Why Black People Always Go For The Okey Doke
After 8 years of inaction on any issues specifically affecting Black Americans by Barack Obama, you would think that Black people at large and Black voters in particular would take a more pragmatic approach to politics from then on. Barack Obama’s presidency, in my opinion, exposed the fatal flaw in Black political strategy; confusing likeability with electability and accepting symbolism over substance.
View Video Commentary Here on Dirty Laundry Media
(In 2008, 55 percent of white voters cast their ballots for John McCain; in 2012, 59 percent of white voters cast their ballots for Mitt Romney.)
Obama captured nearly 95% of the Black vote in 2008; during the first two years of his term Democrats controlled both Houses of Congress. Speaking from my point of view, I certainly didn’t expect Barack Obama to single handedly change Black people’s condition overnight; however, I did expect a very deliberate nod, policy wise, to the constituency that gave him nearly all of their votes. Not only did he get our votes, he was also the beneficiary of an explicit agreement between “Black leadership”, most notably Al Sharpton, the mainstream media and the Black electorate, who agreed to never publicly pressure, critique or condemn Obama.
“Sharpton told us that having a black president is a challenge: if he finds fault with Mr. Obama, he’d be aiding those who want to destroy him. So he has decided not to criticize the president about anything — even about black unemployment, which is twice the national rate.” Lesly Stahl, 60 Minutes
Al Sharpton, in his own words, along with many others, was satisfied with merely having a Black face in a high place. Rather than advocate for the people of his group, Al Sharpton thought it more prudent to protect a politician who refused to act specifically for his African American constituents.
When pressed about targeting the African American community, Barack advised us that “that’s not how America works”, while providing specific remedies for other groups.
Asked about his critics among Black leadership, Obama downplayed the number of those who dared speak against him as only “a handful” and assured that the vast majority of Black people had some universal understanding that what is good for all will be good for African Americans.
Most members of the Congressional Black Caucus were quiet. Maxine Waters did chime in, however, citing high unemployment rates among African Americans. She also noted that they were unsure as to what “the strategy” was due to Obama’s silence and absence from Black communities while he toured the country during that time.
Obama’s response to the criticism was direct and very condescending. Obama admonished the CBC, and all who dared speak out ostensibly, to stop grumbling and complaining and to “shake it off”.
One critic of note was Cornel West. West, an ardent Obama supporter and surrogate during his candidacy, was also a fierce critic of Obama during his presidency. West was able to appreciate the symbolism of an Obama presidency while still expecting and demanding substantive policy, directly targeted to the African American community. West went so far as to characterize Obama’s remarks as disrespectful and that he ought to ask for forgiveness for speaking in such a condescending manner in the face of legitimate criticisms.
Ok, we always say, when someone tells you who they are, believe them. Somehow this principle was forgotten when it came to the first Black president. After freely giving 95% of our votes to Obama, even after the tacit agreement between Black leadership and the rank and file to not criticize Obama, when he was looked to for leadership, Obama decided it was best to take a defensive posture rather than a proactive one, lashing out at his critics in a most un-presidential manner. Most wilted in the face of such harsh push back from the president. Those who expressed dismay were quickly silenced. Objective journalism took a decidedly partisan tone, with talking heads such as Al Sharpton, Melissa Harris-Perry and Michael Eric-Dyson, all employed by MSNBC, were unleashed upon all who dared to stand up to Obama.
This was the time to step back and take stock of the situation. Granted he was the first so-called Black president and all of that, but when you receive an abundance of support, deserved or not, a nod in that direction when it’s time to settle up is definitely in order. At the end of Obama’s first term there should have been a reckoning. The gauntlet should have been laid down before the end of his first term; forcing him to push for specific policy from a Democratically controlled Congress or via Executive Order akin to his DACA program.
Something needed to be done in order to secure the vote for his second term. But no, Black people were led to believe and/or deluded themselves into thinking that during his second term Obama would surely look out for African Americans. He would finally be unleashed! Instead, we got more of the same. Empty rhetoric and excuses for the next four years.
We allowed Barack Obama ride our coat tails to the presidency of the United States and float through an 8 year term with no real criticism. We were fine with Obama just being Black and that was all that we required. No policy, no Executive Orders, just be Black, whatever that means. We laid down.
Again, we confused likeability with electability and we accepted symbolism over substance. Rather than using the leverage of our 95% vote and push for substantive policy, we reveled in the imagery of the first Black presidency, allowing ourselves to succumb to the cult of personality.
Politics is all about the distribution of limited resources; who gets what and how much. In that regard, personality should not be what ultimately sells you on a politician; policy which dictates whatever resources you require to address interests most vital to your agenda should be the motivating factor.
In short, African Americans would benefit from a more pragmatic approach to politics. Nothing fancy; just a simple, straightforward approach to the game. We need to stick to the fundamentals and not worry too much about the razzle dazzle of modern day political theater. It’s certainly a circus and if you’re not careful you’ll find yourself being distracted by the clowns rather than paying attention to the ringmaster. We’ve got to keep our eye on the ball and if an opportunity to advance our position and possibly score presents itself we’ve got to be prudent enough to act in a manner which will ultimately lead us to attain our desired ends.
The mantra should always be — no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests when it comes to politics.
