What exactly makes Bill seem "Black" to Blacks? Oh, I know what it is, he did each of the following: (1) played the saxophone; (2) smoked weed; (3) got some head in the White House; (4) helped rebuild some Black churches; (5) enjoys a two piece snack box from Church's' Chicken for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and (6) thought "Soul Plane" was funny. Yep, sounds Black to me. Okay, I am assuming the last couple of bits. But, get real!!! If that is what Black people think is being Black, then we have LOW EXPECTATIONS about what being Black means.
Here, in Barack Obama, we have what every Black mother wishes her son will become: intelligent, articulate, educated, accomplished, and confident (I got to give a quick shout-out to Michelle Obama, she is absolutely FLY; I am going to marry a woman just like her). Alas, I digress. What is puzzling about Blacks and the way they think about both Bill and Barack comparatively, is that some Black folk are openly questioning Barack's "Blackness," while giving HillBill an absolute pass. I have a question, WHAT EXACTLY DID BILL DO FOR BLACK AMERICA? He did not support the Racial Justice Act that would have allowed people like Warren McCleskey, an African-American on death row who appealed his case to up the Supreme Court and argued that the death penalty was being applied in a racial discriminatory fashion, to establish a prima facie case of racial discrimination by using statistics. See McClesky v. Kemp, 471 U.S. 222 (1985). Instead of challenging the "War On Drugs" policies of the prior Reagan and Bush administrations, which had a disparate impact on African-Americans, Bill tried to show that he was just as conservative on the issue. I am not saying that fighting crime is not worth the political and social exigencies, but what I am saying is this: If Bill thought racial justice was so important, why not address the racial disparity in the imposition of the "War On Drugs" policies and engage in some innovative ideas that may lessen the effect? That's a lingering question I have no definitive answer to. Why is it that it took the "Dub" (George W. Bush) to put Blacks in some clearly noticeable Cabinet positions. Yes, I know about Ron Brown (former Secretary of Commerce), Mike Epsy (former Secretary of Agriculture), and a few others (Bill had a Black Secretary of Transportation, a couple of Black Surgeon Generals, and one other Black Cabinet member I can't recall offhand), but when do you see those Cabinet members on television talking about policy? I do have a definitive answer to that. NEVER.
Yet, here we have Blacks questioning Barack's "Blackness". Why? Is it because he is articulate? Because he is Ivy League educated? Because he is the FIRST Black candidate who can actually APPEAL TO WHITE FOLK? I mean there is this thing called a GENERAL ELECTION and last time I checked Blacks made up roughly 12 to 14 percent of the population, so wouldn't it make sense for him to try to win over some White folks? I don't get it.
Maybe it is that age-old symptom that Blacks just think that there will never be a BLACK PRESIDENT, so we just settle on a white man who we think ACTS like one. A white man we think that because he says all the right things on the campaign trail that he will actually do something substantive when he gets in office (again). Yeah, that's it. I'm sure of it.
I just hope that Bill keeps going after Barack and in the end, Barack will use the force on Bill. At least, the force of a police baton to show Bill what it's really like to be Black in America.
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