Jack and Jill Politics - Latest Comments in James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

BlackLiterature — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:05:00 -0000

@Rikayh

I don't know what your problem is, but I asked a serious question and was looking for an answer. I never said I was neutral. If I supported Hillary, I would have no prolem making my point known. If you really don't have anything to add to the discussion, why speak.

It's none of your business, but for record, I have been a financial contributer and supporter of Senator Obama since Feb 2007.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Teacher — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:25:00 -0000

@ Craig:
Craig, I agree that Obama is a brilliant strategist and that we all need to relax. But I'm not sure Edwards is going to commit for Obama at this time, if ever. I think I would also prefer that he not commit if it means that Liz (his wife) is going to commit to Hillbilly at the same time. At this writing, I think the most dangerous thing she (Hillbilly) can do is to announce her continuing campaign running as an independent. To me, that would be the only way Obama would lose the GE.

As far as the supers are concerned, I think it's easy for us to criticize and be dismissive about their unique, individual situations. Let's face it, they all want to keep their jobs, and their situations are very sensitive. My congressperson is flagrantly campaigning for clinton and I have to admit that I'm a little mad at her. I'm not prepared to write her any hate letters at this time. I have never donated to her campaign, but I'm considering donating to her opponent in the future, especially if I don't see her campaigning her ass off for Obama in the GE. I'm saying all this to say it isn't as cut and dried as we want it to be.

I wish there was a way to punish the MSM for their clear bias and discrimination. I swear that Pat Buchanan is MSNBC's resident klansman. I just can't take any more of his viagra induced racist invective. He was on this morning with Keith Boykin, who I love and miss as an MSNBC comentator. I have emailed them so many letters requesting his termination (Pat's), but I guess it's not going to happen. This past Friday's Morning Joe was the best I've ever seen (since joe's dumb self wasn't there). I wonder why Tiki Barber is willing to be their token Black? They treat him like the spook who sat by the door or something.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Teacher — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:57:00 -0000

This website might help locate the supers:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign08/primaries/2008_superdelegates.html

I hope I can find the time and courage to call WVA tomorow. I love it and miss it so much and get very emotional when I think about it. I dont want to be on the phone crying about how much I miss my grandparents, though I miss them everyday. I had such a positive and probably unusual experience there in (totally) rural W. Virginia. Lets not forget that WVA has it's share of AA dignitaries just like everywhere else; Tony Brown, TD Jakes, Booker T. Washington, Henry Louis Gates Jr, and many more....

I love the ad Obama is running there and I think it should be run nationally. I'm not sure what people's objections might be to it. I've heard some of my white co-workers say that he is trying to keep his white ancestry in the closet, and that he only promotes his Black ancestry when his daddy didn't even raise him. They don't know why, and think he is ashamed of his whiteness. America pretty much demands that a person pick which camp they're in, which is very much based on looks. You can be white if you look white, which is the case of some of my relatives. But if you look like you have any black in you, as in 1 drop, then you are treated accordingly. I guess it is easier for us to accept him in his ethnic/racial totality since we have a similar experience. I've never heard of a person being dead to their Black family for marrying outside of the race, but I've known quite a few biracial people who had no contact with their white or Asian relatives. I'm not sure why so many white people are in deep denial about this and other issues.

I read @ dailykos that the "Obama might pay off Hillbilly's debts" story might be a story circulated to kill his financial momentum. Its against the campaign finance laws. I understand that he wants to appear as a good guy and appease her more militant white female following, but I won't personally be contributing to that specific kitty. Let her pay for it. She is trying to RUIN his chances at winning so she can try again in 2012. There are many female politicians who are so much better than her in so many different ways. I hope she is finished for LIFE.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Ms.Martin — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:27:00 -0000

Thanks rikyrah.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

rikyrah — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:13:00 -0000

BlackLiterature,

If you're going to be for Hillpatine, then BE for Hillpatine. Don't pretend to be neutral, and then dog out Obama at every chance.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

rikyrah — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:12:00 -0000

ms. martin,

DailyKos has Obama leading by 3.5 SuperDelegates. I just went to check.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Ms.Martin — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:06:00 -0000

Does anyone know who's leading in the superdelegate count? I've read several different articles citing different figures.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

B-Serious — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:31:00 -0000

An interesting article from Politico:

"Under Clinton rules, Obama still wins"

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10247.html

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

B-Serious — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:29:00 -0000

craig,

You're right. That would be the perfect time to make that Edwards endorsement.

And I still think Obama's got Al Gore waiting in the wings if he needs him. Although, at this point, poetry might see Obama use Gore's endorsement to symbolize the end of the Clinton era.

I'm keeping my cool. The math is the math (and that won't change after WV and KY). But I'd just like to see the supers move a little faster than they are.

Democrats rally behind the frontrunner all of the time. It just frustrates me that some want to see Obama jump through just one more hoop before they endorse. They can end this thing right now. It's time to move on.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Craig Hickman — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:46:00 -0000

Barack Obama is the shrewdest politician who also retains integrity that I've ever seen.

Shortly after Obama loses West VA by 30 points (or more), John Edwards, Mr. Blue Collar White Male Populist, endorses the Black man, throwing a huge wrench into the empty MSM spin.

Y'all need to relax.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

TruthSeeker — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:45:00 -0000

Politicians are strange creatures, ms.martin. They are phony as a matter of course. They cut each other one day and smile for the cameras the next...just like they cut us and then pander another day. Everybody is expected to swallow hurt feeling for political expediency.

I couldn't survive in that environment, and don't know how they do it. We are appalled at the race-baiting, yet they remain placid and tell us this is politics. This is something foul, really politics has to change.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Ms.Martin — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:34:00 -0000

Black Literature

I can't speak for the others here and I don't dare try.

I don't expect others to be of my mindset and have expereienced ridicule at times, for being of a different mindset, however, in this case, the race-baiting and a clear disregard and disrespect for the African American race by Hillary Clinton's campaign should be enough to turn off any person regardless of their race.

As far as McCain, I can't respect or align with a party that does not acknowledge the problems facing the African American community.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

BlackLiterature — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:46:00 -0000

I'm trying to understand. As a native of the SF Bay area, what do you think is wrong with Willie Brown??

I'm an Obama supporter but I recognize that not ALL Black people are going to support him. Some might support Hillary and some might even support McCain. I'm open to discussing and debating the issues with other African Americans, but I'm concerned that we want "Blacks" to be of one mind only when it is convienant for us.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

rikyrah — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:51:00 -0000

Golden Star is correct. If I remember well, Obama has more offices open in West Virginia and Kentucky than Hillpatine.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Ronnie B — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:03:00 -0000

Co-sign with ppm. Clyburn's playing it smart. He knows that if he publically declares, he won't get any airtime at all. And without airtime, he wouldn't be the voice of reason and sanity that he is.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Acanthus — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:34:00 -0000

Speaking of Tubbs-Jones, Here is her interview with Andrea Mitchell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhuLhkyGdD0

Notice the kabuki being played out here? They both act as if Clinton only talked about white working class voters, and never used the phrase "hard working".

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

golden star — Sat, 10 May 2008 15:23:00 -0000

To all who ask about Barack's campaigns in WV and KY. There are campaign offices in these states. There are staffers and volunteers working these states. There are opportunities for us to be calling voters in these states.

Obama demonstrates real-world analysis and action. He is actively campaigning for every vote possible. But, he WILL NOT WIN either state. That is the reality of it all.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

ppm — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:58:00 -0000

Just a couple of thoughts on Cong. Clyburn's neutral stance--in my view, neutral means neither uncommitted, nor undecided. It simply means publicly undeclared.

Mr. Clyburn is acting as he should as one of the highest ranking African-Americans in the House Leadership, a position no other African-American has held. It gives him a unique and important role as power broker and elder statesman.

My respect for him has grown exponentially during the course of this election season. He has been a constant voice of reason, clarity and great judgement.

To lump in with with the likes of Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Sheila Jackson-Lee is a travesty. He has more honor and integrity in his little finger than those two have combined.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

andyfrombrooklyn — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:29:00 -0000

doubt it.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

andyfrombrooklyn — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:27:00 -0000

i once saw this documentary about the town of corbin ky. sometime in the thirties the whites of corbin went nuts and rampaged through the black neighborhood killing, burning, looting, and evicted the whole neighborhood on a train that night. this is my memory of the documentary. it featured 1990's interviews with white residents who remembered the incident, did not deny it, and did not appear to feel any remorse. wonder if this little moment of nazi germany in america will be rehashed as ky. takes center stage tues after next.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

andyfrombrooklyn — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:20:00 -0000

oregon will go for obama by about ten. it is not momentum it is demos.
as for coal, obama should make some environmental speech focusing on coal's global warming role. then he can blame the inevitable defeat on a principled stand. screw west virginia. i know kos doesn't like to talk that way but...clinton has dissed thirty states, we can diss one or two, no?

particularly if they deserve it.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

Adam — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:09:00 -0000

B,

Absolutely Obama needs to watch his back and I can't say it with any certainty but I think he will at least do a day in WV (maybe Monday) to see what he can do to close the gap.

But I also think he understand that there isn't much he can do about the news cycle post WV. He's going to lose it by a bunch either way. I still think his best move is to announce another 8 or 9 super post WV and remind folks that no matter what it is game, set and match March 20

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

DWS — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:29:00 -0000

I'd like to think WV is all about the coal and the candidate who comes up with a way to support clean coal will get their support but I hear it's just not that simple. Apparently clean coal just isn't that clean and I gather some folks can't get past SBO's race...

On another note, my mother was from KY, she used to tell me there were way more Black folks in the small towns of KY than there were in OH where we were living at the time. I gather that is no longer true either.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

NMP — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:28:00 -0000

" rikyrah said...
Ms. Martin,

I have to disagree with you. There is no way that I put Clyburn in with Tubbs-Jones."

The only fair comparison to Stephanie Tubbs-Jones is Mammie from Gone with the Wind, and Kendrick Meeks is the slave we saw marching off to war for the confederacy.

They both signed that fuckin' 'George Wallace' inspired letter to super delegates contending that Hillary Clinton can take the Party back to its dixicrat roots.

Re: James Clyburn -Trying to be the Canary in the Mine

NMP — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:24:00 -0000

"Consequnces"? Hell, more like wrath!