RSSSoul Train
Barak Obama…Barak Obama…Obama…Barak…That’s what I’m hearing everywhere I go. Looks like it took a win in Iowa for the non-believers to hop on board the Obama train. And the most fascinating thing about the new Obama fan club is the large number of black people signing up. Which raises an interesting question— does it take white people to make us believe in ourselves?
I’m still trying to figure it all out. Like many black people, I was skeptical of Obama early in the campaign (check the Black…Maybe post from two months back). But now, he’s my dude. Call me a bandwagon fan if you want, but my newfound Obama fetish really isn’t new at all. I’m like many black folks out there, who knew they were going to vote for him, but weren’t content on just giving him the “black pass.”
After Iowa, things feel different. I witnessed black America’s epiphany this past weekend, when I overheard three homeless men debate whether “the black man bout to be president.”
“Whenever the black man get a little the white man take it back,” one of them said. “We can’t let em take it no more, we the black man,” another responded.
Not until now have I heard this type of black pride surrounding Obama’s campaign. In the beginning he wasn’t black enough. Now he got the most marginal of black people ready to stand up? If so, it’s a good thing. Still, it’s crazy that it took the overwhelmingly white state of Iowa to have us feeling like black is the thing to be.
And because of this, I’m a little concerned. I got my fingers crossed, hoping that as the black constituency comes out, white America doesn’t chicken out.
25 Comments, Comment or Ping
Malia
Actually, I’d said, “Oh ish!!!!” a few times as I’d risen from the bed and paced the floor, hands on hips, absorbing the on-screen reactions to Obama’s surprising (for me, at least) win. I was drowning in phrases like “sea change”, “end of an era”, “turning of the page”, and most notably…“historic moment”. I soon realized that I’d been repeatedly stopping to look at the TV with a “Did I really just see what I just saw?” look of bewilderment.
Like you, TROUBLMan, I was excited but skeptical because I saw how they did Reggie Jackson in 1988 and just felt that it was gonna be a re-run of his sad (but very couragious, nonetheless) campaign. But no wayyyyyyyyyyyy…this is serious business!!!!!
I’m not even all that into politics, neither are many of my friends or fam, but we were all glued to the TV the television was on MSNBC as it was when I’d left it earlier. My cousin and my aunt were watching the coverage too—which considering the unremitting awfulness of their television tastes kind of struck me…..LOL!!!!
It wasn’t Snoop Dogg, or an umpteenth viewing of “I LOVE NEW YORK” episode they were riveted to, though. Obama’s win, and what it meant had them utterly transfixed. And as Chris Matthews anxiously brayed and be-sptttled his co-host Keith Olbermann with pre-speech hype, I could feel my heart beginning to race. There was the faintest tingle of…something……. I stood there again, EWF-style, taking in the pre-moment, moving from “WTF?” to an open-mouthed “Wow!!!!” at what I was seeing.
And then, suddenly Matthews honked out a “Here he is!” and it was on and crackin!!!!! There was raucous cheering, the family mounting the dais, the girls—Hey! Whaddya know? Obama’s daughters had just had their hair “did”…..lol. Michelle Obama corralled the girls and for the first time—and you can call me a lout—I noticed Ms. Obama’s body. I’d only seen head shots and waist-ups before this moment. Um…was it wrong for me to think “Okay…first potential First Lady I’ve ever seen that a brotha would step to.”? Yes, it probably was, but hey—a historic night is a historic night, right?!?!? Barack was now on the stage, helping Michelle gather the daughters and then glad-handing a few people on the stage with him as the crowd exploded with cheers.
Goose-pimples????? Yep. Had ‘em. I’m watching him make his way to the podium, and my mind flashes back to 1988 when Jesse Jackson ran for President. I remember a Time or Newsweek cover with a presidential-looking painting of Jesse standing there with his arms folded with a wry smile on his face, under the 120 point headline “Jesse?”, as if the magazine was itself saying “Dang!!!! Is it possible…?”
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ChiCity Star
I had an elated “out-body-moment” myself that night. Just the thought of this man who looks like me having the AUDICITY TO HOPE!!!!! I relaxed for the first time and made a drink and just whispered under my breath, “Whew! He made it. Thank God.”
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THE BEAUTIFUL MIND
But I want you to understand what that nervousness and yes, I’ll say it—fear was about as Barack Obama thanked his supporters and urged them onward. I don’t know if you’ll ever really understand it and why it comes so quickly to the forefront for Black folks. I guess, you need only to look at not distant, but recent American history and how deadly cruel it has been to Black people on the cusp of busting a door wide open. In my lifetime, Malcolm X was cut down. Medgar Evers was blown away. Martin Luther King’s flame was sniper’s bullet snuffed. Never mind all the back-room, black-bag shit the U.S. government ran on folks who stood tough locally like Chicago’s Fred Hampton and others.
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~ L a t t e ~
What I do hope is that black men start looking at themselves a bit differently and more confidently like the on the fence voters may be looking at Obama a bit differently or more closely. Hopefully the “white man on my back” routine will die down from them and they will make more prominent strides - more prominent meaning more of them not the ones who are already doing their thing.
All around I think it is a good think for Obama to be in this race. A SERIOUS black person in the race to win instead of just making a statement. This is PROGRESSION and I am very happy about that.
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TROUBLMan
I had similar feelings. I was anticipating the results all day but I left my house before they were announced. When I got back and heard that Barak basically cleaned Hillary’s clock, I felt this crazy type of energy. It almost felt like I had won.
I quickly moved from CNN to MSNBC to Fox News and I ain’t done that type of channel surfing since 9/11. The pundits on each channel seemed stunned by Obama’s showing, which made me more energized.
My mom came in and began watching and the energy seized her too. Both of us began preaching about change and referencing the civil rights movement.
Just that small victory was a great night. Imagine if he wins the whole thing. Black people gone be out like the home team won the super bowl!!!
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Malia
Latte —— sis, I couldn’t have said it better myself!!!! In spite of my having not formally chosen a candidate I really feel strongly positive about, I’ll be damned if I didn’t feel something soul-deep special when they announced that Obama had won Iowa and I PRAY that all of our brothers and sisters had that same sturring inside of them. Maybe then we can see ourselves in a different light!!!!!
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~ L a t t e ~
I had the same stirring!
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TROUBLMan
If he wins tomorrow in New Hampshire watch how people who aren’t even into politic begin to tune in. Crazy how the world is changing right in front of our eyes.
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Rupe
I’m a white guy who was born in ‘67 and so don’t remember all the tragedies you cite, except as bits of history that my crappy Reagan-era public school education didn’t really teach me enough about.
That being said, I had fears watching Obama speak last night. So it isn’t just a black-folk thing. It’s an “everybody who recognizes how fucked-up this country still is” thing.
But even though Obama wasn’t my first or even second choice (Edwards was my 1st choice, and I have a soft spot for Kucinich), damned if it wasn’t electrifying watching Obama up there. Almost enough to give back a little bit of hope for this country.
If only that little voice of dread would just go away…..
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Rupe
“…….Crazy how the world is changing right in front of our eyes……”
TROUBLMan —– It’s truly amazing!!!!
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"a mom"
Rmember what I said the future has already happened. Obama is the past. If we all keeping thinking and making change we will be taking about the past (Black, Yellow, Brown, Women etc) presidents. Troublmedia should be the next avenue to the next futures president.
Love how he talks about his wife also. Yes it’s happening
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Q.
there are many things i find interesting right now with the campaigns.. 1 is John Edwards positioning for either VP on the Obama ticket, or Edwards finding a way to snatch votes as Obama and Clinton go at it.. i’ve even heard of Republicans feeling that they have a better shot at Obama (did you peep how they had a question just about Obama in the Republican debates last week?), so they are trying to sway voters to push for Obama because of the perceived easier chance for them to take him down rather than Clinton..
the biggest things is the awareness and the interest levels of not only the country, but the world.. everybody is paying attention and watching.. i get hit up from friends across the world asking me if this is really happening.. it’s wild..
Chicago stand up!
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Malia
Great point Q —— when asked which Democratic candidate would have the “best chance to defeat the Republican nominee in the general election,” 54 percent of Democrats polled said Clinton would, compared to 22 percent who said Obama would.
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Andy
As a long time Republican who is fed up with the intolerant wing of my party and holier than thou wing of the Democratic party, I see Obama as a person of priciple and moderation who has a shot at bringing the moderate middle back into the game. Other than President Bush, Senator Clinton is perhaps the most polarizing and divisive figure on the political scene today and I have no doubt that a Clinton Presidency would keep the extemist wings of both parties alive and well. Those supposed 80% percent of Democrats who support Clinton would also support Obama in a general election but a Democratic party led by Clinton might well lose enough of the middle to throw the election to a moderate Republican.
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The R
Listening to some of the women voters that went to Obama it seemed clear to me many women listening to Oprah and her speech about change and give Obama a chance and listen to him. It all worked. She should him him in other states too. So far it does not seem that audience has turned on her but some radio shows have been bashing her over this….
it was funny how every candidate Repub and Democ started preaching change lol…umm who said that first???
But like I heard this morning on black radio New Hampshire voters always go opposite from Iowa and it is traditional voting and not this block crap Iowa does..If he kills it in New Hamp…Hillary is in trouble….
He needs Romney to beat Huckabee cause that Evangelical vote is what helped put Bush in the White House.they came out for Huckabee..
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The R
A MOM ———
You are absolutely right, if this really happens then the possibilities are endless!!!!
TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM)
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Paul
I agree with Q (and others) above. I think though that Obama would gather the vast majority of Democratic voters if her were the nominee and has already deomostarted that he can count on a sizeable independent and Republican vote as well. I believe either Clinton or Obama can win with a well-run general election campaign, but Obama has the greater potential.
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Malia
Paul—-I’m curious (and I’m not trying to be difficult but just curious) Is it because Obama is acceptably black? Acceptably black means being nonthreatening to white people inclined to feeling threatened by black people. It means standard English, clean-cut appearance (or, as Joe Biden fumbled, “clean”) and the most Caucasian features possible. These obviously are not objective measures of character or worth; just as obviously, they are measures of what sells to the vast, white audience. Halle Berry and Denzel Washington are acceptably black. Your local news anchors are acceptably black. Tupac was not.
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Desert Rat
One addendum…
I do have to admit that I shared the concerns regarding his safety Rupe for just a brief moment. I pushed it out of my mind quickly enough, as I hope everyone did.
It saddens me deeply that we live in a world where those thoughts have to enter our minds.
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ChiCity Star
Q. -
LOL……Chi Town Stand Up!!!!!!!!…..They Jukin as we speak!!!!!!!
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Q.
one point hit home for me when they were interviewing people in Iowa.. one person talked about meeting both Hillary and Barack.. he said when he looked into Barack’s eyes, he was met with sincerity.. when he looked into Hillary’s eyes, he commented that she was like a robot.. i think that is starting to sway people as well.. you can sense that Hucklebee has a bit of that going for him on the Republican side.. as i said to others, Romney looks like the President, and Hucklebee looks like a dude who’s nice..
what scares me is Rudy.. why/how is that dude still in the race? he says Reagan is his idol.. lists the #1 priority if he’s elected is the war.. all the other things we have issues with, but the war is #1? i might be on an island by myself on this, but the war just isn’t the #1 priority to me.. housing crises, the 2nd coming of the Great Depression, poverty, education.. i’m just saying..
jukin’.. yea, that’s Chicago!! shout out to Tyrus Thomas.. nah, lemme stop..
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TROUBLMan
I agree Q. Barak has that sincere sense about him and that’s what attracts people. Americans are smart. We realize that experience, or lack there of can be made up by a good cabinet. Shit we elected George W. twice and he still seem like he don’t have experience.
I’m not conversative but I like Huckabee for the same reason. He don’t seem like the textbook politician. And that’s why all the other Republican candidate be hating on him.
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Malia
Obama deffinitely takes the lead in sincerity: heart and humanity (based on his inspirational stance of projecting a new paradigm of rising above dualism and being an advocate of inclusionism, unity and hope); likeability; and wisdom (heart combined with intelligence.) Do you guys think these attributes will be enough to carry him into the lead?
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Q.
in the words of B.O.. we can all hope it will carry him into the lead.. i’m about to go back to being a bit pessimistic because as hard as i try not to be, i’m a creature of habit.. and since i started to be skeptical of his chances before he won in Iowa, i feel i need to keep being skeptical so that i don’t mess up his chances (not like i have an impact, but it’s like me refusing to step on a crack so that my mom’s back won’t break!)..
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TROUBLMan
Make sure you keep a healthy pessimism. Doubt can be contagious.
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Reply to “Soul Train”
SEE ALSO
♦ TROUBLMan - Black…Maybe?
November 9, 2007
♦ TROUBLMan - O Ye, of Little Faith
June 24, 2008
♦ TROUBLMan - Mr. Frontrunner
December 6, 2007
♦ TROUBLMan - Black…Maybe? Pt.2
March 12, 2008
♦ TROUBLsome - BaracKKK
February 19, 2008