The recent flap over the apparent use of the southern strategy by the Clinton campaign led me to write a longer piece about the subject that appeared in Salon yesterday.Also, in the barbershop we talked about Gloria Steinem’s recent piece on the race/gender divide in this election.
Salon Article deals with Obama-Clinton argument
by admin | Jan 15, 2008 | Black Power, Campaigns and Elections, Democracy, Gender and Politics, NPR, Racial Politics, The Mass Media | 4 comments
I enjoyed the barbershop talk on NPR. I think there is a race gender divide in the election because unfortunately, people cannot get past it as a whole (and the media loves it so they feed into it). It would be nice to do a survey where people are given a choice between 3 candidates that they do not know their names, genders, or races. All they know is how they stand on the issues (honestly how they stand on the issues). Then I would like to see what candidate people would vote for. I am sure that there would be many people who would be surprised by the candidate they would choose once the race or gender of the candidate they chose is exposed. Being an African-American woman, I first thought I was in a dilemma because there is a woman candidate and an African-American candidate; but I realize that the biggest dilemma I have is to pick a candidate that represents the issues that are important (which is the same dilemma I face in every election), regardless of their race or gender. I have found myself being asked by friends who am I going to choose Obama or Clinton? I get disturbed with this question because I feel like to a certain extent people expect me to have only 2 choices because of my race and gender. I found myself almost feeling obligated at first to only choose between those 2. I may vote for Obama, I may for Clinton…but my choice is not just between them, it is between every candidate who is running. While I would like to see history made, I would like to see a candidate in office who is going to get the country’s “ish” straight in 08′, regardless of their race or gender, and that is what I will be looking for…and at this point, that will be history in the making as well.
Vote with your mind not with your emotions. These are serious times and wise choices need to be made. Errol Smythe.
Can someone tell me why some of the times if not most of the time when people of colour begin to get prominent positions in society in more cases than the normal statistical average there appears to be some organized frenzy to knock them off the popularity pedestal ?
From boxing,to singing,to athlectics, preaching and politics etc etc ? Why should anyone feel that if any person from some communities more than a chosen few communities should be singled out when a gifted person excels and if they are not of a stereotype standard from a particular and/or select community, then they should be discredited and have their wings clipped?
Is there any valid reason why we cannot accept any person that excels on
on merit only and not some other side issues and just be happy for the common good of all humanity?
We are all God’s creation no matter what stage of advancement we are in life and the strong should help the weak, the rich should help the poor, the healthy should help the sick and make this world a better place. Errol Smythe.
Salon Article deals with Obama-Clinton argument http://t.co/FFTmD6aq