Down From The Tower

Edwards backs Obama! [call]

2008-05-14T21:33:48Z

Marc

I am breathless from a little party in my kitchen. The festivities ensued when I got the official word that John Edwards has decided to endorse Barack for the Democratic nomination. I love this endorsement for so many reasons. Both of these men have been my Senator at one point. John Edwards was my Senator during my final years of graduate school at Duke. Obama was my Senator during my last years living in Chicago. I have great affection for both of them.

I have a little dream of an Obama-Edwards ticket. I know that it is unlikely and probably not even the best strategic choice, but I just love the idea of the two of them together in the general election. These days I would be happy to see Edwards as Obama's attorney general. I love the idea of a trial lawyer in the attorney general position. Can't you see the ads on the back of phone books, "Have your civil rights been violated? Call John Edwards at 1-800-Get-Feds" We could retire the national debt on contingency fees.

I was hearing rumors last month that Elizabeth Edwards was going to back HRC during the North Carolina primary and I was happy to see that it never happened. Still, I felt disappointed that Edwards did not come out for Barack while he was campaigning in the Tar Heel State. Obama easily carried the state, so all is forgiven.

Many Edwards supporters and staff have already come to Obama's campaign. So now I hope that with Edwards clearly on the team that Barack will become more vocal on issues of poverty. And you know I want to see Katrina on the public stage in the general election. Some may see this as Obama's chance to make inroads with the much touted blue-collar, white, male voters. I doubt it. As I have said before, those voters will go 2-to-1 to McCain in November regardless of who takes the Democratic nomination. And by the way, regardless of what HRC says, the Dems don't need a majority of this demographic to win and they have not been the base of the party since FDR. Not even BIll Clinton needed these voters to win twice.

Edwards' endorsement is a good sign for a growing consensus in the party that Obama is the nominee and that Hillary is just unrelenting political eczema.

One quick personal story about my Obama-Edwards party. As I was doing a little victory song, my daughter came into the kitchen and asked why I was so happy. "Great news baby. John Edwards says he thinks that Obama should be the President. Isn't that great?"

"Sure." my savvy 6-year-old responded, "But wouldn't it be better if Hillary and McCain said that they thought Barack should be the President?"

Marc, Given my daughter's astute analysis of this situation, what is your take?

Melissa

Thoughts on Black Motherhood

2008-05-09T18:07:55Z

Melissa,

As we enter Mother’s Day weekend, I can’t help but thinkabout all of the black mothers who have helped shaped the course of history. Near the top of that list is Claudette Colvin. As you know, Colvin refused to giveup her Montgomery bus seat to a white person nine months before Rosa Parkssparked the boycott. Rather than becoming the posterchild for the modern civilrights movement, however, Colvin has been reduced to a mere footnote in history. Why?Because, as a poor single mother, her profile was incompatible with the“politics of responsibility” that has historically governed black activitywithin the public sphere.

While the Colvin story is interesting in its own right, itforces me to think about the broader significance of black motherhood in America.From “welfare queens” to “baby mama drama,” black mothers are consistentlymarked by discourses of pathology, moral condescension, and outright hatred. Rather than being celebrated for struggling against the odds, black women are often criticized for not being able to find or keep the "strong black man" who will allegedly rescue the black community. I'm not trying to be a downer here, but it's hard for me to romanticize this holiday in light of these depressing circumstances.

What do you think, Melissa? As a scholarand mother, how do you view the politics of black motherhood?

Marc

P.S HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

North Carolina [call]

2008-05-07T12:01:59Z

Marc

This morning I am proud of my connections to North Carolina. I am an alum of Wake Forest and Duke University. My ex-husband’s family (whom I still adore) are from Wilmington, NC. My best friend teaches at NC State University. My adorable young cousin, Dani has been volunteering for Barack all over the state and sending me text messages to let me know how things are going. In many ways, North Carolina is home. So I am taking particular joy in the big win last night in the Tarheel state.

So I have given my Obama-boogie a little dirty South style by taking some liberty with Petey Pablo’s incomparable “Raise Up”

This one's for North Carolina! C'mon and raise up
Voted for Barack, we love ya’ll
Gonna give us a new black President
North Carolina! C'mon and raise up
This one's for you, uh-huh, this one's for who?
Us, us, us; yes sir!

My favorite fact of the night. George W. Bush won a greater percentage of the black vote in North Carolina in 2004 than HRC won last night.

I truly wish we had taken Indiana too. I had a whole Jackson 5 riff I was going to do. For now I am just enjoying the big NC win. Our Root.com colleague Jack White said that Barack needed to perform a little Michael Jordan impression to win this thing. How perfect that he did just that in Mike’s home state. Ok, I am going to go have some shrimp and grits for breakfast.

Melissa

Is Hillary Really Rocky?

2008-05-05T11:50:07Z

Melissa,

A few weeks ago, when Hillary Clinton was campaigning in Philadelphia, she began to publicly compare herself to Rocky. At first, I dismissed it as yet another ridiculous attempt to paint herself as a working class underdog rather than the delusional underachiever that she’s been this election season.

Upon closer examination, however, I remembered something interesting about Rocky. Although he fought to the bloody end, the stubborn pugilist lost the first time around. To whom did he lose? That’s right, a cocky black guy. That’s when I realized that there’s probably more truth to this Rocky thing than I imagined.

Given all that’s going on this election season, I am convinced that Hillary Clinton does not expect to win the nomination. Rather, she is merely softening Barack Obama up for a sure-fire ass whupping at the hands of John McCain. Then, a la Rocky II, Hillary comes back around in 2012 and wins the big one against a geriatric warmonger.

Why else would Hillary stay in a race when all signs say she’s going to lose? How else can we justify her pile-on attacks and unrepentant silence regarding flag pins, Jeremiah Wright, and Bill Ayers? Based on this malevolent strategy, Hillary Clinton is not staying too late in 2008, she’s campaigning early for 2012!

What do you think, Melissa? Is Hillary hanging around because she’s delusional or devious? Is her Rocky analogy a window into her twisted plot? What are the political consequences of such a strategy? Do I merely have way too much time on my hands?

Marc

P.S. Next time, I'll share my theory about what happens to the cocky Black guy in Rocky IV!

Remember All Politics is Local [Response]

2008-05-02T12:50:48Z

Melissa,

For me, the most important non-presidential race to watch comes from Ohio’s 10th Congressional District, where incumbent US Representative Dennis Kucinich is facing a serious challenge.

Since taking office in 1998, Kucinich has been one of the most consistent and principled voices in the Congress. From his persistent opposition to the Iraq war to his uniform challenge to free trade, Kucinich has consistently forced his Democratic colleagues to live up to their progressive promise. Although he was shunned by the mainstream media, Kucinich played a significant role in the 2008 Democratic primary, forcing the mainstream (read: corporate) candidates to answer tough questions about critical issues. More than any politician that I've ever encountered, Kucinich is sincere, ethical, committed, and unwavering in his advocacy for Left-wing values.

Unfortunately, while Kucinich was operating on the national scene, local opponents were plotting on his Congressional seat. By the beginning of 2008, four well-funded candidates attempted to unseat Kucinich in Democratic primary by painting him as an absentee congressman. Although Kucinich was able to defeat them through a twelfth hour fund raising effort, the battle is not over. In November, he will be facing former Republican State Representative Jim Trakas in another close contest.

A Kucinich loss will have a devastating impact on the city of Cleveland, the state of Ohio, and the entire nation. If we truly care about the future of a Left-wing movement, we must aid his re-election.

Can I count on your help?

Remember All Politics is Local [call]

2008-05-02T11:47:13Z

Marc,

After a week of Presidential politics dominated by everything but a meaningful discussion about policy I have decided to broaden the focus of my political energy a bit. Don’t get me wrong; I am still an undeterred, hopeful and ardent Obama supporter. But I am also reminding myself of longtime Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill’s famous admonition that “all politics is local.”

24-hour network news makes us drowsy about local politics. But most of the fundamental policy choices that affect our daily lives are made and implemented by office holders at levels much closer to the ground than the White House.

For Democrats, the long primary season is draining the political giving budget of many contributors. This could have a big effete on candidates at every level from the dogcatcher to the Senate. I hit that little red “Donate Now” button on my Obama campaign emails, but I am worried that as we battle at the top, we lose the resources to win the undercard.

So Marc, I am asking you and our readers to make suggestions about key races across the country where they think we ought to focus. Who are the candidates for the Mayor, Governor, Congress, School Boards and city and county office that you think can make a big difference in our communities? Where else should we write our $5 or $500 donation checks to make sure that the “silly season” in US Presidential politics does not distract us from making change where we can really impact people's lives.

Ok, I’ll start. One top pick for me is Kevin Powell’s challenge to Edolphus Towns in the 10th Congressional District of Brooklyn.

Marc what are your picks?

Melissa

Musing on Mormons [call]

2008-04-29T01:31:48Z

Marc,

I never thought I would say this, but I miss Mitt Romney.

After three full days of having to interpret, explain and apologize for Reverend Jeremiah Wright I am feeling a little religiously defensive. So I started fantasizing how different this would be going down if Mitt Romney were still challenging John McCain for the Republican nomination.

Instead of us Obama supporters sweating, Romney and his supporters would be fielding calls all day to explain Mormonism, polygamy and the relationship of Romney’s faith to the cult compound in Texas. Does Mr. Romney believe that 14 year-old girls should marry? Does Mr. Romney plan to take additional wives in order to fulfill the moral requirements of his religion? If not why has Mr. Romney stayed affiliated and raised his children in a church with whom he so vehemently disagrees?

Yeah, Yeah, we know he gave some big speech about this issue earlier in the campaign, but how does he respond to what those women with the long skirts and weird hairdos said on the Today Show this morning?

Would Romney have thrown the Thomas Monson under the bus and even more provocative, would Monson have tossed Mr. Romney there?

Come on Marc, you know that would have been great to witness! Maybe a little black liberation theology would have looked tame next to the FLDS.

By the way, I have special permission to tease about Mormonism. Although my mom left the Mormon church 40 years ago, she did graduate from BYU in 1964 and I even have a great,-great grandfather who was imprisoned for polygamy. But that is a story for another time. For now it is fun to just imagine how nice it would be if Mitt were still in the race.

Melissa

Sean Bell Tragedy: What do we do? [Response]

2008-04-28T04:30:59Z

Marc

I am with you my friend. Did this ever happen to you in childhood? You are upset about something small and your father says to you, “hush up or I will give you something to cry about.”

That is how I felt this week. I was in the corner licking my wounds about Barack’s loss in PA and the ridiculous media coverage about the working-class, white, male vote that followed when suddenly the Bell verdict really gave me something to cry about. My anger and pain did not make me want to riot; it made me want to withdraw. I called my friend who teaches at a University in Toronto and asked about life north of the border.

How much more must black communities endure? How many more times must we be told by our political system that our votes don’t count or told by our criminal justice system that our lives are irrelevant? The murder of an innocent, unarmed father by representatives of the State is an act so low and disgusting that any decent nation would punish it swiftly and surely. Now we are reminded that we live in a nation that is often indecent and unjust.

Marc, I am not sure what we do. We follow the example of Sean Bell’s family who have shown dignity, resolve, hope and love at every moment of this tragedy. We write to every elected official under whose jurisdiction we fall: mayors, state representatives, congressional representatives, senators and our Presidential candidates. We write them and tell them to publicly condemn this ruling and the violence that preceded it. We hold informational sessions in our neighborhoods and demand that our police and their leadership show up and answer the community’s questions. We seek out people running for office at the local and national level and demand to know what they think about the Bell verdict and then hold them accountable on election day.

We march, we write, we cry, we rage, and then we have to love. We have to love our own black selves because it looks like no one else is going to do it. We have to love ourselves because each of us is Sean Bell.

Noble prize winning author Toni Morrison gives us this great lesson in her exquisite novel, Beloved, through the character of Baby Suggs, holy. When faced with the brutality of life in America she tells her people to love themselves.

“She did not tell them to clean up their lives or to go and sin no more. She did not tell them they were the blessed of the earth, its inheriting meek or its glory-bound pure...She told them that the only grace they could have was the grace they could imagine. That if they could not see it, they would not have it...'Here,' she said, 'in this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh. They despise it.

They don't love your eyes; they'd just as soon pick 'em out. No more do they love the skin on your back. Yonder they flay it. And O my people they do not love your hands. Those they only use, tie, bind, chop off and leave empty. Love your hands! Raise them up and kiss them. Touch others with them, pat them together, stroke them on your face 'cause they don't love that either. You got to love it, you!

And, no, they ain't in love with your mouth. Yonder, out there, they will see it broken and break it again. What you say out of it they will not heed. What you scream from it they do not hear. What you put into it to nourish your body they will snatch away and give you leavins instead. No, they don't love your mouth. You got to love it. This is flesh I'm talking about here. Flesh that needs to be loved. Feet that need to rest and to dance; backs that need support; shoulders that need arms, strong arms I'm telling you. And O my people, out yonder, hear me, they do not love your neck unnoosed and straight. So love your neck; put a hand on it, grace it, stroke it and hold it up. And all your inside parts that they'd just as soon slop for hogs, you got to love them. The dark, dark liver - love it, love it, and the beat and beating heart, love that too. More than the eyes or feet. More than your life-holding womb and your life-giving private parts, hear me now, love your heart. For this is the prize.”

Marc, we got to love ourselves.

Melissa

The Sean Bell Tragedy: What Do We Do? [Call]

2008-04-27T05:13:33Z

Melissa,

As you know, the three officers involved in the murder of Sean Bell were acquitted of all charges on Friday.

When I first heard the news, I was so angry that I was unable to think of anything but retaliation. Where should we riot? What can we destroy? Who can we hurt? Like many people, I craved the sense of power, however ephemeral, that is produced by making our enemies hurt the way they’ve hurt us. Even now, as I make an unequivocal call for peace, a huge part of me wants to see somebody pay for this egregious miscarriage of justice.

The problem, however, is that reactionary violence doesn’t help. All the rioting and looting in the world will not return Sean Bell to his wife, child, parents, and friends. Destroying police cars will do nothing to stop the next detectives from seeing unarmed black bodies as a threat that warrants lethal force. Inflicting bodily harm on the three officer-assassins will not prevent the next judge from ignoring the evidence and ruling in favor of an arrogant, white supremacist, proto-fascist police state.

Although I understand what we shouldn’t do, I am at a loss about what we should do. This brings me to my questions for you, Melissa: How do heal from this latest tragedy? How do we achieve justice for Sean Bell and his family? How do we prevent the next senseless murder from happening? How do we fight back?

Losing PA [call]

2008-04-23T11:29:35Z

Marc,

I may need you to bring me a cup of tea. I am feeling pretty beat up this morning. I know you are not an Obama supporter, but you may have to give a little help to your girl because last night was hard to take.

I did not think Obama would win Pennsylvania, but something about having to sit up late and watch another HRC “victory” speech put me over the edge. Maybe it’s because friends from as far away as Seattle and Texas came this weekend to volunteer in PA and stopped by my place in NJ on Sunday afternoon. We had a little dinner and made Veronica Chamber’s famous “Barack Pie” as a sign of solidarity with our candidate. For dessert we allowed ourselves to whisper to one another, “What if…I know he can’t, but what if?”

All day Tuesday I fielded calls from press and relatives. “Can he win it?” they asked. Responsibly I answered, “No, I don’t think so. Too much of the old PA machine behind the Clintons, too many race scandals this month, too big a gap to overcome.” But secretly I kept thinking, what if…

"What if” is central to my support for Obama. What if black people could lead a winning coalition? What if working class white folks could see past race? What if we could change our politics and trust our government? What if we could responsibly get out of Iraq? What if Obama turned out to be a great President? What if we could wake up and still feel that we were dreaming?

Last night I exchanged emails all night with friends. Some said Barack must fight harder, dirtier and meaner. Some sent optimistic notes about how good it looks in North Carolina and Indiana. Some just sent “??” or “☹” or “here we go again.”

I was in with the last group. I realized that there are some days when I have no analysis, no witty comeback and no cute story. Some days it is just hard to lose. So Marc, will you bring me a cup of tea?

Melissa

Barack Brushes His Shoulder Off [Response]

2008-04-22T11:13:47Z

“If you feelin’ like a pimp, ***, go and brush ya shoulders off” – Jay-Z

You better watch out or Barack will have to add Jigga to the list of people that he has to denounce in the next debate!

But seriously, Melissa, I think you’re stretching here. My best guess says that the candidate formerly known as Barry doesn’t know Jay-Z from Jay Leno. If he does, he would know that, in order to satisfy the conditions for shoulder brushing, one must be “feelin’ like a pimp.”

Hmmmm. Maybe you’re on to something after all.

For the past year, Barack has been pimping the hopes and aspirations of people around this nation. If he’s been using “dog whistle” politics, it has been to signal to mainstream (read: white) America that he’s not “too black” or “too radical.” Why? Because he knows that black people will vote for him anyway. Indeed, it is this desperation for a black face in a high place that allows us to interpret all of his activities as Negro smoke signals.

Last weekend, I almost spit out my Snapple listening to a group of brothers in the barbershop overinterpret Barack’s every move. “Did you see how he clinched his fist when he said he supports free trade? That was a secret Black Panther sign!” “Remember when he said he supports No Child Left Behind? He meant that no child would be left behind when we go back to Africa!” While “Shouldergate” is a much more plausible circumstance, I’m just not buying that it’s for us. If anything, he was telling white people that he has us all in check.

And yes, that was a secret shout out to Busta Rhymes!

Barack brushes his shoulder off [call]

2008-04-20T15:56:10Z

Marc,

Did you see it? Did you see Barack brush his shoulders off?

Like every other hip-hop generation voter in America I went crazy when he did it. I almost couldn’t believe it. It was a perfect moment.

Barack's key constituencies are tough because they are his most important assets and his most visible liabilities: African Americans and young people. Within Barack’s diverse coalition black folks, city dwellers and young voters are his steadfast allies, but his opponents consistently use race and age to label him unqualified and inexperienced.

Barack needs to keep his black, urban and young voters while adding laborers,suburbanites, seniors and rural folks into a winning coalition. Great campaigners know how to talk to multiple audiences at once. They send solidarity signals to some while allowing others to remain blissfully unaware.

W. is a master of this “dog-whistle” politics. Especially in his first term, Bush sent piercing rhetorical signals to evangelicals that the rest of the audience was completely incapable of hearing because they don't get the reference. Think “wonder-working power” during his State of The Union address and “Dred Scott” references during his abortion answers in a debate with Kerry. These are crystal clear signals to some but mean nothing to others.

Marc, last week you said Obama would have to be more like Bush. Well, Barack gave us the dog-whistle remix this week and it was hot.

Barack is much more earnest than Bush. His coalition strategy has been explicit. Obama articulates the reasons we have shared interests and encourages us to see past difference. This is why many of us Barackers are so excited about his candidacy.

But political campaigning is not only about earnest argument. It is also about strategy. When Obama brushed his shoulders off he took the secret handshake platinum.

He displayed all the familiar self-assurance and bravado of the hip-hop emcee. The people who got-it went nuts, while those who don’t know hip-hop just thought he was being funny and confident. This moment hit YouTube and went viral in a matter of hours. It was a signal of solidarity with his base of young, urban, black and brown voters. We loved it.

Marc, if Barack is listening to Jay-Z what do you think are his favorite cuts these days? 99 Problems maybe?

Melissa

Last Night's Democratic Debate [Response]

2008-04-17T15:03:07Z

Marc,

No doubt about it. You and I were watching the same "debate" last night. Smug, self-righteous, dishonest Hillary and her boy backers from the ABC network were definitely in rare form. They seemed determined to erase any remaining distinctions between serious, political journalism and tabloid-style, infotainment politics.

As bloggers we are partly responsible for blurring this line. Having to compete with witty, 24-hour banter like ours is making the old newsmen crazy. I propose that all future debates be moderated by Dave Chappelle and Stephen Colbert.

As far as I can tell last night’s debate was supposed to establish three things. First, Barack Obama is not a patriot. He is just a special-interest politician like every other uppity Negro who imagines black folks in a democracy have the right to be both the rulers and the ruled.

Second, there is no need to worry, because we will all be saved by warmonger Hillary Clinton who is prepared to flex her Bush-extended executive power to invade sovereign nations at a moment’s notice. Her message: fear not middle America, a new Clinton administration will be unfettered by civil liberties, international treaties, or constitutional checks on executive power.

Finally, Democrats are determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Democratic Party leadership is too impotent to reign in the petty, divisive, power-hungry Clintons. So we all have to watch as Democrats look smaller in public estimation even as John McCain grows more presidential in tone and tenor every day.

I will say this Marc: I still believe. No matter what happens with silly pundits like us or ridiculous ones like Charlie and George, I still believe in the American people. I still believe Americans want a better country. I believe they are going to make one even if they have to wade through this mess to get there.

After all, even while the debate raged on last night, Bruce Springsteen, The Boss, made it clear that Obama is his man. At least the Democratic Party still has a Boss somewhere!

Whoops, what happened to that high road I was supposed to be following? I guess I am pretty angry after last night. You forgive a sista don’t you Marc?

Melissa

Last Night's Democratic Debate [Call]

2008-04-17T10:13:50Z

Melissa,

Is it me or was last night’s ABC debate the most ridiculous one yet? Flag pins? Jeremiah Wright? Bosnia? If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that the debate was moderated by Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter rather than Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous.

Like me, many Americans turned on the debate expecting a respite from the stale political conversations that have been circulating since the Texas/Ohio primary. Instead of talking about substantive issues, however, the bulk of the debate time was spent rehashing the same foolishness that has fed the 24 hours cable news machine for the past five weeks.

Equally frustrating was the disproportionate amount of time spent challenging Barack Obama. It seemed as if the first 45 minutes of the debate were spent forcing him to explain (for the millionth time) his feelings about Jeremiah Wright and his “bitter” remarks about Pennsylvania voters. On the rare occasion when questions were asked of Hillary Clinton, they were in relation to Barack’s sore spots: “What did you mean, Senator Clinton, when you said that Jeremiah Wright wouldn’t have been your pastor?” While similar pile-ons have been committed against Clinton, like the NBC debate with Tim Russert and Brian Williams, such behavior is both unprofessional and unproductive.

Of course, Hillary Clinton took full advantage of the softballs being lobbed her way. In desperate need of a rhetorical knockout, Hillary dominated the debate by helping ABC’s dynamic duo press Obama on tabloid topics like his relationship with William Ayers, the former member Weather Underground member and current education professor at University of Illinois Chicago. Fortunately, Obama was able to shut that conversation down by pointing out that President Clinton pardoned two members of the Underground members during his presidency. Such moments were rare, however, as Obama seemed less focused, confident and, ahem, articulate than normal.

What did you think Melissa? Were you as annoyed by the debate as I was? Do you agree that your boy Barack got the three-way smackdown? Most importantly, what effect will the debate have on the upcoming primaries?

There Goes Pennsatucky [Response]

2008-04-14T13:06:13Z

Melissa,

Shakespearean references? How breathtakingly condescending and elitist can you be? I can’t imagine a blogger more out of touch with the everyday people in the rural edges of the blogosphere! ☺ But anyway…

I agree with you that Hillary is exploiting relatively benign comments in the service of her increasingly delusional quest for the nomination. In addition to wrongly criticizing Barack for being out of touch with voters --a stunning comment coming from someone who earned one-tenth of a billion dollars this decade-- Hillary has used this teapot tempest to further harass the superdelegates into ignoring the will of the people. To this end, she has moved beyond being a pest and has actually become an unwitting(?) surrogate for John McCain.

When I heard Barack’s “bitter” comments, I immediately thought about Howard Dean’s 2004 remarks about wanting to be “the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." While Deans’ comments were insensitive, he, like Barack, understood the need to reach out to poor Whites who vote their fears and anxieties rather than their interests. Until the Democrats take this issue seriously, and not merely use it for political advantage, they will always be fighting an uphill battle during national election season.

If critics took the time to actually listen to Barack, they’d understand that he was articulating the opposite of an elitist notion. Instead, he was suggesting that it’s too easy to caricaturize “Pennsatuckyans” as gun nuts and Jesus freaks. (In this regard, I elect to take the easy road!) The challenge, however, is to understand how economically exploited people find psychological and political refuge in special interests and wedge issues. As in the race speech, however, Barack's analytic complexity was countervailed by Americans' sincere and willful ignorance.

Which brings me to my next point.

You said: “I believe [Americans] want a president who reads books, thinks hard about tough issues, and takes all sides into account before rushing headlong into ill-advised policy.”

Really? Then how do we explain George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan? Even Bill Clinton, who’s considerably smarter than both of them, had to play “country dumb” in order to sway the Pennsatucky crowd. From where I sit, Americans want anything but the smart and thoughtful leader that you describe.

To be clear, I’m not splitting hairs here. Instead, I’m thinking about the difficulty that Barack’s going to have in the general election because of this very problem. In addition to fearing his blackness, many voters are going to struggle with Barack’s nasty habit of sharing sophisticated thoughts in public. While I appreciate this about him, I’m not the demographic that Barack needs to be courting. To pull the much needed Pennsatucky vote, his public performances need to be a little less Dubois and a lot more Bush.