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Defending Michelle Obama … You Just Can’t Hate on Barack
Obama!
By Michael Hayes
Minister of Culture
As older voters say about Bill Clinton back in the day, his
charm just wins you over and his intellect makes you believe
he’ll really fix things.
I supported Hillary at first, not out of “anti-Obama- ness”
... but I was leery of the whole concept of “black superman”
here to save a sinking ship.
The ship is sinking, believe that.
I’m telling you all — this country has issues that are NOT
gonna be turned around by someone just because we like them
and they capture our imagination.
I don’t care if the Dali Lama gets elected prez ... the
Republican/conservatives in power have set us on a course of
destruction.
Hate to be doom and gloom but look around you.
That gas is not coming down. That dollar is not going up.
Those jobs are not coming back. Food is tainted. Foreign
policy sucks. Environmental policy sucks.
Justice system sucks. Energy consumption worsening. War
seems never-ending.
Economy is ... come on, $600 is supposed to make you go out
and shop when so many people are being crushed by bills and
gas?
Republicans profit while the rest of the population suffers.
If the gas companies, oil companies, weapon manufacturers
and whoever else are all experiencing record high revenues
while middle and working class America struggles... who in
the hell do you think owns those companies?
A bunch of neo-conservative Bush backers.
They created the current state we find ourselves in.
They don’t intend for things to get better.
So when it comes to any Democratic president, but
specifically Obama, I’m worried.
I suspect that if he gets in office and things don’t
immediately get better for everyone, I honestly fear that
this same country who adores him now will blame him later.
Even though none of the ills we face are his fault.
So yes, I supported Hillary for that and a few other
reasons. First of all,
I like the women’s movement ... I support feminism
wholeheartedly.
Hillary’s campaign brought out a lot of sexist tendencies in
this society in my opinion. And even though Hillary slowly
but surely lost my support somewhere earlier this spring, I
still consider her a valiant role model for generations of
females who can now pursue careers where their intellect
matters ...when for so long that was not an option for women
in this country.
But, yo, I had my radar on. I was watching, paying attention
to any and every reaction to Hillary over the last two years
and it was evident
that a strong woman with leadership capabilities is still a
lot for people to handle.
They either typecast her as a bitch or as a sideline act to
the Bill Clinton parade (which to me is the main reason they
campaigned separately most of the time... it spread their
reach but also allowed P.R. to further establish her in her
own right).
However, with all the sexism and negative nuances I noticed
being aimed at Hillary and even though I felt she was
qualified, I couldn’t stick by her when the race between her
and Obama got so thick that her staff started employing
dirty underhanded anti-Obama messages.
I’m not so sensitive about my race that I misread Hillary’s
supporters
“Nobama” campaign as a ‘no black man in office’ message.
Come on, I have a grip even if some of you don’t.
But now that it’s just Barack and Michelle ...
OMG !!! You don’t have to look very hard to find all the
racism coming out all over the damn place.
OF all things, the infamous “fist bump” is the thing
everyone is trying to go ballistic over!!!
You’ve all seen the video, Obama and Michelle give each
other dap and like most people who ... I don’t know, don’t
live in a cave ... they gave the little third dap at the
front of each other’s fist.
Is that such a big deal?
We all do that without even thinking about it.
It’s been second nature for years.
People who were hip in the 70s or 80s probably gave high
fives or said “jive turkey” or some mess.
We do this!
A damn fist bump.
And so Fox News played the video and one of their talking
heads told their viewers that it was “terrorist fist jab.”
Naw, maan,
We not gonna let them ride on Michelle like that.
I don’t care if my personal views on the presidency in
general are kinda bleak.
I don’t care if Obama’s P.R. machine can leap tall snafus in
a single bound.
That’s not goin’ down.
If I spoke up for Hillary in the slightest, best believe I
will speak out times 10 for Michelle!
Why should she even have to explain that, it’s a hand
gesture.
What about all the times you see Bush giving the Nazi
salute? (youtube it if you are unaware.
And it’s not just non-verbals. The media is also trying to
hurt Michelle Obama by purposely misconstruing her words
Check out this excerpt from an ABC affiliate’s website:
At a campaign stop in February, Michelle Obama told an
audience in Milwaukee:
"For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of
my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I
think people are hungry for change."
Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential contender John
McCain, later sought to capitalize on the remark, saying "I
have, and always will be, proud of my country."
This little fire grew so much backlash that the current
first lady Laura Bush had to chime and offer support for
Michelle by saying "I think she probably meant 'I'm more
proud,' you know, is what she really meant."
Screw that!
Since when is it a bad thing to say you are not proud of
this country?
Wouldn’t you want the people in power who are wise and
upfront enough to say “this place is effed up and I’m not
always proud to be a citizen of such a country.” That shows
integrity.
That shows wisdom.
That shows that you’ve been payin’ attention, damnit!
So Michelle had to make nice, explain that what she really
meant was she’s never been proud of the political process
and it’s good to see so many people taking an impassioned
interest in it these days.
I ain’t mad at her.
Saved face, but still made a statement.
I love seeing a black woman get down like that.
She’s wise enough to know she has to play the little game
they’re playing, but she’s not gonna be completely swayed
from making comments that are right and exact.
Something about her, I just see her as someone who if she
could... she would these people know what she really thinks
about them.
But hey, her hubby has a decent shot at becoming the
nation’s next president.
So it’s ride or die.
As much as black people once adored the Clintons, they never
really felt like a family.
And I was also big on John Kerry (another person who spoke
up when he disagreed with his country) ... but even if he
had won, I can’t really call that little arranged come up of
a marriage something akin to a “first family”.
So while America’s love affair with Barack Obama is creating
just as many “fans” as “supporters” (there is a
difference... an election is not celebreality, people!), one
must take stock of how reassuring it is to see an
honest-to-God FAMILY in these days and times.
The Huxtables went off the air when I was just getting in
junior high, this is the real thing!
So not only do I offer my support to Obama, I applaud and am
happy to see the woman there supporting him as well.
Hats off to Michelle Obama. |
