Republicans Attempt To Transplant Cornel West's Soul Into Obama, Using Witchcraft

Sometimes you have to think carefully and read between the lines when some conservatives (and whites) express dislike for famous black people. Tiger Woods was previously tolerated, excepted even, though grudgingly in certain quarters, as his talent far eclipsed everyone else in his field, and his lifestyle was subdued enough to not be used against him. Until now, what with his copulations across America. His recent penile (and juvenile) activities have allowed those who disliked him for being cocky (and black), to justify that dislike further. Often enough blacks in the public eye provide that ammunition, and certain people are far too willing to fortify their innate bias with that ammunition, while ignoring similar actions in non-blacks.

Of famous black people, Denzel Washington is one of the few that manages to avoid the type of casual and over-sized dislike that extends to so many others. (We might toss Morgan Freeman into the bucket as as well, as both men seem to lead subdued quiet lives out of the spotlight). Tiger was kind of in there, disliked primarily by older white golf fans who are unhappy to see Jack Nicklaus' achievements threatened, but accepted as a "good black" by most others. Until he went on his rabbit rampage across white daughter America.

But I digress, because I wanted to point out that every now and then the irksome and casual mockery and derision and dislike is well earned. In Cornel West we have a man that is generally respected and accepted by blacks (though I would debate the awareness of him among all class levels of people of either race), and accepted by a certain type of well educated liberal white person. However he is trivialized by others, by conservatives, and rightly so.

Indeed the way conservatives look at Cornel, seeing his preen and pomp and intellectual fingerpainting for what it is, is the way they are hoping the world will eventually look at President Obama when they are done shaping public opinion of him. Cornel always seems to be talking and never coming to anything profound or useful, quilting words together in a drapery that covers the fact that he has said nothing at all.

Obama is a man with far more substance and intellect, but he is in the target zone, and Republicans are making a mighty effort to tamp down any achievements so that their verbal diminution of the man will prove prophetic.

You can see some of Cornell's fluff on display in an quick interview he gave with the times. On the one hand, it's interesting to see how people live, and how he travels each weekend around the country. This would be an interesting light profile if the person in question was someone with a bit more heft. But it's Cornel West, and his flitting about the country only reinforces the idea that the man doesn't have a solid foundation. The profile reads as fluff on fluff.

The New York Times intro says:

Cornel West, 56, has many roles: Princeton professor, philosopher, fiery orator, civil rights activist, classical violinist and actor (in two “Matrix” movies). On weekends, Dr. West travels the country delivering lectures, being, in his own words, “a bluesman in the life of the mind, a jazzman in the world of ideas, forever on the move.”

This is the man Obama does not want to become, or be characterized as. He does not want to be a celebrated totem without weight and depth. He does not want to be seen as fickle, of flipping here and there, words on fire, accomplishments slight. A little less conversation and a little more action should be the order of the day for Obama, and for all Democrats. Otherwise, they risk being marginalized inside of a destiny they can control.