Mama's Politics
Obama’s Speech on Race was Brave, Honest, Groundbreaking
Mar 20th
Obama’s got a brilliant mind and a beautiful speaking voice, and he used both to full effect yesterday as he engaged with his fellow citizens on a subject few others in public life are willing, or able, to speak forthrightly about under any circumstances, much less when their own political fortunes are at stake. In a speech he wrote by himself, he was fearless in coming forward and pointing straight at the racial divide, challenging all of us to recognize how very separate Black and White America all still are, while offering the hope that we can all yet embrace our common humanity and our allegiance to our nation, throw our judgements aside, and work together for true change.
And the pure beauty is that he did it with straightforward, real talk. No one had to red between the lines. It was a speech unlike any other I’ve heard in my lifetime, and one that has the power to truly evolve us.
Here’s to hope. Here’s to change.
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Ashley Alexandra Dupre — Aren’t Her 15 Minutes Up Yet?
Mar 19th
Andy Warhol once said: “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”
The internet has guaranteed that, now, maybe not everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes, but everyone sure CAN be. And a young woman named Ms. Ashley Alexandra Dupre was last week’s poster child for Warhol’s famous statement.
Ms. Dupre’s 15 minutes were made possible by Eliot Spitzer, crusading independently wealthy ex-prosecutor turned governor of New York, who spent incredible amounts of money (up to $4,300.00 a pop — no pun intended) on unsafe sex with prostitutes, and, when exposed, took a nose dive right out of a soaring political career.
Given the circumstances, after all, isn’t it just a crap shoot of sorts, which hooker becomes America’s media darling? I guess she just happened to be the most recent.
While common sense says we should all have been (at least primarily) focused on the tragic, self-inflicted downfall of a man who was truly trying, as Governor of New York, to DO THE RIGHT THING, what it all came down to was this: the public really wanted to know exactly whose sex is worth thousands of dollars.
So, last week, as Spitzer was resigning in disgrace, we were all indulging our fascinated curiousity about Spitzer’s most recently commissioned call girl, Ashley Alexandra Dupre, AKA “Kristen” (for whose services Spitzer is reported to have paid $2,200.00). Born Ashley Youmans, her story went viral, and her market price spiked, as quickly as Spitzer fell like a lead balloon from grace.
The whole world could read the makings of a potential B-move drama about the young girl from a broken home who came to New York to be a recording artist, fell in with a pimp, and became a hooker, and THEN, due to her high-class hooker skills (and being in right/wrong place at the right/wrong time), unwittingly became the living, breathing symbol of the professional demise of a high-profile, crusading politician who just wouldn’t keep the snake in its cage.
Because everyone wanted to know exactly what kind of hooker is worth a political career, Ms. Dupre was everywhere. And she quickly capitalized in a big way.
Within two days of her “outing” as Kristen, Ms. Dupre posted two songs she recorded on the music site AmieStreet.com, which sells music for various prices based on demand. And despite the fact that the songs (“What We Want” and “Move Ya Body” — yes, I made myself listen to them) are pretty boring and derivative, they were in high enough demand to command the top price on the site, 98 cents. Her songs were the top two on the Buzzing Songs Today page at Amie Street. I know that put a few dollars in her purse.
Not to mention, Ashley’s MySpace page was getting multimillions of hits. And she’s getting the predictable offers to pose for Penthouse ($1 million — not bad for a working girl covered in tattoos) and other skin mags. Folks even speculated that there could be a book deal in the works, as well. Shudder.
This week, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m yawning. Her 15 minutes should be over by now, right? After all, if my husband, for instance, decided to spend thousands of dollars on Ms. Dupre, who would care? She wouldn’t even get 1 minute. But she won’t go away. And we’re now reduced to profiles of her as club-hopping, coke-sniffing, party girl, and reports about the possibility of her showing up on “Girls Gone Wild.” Is Penthouse still willing to pay $1 million for a cliche? If so, please hurry up and cash her out.
After all, New Jersey is offering us the revived McGreevey scandal to talk about, and it’s so much more titillating (read the link!). In fact, the McGreevey scandal was given new life because Dina Matos McGreevey felt compelled to come forward publicly to empathize with Silda Wall Spitzer, and welcome her to the Betrayed and Humiliated Political Wives Club. Which, in turn, compelled Jim McGreevey’s former driver, in an effort to keep things REAL and expose Matos McGreevey as a hypocrite, to go public about the three-way trysts he claims he used to have with the McGreeveys on Friday nights after dining at TGIFridays, and referred to be the threesome, oh-so-cleverly, as “Friday Night Specials.”
Not to mention, new New York governor David Paterson was not going to be outdone by the outgoing Spitzer. He admitted to having affairs during a time when his marriage was, shall we say, not doing so great. Turnabout is fair play, though, ’cause his wife had an affair, too! Fun for all.
So! We’re on a runaway freight train of sex scandal. Who’s next?!?
Update: I feel sooooo much better now that I got that out of my system!
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More Obama Backlash in the Clinton Camp
Mar 14th
To absolutely no one’s surprise Barack Obama won the Wyoming primary last Saturday.
And while Obama was winning in Wyoming, Bill Clinton was re-emphasizing his wife’s willingness to let front-runner Obama be HER vice presidential running mate. Obama, in Mississippi a couple of days later, stated the obvious in response to the Clinton’s continuing campaign to convince him to concede:
“With all due respect, I have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton. I have won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton. I have more delegates than Senator Clinton. So I do not know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is in first place.”
He also questioned why Clinton says she thinks he would make such a good vice president when she’s been running around talking about how he doesn’t have the experience to be president.
And then went on to win, predictably, Mississippi.
We also found out, officially, that Obama won the Texas caucuses. The result? Even though Clinton won the Texas primary, Obama ended up with more delegates.
So Clinton’s victories in the Ohio and Texas primaries have gained her no ground against Obama’s rising lead in the delegate count. Not that the Clinton campaign cares about all that. . . I suppose when the time comes, they’ll just expect that enough superdelegates will completely ignore the will of the people and anoint her Empress of Washington.
Even so, as of this date, the Clinton campaign is still trying valiantly to convince the press and the public that, despite his widening lead, the Obama campaign is losing ground. With some hilarious results.
And I’d be a real blogging slacker if I didn’t mention the true Clinton campaign Obama backlash gem of the week. . .
Geraldine Ferraro was compelled to call our attention to the fact that Barack Obama is Black
Ms. Ferraro shared with the LA Times her analysis of Obama’s success this primary season:
“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.”
Clinton took her time (two days) in apologizing for Ferraro’s denigrating and belittling statements about her opponent. And when she did, the floodgates opened.
Ferraro, on the other hand, did not apologize. Although, needless to say, she did resign. Not very gracefully, though. She’s pissed off. She thinks the Obama campaign had no business accusing her of racism. “If anybody is going to apologize, they should apologize to me for calling me a racist.”
Not that they called her a racist. I believe the words were “ridiculous” and “wrongheaded.” Freudian slip much, Gerry?
Need I say? I’ve lost ALL respect for Geraldine Ferraro.
And, in closing, I call your attention to the latest Clinton campaign un-reality check. . .
Mark Penn continues to provide comic relief in the midst of stressful primary campaigning, and I can’t portray it any better than Wonkette.
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Hillary’s Comeback from the Brink of Campaign Disaster. . .
Mar 5th
will keep her afloat for now.
But even with her wins in the Ohio and Texas primaries, the fact remains that Obama is still ahead in the popular vote and still ahead in the pledged delegate count.
Much as the I’ve been loving the orgy of political participation inspired by the Clinton-Obama duel, my overriding hope (yes, I can. . . hope) was for Obama to put the nomination to bed last night. That’s because he’s my choice.
But people are passionately fired up on both sides and nobody’s stepping back from the line in the sand. People want their say, so now Wisconsin, Mississippi and Pennsylvania are gonna get theirs.
We seem to be moving inexorably toward an electoral stalemate in the Democratic nominating process. Which leads to some speculation:
The Obama-Clinton Dynamic Duo Dream Team Dream Ticket
Hillary’s making coy suggestions that the party could be moving toward a combo ticket with her name at the top:
“That may , you know, be where this is headed , but of course we have to decide who’s on top of the ticket. . . I think the people of Ohio very clearly said it should be me.” (From CBS’ “The Early Show”)
This is a somewhat clumsy psycho-political maneuver to use the Ohio victory to give overdog Obama the underdog status. But no one’s biting in the Obama camp. Maybe because the guy who’s got the popular vote and the delegate count is thinking he should be at the top of the ticket?
And maybe isn’t so warm to the idea of Vice-President(s) Clinton breathing down his neck?
12:25PM Not-So-Breaking News
President George just endorsed former foe McCain as his party’s nominee.
The headline on CNN is “McCain to get push from Bush.”
Predictable yakkety-yak says this is good for McCain because Bush has the backing of the more conservative Republicans who don’t trust or like McCain. But there are a hell of lot more Americans who don’t like Bush than do right now. And McCain looked, shall we say, unenthusiastic? standing at the podium with Cowboy George.
Anyway, whether they like McCain or not, I’d guess that the deeply conservative faction of the Republican party will be stampeding to the polls in November if for no other reason than to try to keep Obama or Clinton or Obama/Clinton out of the White House.
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Politics and Basketball. . . My Two Favorite Sports
Mar 5th
We gather around the tv tonight to watch primary returns and college basketball.
8:00PM I’m doing my post-workout stretches and watching the primary returns. Obama’s got Vermont and winning in Texas; Clinton’s leading in Ohio.
8:32PM I’m just out of the shower and back in front of the tv. Primary off and basketball on. Ohio State and #15 Purdue in OT. Ohio State up 74-72 with 58 seconds to go. At 28 seconds, Ohio St. scores a deuce and goes up 76-72. Ten seconds later, Purdue hits the trey ball and it’s a one-point game 76-75. Ohio State ball, Purdue fouls, and two free throws put Ohio State up 78-75. Purdue can’t convert the three on the other end, and Ohio State rebounds. Another foul = two more free throws to put Ohio State up 80-75.
Snacky’s in my ear yelling at the tv “Storm the court, you better storm the court.” One more deuce for Purdue, but Ohio wins 80-77. It’s an upset and a big win for a rebuilding Ohio State program. No court storming, though.
8:38PM Back to the primaries. Clinton’s got Rhode Island and still ahead in Ohio. Obama’s still ahead in Texas, but not by as much. Ohio and Texas will be close.
Now the CNN talking heads are talking about the importance of the “white male vote.” The white boys in Ohio are swinging for Hillary tonight.
Wolf Blitzer just announced the “breaking news” that McCain won the GOP nomination as the Texas delegates pushed his count over the top. Didn’t see that one coming. Not at all. And guess who’s gonna endorse McCain? President Bush. Just one exciting moment after another for the Republicans tonight.
8:50PM Time for McCain to start his “victory” speech. Yawn. Back to basketball.
8:51PM The KState Beasleys are playing Colorado in Bramlage on their Senior Night. Does KState they have seniors? Who are they? Who cares! The first half is almost over and Mike B. already has 20 points and 7 rebounds.
8:55PM OK I guess they do have seniors. We just got a replay of Clent Stewart proposing to his girlfriend, now fiancee, during the pre-game senior night festivities. I stand corrected.
Ever since Ian Johnson proposed to his girl after Boise State popped Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, I’ve been a sappy sucker for love theatrics. Go Clent!
Flash back to Texas Tech’s nightmare last night in Allen Fieldhouse last night against the Jayhawks. Now THAT was a senior night. The ‘Hawks sent their five seniors out with a bang.
8:59PM For some reason we’re back to McCain and actually listening. Or trying to listen– I feel like I’m being hypnotized. I have a sneaking suspicion that McCain operatives are planted in the audience to start up one of those lethargic cheers when McCain pauses, goes silent and looks expectantly at his audience, with his wife, Patriot Barbie, standing ever smilingly at his side
9:05PM Are they really playing Johnny B. Goode as McCain walks off stage? Which Wolf just referred to as “Go Johnny Go.” And I know he’s old enough to know better.
9:06PM Back to “the best political team on television.” Texas is getting closer with Obama carrying 50% and Clinton carrying 48% of the primary vote so far. Now the caucuses have begun and people are reportedly coming out in record numbers — so many that there aren’t enough ballots for all of them. Now there’s a way to piss off the voters.
Even with a win in Texas, Clinton can’t win the delegate numbers — And if Clinton doesn’t flat-out win in Texas, CNN talking head Bernstein is saying Clinton will have to go so negative on Obama that the superdelegates will reject him. Make something nasty stick.
9:21PM Back to the KState game. KState was up by 17 at one time. Not so now. A 3-ball by Roby just put Colorado within 3 points. Beasley hits a jumper on the other end and the lead is five now, 47-42. There’s no kryptonite for that superman. But there’s plenty of kryptonite to go around for the rest of the Wildkitties. Witness last Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks got their inevitable revenge even as Beasley scored 39 points. Kstate and Colorado could go down to wire like Obama and Clinton in the red dirt of Texas.
9:28PM Back to the CNN commentary. Ohio is tighter, and still waiting for Cleveland, Toledo and Columbus to come in. Urban areas = black voters = Obama votes. Power to the people. Texas is neck and neck, with 49% of the vote for both now. This is gonna be a long night, or, as Wolf just informed us twice, a “nail-biter.”
I’m trying to generate a little family discussion about the primaries, but all I’m getting out of Quent is local high school social commentary along the lines of “I can’t believe that fool got in the Kappa party.” While she stretches on the floor in front of the fireplace.
Ant is practicing his handles in the kitchen, so I’m typing away to the beat of a basketball on stone tiles.
“Hey, Ant, you know Obama likes to ball, right?”
Dribble, dribble, dribble. “Cool. And he’s gonna be the first black president.”
I try ask Quent what she thinks. “Lemme stretch, Bro.” Bro? “I’m tryna get my body hard, that’s what I’m tryin to do.” Okey dokey.
Dribble, dribble, dribble. I haven’t heard anything on tv for the last ten minutes.
Snacky’s disappeared into his lair upstairs.
So much for generating political discussion.
9:50PM Back to the KState/Colorado game. KState up by 13 (69-56)with under 3 minutes to go. OK, so more like McCain and Huckabee in Texas than Obama and Clinton. I’ll project a winner here: KState.
Or not? All of a sudden it’s 69-63, with Colorado creeping up. KState hasn’t scored in the last two minutes. Until I wrote those words — Beasley just hit two free throws to put Kstate up 71-63. CU’s Roby answers quickly on the other end, with a jumper and the game’s back within 6 points. 71-65. It’s under a minute and Colorado’s gonna foul. Not really wanting to watch the final seconds, but here’s the final score: Kstate 78-Colorado 72. The first win for the Wildkitties in five games. Meow.
10:31PM Clinton wins Ohio.. The Clinton camp is presenting this win as a BIG one for her. She’s leading slightly in the Texas primary. No news on the Texas caucuses yet. I might have to cash it in before all is said and done in the lone star state. Reasons for the Clinton camp to be nervous in Texas (other than the fact that even winning it won’t give her a lead over Obama)? Dallas County, Tarrant County (Ft. Worth), Harris County (Houston) — all with only a small percentage of returns in AND all heavily favoring Obama. No love for Hil in the Hoods.
10:38PM Obama and Michelle O. coming out on stage and Obama speaking in San Antonio.
10:40PM Snacky reappears, does some pushups and asks who’s winning the Democratic primaries.
10:44PM Ant’s listening to Obama and playing his PSP. “Listen to him. He’s a beast. Barack is a beast.” “He is just straight-up mic’in.”
When Obama said “we need to put a book in our kids’ hands instead of a video game,” Ant says “He sounds like you, Dad,” as he clicks away on his PSP.
10:53PM Obama says “God bless America” and Ant says “I say, Yes we can.”
10:55PM I’m thinking it’s time for the kids to go to bed.
Updates tomorrow.
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Who Invited Nader to the Party?!?
Feb 25th
Eyes rolled across America when Ralph Nader announced his fourth (or fifth, if you count the 1992 write-in campaign) run at the U.S. Presidency. And, while the spectacle is about as pathetic as Don Quixote tilting at windmills, it’s not nearly as endearing.
Only the most reality-challenged, die-hard of his supporters are still able to get on board with Nader’s assertions that there is essentially no difference between the Democratic and Republican candidates. This is a puzzling position he staked out long ago in order to differentiate himself as a candidate, particularly from the Democrats. However, after Nader effectively cost Al Gore the presidential election in 2000, he has been compelled to maintain this ludicrous stance in order to insulate himself from the widely-held belief that his candidacy allowed Bush to sneak into the White House through Florida’s back door. But I say let’s give credit where credit is due and attach some of the glory of the Bush/Cheney regime and all that’s followed to Ralph Nader. This is truly an infamous political achievement, and one that may well overshadow the potential legacy of his work as a consumer advocate.
Even if Mr. Nader has chosen not to accept the reality of his role as spoiler to the Democrats in the 2000 election, American voters (wisely) weren’t nearly as quick to trust him with their votes in 2004. While Nader got 2,882,955 votes (2.74%) in 2000, he only got 465,650 votes (.38%) in 2004. I imagine his effect on this year’s election will be equally negligible. Yet, he’s back once more, like the uninvited guest who barges into the party, drinks the beer he didn’t pay for, and hits on chicks who are already sitting in other guys’ laps.
What Nader offers an annoyed political public in 2008 is the minor spectacle of an egomaniac who seems increasingly unable to come to terms with his own political irrelevance. With his latest presidential bid, he’s created a just momentary buzz in this political season. But, even as I write this, we’re all already on our way back to the real show as Barack Obama rolls ever closer to the Democratic nomination and his showdown with John McCain in November.
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I’ve Got Your Back, Michelle O.
Feb 21st
Just the other day, I was remarking that Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain were both presenting as a couple of classy candidates for first lady.
I revised my opinion yesterday.
Michelle Obama was blasted from all sides after telling supporters at a Milwaukee rally that “Hope is making a comeback, and, let me tell you, for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change.”
I can get on board with that statement. Michelle Obama and I are the same age (roughly), and I can say that her words captured the way I’ve been feeling as the Obama movement catches the country by storm.
Think about it. For people of my age, our adult lives have so far been politically defined by the administrations of Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton and Bush Jr. First we suffer through the Reagan/Bush Sr. regimes — everyone remember “trickle-down” economics and the Iran-Contra scandal? I don’t want to go too far down that particular memory lane, so I’ll leave it at that
Then, while Clinton was in office, truly working toward prosperity and political sanity, things got really creepy. In fact, the continuing and relentless efforts of the conservative right to derail the Clinton administration, from day one, proved a harbinger for the current and utterly embarrassing political disaster, otherwise known as the Bush/Cheney regime, that we’ve had to watch unfold over the last eight years. After George Bush Jr. was handed an election he didn’t win by a not-very-neutral Supreme Court, he went primetime with an agenda that the majority of the country didn’t want. AND THEN, he had the gall to take our country to war under false pretenses.
So, yeah, some of us have been feeling a little UN-proud of our country in recent years. A little alienated from the interests of the powers that be. A little like the political process had been hijacked.
So I won’t fault a grown woman for speaking THIS truth: Barack Obama is making me, and millions of others, want to believe that we can make something different happen through the very political process we’ve come to view in recent years with a certain, shall we say, cynicism? We’ve got a charismatic, intelligent and politically savvy black man who’s pulling people together in a way no one has seen in a long time. He’s a rock star. And anyone who says this isn’t a defining moment needs a quick and dirty primer on American History.
And it just so happens that Michelle O. is married to the man who’s derailed the conventional wisdom in this primary season. I guess she just can’t help but notice. . .
On the other hand. . .I’m not sure who was behind this smug little rebuttal by Cindy McCain: “I am proud of my country. I don’t know about you? If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country.”
And, later, when McCain was asked about whether his wife’s statement was a response to what Michelle O. had said, he deferred to his wife. Who said: “I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country.”
And she stood there looking like every bit like Barbie after Ken told her she looked fat in her dress.
I lost a good deal of respect for Lady McCain in those moments. Underlying her politically righteous statements was the same old message that Bush, Cheney & Co. have been assaulting the American people with ever since the first THINKING person questioned the Iraq war: only TRAITORS doubt the good ol’ US of A.
So our girl Cindy stood up and gave notice: she’s faithful and loyal; she’s in it for better or for worse; she will not defame our great nation.
Good for you, Cindy.
But I’ve got Michelle’s back. Because she spoke my truth. And true patriots aren’t afraid to challenge conventional authority. Just ask John Hancock and George Washington, Susan B. Anthonhy and Martin Luther King, Jr.
This mama’s for Obama.
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Link Share for My Peeps
Mar 22nd
Posted by carolyn in Mama's Politics
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It’s Friday Night! I’m feeding my basketball jones by gorging on the NCAA men’s tournament games, but there are enough ads on that I have plenty of time to get this post together and share some of my favorite reading over the past couple of days.
Grab a glass of your favorite wine and start linking — these are all great reading!
My Dad sent me this one. Very interesting (and biting) commentary by Greg Palast, linking (no pun intended)this week’s bailout of predator banks with the recent outing of Eliot Spitzer as consumer of high-end (or, at least, high-priced, prostitutes). Thanks for the link, you crazy old liberal!
I ran across this one on Wonkette last night. Turns out, Jeremiah Wright, recently reviled former Obama pastor, was a guest in the Clinton White House. Yes, that’s Bill Clinton, husband of Hillary. Stay tuned for Hillary’s Speech on Race. . .
And today the cunning Obama has mind-melded members of the Fox News Team. Talk about the candidate of hope and change! Who would have thought that Obama would be able to sow the seeds of rebellion within Fox News, that bastion of knee-jerk conservatism. Check out The Huffington Post and (the always hilarious) Wonkette for their take on Fox anchors Chris Wallace and Brian Kilmeade speaking out against their own network’s/colleagues’ vendetta against Obama.
Also today, featured on Anderson Cooper’s 360 blog: CNN contributor Roland Martin is actually taking the time to listen to Jeremiah Wright’s speeches, and is helpfully providing some context for and commentary on the speeches that contain the clips that have been played repeatedly in an attempt to portray Wright and, by extension, Obama, as un-American and untrustworthy. Today, he discussed the Reverend Wright’s 9/11 sermon and the “God Damn America” sermon.
And on Politico: here’s a reality check for everyone who still thinks (hopes) the Democratic nomination is still in play. Despite all evidence and expert opinion to the contrary, the Clinton campaign continues to behave as if their girl can WIN the nomination. Not quite — it will take an act of superdelegate subversion of the citizens’ will in order for her to be the Democratic nominee.
Happy Friday!