Two articles in the last 24 hours give a great view of the pressure on Obama to add the race card to his political deck.
First came Al Sharpton, who wrapped himself in the mantle of spokesperson for the black community to challenge Obama on a couple of issues:
“Why shouldn’t the black community ask questions? Are we now being told, ‘You all just shut up?'” Sharpton told CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer Monday. “Senator Obama and I agree that the war is wrong, but then I want to know why he went to Connecticut and helped [Sen. Joseph] Lieberman, the biggest supporter of the war.”
Sharpton also questioned why Obama supports “tort reform, which hurts police brutality victims.”
What set Sharpton off was a published report that he is trying to hurt Obama’s campaign because he’s jealous. Sharpton says that claim is untrue, charging the story came from the Obama camp to pressure him into an early endorsement.
“I’m not going to be cajoled or intimidated by any candidate not for my support,” Sharpton said.
While Sharpton’s question about Lieberman support will certainly resonate with the Lamont camp, I’m having a lot of trouble believing that the Obama campaign is specifically and desperately seeking Al’s endorsement.
Then there’s this from The Hill:
After waiting nearly two decades, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) is well positioned to move legislation that could lead the federal government to apologize for slavery and pay reparations.
But the Judiciary Committee chairman is willing to wait two more years, when he hopes Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will be in the White House.
How… bizarre.
Presumably, Conyers feels that Obama would be likely to support (or at least, not oppose) such legislation — and I can only think of two reasons why he would think so. Either:
1. Barack Obama has given a signal to Conyers (verbal or otherwise) that he agrees with a national apology and reparations, or
2. Conyers feels that because of the color of Obama’s skin, he would de facto support such a bill.
Between Al Sharpton and John Conyers (and those like them), Obama’s ability to define himself under his own terms is clearly being challenged.
The question now, of course, is whether Obama’s going to be able to decline the race card they’re trying to force into his hand.
Brack does no need to succumb to this racial card pressure being waged by Al Sharpton and Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan.
The only reasonable politics to these two guys and their peers, is the politics of race. They can’t see nor grasp how quick time changes before their eyes.
Al Sharpton and Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, are losers.
They are filled with jealusy over Barack’s apparent success nationally. They are fearful of Baracks politics, which advocates national political and social unity on equal terms.
Al Sharpton, Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, Vernon Jordan, some of their peers, and African-American in general, has carried the burden of a white man since the time of their conception. They are unable to see nor understand another kind of socio-political setup that will set them free without a white man’s intervention.
They are methodically brainwashed. Al Sharpton, Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, Vernon Jordan, some of their peers are ready and willing to throw away their own fortune to help Clintons keep theirs.
They go around in their churches demanding political and civil rights, but when the answer to their quest comes around, they abandon it, and, run back to their master – the white man, pledging their traditional loyality as we see now happening with Al Sharpton, Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, Vernon Jordan, some of their peers.
This painful abuse and rejection of Barack’s humanity and/or his person, by African-Americans, can only be compared to that story in the Bible how because of jealousy, the Jews rejected Jesus as their own. John:1:11.
All African-Americans came from Africa to America, as the others came from Europe, etc.
Why can’t these African-Americans see how European Americans treat each other. Example: Arnold Schwarzenegger, who up to now does not speak English well, came to the USA as an immigrant, there was no problem electing him, governor of Carlifornia. European Americans, never questioned if he is White American enough. They even would want to amend the constitution, so, he can be elected president.
There was no problem with Michael Dukakis a greek immigrant who was nominated by the Democratic Party in 1988, and who because of racial discrimination, could not ask Jesse Jackson – who got over 7 200 000 (seven million two hundred thousand)votes in primaries – to be his running mate, and instead took the late Sen. Bengtsen as his running mate.
I ask, Al Sharpton, Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan,to leave Barack alone.
I would suggest that the answer to your question will determine Obama’s ultimate elect-ability. If he gives into Sharpton, et al, then he will have little chance in the general election. If he continues to chart his own course in the mainstream then he has a good chance of making history.
Obama is, thus far, managing the minefield of American race relations admirably — even brilliantly. I have to agree, marc, that if he strays from his own rather unique (and refreshing) path, he will almost certainly be marginalized and compartmentalized.
Hillary and her minions have the long knives out for this guy…… As it gets closer and Obama is still around it’s going to get ugly and I mean really ugly.
I suspect you’re right about that, roux — but this particular ring of fire would have been waiting for him even if Hillary weren’t running.