than Nelson Mandela, when the former president declared, "I go to Nelson Mandela's birthday party every year and we're still very close. But if you said to me, 'You've got one last job for your country but it's hazardous and you may not get out with life and limb intact and you have to do it alone except I'll let you take one other person, and I had to pick one person whom I knew who would never blink, who would never turn back, who would make great decisions, I would pick Hillary.'" The Color Aroused campaigning should not go without a response.

I agree with Thomas B. Edsall when he wrote in Huffington Post that the Media has jumped ship from Obama to Clinton. He is right, as he wrote, "In a blink of an eye, the media has jumped ship from the Obama campaign and become a crucial Clinton ally, pressing just the message -- that Obama is a likely loser in the general election -- that Hillary and her allies have been promoting for the past six weeks. The new tenor of media coverage is visible almost everywhere, from Politico, Time and The New Republic to The Washington Post and The New York Times."

He is also right when he write, "For Hillary, the shift is a potential lifesaver as she struggles to keep her head above water; without it, she would, metaphorically, drown. Until now, she, her husband, and her campaign aides have been trying, with little success, to make the case that Obama has potentially fatal flaws. For the first time, reporters working for magazines, newspapers and web sites have abruptly decided that she might well be right, and the results for Obama have been brutal: The first hard punch was thrown by my friend and colleague John Judis in a widely distributed piece on The New Republic web site, filed sometime around 3AM Wednesday, seven hours after polls closed in Pennsylvania. In the article titled, "The Next McGovern." Read More HERE

Now we learn from the Washington Post's Perry Bacon, Jr that she also repeated her challenge to Obama to debate her in this state, after the senator from Illinois would not commit to a previously scheduled one. "I've said I will debate anytime, anywhere," Clinton told a crowd of several hundred in Fayetteville. "I think you deserve your own debate."

AAPP: Hell no, don't debate her, we have had over 20 debates. Enough of the debates. We don't need to see more debates with media attacking. Enough is enough.

AAPP: I agree Perry Bacon, Jr. Clinton's Hopes May Lie With N.C. As he reported, North Carolina, with its large African American population, has long been seen as a firewall for Obama after contests in Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere that favored Clinton. A win here and in Indiana, which also votes May 6, could cement his status as the front-runner.

AAPP: I say, "It's time to end this color aroused camapign by the Clinton's once and for all." It's time to float Like a Butterfly and Sting like an Obama Bee. Now the question is, What are you going to do? Do you want to win this or what? I truly want you to win this with the style and grace of Ali and Jackie Robinson. Not the disgrace of Hillary and Bill Clinton.

Geraldine Ferraro Is Trying to Divide Democrats Along Color Lines

AAPP: Well the former closet bigot, now out of the closet bigot, racist Surrogate and Fox News contributor, former 1984 vice presidential candidate who helped Walter Mondale lose 49 states, Geraldine Ferraro stood by her controversial and racist comments about Sen. Barack Obama's presidential candidacy today. to this AAPPundit It appears that Ferraro and Hillary are working to divide the Democratic party along racial lines.

"I am sorry that people think this was a racist comment," Ferraro said in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America."

The white female Affirmative Action candidate of the 1980's declined to apologize for the firestorm she created when she told a newspaper last week that "if Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position."

Get this, She told Sawyer she was "absolutely not" sorry for what she said.

(Getty Images/AP Photo)

Hillary Clinton and her token negro has ignored Geraldine Ferraro's bigoted and racist statements saying to a reporter in an interview with ABC News affiliate WHTM, "Well, I don't agree with that and I think it's important that we try to stay focused on issues that matter to the American people."



I guess racial hatred and bigotry within her campaign organization is not important to Hillary Clinton. I'm in agreement with Pam Spaulding, when she wrote, has the Clinton team gone stark raving mad? I also wonder Since When Has It Been Lucky To Be Black In America? get this now Ferraro says: “They’re attacking me because I’m white!” Hey, I'm also beginning to wonder why do (some) feminists hate Barack Obama? But, guess what, one of my favorite bloggers just might be right when he wrote, Oh, She Just Hates Black Men. Ferraro's has a long history of this crap.

Speaking of long history, Look at the long campaign history of Hillary and Company playing the race card through racial hatred towards Obama specifically and black folks in general:

Shuck and Jive

Clinton Supporter Andrew Cuomo, Referring To Obama, Said "You Can't Shuck
And Jive At A Press Conference. All Those Moves You Can Make With The Press
Don't Work When You're In Someone's Living Room." Clinton-supporting New
York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said the thing that's great about New
Hampshire is that you have to go out and meet people rather than "shuck and
jive" through press conferences there. Cuomo said of New Hampshire on an
Albany radio station: "It's not a TV-crazed race. Frankly, you can't buy
your way into it. You can't shuck and jive at a press conference. All those
moves you can make with the press don't work when you're in someone's living
room." [Newsday, 1/11/08]

Martin Luther King/Lydon Johnson Comparsion

Clinton, Criticizing Obama For Promising "False Hope" Said That While MLK Jr. Spoke On Behalf Of Civil Rights, President Lyndon Johnson Was The One Who Got Legislation Passed: "It Took A President To Get It Done." Clinton rejoined the running argument over hope and "false hope" in an interview in Dover this afternoon, reminding Fox's Major Garrett that while Martin Luther King Jr. spoke on behalf of civil rights, President Lyndon Johnson was the one who got the legislation passed. Hillary was asked about Obama's rejoinder that there's something vaguely un-American about dismissing hopes as false, and that it doesn't jibe with the careers of figures like John F. Kennedy and King. "Dr. King's dream began to be realized when President
Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act," Clinton said. "It took a president to get it done." [Politico, 1/7/08; Video]

Clinton Introducer Said JFK Gave Hope, But Was Assassinated. Clinton introducer: "If you look back, some people have been comparing one of the other candidates to JFK and he was a wonderful leader, he gave us a lot of hope but he was assassinated and Lyndon Baines Johnson actually did all his work and got the republicans to pass all those measures." [HRC, Dover, NH,
1/7/08] AUDIO ATTACHED

Nelson Mandela

Bill Clinton Implied Hillary Clinton Is Stronger Than Nelson Mandela. "I have been blessed in my life to know some of the greatest figures of the last hundred years. [...] I go to Nelson Mandela's birthday party every year and we're still very close. [...] But if you said to me, 'You've got one last job for your country but it's hazardous and you may not get out with life and limb intact and you have to do it alone except I'll let you take one other person, and I had to pick one person whom I knew who would never blink, who would never turn back, who would make great decisions [...] I wouldpick Hillary.'" [ABC News, 1/7/08; Audio]

Drug Use

Clinton's NH Campaign Chair Raised The Youthful Drug Use Of Obama And Said It Would "Open The Door To Further Queries On The Matter." Clinton's Campaign Issued A Statement Distancing Themselves From Shaheen's Comments And Shaheen Issued A Statement Saying That He "Deeply Regret[s] The Comments." The Democratic presidential race took on a decidedly nasty and personal turn, with the New Hampshire co-chair for Clinton, raising the
youthful drug use of Obama. Shaheen said Obama's having been so open -- as opposed to then-Gov. George W. Bush, who refused to detail his past drug use during his 2000 presidential campaign -- will "open the door to further queries on the matter. It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome." By the end of the day, Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer had issued a statement asserting that "these comments were not authorized or condoned by the campaign in any way." And Shaheen himself issued a statement: "I deeply regret the comments I made today and they were not authorized by the
campaign in any way." [ABC News, 12/12/07]

Mark Penn, In Trying To Defend His Campaign Over Bill Shaheen's Obama Drug Use Comments, Used The Word "Cocaine," Drawing A Rebuke From Edwards Adviser Joe Trippi. Mark Penn, defending the Clinton campaign in light of Bill Shaheen's comments about Obama's drug use, repeatedly referenced Obama's cocaine use. Edwards adviser Joe Trippi accused Penn of dropping the word "cocaine" deliberately. Mark Penn said "Well, I think we have made clear
that the -- the issue related to cocaine use is not something that the campaign was in any way raising. And I think that has been made clear. I think this kindergarten thing was a joke after Senator." Joe Trippie responded and said "I think he just did it again. He just did it again. ...
This guy's been filibustering on this. He just said cocaine again." [Politico, 12/13/07; Video]

Fairy Tale

Donna Brazile Lashed Into Bill Clinton For Comparing Obama To A "Fairy Tale" And Said "It's An Insult... As An African-American" And That His Tone And Words Are "Very Depressing." Donna Brazile lit into Bill Clinton over his insulting comments of Obama, where he called him a "fairy tale" and said "I could understand his frustration at this moment. But, look, he shouldn't
take out all his pain on Barack Obama. It's time that they regroup. Figure out what Hillary needs to do to get her campaign back on track. It sounds like sour grapes coming from the former commander in chief. Someone that many Democrats hold in high esteem. For him to go after Obama, using a fairy tale, calling him as he did last week. It's an insult. And I will tell you, as an African-American, I find his tone and his words to be very depressing. ... I think his tone, I think calling Barack Obama a kid, he is a United States senator." [Politico, 1/8/08]

Cross posted on African American Political Pundit

More HERE

From One Black Man to Another, An Open Letter to Brack Obama

Dear Senator Obama, Don't Let Hillary paint you into a box.

Don't act Like Al Gore, and those two other Democrats from my home town of Massachusetts, who showed no balls and just sat back and let the Republicans beat them to pieces. Do you want the Presidency or not? If you do, you will have to fight for it. Nice guys in politics finish last. stop being Mr. Nice guy and go after Hillary and her corn-ball husband, color aroused husband, and her ignorant black supporters.

Her husband (Bill) created that NAFTA mess and she is running from her own voting past. She voted for Bush’s war on Iraq, she voted for Bush’s USA Patriot Act, she voted to reauthorize Bush’s USA Patriot Act, she opposed the international treaty to ban land mines, and she supported Israel’s massive military assault on the civilian infrastructure of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip which took the lives of over 1,000 civilians, half of whom were children. And get this, Hillary Clinton couldn’t be bothered to read the NIE before casting her pro-Iraq war vote. Enough is enough - Don't let the King pins of the democratic party steal this one from you.

As blogger, John K Wilson noted in his post, The Case Against Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee appears to be the primary hope Republicans have left to win in November. Rush Limbaugh declared, "Most of our guys want to run against Hillary....it’s a gold mine."(October 22, 2007) Michael Reagan wrote, "let her cruise her way to the nomination so we Republicans can have the pleasure of dissecting her in the general election campaign." If Hillary is the nominee, millions of conservatives and independents who hate her will donate money and come out to vote, people who otherwise might stay home out of disgust with the Republican Party. A Hillary nomination might cost Democrats the presidency, but even if she wins, these reverse coattails will almost certainly cost Democrats several House and Senate seats. In the current political environment, Democrats should easily win the presidency in a landslide and gain a strong majority in Congress. But if Hillary Clinton is nominated, Democrats will be rolling the dice and hoping that she can overcome the tidal wave of hatred against her."

I agree with John. Senator Obama, Get busy and fight hard. They have slung some mud, and they have only begun. The question is, what will you do?

AAPP

Speaking of Tavis Smiley, and other negroes, black self hating, sell outs, and color aroused traitors

It's the Tavis Smiley Show, or better stated Attack Obama in support of Hillary Clinton Show. Your program host, who else ...Tavis Smiley.

It's all over the media, Black Journalist Tavis Smiley is under attack for criticizing Obama.



Just because Tavis Smiley says he has received death threats does not mean it is true. I take his comments with a grain of salt.

Quite candidly, someone may have been trying to get in touch with him and called his moms house. He may have also got insulted with that, and is now saying even his mother is getting phone calls. I take what Tavis says at face value. Tavis is a book seller, and is proving himself to be a Clinton kiss up. His "Executive Decision" to not allow Sen. Barack Obama's wife to speak at "HIS" event, shows me that it is "His" event."

If Tavis had reached out to previous participants of "his event, " or did an on-line survey on "His" website, I'm sure that the overwhelming majority of participants would say, Let Michelle Obama speak on behalf of her husband. But that is not what his self serving, black self hating, echo told him to do. He wanted Barack to come kiss his ring, just like so many other alleged black leaders want him to do. I'm glad that there are many non-politically correct sisters and brothers that are calling Tavis on it.

Yes, I personally call some self hating blacks - negroes, black self haters, wannabes, traitors and other things too. The fact of the matter is blacks in America have a history of having negroes, wannabes, haters, traitors, and people who have sold out our communities.

Ask any former Black Panther, ask any black political prisoner in America or abroad, ask any black folk who where forced out of major cities throughout America, if they were sold a bill of goods, many times self appointed black leaders, like Tavis who sold them down the drain, yes, black self haters, wannabes, haters and traitors. While at the same time most people stayed quiet because it was politically correct to challenge.

Robert Johnson of BET fame is a self hating, traitor, sell-out, negro. Anyone who says Bob Johnson is a great man, is a negro that is out of his or her mind. Bob Johnson is the ultimate sell out. Former UN Ambassador Andrew Young is a Walmart lackey, who has also has turned out to to be a disgrace. The way he disrespected black women by saying Bill Clinton has had sex with more black woman than Obama. Ouch! Is anyone listening? Tavis Smiley like Julian Bond is becoming just another lackey for the Clinton's. Yes I said it.

Through our history there have been Negroes who are nothing less that black self hating traitors, who have joined others by sucking the life blood of our communities. Whether it be political traitors (acting black and working with others on the gentrification of urban communities through gentrification initiatives). Self haters who could care less about their own people. Yes, there have been revolutionaries who joined the fight for freedom even before the Boston Massacre. From Jamestown to black wall Street, there were blacks that fought the good fight, build education systems and economic opportunities for our own, then there were black folks who were stripped of their identity and self and disgraced themselves and there people.

This blogger, will call out political traitors, haters, and Negroes who are more interested in self promotion than self uplift. I have paid my dues 50 times over to be able to do this. I have never been politically correct, and candidly could care less if someone disagrees with my opinion or observations. Maybe it's time for Tavis smiley to start hating on Obama. Maybe it's time to Celebrate African-American history now in the making. But that would be to easy for Tavis, he wants Obama to kiss his ring first. Check out what other bloggers are saying.

Audio: Tavis Smiley Calls Out Barack Obama
Tavis to Michelle Obama: Thanks, But No Thanks
Screw A Tavis Smiley - Boycott That Negro

Black Leadership Self Hatred and The Obama Campaign

I Just finished reading an article by Darryl Fears in the washingtonpost.com. In the article he talks about Tavis Smiley, the bestselling author of the "Covenant With Black America," and how Tavis is being "hammered," "barbecued," and is "catching hell" from black Americans for suggesting that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made a major mistake by declining to speak at the State of the Black Union event that Smiley plans to host next week in New Orleans.

Here is the article and my thoughts, highlighted in red. Based on what I'm reading and hearing, Tavis is another Black Crab hating on Obama.

Black Commenter, Criticizing Obama, Causes Firestorm
By Darryl Fears, The Washington Post



Photo of Tavis Smiley

"There's all this talk of hater, sellout and traitor," Smiley said to me in a telephone interview. Smiley even mentioned getting death threats, but wouldn't elaborate. He said his office has been flooded with angry e-mails. "I have family in Indianapolis. They are harassing my momma, harassing my brother. It's getting to be crazy," Smiley said.

AAPP: If this is true, this regretful, inappropriate and unlawful.

Smiley's problems started early this month after he invited Obama to speak at the State of the Black Union, an event Smiley founded nine years ago. Held annually during Black History Month and broadcast by C-Span, the event gathers a Who's Who of black intellectuals, pundits, activists, entertainers and politicians to discuss and brainstorm about where black America is and where it is headed. This year's topic is "Reclaiming Our Democracy, Deciding Our Future."

The State of the Black Union has grown into a key event for black people since its start, but as Smiley has discovered, Obama's presidential run is far more highly regarded.

As the first black person to have a legitimate shot at a presidential nomination, defeating Sen. Hillary Clinton's rich campaign juggernaut, Obama is virtually a third civil rights movement, the manifestation of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. His candidacy has produced a fervor in black America born of centuries of wanting. Nearly every black vote that Clinton thought was hers at the beginning of the race has been siphoned by Obama.

Each of the presidential candidates were invited to speak, but only Sen. Hillary Clinton accepted. Clinton is desperate to bolster her flagging campaign with a larger share of the black vote after losing all but a small percent to Obama. Smiley said he wants the candidates to focus on the issues that black Americans care about.

AAPP: Hillary is the only candidate who needs to convince black voters to stop voting for Obama and vote for her. Hillary will be glad take a few pictures with you Tavis. I'm sure Bill Clinton will be willing to show up too. He sure would be glad to tell some black jokes and make some more color aroused statements against Barack Obama. Maybe Hillary will bring out some other surrogates like Robert Johnson or Andrew Young. I'm also sure Hillary will also bring her new black female campaign manager around. If that won't work, maybe Hillary can dig up some family members of Lyndon B. Johnson to let black folks know how unimportant MLK was to the Civil rights movement. But then again, with Hillary in the house, talking black, giving her southern drawl, and a few photo ops, maybe you can get some photo ops for a new book. "Hating on Barack - My 11th hour effort to create discourse with black folks and Brack Obama."

If the blogosphere is any reflection, however, black America believes Smiley should check his ego. Commenters would much rather see Obama campaigning against Clinton in Texas and Ohio than at Smiley's confab in Louisiana, a state he's already won. Critics burned up Internet chat rooms, taking turns at denouncing Smiley. Pundit Melissa Harris-Lacewell, an Obama supporter, authored a biting anti-Smiley opinion on TheRoot.com (which is owned by Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive), entitled, "Who Died and Made Him King?"

AAPP: I agree, smiley appears to be involved in a little bit of old school self-hatred as far as I am concerned.

A fan of Smiley commented on one blog, saying, "Tavis, Ya Killin' Me, Man." An angrier writer headlined his comment, "This is just dumb." "This man is involved in the fight of his life for the presidency of the UNITED STATES, not black states," he wrote of Obama. "I don't know if Tavis got the memo, but Hillary is leading in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the governor said that his white folks won't vote for a black." Other comments would likely be blocked by Net Nanny and can't be printed on the Web pages of a family newspaper.

For Smiley, the tumult is a major turnabout. Until now he was a darling commentator in black America. His passion for the people endeared him to many. People listened to his commentaries on the popular Tom Joyner Morning Show, and snapped up so many copies of the "Covenant" that it made the top ten lists of the both the New York Times and the Washington Post. When Smiley talked, black people listened.

AAPP: I agree, at this point Tavis seems to be more to be interested in selling books, and being the "Journalism king of Black America." Although Obama may change his mind and attend, I'm with Obama on this one. Obama needs to continue to get busy and campaign where he need to get undecided votes. Don't listen to the self-hating black folk, even those who sell a lot of books and talk the talk.

"One of my friends said, 'you are being barbecued in the blogosphere,'" Smiley said. He told Black America Web writer Michael Cottman's that "I'm catching hell." In our interview, Smiley said: "This is the first time in my entire career that I have found myself in this kind of relationship with some folk in black America. I now know what it feels like to have the weight of the Internet world bearing down on you. Man, it's an eye opener when you get caught in the middle of it."

AAPP: look in the mirror Tavis, this election is bigger than you!

Obama's campaign said he called Smiley twice on his cell and office phones. Smiley said he returned the calls but got no response.

On the Tom Joyner Morning Show recently, Joyner brought up the controversy during an interview with Obama, relating how Smiley was taking heat for saying he thinks Obama doesn't want to talk about issues black people care about.

Obama chastised Smiley, but spoke as if the two were friends. "I'm going to have to call Tavis up and straighten him out on this," Obama said. He said he's addressed issues that Smiley cares about, such as health care and eliminating the legal sentencing disparity that allows judges to send mostly black crack cocaine offenders to prison with sentences that are five times longer than powder cocaine offenders who are mostly white and Latino.

Obama followed up with a letter to Smiley, dated Feb. 13. In it, Obama explained why he declined the invitation, saying that he needed to campaign in states that Clinton must win to in order to topple her candidacy.

AAPP: Hey Tavis, Obama is right, get over it!

"I will be on the campaign trail every day in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly to voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum such as affordable housing, economic opportunity, civil rights and foreign policy," Obama said in his letter. He had offered to have his wife, Michelle, speak in his stead at the State of the Black Union, but Smiley had declined. "I ask that you reconsider," Obama wrote. "Michelle is a powerful voice for the type of reach change America is hungry for."

Smiley responded in a commentary on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, condemning Obama's decision with his usual strong, passionate, rapid-fire delivery. He recounted the gist of his statement in the interview. "I think it is a miscalculation on his part not to appear and a missed opportunity."

AAPP: Hey Tavis Smiley, there you go with that, "I'm more important" than the people of America that Obama needs to convince to vote for him stuff. In the big picture of this campaign, your not as important, this time around. No photo op for you and Obama this time.

"I love Barack Obama and I love black people," Smiley said. "I celebrate his past accomplishments and I celebrate his future aspirations. I never wanted to stand in the path of his growth."

However, he said, "My job is to ask the critical question, to raise these issues and keep these guys focused. There are some people who are disappointed that I'm not jumping up and down saying, 'Vote for Barack Obama.' That's not my role as a journalist. That's not what I do."

AAPP: Whatever! Enjoy the kiss up and photo op with Team Clinton. This is nothing more than old school, black leadership self hatred against Barack Obama. Just another Crab in the basket.

Note: I will be discussing this tonight (Sunday) on:
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Hillary to Black Men, Black Women, and Democratic Activist "You Don't Matter"

AAPP: I watched CNN in amazement yesterday afternoon as Hillary Clinton dismissed her weekend losses. It's clear that Hillary Clinton has a strategy of continuing her color aroused campaign. She continues to bring up at every opportunity that Obama is Black, as he beats her and Bill in more states with large white populations.

AAPP: " Hillary is truly becoming a modern day American political campaigning disgrace, saying essentially that 'Democratic activists' and black voters don't matter. Hillary and Bill are truly showing their deep down color aroused feelings regarding black America. It truly seems to be deep rooted and just plain angry."

Both John Aravosis (DC) from the blog America Blogs and the Daily Kos are covering the story.

Here is what Hillary had to say today about you 'activists' and blacks who vote in the Democratic primaries. You see, you don't really count.

Hillary Clinton on Monday explained away Barack Obama's clean sweep of the weekend's caucuses and primaries as a product of a caucus system that favors "activists" and, in the case of the Louisiana primary, an energized African-American community.

She told reporters who had gathered to watch her tour a General Motors plant here that "everybody knew, you all knew, what the likely outcome of these recent contests were."...

Noting that "my husband never did well in caucus states either," Clinton argued that caucuses are "primarily dominated by activists" and that "they don't represent the electorate, we know that."

The DailyKos notes:

One of the hilarious side-effects of every Obama victory is the spin from Clinton quarters and its surrogates and supporters explaining why said victories "don't matter".

Iowa didn't matter because it was a caucus state, and it's undemocratic. Same goes for every other caucus state including Maine. The only caucus state that mattered was Nevada.

Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Alaska, and Utah don't matter because they're small Red states that Democrats won't carry in November.

Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana don't matter because they have black people. Expect the same spin out of DC this Tuesday. Black people don't apparently count.

Washington and Minnesota don't matter because they have educated white people.

In any case, Washington, Nebraska, and Louisiana didn't matter on Saturday because everyone expected Obama to win them anyway.

Virginia and Maryland, assuming they're won by Obama, will be a combination of the "black people" and "educated people" rationalizations. Throw a little of "Obama was expected to win anyway", and you've got the trifecta.

Illinois doesn't matter because that's Obama's home state. Expect the same spin when Obama wins Hawaii by double-digit margins in two weeks.

Missouri doesn't matter because Clinton sent out a press release claiming she won it.

Colorado was a caucus state, so that leaves Delaware and Connecticut. Those are the only two states that apparently matter, giving Hillary Clinton a commanding 10-2 lead among states that matter.

One final line of attack used to minimize Obama's victories is the notion that "he can't win states without his base", his base of course being African Americans, white yuppies, and Red state Democrats. More HERE

AAPP: It has become more and more obvious that Billary has color arousal issues with a black man running against her and winning. It's also obvious to this African American Political Pundit that Hillary supports her own political abortion when she makes statements like she did yesterday. I guess the Obama/Hillary ticket won't happen. And that may just be a good thing for the Democrats. If Hillary wins the nomination, blacks may just stay home."

The Tipping Point, Superdelegates, Obama, Billary and Democracy in America

AAPP: The Democratic Party and/or its Superdelegates, just may try to shut Barack Obama out of the Presidency. It's the color scheme stupid.



The writing is on the wall. Denver may be the scene of another 1968 like Democratic National Convention. That's if superdelegates, party leaders, members of congress and other VIP's get an automatic vote on the Democratic Convention floor for a brokered convention. Meaning the winner of the pledged delegates who represent the popular votes across America (which will probably be Obama) loses to the candidate who has the most superdelegates (which will probably be Billary Clinton). So, America, it would appear the Fix just might be in. The Democratic Party and/or its Superdelegates, just may try to shut Obama out of the Presidency. This should alarm the American Democratic electorate. It just may cause a Revolt against the Democratic Party rules not seen since the days of Fanny Lou Hammer and Hubert Humphrey.



This has the makings of ugly Democratic Politics that may destroy allegiances of progressive voters to the Democratic Party. The question many black bloggers, including the blog What About Our Daughters is asking; Will Barack Obama pull a "Fannie Lou Hamer" or Will he take ne for the team?

But it's just not black bloggers, as John DeSio writes in the Village Voice "Barack Obama’s is locked in a virtual tie for convention delegates with slim delegate lead over Hillary Clinton, but Democratic Party rules could still shut him out of the presidential nomination despite his strong performance in the primaries."

John Desio goes on to write, "At issue are so-called “superdelegates,” former and current elected officials and other Democratic power-players who are appointed as delegates to the party’s national convention and can choose their preferred candidate with no regard for how their state has voted. New York’s superdelegates include, among others, former President Bill Clinton, United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and every Democratic member of the State’s congressional delegation.

Within the primary voting system Obama has put together a small lead over Clinton, with 635 delegates compared to her 630, according to CNN, though other counts vary. But Clinton has maintained a strong majority of those superdelegates that have made their official pledge, and leads Obama 783-709 when those numbers are factored in (other superdelegate counts give Clinton a larger lead.)

Obama is well aware of the disparity and has sent a message to the Democratic establishment on those superdelegates, stating that they "would have to think long and hard about how they approach the nomination when the people they claim to represent have said, 'Obama's our guy.'" Obama’s message is clear: do not subvert the will of the people.

The superdelegate system used by the Democrats was put into effect during the 1970’s, as a means for party officials to maintain their influence in the face of reforms that arose from the 1972 presidential campaign of former senator and liberal stalwart George McGovern, said Tom De Luca ,a professor of political science at Fordham University.

The superdelegates are bound to nothing but their own opinions, said De Luca, and make up a strong 20 percent of the total Democratic delegate count of 4,049. Should Clinton’s lead among superdelegates vault her to the nomination, despite her defeat to Obama at the hands of the people, it could mean trouble for Democrats in November.

“I think it would be very, very bad for the Democrats,” said De Luca. “It might really demobilize some of the Obama constituency in the November election, which could well be very close.”

Harlem State Senator Bill Perkins was the first New York elected official to forsake his hometown senator and endorse Obama’s campaign, and he too is concerned that the will of the people could be cast aside at the convention, all in the name of party politics. Obama’s campaign is one of hope, said Perkins, and those hopes could be dashed by the superdelegate system, shutting Obama out of his rightful nomination “not on the basis of merit.” More here

I agree with David Sirota and his Huffington post article, A Short-Term Solution to the Potential Superdelegate Problem, Americans need to find out who their Superdelegates are in their state, and then start putting pressure on them. As David said, We've got to get ahead of this thing before the horse-trading and backroom dealing starts. We have to watch out and make sure Billary Clinton does not try to buy or steal the election. The message needs to be sent out. Superdelegates: We Are Watching You

AAPP: Here is more historic information on the Superdelegates.

Superdelegates

Who: A superdelegate is a Democratic Party representative who carries an independent vote going into a national convention. He or she can be a former elected, or party, official or a current officeholder. A superdelegate is not bound to vote in line with party primary elections or caucus decisions.

How many: The Democratic Party has just fewer than 800 superdelegates headed to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The exact number of superdelegates is fluid until March 1. They will account for about 20 percent of delegate voting at the convention.

The GOP: The Republicans give each state and protectorate three unpledged delegates: the state party chair, a committeeman and a committeewoman. Also, there are some GOP state parties, such as Colorado's, whose primaries or caucuses are meant to guide pledged delegates but do not bind them to the popular vote.

History: In 1984, Walter Mondale persuaded the Democratic Party to create superdelegates while running as the party's establishment candidate. The Republican system evolved after reforms in both parties in 1972.

Why: Democrats banned winner- takes-all contests in the 1980s to apportion support so that underdog candidates had a fighting chance. But the invention also shelters party front-runners from being overwhelmed by unknown candidates who surge from behind. The real aim is to head off protracted fights on the convention floor, keeping some power for party insiders.

Source: DenverPost.com

Black, Whites, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, join together in South Carolina - Pick Obama

'Yes we can!'





White Voters and Black Voters joined together in South Carolina last night to smack down the color arousal campaign of Team Clinton in support of the institutional change message of Barack Obama.

In his Victory Speech Obama questioned “the assumption that African-Americans s can’t support the white candidate; whites can’t support the African-America candidate; blacks and Latinos cant come together. He answered: But we are here tonight to say that this is not the America we believe in.

Although Hillary tried to high jack the Obama change message, black, white, latino, and native American voters in South Carolina were not buying the Hillary and Bill Clinton color Arousal politics.

Of course the team Clinton campaign has downplayed the Obama win spinning with their sick color arousal politics of days gone by, discounting the Obama Victory.

Check out the infamous and alleged first wannabe black President Bill Clinton's racist spin: "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in 84 and 88," the former President Bill Clinton told reporters outside a polling station in Columbia. "Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here." Translation? As blogger Mia T noted, The Clintons want people to believe Obama is simply this year's Jesse Jackson. This as Obama gains the endorsement of the Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, Inquirer, and the daughter of former U.S. President John F. Kenndy, Caroline Kennedy.

I can't wait to read the spin of alleged liberal blogs at Mydd, My Left Wing and DailyKos and others who have all been generally supporting Billary Clinton, and refuse to link to black political bloggers.

But then again, I'd rather read Afrospear bloggers take on Barack Obama. The folks at Mydd, My Left Wing and DailyKos pretty much hate on black folks anyway.

Here is a link to Barack Obama’s South Carolina Primary Speech.