Wattree's picture

    BLACK PEOPLE, DON'T BE FOOLS - A VOTE FOR HILLARY CLINTON IS JUST SHORT OF A VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP

    Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree

     

    BLACK PEOPLE, DON'T BE FOOLS - A VOTE FOR HILLARY CLINTON IS JUST SHORT OF A VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP
    .
    I wrote the article below in October of 2007 when Hillary Clinton was running against the, then, Senator Barack Obama - and BEFORE I had thoroughly researched Bill Clinton's political history and how he had signed the most draconian crime bill in the history of the United States and created the prison industrial complex that led to the mass incarceration of Black people, and substituted building prisons in lieu of urban housing developments for the poor - and this is NOT just an allegation. Once he and Hillary decided that they wanted to get back into the White House, Bill went before the NAACP and apologized for it. Yet, now, in 2016, Hillary is depending on the Black community to give her the Democratic nomination to run for President of the United States. If we do that, we're idiots, and our minds are still chained next to the mule that we were tied to in the 18th Century. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/hillary-clinton-1994-crime-bill-led-mass-incarceration-article-1.2594729.

    .

    YOUR DOG WHISTLE BETRAYS YOU, HILLARY.  WHAT
    ABOUT THE "INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY" OF THE POLICE AND
    WALL STREET COMMUNITY?

    .

    Black people were conned into giving Bill Clinton our full and passionate support after he went on the Arsenio Hall Show in dark glasses and a saxophone.  We even started calling him "The First Black President." Then some of the first things he did after he was elected was cut Black people's throats by throwing Black men in prison, sending our jobs overseas, and taking away the much needed assistance of poor Black people by throwing them off of welfare, just to prove that he wasn't "soft on coons."  We've been conned once, let's not be stupid enough to let it happen again.  Hillary Clinton was an ardent supporter of Barry Goldwater, a man who pledged to rescind the Civil Rights Act if elected, and nothing has changed about her. As a member of the Walmart board of Directors for 6 years, she didn't lift a finger while Walmart was dragging their workers through the mud. And during the 2008 primaries Bill Clinton told Ted Kennedy of Barack Obama, "A few years ago this guy would have been carrying our bags."  So if Black people do turn out to be stupid enough to give Hillary the nomination, when we start whining over the inevitable consequences, America should give us a resounding, "SHUT THE HELL UP!"

    .

    JUST BECAUSE THE NAME IS CLINTON, DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE GONNA GET BILL (REPRISE)

    .
    I was both embarrassed and conflicted by a CBS News poll that showed Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama 52% to 28% among Black voters. I was conflicted because my emotions seemed to directly contradict my position that the new struggle in this country is no longer about race, but class, and I stand by that position. Nevertheless, it is extremely embarrassing to know that the rest of the world has just got to being snickering over the Black tendency towards self-hatred--and let there be no doubt about it, that’s exactly what the numbers above reflect.
    .
    It is contrary to my character and antithetical to everything that I believe to suggest that anyone cast a vote based on race alone--after all, if White people voted race alone, Black politicians would never win an election outside the Black community. But it seems to me that this election, and Senator Barack Obama in particular, represents a very special circumstance. It’s a confluence of factors coming together that demand Black people to unite and assure we’re on the right side of history.
    .
    Senator Barack Obama is not just another Black politician--he’s intelligent, he’s personable, and his political instincts are flawless. In fact, his sense of class, dignity, and propriety places him so high above the rest of the pack that the other politicians don’t know what to do with him. He is so well thought of by the American people--Democrat, Republican, and Independents alike—that it is clear that he possesses that very special, JFK-like quality that could bring this nation together. I see the candidacy of Senator Obama as an opportunity—and quite possibly our last opportunity--to recapture the best of what America is as a nation, and we are as a people. I’d say, that alone, speaks volumes.
    .
    Admittedly, I’m far from one who’s qualified to speak for God, but it seems to me that considering all that Black people have suffered in this country--including being called ignorant, classless, and untrustworthy--if God handpicked the kind of man that he thought should represent our people in this country, Senator Obama would be that man. He is the walking personification of everything we know our people to be--even his heritage, the marriage of Africa and America, is a metaphor for who we are as a people. Yet he trails in the polls, among our own people, by 24%. What’s up with that?
    .
    I have no problem with Hillary--in fact, if she wins this nomination I’ll be right out there supporting her enthusiastically--right along side Barack, I’m sure. But what makes Hillary so special that we would support her over a dream that goes back as far as the African-American culture itself? The numbers mentioned above can reflect nothing less than a flaw in our character. Think about it--what do we actually know about Hillary other than she’s married to Bill? I was married to a wonderful woman for thirty-three years, yet, we were as different as night and day. So, just because the name is Clinton, doesn’t mean we’re gonna get Bill. And even if Hillary is identical to Bill, who’s to say that a President Barack Obama wouldn’t stand head and shoulders above even Bill Clinton himself? Bill was an excellent president [Man, was I in the dark!] but he was far from the Messiah.
    .
    We’ve simply got to have faith in ourselves. If we don’t, who will? If Black people don’t have faith in the fact that we are capable of producing a leader with the capacity to lead our people and this nation to a higher level of humanity and leadership in the world, why should anyone else believe in us? And if Barack Obama is not that man--with his background as the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review, his demonstrated courage to stand up against invading Iraq during a time when it was unpopular to do so, and the flawless political judgment that has propelled him to the very apex of power in a nation where all the cards were stacked against him--then what Black man (or woman, for that matter) among us is?
    .
    Some Black people seem to be actively seeking a reason not to support this man. For the lack of any other excuse, they say he lacks experience--but experience at what? Where has experience gotten us so far? Hillary Clinton has experience that goes all the way back to the Nixon era, but that didn’t prevent her from voting to give George Bush the power to take us into the most foolhardy war that this country has ever been involved. Then, after conceding that she made an error, she repeated the error in voting for the Kyle-Lieberman Amendment against Iran.
    .
    On the other hand, Obama, this so-called "political novice," had the wisdom to tell America, once again, that we were giving a man who can't be trusted a free hand to be foolhardy--once again. And now, recent revelations in the news tell us that he was right--once again. So I'd say, inexperience notwithstanding, Senator Obama seems to be batting a thousand.
    .
    The inexperienced Senator Obama also stands poised to hand control of political power back to the American people. He’s demonstrated single-handedly that the people can come together and more than compete with big business as a source of political funding. Obama has raised more money through small donations from average Americans than the "more experienced" politicians have managed to raise through their corporate masters. That means that Americans now have a fighting chance of electing politicians that are more beholden to them, than they are big business (and mark my words--you can look for big business to sponsor some sort of legislation in the future to try to close that egregious loophole) [and true to my prediction, shortly thereafter we got citizens united].
    .
    Thus, regardless to how this campaign turns out, whether Obama wins, or falls short in his effort, he’s already performed an immeasurable service to the American people by demonstrating that politicians don’t have to be beholding to big business. Someday, when all of this is looked back upon, Obama’s contribution is going to be recognized as one of the most valuable gifts to America in modern history. I’d say, that alone is a pretty impressive accomplishment for a guy with no experience. Now I ask you, what have any of the more "experienced" politicians done to change the face of American politics lately?
    .
    So the bottom line is, considering Senator Obama’s Character, political savvy, and the fact that he’s the very first viable Black presidential candidate in the history of this nation, to say that he’s not ready to be president is to say that no Black person is ready to be president of the United States. If you happen to be Black and not willing to take that position, in order to be logically consistent you have to be prepared to come up with the name of a Black person who you consider more viable and qualified to be president. If you can’t do that, you’re in denial, and on the wrong side of history.
    .
    It's hard to understand the Black community. Never in my most horrific nightmare did I ever think I’d have to mount such a self-evident argument to my own people regarding a viable Black candidate. As I sit here I imagine Martin, Malcolm, and a million slaves spinning in their graves, saying, "I died for this! What’s wrong with those idiots?" I also imagine racists of the past taunting these great men, saying, "We told you--y’all were fools."
    .
    But as sad as this situation is, it brings to mind an old joke--a very old but profound joke, so bear with me: There was a guy stranded on his roof during a flood, and the water was rising fast. In an attempt to try to save him, a group of people wanted to throw him a life preserver, but he turned it down, saying, "That’s ok. God will provide." Then they tried to save him in a boat, and later with a helicopter, but in each case he turned them down, saying, "That’s ok. The Lord will provide." Finally the water overtook him, and he drowned. Then, as the Devil was dragging him off to Hell, he looked up to God and said, "My Lord, how could desert me, and why am I going to Hell?" And God replied, "Man, I sent you a life preserver, a boat, and even a helicopter, and you refused them. You’re going to Hell because you committed suicide."
    .
    That joke is a perfect example of what’s currently happening in the Black community. We’re being given the opportunity to bring both Martin’s dream, and the prayers that our people have whispered for hundreds of years into reality--the opportunity for Black children to say for the very first time, and with conviction, that "I‘m going to be president someday." For the first time, a Black child will be able to go through life knowing that he is the master of his own destiny. And just as important as all of the things mentioned above, finally, the losers and deadbeats in the Black community won’t be able to convince Black youth that failure is acceptable, because "it’s the White man’s fault." But in spite of all of that, some of us are so consumed with self-hatred that we’d rather cut our own throats before supporting one of our own for president.
    .
    That is the reality, but if we allow this opportunity to pass us by, God would be completely justified in telling us to stop complaining and just shut-up whining about all our suffering. After all, God helps those who help themselves. ***
    .

    .

    Eric L. Wattree
    Http://wattree.blogspot.com
    [email protected]
    .
    Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.

     

    Comments

    Wattree - you know I share your view of the Clintons but don't we have to pivot to the general election at this point?  Sure Hillary's not great but isn't she much better than Trump?


    Hal,

    We pivot to the general election during the primaries we remain in primary mode.  There are 548 delegates in California alone.  In addition, we need to place grassroots pressure on the DNC to strip Hillary of the delegates in state where she and Bill violated election laws.  In short, the people shouldn't allow the Democratic establishment to shove this flawed candidate down our throats.  

    .

    And with regard to law and order, Massachusetts law is clear and unequivocal:
    .
    "Within 150 feet of a polling place…no person shall solicit votes for or against, or otherwise promote or oppose, any person or political party or position on a ballot question, to be voted on at the current election. No campaign material intended to influence the vote of a voter in the ongoing election, including campaign literature, buttons, signs, and ballot stickers, may be posted, exhibited, circulated, or distributed in the polling place, in the building where it is located, on the building walls, on the premises where the building stands, or within 150 feet of an entrance door to the building. ( 950 CMR 53.03(18); 54.04.22),)"  
    .
    But in spite of that law - THE PEOPLE'S LAW - Bill Clinton feels so entitled and thinks the people are so stupid, that we can't recognize that he constitutes a walking billboard for Hillary Clinton. He also retards the vote by creating a distraction, his presidential entourage prevents people from getting into the polls, and it extends the time that voters have to wait in line - time that many voters don't have.  Didn't Bill Clinton know this,?  If he didn't, he has very poor judgment, If he did, what was his motive?  He wasn't voting, so why did he have to enter the polling site in the first place?  The answer is clear - to cheat, to circumvent the law, and to do whatever he had to do to get what he wanted. Haven't we had enough to these dishonest slicksters in office?  Aren't these exactly the kind of people we're trying to get OUT of office? Can you even imagine Barack Obama doing something like that?  Could you imagine Bernie Sanders doing something like that?  Absolutely not! And that's exactly why this nation can't be trusted in the hands of people like the Clintons. They lack character, they feel entitled, and they think that their interests - and the interests of their rich Wall St. cronies -  should be given priority over the interest of the average American.
    .
    The DailyKos reported, ". . . the most serious charge leveled at Clinton’s March 1st Super-Tuesday antics is that he was blocking poor people from voting, in one of Massachusetts most distressed communities, where the median family income is $49,000, [which is] $110,000 less than the Massachusetts town where presidential candidate Hillary Clinton went to college, Wellesley.  Although electioneering within a polling place is a misdemeanor, interfering with voting rights is a state and federal civil rights violation and felony."
    .

    What should black voters do in the general election?


    Donald Trump is a racist, a misogynist, and an imbecile. She is not Donald Trump.

    You are now on the same side as Cornel West.


    Blacks have fared better under Democratic administrations, including that of Clinton. Republicans are a disaster. Here is one analysis by April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks.

    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/03/grading-the-presidents-on...

    Bill Clinton was better than the alternative. Hillary will be better than Trump.

    By the way, the Republican saint Ronald Reagan was just as bad as other Republicans for black employment. Obama has been better for black employment.

    http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/may/22/facebook-...

    There is nothing to suggest that Hillary will be a disaster.

     

     


    Wattree,
    Reading your old post again reminds me of how closely Obama and Clinton worked together in an actual administration. If you are going to join with Cornell West this time around, are you going to renounce the eight years of Obama promotion that you have put forward?


    Moat,

    Cornel West and I both drink water as well.  What does one have to do with the other?

     


    Cornel West was among those calling for a Primary challenge to Barack Obama. Sanders ran with the same pack.


    My question wasn't about whether you share qualities with West or not but how you reconcile your positive views of Obama's performance with throwing your support behind a campaign that sharply criticizes it. Your antipathy for Clinton appears to be greater than your distaste for the views of the candidate you support.


    Eric, when it comes to Presidential elections, black voters have been the most rational group in the country. They did not fall for the race-baiter Goldwater, tricky Dick, or the senile Ronald Reagan. Despite homophobia  the black community, the best the homophobic GW Bush campaign pushing an anti-Gay marriage platform could do was to get 20% of black voters in pockets in Ohio and Florida to vote for hatred. Blacks rejected Al Sharpton who had the same pie-in-the Sky ideas as Bernie Sanders. Blacks voted for the realistic option. 

    The Congressional Black Caucus contains some of the most Progressive members of Congress. The CBC backed Obama against the Clintons in 2008. To pretend that that the group that voted against the TPP has been bought off is part of an effort infantilize black legislators. Republicans carry an identical message to explain why blacks vote for Democrats. Instead of dealing with racism and bigotry with the GOP, black voters are blamed for not ignoring racism. 

    Bernie Sanders was an unknown to black legislators and voters until he needed their votes. He was a do- nothing legislator in a protected seat. He wanted Obama out of office, just like Cornel West. He is a charlatan. He was upset when he was interrupted by Black Lives Matter. Now his selfish behind is encouraging his supporters to disrupt Clinton rallies and Democratic conventions. He ignored Clyburn's observation that the free education plan could harm private HBCU because he doesn't care. When the arrogant and selfish Sanders was told by a woman in Pennsylvania that their school system needed a soda tax to fund schools, he dismissed her concerns. He told her to wait for his education plan to go into effect. His plan cannot pass Congress. He did not care that he was telling the woman to go have unlawful carnal knowledge of herself, he only cared about his mythical plan.

    Sanders is not in touch with reality. He will disrupt the Democratic convention because he is selfish. Blacks are not feeling the Bern because they realize what Sanders represents. No one got bought off. No one has been deceived. Blacks are voting for the best option.


    Here is our hero Sanders not wanting to share the spotlight with Jane

    http://www.inquisitr.com/2932016/bernie-sanders-tells-wife-jane-not-to-s...

     


    Latest Comments