There are certainly more articulate ways of expressing myself, but why beat around the bush? When Barack Obama spoke at the Congressional Black Caucus annual event this weekend he showed himself to be the pompous jackass that he has always been.
"I expect all of you to march with me and press on. Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We’ve got work to do, CBC."
While this display of condescension initially made me angry, I now have second thoughts. I am glad that Obama insulted black people for the 100th time.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, always among my favorites, made the case this way. She is savvy and knows that she will alienate her constituents if she directly criticizes Obama. She said as much publicly at a Detroit town hall.
" 'We don't put pressure on the president,' said Waters. 'Let me tell you why. We don't put pressure on the president because ya'll love the president. You love the president. You're very proud...to have a black man [in the White House] ...First time in the history of the United States of America. If we go after the president too hard, you're going after us... When you tell us it's alright and you unleash us and you tell us you're ready for us to have this conversation, we're ready to have the conversation.' "
Obama has now given Waters and others the cover they need in order to take him on.
“ 'I found that language a bit curious because the president spoke to the Hispanic Caucus and certainly they are pushing him on immigration and despite the fact that he's appointed [Justice Sonia] Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, he has an office for excellence in Hispanic education right in the White House, they’re still pushing him and he certainly didn’t tell them to stop complaining,' she said.
'And he never would say that to the gay and lesbian community who really pushed him on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Or even in a speech to AIPAC, he would never say to the Jewish community ‘stop complaining’ about Israel.' ”
I have always suspected that the huge black voter turn out from November 2008 would not be repeated in 2012. We have already seen that turn out in elections held since 2008 has been very low. Despite all the talk of renewed energy and interest in politics, the truth is far simpler. Black people were excited to see a black president and not excited about much else.
Now they have seen one and that initial thrill has gone. Obama has not even made token efforts to help black people and regardless of how much his critics are despised, his lack of action is noted and will have consequences. Most black people will not directly and openly criticize Obama, they will just stay home next November and I don't think that is a bad thing. The democrats have proven themselves to be no friends of black people, of labor or of the left in general. It is time for them to go. If we are going to have a president willing to cut social security, we may as well have a republican anyway.
Congresswoman Waters should cheer up. She can consider herself "unleashed."
