1.19.2009

Yes We Did! (Vote for Him Because He’s Black) President-elect Obama would have won, anyway…

Here we are. One day before the completion of the biggest underdog, history-making, era-defining victory in American history. But still, adversaries persistently try to undermine the historic event, citing the camaraderie of his ethnic background as the ONLY reason for Barack Obama’s victory.

That’s just silly.

Have they forgotten what kind of situation the United States is in?

Have they forgotten that we are in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression?

Have they forgotten that we are STILL involved in an unjust war—which is the cause for several thousands of lives lost worldwide?

Have they forgotten that much of these consequences that are punishing the lives of plenty of families around the nation and world, are in large part due to our 43rd President of the United States of America?

Frankly, our situation is so bad, and our need for change so necessary, Elmer Fudd, would have won the election over Senator John McCain (R-AZ).

Have they forgotten that up until October, when Sen. McCain tried to disperse of his support and relationship with President Bush, he was a big-time partner of his, and should also be held partially responsible for leading into this crisis which was almost beyond repair?

‘Almost’ beyond repair would have evolved to 'certainly' beyond repair, had there been a different result on Nov. 4, 2008.

Luckily for us, the majority of voters (over seven-million of them) decided to look beyond President Obama’s ethnicity and his apparent partnership with the Blacks, and make the right choice for the good of the country we all love.

This probably could not have happened in any other country with the same history or past as the U.S., and we should all be thankful.

On a personal note, I never thought that I would live to see the day that a Black man was in the Oval Office as the Commander-In-Chief.

And if I did, I most definitely expected a different set of conditions.

I would have expected to see a completely unified country that elected the man based on who he is, what he can do for the country, and what he stands for—not race.

Maybe those expectations are a bit naïve.

Leading up to the election, I occasionally flipped through different news channels to get varying perspectives on what was about to go down.

SIDE NOTE: It’s important to realize that news corporations do have opinions.
They can try to stay “objective” but that’s nothing more than a mission. What’s objective to them can be complete bias and nonsense to you and I, because perception is reality.

Anyway, I stopped by Fox News, and it seemed like my timing was perfect.

I don’t remember her name—she wasn’t part of the staff, she was a guest. She said, “95 percent of them will vote for him just because he’s black.”

On CNN, during their coverage leading up to Election Day, a woman was on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” She was an advent supporter of Hillary Clinton, but when the Senator from New York didn’t win the democratic nomination, she supported the McCain-Palin ticket.

Regarding policies and almost everything they stand for, Clinton and McCain-Palin (especially Palin) are staunch opposites. In fact, with the exception that Palin is a woman, they are different in almost every way possible.

Her reasoning? Because she doesn’t trust our current President-elect.

Meanwhile, it was absolutely fine for her to say that she supported Hillary or even Palin because they’re women, and it’s a great symbol for women.

Excuse me miss, I forgot your name, but are you implying that Mr. Obama doesn’t represent a symbol of PROGRESS in America in the most extreme way possible?

Is that a good reason for Blacks to vote from him?

I digress.

Not to mention, so-called experts like Pat Buchanan, Bill O’Reilly, and Howard Stern, all known for their anti-urban/plain out racist remarks, all accuse Obama of close affiliation with domestic terrorism, and that’s just the beginning.

When our next President made his democratic-nominee acceptance speech, he gave a pound (hand shake, but with a closed fist) to his wife…it was labeled as a “terrorist fist bump” by one Fox News contributor. It is probably one of the best sound-bites ever. She even brought in a "body language expert!"

It seems like they all forgot simple statistics. In recent history, approximately 93 percent of Blacks vote for democrats—it’s that simple.

In fact, ever since FDR and the Civil Rights Era, blacks and democrats have gone together like peas and carrots.

It’s like they didn’t get the memo about what most right-wing stood for back then and still stand for now: abolishing particular economic and educational laws and programs that DIRECTLY affect blacks, other minorities, and people living in lower-income neighborhoods.

Affirmative action, welfare and other government assistance, and many other institutional actions in place made to benefit people who aren’t as privileged as they might be. Not everyone is born with a silver spoon. Sometimes we need assistance, a push, a mentor, and some sense of direction.

It’s also worth noting those who voted AGAINST Obama because he’s black, which were plenty. A few months ago, I was watching a video online and a middle-aged woman who seemingly lived in a rural community said that she doesn’t want Obama to win because she fears that “the Blacks will take over.” But we didn’t hear too much about that.

According to the 2005 US Census, Blacks only make up approximately 17 percent of the US population. Factor in babies and people who aren’t of voting age--how much of a difference does that really make?

I wanted validation that I wasn’t crazy, so I asked two college students and a 17-year-old who is politically involved about their perspectives.

Felicia, the 17-year-old said that they eyes of those who didn’t vote for Obama because of his race “are still shut. They don’t see that the world needs to change.” I asked her why she would have voted for Obama she added, that he gives hope to the urban youth and shows them that anything is possible.

Wendell Peterson, a Master’s Degree candidate at a university in upstate New York, said that he doesn’t see a problem with voting for a candidate based on race, the problem is ignorant votes. “Some people nowadays are not educated enough and are uninformed.”

Rokim Robinson, a 21-year-old Graduate student said, “Implying that blacks voted for Obama just because he’s black is implying that Blacks never voted before. Over 90 percent of Blacks are Democrats.” Robinson said that he isn’t surprised that people didn’t vote for him based on race, citing that there is still plenty of institutional and “under-the-radar” racism in America.

But opponents are persistent. As of Dec. 7, according to the Baltimore Sun, two lawyers, one from Pennsylvania, Philip Berg, and another from New Jersey, Leo C. Donofrio, “are pursuing lawsuits asserting that President-elect Barack Obama is ineligible to hold the office of president because he is not a "natural born citizen." Their claims were rejected in lower courts, but they have filed motions and appeals at the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Lawyers are supposed to be the smart ones! Do you see what desperation does!? For anyone to really be declared a “natural born citizen,” he or she has to be of Native American descent.

Whites have descended from Europe, and 99 percent of the population descend from all over the world—not the USA. That honor belongs to Native Americans.

But something tells me that that isn’t what they’re implying.