A Gentleman’s view.

What attempt at making history is being made with this choice?

The reason the show worked was because it asked a legitimate question about opposing lifestyle personalities living or functioning under one roof and endeavoring to trust one another as roommates or friends. As it appears that McCain feels the Vice-Presidents’ job is to inquire as to the health of the President and to attend State funerals, the former beauty queen should hold up quite nicely but will she be happy? As to the fact the Governor Palin appeared to be concerned that she would be doing just that and little else, yet accepted the offer anyway, one has to wonder about curious decisions of this uniquely different political season. So we try to understand the making of a momentous selection in face of the obvious joy, glee and celebration just experienced by the Democrats making history with the selection of the first Black Presidential Candidate of a major political party here in America.

If that in and of itself was alone the essence of the Democratic participation of this primary season, it would be one thing. This season also included the most competitive and legitimate contest by who should be now a very pissed-off and motivated to support Barack Obama, the Senator from the great state of New York. Palin suggested that the struggle of the last 20 months of Hillary’s Army, The Sisters of the Traveling Pantsuits, Hillary’s Girls, the movement of all the souls who saw in this particular moment, a chance to put a solid American Woman in the White House for the first time, as something she could just walk in and fulfill. I, as a man, who was on with Hillary a little longer than my lady, left when President Clinton compared Senator Obama efforts to Reverend Jesse Jackson, which I still feel was an insult of the highest order. With that being said, there is no way that a person coming to the conclusion that Palin qualifies in that manner reasonable state of mind to be President. That claim is such a slap in the face for all of the work, sacrifice and dignified faith of the women and men who supported Senator Clinton’s monumental accomplishment. That in and of itself should lend credence to any and all inquiries made as to the state of affairs of the opponents mental faculties.

There appears to be mass confusion with this selection by the Senator from Arizona, of a relative political novice, on just who benefits the most from her selection. Pundits, paid by the mostly right-winged media outlets are singing her praise with the gun-toting, rural white evangalicals and supposededly angry Hillary malcontents or disaffected women. Basically, the group no one wants to name and that is those white men and women who will not vote for a Black man. They are out there, that is just our nations reality, this election seeks to change some of their minds and hearts, but you won’t change of all of them, that is just the way it is. Then, there is the mindset that this was a choice more of desperation in reaction to the “Tonight, Well done Senator”, ad he put out with seeming confidence offered but not felt, after the Democratic gathering ended. He saw this as an opportunity to try to revive that old “Maverick” title he had before the Republican Party allowed him and his family be swift-boated during his 2000 bid for the Presidency. His selection of her with a reputation for taking on big oil companies for the good of all Alaskans, her anti abortion stance appeal to the religious right, and her NRA membership.

I think there may be something totally different going on with this experience, and it has nothing to do with returning to his maverick roots as much revealing of the true dark character of this Republican Senator who would be President. First and foremost is the dismissal of his colleagues campaign by even allowing his VP pick to suggest that she was worthy of picking up that particular baton and running with it. If this statement of disregard doesn’t let the women of the Traveling Pantsuits know their value to McCain, I don’t know what will. My thought was what if everyone is wrong about that which this maverick seeks to accomplish. When Bush went after him in 2000, it was pretty ugly and word got out the McCain’s wife was roughed up and paying for it emotionally. McCain, who thought paying his dues as a POW for his country was the ultimate price and even more so for the Republican Party which had stolen the mantle of patriotism by that time,. (I say stolen, as fewer members of their party serve in the military than does the Democrats.) He watched the RNC, who under the influence of the Cheney group and other members of the Project for a New American Century gather around one they could have some control of and that was George Bush. Then in 2004, after more than a year past mission accomplished, and death tolls rising, McCain once again had to bite the bullet and embrace a man who had no respect for him or any of his perceived dues to this country.

It came out in an interview that the RNC again confronted McCain on the possible selection of Senator Joe Lieberman as his Vice Presidential Candidate. They were willing to bring it to a floor fight because he is a registered Democrat. It seems that the party was not as open minded as McCain to go after the Independents and Regan-Democrats unable or unwilling to vote for Obama. There is so much one can take and then the possibility of going over the edge increases exponentially. I think this is one of those moments when he said, “Enough!” I can’t take this anymore. If I can’t have Lieberman, who has had my back and I trust! Fine! You want right wing-nut, gun toting NRA pride and all that, alright! I’ll give them just what they want. I just picked the most inexperienced green politician with the most extreme religious views and nothing in common as a woman with Hillary’s brigade I could find to be the Party’s Vice Presidential Candidate and the neo cons and religious right love her, what do think about that?  If I can’t have Lieberman, then you don’t get the White House. What if this is a revenge pick?

The Media Elite: “This is not happening, it just can’t be happening!”

A white man was never supposed to have to hold a black man in such high regard.

This can’t be happening in modern times, the media of today missed the most phenomenal upset in the history of American Politics. Back when Edward R. Morrow was an anchor at CBS News, the pride of the profession was built on the perception of integrity. There were many moments during those times when national news was developing that challenged reporters and the company. The McCarthy years and the turmoil caused from the exchange at that station are but a small part of the history of news media in this country. Over the years, names like Jennings, Cronkite, and Benchley, Bradley, Wallace and Rather kept that tradition alive. The value was the public having faith that all presented here with honestly was strictly as part of the responsibility of the fourth estate to keep the public informed. Believing an informed public will make intelligent choices in the best interest of society as a whole. These days that belief no longer exist with the consolidation of various media outlets, where recording companies can now own radio stations in order to make sure the music they’re selling gets playing time advantageous to profitable sales. If you can control the air time when promoting an artist, why not a political position, how about a particular politician? So now we have the Sean Hannity’s, Joe Scarborough’s, Chris Matthews, Rush Limbaugh’s, Pat Buchanan’s, and Bill O’Reilly. They were set into to place as the pundits of the day, as the purveyors of the pulse of America. They have web pages, satellite radio, magazine columns, and newspaper editorials. So, therefore when it came to this political season, they were trying to create the perception expected from them, despite everything in front of their eyes to the contrary.

This all was strictly as formality in the whole scheme of things; they were just going through the motions until February 5. The coronation of Hillary Rodham Clinton was going to take place that night: Super Tuesday, there was even mention of the anger that existed at Michigan and Florida for jumping ahead of schedule with their participation in this major prime time crowning affair of the New York Senator. That would wait until the convention, they would pay then, maybe they wouldn’t get seated, and that would show them. And this press, this new age assemblage of pundits would miss the biggest upset of a Clinton crown heights affair that could’ve ever happened; namely Barrack Obama. When this thing started, she had my vote, as I am sure she had the promised votes of many current Obama supporters. The Jesse Jackson remark in South Carolina did it for me, but there were many such moments for others during this race with the Clintons. Still the perception was by March 4 at the latest, this race for the White House was essentially over on the democratic side of the equation. How wrong this newly “informed press” would be when it came to the eventual outcome of this contest, and how late in the contest that they grudgingly admitted the error of their ways.

So Obama went on to win eleven straight after Super Tuesday, and Hillary and the press both were dismissive as could be. It became a test of wills during the next couple of contest with each side picking up victories and the Clintons eyeing the “key states” and next big contest. Meanwhile the press lauds over every minutiae of her victories and the statements being made by the populace that votes for her justified claims about why Obama couldn’t get them to vote for him. This started out as a fight for delegates and turned into a women’s movement to get the first lady in at all and any cost even when it became apparent that Hillary was the wrong choice. She kept having to find her voice, could not decide who she was running as, had trouble raising funds consistently, even with all the rumors about bills being unpaid. She didn’t seem to be able to control her surrogates or her husband. She allowed her surrogates to dismiss a group of the party which she had full control over at the start of this affair; namely the black population. She allowed the campaign to embellish her resume in ways that could obviously be proven false and had no problem dissing the loyalty of blacks to her family and the party. Yet the media still as of today was asking questions as to the viability of her candidacy while there is a “Presumptive Nominee” already declared. So why is the media having such a hard time letting go of Hillary Clinton?

“He’ black, I tell you!” “He is a black man and this can’t be happening today in my lifetime!” That is the reason in a nutshell. This seemingly desperate love affair with the “hated Clintons” is not about keeping the most “electable” candidate in the race against the Republicans. It is about the privileged group of white men who have never had a black in such a position of authority that by its very nature could get them fired if they screwed up any and all exchanges with said individual. A wrong statement or miss-worded question could have the appearance of being disrespectful, have lack of courtesy or respect for his position. These are not men used to having that kind of sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, not realizing as black men we still live that way every day of our lives in this country. In this media mad country, a misstep at that level of exchange could get you cut off and without access, there is no job as a reporter. This is the first time in American history that this state of affairs has come to be, one of the benefits and prices of not having experienced this hurdle before. Understandable as it may be, make no mistake, this is will be resisted by the mainstream white Joe Six-pack to some degree, but they won’t be the most reluctant of all. The Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough’s, the Pat Buchanan’s, can you see them having to show that level of respect to a black man or lose their job? They can’t.