January 24, 2008
- Issue 261 |
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The Democratic
Presidential Nomination: True Change is Playing Against a Stacked Deck (and it still might win) Between the Lines By Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad, PhD BC Columnist |
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After the first Democratic primaries (or caucuses) for the party’s nomination, one thing has become real clear: the discussion about how to change the country has become an engagement on how to “spin” the country. What started out as a real conversation about change, has evolved into a press on which “buzz words” evoke the most passion in voters. If you want to say that some of the candidates are now trying to trick the voters - that would be a fair statement. Along with this is a “not so subtle” media bias that is trying to make sure the status quo prevails. While we all have our preferences, we still must be fair in our analysis. My preference is Obama - not (just) because he’s Black but because he has the most salient, unifying message. I also see Obama as the most likely candidate to beat the Republican nominee next November. This country can’t afford another eight years of Republican rhetoric on the war and the economy - while the profiteers rape the nation’s coffers. Hilary Clinton invigorates
every segment of the Republican Party base and loses to ALL of the
Republican candidates in a national election. Why? Because they don’t
see her as Hilary, they see her as “Billary” - an extension of her
husband, former President Bill Clinton, and so far that analysis has
played true. After losing in In the meantime,
Obama beats four of the five top Republican candidates and is even
with the fifth. An American public that wants change can’t lose sight
of the end game by getting twisted in the primary mix. And we can’t
afford a Democratic Party without a message. Only one candidate in
either major party had a resonating message going into the Now, after three
Democratic contests in The first marked
card in the deck is this “tag-team” act being pulled off by the The second marked
card in the deck is the media that continues to miscall the post-election
analysis - particularly as it relates to voter behavior and Barack
Obama. Both in Consider three things that have occurred since Iowa:
Obama's “Reagan was change” comments was really a stretch, given that the Reagan Revolution was spurred out of a racial backlash of the social gains of the 1960s and 1970s and represented a social and economic retraction that produced the highest unemployment among African Americans since the Great Depression. Obama, trying to court Reagan Democrats, has to be careful that his examples of philosophical change are relevant to the true spirit of his change message. The Reagan example wasn’t, but with so many people talking change now, he was just trying to “outchange” the change parrots who are parroting his message. Polly can want a cracker, but you don’t have to give it. Make ‘em earn it. If they want to repeat “change,” make ‘em come with substantive examples. The third marked
card in the deck is this move to make Obama “a black candidate.” The
question as to whether Barack is black enough has been asked and
answered. His crossover appeal is unprecedented as his message resonates
with all races and classes. The media is trying to say that the We know political change in this country is playing against a stacked deck of asceticism, cynicism, despotism, narcissism, racism, symbolism, parasitism and plain ole’ xenophobic extremism that seek to distort the view of what real change is and what it represents. If we can play past all marked cards in the deck of historical American politics, true change can still win. BlackCommentator.com Columnist Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad is a national columnist, managing director of the Urban Issues Forum and author of the new book, Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. His Website is AnthonySamad.com. Click here to contact Dr. Samad.
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