When black votes can no longer be taken for granted.

     Given the "Black Lives Matter'' protest that jumped off at the Netroots Nation convention, recently, I believe that the following article is apropos.

"We are now in the midst of the 2016 presidential election, which means both parties are pandering to their bases as well as to unlikely voters who may be swayed to their respective sides. Although it’s early, this election cycle has already been dominated by questions of which candidate will garner “the black vote,” as if black people are monolithic. Given that thousands of black people are currently leading a social justice movement across the nation that the media has dubbed the “Black Lives Matter" movement,  the black electorate appears to be at the forefront of politicians’ minds.

 

There is a history of black communities voting Democrat — that is, when we are actually allowed to vote, as we were historically targeted for explicitly racist disenfranchisement in the 20th century and felon disenfranchisement in the 21st century. During the 20th century, the Democratic Party was well known for instituting anti-black policies in the South such as Jim Crow, poll taxes and literacy tests. Since then, the Democratic Party has shifted its image to racial indifference, while the Republican Party picked up its racially hostile characteristics.

Today black communities continue to be betrayed by both sides of the aisle in this toxic political system, which prioritizes exuberant campaign spending over protecting human rights. Both Ferguson and Baltimore saw uprisings in the face of police terror in the last year. And each city watched Democratic city and state politicians lead violent militarized occupation in response to protests, including the National Guard, tear gas, rubber bullets and riot police. The fact is that neither political party is “for black people,” but white liberal and moderate voters continually impose upon black communities the candidates they feel are most sympathetic to black experiences.

A bizarre phenomenon has developed out of this — Bernie Sanders supporters lurking in the dark trolling shadows of Twitter to condescendingly tell black people what’s best for us inside a system designed to crush us.  One person even went to so far as to call Sanders “one of the first Black Lives Matter Activists.” Others juxtapose his image with captions of Martin Luther King Jr. quotes, and thrust such egregious depictions at black Twitter users. Sanders supporters list his involvement with the civil rights movement as though they have now come to collect on his debt — black people must repay Sanders for his service by voting him into office.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton supporters practice the “it’s time we’ve had a woman president” method with black women, as if Hillary’s supposed feminism has ever been intersectional or inclusive between supporting her husband Bill Clinton’s mass incarceration policies and spewing the blasphemous “All Lives Matter” phrase in Ferguson, Missouri.

White supporters of both candidates appear to share one common fear: losing the black vote. Above all, these supporters seem to be most concerned about black voters not supporting whoever ends up the Democratic nominee, thus ceding the White House to a Republican candidate. Bernie’s and Hillary’s rabid bases shake in their boots at the idea that black people could vote Republican, or for a third party — or simply not vote at all. “Do you really want the clown car in the White House?” they warn of the Republican candidates, as if they are unable to view life outside of the liberal-vs.-conservative political dichotomy. Black people don’t have such a privilege — we have been fighting simply to be treated as humans for centuries.

This entire culture of white people feeling as though they know what’s best for blacks is rooted in paternalism. It is pervasive throughout history and founded in slave-master ideologies, it ignores the autonomy of black people and continuously disrespects our intelligence. When blacks were organizing around the 15th Amendment, some white peers believed black people weren’t educated enough for enfranchisement and feared they would potentially offset liberal power. The truth is that the left has always used black communities to fuel their political power, without ever truly prioritizing black issues. The right remains blatantly racist, but while the left has chosen not to ascribe to outright racial hostility, it still continues to practice racial indifference while stepping on the backs of blacks to protect its privilege and political influence.

 

White liberals generally do not want to be racist, although not many truly understand systemic racism, but they fear how they will protect their white and class privilege in the event that the blatantly racist political party takes power. How will they sustain policies that benefit the white middle class without the black voting base? Will they need to shift their racial attitudes to align with the repugnant right in an attempt to infiltrate the Republican Party? Either way, they are surely not concerned with the opinions or experiences of black people, as they chastise and attempt to bully us into supporting their candidates. Black people are lambasted for daring to vocalize our disillusionment with the political system — and it doesn’t take long for the white liberal who once posed as an ally to employ the “black people don’t vote” negative stereotype to back us into the corner of choosing to either refute the trope or investing time into invalidating it." {More}

For the record, I welcome the idea of making progressives accountable when it comes to their positions as it relates to black issues. I despise the paternalistic politics of some of those on the left as much as I despise the racist and exclusionary politics of those on the right. I blogged about this years ago, and my position has not changed.

There is nothing wrong with making liberal politicians accountable for their positions on certain issues as it relates to black folks. They have long been able to rely on our votes, it is long past time that we make them stop taking it for granted.    

  

"It's time for Hill to take the hint"

The Daily News, one of my hometown papers, has been really kicking out some nice opeds lately. The latest cut and paste worthy job comes compliments of my friend Flavia Colgan. Flavia is somewhat of a political operative here in town, and frankly, this oped piece by her, while very well done, surprised me a little.

I never thought that she would be one of the folks calling for the Ice Queen's exit.

So anyway, here goes:

"SEN. CLINTON, it's time.

While the Obama campaign and others in the Democratic Party are treading lightly and trying not to say flat out that it's time for you to end your quest for the presidency, I'm not going to mince words.

You've run an impressive campaign over the last few weeks, especially in Pennsylvania, where you scored a decisive victory.

Had you knocked Sen. Barack Obama on the ropes by performing strongly in North Carolina and winning big in Indiana, there would be every reason to further consider your argument that Obama was severely weakened by his connection with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and was unelectable. Instead, to be blunt, Obama scored a TKO.

Coming out of the worst three weeks of his campaign, he not only far exceeded the polling leading up to North Carolina and Indiana, but voters showed a new burst of confidence in him that will now carry him to the nomination.

You may say that you won't exit the race until there is a nominee.
That would seem to be saying that any candidate in any past election who read the numbers and concluded that it was best to go out with grace was somehow weak.
But candidates drop out of races all the time before their party officially has a nominee. It's not a matter of weakness, it's a matter of exiting with dignity, and not seeming to claw and cling to your quest like it was an ego trip.

Here's what you need to take a deep look at - and consider.
How do you want to be remembered? Your legacy and your husband's will be forever tarnished if you continue to run a campaign which argues that Obama is not electable, and uses Sen. John McCain's talking points to prove it.

Your husband will no longer be remembered as America's first "black president," but as part of the cabal that took down America's best shot at an actual African-American president.
You'll be remembered as the woman who was more interested in staying on the stage too long, to get a few more seconds of the spotlight than helping elect a president who has much more in common with you than the Republican nominee. From Harlem to the Senate floor, that kind of legacy will cast a dark, cold shadow on you, forever.

Everyone understands how painful it must be to have your campaign thwarted by such a newcomer to the political scene. It hurts even more knowing that for months you ran a terrible campaign, courtesy of uber-consultant Mark Penn, and just seemed to be finding your stride when it was too late.

But the fact is that it's too little, too late. The math is against you, and trusted friends like former Sen. George McGovern and former Democratic Chairman Joe Andrews have made it clear they can no longer stand with you, just as the majority of primary voters aren't with you.
You can still win West Virginia, Kentucky and Puerto Rico, sure. But what does that really get you? Certainly not the nomination. And that's the only thing that should matter."

Hillary, I am not going to tell you to get out of this race, you have every right to run. (I am sure that you and your red neck friends are going to put an ass whopping on the "O" man tomorrow) The people who support you deserve that much. But like Flavia said, you might want to start thinking about your long term goals, and your legacy.

I know the Opera ain't over until the fat lady sings, but this ain't no Opera, and Obama ain't fat.