It is not that Sen. Barack Obama is the first Black candidate qualified to become the nominee of a major Party. It is that enough White Americans have finally put race aside in selecting a leader to carry the mantle of ultimate power on behalf of this nation.
Last night, as Sen. Obama stood on the stage of victory in Minnesota, the achievement was Black America's and White America's. After watching so many years of being overlooked or ignored in many contests, (Maryland's support of Ben Cardin over Kweisi Mfume for the Senate race in 2006, for instance), Black America saw the fruit of its eternal vigiliance for equality when Sen. Obama declared that he had obtained the number of pledged delegates required to be the nominee on June 3, 2008.
By the will of the people, Obama is truly America's Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
Now the work is to choose a running mate--not Hillary Clinton, whose race baiting, poor campaign organization and alarming death grip on a sense of entitlement to the Presidency nulify any view that she could be an asset to the ticket, let alone an effective elected official in the Senate, to say nothing of the executive office.
Obama's work is cut out for him: choosing a running mate, working to bring the Party together--encouraging Hillary supporters to join the winning team--and focusing arguments on policy and direction of his administration to win against John McCain in November.
Obama supporters can be helpful in bringing family and friends who supported Hillary into the fold. An "each one, reach one" campaign can go a long way in smoothing the path toward unity in the Party.
However, with this historic nomination must also come unprecedented support from the electorate to act on the call to action that is fundamental to Barack Obama's message. If we have the audacity to hope with Sen. Obama, we as committed believers must also do the civic work that affirms the reason for our hope. As Sen. Obama has said, we are the ones we have been waiting for.
What is exciting about Sen. Obama securing the delegates to become Democratc Party nominee is that everyone who comes aboard is called upon to roll up his or her sleeves, and get to work in the neighborhoods, the schools, the environmental causes and other efforts, in order to set America on a promising and prosperous course.
Americans want to get involved, to rally and work to put the country on the rebound. We have been in want of a leader to raise the banner and the rally cry.
Until now.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
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2 comments:
Please no Hillary as vp. I do not trust her. Obama is in God's plan. He does not need Hillary's help.
Shame on her for last night. She is still determinned to under mine him and make him her lesser.
You are so much more optimistic than I am. Enough White Americans put race aside in the Democratic primary. Many did not and said so blatantly. (See West Va. ) Others did so but were not so blatant. (See Pennsylvania , Ohio , Missouri , New Hampshire ) The south speaks for itself.
Now keep in mind that this is the Democratic Primary. The Republican Party has not been warm to anything black-though they will accept an Uncle Tom when it suits their purposes.
Do you think that many-if any- will cross over to the Black candidate? They are, after all, the Party of the Republican Southern Strategy. While Obama’s nomination is an achievement, it must be tempered with the reality that he stumbled over the finish line in his own Party. And further tempered with the phrase, “intoxicating drug of gradualism.”
Frankly he has not been able to capture the working class white voter. These voters make up much more of the United States than any other group. Has race nullified Obama’s message? If it has he’s through.
The passion for Hillary Clinton is real and cannot be underestimated. She reaches a demographic that Obama cannot and will not reach. Hillary cannot be ignored. She got about half the popular vote and dominated the contests in the states with the largest electoral votes. She is the candidate of the second half of the primary season as he was the candidate in the first half of the primary season.
I don’t think that each on reach one will be effective because the passion is too high. Her supporters will only be satisfied with her. And they would rather take poison than see another outcome.
She has to be the VP and a strong VP like Al Gore was or as Dick Chaney is. Obama won but did not receive a mandate. The race was far to close to claim one. I would temper the phrase “by the will of the people” to “by the will of about half of the people”.
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