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Amazing how
racism is blind to its own bias
E.
Ablorh-odjidja, Ghanadot
Pennsylvania
is over and Hillary won. How Obama fares in the polls ahead
should not be a problem for him or Blacks.
It should be
a problem for America because by the end of election 2008,
America would have revealed her maturity, or lack of, in racial
matters. Hopefully, the revelation would be less profound than
it was in the 2000 elections when it was said that the Black
vote was suppressed.
However, and
for now, consider how a man, born of a White mother and a Black
father, could be considered strictly Black. Then ask any
White
woman why this actuality does not grate on her motherly
instinct. But, don’t ask Hillary. She has already spoken.
On from
Pennsylvania, the tussle to lead the Democrats in the 2008 US
presidential elections now depends on super delegates. Hillary
argues that she has won more big states; therefore, she is
entitled to the super delegate votes more than Obama.
We can
presume from her assumption that big Democrat states like
California would rather vote for the Republican nominee than
vote for Obama. And that she has no concern for the tipping
power of the Black vote, which traditionally has favored
Democrat presidential candidates, including her famous husband
Bill.
The above
can explain why she doesn’t mind damaging Obama, even if that
would mean offending Blacks.
Mr. James E.
Clyburn, a Black Democrat leader in the House of Congress thinks
that the Black community is incensed about the Clintons antics
against Obama in the campaign.
Speaking to
the New York Times, Mr. Clyburn said that “Mr. Clinton’s conduct
in this campaign had caused what might be an irreparable breach
between Mr. Clinton and an African-American constituency that
once revered him.”
It has to be
also said that of all White Democrat politicians running for
office, it was Bill Clinton who gained the most from the Black
community.
“When he was
going through his impeachment problems,” said Mr. Clyburn, “it
was the Black community that bellied up to the bar.”
He added
that “Black folks feel strongly that this is a strange way for
President Clinton to show his appreciation.”
Indeed, the
Clintons’ all consuming ambition has caused them to run over a
favorite Black American son, Obama. The message so far is the
Clintons just don’t care. They are White, privileged, and don’t
mind patronizing Blacks. Whatever the electoral damage, the
Clintons expect White racial angst to kick in to balance the
deficit that Black anger would cause.
This
explains why Hillary will not allow the race issue dogging the
Obama’s campaign to go away. And in a bizarre way, she has been
effective. Her approach to hammering on the Reverend Jeremiah
Wright’s instance can be a perfect study in race baiting.
The Reverend
Wright’s issue should have died by this time. Instead, it is the
lie that Hillary told about Bosnia that is dead.
Her
lies about dodging bullets on a tarmac in Bosnia, when in
reality her experience was a serene reception seen on
television, should have pierced her character and integrity.
Instead, it is she rather who adroitly uses the inflammatory
remarks of Reverend Wright, a third person, to frame negatively
Obama’s character. And she is getting away with this pretence
too.
So Hillary
pursues the Reverend Wright’s topic, supported by characters
like Hannity, a conservative Talk Radio host; and what a
combination! Both keep urging on the backlash from Reverend
Wright to damage Obama’s chance for the presidency for good.
Principles
considered, you ought to understand why the passion for a
liberal’s defeat should concern a conservative like Hannity.
But when both Obama and Hillary are liberals, you ought to
wonder what makes the difference for this conservative.
In
Pennsylvania, White blue color workers have won the state’s
primaries for Hillary. The Clinton campaign, after first
creating the false impression that her victory was in double
digits, have settled for a 9 point margin victory. The euphoria
from this camp is no less thick.
Ironically,
the euphoria is about a candidate who just six weeks ago, going
into Pennsylvania, had about 25 points lead over Obama.
Previously, she had been favored to win the nomination. However,
with this 9 point margin, she is now declared the miracle
worker!
And with the
miracle work declaration comes the spurious argument that in
spite of being outspent on television ads by 2-to-1, Hillary
managed to pull out this “magnificent” win over Obama.
One would
have thought that having more money to spend on a campaign is a
form of vote preference in away. That Obama has more money to
spend on ads because more people gave him money than they gave
the Clintons. But this fact does not play when it comes to the
racial divide.
Curiously,
when the campaign started and Hillary was ahead in the money
count, how much one spent on ads counted as strength. Obviously
things have changed since Obama got to the top of the money
poll.
With no name
recognition, Obama has managed to out raise and out spend the
Clinton campaign machine by a 2 – 1 margin in Pennsylvania and
to hold down Hillary’s delegate haul there. It is Obama who
should be called the “miracle worker.” But will he be able to
overcome racial prejudice to become the nest president of the
United States?
The drama that is being enacted in this particular primary
season is historical. It is not about Hillary being a woman.
She has and always will be White first. Obama is Black, despite
his mixed race. Any attempt through the ages for the
Black man
to rise above his societal limitations has always been met with
opposition.
Plessey v Ferguson was one instance. So was
Rosa Park
famous bus ride.
And of course, like the Clintons, there are those who have
insisted along the way on being surrogates for the Black man
because they fear there would always be doubts about his
readiness for prime time.
E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Publisher
www.ghanadot.com, Washington, DC, April 26, 2008
Permission to publish: Please feel free to publish or
reproduce, with credits, unedited. If posted at a website,
email a copy of the web page to
publisher@ghanadot.com . Or don't publish at all.
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