BlackPerspective.net

Though roundly excoriated by the press before last nights GOP debate; McCain continued on his false attack about Mitt Romney wanting to set a time table to withdrawal.

It’s inexplicable. One can half understand why he put this out there in the first place. He did it Sunday, two days before the primary vote in “winner takes all” Florida. Throwing things out there against your opponent, whether true or not, just to get temporary bad press against them at a strategic moment is an old campaign tactic; though doing so with such a blatant lie is still rather brazen.

But since it’s not true, it’s on tape and everyone can see its not true, and being that that dog didn’t fly, as everyone is saying McCain was at best mischaracterizing Romney’s statement; you’d think he’s layoff of it and let it go since he already achieved his strategic objective of winning Florida. But no, some how the old guy has taken leave of his senses and is picking a fight that is nothing but bad pr for himself.

I guess this shows his lack of understanding for the economy because if he had some financial training he’d understand the law of diminishing return. I guess he’s out of touch and encapsulated in his own ideological bubble that he doesn’t see that he’s shooting himself in the foot.

Here is the actual interview McCain parses and then says Romney’s position is the opposite of what he said:

This could be McCain’s undoing. He’s making himself out to be as big a liar as Romney, who is a pathological liar; which takes away McCains edge for people who have a problem with that about Romney. As well as the fact that many conservatives who have been holding their nose to vote for him; may now be to discussed with him to even do that any more.

People should get acknowledged for good work; and I like to encourage those who step out to forward uplift.

With that in mind I’d like I commend LaTonay Johnson, better known in the Blogosphere as MrsGrapevine, on conceiving of the Proud Black Voter blog ideal.

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She not only had the vision but brought to the table the talents to create the Proud Black Voter badge, and to design the website.

I don’t know what I did, I think I wrote the press release.

Congradulations to LaTonya on her vision and talents.

Though her current blog is almost all entertainment, it’s one of the few celeb blogs that I’ve visited regularly because the analysis applied lacks the triteness of most; and she mixes in some social commentary to it.

I also knew she was intuned to socio-political issues, because though she doesn’t post on them, she comes here often to discuss the issues I post on; so I wasn’t surprised that that this ideal came from her.

Speaking of the Proud Black Voter blog, were still looking for other Black folk to submit content for post. If you’re interested you can email me at lionrunner777@yahoo.com

The Southern Strategy is basically a republican strategy that has been consciously and widely employeed since the 60’s by republicans to play to the racial fears of whites in the South to get them to vote against the candidate favored by Blacks (always the Democratic nominee in presidential politics). It’s a strategy of using racial polarization.

Hillary Clinton, for the first time at least in a presidential campaign, employeed this strategy within the Democratic party against a fellow Democratic candidate.

The Blogger at ‘Colored Girls Who Have Considered Cutting Off Their Hair’ says in a piece called “Will The Real Hillary Clinton Stand Up!”; which is a message to other women from a women about why she no longer finds the Clinton’s trust worthy and can’t support Hillary even if female, says:

“Hillary Clinton is a chameleon. Until her defeat in Iowa, Hillary Clinton assumed her candidacy was inevitable. Not until Barack Obama became a real threat to her candidacy did we see any sign of emotion. Don’t get it twisted her emotion was birthed from fear which then turned to anger then with the ruthlessness of pit bull, the Clinton’s set out to do what they do best.

They have embarked on a strategy of talking about race (divide & conquer). Bill and Hillary Clinton have succeeded in making an election that was about gender and age (experience) into one that is about race. It didn’t matter that the Obama’s campaign has resisted any temptation to campaign on race. Don’t be deceived the Clintons decided to play the race card in order to achieve the polarization of the white vote that they needed to offset that among blacks.”

Another Blogger and democratic voter, Shawn at the Dallas South Blog published a post on January 15th entitled Robert Johnson et. al. tears down Barack Obama to lift up Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid .

Amongst thoughts echoing what I and others were saying about Clinton race baiting, the stricking statement that stuck out to me was when Shawn states “I now see what Republicans mean when they accuse the Clintons of being divisive.”

Even though I voted for Bill in my first opportunity at the ballot box in ’96, I was tired of the Clintons and their suffocating crap before they were out of office; and was glad to see them go. When talking to people who favor the democratic side of the isle over the last 8 years in general, and Blacks of that persuasion in particular; I could hardly move them off their adoration for Bill, nor usually get them to concede any negatives.

In one week Bill and Hill did that all by their lonely. Point being that, Bill has lost a lot of his luster; and damaged his cache’ with many.

Also in another post entitled Bill Clinton goes off on CNN’s Jessica Yellin, part of divide an conquer strategy, Shawn says “I went into this seeing two good candidates, actually three, that the Democrats had to offer. Now that a fourth, Bill Clinton has entered, its looking like Obama, Edwards, or nothing for me.”

I think these views, and you can read mine all over this site in post like Obama And Clinton Truce: The Ballot or the Bullet; reflect where a lot of people are moving — where a lot of people are moving who Hillary would need to win in November to get the nomination; who may just stay home, or vote for Cynthia McKinney on the Green Party ticket in protest.

McCain is lying about the Romney quote on timetables in Iraq, and Romney is lying in claiming McCain changed his position about the Bush tax cuts. I don’t think either one of them believes what they are saying, as it is not possible to be that dense unless you’re a lobotomized ape.

McCain’s position on the Bush tax cuts is that he didn’t agree with them because as a matter of principle that if you cut taxes you restrain spending to match those cuts, which is actually a true, classic conservative position; as opposed to what these ‘cut tax and spend’ neo-cons do.

But he is not for removing tax cuts now that they’ve been enacted because that would constitute an effective tax hike, and that instead he still wants to do the restrain spending part that was never done. A completely consistent position that rotates around basic classic conservative principles; yet Romney likes to say that he’s changing his position on the tax cuts because he doesn’t want to lift them now that they’re in place.

It’s clear to see how Romney wouldn’t understand a principle though, seeing as he has absolutely no principles. Romney believes in nothing except what will get him elected. He’s the shadiest, most dishonest, most duplicitous person on the national political scene. Romney is exacting, and he is cold. So cold that he makes Hillary Clinton seem warm and genuine by comparison; and the Clintons were the most duplicitous political figures on the national scene until Romney came along to replace them. Romney is much like a Republican Bill Clinton; self assured, self important, blind ambition, and unendingly duplicitous.

If Massachusetts Senator Kerry was a flip flopper, than the former Massachusetts Governor is a flip flopper on steroids. It is abundantly clear that his position on every issue is whatever position will get him elected in the particular campaign he’s running in at the time; as the following video demonstrates. He was practically running to the left of Ted Kennedy in 94 for the senate.

On the other hand McCain went out of his way to find a Romney quote from April in order to attack Romney on the national security issue because that’s McCain’s strength, and he’s desperate to win the ‘winner take all’ 57 delegates Florida Primary.

Romney clearly stated in the disputed interview that between the U.S. president and Iraqi Prime Minister that there should be private timetables and miles stones to set achievement goals; which is absolutely what your supposed to do with anything in order to have measurable of progress and so forth; but that it should not be a publicized for the insurgents or Al-Quadi to know and lye in wait. A position completely consistent with McCain’s and most other republicans. And also he did not say, as McCain claims, that there should be a date certain for with draw, or take a position that lines up with most democrats.

This article gives more detail to the flap. And oh, by the way, McCain was talking benchmarks and withdrawing himself last year.

McCain’s own Flip Flopping:

These two forked tongue, double talking, liars are the best that the republican party has to offer. Not that the democrats are a sweet bowl of jelly beans without blot; but my goodness, there’s little consistent or honest about either one of these guys.

McCain has told one truth recently though; watch this hilarious video on how Romney has consistently taken both sides of every issue. It’s rare to see a full frontal, sarcastic attack like that coming straight from the candidate; especially one that’s true as the above demonstrates that they’re often not.

I posted last week about the Oscar Awards routine disregard for Black Actors and films. Well the SAG Awards did a little bit better, at least this year.

The Great Debaters was shutout of even a nomination just the same for much of the same underline reason I think it was ignored by the academy; yet, overall there was more Black representation.

The following is a list of Black Actors nominated. I could have possibly missed 1 or 2 as I did not recognize every single name on the nominee list; especially in some of the ensemble cast.

QUEEN LATIFAH (twice)
RZA
Cuba Gooding Jr,
Ruby Dee (twice)
Denzel Washington
Vanessa Williams (twice)
Leslie David Barker
ISAIAH WASHINGTON
CHANDRA WILSON
Tracy Morgan

We have to note that 10 of those 13 nominations disappear if not for the ensemble cast category, which accounts for Denzel Washington’s, Cube Gooding’s, RZA’s and one of Ruby Dee’s nominations for a gangster movie; and also accounts for ISAIAH WASHINGTON, CHANDRA WILSON, Tracy Morgan, and one of both Vanessa William’s and Queen Latifia’s nominations as well.

Black Award Winners:

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
RUBY DEE / Mama Lucas – American Gangster (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
QUEEN LATIFAH / Ana – Life Support (HBO)

And Leslie David Barker won as part of the ensemble cast of The Office

At first I set out to do this post with the hypothesis that SAG Awards were giving Blacks Half Decent though yet under par recognition as opposed to the Oscars; but not really. As I’m writing this post, the analysis that I’m uncovering is arguing against my initial thought. The SAGs do movies and primetime television; and other than the ensemble cast, which is a category the Oscars doesn’t have, they both only nominated the same one Black person in the movies, Ruby Dee for American Gangster.

Two Black people were nominated for solo performances for the television part of the awards. This number may be more a reflection of the lack of Blacks in leading roles on television, and in that light, two might actually be a half decent number. There really aren’t that many Blacks in leading roles on t.v. Black themed dramas have gone the way of the Dodo, and white folks have never watched Black theme sitcoms much outside of The Cosby Show. To be honest, I wouldn’t hardly nominate the current crop of Black sitcoms for much of anything either. We’re not exactly getting Roc and A Different World right now. Though Everybody Hates Chris was cutting edge when it started but has grown kind of stale, and Girl Friends had some quality stuff in it’s earlier days.

There can be seen some forward movement in where there were a few Black people as part of nominated ensemble cast. I counted 5 nominated this year in that category, including Barker being part of the win for The Office. In the last decade here’s been a marked increase in Blacks being included in significant roles in majority white cast; but not at a satisfactory level yet.

Feel free to notify me of any Black folks I left out who were nominated or won.

Hillary Clinton gave her concession speech at Tennessee State University in Nashville last night. As some who read here regularly might know, that’s my Alma Mater. I only found out yesterday afternoon that she would be in town, and found out while watching national news, I believe MSNBC.

I went out to cover the event on the campus where I lived for 5 semesters before moving off during my junior year. The event was held in Keen Hall, which is attached the Student Center. I walked through Keen hall practically everyday when I lived on campus as it is right next to the two dorms I lived in and lead to the post office, cafeteria, bookstore, and other auxiliaries; as well as being a cross point to cut through campus to get certain classes.

I ran into Colonel Laird (He’s not in the military anymore, but that’s all I’ve ever called him) who is Director of the Student Center and he told me that he didn’t find out about it until Friday; which is to say that the Clinton campaign was last minute in coordinating this event with the university. I don’t think the fact that Clinton’s candidacy is plummeting with Black voters and her picking a Black campus is a coincidence. Though, the fact that TSU Alum and State Senator, Thelma Harper, is her Tennessee campaign co-chair probably had something to do with too.

I arrived at 8:00; the candidate was to speak at 8:30. The crowd was 2/3rds to 3/4ths white on this campus that is over 70% Black and located in a part of Nashville where the percentage of Black residency is even much higher than that. I will note that Nashville is a majority white city. Nonetheless, I’ve been coming to Tennessee State all my life (my parents met here, my two older sisters went here, and younger sister just graduated this past May) and have lived on campus or with in miles of it since ‘96 and other than the Hard Knock Life Concert in ‘99 (a rap concert featuring Red Man, Method Man, DMX, and Jay-Z) I’ve never seen a TSU event where the percentage of the white people in attendance even rivaled the percentage of Black folk much less superseded it. So take that for what it’s worth on the same evening where 80 plus percent of Blacks in South Carolina went for Barack Obama in a rebuke of their former love affair with Bill Clinton; who spent the week their trying to diminish Obama.

Hillary gave her normal speech, some interesting stuff; but a lot of normal blah, blah, blah. I’m going to write an article for the local weekly I freelance for in the next couple of days which I will also put on my Nashville local page; and if you’re interested in that kind of specificity you can check that out when it’s up. I also have some of my original pictures then. I’ll make sure to make not of that in the main blog that day with a link.

Now back to some of the more editorial personal observations that I want to make.

For one, she did something that I’ve never seen before, she held a town hall meeting, taking questions after a concession speech. I’ve Never heard of anyone doing that before or after a concession speech.

Two demographics struck m at the event: Old white people and young Black women.

After the question and answer session Senator Clinton stayed for to shake hand, take pictures and give autographs. There was a rounded barrier in which Clinton stood on the inside of and well wishers were allowed to surround three quarters of.

After mingling with some folks I then went up there and worked my way up to the barrier. It was interesting in seeing secrete service in person for the first time. I’ve been to a couple of presidential campaign events before, 4 years ago, but Wesley Clark didn’t have secreted service, at least not that I remember or noticed.

I couldn’t get a good picture of her because when I got up to the barrier she was a few feet pass the part I was standing at, and the way they surrounded her makes it difficult.

Chelsea was there too. She stopped close enough to me to sign someone’s Hillary banner that she was close enough that I could have reached out and laid my hand on her shoulder. She’s a very thin woman. I’ve always laid off of talking about her looks, since it really doesn’t have anything to do with anything; but after seeing her close up I just going to speak on it.

Her face looks, ummm, odd. I don’t really know how to explain it, it’s almost like it’s not real. Her face looks like it’s struggling to decide between whether it wants to look like Bill or Hillary; though if you look at pics of Hillary in her teens and early 20s, she looked pretty similar. I know, it’s not nice; but that’s life in the public eye. Hey, I really could say much more.

I wasn’t getting autographs, shaking hands or talking to them; I was just up there to observe and take pictures so I could write about it for my blog and newspaper; and for the historical moment of it. How many times do you get to stand right beside a first lady or Senator of such historical notoriety?

Interesting Vidoe roundtable on the SC vote

It is the Oscars, and far be it from me to give that institution any credibility; but a total shutout of even nominations for The Great Debaters is a return to the same old Academy disregard.

I outright boycotted watching this program for years as they routinely snubbed Black films and actors (The Color Purple, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, etc). Not that I’m ever foolish enough to believe everything is hunky dory, but I thought they had come around as of late to at least giving a measure of respect.

But not even one nomination for The Great Debaters seems like the same ol same. I thought it was a shoe-in for a Best Picture nod. Figured it probably wouldn’t win; white folks seem set on Atonement, and that may very well be a deserving film; but how does Great Debaters not even get nominated?

It got a nomination from the Golden Globes, won a Broadcast Films Critics Choice Award, and a mired of other nominations and wins; and not even one pat on the back from the Academy.

Next, I thought Denzel did a great directorial job, and thought he might get nominated for best director. A couple of other possibilities I saw was maybe Junree Smollet getting a nod and possibly they could get something for the costume design.

The problem has been and remains, when you have a demographic of voters who choose the nominees and then winners, who are part of demographics that largely don’t go see certain types of films; how can they vote in favor of something they haven’t seen? Also there’s the ‘relating to’ factor of it which goes against certain films and characters even if a pretty significant number do see certain films.

I mean sure, white people go see Glory and The Last King of Scotland because they’re told from largely white perspectives, often with the “Great White Hope” saving the day(an ideal white people identify with). Or a Denzel can win in Training Day, an action movie about a crooked cop - a film about a Black dude riding around in a Cadillac, smoking weed, robbing and shooting folk – yeah that’s so far off from how the white masses view Black men. That was a real strectch for them to get into. [that’s sarcasm for those who aren’t so quick on the feet. No, for real, people all the time read stuff like that and completely miss the satire]

Look, I’m not saying that the bunch of the Academy voters sat up and consciously said to themselves, “I’m not watching or voting for that movie cause I don’t like that Black stuff”; I just think they weren’t that interested as a whole and even when watching, it doesn’t have that same internal impact that it does for Blacks and maybe other minorities on a sociological level.

But the bottom line is the Oscars can kiss my ass because they blotted out pretty much my only reason to watch.

Oh yeah, Ruby Dee got nominated (for a movie about a Black Gangster surprise surprise), so maybe I’ll try to time it to flip over and see if they’re going to shock me by giving it to her.

When you have a whole year of Black people in movies, directing movies, writing movies and we don’t get but between 1 and 0 nominations in most years, that’s them saying we don’t really have no talent, nor any stories really worth hearing. And that’s the disrespect I could never stomach from them.

Oh, unless the story is something about how “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp”. Cause again, gangsters and pimps pretty much sum up Black folks.

My Review of The Great Debaters.

If you’re not familiar with the back story you can read here: Elections Spark Mass Violence In Kenya

700 people dead on ethnic basis. This shows that the vestiges of mental colonialism are still strong. The European created these ethnic schisms so the people would fight each other and not them, and they’re still living by these concocted divisions decades after “liberation”.

As Bob Marley said, “none but ourselves can free our minds”.

Kibaki and Odinga meet for first time in Kenya crisis
By Nick Tattersall and Daniel Wallis

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The two rivals in Kenya’s political crisis met on Thursday for the first time since a disputed election and pledged to seek an end to weeks of unrest that have killed nearly 700 people.

When the pair shook hands, hundreds of onlookers cheered.

This is an addendum to “Oh How We Forget, The Clintons Race Baited in ‘92″

THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: On the Trail; CLINTON ACCUSED OF POSTURING
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 18, 1992

A rap singer yesterday accused Gov. Bill Clinton of posturing on racial matters “like a lot of white politicians.” Appearing on NBC’s “Today” program, the singer, Sister Souljah, responded to a question by saying Mr. Clinton was racist.

“I am not fooled by people who posture, who pick up black babies and pat them on the head. That is not what is important to us as a race,” she said.

Say it again Sista, Negroes just don’t understand.

Abroad at Home; Black and White
By ANTHONY LEWIS
Published: June 18, 1992

The episode of Bill Clinton and Sister Souljah may seem a passing curiosity in a long campaign. But it is in fact something more: a metaphor for the difficulty of politics in a divided country.

Governor Clinton has been a strong, even emotional advocate of racial justice through all his political life. He has the greatest potential for healing the country’s racial divisions of any candidate since Robert Kennedy. But it is hard for anyone to make blacks and whites feel he is speaking to both from the heart, as Kennedy did. That is still a test for Bill Clinton.

And we bought this con game when it was open and in our faces from day one. This is what happens when we don’t bother to read, to study, to think, to put EVERYBODY to the test, and to not be given to mystification.

More from Dick Morris on the current race baiting strategy

LOL, this junk is wild. I guess they decided that they aren’t just going to sit and be starved to death by Israel.

This is what I’m talking about, you don’t beg for freedom, you take it.

Gazans knock down border, flee to Egypt
By IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press Writer

RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Tens of thousands of Palestinians on foot and on donkey carts poured into Egypt from Gaza Wednesday after masked gunmen used land mines to blast down a seven-mile barrier dividing the border town of Rafah.

The border breach was a dramatic protest against the closure of the impoverished Palestinian territory imposed last week by Israel.

For the rest of the article and vidoe, go here.