Incredible Living History

This post is for every person of voting age in the nation who is supporting BHO. 109 year old (that's right, 109 years old) Texan Amanda Jones, a woman who was born when William McKinley was POTUS, cast her vote for BHO.

I know that I have said that I never dreamed in my lifetime that an African American would be at the precipice of the U.S. presidency, but imagine my statement from Amanda Jones' perspective. That is what is so incredible about this historical moment, the daughter of a slave in this country cast her vote for an African American for POTUS. Pure beauty. This is precisely what folks died for throughout the 20th century, so that someone like Ms. Jones and someone like myself could have this type of opportunity and exercise this basic right of U.S. citizenship.

"Barack the Vote!"

"Mawidge" II

I'll make this simple and plain: Californians should vote "NO" on Proposition 8. (Check out this excellent compilation of information on the site Towleroad)

Though I am single, I still would like to have an opportunity to marry in my home country, if I choose. It would be heartbreaking to the thousands of my brothers and sisters who married legally in California, if their marriages were revoked by a vote (I am strongly against issues of civil rights being put on a ballot).

Same-sex marriage is only a religious issue, if the church is directly involved. Many faiths have a range of views on same-sex marriage, and I strongly believe that no church should ever find itself forced to perform any marriage that its doctrine opposes. Civil marriage, however, is an issue of the state. The overwhelming majority of marriages in this country are civil unions; folks obtained licenses from the state to get married. As a matter of principle, it should come as no surprise that the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution should be the lead on this issue.

I hope that in the enthusiam that certainly will be displayed by the black community in voting for BHO as POTUS will not also translate into the right amount of votes to wreak havoc for married gay and lesbian couples in California. Check out that video in the compilation on the Loving v. Virginia SCOTUS decision again. Finally, do not forget that the gay rights movement is a successor of the Civil Rights Movement. No black person should ever feel comfortable enough to engage in discrimination based on who one happens to be. That is a road with an ugly past, and the black community must always remember that the past is prologue. Discrimination in any form is always wrong.

"Git 'Er Done"

When was the last time that you saw a politician have a discussion like this with someone, whom I would assume, had no intention of voting for him? BHO just might have made it a little bit harder for the guy in the vid to vote for McCain (or maybe he was for BHO all along, and wanted to test his tax policy).

UPDATE: I find it incredible that "Joe the plumber," and his "circumstances," were fiction, political stunts even. And I find it funny that this same person would actually benefit from the tax plan of the individual he has comfortably deemed a socialist.

Hempstead, NY

Check out this post from Huffington Post, and watch the video. It really got to me.

In light of the fact that there seems to be an all out effort on the right to point to minorities and lower income folks for the economic crisis that we are facing, I find it disgusting that the executives of companies that we are helping are receiving compensation packages that could cover the basic costs of thousands of Americans in need. Meanwhile, many of those executives will never have to worry about basic money concerns again.

I am all for becoming rich. Who isn't? But I recognize that it would be a privilege, and that I would have responsibilities to my country. I would feel as though I owed my country that, since it provided me with the opportunity to ascend to a position of wealth. That too few in the wealthy class feels the same is unfortunate.

Carry Me Back...? Redux

Back in May, I'd pondered the prospect of Senator Jim Webb running with BHO for VPOTUS. Well, I just found this brief bit on Talking Points Memo that includes a radio spot done by Webb. When I finished listening to the spot, I was reminded of why I thought he would have been an excellent attack dog for BHO. I also had to laugh. Like Senator Webb, my baby brother is both a member of the NRA, and a HUGE supporter of BHO. Gotta love the Commonwealth.

Alright Cat Daddy!

BHO's campaign is a beast! It's reaching out to gamers now via Xbox 360 (hat tip to The Daily Dish). Now that's hot!

He Ain't Nothin' But A Fool

David Alan Grier is the host of a new Comedy Central show called "Chocolate News." Now we all know how crazy DAG can be (remember Cephus and Reesie Mayweather?), but I was on the floor listening to his appeal to white voters to vote for BHO. Check it out.

Okay, I had to include another DAG clip. Check this out.

Carry Me Back...?

Most of my friends know that I am a very proud Virginian. I was born and educated there. And I accept both the good and the bad in its history, because, invariably, it is a part of my own history. My proudest moment as a Virginian remains the inauguration of L. Douglas Wilder in January of 1990. It was one of the most emotional days of my life (and frighteningly cold).

Unfortunately, the supporters of Senator McCain in Virginia felt the need to show their asses to the world in the last few days. And this little bit from the GOP Chair of the Commonwealth, which Senator McCain has refused to repudiate, doesn't help with my home state's reputation either. Perhaps I will be lucky enough to watch Virginia do what it did when she ultimately went into the column for Wilder, only this time the name will be Obama.

Oh For Real?

I'd promised myself not to even discuss Cindy McCain, but how can I resist when she says something as stupid as BHO should walk in her shoes to understand something. Only an out of touch rich white woman could come out of her mouth like that. I have a request for Cindy. How about she try walking in the shoes of a black person for a day. I'll even be okay with letting her be a rich black person. Then report back to me what it's like. I'm sure I am bound to learn something I somehow managed to miss.

UPDATE: I see Cindy McCain as "Narcissa Malfoy."

J'accuse

Some of the supporters of McCain and Palin have lost their minds.

Remember, BHO is the first African American candidate to run for POTUS. For some in the lunatic fringe of this country, that is enough to warrant his head. And, what I've heard from Palin rallies recently has been unsettling. Dana Milbank of the Washington Post highlights some of the more egregious incidents here. The New York Times put an editorial out about this issue today. And jackandjillpolitics.com has a post here.

I am sick and tired of listening to the McCain/Palin camp construct a terrorist/unpatriotic/not really American straw man of BHO. I am tired of people making a point of saying BHO's full name, so as to drive home the "Muslim" connection. I have suspended my fears long enough to believe that BHO could run for, and hopefully become, POTUS without someone trying to kill him. Yet, I am growing more uncomfortable with the manner of the McCain/Palin campaign.

I would never support BHO or Biden whipping their supporters up into such a frenzy that someone would yell out "terrorist," "kill him" or "treason." Yet, that is exactly what is coming from the other side. McCain and Palin both have been silent. Where is the honor? How does that put country first?

Quel domage.

UPDATE: We are now hearing that the McCain camp "doesn't condone" the commentary coming from its supporters. And my name is Boo Boo the Fool.

Debate Moderating While Black

Oh it is on now! Conservative bloggers are jumping on this idea that because Gwen Ifill (moderator of the PBS show Washington Week) has written a book entitled Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, that she is "in the tank" for BHO.

I suppose it is out of the scope of reality for these critics to assume that a sista can't be professional (let's not even mention the fact that we truly have no idea where Ifill stands with regard to who she will support in the upcoming election). These are the same people who probably thought that Sean Hannity's interview of Sarah Palin was "fair and balanced" (yeah, like an unused see-saw). I am sure that somewhere in this great country of ours is a black conservative who will attempt to echo these "concerns," when they should be outraged that their compatriots are suggesting that this particular black person (at the top of her game), simply will not be able to do her job.

This is tiresome. Why not simply say that black people (who aren't conservatives) do not have the capacity to formulate their own opinions? Why not simply say that black journalists (who aren't conservatives) are all 100% behind BHO? Why not simply say that black folks (who aren't conservatives) are mere lemmings? I'll tell you why. It's because too many of these so called conservatives are mentally unable to accept black folks as sentient beings who have the intellectual capacity to see through their crass arguments and who choose to support other perspectives.

Gwen Ifill, do your thing, and brush that dirt off your shoulder.