There is a common thread of hypocrisy amongst these men that is shameful!
This particular profession doesn’t garner much respect as a majority of the participants are lawyers or like-minded individuals of status and position. The majority of these players come from well to do families and generally in some way or another, have little real hands on appreciation for our daily hardships as average citizens struggling to seek our share of the American dream. Still, we let them persuade us they care optimistically and pull the lever with their name and hope for the best. There are some leaders who spend various amounts of time convincing us we should always give them a fair shot at doing what is in our best interest as a society. Some of these men have risen to prominent heights and amassed some wealth along the way. But the hypocrisy that has been on display the last twelve months by some politicians has been mind boggling beyond comparison. So I thought a theme of some of the men as representatives of their particular sins should be reviewed.
Pride – William Jefferson Clinton: the “First Black President”, he was affectionately called by the Black community. We, as most tribes or private clubs, maybe even more so than most because of our history in this country, don’t just let any white man in. This was done with former President William Jefferson Clinton because he said as a white man, having had grown up and been raised by a single parent for a time, father missing in action, saw his mother abused, knew in a very personal way some of the hardships experienced in the Black community. I never personally agreed with that opinion of him being black, but I never had a particularly bad impression of him. The night he went on Arsenio Hall’s show and played the saxophone seemed to cement the relationship between him and the Black community with his be-bop jazzman persona in full swing. Betrayal in and of itself is painful to endure, ask any ostracized group or person in any society. To be betrayed publicly in the denigrating manner in which the former President continuously did this campaign season was the most hurtful experience in modern times for many Blacks fiercely proud to be Americans.
For those not aware, I will list a few: That a black man could come out of nowhere with limited legislative experience or reputation on the national scene and beat a person of his wife’s name and stature was a “fairy tale”. The quiet code here: blacks shouldn’t dream or not at that level. Advertisements implying Senator Obama were either Muslim, un-American or not patriotic. Suggestions blacks were not as hard working as the “middle class blue collar real” Americans his wife represented. Comparatively suggesting that the campaign of Senator Barack Obama was at the same level of either of the two campaigns run by the Reverend Jesse Jackson in ’84 and ’88. By the way, just suggesting that those two were in the same class to begin with is worthy of dismissal without debate. The suggestion that his wife’s time as a first lady and comparatively less legislative experience, as her opponent, unknown though he was, who had spent time in the Illinois Senate as well as at the national level, gave her more qualifications to become the party nominee. But, the worst, his most absolute worst implied and consistent theme was “Guys, you must be crazy to support him! Can’t you see he’s Black, he’s Black man, you can’t ignore my wife and the Clinton name and vote for a Black man! You must be out of you minds to even consider it!” He all but publically verbalized those very sentiments about the one loyal group to almost never leave the Clinton brand, Black folks. His personal pride just could not bear the thought of losing to this Black man. I don’t think we will be fooled that way by a white man again, if so, no chance by him.
Envy – Reverend Jesse Jackson: This one is particularly hard for me for several reasons; first being, I have never had any respect for the man, and while this site is about my view of what is happening in this country today, I am not dismissive of opposing opinion. I personally have always felt the man was a vampire of opportunity, a photo session waiting to develop. He always showed up where controversy could add to his image or profile as a national prominent figure of influence in the Black community and the Democratic Party. I knew the powers that be would never let him into any political arena where he could verbally brow-beat them into making law for the social good they never intended. He was an instrument of the Party and the media for his ability to give voice to all and every depressed issue or people. This is where he has a problem with the wily Senator from Illinois; Obama never came asking for an endorsement before he made this move, no request for advice or assistance of any kind. Not even a public symbolic passing of the perfunctory torch ceremony of mention. Better still, in a much classier manner than his most worthwhile opponent, a known entity in her own right, he spanked that ass! He did all of it in contest after contest without the Reverend anywhere in sight. It appeared nationally Jesse Jackson wasn’t even sought out by the media until this was almost over. That despite the fact that his son is involved with the Chicago Senator’s campaign. I suspect the biggest disappointment associated with his recent remarks is the childish display on the national scene by a supposed Black man of the cloth. It appears both of these “gentlemen” displayed a serious lack of class and sophistication in their personal opinion of themselves and their blatant envy of the new Black American Leader.
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