Senator Obama, Black America & A Systematic Approach:
As the election cycle drudges onward, more and more it is becoming clear to most Americans that having a neophyte to serve as the President of the United States, of the kind that we have had for the past 8 years simply does not make any sense at all. And when you take into consideration the state that the nation is in, that will be turned over to another inchoate President, it simply would not make sense to repeat a similar mistake all over again and put someone in office who will have to be permitted, more or less, a reasonable learning curve. How long would it take? Eight years in office did not help Bush, however, four more years of preparation could prove to have many dividends for Senator Obama.
Black Americans, the majority of them, who switched from supporting Hillary Clinton, who was apparently black America's default candidate to Senator Obama Hussein recently, simply put want a black leader to preside over this nation. And it is understanding given the politics of race in this nation. Blacks have been the recipients of economic and political disenfranchisement, despite their contributions of labor and service to this nation from the first day that blacks arrived on these shores.
The face of political and economic disenfranchisement for black Americans, has always been white. After 232 years of white-faced leadership, blacks believe that if America were to place a leader with a black face in office as President of the USA, then suddenly all of their problems would go away. The problem with that fortuitous conclusion is that it is simply a pipe dream. If Black Americans were simply to consider what has taken place in South Africa, a nation with a 96% black majority, not much has changed in spite of South Africa's current and past black Presidents, Mandela and Mbeki.
The two Presidents were not able to change South Africa overnight, and they are a long way from completing that arduous tasks. There has not been a universal redistribution of income। Ancestral lands have not been returned en masse to to the majority in the black nation of South Africa. Black Africans continue to suffer disproportionately, while they continue to exist in shantytowns and ghettos with poor utilities and other services. Why? Two factors really, the obvious being that there are structures in place that would prevent any leader, white, black or Indian in South Africa, to simply walk in and do what he or she wishes to do.
As the election cycle drudges onward, more and more it is becoming clear to most Americans that having a neophyte to serve as the President of the United States, of the kind that we have had for the past 8 years simply does not make any sense at all. And when you take into consideration the state that the nation is in, that will be turned over to another inchoate President, it simply would not make sense to repeat a similar mistake all over again and put someone in office who will have to be permitted, more or less, a reasonable learning curve. How long would it take? Eight years in office did not help Bush, however, four more years of preparation could prove to have many dividends for Senator Obama.
Black Americans, the majority of them, who switched from supporting Hillary Clinton, who was apparently black America's default candidate to Senator Obama Hussein recently, simply put want a black leader to preside over this nation. And it is understanding given the politics of race in this nation. Blacks have been the recipients of economic and political disenfranchisement, despite their contributions of labor and service to this nation from the first day that blacks arrived on these shores.
The face of political and economic disenfranchisement for black Americans, has always been white. After 232 years of white-faced leadership, blacks believe that if America were to place a leader with a black face in office as President of the USA, then suddenly all of their problems would go away. The problem with that fortuitous conclusion is that it is simply a pipe dream. If Black Americans were simply to consider what has taken place in South Africa, a nation with a 96% black majority, not much has changed in spite of South Africa's current and past black Presidents, Mandela and Mbeki.
The two Presidents were not able to change South Africa overnight, and they are a long way from completing that arduous tasks. There has not been a universal redistribution of income। Ancestral lands have not been returned en masse to to the majority in the black nation of South Africa. Black Africans continue to suffer disproportionately, while they continue to exist in shantytowns and ghettos with poor utilities and other services. Why? Two factors really, the obvious being that there are structures in place that would prevent any leader, white, black or Indian in South Africa, to simply walk in and do what he or she wishes to do.
White Afrikaners still hold the reigns of power, and they still control the wealth and the majority of economic institutions in South Africa। The second factor is the learning curve. As accomplished as both Presidents are, both men of skill, education and knowledge, the factor of the learning curve overrides a petulant desire to simply walk in and 'change things'.
The mendacious black tergiversators, in the African-American community in the majority white United States of America, which I often refer to as, the land of the free and the home of the slave, will still control the reigns of power, the institutions and the wealth of this nation no matter who becomes President.
It is neither axiomatic or automatic that if Senator Obama or any other black leader were to prevail and become President of the United States, that he or she would have to deal with a learning curve, as well as the structural white norms that are already inculcated within the American mixed-society. If Senator Obama were to prevail, I suspect that the hopes of black America will still be dashed, when after 2 to 400 years of waiting, they still won't get what they want, not immediately anyway.
There is another very serious issue to be considered here, and it has to do in part with race. Will the majority of Americans place their confidence and trust in a black leader, or will his poll numbers begin at say 25% support, and steadily decline to zero or the dreaded "No Confidence" in his first year in office? Simply put, white Americans are hard-wired not to trust anyone but their own. What will this portend for America's domestic policy, one has to wonder. I don't have any prescient knowledge of what will happen, however, this is what I believe will happen, and I've experienced it before myself with white Americans.
Let's assume that Senator Obama becomes the President. On every issue, the government will proceed as normal, their will be cabinet meetings, the President will meet with his cabinet and go about the issue of tending to government business. However, there will be an undermining of his authority as President. The white Americans who will pay lip service and refer to him on a political basis as Mr. President, will listen to hear what he has to say, and if it displeases them, they will refer to their official and unofficial caucuses, and decide how to navigate around the President with say an Executive Order, or a direct order.
What would this portend for America internationally? It wouldn't take long before foreign governments will represent the Black President of the USA, does not have the support of the American people who make the difference. Are who are the American people that make the difference? They are the ones with power, and power, compensatory, condigned or conditional, can be represented in terms of wealth, political power or the real control of the military and the voting masses.
I believe that Senator Obama would become a lame-duck President very likely on his first day in office. Of course there will be a polite rendering of, well, let's just wait and see, however, just as Senator Obama has chosen to retreat on certain issues that pertain to his personal feelings, those of his wife, his pastor and his church, I suspect that he will capitulate again when he is told, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE WANT!
Sure he will have an impotent black minority supporting him, however, he will sustain the same kind of behavior from the black community if they don't get what they want quickly, jobs, capital, affirmative action type preferences, reversals of the past historical legacy of racial animus and equal access to all of the opportunity structures in this nation. White Americans might attenuate and accept a few ignoble gestures from a black president to the black community, however, they will only tolerate so much largess.
Cutting to the chase, where do I really stand on the Senator Obama Presidential hopefuls candidacy. I believe that he should have helped to solidify the system that he is taking advantage of in order to accomplish his dream of being President. Senator Obama, and many black Americans should have worked to solidify the Democratic Party, and Senator Obama should have waited his turn. I believe that Senator Obama needs to learn a lot more before seeking the office of President. Just consider all of the guffaws and faux pas' of President George Bush. Has this nation ever had a more incompetent leader.
Ambassador Alan Keyes, when running against then candidate Bush said, 'The man does not have the mental capacity to be President', and President Bush has definitely proven that in my opinion. On the other hand, does Senator Obama have the mental capacity to be President, I would answer yes. However, just having the mental capacity is not enough, not only as far as Senator Obama is concerned, the same rule should apply no matter who desires to seek the office of President.
But even after you've proven that you have the mental capacity, there should be a reasonable period of time and training in order to hone your craft. Most educational institutional and corporate institutions have a tenure or executive track program. Candidates are expected to join, or be hired, and afterward learn as much as they can, while being considered for promotion. Senator Obama could have satisfied the executive track program by putting his ticket into the hat to become a vice president. In that capacity, he could have learned and practiced the nuances that are all associated with being President.
Why is that Americans like George Bush and Obama Hussein in recent times have been so truculent, if not arrogant, by presupposing that just anyone can step up one day and say that I want to be the President of the United States of America. If the American people are willing to vote for them, shouldn't that be enough. The American people voted for George Bush two times, I REST MY CASE!
Obama, wait your turn and if you truly value the office that you are pursuing, invest the time to prepare for doing that job, our lives, our children's lives, our security and our livelihoods are all at stake. And this risk aversive experiment of yours, that is being supported primarily by sychophants who are less than politically astute, and who do not understand how American as well as geopolitical politics works, are neither serving the nation nor a very unstable world very well!
As I close, I would like to see a self-deprecating Senator Obama stand up and say that I am going to do all of us a favor, and go and spend a bit more time getting prepared for such a serious understanding. For now, make yourself available to be drafted as a vice presidential candidate, who wants to prepare to be the best president, America's 1st black president, that this nation has ever seen. Otherwise, if you were to be elected and fail due to presumptuousness, neither blacks nor whites will ever support a minority candidate again en masse, anytime soon!
Peace & Grace
Rev. C. Solomon
http://www.sealofabraham.blogspot.com/
Addenda: I believe that Obama is about to ruin something that could have been very good. I believe that right now his timing is slightly off! Depending on the outcome, minorities may or may not ever get an opportunity like this again. What we all should learn from this experience is the wisdom of building sustaining broad-based colations, and how to work in collaboration within those coalitions. The scholarly Senator Obama should be able to see the bigger picture.
If I were he, I would again simply make myself available to be vice president। In the interim I would call together other scholars and civil rights leaders, and examine what we did right and what we have done wrong. I would call all in all of those that I have offended, or have been offended with me along the way. And from all of the information garnered, whether selected Vice President of the United States or not, over the next couple of years, I would build a machine and myself in a lasting manner, that would provide social justice leadership for this nation into perpetuity!
If I were he, I would again simply make myself available to be vice president। In the interim I would call together other scholars and civil rights leaders, and examine what we did right and what we have done wrong. I would call all in all of those that I have offended, or have been offended with me along the way. And from all of the information garnered, whether selected Vice President of the United States or not, over the next couple of years, I would build a machine and myself in a lasting manner, that would provide social justice leadership for this nation into perpetuity!
Wisdom dictates that often, the ones who appear to be your enemies can be your best friends! Obama needs to build a broad-based machine that can produce future presidents!
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