A Compelling Case for Obama

By Patricia Wilson-Smith 

I’m breathless as I write this. Today, I was sent the link to an article that is absolutely amazing in how it describes why Senator Obama is what America needs now:

It was written by a gentleman named Andrew Sullivan for the Atlantic Monthly, and forwarded to me by a woman who claims that it convinced her that Senator Obama is the only choice for President:

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/obama/1

The author eloquently (and at times, verbosely) describes the nuances of our current political climate, and how and why who both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are makes such a difference in how each will govern if elected.

His angle is rooted in the politics of the Baby Boomer generation – Vietnam, Nixon, and the resulting political factions that grew out of the conflict and upheaval of that time. He paints this vivid picture, and then describes how Senator Obama transcends it all by virtue of his ethnicity, upbringing and age. And he’s right on target.

This article gave me goose bumps. It laid out so much of what I struggle to communicate to others on a daily basis.  I’ve said that this is no longer Hillary Clinton’s time; the author of this article says that Hillary is a product of the divisiveness born out of an era that we must turn away from. I’ve said that Senator Obama is the only candidate with an innate ability to govern all Americans; this author describes how his unique background, his struggle with identity is the one thing that Americans have in common.

I say that he is the only hope for repairing our reputation around the world, and this author spells out in crystal clear terms that Senator Obama, his face, his name, his ability to build concensus, is what we must have if we are to turn the page on the dangerous situation that the Bush Administration has left us in and why. He describes Senator Obama as a political ’saviour’ of sorts, whose time is now not just because of what he’s done as a legislator and in his life before public office, but because of what we face as a nation, and how we’ve come to be regarded around the world. So powerful.

I urge you to read every word of this article. Get out your dictionary though, because the author is extremely precise in the words he chooses, and they’re quite often un-pronounceable and unrecognizable. But if you don’t finish this article with a cemented perspective on what we’re doing and why, then you’re a block of wood. And if you don’t see the need to spread this article to every woman and man you know of voting age to give them the opportunity to understand “from a distance” why we need Senator Obama (see the article for more info on this reference), then you’re doing them an injustice.

Even if you don’t have time to read this article now – send it to everyone you know. Use it to create a campaign of awareness. And then let’s re-ignite the fires under ourselves and bring about the transformation this author talks about.

Personally, I cannot imagine how any Democrat in this nation could read this article and not immediately begin fervently campaigning for the Senator. Andrew Sullivan has done something incredible here. In four pages of printed text, he has made a compelling, and nearly irrefutable argument for electing Senator Obama the next President of the United States.

Please – forward this article. Spread the word.

Michelle Obama: A Challenge to Overcome

A speech by Michelle Obama, as delivered in Orangeburg, South Carolina – Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A few years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Coretta Scott King. It was an extraordinary moment for me, meeting this graceful and dignified woman. One I’ll never forget. And what I remember most was that she told me not to be afraid because God was with us – Barack and me – and that she would always keep us in her prayers.

And I thought, this is a woman who knows what it means to overcome.

This was a woman who overcame the heat of racism as a little girl when she walked five miles to school on those rural Alabama roads, passing the doors of the whites-only school so much closer to home.

This was a woman who overcame other people’s doubts and ignorance by studying and succeeding and excelling past most of her classmates – black and white – earning a college degree and acceptance to a prestigious graduate school up north.

This was a woman who overcame whatever fears she may have had and became a partner in freedom’s cause.

And as I thought about this remarkable woman, I thought about all the others who had come before her in the long journey for equality in this country – women like Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. And I thought about those who had carried the torch of justice by her side – women like Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Height, Shirley Chisolm, C. Delores Tucker, and Mary McLeod Bethune.

These were all women who knew what it meant to overcome. Who kept marching even when their feet were sore, and kept organizing even when their backs were aching, and sat down at the front of the bus when they were sick and tired of going to the back. These were all women who cast aside the voices of doubt and fear that said “wait,” “you can’t do that,” “it’s not your turn,” “the timing isn’t right,” “the country just isn’t ready.”

And because they listened to their own voices and cast the cynics aside – because they refused to settle for the world as it is, and insisted on reaching for the world as it should be – this nation marched forward.

And I know that my life is only possible because of their courage and sacrifice all those years ago, that I am standing on their shoulders today, and on the shoulders of so many others whose names never made it into history books but who guided me and lifted me up every step of the way; who taught me to work hard, dream big, and then bring my blessings and energy and knowledge back to my community. I did just what was asked of me. I listened to those voices.

I listened to the pastors and elders in my churches. I listened to my mother who stayed home to raise my brother and me. I listened to my father, who worked hard every day in a blue collar job; a man who sacrificed his dreams to put food on the table and put his children through college and leave a pension to support my mom when he passed away.

I listened to my grandfather, who was from Georgetown, South Carolina. Like my mom and dad, my grandfather never went to college, but he was a proud man, a smart man, and he filled my brother and me with big dreams about the lives we could lead. He taught me that my destiny had not been written before I was born – that my destiny was in my hands.

So these were the voices I was hearing growing up. And they gave me the strength and courage to overcome the doubt and fear I was hearing in other corners of my community. From classmates who thought a black girl with a book was acting white. From teachers who told me not to reach too high because my test scores were too low. And from well-meaning but misguided folks who said, “no, you can’t,” “you’re not smart enough,” and “you’re not ready.” Who said “success isn’t meant for little black girls from the South Side of Chicago.”

And you know what?

When I listened to my own voice and cast the cynics aside, when I forged ahead and overcame the doubts and fears of others about who I was and what I could become, I found that their doubts and fears were misplaced.

Funny thing, the more I achieved, the more I found that I was just as ready, just as qualified, just as capable as those who felt entitled to the seat at the table that I was working so hard for. And I realized that those who had been given the mantle of power in this country didn’t have any magic about them. They were no better, no smarter than me. That gnawing sense of self-doubt that is common within all of us is a lie. It’s just in our heads. Nine times out of ten, we are more ready and more prepared than we could ever know.

My own life is proof of that. Because I am not supposed to be here. According to all the statistics, I was not supposed to go to Princeton and Harvard Law because I didn’t come from the right background. I was not supposed to have a successful career in law and non-profit work.

And I am certainly not supposed to be standing here today with a good chance of being the next First Lady of the United States. That idea – the idea that I could be part of history and potentially help change the way this country is viewed around the world – is still amazing to me.

But I also know that the life I’m living – the life that generations of Americans sacrificed so much of themselves to make possible – is still out of reach for too many women. Too many little black girls. I don’t have to tell you about this. We know the disparities that exist in this state and across this country.We know that as recently as several years ago, the percentage of black women in professional jobs in South Carolina was lower than anyplace else in this country.

And we know that across America, women are paid less than men – 77 cents on the dollar on average – and that pay discrimination is even worse for black women – 67 cents for every dollar a white man makes, a pay gap my husband fought to close in Illinois.

We know that millions of women over the past decades have been dropped from the welfare rolls, and left to fend for themselves without adequate childcare.

We know that too many black women don’t have quality, affordable health care. That we are more likely than white women to die of a whole host of diseases. That we are dying too young, too needlessly. That our babies are dying too.

We know that too many of us don’t have the time or the means to go see a doctor and by the time we do go, illnesses that should be preventable and curable have become death sentences.And we are learning that the dream of giving our children a better life is slipping further out of reach. A report in yesterday’s USA Today showed that 45% of children from black middle class families are ending up “near poor,” compared to 16% percent for children from white middle class families.

But we know these things. We have seen these declines in our families and communities. Declines that didn’t just begin when Bush took office; a steady deterioration. And if my husband were here, he’d tell you that inequality isn’t a burden we have to accept, but a challenge to overcome.

And that’s why he’s running for President. He knows that we need a fundamental shift in our approach to politics. He’s running to be the President who makes universal health care a reality by the end of his first term, and who creates a plan that finally tackles these persistent health care disparities.

To be the President who fixes up the Corridors of Shame all across this country and gives our teachers the pay and support they need, and our kids the clean, safe schools they deserve. And he is running to be the President who finally lifts up the poor and forgotten in all corners of this country.

But if he were here, he’d also say that government alone is not the answer. That sound policies and sensible plans are not enough. He’d say that the greatest challenge we face in this country is not a deficit of resources – for we are one of the richest nations on Earth; nor is it a deficit of policies, because we have some of the world’s most brilliant minds thinking about these issues. Instead, he’d say, it’s that we are suffering from a deficit of empathy for one another.

Barack believes in the greatness of America. He’s seen it in his own life’s journey. But he also knows that what’s holding us back is that our leaders have lost touch with the ideals that make this country great. Ideals like equality. Justice. Freedom from want and despair. 

And he believes that until we restore a sense of common destiny and shared purpose; until we understand that we are only as strong as the weakest among us; that there is more that binds us together than drives us apart; until we see ourselves in one another – until we truly care for all children; not just our own then we will continue to struggle with the problems that plague us.That is why my husband, Barack Obama, is the person America needs in the White House right now.

And it is not because of the color of his skin, it is because of the quality and consistency of his character. This is a man who has lived his entire life guided by the notion that we are one another’s brother’s and sister’s keepers. Always guided by principle and not power.

This is a man who walked away from a career on Wall Street more than two decades ago to become a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, setting up after-school programs, and bringing jobs to the jobless. Who turned down a lucrative career as a corporate lawyer to organize 150,000 new voters, mostly black, in one of Chicago’s biggest voter registration drives – and who, by the way, has been fighting for our voting rights ever since.

Imagine! A president of the United States who actually has experience working on the ground with real people! This is a man who was the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review, who worked as a civil rights attorney, taught constitutional law and has a deep knowledge and respect for the Constitution. Imagine that! A president who actually understands and respects the Constitution; we could use somebody like that in the White House after this administration.

This is a man who has served in public office for more than a decade and led fights to expand health care to 150,000 children and parents, to reform a broken death penalty system that had sent 13 innocent men to death row, and to help eliminate racial profiling. These weren’t just causes you heard Barack talk about at Sunday church services around Election Day; these have been the causes of his life. Imagine a president who brings that kind of experience to the White House.

Barack is a man who knows that the only reason he’s in this race is because someone, somewhere stood up when it was risky, stood up when it was hard. And he’s running for President to stand up for your dreams and your future just like earlier generations stood up for his.

Now, I know folks talk in the barber shops and beauty salons, and I’ve heard some folks say, “That Barack, he seems like a nice guy, but I’m not sure America’s ready for a black President.” Well, all I can say is we’ve heard those voices before. Voices that say, “maybe we should wait,” and “no, you can’t do it.” “You’re not ready” – “you’re not experienced.” Voices that focus on what might go wrong; rather than what’s possible. And I understand it. I know where it comes from, this sense of doubt and fear about what the future holds. That veil of impossibility that keeps us down and keeps our children down – keeps us waiting and hoping for a turn that may never come.

It’s the bitter legacy of racism and discrimination and oppression in this country. A legacy that hurts us all.

And I want to talk not just about fear but about love. Because I know it’s also about love. I know people care about Barack and our family. I know people want to protect us and themselves from disappointment; failure. I know people are proud of us. I know that people understand that Barack is special. You don’t see this kind of man often.

I equate it to that aunt or that grandmother that bought all that new furniture – spent her life savings on it and then what does she do? She puts plastic on it to protect it. That plastic gets yellow and scratches up your leg and it’s hot and sticky. But see grandma is just trying to protect that furniture – the problem is – it’s that she doesn’t get the full enjoyment – the benefit from the furniture because she’s trying to protect it. I think folks just want to protect us from the possibility of being let down – not by us – but by the world as it is. A world – they fear – is not ready for a decent man like Barack. Sometimes it seems better not to try at all than to try and fail.

We have to remember that these complicated emotions are what folks who marched in the Civil Rights Movement had to overcome all those decades ago. It’s what so many of us have struggled to overcome in our own lives. And it’s what we’re going to have to overcome as a community if we want to lift ourselves up.

We’re going to have to dig deep into our souls, confront our own self-doubt, and recognize that our destiny is in our hands – that our future is what we make of it. So let’s build the future we all know is possible. Let’s prove to our children that they really can reach for their dreams. Let’s show them that America is ready for Barack Obama. Right now.

We never would have entered this race if we weren’t confident America was ready, if we weren’t confident Barack was going to win. And the way he’s going to win is by building a coalition of Americans of every race, religion and political party. It’s what he did in his Senate race, when he won 70% of the vote in Illinois. Everyone voted for Barack – blacks, whites, women, young, old, farmers, businessmen, you name it. And he won because he spoke directly to people’s sense of decency. Their desire to reach for something better, something real and true. And that’s how he will win this campaign by bringing Independents and even Republicans to the table like no other Democrat has.

There’s a reason this race is tied-up in Iowa. There’s a reason Barack’s building support in New Hampshire. And it’s not because there are a whole lot of black folks there. It’s because it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white if your child is in a failing school. It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white if you don’t have health care. It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white if you’re concerned about how our standing in the world has fallen. It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white if you believe we need fundamental change in this country.

So I am confident that the more people learn about where Barack’s been, and what he stands for, the more they’ll embrace the possibilities of his presidency, the more they’ll let themselves dream of an America led by President Obama.

And I want you to dream of that day – the day Barack Obama is sworn in as President. Imagine our family on that inaugural platform. America will look at itself differently. The world will look at America differently.

Dream of a President who was raised like Barack was by a single mom who had to work and go to school and raise her kids and accept food stamps once in a while. Imagine a President who knows what that’s like.

Dream of a President who could walk into any neighborhoods and schools and give the young men and women there someone to look up to. Who could tell them how he got into trouble when he was in high school. How he made mistakes, but how he was able to overcome.

Dream of that day. And then reach for that dream. Because it’s within our grasp. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. Let’s make Barack Obama the next President of the United States.Barack is ready. He’s sat at the table with the best of the best. He’s figured that out. The question is, Are we ready?

Are we ready to believe in the power of our own voices?

Are we ready to cast aside our fear and cynicism?

Are we ready to work our hearts out to make our dream a reality?

Are we ready to overcome?

If we are truly ready, then now is the time. This one’s on us. We cannot afford to wait. We cannot afford to doubt. We cannot afford to make excuses. We have this moment of opportunity. And we need to seize it.

Ask yourselves: of all the candidates, who will fight to lift black men up so we don’t have to keep locking them up; who will confront the racial profiling and Jena justice that continues to afflict this nation; the voter disenfranchisement that rears its ugly head every few years; and the redlining that persists in our communities, keeping prosperity out and hopelessness in. Who will use the bully pulpit of the presidency to call on black men to accept their responsibility and raise their children; who will refuse to tolerate Corridors of Shame in this country – of all countries? The answer is clear – Barack Obama. Not because of the color of his skin. Not because of what he’s said. But because of what he has done. How he has lived his life. Fighting for justice for all Americans; from all walks of life.

So I’m asking you to believe in Barack. But most of all, I’m asking you to believe in yourselves. I’m asking you to stop settling for the world as it is, and to help us make the world as it should be. And if you’re willing to do that – if you’re willing to work with us and pray with us and be courageous – if you’re willing to heed Coretta Scott King’s words and not be afraid of the future, but have faith in God’s grace – then I truly believe that together, there’s no challenge we can’t overcome.

Thank you.

Michelle Obama, The Next First Lady of the United States

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Been There, Done That

By Patricia Wilson-Smith 

Never truer words have been spoken. And yet, they were uttered tonight by one Ann Coulter, right-winged author, conservative talk show maven, spewer of untruths, and hater of the progressive movement and everything that Democrats stand for. She used the phrase “been there, done that” to describe how we Democrats are beginning to feel about another Clinton Presidency.

Amazingly, while filling in for Bill O’Reilly on tonight’s “Factor” on Fox News Channel, Ann Coulter used that phrase while asking a question that so completely encompassed my feelings about Senator Obama’s appeal, and Hillary Clinton’s lack of appeal, that it what as if she’d been reading my blog. Hmmm…..

Ms. Coulter and many others in America are reeling over the news that Senator Obama has pulled ahead of Hillary Clinton in Iowa in what is a sure sign of gained ground on the part of the Obama candidacy, even though the poll numbers point to a statistical dead heat. The November 14 – 18 poll of likely Democratic voters in Iowa showed that 30% now support Senator Obama,  while 26% support Clinton. John Edwards pulls up the three-man race rear with 22%.

None of us at BWFO are surprised of course – there are people like us all over this nation, of all races, ages and socio-economic backgrounds spreading the word about the man who will be our next president, tirelessly canvassing, meeting in homes, and openly discussing why we need Senator Obama to get the fresh start that this nation is so in need of. No we’re not surprised, but it was a hoot hearing Ann Coulter rant about it.

So what did Ms. Coulter say, you ask? Well, in seeking to understand the turn in poll numbers in favor of our favorite Senator, she asked one of her panelists (Lanny Davis, a Hillary supporter) whether or not Democrats:

• Feel like they’ve “been there, done that” with the Clintons
• Want nothing more to do with the scandals and back-biting of the past that we’ve experienced during the Clinton Administration
• Are done with not only the Clintons, but also the Bushes and want a fresh face
• Just plain trust Senator Obama more (which polls all over the nation seem to indicate)

…and so on, and so on, to which I of course blurted out a resounding “YES!” at my television (clear throat).

I think that my perspective is less than unique; I truly believe that Hillary Clinton could be a decent President, if it weren’t for all the political baggage she would bring to office. Amazingly, she and the Clinton-machine have been able to spin all of she and Bill’s political baggage into perceived “experience” and “effectiveness” in her role as First Lady, and that’s all hunky-dory, but for me – it is about so much more than just, does she know how to lead. It’s about would she make the best leader.

And of course, I feel the answer to that question is no. Actually, HELL to-the no.  I was of this opinion even before I witnessed several of her debate performances, but now – I’m even more sure of it. Her super-rehearsed, sometimes snide, sometimes vague responses to debate questions make her look calculating and sneaky, and that my friends, is what the American people are beginning to see. Through debate performance after debate performance, she has become more and more cynical, preachy, and arrogant, and all that equals mis-trust to people like me, and the rest of America’s voters.

The people who support Senator Obama on the other hand, I like to believe, have taken the time to get to know the man, and believe in his vision. I know I did and do, which is why I’ve become so deeply involved in his campaign. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt once I got to know the man behind the candidacy, that he was exactly what America needs.

Feel me – Bill Clinton was what we needed in 1992. Barack Obama is what we need in 2008.

Some among Senator Obama’s supporters say that they’d like to see a Obama-Hillary ticket. They believe that Hillary Clinton has earned the right to be a Vice President at least, and that if she can prove herself as a resourceful leader, capable of taking direction from a man of vision, and able to put behind her the scandals and mis-steps of the past, that she probably even deserves a crack at the Presidency one day.  My stance on this is well documented, but what I will say is that no matter what she might deserve some day, this is not that day! Right now, the country needs a new leader who can bring a fresh perspective to the issues that are plaguing us, and who will be respected and admired as he works to repair our reputation around the world.

So yes, Ms. Coulter, for once you got it right. Been there, done that, gave away the t-shirt on the Clintons. And yes, this is a pivotal day for Obama supporters, a day worthy of celebration, but also a day during which we should remind ourselves that poll numbers mean nothing when we’re down in the race, and they mean about the same when we’re up. There is much more work to do, and six weeks left during which fortunes could change if we let our collective guard down, and so rather than see today’s events as a sign that we can slow our political roll, we must keep working to build on the momentum and keep doing the work that got Senator Obama where he is today in this election.

For Black Women for Obama, that means a special focus over the next several weeks on South Carolina. As Tori Scarborough, the South Carolina coordinator for “Women for Obama” shared with me just this week – we must do well in the early states, of which (of course) South Carolina is one. Our fight in Georgia is coming, but right now we’re needed in the S.C., so if you are interested in how you can lend a hand and become part of history, please contact Black Women for Obama at 678-768-8527, or by email at volunteer@blackwomenforobama.org for more information.

So cool to be part of a winning team – join us, won’t you?

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Fired Up, Ready to Go!

By Patricia Wilson-Smith 

Any other year, this would be about the time that I would start popping the popcorn.  Yep. This is about the time during any election season when the gloves come off, and the candidates start to duke it out “Thrilla in Manilla” style. It’s always very entertaining, and most other years, I would have sat on the sidelines and chuckled a lot. Not this year of course.

Still, the fun is just beginning. Just this week, it was reported that the Clinton camp was busy manipulating questions at a “town hall” meeting, complete with hand-selecting questioners, while today, CNN is reporting that a blatant e-mail attack against Senator Obama that accuses him of being less than patriotic has put him on the defensive. You gotta love politics.

At times like these, the political rangling seems less like a battle for the hearts and minds of the American voter, and more like a game of “who’s got the best Jhedi mind trick”. Right about now, I’m thinking the Clinton’s have the sacred Star Wars mind control method down to a science. Let’s examine the evidence:

As you may recall, after a debate several weeks ago, Senator Clinton could be overheard soliciting Senator Edwards’ support in finding a way to shut the other “less important” candidates out of future debates. Hill forgot to do a mic check first. The whole world heard her plotting, and suggesting that she and Senator Edwards should “talk”. It reminded me of an episode of the Sopranos – I’m not sure why. Despite a temper tantrum from Dennis Kucin…Kusen – that little dude that saw the UFO – this little display of ‘two-facededness’  faded into the political ether, swept under the rug by a collective Jhedi mind-meld from the Billary camp, never to be heard about again. Amazing.

Then of course this week, former President Bill Clinton could be heard pronouncing to anyone who would listen that the problems his lovely wife encountered with Healthcare reform during his administration were “all his fault”. He claims that their attempt at reform failed because there wasn’t enough money to fund it back then, and that this time (of course), money will flow like honey to pay for Senator Clinton’s healthcare reform, because this time, Congress won’t be out to get him.

Yeah right. A great, big, fat, part of my resistence to yet another Clinton candidacy is the fact that I truly believe that just as it was during her husband’s administration, the guys on the other side of the aisle in Congress will be chomping at the bit to see Hillary fail, laying waste to any new attempt at medical coverage for all Americans. Let’s face it – the experience that she so gleefully points out at every turn includes years of doing battle with many of the same men and women who are currently in the Congress, battles through which she and Bill barely made it through alive. I don’t want the country put through another eight years of scandals and back-biting with the Clintons, and I believe their political history, the good and the bad, is best left in the past. It’s time for a new day, and new leadership. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Senator Obama’s ability to bridge divides to get things done makes him the clear choice for me.

My favorite Clintonian-Jhedi-Mind-Trick this week, though is the “he-didn’t-have-his-hand-over-his-heart-during-the-singing-of-the-national-anthem-so-clearly-he-hates-America email. It never ceases to amaze me how people underestimate the intellect of the American voter with crap like this. Are we really supposed to believe that with all that this man has done as a public servant, all he’s done to get with in striking distance of the Presidency, he would throw it all away by thumbing his nose at the nation’s theme song? Even typing it feels ludicrous, and yet in an attempt to make the Senator look bad, people are spreading the email like it’s got a topless picture of Brittney Spears in it. Or J-Lo. Or somebody. If my friends within the Clinton campaign would ask a poor college student to lie about the source of a question at what’s supposed to be a forum for open dialog, is it really a stretch to think someone in that camp wouldn’t hit ’send’ on a few strategically addressed emails to get the Obama-smear-train going? Hmmmm?

And what about the scripted town hall meeting? Pretty risky gamble on the part of the Clintonistas, and unfortunately, this time they rolled snake eyes. The young girl who reported the unwanted solicitation from the Clinton campaign team to ask a question on Global warming looked like she wanted to take a shower as she recounted how the campaign operative poo-poo’d the question she wanted to ask in favor of one from his list – one that was labeled “from young college student”. Too funny!

Something tells me Ms. Front Runner is feeling the heat, and is trying to cool down the kitchen. What it also means is that it’s time for us Obama supporters to throw hot grease on her kitchen floor and toss a match on it. Though at times it’s easy to grow weary and want to just stop – stop canvassing, stop talking about it, stop thinking about it – now is not the time. Right now, it’s time to dig way deep down within and find our second wind. And let me tell you, it will be just as hard for me to do so as it will be for anyone, because I’m plum tuckered out, but I will do it, because it is just too important.

The silly political tricks, and parlor games that the Clinton campaign is playing only further solidifies my belief that we must have change. I don’t want to be governed by someone that has to take money from big business, because they might not hesitate later to put the needs of their big-biz friends before the nation’s. And I don’t want to be governed by someone who can talk about their failures as if they were non-existent, because it may make it too easy for them to fail later, during a time when failure is not an option. And I don’t want to be governed by someone, anyone, who didn’t have the wisdom to know that the War in Iraq was a horrible, horrible mistake, because it makes it much too hard to trust any decision they make in the future. And that’s real talk.

I want to be governed by someone with principles, who understands that he/she must lead this entire nation, and not just the part he agrees with. And I want to be governed by someone who has been in the trenches in the poorest neighborhoods in this nation, but who has the ability to understand from a global perspective why the United States is where it finds itself - ridiculed and looked-down upon by many of our past allies - and what we must do to repair our reputation around the world.

So no popcorn for ME this time around, no sir, this time I take action.  For every goofy trick the Senator’s opponents play, we should become even more “fired up, and ready to go”. I know I am – are you?

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The “Bill” Factor

By Patricia Wilson-Smith 

There are many reasons why I support Senator Obama, and they are all very well documented here on BlackWomenForObama.org. But one of the less talked-about reasons for all my hard work, the thing that drives me to continue to get the word out about the Senator by any means necessary, has to do with the phenomenon that can best be described as  “The Bill Factor”. Not to be confused with “The Factor” or Fox News or even Bill O’Reilly. Just so you know.

The “Bill Factor” of which I speak of course, is the Bill Clinton factor, and the presumption by most that Hillary Clinton has the black vote on lock because of Bill Clinton’s popularity as former President.  For sure, it would be naive of me to think anything other than that Senator Clinton’s name and association to her wildy popular husband makes it very easy to roll over and go to sleep on the rest of the campaign if you’re a black voter. No one could blame us at all if we simply chilled until election day and showed up at the polls to pull the lever for the woman who is the wife of the man affectionately known as the ”First Black President (FBP)”. Or could they?

The fact of the matter is, I’ve never really appreciated the moniker as it has been used with Bill Clinton, I am painfully aware that Hillary Clinton is not her husband, and we are not living in the same times that we were when President Clinton was christened with that title.  

I mean it – even now, I’m still really not comfortable with hearing Bill Clinton referred to as the FBP. Please don’t start lobbing grenades, Clinton-lovers. Yes – I am aware of the extra lengths to which the Clinton Administration went to be inclusive to blacks, and yes, I know that he grew up in the Deep South and played with black children, and yes, I can remember watching in amazement with the rest of the nation as he played the jazz saxaphone like an old Kansas City great on Arsenio Hall’s late-night talk show. But still, there is something about referring to him as the FBP that just doesn’t sit well with me. When I really stop to think about it,  I think it’s maybe that the idea of seeing Bill Clinton called the FBP back then, felt a little too much like we were admitting that he was as close as we’d ever get to one; as if hoping for an actual black president was just plain… out of the question.

For sure, in a nation where there have only been a handful of black presidential candidates (and up until now, not a single one who could have ever been considered truly viable),  it’s easy for many Americans to believe that a President of any race other than the white race is somewhat of an impossibility. But there’s a reason for that, and I’m certain it will be as hard for many to hear as it is for me to type. The reason we’ve never been close to running that truly feasible black candidate is because we’ve never had one who was interested in governing the entire nation, and not just championing the cause of blacks, and all of our socio-economic challenges.  Until now. Let that sink in for a moment, then read on.

I can remember as a younger woman, often asking myself why people like Shirley Chisolm, Carol Moseley-Braun and Al Sharpton insisted on wasting tax-payers dollars and their precious time by running a presidential race that they knew they had absolutely no chance of winning. It would take years for me to understand that any delusions they may have actually had of winning not withstanding, each of them also had as their goal, getting issues important to the black community into the national spotlight. That was it, pure and simple, especially in the case of Reverend Al Sharpton. Once I came to that realization, I understood the importance of what those candidates tried to do, and that right or wrong, effective or ineffective, it was an important continuation of the movement for equality for blacks in this country.

The need to use a run for the White House as a political stage for affecting change for the black community has come with a price, however. Now, as a result of us never having a black candidate for President who understands the plight of black communities in the context of the complex political realities of our nation, we are in danger of missing out on a man who could truly be the first Black President, and potentially one of the most unifying and effective presidents our nation has seen in a long time.

We as blacks have been sadly conditioned by the pseudo-campaigns of the black men and women who have made brave runs before, to believe that in order for us to throw our support behind any black candidate, he must be primarily a defender of the black community. I say sadly, because the harsh reality is that for us to do so is to relegate ourselves to a future with no chance of a black President, and that really is sad. As deep and enduring as many of our social problems are, electing a woman because of her marriage to a man who has nothing more than a superficial kinship with our community is a mistake. The problem with all this blind faith in Hillary is that it’s really just a longing for the good ‘ole days of Bill playing the saxaphone for us again. But Bill is not running for President.

Please don’t get me wrong. I admire Hillary Clinton, I really do – what’s not to admire? She’s been grooming herself for the presidency practically from the day she was born, and she’s brilliant. Love her or hate her, you can’t deny that, so as a woman who is constantly striving to break the glass ceiling in corporate America, I can’t help but admire her. But want her to run our country? Uh, not so much.

See, for me, it’s all about timing. It’s about what kind of leader we need now, for where we are as a nation right now. Here we are mired in a bloody, senseless war that we never should have waged in the first place, our reputation around the world has tanked, our most pressing domestic problems still plague us (healthcare, education, the AIDS crisis), and from a global perspective, we’re economically at risk because of soaring trade deficits, our dependence on foreign oil, and the emminent shift of global economic might to Asia.

Billary had their opportunity to bring about change, during a time when we were far less distracted by global issues. I recall that Bill Clinton put some very cool initiatives in place while in office,  stuff like the “Community Technology Centers” which were part of the effort by his administration to bridge the digital divide, but Hillary’s flip flopping, her “now I support it, now I don’t” dance around her position on the war in Iraq just does not instill a lot of confidence in me.

There’s much more, of course – Hillary’s failed attempt at reforming healthcare is legendary, and can be attributed to the Clintons’ inability to build consensus across party lines. They made many mistakes in attempting to pass real reforms, like trying to tie the bill to a budget reconciliation plan, and refusing to compromise when moderate legislators suggested they should do so. A proven inability to see both sides of a debate and make tough decisions for the greater good of the nation is key in leading us out of our most serious problems.  I believe Senator Obama has proven that he can and will lead justly, negotiate fairly, and perform effectively as President of the United States.

I sense that there is a distinct hesitation among some to broach this subject with Black America,  but the power of ”The Bill Factor” cannot be overlooked. It’s going to take everything we can muster to cut through the longing and the sense of nostalgia many feel for Bill Clinton. We can do it, but only if we’re not afraid to confront those who argue passionately that what we need is another chance with Bill in order to make things right. We can do it if we can stand firm and point out the obvious differences in Senator Obama and Hillary Clinton, the least of which is the fact that she’s simply too polarizing a figure to be an effective leader. The absence of political baggage, the wisdom, the integrity, and the vision to unite the nation all make Senator Obama the clear choice. And that would be true even if Bill Clinton were running.

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Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Bill Clinton First Black President Obama Campaign Patricia Wilson Smith Presidential Debates Al Sharpton