Monday, November 03, 2008

FORTY FOUR?

*
Most of you can tell I like sports analogies and sports in general, and from what I see and hear, so does the O man. Well, if the polls hold (IF), it looks like his O ness might become the 44th president of these divided states. This is in spite of ignorance like this, being pushed by Drudge, and the people like the clown on the *bike captioned here.


The number 44 is a pretty good number to have if you are into sports. It was Jerry West's number, it was Reggie Jackson's number, and it was Hank Aaron's number, as well. That's some pretty good company. And now, in 2008, A-merry-ca is about to put a black man in the house named after her majority population, and make him her 44th president. I have to give it to A-merry-ca, whether his O ness wins or loses, she has come a long way. I read some of the regular posters here who happen to be white, and I have to say that there might still be hope for this crazy country of ours yet. I say might, because for every well meaning person of good will I run into, there is a story of the opposite taking place here in the land of the [some are] free. Today I listened to a young college educated white colleague tell me that he was out with some of his friends (other young educated white people) and he got a rise out of them by telling them that he was voting for Obama. He told me they were racist, I asked him how he knew, and he gave me that look that said; come on field....and I knew exactly what he meant. Young, white, educated, living in a Northeastern city, and they would never vote for a black man. If they feel that way, what's a poor uneducated old white guy living in Appalachia supposed to do? This is why I still feel that my run might be safe. This is why, in spite of her great strides as a nation, I still get so discomposed when I think of some of the shit that goes on here.


Look, if you are not going to vote for the O man because you really believe that his policies are fucked up, well then more power to you. But if you aren't going to vote for him because you just can't stand the thought of that nappy headed family putting their nappy heads on your White House pillows, well then you represent the very worst that this country has to offer. And you make it possible for angry black men who are supposedly living the A-merry-can dream, to have a blog where they can express themselves in clear unambiguous terms how fucked up this country can be to people who really don't have a voice.

So what should we expect tomorrow? I suspect that we will see a huge turnout on both sides, and I suspect that we will be in for a long day. But at the end of the day, whatever happens, it will be historic. When I see stories like this, I damn near tear up just thinking about the significance of what is transpiring in our midst.


So O man, I gotta give it to you; you just might have put some egg on this field Negro's face (don't get any ideas Drudge), and proved me wrong about the qualities of the A-merry-can people and our ability to reach deep down inside and connect to to our better selves.


Good luck tomorrow, and please tell your Obamaholics to behave if you win; or, for that matter, if you lose.



*Now a quick note about the elections here in Philly:

*If you are a felon, you can vote. Here in Pa. that's true even if you are on probation or parole.
*If you lost your home to foreclosure you can still vote, but you must fill out a form at the polling station.

*Even if you didn't vote in the last election, you can still vote. (You have five years of inactivity before you can be removed from the rolls)

*Polls open here in Pa. at [*6:AM in New Jersey] 7:00AM and close at 8:PM. Thanks Ayana.

*If you have outstanding warrants or parking tickets etc. go and vote. Nothing will happen to you.

*If you are voting for the first time you will be asked to show a valid ID. If you don't happen to have one on you fill out a provisional ballot. (Valid ID is driver's license,passport, military ID,current utility bill, current bank statement, or a government check.
Now go out and VOTE!!!

118 comments:

Kellybelle said...

"that nappy headed family putting their nappy heads on your White House pillows,"

LOL, that's what I love about you, Field, you know how to say it.

Lord, Lord, Lord. I'm at th epoint where I'm just praying. I took off work tomorrow to hit the ground for Barack. I called today to go do some evening canvassing, but they said they had so many volunteers they were diverting people to other areas.

Vote!

rainywalker said...

Well said Field, I voted this past week and am looking forward to the "O" Man in the White House and seeing you running down the street on your blog! Naked........

Swiff said...

Among the California voters suffused with hope at the prospect of the election of Barack Obama is one Ward Connerly.

He supports Senator John McCain out of small-government principle, but on the cause for which Connerly is best known—the drive to end the programs referred to by most as "affirmative action" and by him as "race preferences"—he says of a potential Obama administration: "I'm hopeful."

"[Obama] is a very, very bright man who thinks through the nuances of issues and I cannot help believe he realizes the inherent flaw in race preferences," Connerly, 69, said in a telephone interview last week. "If you listen to him carefully, you cannot help but think he is really torn by this issue, and that he is leaning in the direction of socio-economic affirmative action instead of race preferences."

Anonymous said...

Fuck you, nigger.


nigger!!!nigger!!!nigger!!!nigger!!!nigger!!!nigger!!!
nigger!!!nigger!!!nigger!!!
nigger!!!
nigger!!!nigger!!!nigger!!!
nigger!!!
nigger!!!nigger!!!nigger!!!
nigger!!!
nigger!!!

Seda said...

Field, I sure hope there's some nappy heads landing on White House pillows Jan. 21st! Sure there's plenty of white folks who don't get it, but in my neighborhood I'm pretty sure there's neither a black man nor a McCain sign. Lots of Obama signs, though.

I'm gonna be some proud of this country - more so than I've ever been in the last 8 years, that's for sure - if we all Barack the vote tomorrow. Dropped my ballot in the box today. Chalk up one more for his O-ness!

Swiff said...

That was from Politico, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15195.html


And at 9:15pm, NBC News is projecting that Ward Connerly is still a coon.

Swiff said...

Get mad, White Power, get mad. A nigger's bout to be elected president and your great great grandkids will probably share his coffee colored complexion.

At 9:20pm, CNN is projecting that your racist ass can eat a dick.

field negro said...

"white power", please calm down, I couldn't live with myself if you had a heart attack while posting on my blog...... wait,I take that back, yes I could :)

"And at 9:15pm, NBC News is projecting that Ward Connerly is still a coon."

swiff, this would be true at 9:15PM,10:15PM,11:15PM,12:15AM,1:15AM.....ahh f*&k it, he is just a coon!

Anonymous said...

I have to laugh at people like whitepower. I guess folks like whitepower have now been reduced mere annoyances on the internet. They need to swatted away like the insects they are. They can't stand a mocha-looking family in the White House. Oh well, get use to it.

black magic woman said...

And at 9:15pm, NBC News is projecting that Ward Connerly is still a coon.

ha!

I thought he was more of a lawn jockey, but coon works!

Anonymous said...

Field, how are we going to know whether or not you made that run? Will there be live blogging? Live video? Headlines in the Philadelphia Enquirer and Daily News that read, "Election leads lawyer to charges of indecent exposure"?

Sheila

Anonymous said...

White power - Get a grip.

I was about to respond, until I saw your post, that maybe after this election is over, we won't have to refer to a candidate by anything other than what he stands for and what he believes in.

Now I am not so sure.

ch555x said...

Idiot in rush hour traffic riding a bike with no helmut wearing a silly shirt informing me of a house HE doesn't own...let's hope "sheetz" doesn't run into a soccer mom yappin' on her celly...LOL!!!

Anonymous said...

I luv it when insect like white power come to our blogs...make me laugh...ha ha. ha

They have nothing else to do but run a country or a company in the ground..mortgage the US to other country like China or Dubai..and call us nigger...

Dont forget white power, my family invested half of their worth in other country and the other half in land in this country with no unsecured debt...Ha Ha.

Can't wait to see your kind jump out of windows tomorrow...

You are the backward nigger..like your backward friend Ashley Todd...

Who are the real slave...take your Disney fanasty world...because that bubble is a burst....ha ha...

RiPPa said...

WHITE POWDERRRRRR!!!!

Anonymous said...

I wonder if they will be Bastille type riots tomorrow night? I'm thinking yes either way somewhere in America but hopefully not too bad.

szpork

Anonymous said...

white power has run out of steam and in the end is finally reduced to babbling incoherently. So appropriate.

Black Diaspora said it most eloquently yesterday. This middle-aged white woman would be voting for Obama if he were white, black, Hispanic, Asian, pacific Islander, or Native American. (Did I leave anyone out?) Truth be told, my first choice was Kucinich, but if the last eight years have taught me anything, it's that voting for a third party or a write-in in a two-party system is an exercise in futility, even in a reliably Democratic state. I won't do that again until we have a parliamentary system. (Yeah, right.) However, once it became clear to me that the race for the nomination was between Obama and Clinton, I threw my support to Obama without hesitation. Throughout this long and often ugly campaign, he has shown himself to be cool, calm, and collected, possessed of first-class organizational skills, someone who makes decisions thoughtfully and only after hearing all sides of the story, someone who will not be reduced to fighting in the gutter but will work to unite US for real, not just talk about it, someone who will restore our faith in ourselves and our reputation in the world community.

In spite of what I said the other day about pride and an accident of birth, I am so proud that my country has come such a long distance in my lifetime and so happy that I can be a small of this moment in history. And tomorrow night, when that tally hits the magic number 270, I will be crying tears of joy.

Anonymous said...

Why is Barack only getting 87% of the black votes....UGH!! He should be getting 100% of the votes, I don't care if you are a Republican. How can anyone vote for McCain is beyond me....

Unknown said...

Somewhat off topic, but the polls don't open in PA until 7 am.

field negro said...

Ayana, you are right. Jersey is 6:00 AM. I will correct that.

Thanks!

Although, you should probably get there an hour before they do open.

Anonymous said...

Hey Field,

I looked at that YouTube post you put up by the Drudge.

I could not help but scroll down watch Obama scratching his face with his middle finger on several other clips as well. It seems he has done it several times.

Not that it would sway my vote one way or the other, but I find it hilarious from someone who is so refined.

Anonymous said...

Hey Field,

I looked at that YouTube post you put up by the Drudge.

I could not help but scroll down watch Obama scratching his face with his middle finger on several other clips as well. It seems he has done it several times.

Not that it would sway my vote one way or the other, but I find it hilarious from someone who is so refined.

Anonymous said...

44 is a great number. I wore it while playing ice hockey because my favorite NBA player was George "Iceman" Gervin. I couldn't finger roll like Ice, but he couldn't throw a body check like I could. :)

That number's going to look nice on the O-man.

And if white power loses his job in this economy, I have a lantern in my front lawn he can hold.

Anonymous said...

"Why is Barack only getting 87% of the black votes....UGH!! He should be getting 100% of the votes, I don't care if you are a Republican. How can anyone vote for McCain is beyond me...."

Higher energy prices (global warming tax), higher taxes in general (Bill Clinton also promised tax breaks for the middle class). Anyway I just don't see this as a revenue growth path. But whatever, enjoy...


szpork

Anonymous said...

I just wish I were in Philly. I think Field's going to be doing a 100 yard flash dash down Broad Street. OK, I pray he's going to be.

A.F. said...

Lord, I just hope we know for sure by this time tomorrow night. My elderly mother put off her cataract surgery until Wednesday so that she could see Obama win with both her eyes.

White Power, I'm considering your panic and desperation early indicators of an Obama win.

Bob said...

The guy on the bike, he's no blonde, fair-skinned aryan.

I suspect my sister is not voting for O man because of his color, & she could never, ever admit that, maybe even to herself. She has voted for a Democrat for president, AL Gore, because of his enviromental stuff. Didn't help to point out that Al Gore is probably more liberal than Barack.

Anonymous said...

That guy on the bike is not wearing a helmet, which doesn't surprise me. No brain there worth protecting.

Jmee said...

Hey Field,

Been awhile... I have been working my ass off for the Obama campaign here in Cali... We are going to Win this shiznit and I want to make sure Mrs. Field gets a video of your Broad street and posts it on Youtube.

Its going to happen ya'll we are going to get another informed intelligent man in the White House again, with an added bonus of him being a Black Man!

Power to all the people... Voters you need to rise up for Obama tomorrow

Anonymous said...

White power must reside in my neighborhood in Decatur, AL. I put up Obama signs in my yard one night and the next night, I noticed I was missing several windows in the house. Go figure.

Holley T said...

I heard a commenter on a call-in radio show this morning say that she was a closet Obama fan because she feared retaliation from her "redneck community" and I finally felt some kinship with someone. I wish I had the courage to put an Obama sign in my yard or a sticker on my car but in this area of Alabama in particular....I would seriously fear for my own safety.

I wish I could be more courageous than that but I cannot...

Unknown said...

am on the other side of the atlantic and am nervous as hell... this election has so much at stake.. least of all civil war!! yes it has crossed my mind numerous times..
field.. hope your abs and butt are in good shape for that run you will do tomorrow.. get some cocoa butter on them for good definition for the camera.. which leads me to..
mrs field.. please film mr field's run and post it up for us on youtube..

TrueBlue said...

Glad to see the mention of Hank Aaron. I have fond memories of him in Milwaukee.

Anonymous said...

Happy Election Day to All. May Obama win and may he win convincingly ... and early in the evening.

And may we get a video of that Broad Street run?

Sheila

Anonymous said...

Totally off topic, but has anyone else noticed that Mooselini hasn't released her medical records. I guess she's hoping to run out the clock. There's GOT to be something damaging in them.

Sheila

Anonymous said...

update on that 5 year "inactivity" clause in PA (numbers below are for Allegheny County, but the PA site will give you numbers for all counties)

"If you registered on or after June, 1993, you cannot be disqualified from voting in elections because you have not voted.

However, if you registered before that and did not vote for 5 years, you may have been removed from the state registration list and you cannot vote until you re-register. Call the Division of Elections to find out your status." (412) 350-4510

http://palwv.org/pittsburgh/election/elecfaq.html

ALSO--if you moved recently, or moved ever and did not change your addy, go to your OLD poll, and you can still vote once:

"if you have moved since your old (or even recent) registration, and did not fix your address, you can stiil vote! you go to the poll for your OLD residence: "If you have moved from the residence where you are registered to vote more than 30 days before an election but did not change your address with the voter registration officials, you may vote only at the polling place that covers your old residence, the one where you are registered to vote. However, you can vote at your old polling place only once, and there are special procedures that you must follow. For more information contact your County Board of Elections." (412) 350-4510"

http://www.palwv.org/voting/votingfaqs.html

LISA VAZQUEZ said...

@ Field Negro

Seeing your comment at 9:27....I am on the floor cracking up at that one! *LOL*

It is November 4...and we are in THE UNITED STATES OF OBAMA!!

Yesss.

In our lifetime.

Now...let's see...where will we start once the final results are in....a black man as PREZ...gee, once all whites see that HIS HIGHNESS THE O-NESS has officially taken the reigns of power WHAT ELSE WILL BE POSSIBLE?!

(smiles)

Lisa

Hugh O'Donnell said...

"field negro said...

"white power", please calm down, I couldn't live with myself if you had a heart attack while posting on my blog...... wait,I take that back, yes I could :)"

Field, I wouldn't have let that doughball have the space, but you set a great example there.

God bless Amanda Jones. I hope she gets to vote in many more elections.

Kit (Keep It Trill) said...

Field and other good folks, I wrote a compelling post on this topic that I'd really like you to read, so come by if you get time.

Pre-Election Anticipation: Riding On The Backs Of Misery & Struggle

~Kit

Anonymous said...

I just copied the part of my mail-in ballot with the presidential and vice president's race for my scrapbook. I am keeping proof of my tiny part in the history of this country.

LISA VAZQUEZ said...

OBAMA has won this race....no ifs, ands or butts.

Will the church say "Amen?"

(smiles)

Lisa

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Tomorrow I hope to be celebrating with the other Democrats Abroad here in Rome.

YES WE CAN!

Angela L. Braden, Writer, Speaker, Professor said...

Obama 2008 - 2016

I just want to encourage everyone to reach out to the disabled and the elderly. Perhaps they will need a ride to the poles.

Don't assume.
Just ask.

Angie
Proud Obama Supporter

www.nuvisionforanuday.blogspot.com

Black Diaspora said...

@Holley T.
I feel you. Although I'm in Obama country, there's still enough of that over-the-top McCain rally sentiment here to make me think twice about displaying an Obama-Biden sign.

@sharon in ct.
Over a long lifetime, I've had most of my pride of country beat out of me.

However, if Obama wins tomorrow, I'm buying me an American flag and stanchion; and for the first time in my life, I will display it proudly for all to see.

@white power. You're too funny for words. Tell me you didn't use the N-word to fashion a gun?

Be careful: you wouldn't want to accidentally shoot yourself with it.

Guy on cycle: he either has a death wish, or he's confining himself within a white safety zones.

0808080808080808080808080808080808008080808

Tomorrow, this country has a date with destiny.

Will we continue to huddle under the shadows that have defined our past, or will we summon the courage and the will to take a step into the sunlight?

I'm hoping for the latter. I've seen this country at its worst. Now, I'd like to see it at its grandest.

I've seen Jim Crow, and the blight of forced segregation.

Now, I'd like to see our long-overdue healing take place--to see the balm of racial tolerance, and racial respect be applied to our wounds, those self-inflicted, and those that have become our affliction.

I've seen naked hatred, and the fires, destruction, and unrest that have followed it.

Now, I'd like to see a soft rain begin to fall, drift down upon our nation, as a kind of perpetual sprinkler system that will not only extinguish any sudden fiery outbreaks, but discourage them before they have a chance to ignite.

Electing Obama as this nation's first black president can mark the beginning of the end of the nightmare that has been our black American experience--an experience that I know all so well.

But even if Obama's not elected, there will still be no need for despair. It will just mean that we will have to worker harder to assure that the divisional wounds that were intentionally inflicted will not last, and that we will do every thing within our power to close the wounds with the sutures of compassion, and mutual respect.

I know that that will be the hardest part, and I speak for myself more than for you.

It has always been my hope that this country would, in my lifetime, come face to face with its own shortcomings and seek to destroy, rather than hide, the blemishes on what could be a beautiful national visage.

I think that this is why so many blacks have served this country so valiantly in all it's many wars--including the Revolutionary war.

We believed in the ideals of this country even when those around us acted as though only they were entitled.

Even when we faced some of the harshest of racism, we could still here those moving lyrics:

My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty....


I refuse to accept that that song applies only to those who have the right skin hue, and that the Constitution of this land was established for a select few, rather than for the good of all.

For once in my life, I want to be proud of my country, too. For once, I want to feel like a member of the family, rather than this outsider, this outcast, this stranger who was never asked to dinner, and never asked to spend the night.

Mind you, if I have too, I will. But I'm just saying, it would be nice for a change.

And that's what it will take: A Change.

I pray that tomorrow will usher in that change, and that We the People will reclaim our country and, in so doing, all our tomorrows.

field negro said...

Black diaspora, that was profound.

Great point angie-nuvision, although part of the genius of the Obama campaign is that they have a networking apparatus in place to take care of such things.

nyc/caribbean depending on how this thing turns out, some of us might be in Rome with you.

hugh, I co-sign with you about Amanda Jones. What a sweet lady.


LOL at r.j.! You know what, I might have a job for white power too, but he can hold something else:)

Karen said...

I'm surprised white power actually spelled it right. I can't believe the atrocity that is Republican spelling/grammar. It hits me in the face everytime I read their comments.

Anyhoo, I voted. No fireworks or anything. I waited in line about an hour. Walked home.

Waiting.

momo said...

Instead of that nice Hallmark card for my birthday, a post from Ms. Field recounting your run would be a great birthday present!

JudiPhilly said...

Actually, I think you need to tell us when/where the Broad Street dash will occur. I believe that some witnesses are needed to independently verify your run.

I'm not assuming anything yet, of course, just preparing in case -- and you better be doing the same.

browngrl77 said...

I just voted in Philly!!!! Can't wait to see you on Broad Street !!! Go Obama!

Angela L. Braden, Writer, Speaker, Professor said...

"Great point angie-nuvision, although part of the genius of the Obama campaign is that they have a networking apparatus in place to take care of such things." Field Negro

Again Field, don't assume anything. Where I live there has not been much outreach and accessibility set up for people with disabilities to get to the poles. In the inner cities, yes... But outside of the "inner city" the programs, services, and outreach gets shallow.

But Field, even if the Obama people supposedly got it all figured out:
What's wrong with making yourself available to someone that is physically unable to get to the poles independently?
What's wrong with making sure that your elderly and/or disabled neighbor has a way to get to the poles?
What's wrong with making sure that your church members, who perhaps have a mental or physical disability, get to the poles to participate in the political process?
What's wrong with just asking people if they need help or assistance from someone that they perhaps trust to help them vote?
Just asking...

For the record, the reason why people with disabilities are the "forgotten population" is because individuals always assume that "someone" is already looking out for them. And trust me Field, this journey that I walk as a disabled American would be painstakingly harder if my folks, not propublic programs and services that many of you assume are available, were here for me.

Your girl,
Angie

Unknown said...

Field you should change Madelyn Dunham's status to Honorary Field Negro Emeritus.

Anonymous said...

I wish I was driving behind that guy, he would be in the hospital.

vanishing point said...

Hey Field, I see you got a white bugger on your blog, could somebody wipe Spite Sour off, White Power, this isn't my blog, but if it were, i would say FUCK YOU, ha ha ha,


on a lighter note, I didn't know that 44 was such a lucky number, maybe i am going to play that number today, after i vote.

Anonymous said...

i would love to see some of bloggers at a red light with this guy......I'M SURE YOU WOULD BE SAYING SOMETHNG......YEA

Anonymous said...

Field, here's hoping you'll be waving your junk up and down Broad Street in a matter of hours...

Anonymous said...

Not only is Field a stand-up guy for letting White Power vent his nonsense, but...

White Power probably just encouraged at least one black person (and maybe more) who might have been thinking his/her vote doesn't matter to just run to the polls.
;-)

Anonymous said...

People like White Power and guy in the photo have no fear in expressing themselves, but I'm even more worried about the white, educated, younger generation Field was talking about. These are the ones that just smile politely and seethe when you talk about Mr. O. Lucky them-if Mr. O wins tonight, they've got the abysmal Sarah Palin as their standard bearer for the next four (dare I say eight?) years.

Anonymous said...

"I'ma vote for the nigger" -- lotta mountain folks are saying that. And at first I wondered who the hell are these people? (particularly the people who ain't 60 and up).

But it's the same reason black people still sound southern -- it's cultural. Doesn't mean that people cna't make up their own minds, even if they're proud to be rednecks.

Gryphen said...

So the question is, does Field have his running shoes ready?

Because I do believe that somebody has a promise to keep.

LOL!

vanishing point said...

Field, get those shoes ready, and please get a picture of it too!!!

today is one nation under a groove.

Anonymous said...

I had a call from my sister in Dallas last night. My 83-year-old aunt, who doesn't fit neatly into any demographic that I can think of, voted for Obama. She was born here, raised in Greece, and returned here when she was 22. She's lived in Dallas 60 years, and as far as I know she's voted Republican all of her life. I don't know if this is a one-shot deal, or if she has recognized that the GOP has moved much further to the right than she was willing to go. I don't know if it's an indicator of any permanent trend. But the times they sure are changin'! I think I will send her a thank you card.

Anonymous said...

There's only thing to take to a Kenyan election victory feast: a goat. Preferably still breathing - “a sign of freshness“ - and with big testicles, apparently the sign of quality breeding.

does the White House have a fire pit????

i can't wait to see how he pimps out the Houze.....LOL

Anonymous said...

I Didn't Vote For Obama Today


I have a confession to make.

I did not vote for Barack Obama today.

I've openly supported Obama since March. But I didn't vote for him today.

I wanted to vote for Ronald Woods. He was my algebra teacher at Clark Junior High in East St. Louis, IL. He died 15 years ago when his truck skidded head-first into a utility pole. He spent many a day teaching us many things besides the Pythagorean Theorem. He taught us about Medgar Evers, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis and many other civil rights figures who get lost in the shadow cast by Martin Luther King, Jr.

But I didn't vote for Mr. Woods.

I wanted to vote for Willie Mae Cross. She owned and operated Crossroads Preparatory Academy for almost 30 years, educating and empowering thousands of kids before her death in 2003. I was her first student. She gave me my first job, teaching chess and math concepts to kids in grades K-4 in her summer program. She was always there for advice, cheer and consolation. Ms. Cross, in her own way, taught me more about walking in faith than anyone else I ever knew.

But I didn't vote for Ms. Cross.

I wanted to vote for Arthur Mells Jackson, Sr. and Jr. Jackson Senior was a Latin professor. He has a gifted school named for him in my hometown. Jackson Junior was the pre-eminent physician in my hometown for over 30 years. He has a heliport named for him at a hospital in my hometown. They were my great-grandfather and great-uncle, respectively.

But I didn't vote for Prof. Jackson or Dr. Jackson.

I wanted to vote for A.B. Palmer. She was a leading civil rights figure in Shreveport, Louisiana, where my mother grew up and where I still have dozens of family members. She was a strong-willed woman who earned the grudging respect of the town's leaders because she never, ever backed down from anyone and always gave better than she got. She lived to the ripe old age of 99, and has a community center named for her in Shreveport.

But I didn't vote for Mrs. Palmer.

I wanted to vote for these people, who did not live to see a day where a Black man would appear on their ballots on a crisp November morning.

In the end, though, I realized that I could not vote for them any more than I could vote for Obama himself.

So who did I vote for?

No one.

I didn't vote. Not for President, anyway.

Oh, I went to the voting booth. I signed, was given my stub, and was walked over to a voting machine. I cast votes for statewide races and a state referendum on water and sewer improvements.

I stood there, and I thought about all of these people, who influenced my life so greatly. But I didn't vote for who would be the 44th President of the United States.

When my ballot was complete, except for the top line, I finally decided who I was going to vote for - and then decided to let him vote for me. I reached down, picked him up, and told him to find Obama's name on the screen and touch it.

And so it came to pass that Alexander Reed, age 5, read the voting screen, found the right candidate, touched his name, and actually cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Oh, the vote will be recorded as mine. But I didn't cast it.

Then again, the person who actually pressed the Obama box and the red "vote" button was the person I was really voting for all along.

It made the months of donating, phonebanking, canvassing, door hanger distributing, sign posting, blogging, arguing and persuading so much sweeter.

So, no, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for a boy who now has every reason to believe he, too, can grow up to be anything he wants...even President.

Anonymous said...

The excitement that this election has generated in my country and region(Ghana) is unbelievable!!
They are playing Obama songs on the radio!!!
I guess you can say we have caught the Obama fever.
I will celebrate all day tomorrow ( I'm cutting work)When Obama becomes the 44th president of the USA.. by the Grace of God.

TrueBlue said...

There's only thing to take to a Kenyan election victory feast: a goat. Preferably still breathing - “a sign of freshness“ - and with big testicles, apparently the sign of quality breeding.

Could I have the cheese?

TrueBlue said...

In approximately 12 hours, I'm going to give myself a one-week license to be goofy. I am going to think that things are gonna be easier and that people are changin' ...

Javier said...

Mrs. Reed, given yours and your son's choices you both made the right choice. God bless.

vanishing point said...

i just heard that an 82 year old white grandma who lives pretty close to me just voted straight rethug, except for the FIRST ONE !!!!!!

Go Obama, Today is And so this is Christmas.

vanishing point said...

hey grinder, thank you for that, i am going to add that to my november 4th music series.

today is one nation under a groove.

field negro said...

Mrs. Reed,this cynical field Negro, whe makes a living by being an asshole, has actual tears in his eyes.

Thank you!

"The excitement that this election has generated in my country and region(Ghana) is unbelievable!!
They are playing Obama songs on the radio!!!"

Nuff said!


And if the O man wins, I will make that run. Now don't ask me when and how, but it will be soon, and you all will be the first to know.

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Reed, that was beautiful. That really is what it's all about, isn't it? It's not for us, it's for the generations coming after us.

Anonymous said...

Field Family,

I am a 34 year old white man of Irish descent and a liberal Republican. I am not an Obama supporter. (I did not vote the McCain/Palin ticket either).

Though it is early in the day, I want to extend a Congratulations to each of you who supported Obama. The man will be my president too and my highest respect and my prayers are due him.

For those of you who worked your hind-end's off to engage other voters and invest in your communities, you deserve a "hero's" honor.

vanishing point said...

Mrs. Reed, I second that emotion, that was beautiful.

Grinder, how bout this Tear down the Roof P-Funk

Susan Gray said...

Mrs. Reed, thank you for sharing your beautiful words. You brought tears to my eyes and hope to my heart. This day is Hope for ALL children regardless of race or skin color that they may finally believe that they can become whomever they want and that no dream is too big to dream. This day has been a long time coming, and as you note there are centuries of people who did their part to make a difference. We will all be rejoicing before this day is over!

Admiral Komack said...

Run, Field, run!

A2daK said...

Drove by a polling station in a "non-white" majority section of my town. There were cop cars outside with flashing lights and several cops hanging out.

No voter intimidation there, I guess.

The polling station that I voted in only had 3 functioning machines (usually they have at least 6-7). I waited in line almost 3 hours to vote.

Just a bit unusual. We still have to get out there and VOTE!!!

vanishing point said...

Field, I just re-read your comment about making your living by being an asshole. LOL

vanishing point said...

When I went in to vote, they couldn't find me. Then they said they had an affidavit for me and I started to flip, I shouted that I have voted every year for my entire life, and that even if Howdy Doody was running against Lurch, I would still vote.

They found my name.

Swiff said...

Field, please throw Soulja Boy up as House Negro of the Day for this pure ignorance:


When SB was being interviewed by Toure for BET's Black Carpet, he dropped this little gem. Toure asked him who in history he hated the most. Soulja Boy gave him crickets, so Toure made some suggestions for the youngster; Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Slave Masters? Maybe he had never heard of Bin Laden or Hitler before, but slave master rang a bell. Instead of espousing his hatred for those who would sell past members of his family into bondage though, he gave them a shout out.

"Oh wait! Hold up! Shout out to the slave masters! Without them we'd still be in Africa. We wouldn't be here to get this ice and tattoos."

http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/editorial/archive/2008/11/03/20653065.aspx

said...

It’s your philosophical duty not to participate (a.k.a. Vote) in the
theocratic-oligarchies’ Punch & Judy Show Elections.

Stay on groovin’ safari,
Tor Hershman

Anonymous said...

reading your bolgs but not seeing it deep in the heart of Texas????

oh, the police at the voting place were probably there because of the blk panthers...just heard on radio they were stopping white voters in kiladelpha???? watz up wid dat????

Marc B said...

"He told me they were racist, I asked him how he knew, and he gave me that look that said; come on field....and I knew exactly what he meant. Young, white, educated, living in a Northeastern city, and they would never vote for a black man. If they feel that way, what's a poor uneducated old white guy living in Appalachia supposed to do?"

This same elitist BS that has been the consensus opinion by the mainstream media. Somehow voting for has become Obama a signifier of education and erudition. Just like blacks will vote for almost anybody with a (D) next to their name, the same goes for middle to upper middle class whites choosing and (R).

Not everybody with a college degree has had their intelligence and group survival instinct removed. Your friends friends are choosing the candidate that best serves their interests just like you and your people are doing the same thing.

Anonymous said...

White folks in my office look very glum today.

tee hee

Anonymous said...

Field,

Your kool-aid is the best I've ever had!
::patsgirl::

Anonymous said...

@Mrs Reed - any chance we could persuade you to start a blog of your own? I would love to read essays like that on a regular basis. Brought tears to my cynical middle-aged eyes.

momo said...

Mrs. Reed, how wonderful! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Damn, look at RFK and some field negroesThat is some hot ride.

RedLipstick said...

President Obama!

Run Field Run!

Everyone in my office are wearing their 'I voted' stickers!!

AHHHH it felt good to tap the screen for Obama/Biden!

Anonymous said...

White folks in my office look very glum today.

At some point in the next day or two, make sure to do a Google search on the results in Seattle. When you see that Obama got roughly 90% of the vote here (Kerry got 82% in 2004), it might be worthwhile to keep Seattle's demographics in mind:

White: 70%
Asian: 13%
Black: 8%
Latino: 5%
Other/Mixed: 4%

Believe me, I think it's great that Obama will be the first non-white president. I will be overjoyed. But it is by no means "a black thing" that no one else will understand.

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to shout out a special "thank you" to the Black Panther with a nightstick who was providing "security" at a poll in Philly (I believe it was Fairmont).

Anyhow, this "helper" just turned 8 Obama votes from Villanova,PA to Mccain.
Great.

Just got off the phone, and she confirmed she changed her mind &voted McCain because the Black Panthers on FOX "freaked her out".

Way.To.Go.

Anonymous said...

And yes, that was sarcasm.
This is going to be close.
Every vote counts.
Continue to GOTV !

Anonymous said...

Maybe tomorrow a story like that of Amanda Jones will get the press it deserves nationwide.

I live in the most liberal neighborhood of what is arguably the reddest state. No lines this morning. (Did my neighbors get so excited they already voted early?) Those of us coming in out of the rain were beaming at each other, except for a few old ladies and I honestly couldn't tell if they were tense or just concentrating on their footing on the wet pavement as they left. A friend's father who has voted R for years and lives in a very R section of this very R state, voted for O. Not the only story like that I've heard by far.

The beauty of this is all the lines that are being willingly crossed right and left.

TrueBlue said...

The Black Panther "security guards" are the dumbest idea I've ever seen. It's such a stupid idea that I actually wonder if they were paid by the Republicans to stand there.

But anyway, that's not what I am posting about. I am posting about being white and voting for Obama for two reasons.

First, he's a Democrat. I always vote for the Democratic candidate. Not just for president, but for everything else too. Secondly, I admire the content of the man's character. He strikes me as very intelligent and very steady.

I, for one, will look at Obama's election as an opportunity to bridge the divide. Each to their own, but I hope not too many black folks view his election as revenge or retribution. It would be a mistake to do that, because, like Seattle, 70% of the U.S. electorate is white.

I congratulate black people on what is a historic day. But it's historic for everyone. See, the fact is that Barack Obama couldn't be elected dogcatcher of America without tens of millions of white votes. This is a fact, and it's a fact that his election says something very, very good about where this country has come.

TrueBlue said...

I just had a second thought about what I wrote, and told myself it could be interpreted in a very different way than I meant it. I intend to convey the idea that Barack Obama will become president through broad-based support that goes way, way beyond the black population.

There are a whole lot of white people who are voting for "that one" because "that one" is "the best one." That's why I voted for him, anyway.

RedLipstick said...

Grinder I feel everything you are saying! My office has 35 folks but only 4 of them are black and the O love is on display everywhere in this office.

Look most black folks were supporting Hill when the primaries began. They didn't get on board with O until the 'mostly white' state of Iowa put him over the top. It's not lost on me that O would never have got this far without alot of white, hispanic, asian and other races of people along with blacks supporting him.

Black folks are especially proud but that doesn't take anything away from the pride that all folks in this country should feel-we've come along way baby!

Lew Scannon said...

As a co-worker so delicately pointed out to me this morning, tomorrow not only will there be that nappy headed family putting their nappy heads on your White House pillows, but for once, they'll be able to put their black asses on the good plumbing in the White House.

Anonymous said...

marc b...could you explain to me why ANYONE with or without a college degree would think that voting to put Palin within one heartbeat of the nuclear codes would be in their best interests?

TrueBlue said...

ernesto, maybe they think we're all going to die anyway, and they'd just as soon have a cute, godly white woman who sounds like a cast extra from Fargo be the one who pulls the trigger.

I mean, when I lived in Washington, D.C. I'd always tell people that if I ever heard the sirens I'd go to the liquor store, find the best bottle of bourbon on the shelf and head over to the White House for my send-off. And I had a college degree.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if this link will send you where I want it to. If it doesn't, go to npr.org and scroll down to the "photo gallery" in the right-hand column to see the cool manicure. Me, I have no fingernails left to speak of, not after these last few weeks.

http://media.npr.org/multimedia/2008/10/campaign_last/index.html

Anonymous said...

Yo, Brother Field! MSNBC just called PA for the O-Man.

Anonymous said...

Oh Field . . . I'm too lazy to read all of the 100 comments that preceded this one, but this white girl is in tears (of JOY!) because YOUR state just got called for Obama.

DRINK THE KOOL-AID!!!!!! It's really going to happen.

so my question is--will there be video of this run of yours?! and will you post it on your blog? it only seems right.

TrueBlue said...

It was interesting to see that Obama won a majority among white voters in Pennsylvania. I've been thinking for a while that maybe Obama could win a majority among whites nationally, but we'll see.

I guess we'll never know beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I think one thing we'll know is that Obama will have gotten more white supportg than a whole series of white Democratic presidential candidates.

Black folks, I don't know whether that one matters to you, but as a middle-age white man it makes me smile. I'm not saying, not even remotely, that all problems are solvd. But wow, it's been a very long time since I thought this country might take a big step forward.

Anonymous said...

KUDOS to Mrs. Reed, she wrote for the "quiet heros" like Mrs. Dunham who helped raise Barack to manhood in Hawaii and didn't get to live long enough to see him elected but knew he was on his way.
Thank you, whoever and where ever you are, you brought a lot of tears to many eyes here on the Field's blog.
Charlotte "makaii"

Anonymous said...

http://www.firstnigger.com
http://www.1stnigger.com

/nuf said...

Swiff said...

CNN calls Ohio for Obama. Thank you, thank you, folks! You've been a great audience!

Anonymous said...

You know if McCain loses, he is going to beat Cindy McCain tonight... so damn sad.

Jibreel Riley said...

Hey ya'll looks like its going to happen. congrats and good luck

Sharon from WI said...

Anonymous LosEsq said...

You know if McCain loses, he is going to beat Cindy McCain tonight... so damn sad.

I've thought the same myself. Remember the last presidential debate when the wives came onstage?

Sharon from WI

TrueBlue said...

You know if McCain loses, he is going to beat Cindy McCain tonight... so damn sad.

Nah, he's too old.

Anonymous said...

Mr Negro

Damned if you ain't gonna have to make that run.

I'm thinking of making a run myself. I don't know if you live up to the myth, though, but I'm just afraid I can't match up, so I'll probably just go to bed.

The wife is still looking forward to Naked Negro Night. Binoculars, cameras...

Anonymous said...

Field, I used to live in Brookhaven (next door to Chester). I think I can find my way to witness your historic run (teehee!)

Can a sistah get an approx time and general location?

We're gonna see Field nekkid!
We're gonna see Field nekkid!

Luv ya Bruh!

Anonymous said...

Field,

I have to be up in Philly on 11/13 for business. If you and Ms. Field feel like grabbing dinner, let me know.

John

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to all the Philly area get-out-the-vote crew. You really, really did it. We've (you've) won Pennsylvania despite all the odds and I suspect it was because lots of brothers and sisters overcame the "will to chill."
You have helped make history. Now, go to bed and get some sleep because American 2.0 starts in the morning.
Blessings to all of you.

Sharon from WI said...

44? Oh yes! Field, get your running shoes on.

Sharon from WI

Time to get out the champagne.

alzaido alzaido said...

Wow. I'm crying. That was powerful. I always bring my kids with me when I vote. My 5 year old son voted for Obama in kid voting. He has been energized by Obama's presence and speeches. He is a white kid in an 85% black school. He does not know racial division and I hope he never does. When I was a boy a friend's dad said to him, "the only way you can bring home a black girl in on a leash." WTF!!!! It is difficult to rise above the lessons of our upbringing, but it is so important for our nation. We have a chance to be a truly great nation. The answers lie within the constitution. All Men are created equal. Separation of church and state. All we need to do is follow it. It's a good thing we just elected a constitutional lawyer to the highest office in our not always fair land. Our nation can be truly great. YES WE CAN!!!!

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