election 2008 from the eyes of an ebony mom

Growing up my parents always told us you can be anything that you want to be. The key to doing this was to work hard. This was truly a statement of hope. Growing up I saw people of color achieve a lot of things, but I have not yet seen a black president of the United States. That is what makes this election year so exhilerating…the possibility. To see a viable candidate embraced by people of all color gives me hope. Hope for the future, hope for this country and especially hope for my children. I was discussing this with a co-worker this morning and we both are so inspired by what we see happening. Even if Senator Obama does not win the nomination he has restored my faith in the system. He is the living example of hard work and staying true to your principles, and others will also see the great possibilities in you. I have not been this excited about a candidate in years. I will continue to tell my children what my parents told me–you can be anything you want to be, but I will add this statement-including the President of the United States.

When I watched Sen. Kennedy endorse Senator Obama today I felt a true sense of pride in both men. I am proud that Sen. Kennedy had the courage to make a choice. He could have stood on the sideline and simply been neutral in this race, but he had the audacity to take a stand. When you take a stand it is like a two edge sword. You win some friends, but you also risk losing some. He saw something wrong, and he felt the need to speak out about it, and I am proud of him. I am proud of Sen. Obama because he accepted the endorsement, but he also must know this endorsement requires accountability. He has to continue being the agent of change and not lose his way being someone else. Today, was a good day. This is the kind of day that makes you proud to be an American.

Yesterday, we witnessed an old-fashioned smack down. Sen. Obama out distanced his competition by a 2 to 1 margin. His impassioned victory speech served to remind us why we see the Senator from Illinois as a true visionary. Over the past couple of weeks he had become muddled in the murk playing the game that was dealt to him, but in the last few days he has moved back to that position that truly gave us a vision of a true agent of change. I believe if he stays true to his own character he will avoid the missteps of the last couple of weeks. He can not out-Clinton the Clintons. They play the campaign game their way and under their own terms, but that is not the way Sen Obama has to play. He has to continue being as he put it a “hopemonger”. That is what we need, that is what we are looking for and that is what we expect from him. If he stays true to his own original premise then I predict more smackdowns are in his future.

It is 2008 and race still matters in politics. Over the past few weeks all we have heard about is race. Hillary Clinton started it with her statement to Fox news regarding Martin Luther King Jr. In short she said he had a dream, but it took white politicians to make the dream a reality. Once the sound bite was out there it changed the dialogue of the campaign. Now everyday we hear about race. Is BarackObama just a black candidate or is he an American candidate. We are losing sight of the real message. It is a new day and it is time for a change. We know race still matters, but we can not allow it to color our judgment. We have a unique opportunity and we can not afford to squander it.

Hillary Clinton is the first woman that has a viable chance of being the Democratic party’s presidential nominee. She has always shown herself to be a tough fighter, a woman that gets the job done, a woman who is not afraid of anything or anyone. I have always admired her for these reasons, but now  I am hearing the President is out stumping for her, and some have even said he is “defending her honor.” Whereas, I have never heard President Clinton say this, it is an interesting choice of words. If you are running for the presidency you better be able to defend your own honor. If she became the President she won’t be able to come crying to Bill saying, “President Putin was mean to me can you call him and give him a piece of your mind for me. “This is not a job for the weak. If he is speaking for her now what will he be doing if she does win? Who will be setting policy? The one that needs to be defended or the strong defender? Look out people sounds like a 3rd term for someone.

When Barack Obama first entered the presidential race he spoke so eloquently about hope. He was inspiring and so truly believable. In recent weeks he has moved away from the thing that drew so many. He has allowed himself to be drawn into petty bickering and  lies, in other words politics as usual. That is not what we were promised nor is it what we expected. Obama has allowed the Clintons to literally steer his campaign. The Clintons have been in the campaign business for decades and they know all the tricks. To try to fight them on this level is clearly a no-win situation. Obama has got to get back to what brought us to him in the first place, and that is hope. We want our candidate to fight the fights worth fighting and not the ones the Clintons orchestrate. Jesse Jackson said it at the 1984 Democratic Convention,”Keep Hope Alive.” That is what we want Obama to do.

I watched the Democratic debate last night in South Carolina. It was like an accident—Hard to look at, but also hard to look away.  I was simply embarrassed for both Hillary and Obama. They both came out swinging and it was ugly. While I was watching I thought about something my husband said when we first got married. He said that we have to watch what we say to each other because once you say it you can apologize, but you can’t take it back.  That’s what went through my mind as I watched the “bloody” scrimmage. They were like two gladiators out for blood. They both landed some low blows, but what I fear is how do they move on from formidable adversaries to supporters of the eventual standard bearer. In 1980 Jimmy Carter and Edward Kennedy had a similar scenerio, and they were never able to move past it. Their bitterness was one of the reasons Reagan became the president. I am afraid last night was about them not us, and that is sad.

The Day I Stopped Liking Bill Clinton

I remember voting for Bill Clinton when he first ran for president. He was idealistic, full of hope and not afraid of having a little fun. He took the issues seriously but he wasn’t afraid to have a good laugh. He spoke of an America that I yearned to be a part of. He was my president.

I remember seeing him at The National Convocation of the Church of God in Christ. At the time the chief prelate was Bishop L H Ford. Bishop Ford was an elderly man and I remember Bishop Ford and President Clinton walking up the stairs to the podium. I remember President Clinton gently holding the Bishop’s arm as they went up the steps. That simple gesture meant so much to me. Here was the President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world helping an elderly preacher. It was such a respectful gesture, and I will never forget it. That sealed the deal for me I loved Bill Clinton.

I stood up for him during the Lewinsky debacle in discussions with family and friends. I saw it as a family matter that became all too public. I would often say he is my president not my preacher so who was I to ride the slippery moral high horse.

All that warm and fuzzy feeling has changed over the last few weeks, and January 20, 2008 made my transition complete. I saw the president in an interview with Tom Brokaw and when he was asked about Barack Obama he waxed on about the Senator’s eloquence. He gladly touted his oratorical skills, but it seemed almost as if he was describing the achievement of a precocious child. The look on his face seemed to be the look of mild bemusement.  

I know that politics is a dirty business. It is no holds barred, take no prisoners and if your friends get out of line step on their throat. President Clinton adored Sen. Obama as long as he stayed in his place. If only Barack would have just stayed home, and out of the fray, the benevolent Clintons might have let him deliver another convention speech.

Sen. Obama had the temerity to run for the presidency in the year that Sen. Clinton was ready to wear the crown and carry the scepter. Senator Obama stepped out of line and moved up to the front of the line. He believed his time is now, he was unwilling to wait until King Bill said it was time. I admired Pres. Clinton, but that was before I learned his true identity King Bill.