The Fulfillment of Hope

    On most days, I wake up, attend class, eat food, socialize with friends, and fall asleep in the library. Tuesday January 20^st, 2009 would be different. This Tuesday was the inauguration of the 44^th President of the United States, Barack Obama. Now there are some clear reasons for the significance of this event. Some may point to the racial implications; others will point to the exit of former President George W. Bush. My own view however points to the generational importance.

    Not too long ago, Barack Obama humbly appeared on the national stage unknown to the average American. Over the course of his historic rise to power, his message of change became clearer, more refined whereas one might label him as having the audacity to hope for a better future. It should not be ironic for he chose this as the title of his New York Times Bestseller, "The Audacity of Hope". Fast forward to January 20^st and it is apparent that this same audacity launched President Obama on the political arena has spread like wild fire throughout the American populace. The two million D.C. spectators that attended the inaugural are case in point. So where am I going with all this?

    By focusing on President Obama's past message along with his new inaugural address, this perspective will become clearer. If one recalls, I stated that the ultimate affect that President Obama's success had on me was the generational implications. In his inaugural address, President Obama states that, "And yet, at this moment- a moment that will define a generation- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all". In plain terms, President Obama is basically saying that this current state of America will define a generation and a spirit of hope must inhabit all Americans. Of course, many will probably wonder what generation is he speaking of. Nevertheless, I argue it is our generation-those born between and including the years 1983 and 1990.

    I say it is our generation because President Obama can only do so much in the few years one is allowed to serve as President. In reality, while he has introduced the audacity of hope, it will ultimately be our generation-those between the ages of 18 and 25- that will reap the fruits of the fulfillment of hope. Too philosophical for you?

Here is a less profound approach for my fellow factual types. Consider for instance, President Obama's consistent supporters throughout his political campaign; 18-25 year olds. With that in mind, jump 25 years ahead and those same 18-25 year olds that elected President Obama in 2008 will be the 43-50 years olds entering the zeniths of their professional careers. This is significant because they will finally be at the age where they can successfully execute the ideals that so strongly compelled them to support President Obama. Yet what about the generation that is scheduled to take over once President Obama leave office either in 2012 or 2016. I argue that this generation will not be as significant because they were dichotomized when considering who to elect in 2008. In other words, I argue that their differences have clouded their foresight.

    The clichéd saying goes "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". In the event of our generation, we have a plethora of new tricks, including facebooking, blogging, i-chatting and hoping. These along with the professional aspects of our generation have yet to reach their full extents. As a result, it will take 25 years for the generation that elected the President who had the audacity to introduce hope, to ultimately, fulfill this monumental hope.

A New Nationalism

As I sit here with my friends, on the third Monday of the month in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday-one day prior to the inauguration of America's first Black President- I find it difficult to fully explain the extent of my joy. Forty years have passed since the loss of the great Dr. King and the discussion of skin color remained a contentious issue up until the 2008 election. Accordingly, I am cognizant of the difficulties that face Americans in the years ahead but I acknowledge these difficulties with a new air of optimism. We have begun to emerge on a national arena where the ideas or imperatives of both White and Black Americans can consolidate into a universal national initiative. This initiative includes, but is not limited to, rejuvenating the economy, finding innovative sources of energy, transparency within the government, and a better foreign relations policy. In other words, I am saying that we are witnessing a new stage of nationalism in America. Moreover, this is not to be confused with patriotism; I'll address their differences in a later post. Better yet, I'll end this conversation here and follow up after the inauguration. Feel free to weigh in and give your perspective of this historic moment.

The Necessary Endorsement

In recent news, Rep. Jame E. Clyburn of South Carolina, endorsed presidential candidate Barack Obama on NBC's "today show". Clyburn is the highest ranking African American and the third-ranking democrat in Congress. In his own words, Clyburn said, "Today the [primary] process ends, And I hope that enough of us will announce our intentions today so that this evening our candidate, our presumptive nominee, can get to 2,118." Basically Clyburn is saying that Barack Obama should the official nominee after today's primaries.

In discussion of Clyburns endorsement, a controversial question is whether his endorsement was necessary. On the one hand, some might argue that Clyburn's endorsement is meaningless because he waited until the nominee was clinched to publicly support Obama. On the other hand, others contend that since there is no deadlock between Clinton and Obama, it seems perfectly fine for Clyburn to go ahead. My own view is that Clyburn's endorsement was necessary because it creates good political posture for other super delegates to follow.

Those that argue Clyber's endorsement has no impact overlook the fact that he is the House Majority Whip which makes him third ranked only behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. In essence, the majority whip is responsible for ensuring that party members vote along party lines for major legislation. An endorsement from the House majority whip is a great scenario for any presidential nominee because the whip has a strong influence that can rally party members together.

What is more important is that, Clyburn was unanimously elected Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and won a coveted seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee. In 2002, he ascended to Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and to Caucus Chair in 2006. Clyburn's leadership in the Congressional Black Caucus is significant because he gives the final stamp of approval that Obama is cool with the "Old Heads", or in other words, the older African American congressmen. According to Clyburn, Obama "is elevating the political rhetoric, he's elevating our party, He is bringing to the process new voters, young voters, elder voters. People who are in thirst of a new vision for our country."

Ultimately, the endorsement of Rep. Jame E. Clyburn is a signal that the democratic party is ready to unite behind a single presidential nominee. With both the old and young generations of African Americans rallying behind Brack Obama, it makes a perfect segue for the candidate to make his acceptance speech on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream Speech".

The DNC Advocates Transparency but Convention Bloggers are Chosen Behind Closed Doors

"There is nothing 'Democratic' about an all-white Democratic National Convention floor blogging corps" - Francis L. Holland

Read the Washington Post Coverage:
"Democrats' Convention Pool: Is it all wet?"

From USA Today

See the USA Today coverage.

LA Times Reports DNC Jim Crow Blogging Corps.

Read the media story here and at African American Political Pundit.

Dallas Morning News on DNC Jim Crow Blogs Corps.

20/20 Hindsight

In the recent media craze over Geraldine Ferror's racial accusations, former Governor Spitzer's indecent act, and Reverend Jeremiah Wright's "fiery"comments, American's have been pulled in every direction. The mass media has blogged us down with 360 coverage of these pitty issues that are not solving problems for Americans. The mass media no longer leaves room for the common viewer to form an educated opinion on the issues of substance. Why are we allowing prostitutes to get prime time coverage while citizens are suffering from job loss? Similar to Govonor Spitzer, Reverend Wright has quickly become the media's punching bag. I recorded today that each major news Chanel aired his controversial comments at least two times within one hour. This extensive media coverage has only acted as a catalyst in the unpopular color discussion. Last week, Senator Hillary Clinton was spared the color discussion by quickly denouncing Ferror but now the focus has shifted to Senator Barack Obama.

The American people, fueled by the media surge, placed Senator Obama in an unfavorable position. He was asked today to abandon his religious morals and dis associate himself with a person he has built a great bond with. Unfortunately for critics, Senator Obama proved to be a human. Unlike Senators McCain and Clinton, Barack Obama did not turn his back on a friend just so he could be the Presidential Nominee. Instead, he spoke out against the comments while still acknowledging the reverends good morals. It takes a true leader to be able to act in such a way without degrading someones character.

In attempt to corner Senator Obama, the media has unintentionally aided him. Through the issue of Reverend Wright, Senator Obama was given the chance to tackle the even greater issue of race. Toady, he revealed another one of his Presidential qualities, 20/20 Hindsight.

The ability to have 20/20 hindsight is a rare quality that was shared by the founding fathers along with other great leaders of this nation. Consider President Abraham Lincoln, during the Civil War he suspended Habeas corpus in response to race riots in New York. While this was a constitutional right, he had the ability to look ahead and realize that this would only help the war effort. Just as people are criticizing Senator Obama, President Lincoln faced numerous critics that said he made a bad decision. Ask yourself how many critics are honored for criticizing people and how many parents tell their children that XYZ has their own statue for criticizing President Lincoln. In truth, critics don't get their own statues, monuments are only built for visionaries.

In his speech today, Senator Obama made it clear that he was tired of playing games and ready to transcend discussions of skin color. AP called his speech, "the most racially pointed speech yet of his presidential campaign", I disagree. Barack Obama's speech today that focused on race, unity, and the future, was his most inspiring speech for all Americans.

In the Polls We Trust

While I was on Zogby.com, I happened to notice that the polls have been updated. The new polls show that the democratic "front runner" Senator Hillary Clinton is losing ground against the republicans. This update is alarming because the polls show that she even loses to Fred Thomson, who in my opinion has been running a sloppy campaign. The last Zogby poll took place back in July and during that time it showed Senator Clinton ahead of each candidate. Correct me if I'm wrong but has she really made any mistakes during the time between August and November?
But wait, that is not the only thing that has me raising a red flag. Ironically, the polls still show that Hillary wins against the other democratic candidates but those candidates like Senator Obama and Edwards, win when put up against the republicans. So what is exactly is going on here? The polls are actually showing me that democrats want Hillary but she has no chance against the republicans and, Americans would rather see Barack Obama and John Edwards over the republicans. Given that information I have come to the conclusion that we can no longer rely on the polls.

Through out my years of school, math has been one of my favorite subjects. If there is one thing I learned from math is notion that numbers do not lie, or at least thats what I was taught to think.

Zogby Polls Here