Real Talk

Disclaimer: If you’re an Obamaholic, you may not want to read any more of this.

So last Sunday, me, my mother, my grandmother and Amaretto journeyed through the rain and a tornado watch, to my mother’s friend’s house to discuss the 2008 political season with a multi generational group of Black women. I went hoping for a healthy, substantive discussion on how Black women were being completely left out of the political equation, but it quickly turned into a ‘WE LOVE OBAMA, THAT MAN CAN DO NO WRONG!!’ fest.

Disclaimer #2: Now for those of you still reading, I should stop right here and tell you that I’m not an Obamaholic. I’m not on the O train. Admittedly, I’m at the O station, but I haven’t bought that ticket yet. And so that is the place from where I write.

So we’re sitting around the living room dining on fried chicken (go Obama!) and pasta salad (go Hilz!) when all hell broke loose. Ok maybe not literally. But basically once Amaretto and I expressed our displeasure/hesitance/question marks about the O man, we were pounced upon, trounced on and damn near held down for an exorcism to be immediately followed by a baptism in some Obama holy water. Not that we didn’t see it coming. Everywhere we go, Amaretto and I are the only ones who have the audacity to raise our eyebrows at all the Obamaholics. On occasion we are met with some like minded people; shout out to that cool chick who said “for real change to happen, there must be blood in the streets and heads must roll!” But I digress…

What pissed me the hell off about this group discussion was that there was a lack of actual discussion and analysis. These women had a myriad of excuses for Obama’s gaffes, mistakes, half truths. Yes, I said half truths. Now, this is not to say that other candidates, i.e., Hillary haven’t lied, we all know that Bosnia sniper story was pure lies and madness. But I focus on the Golden Boy because that was the main focus of the Sunday round the living room discussion. Every misstep he has made was “reasoned,” explained, or justified. To the point that I had to throw up my hands and ask, “When will this madness end?”

And by madness, I mean the lack of questioning of what Obama is gonna do for us, Black folk. Uh oh. Did I take it too far? Now, I’ve heard the argument that Obama is running for THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, not black america. True, indeed. When he speaks he is addressing all the needs of America. As someone said that night, he’s “Keeping us all in mind.” Or is he?

The fact that as a race of people, we have not dared ask “whatcha gonna do for us when the chips are down” bothers me because we are ignoring and exchanging our interests for the momentous occasion of seeing a Black man elected President. I know that it would be an amazing feat, believe me I would love to tell my kids that I voted for the first Black President of the U.S.A., but I fear that too many Black people are hoping and assuming that our needs will be met.

Yes, I believe that Black people have a different set of needs, issues and problems from the rest of America. And since I know that we’ll never receive reparations, someone has got to address our concerns. And while I do believe that some of them need to be addressed and handled within the community, but let’s not play ourselves, if we’re gonna play this game of living in America, then government intervention and action (at all levels) is also necessary. And so I think it’s only fair for us to ask all candidates, “What is you gon’ do for us?” Just like that. Other groups do it. Other groups ensure their needs and demands are heard. Jews. Cubans. Indians. Gays and Lesbians. Shit, Canadians even. They have no shame in using their clout or exchanging their vote for deals and favors.

But right now so many of us are being swayed by a nice smile and flowery rhetoric. And as one woman said at the discussion, “Obama has a nice butt.” Lord have mercy. That Sunday, my thoughts were confirmed, because I feel in my soul that Obama pimped the Black vote like any other Democrat would. He put in the obligatory “work” to get us: attendance at the NAACP & Urban League conferences, recitation of speeches at Black churches, visitation to the local barber shop. He pimped us. And once he won South Carolina and he knew he had won us over, he put us in the corner and told us to be quiet, because he had to win white folks over now.

Think I’m wrong? Yesterday on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Tavis Smiley, Black America’s favorite man we love to hate, talked about how the National Newspaper Publishers Association (i.e., Black newspapers) had to have a “come to Jesus meeting” with all three candidates because they are not advertising in our publications. Tavis said, “One doesn't have to spend. [We know who that is] And the other two figure why spend?” And why should they spend money to reach Black audiences? 1. Because they get “free” media by appearing on every Black radio show, where Obama is fawned over and Hillary is invited because of those pesky government rules and regulations. 2. They don’t have to spend money and advertise to us, because they know they have us in their pockets-Obama especially, since we have given Billary the proverbial middle finger.

But on this particular Sunday, all of this was ignored. Hillary was constantly regarded as a she devil. I’m sorry, a lying she devil. Two snaps and a neck roll. And Obama. Well, you would have thought he was about to walk on water, feed the masses with just a two piece and a biscuit and then raise some people from the dead. People were visibly upset that we did not agree with them. At the end of the evening they approached me and Amaretto and said, “We hope we changed your mind.” Hmmm… I never said I didn’t or wouldn’t vote for him. I merely questioned him. Nothing wrong with that. I looked at his whole. I examined everything about him. I mean these women already assumed that McCain doesn’t have our best interests at heart merely because he’s a Republican. Then they ripped Hillary up one side and down the other and called her everything but a child of God. We aren’t gonna treat all candidates equally? Or is this affirmative action politics? Cause when I asked if they would vote for Obama if he were a white man delivering a hope, change, jazz hands message, I was met with silence.

I had to bite my tongue, but I so wanted to say to them: I’m sorry I can’t be one of Obama’s ride or die chicks. Because I think that at the end of the day, when the cameras have been turned off, the screaming crowds have gone home, gymnasium lights have been dimmed, and the façade of campaigning has been removed, Obama is just a man. And more importantly, he is a politician. (Rev. Jeremiah Wright said it this morning-holla!) Through and through. With his own motives. His own dreams. His own hopes (that have nothing to do with us). His own eyes on the prize. And I know that we want him to get that prize. But at what cost?

That’s my time y’all! Happy Rum Punch Friday!