The telly has been running quietly in the background but I can just make out an advertisement for rap mogul Russell Simmons' "Rush Card", a kind of high fee, high recurring cost debit card targeted towards the type of person who might think Mr. Simmons and the lifestyle he represents is fabulous.
Back on the computer, Jesse Jackson has come out saying some very negative things about Obama, throwing more ammunition to those who would like Obama to spend all his time battling every marginal controversy that comes his way. We had hoped that Mr. Jackson could hold his tongue forever, but he hardly seems able to learn the lesson that what is said off the mike will be used by people to make you look as foolish as you sound. Even Jackson's own son disapproved,saying, "His divisive and demeaning comments about the presumptive Democratic nominee — and I believe the next president of the United States — contradict his inspiring and courageous career." (AP)
What did Jackson actually say, and why has he not learned from his own past history about the dangers of ad libbing to strangers?
The Washington Post reports:
Speaking near a Fox News microphone that he thought was turned off, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson on Sunday disparaged Sen. Barack Obama's embrace of faith-based social services, using crude language to suggest that he wanted to castrate the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Because of incidents like this, Obama clearly has a delicate task in trying to weave together a policy blanket that will cover enough Americans; comments like Jackson's show the extreme difficulties that a black candidate faces atop every other difficulty (which include trying to pay off the debt of the woman who ran against you, ran up her own debt in futility, who demeaned you, who told the world you were essentially not white enough to get the votes to win, and who implied you were sexist and a disembodied suit).
The cynicism that runs through every mind says that Obama is for faith based initiatives merely for purposes of policital expediency, never mind the fact that even faith based policy can be structured in a very liberal way if so desired. There is no reason to expect that a liberal and conservative setting up such a plan would have entirely overlapping rules, but nevertheless the press plays up these things for shock value. If a politician makes any deviation from a stated position, or seeks to expound or add depth, the press rushes in to say it's some significiant change in direction, and only when you have read every comment do you realize, "Hmmm, nuance or clarification does not a 180 degree turn make."
As a so-called reverend, and not an entirely stupid man, one would think that Jackson could be accepting of faith based initiatives. He knows good and well that Obama is hardly making a suggestion that the government disengage from helping the poor.
Of course like Tavis Smiley, the talk show host who was miffed at Obama's skipping one of his verbal group gropes, Jackson has his eye on the little picture, and it's a picture best viewed through the mirror and filled entirely with his own image.
Meanwhile Obama has to fend off these little cannibalistic attacks and shenanigans from other blacks who presume themselves to be something important, not realizing they are trying to be the biggest dog at the International Cat show.
Which brings us back to the Rush Card advertisement. When the card came out several years back it received some benign attention, but a few astute people in the black community and elsewhere were on hand to point out the complete hypocrisy of offering a high fee card to people who lack standard banking resources and low cost altenatives.
It is often difficult to take Russell Simmons seriously despite his achievements and rhetoric about his people. Those fees coming from people too ignorant to know better will go well in providing his children-- now with the ex-wife-- the best of what other's money can buy.
All of this explains in some way how someone like Obama is a refreshing change. His eyes are on the big picture and despite a few errors, he has kept focus. If he can refrain from being distracted by drama and stupidity coming from every direction, including black cannibalism, he could truly be a different type of leader, and a different type of black leader.
Let's hope he does not get eaten by others first; that would leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many.
No comments:
Post a Comment