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Why vote for Obama?
Rev Mervin Stoddart
Monday, January 21, 2008
The United States of America has seen many credible black people run for president over the years but in the 2007-2008 campaign, especially after his victory in the Iowa state caucus, Barack Obama has managed to generate near fanatical following in the USA and worldwide. The most obvious question to be asked is why. Prior to Obama, the black presidential candidate who generated the greatest following was the Rev Jesse Jackson, and comparing the candidacies of both black men should provide some answers for the supposed Obama-rama now underway.
Jumping out at readers immediately should be the fact that Jackson had much more leadership experience and down-in-the-trenches political achievements than Obama, especially in the civil rights movement. Three conclusions may be drawn from this comparison to Obama, whose "few years as senator" completes the experience section of his political resume.
First, the Obama frenzy is typically American, that is, more froth and appearances than solid foundations. America, with its Machiavellian movers and shakers, is one big Hollywood and so the Oprah factor in the Obama campaign might give it more fizz than the Jackson attempt.
Second, experience or not, another black person running for the US presidency in a century when a black president is decades overdue is bound to draw strong following. Thus, Obama's showing owes much to Jackson's record and work in more ways than one. Ergo, Obama is the beneficiary of the years of fighting for black rights in the USA by Jackson, Marcus Garvey, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, and hundreds of others, and so now the rise of Obama is being helped along by the zeitgeist.
Third, despite being inexperienced, Barack Obama has one thing that Jesse Jackson lacked, namely, a white parent, which in racist America is half the qualifications needed to be president. But I believe that solid leadership experience is important, and if America is to get back on track after eight years of disaster under George Bush and Dick Cheney, and if the welfare of blacks is to be advanced, then Hillary Clinton is the only logical choice for US president this time around. The economic success and black advancements of the Bill Clinton presidency speak for themselves; and Hillary's leadership in the White House then was commendable.
Black Americans would be foolish to look for their next president among the Republicans in that grand old racist party with its right-wing fundamentalist Christian bigots. This hints at another potential reason for the Obama frenzy, namely, the possible Republican conspiracy to register as Democrats, vote for Obama in the season of primaries, and set him up for the downfall in the real elections, thus socking it to Hillary, who, among the Democrats, has the best chance of being elected president against any and all of the Republicans now running.
Furthermore, in this era of stealing elections in the USA, demonstrated in Florida and Ohio by Bush in 2000 and 2004, it would be much easier to get the US Supreme Court to decide in favour of a white Republican male than for a black male Democrat, by using that tried and proved trick of 2000.
But even if Obama did slip through and become president with a majority popular vote, it would be easier to persuade the Electoral College to deny that black man the presidency, than to deny a white woman. And even if by luck or design Obama were to be sworn in as US president, it is certain that those haters, who murdered people like Dr King, John F Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy, would find it easier to bump off black Obama than to kill white Hillary. Chances are, if nominated, Obama might have to choose a white male for his vice president; and in the event of his death the American presidency would be "back to normal". Black Barack is therefore the Republicans' and many of white America's ideal candidate to win the Democratic primary, and if I should vote for him I could technically be voting Republican - a thought as repulsive as endorsing Adolph Hitler. Obama is evidently a sincere man but he might be unaware of how much he is being manipulated by the movers and shakers in the USA, mother of all racist nations.
So what if the real powers behind the US presidency should engineer the election and ascendancy of black Obama? It might be so that they could stage the biggest terrorist attack on his watch to continue their Orwellian drama initiated on 9/11. Could they this time possibly frame Iran for the next big one, thus accomplishing through President Obama what they might not get to do under Bush, that is, murder some more politically strong Arab/Muslims and steal more oil by invading Iran? What is more dramatic than a man with a Muslim background leading the stealth crusade against Muslims begun under George Bush the First?
Individual people of colour, sincere white folk who abhor racism, and predominantly black nations of the world should not get caught up in the Obama frenzy being staged by the shallow, tabloid-oriented, deceitful American media. They should analyse the issues and delve behind the media frenzy to evaluate the prospects for change in America under an Obama presidency versus a Hillary Clinton administration. Granted, now that Republicans have mastered the art of rigging presidential elections, it might be a moot point whether Obama or Clinton wins the primary.
Nevertheless, despite her whiteness and her despicable pro-Iraq war votes, Hillary Clinton, compared to Obama, is a stronger, more experienced leader with superior ideas for rescuing America and advancing human rights, including black welfare. With so much at stake for the USA and the world, why should anyone, especially blacks, vote for Obama?
Rev Dr Mervin Stoddart is a freelance writer out of Florida.
-INMerv@hotmail.com.
Rev Mervin Stoddart
Monday, January 21, 2008
The United States of America has seen many credible black people run for president over the years but in the 2007-2008 campaign, especially after his victory in the Iowa state caucus, Barack Obama has managed to generate near fanatical following in the USA and worldwide. The most obvious question to be asked is why. Prior to Obama, the black presidential candidate who generated the greatest following was the Rev Jesse Jackson, and comparing the candidacies of both black men should provide some answers for the supposed Obama-rama now underway.
Jumping out at readers immediately should be the fact that Jackson had much more leadership experience and down-in-the-trenches political achievements than Obama, especially in the civil rights movement. Three conclusions may be drawn from this comparison to Obama, whose "few years as senator" completes the experience section of his political resume.
First, the Obama frenzy is typically American, that is, more froth and appearances than solid foundations. America, with its Machiavellian movers and shakers, is one big Hollywood and so the Oprah factor in the Obama campaign might give it more fizz than the Jackson attempt.
Second, experience or not, another black person running for the US presidency in a century when a black president is decades overdue is bound to draw strong following. Thus, Obama's showing owes much to Jackson's record and work in more ways than one. Ergo, Obama is the beneficiary of the years of fighting for black rights in the USA by Jackson, Marcus Garvey, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, and hundreds of others, and so now the rise of Obama is being helped along by the zeitgeist.
Third, despite being inexperienced, Barack Obama has one thing that Jesse Jackson lacked, namely, a white parent, which in racist America is half the qualifications needed to be president. But I believe that solid leadership experience is important, and if America is to get back on track after eight years of disaster under George Bush and Dick Cheney, and if the welfare of blacks is to be advanced, then Hillary Clinton is the only logical choice for US president this time around. The economic success and black advancements of the Bill Clinton presidency speak for themselves; and Hillary's leadership in the White House then was commendable.
Black Americans would be foolish to look for their next president among the Republicans in that grand old racist party with its right-wing fundamentalist Christian bigots. This hints at another potential reason for the Obama frenzy, namely, the possible Republican conspiracy to register as Democrats, vote for Obama in the season of primaries, and set him up for the downfall in the real elections, thus socking it to Hillary, who, among the Democrats, has the best chance of being elected president against any and all of the Republicans now running.
Furthermore, in this era of stealing elections in the USA, demonstrated in Florida and Ohio by Bush in 2000 and 2004, it would be much easier to get the US Supreme Court to decide in favour of a white Republican male than for a black male Democrat, by using that tried and proved trick of 2000.
But even if Obama did slip through and become president with a majority popular vote, it would be easier to persuade the Electoral College to deny that black man the presidency, than to deny a white woman. And even if by luck or design Obama were to be sworn in as US president, it is certain that those haters, who murdered people like Dr King, John F Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy, would find it easier to bump off black Obama than to kill white Hillary. Chances are, if nominated, Obama might have to choose a white male for his vice president; and in the event of his death the American presidency would be "back to normal". Black Barack is therefore the Republicans' and many of white America's ideal candidate to win the Democratic primary, and if I should vote for him I could technically be voting Republican - a thought as repulsive as endorsing Adolph Hitler. Obama is evidently a sincere man but he might be unaware of how much he is being manipulated by the movers and shakers in the USA, mother of all racist nations.
So what if the real powers behind the US presidency should engineer the election and ascendancy of black Obama? It might be so that they could stage the biggest terrorist attack on his watch to continue their Orwellian drama initiated on 9/11. Could they this time possibly frame Iran for the next big one, thus accomplishing through President Obama what they might not get to do under Bush, that is, murder some more politically strong Arab/Muslims and steal more oil by invading Iran? What is more dramatic than a man with a Muslim background leading the stealth crusade against Muslims begun under George Bush the First?
Individual people of colour, sincere white folk who abhor racism, and predominantly black nations of the world should not get caught up in the Obama frenzy being staged by the shallow, tabloid-oriented, deceitful American media. They should analyse the issues and delve behind the media frenzy to evaluate the prospects for change in America under an Obama presidency versus a Hillary Clinton administration. Granted, now that Republicans have mastered the art of rigging presidential elections, it might be a moot point whether Obama or Clinton wins the primary.
Nevertheless, despite her whiteness and her despicable pro-Iraq war votes, Hillary Clinton, compared to Obama, is a stronger, more experienced leader with superior ideas for rescuing America and advancing human rights, including black welfare. With so much at stake for the USA and the world, why should anyone, especially blacks, vote for Obama?
Rev Dr Mervin Stoddart is a freelance writer out of Florida.
-INMerv@hotmail.com.
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