Future First Family.

Like Snob, I too, will never get tired of looking at this family. She has a million and one pics of them from last night. Go look. And is it just me, or is Malia the world's tallest ten-year-old? She's gotta be about 5 feet tall -- she comes up to her father's shoulder. Those girls are from a genetic goldmine; they got the best of both of their parents.

Breaking Down.

I got my cable turned back on. I've been without it since February, simply because I found I just didn't watch much TV. I hate television, frankly. It's a time waster, and it makes you dumb. When I did have super-basic cable, the only channels that didn't enrage me were The CW, Disney Channel, and C-Span. And in the time since I've stopped watching it, I've found that the few occasions I'm with people who have it on, I get angry. I generally have to restrain myself from shouting "WHY ARE YOU WATCHING THIS GARBAGE?!" And pulsating rage, as I'm sure you can tell, is not a good look for me. I've even been known to throw things at the television (soft things, of course). This generally only happens when there's a pundit on TV, though. Unfortunately, even the morning news shows I used to love watching have begun to get on my nerves. I mean, everyone loves Al Roker, but how many times can he say "and SLOWLY I turned" before it stops being funny? So I'm sure you're wondering why I got my cable turned on. Well, since you asked, here are my three Very Important Reasons. 1) Barack Obama. I know, I know. But I really wanted to watch his speech tonight, and I really want to watch the debates when they start up. I need to see him and Joey Biden (with Mama Biden looking on lovingly) crush McCain and his veep. And once he's elected, I'll have to watch the inauguration, so that means I might as well bite the bullet until January. 2) Serena and Blair. Gossip Girl is the Greatest Show of Our Time. And I missed it so hard when I gave up TV, but then I discovered they started streaming full episodes online. And then they stopped. But now they're gonna start doing it again, but dangit, I can't watch GG while I'm at work (or can I?) so cable it is. I miss Serena's ability to screw everything up without lifting a finger. I miss Blair's sheer awesomeness. And I need to see what freakishly long-legged Jenny Humphrey is wearing this season. 3) Simpsons reruns. There's nothing like coming home from work and watching The Simpsons for an hour. I miss Marge's disapproving grumble. Of course, all of my current goodwill toward cable television will be shattered if I have to see any of the following: Wolf Blitzer; One Tree Hill; Matt Lauer; and anything with "Cashmere," "Love," "Hell," or "Desperate," in the title. Cross your fingers for me!

An Emotional Election.

[Picture borrowed from the lovely and hilarious Black Snob. She keeps us swimming in Obama family photos.] Is it just me, or is this the most tear-inducing presidential election ever? I've cried or come close to it soooo many times since Iowa, I'm a little ashamed of myself. Between Barack's amazing speeches (to which I've become somewhat immune, though I'm sure I'll need a box of tissues on Thursday) and the gorgeous Obama family, I'm often a pathetic, weepy, mess. The speeches from last night were no exception. And I know it's not just me. It's also my friends. And I would say maybe it's just because black folks are so durn proud of the Obamas that we can't help ourselves, but it ain't just us. My Puerto Rican-Jewish coworker said his wife (who's white) was crying by the end Michelle's speech too. What got me while Michelle was speaking was the moment when her eyes started to shine and you could hear in her voice that even she was close to tears. I'm not complaining, mind you. It's good to feel something about the political process, just as it's important pay attention to the actual issues. I just wanna know, did people cry when FDR was running for president? Did people tear up at the sight of Nancy Reagan on stage? In other news, I posted a round-up of reactions to Michelle's speech on PB, and I somehow managed to keep my hormones out of it.

Madness 2008 Redux: 'We've Gotta Pay For These Things. They Don't Come For Free.'

During the Obama interview at Saddleback, Rick Warren asks the senator what it means to be rich. Or, more specifically, what is the threshold for taxation? (This is the question McCain jokingly answered with $5 million/year.) Obama answers in pretty effective manner, and then drops the following:

"If we believe in good schools, if we believe in good roads, if we wanna make sure that kids can go to college, if we don't want to leave a mountain of debt for the next generation, then we've gotta pay for these things. They don't come for free. It is irresponsible, intergenerationally, to spend ten billion dollars a month on a war, and not have a way of paying for it."

And applause. This right here is the thing that kills me about the Bush/McCain tax plan. Because this is what they did: cut taxes, bumped up funding for an impossible war by billions, and incurred a truly stupendous amount of debt. And all the while providing luscious tax cuts for rich people. Now that the economy is in the toilet, due to spending on things that Americans don't need or want (war), the Republicans who put us here have the nerve to talk about "regular Americans" getting screwed over by Obama's plan to end tax cuts. raising taxes. And what's more: no one is calling them on it. Aside from your neighborhood lefty bloggers, the traditional media and the pundits are having a frickin' field day out there talking about McCain's plan as though it's legitimate. This is all part of the madness. It's not. Let's talk this through. The economy sucks, because of the Republicans. However, these crazy American people still want those good social services the government provides (many of which lost a lot of funding over the last 7.5 years) -- you know, federal grants, scholarships, up-to-date text books, free immunizations, decent food in schools, roads that don't have potholes, safe public transportation, more cops on the streets, and the list goes on. And moreover, these nutty American people also don't want the economy to suck forever. Obama is suggesting, in not so stilted words, that it's time to pay the piper. The U.S. can't keep going the way it's been going for the last 90 months. It simply isn't sustainable. Not for four more years. You can't keep spending and keep spending, and fail to replace the money. Or in third grade terms: you have four apples and you give someone an apple every day. After four days you're borrowing apples. You're in apple debt. Are you going to keep borrowing apples while your quality of life gets worse, or are you going to stop giving away apples and start putting in work to grow your own? What's it gonna be, U.S.A.? The people making millions each year need to start doing their part to shoulder the cost of the things that Americans want and need. Middle-class people want the government to provide basic services, and presumably, they want the wealthy to stop skating. Meanwhile, McCain (like Bush, and every Republican in the last 30+ years) is trading on the notion that the middle-class won't realize what the deal is. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the GOP bets that Americans are dumb, while the Dems pray to FDR that Americans are smart. Ultimately, it's up to the middle-class portion of the electorate to actually educate themselves on the candidates' respective economy plans. (That's right, I said it. Educate oneself. My beef with the whole "I dunno what that Obama guy is really about" phenomenon is another post.) And if not, at least don't vote for the guy who's happily singing the tune of the worst president ever.

Madness 2008: Am I Losing My Mind?!

Ok. Barack Obama was 'presumptuous' when he went to Berlin to give a speech. He was 'presumptuous' because he did the same thing McCain did a few months earlier, which was meet with various world leaders. He was wrong to go to Iraq, even though is what McCain was telling him to do. Soooooo presumptuous. And yet, John McCain, a senator from Arizona, is on the phone every day with the president of Georgia. John McCain, a senator from Arizona, is sending a DAGGONE DIPLOMATIC TEAM TO INTERVENE IN A WAR BETWEEN TWO NATIONS. *ahem* All the while, the effing President of the United States is cooling his heels and pretty much keeping the US out of the conflict. But John McCain isn't presumptuous. And let's all just ignore the fact that McCain's top foreign policy adviser was a lobbyist for Georgia. And here's the thing. I don't remember it being like this. Four years ago, there were plenty of ridiculous charges flying, but Kerry was a lame duck. And the U.S. doesn't elect a new president during wartime. So, fine. But was it always like this? John McCain and his surrogates are straight-up, flat-out lying, and yet the so-called 'liberal media' refuses to call a lie a lie. It's like everyone who has traditional platform is pretending that these things make sense, and I'm the only one who can see the monster on the wing of the plane. (Sorry, I mix metaphors when I'm upset.) But seriously, folks. Is this the Twilight Zone? And another thing. Sen. McCain, I for one, am NOT a Georgian. I'm an American.

Leave Barack Alooooooone!

Ok, I'm Sorry About This.

But I love this wedding picture of Michelle and Barack. I'd love it even if it weren't them, though. It's so laid back, which is a rarity for a wedding portrait. According to People, this is on their mantle at home. Straight chillin' with the shoes off. Love my people. .

Why I'm Done Talking About Barack Obama...

... that is, until he gets into office and starts doing things that piss me off. From Time Magazine (via Daily Kos).

Oh, let's just admit it: John McCain is a long shot. He's got a heroic personal story, and being white has never hurt a presidential candidate, but on paper 2008 just doesn't look like his year. And considering what's happening off paper, it might be time to ask the question the horse-race-loving media are never supposed to ask: Is McCain a no-shot?

Yes. Hillary was the one to beat (remember her?). Now it's Barack's race to lose. It doesn't matter how many thousands of hours CNN and MSNBC waste, trying to prove that John McCain has more than a shot. They want to keep us tuned in. If you follow the numbers, you'll see the horse race is just not that close. Unless you're talking red states, which, of course, is particularly bad for McCain. So Barack will win, because he rocks, and because McCain is everything that's wrong with this country — an old white warhawk. Note: Despite rocking, Obama's made some poor choices (well, smart choices, I guess) that are not exactly favorable with his thinking base. I'm talking about people like me who support him — with words and wallet — but aren't expecting him to walk on water. It's up to us to hold him accountable. We know he's gonna win, so let's worry less about defending him from the press and the GOP, and more about making sure he represents what we want. Anyway, at this point, the Obama I'm interested in is Michelle. I suspect she might effect more change than Barack will when it comes to race. Not through specific actions, but by simply being an around-the-way girl who's rising into the upper echelon of American political life with grace, class, and a strong presence. (JJP documents some recent positive articles on Michelle.)

Jesse's Not (That) Wrong

I know most people who hear this story aren't going to know what the context was, so I've provided video... The 'nuts' part might have been rather crude. Or, as a friend said to me over the phone: "Seriously? How emasculating. That's some antebellum, 'Strange Fruit' shit right there. Score one for the white man." But. Jesse isn't wrong about the 'talking down to black people' part. That's what Barack has been doing on his personal responsibility tour. It's one of a few things he's been doing lately as the nominee that makes me feel uncomfortable. Poor black parents know their kids aren't gonna grow up to be rappers or ballers. But they also have to work crazy hours (if they can get a job) to put food on the table. It's all about priorities, and I don't think the blacks whom Obama is encouraging to 'do right' are purposely letting things slide in their homes. Sigh. Some things are getting hard to justify right now.

Barack Obama is a dream killer...

...or, more likely, just somebody's daddy. ABC News' blog (blog?!) has a small item about Obama speaking to people about the economy in soon-to-be-purple Georgia. Some of the speech included the regular drill: stay-in-school, don't do drugs, you're not a rapper...

You are probably not that good a rapper. Maybe you are the next Lil' Wayne, but probably not, in which case, you need to stay in school.

(Am I the only one who laughed at that?) Considering the fact that Weezy has been making hits since he was prepubescent — which kind of robs him of his street cred, if you ask me — got a GED, and is "attending classes" at the University of Houston, I think this was a flawed analogy. Nonetheless, Obama continues to spread his message of personal responsibility far and wide. This is why I've always said he's your garden variety black conservative in a lot of ways (there's a difference between being a black conservative and a black Republican). He's not moving more to the center. He done been there.

If you have an extra $30 lying around...

... You can afford to donate. Heck, if you have an extra $5 lying around — and you're a Barack Obama supporter — you can afford to donate. May was not a great fund raising month for the Obama campaign. They only raised $22 million ("only" being a relative term, of course). I suspect it was because in May, it was clear he had the nomination locked up, so people didn't feel pressed to donate. We still have a general election coming up, people. Don't believe the hype about McCain not getting the backing from conservatives that Republicans usually enjoy. The GOP is a well-oiled fund raising machine. Bonus: if you donate $30, you get an exclusive t-shirt that's not for sale in the Barack Obama store. AND, if you see something cool in the store (and there's lots of cool stuff), the proceeds from whatever U.S.-made item you buy go directly to the campaign. Or, you could buy a shirt or hoodie from Barack the Vote, and 25% of the proceeds will go to the campaign; but that probably won't be counted for June. So really, there's no excuse. Go!!

Rediscovering of Negritude in France

Very enlightening article in the Times. For Blacks in France, Obama's Rise Is Reason to Rejoice and to Hope There isn't a lot of information circulating in the MSM about blacks in other majority-white countries. I have family in the UK, and I think the not-talking-about-race-in-any-real-way is similar there, as it is in France. Most fascinating passage:

[...] it’s against the rules for the government to conduct official surveys according to race. Consequently, nobody even knows for certain how many black citizens there are. Estimates vary between 3 million and 5 million out of a population of more than 61 million. “Can you imagine if French officials said, ‘Well, we’re not sure, the population of France may be 65 million, or maybe it’s 30 million’?” declared a somewhat exasperated Patrick Lozès, founder of Cran, a black organization devised not long ago partly to gather statistics the government won’t.

Amazing. Truly amazing.

Gore Endorses + Whose Environmentalism?

Al Gore is finna' to endorse Sen. Obama this evening, which will help with the environmentally conscious constituency that is worried about Obama's efficacy. From 'Al's Journal':

Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action. With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems.

This may not be something to write home about, as clearly, Gore wants a Dem in the White House. However, there's a certain idea that climate and environmental concerns are the provenance of the white upper- and middle- class people. In fact, a very telling comment on the Times story reads:

As a pretty serious environmentalist, I admit I’ve had trouble believing that a black guy from Chicago can move us forward in terms of open space, species protection, and other issues typically championed by upper middle class white folks. Hopefully Gore can bend his ear on more than global warming.

Ignoring the fact that Obama isn't just 'a black guy from Chicago,' (didn't you hear, he's exotic?) this comment brings up an interesting point. Many serious (white) environmentalists don't see global warming, climate change, and other environmental issues as something that black people care about, or are affected by. However, environmental injustice assures that pollution and 'open space,' are just as pertinent in the hood as they are in the suburbs. More so, if you ask Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx. Carter (video of her speaking below):

As a black person living in America, I am twice as likely as a white person to live in an area where air pollution poses the greatest risk to my health. I am five times more likely to live within walking distance of a power plant or a chemical facility, which I do.

Barack Obama Channels Bill Cosby, But With Better Results

Or, "Yet another reason why shani-o opted out of mainstream journalism." "Obama Sharply Assails Black Fathers" - NYTimes "Obama Tells Black Fathers to Act Like Men" - AFP "Obama Chides Absent Black Fathers" - International Herald Tribune "Obama Tells Black Fathers to Engage Their Children" - AP These are the headlines I read before I actually watched Barack's speech at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. And maybe 600 words can't adequately capture the depth and complexities in the 20 minute speech, but reading about it is far different than watching it. I don't have a problem with Bill Cosby's speechification — I see him as a sort of crochety grandpa who has our best interests at heart — but I think people bridle at his message because he's so condescending. He talks at the young men and women, not to or with them. Obama's speech, while it does touch on some of the same issues — personal agency, responsibility, parenting — also addresses his own struggles as a fatherless father. He discusses how he went from self-absorbed to wholly concerned with his daughters. He also makes mention of the failures of the government to help the do-right men out there. I'm sure there are those who won't be satisfied by this speech, but to be honest, it's mostly directed toward the people who are active in their churches and communities, the people sitting behind him, nodding and clapping, singing out, "waaayle..." and "amen!" The voters.

Maria Shriver vs. The Governator

The Times features a rather fluffy and romantic piece about the political foibles of California's first family. Arnold Schwarzenegger — who is actually a pretty good governor — supports McCain, while his spouse, Kennedy legacy Maria Shriver, reps Obama. The story gets a bit cutesy at times...

The lawn of their Brentwood home has dueling campaign signs. The breakfast table has become a casual debating society. Ms. Shriver is even threatening to bring a life-size cutout of her preferred candidate into the house, something the governor has seen her do in other elections. “When one of the candidates screws up,” Mr. Schwarzenegger said of the cutouts, “the kids carry them outside.”

The four Schwarzenegger children — who range in age from 10 to 18 — have already taken sides, though only one of them, Katherine, is actually old enough to vote. She favors Mr. Obama.

Advantage, Ms. Shriver.

... but there's a dearth of California news out here on East Coast (unless there's a wildfire or landslide), so I'm sharing it with you. Below, video from the February rally in which Shriver announced her support — in a rather breathless and inspired speech — of Barack Obama.

"White People Like The Black Guy. He Gives A Good Speech."

Slate has updated the "Democratic Primary in Seven Minutes" video with another minute which includes the glorious ending. It was pretty funny back when the primary seemed interminable, and now that it's over, well, it's still funny. But also, sweet. And did you know, John Edward's dad worked in a mill?

CNN Ruins Everything

Remember how I said I don't like CNN? This is why. In one of their annoying Jeannie Moos videos (which are supposed to be funny, and possibly are, to white people over the age of 50), they tackle the 'fist bump' shared by Barack and Michelle in St. Paul on Tuesday. First off, it's not called a fist bump. That's lame. It's a pound, which falls under the category of dap. And the one thing CNN's cute little video fails to mention, is the black origins of said dap. You'd think they would, considering it was two black people sharing a pound who got all this started. The video hinted that baseball was involved in the evolution of the pound, but... come on. As Ta-Nehisi writes, something can be both black, and mainstream.

"The most interesting, and quite common, response has been "well I'm white as hell and I do the fist-bump with my wife, so it can't be that black." To me that response says more about the speaker--and race in this country--than about any measure of "blackness." It has as its unspoken premise that black is something that's stagnant, mutually exclusive to itself, and incapable of existing alongside other qualities. [...] The fact that you're in Wisconsin somewhere performing an ritual that was perfected on the South Side of Chicago probably means that it's mainstream. But that doesn't mean it didn't come from the South Side. Both are true at the same time."

It's amazing that even a little presidential nominee pound can open up discussions about race. I suspect CNN avoided the black thing purposely, because there's still some desire to paint Barack as post-racial.

The Only Way Donna Brazile Knows How To Rock

I don't like CNN. But I've gotta hand it to them. Selling shirts is brilliant. Last night, there was a rather amusing exchange between serial pundit (and smackdown layer) Donna Brazile and closeted cutie Anderson Cooper. To wit:

"I'm looking for something [Obama] hasn't told anyone else, just you." "Anderson, you're not my boo."

After which, Andy giggled insanely. And now, CNN is selling shirts to that effect on their 'CNN Shirt (beta)' site.

It's over.

We have a nominee. He looks like this: I started to follow the Michigan and Florida delegate decisions made over the weekend, and found my blood pressure increasing when Hillary's supporters started chanting noise about going all the way to Denver with this foolishness. But then it occurred to me that Barack wasn't sweating the delegate count even before they decided to seat all the delegates with 1/2 a vote each. And if he isn't worried, why should I be? Barack Obama is the nominee. Even Hillary's supporters are calling her desperate at this point. And if a blind man can see that ... (sorry, I couldn't help myself!). As of today, I've decided I'm going to take a break from getting angry about that woman's magical math which puts her ahead in the popular vote. And her attempts to poach supers from Obama. And her racist supporters. And her husband. This primary — record breaking though it was — is over. And I'm gonna need my strength to get me through the general election.

Black People : Interracial Marriage :: Black People : Gay Marriage

I wrote about The Root when it debuted back in February. I don't visit it regularly, and really only check it out when there's a link from the Slate home page (like this excellent and enlightening piece on fistula). When I saw one of the little home page article boxes on Slate, that read "If Anyone Should Support Gay Marriage, It's Black People," I should have known it would be problematic. The crux of the article was that because of anti-miscegenation laws (black people couldn't marry white people) that were ultimately overturned, blacks should support the gays' right to marry whomever they want. The author, Casey Lartigue Jr, wrote:

"Given this history, it might be reasonable to conclude that black people in particular would be opposed to laws limiting marital choices among adults. Unfortunately, there are many black people who are not only critical of interracial marriage, but also support banning gay or same-sex marriage today. According to a Pew Research Poll taken after the Massachusetts Supreme Court upheld same-sex marriage, far more blacks than whites disagreed with the court's decision. And that doesn't even include what is said at black barbershops."

He goes on to call blacks bristling at the comparison "a case of a former slave putting on his former master's clothing and wanting others to be treated as slaves." And that's where he lost me. In fact, that's where arguments of this kind always lose me, even though I'm not against gay marriage (full disclosure: I used to be, but denying marriage rights to homosexuals is illogical, and I respond well to logic). It seems that these days, pointing out the flaws in the black community is all the rage. I'm down with it, too, because we are not simply a noble people, we're not magical negroes, we're not perfect. That's fine. There is sexism, racism, and sexual prejudice (which encompasses anti-gay sentiment) within the black community. But this blacks are racist! blacks are sexist! blacks are homophobic! hysteria bothers me because it appears to be backlash and overcorrection from the days when it wasn't acceptable to criticize black people, as a group, at all in the mainstream media (say, late 80s to late 90s). Like I said, black people aren't perfect. But. Neither are gays. Neither are women. And in the race to the finish line of the Martyrdom Relays at these-here Oppression Olympics, we're tripping each other up. To be a martyr, you can't be flawed. Acknowledging the flaws in the other two groups who loudly vie for equality (while comparing their struggle to those of blacks during the Civil Rights Movement) is not done nearly enough. There is both racism and sexism in the gay community. There is both homophobia and racism amongst the feminists (and that, that is another post). But do we hear about it? No. Blacks get chided for turning into oppressors, meanwhile some of these so-called oppressed would just as soon see black men in jail as in the boardroom. The problem is one of painting a group with a broad brush. Just as Robinson wrote, there is no such thing as a monolithic black community, and I'm willing to bet there's no such thing as a monolithic gay, or feminist community, either. Not all blacks are anti-gay. Not all gays are colorblind. Not all women are for gay marriage. I'm pretty sure there's a Venn Diagram in there somewhere. I thought I could go one post without talking about Barack Obama, but can I help that he's actually intelligent and makes salient points? In an interview with The Advocate, he's asked to discuss parallels between the gay rights movement and the Civil Rights Movement, and the homophobia in the black community. He says:

"I don’t think [homophobia in the black community is] worse than in the white community. I think that the difference has to do with the fact that the African-American community is more churched and most African-American churches are still fairly traditional in their interpretations of Scripture. And so from the pulpit or in sermons you still hear homophobic attitudes expressed. And since African-American ministers are often the most prominent figures in the African-American community those attitudes get magnified or amplified a little bit more than in other communities."

That's one of the things Lartigue gets wrong. He doesn't acknowledge the religious tradition in the black community. He also doesn't acknowledge the flaws in the gay community, while all too easily decrying the flaws of the black community. I skimmed the comments section, and buried in the pile of ignorance ("interracial marriage isn't a sin, but sodomy is!" and "Gays just want to validate their lifestyle choice!"), someone actually said something that made sense, which is really what inspired me to write this somewhat bloated piece. Commenter rjmacadaeg:

"The idea that black people shouldn't be homophobic is as sadly mistaken as the assertion that gay people shouldn't be racist. Where we would hope to see a greater understanding based on empathy and wisdom gained through suffering, we instead find the same old prejudices."

There is truth in that statement. The concept that black people are fundamentally flawed, and that we're living some modern-day version of Animal Farm where all of a sudden we're the pigs wearing human clothes and sleeping in human beds while the rest of the equality-seeking beasts stay outside is laughable. Or, it would be, if it weren't so damaging.