The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

Just Tryin I don't know where you come from but it sure sounds like you either took a hit of acid or your livin in the suburbs somewhere because where I'm from the hardest the black folk work here is getting up out of bed no matter what time of day it is. Half of them have kids from girls they don't know and the other half has kids they don't know about or they have 5,6,7 kids from different women. Some of them do work through a temp agency and once they get hired on and have to give a urine sample they quit and try to collect unemployment when that runs out repeat, or they save up some money to get their drug business going. As far as you saying if they don't work they're going to lose their pride and dignity; that's a joke, 9 out of 10 of these brothas don't know what those words mean. Just scroll down and take a look at what Black Saint J posted; That's where I'm livin!

Censored Last Comment.....But "The Socialist Liberal Democratic Party Press" ie Washington Post...has to preserve the face of their party....lol

Wild Bill and all of you others who think you have the answers - try again. The majority of blacks are hard-working people who want the same things for their childran and families as you do. I call myself African American, although visually, I could be considered "White." My half-sister selects "white" when she has to select race. We have a lot of fun analyzing how things are different and how they are the same. Blacks don't want a handout. Hard work brings personal satisfaction; without it, man is stripped of his pride and dignity and the downward spiral continues from there on. I have had phone interviews extolling my education and experience, and have been told the job was mine except for a cursory interview, only to have the interviewer's mouth drop open when they meet me in person and then tell me the job was just filled. Surprise! Well, I am no longer surprised by such nonsense.
A friend of mine who is a warden in another state told me that the penal system will continue to grow and thrive because there is money to be made locking people up. Where do they build most of the prisons? That's right - rural, economically depressed areas that have no industry. A savy politician snuck a line item for a prison in the budget, and wham, his constituents get industry within their boundaries, and thousands of people are sent away for non-violent crimes instead of getting alternative methods of punishment. In the meantime, their families are left to cope, their children are left without adult supervision, etc. And don't tell me the parents are not role models to begin with. I can take you to the homes of hundreds of families whose external facade is that of a loving, middle-class familiy, when behind closed doors, the woman is an alcoholic who cheats on her spouse, the man beats his wife and children, and the kids lie, cheat, steal and bully their way through life. When they get in trouble, their parents buy their way out. They get probation for the same crime that a young bblack male gets two - three years for.
I see young black males trying to be fathers, trying to make a family for their children, even when the odds are stacked against them. No, I am not a bleeding heart liberal. I am a realist. I used to work with children who lived these lives. Why don't you get a life and learn what the real deal is! Why don't you come out of your isolated world and meet some of these kids who are really trying. I bet you call yourself a Christian too.

When is this lecture or pandering on personal responsibility going to end? Does he have a clue as to how to help people (all people) deal with these issues besides the lecture? Price of gas is over $4, towns and cities are getting flooded because levees are not holding, foreclosures are at an all time high, your government think it's good investments to be pouring billions into Iraq instead of the US economy, the deficits is out of control, etc, etc, etc and here we are talking about taking personal responsibility for..........? Aren't there more important and dire subjects to address? This guy is a politician trying to get votes just like the rest of them. Stop deluding your self into thinking he's a once in a generation leader. He's no MLK, or JFK or even Bill Clinton. Sooner or later everyone will realise that the emperor has no clothes. I only hope I am wrong.

God bless cheap labour.? Hell let's bring in every country of poor people. And we should, if it does not take American and Canadian jobs. Please don't say cheap labour. If they need a safe place we should pay them the same our American friends, unfortunately you have a need for slaves. If a country needs aid, we should be there. From Canada. If we try to change a countries culture, we are lost and shame on us. History will tell you if you care to look. And, I don't want to hear about changing their religion. We do not belong there.....Get out of Iraq and we might get some relief.

Political correctness might demand that an old white guy like me stay on the sidelines of this debate, but that ain't gonna happen, so . . .

1) As an independent-minded centrist Democrat, I DO think that the black community STILL has a formidable list of LEGITIMATE grievances that need to be addressed in the halls of power (so do other communities as well). As a committed Christian, I hold that racism and sexism are morally reprehensible and indefensible. Social structures that perpetuate these evils must be destroyed. Racism and sexism also happen to been immensely stupid and horrendously wasteful, as if we can afford to squander talent on the basis of race and/or gender!!
2) Obama and Bill Cosby are RIGHT ON in identifying personal responsibility as a critically necessary component in improving the lives of this community. This is a legitimate part of the bargain for being part of our society! Saying so at the top of my lungs doesn't make me a racist! For the record, the VERY SAME lesson should be repeated to the poor, white Appalachians (who live where I live), since the rate of illegitimacy among them is also way too high, and where there is also sometimes a "victim" culture.
3) That there should be both societal AND personal responsibility brought to bear here seems to me to be realistic, balanced, and fair. If Obama's pronouncements were ONLY about personal responsibility and NEVER about societal responsibility, then maybe Jesse Jackson would have something worth griping about.

Obama you are amazing!!
I see that he has decided to keep beating up on black people to pander for whits votes. Sure there are needs within the black community that run deep and wide. Everyone on the planet knows that. But needs exist everywhere, in every community across this nation.
Negative views about black people will get you an AMEN from white America every time. What is even more surprising is Black people are acting as if Obama is telling us something we don't already know.
I am not contending that waht Obama says about blacks and their social conditions are not the real, the whole truth and nothing but the truth; I am saying that he knows that such rhetoric has a ywofokd purpose: 1. Shows blacks that he knows what thier issues are because he learned these things after doing to Chicago and 2. White voters get to see him telling blacks what they want to tell them but are afraid to go there. Obama has it working both ways.
It seems every black audience he addresses has to get a spnaking and tongue-lashing from Big Papa Obama.

I was a very strong HIllary supporter and didn't care for Obama one bit but since he has won the nomination,I have listened to him very closely and the more I listen the more I think he will make a very good president.So far everything I have heard him say has been mostly right.The good part is that things he said earlier that was wrong.He has corrected...I think he'll win and be the next president and be a good president.Two months ago I didn't have any idea that he would.

blasphemous. bama better start singing that old sad song or these old schoolers will be agunin for him. they don't want him to break their rice bowl. the civil rights industry has made them rich

I am worried about this economy, when we see amerians running to the bank to pull their saving out,that means we are on are way to a general depression,not recession,and you repubs,won't take respondibility for your dumbass pres. that the infamous supreme court selected,you prefer division politics,over bread and butter issues.and now we have kiss up to the Sen.McChurian candiate,instead of slowing some of these Asia imports,and trying to export some of our goods,so that we can be a competive market state ,but we are whiners,and divided by Race,class & chaste,the communist were right,they don't have to fire a shot,we will destroy ourselves.

He pulled the wool over all of you once again

In typical politcian style he said both messages for both politicians

If the MSM had any balls they would pounce on him for trying to be all things for all people

here are some sample questions we should be asking

Do you favor Afirmative Action
How much money should be spent on programs to help certain populations
What accountability standards should be set

Obama talks a good game but his intentions are very liberal

"No matter how much money we invest in our communities, how many 10-point plans we propose, how many government programs we launch -- none of it will make a difference ... if we ... don't seize more responsibility in our own lives"

Bottom line he intends to continue to spend countless dollars on failed programs

"The bulk of Obama's speech focused on the responsibility of government to help black families more and of corporate America to provide more support for reducing the pay gap between executives and employees. He also praised black leaders who came before him."

It is not the governments job to help families.

It is none of the government business to tell business to reduce the pay gap. The job of a business is to make money which is done by paying which each person is worth to the business

I'm always surprised (though the more I see it I am not) how openly racist people can be on these boards.

People will fault Obama for whatever he says, right or wrong. This country doesn't deserve someone like Obama. we should have a Bush third term so all these idiots on the blog can lose their jobs and have their homes foreclosed and drafted into a ridiculous and unnecessary war.

Go Obama!!

"Now, I know there's some who've been saying I've been too tough, talking about responsibility," he went on. "At the NAACP, I'm here to report I'm never going to stop talking about it." He told the crowd that "no matter how much money we invest in our communities, or how many 10-point plans we propose or how many government programs we launch -- none of it will make a difference, at least not enough of a difference, if we don't seize more responsibility in our own lives."
**************************

Good words, but too bad they'll fall on deaf ears within the black community, who just wants hand outs.

""Yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Washington. And, yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Wall Street. But we also have to demand more from ourselves," Obama told several thousand people attending the annual convention of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People."

What more could the government possibly do? Affirmative action is pretty much the limit without dividing the country more than it already is.

And seriously, what else does Wall Street need to do? They loosened up credit restrictions for low wage earning families which has has now spiraled into the current subprime mortgage crisis.

Both of those additions to "But we have to demand more from ourselves" served only to marginalize and ease the bite of the message of personal responsibility.

Again, Obama shows his poor character.

Obama is right. Most black household are headed by females. The black men are either in jail or if affluent running around with women. I was raised by a single black woman and I admire her.

Nice. Obama is still on it. He still needs a good Vice President though, and there is a weekly 2008 VP Poll at

http://www.votenic.com

In spite of the headline, buried in the body of the article was the comment that,"[t]he bulk of Obama's speech focused on the responsibility of government to help black families more..."

Obama's still trying to appease - pandering to whites by suggesting blacks take on more personal responsibility, but also clinging to the black vote by laying most of the blame for problems in black families on the government.

The only opinions Obama truly has are whichever ones will get him the most votes. His speeches are a waste of oxygen.

Grace wrote:Vote Cynthia McKinney Green Party who is a former Georgia Congress woman. She is an African American woman who is more articulate and experienced than Obama.>>>>

She's also better at throwing cell phones. Thug.

Vote Cynthia McKinney Green Party who is a former Georgia Congress woman. She is an African American woman who is more articulate and experienced than Obama.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_McKinney

Bush said the same thing as Obama 4 years ago, "We Americans need to rely on ourselves not the government to solve our problems". That is why he created the ownership society and that is why we see the housing market crash.

Obama just wants votes. He is more like Bush III everyday.

Blacks are the ones that refuse to take responsibility for high rate of high school drop out, sexual promiscuity, children born out of wedlock, , absence of male parenting/role models, drugs, crime, incarceration, AIDS.. They prefer to play the victim hood game and blaming everyone else for their plight! Until that time there will always be hate mongers & race baiter,s to use them and profit from their plight like the Rev. Wright, Rev. Jessie Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, as well as 10,s of thousands of White and Black Politicians. In fact the whole Democrat party! Hand outs, instead of a hand up, is the means of keeping Blacks down and economic Slaves! Keeping Blacks as an race of victims and believing all of the above is Whitey fault is designed to keep them from progressing. It is in the best interest of Black preachers and Democrat politicians! Blacks will never be lead to the promise land by hate mongering Preachers like Rev. Wright or by bottom feeding Politicians that wants and works to keep Blacks in the Ghetto, on Welfare, and voting Democrat!

tomabrahams -- Please tell us what you support instead of promoting an anti-Obama link.

A careful reading of Obama's comments indicate that he's not blaming the Black community exclusively for its problems and pain. And this is characteristic of Obama's style, which is to balance different sides of an issue. He holds the establishment both economically and governmentally responsible for their considerable sins ("Yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Washington. And, yes, we have to demand more responsibility from Wall Street. But we also have to demand more from ourselves"), but also charges his own community with taking the highest level of personal responsibility on its own behalf. So, Obama does not succumb to the either/or trap of self-flagellation or endless blame, but holds all to do their part to jointly move our society forward.

The Black community already knows what Obama is truthfully saying. Bill Cosby threw it out first with negative results. He too was right. The figures speak for itself. Hight out of wedlock birth rates, high unemployment, high incarceration, black genocide in the inner cities, etc, etc. So who is fooling who?

One need only compare the Black race to other ethnic groups and the numbers are startling. Until Blacks are ready to honestly face and begin to address their own issues and stop making excuses, nothing will change.

The White man is not going to change your plight as Jesse and Al often lead you to believe. This is not a civil rights struggle this is a human struggle for decency and morality. Look within to see what can be changed before you look external and stop the blame game.

Start by cleaning up the dirty neighborhoods, the no snitch policy, and accepting drug dealers and drug payments as a way of life. It's wrong and its killing the Black communities. How's that for a beginning.

Leon, you pretty much summed up how I feel about the whole thing.

But attacking black men is kind of in season now. Really never went out of style. Any other group gets the benifiet of doubt.

Any other group gets the benifiet of psychological evaluation, consideration of economic social and cultural factors.

Black males? A slap across the face and some so-called "tough love." So much for getting to the root of the real problems so the effects of said root causes can gradually go away.

Obama says he wants CHANGE. What change did he give to his small District in Chicago other than bigger DEBT? SHOW this to Blacks Poor or Rich across the USA. Lets see how much of the Black vote he can hold onto then.

Why is Obama writing letters to IL Governor, on behalf of foreign born people, of such questionable backgrounds as Rezko, to help them get Govt Grants, that are supposed to be for Minority Contractors? Rezko secured a $100 million Grant, to rehab 30 buildings in Chicago. He used a silent black partner to get the bid to a minorities.
The work was done on the very cheap side and the buildings were condemned and foreclosed on. The people ( BLACKS ) in Obama's district had NO HEAT thru out the winter of 05. Obama denies knowing anything about this. This is a small area that anyone and everyone with-in Obama's District knows about.

*Seventeen buildings -- many with code violations, including a lack of heat -- ended up in foreclosure.
* Six buildings are currently boarded up.
* Hundreds of the apartments are vacant, in need of major repairs.
* Taxpayers have been stuck with millions in unpaid loans.

If this is how Obama runs his small District what makes Obama and all of you in Washington DC, feel that Obama can make AMERICA run more efficiently?
Who in Washington looking out for the BEST interest of America?

* Remember what our Parents taught us
One Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words
Action Speaks Louder than Words.

1-Click here: Bill Baar's West Side: Carol Marin on Obama, Rezko, and slums
2- Click here: Eric Lee: Obama's slum-lord friend
3- Click here: MyDD :: FACT CHECK: Obama, His Contributor Rezko, the Slum Landlord Business
4-Click here: YouTube - Obama and Rezko
5-Click here: EXPOSEOBAMA.COM

*This is just a sampling of how the people of Harlem feels about Bill & Hillary Clinton.

Click here: Harlem church leader endorses Clinton - The Boston Globe

-Click here: 125th Street Journal; Mr. Clinton, Your Harlem Neighbors Need to See You More Often - New York Times

Click here: The Battle For Harlem Heats Up - Politics on The Huffington Post
Click here: Obama faces uphill battle against Clinton's Harlem base | World news | guardian.co.uk

How quickly the Blacks forget just how good Bill Clinton was to the Black people of America. He stood by, did right by you and you and yours totally disrespected Bill and Hillary Clinton. You really have NO Loyalty whats so ever.

is N-Obama running for Pastor or President? ... he has become soooooooooooooooo tired!!
McCain '08

Obamas message is not new. Booker T. Washington, W.E. DuBois, Malcolm X...all of these black leaders and influential Americans spoke of the same need for personal responsibility and personal growth. it is not until recently (i.e. the jesse jacksons and al sharptons of the world) have we seen the focus turn on what others can do for the black community. as a 30 something black male I welcome this frank discussion and its what most of us, to the liberal whites surprise, already believe.

Again going to an African American audience and telling them that there problems are largely there own fault---a good way to get white conservatives to consider you but is it helpful? Is it just? He did not grow up in this community- so as an outsider he goes in and makes comments- would he do the same in a Latin audience- perhaps blaming economic problems in the Latin community on a large amount of people who don't learn English--I doubt it; He would not go into a gay community and blame the spread of HIV on lifestyle, or any other community. These issues are all much more complex than "personal responsibility" and have to do with complex interactions of societal, economic, cultural and ecological factors. But it is always easy to go after the black community, particularly the black male- especially when you know that you are going to get 92% of the vote based on skin color rather than experience, commonality or policy.

I think he can do better than this. Jackson didn't say it well- but the essence of what he said was important. It is not brave to state something when it is commonly repeated already and when focusing on this one factor allows the factors that are external to the community to continue to be ignored

Leon

He also should have told the audience at the NAACP that the comment made about Bill Clinton was 100% UNacceptable and 100% UNTrue. With this type of support, Obama can count on Democrats voting for McCain. Especially Hillary supporters. We support Bill and Hillary Clinton.

As a black dude! not only should we take care of our children but also we should stop depending on welfare!. We should fight for equality on the education system eg funding. I belive if we have standardized funding for all schools we dont even the affirmative action when seeking jobs!. Level the playing ground and see what the black man can achieve!!

I'm sure there are legitimate excuses and reasons for everything that Obama does wrong. Obama is like Mohammed. He is beyond criticism. Well, whoever wins in November should get the full support of the American people, until he screws up.

I agree with him. Just as I have with most of what he has done - except the FISA vote. Still don't quite get that one.

You would capitalize on a mistake made while clearly fatigued. He knows how many states there are and he will win both popular and electtoral votes to cinch the election!

Obama and Jesse should debate their two different views on the subject. It would be very interesting to watch.

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

There goes Barack Obama again; taking on the powerful pro-irresponsibility lobby once more. How can one man be so courageous? He is a forceful advocate for things that everyone believes in. I am sure voters would rather hear him state the obvious instead or hearing him state specifics about what he would actually do as president.

What is he going to speak out against next? School children who put bubble gum on the bottom of their desks?

I get the feeling the Obama campaign wants his campaign to be about lecturing African Americans on responsibility, the New Yorker cover, what Jesse Jackson said into the mike, Reverand Wright, Michelle Obama, and other non relevant topics instead of specific issues where he could lose votes if he takes a stand.

They also want desperately to be the victim and don't wait for attacks by John McCain or the Republicans. They just do it to themselves or wait for radical right publications like the New Yorker to do it. (sarcasm)

It will be a neat trick if they can can keep the focus on sideshow issues and off real issues all the way to November.

Well, how about this? Obama wants to be president but he doesn't even know how many states make up our nation. And Obama was a constitution professor?! Give criticism, you'll end up with criticism.

No one is capable of loving everyone. Well, except God. Just read what I said. It would have been more powerful if Obama were to go to Iraq and meet our troops by himself; because if Obama wins, his decisions and policies affect our troops and their families. Not Reed's and note Hagel's; they're not the ones running for persident. By the way, I am not consumed by hate. I'm just pointing out an impression that Obama's Iraq trip with two babysitters gives. Others might have a different impression.

Give McCain equal time and talk about who held his hand when he travelled to Iraq and like a bumbling fool couldn't distinguish between the Shiites and Sunis. Please vote for him you will be in good company, one bumbling fool to another.

Arthur I hope you return to this blog the day after the election and we can talk about who wants to be what? I love everyone, you, on the other hand, is consumed by hate.

"We have to do more in our own lives -- there's nothing wrong with saying that."

Amen, brother!

Sure, Obama goes to Iraq. But Reed and Hagel have to hold his hands. I won't dispute the fact that Obama is a talker and a wanna-be. Don't pour your love on me. I don't deserve it. Give it to Obama.

Now to you Tom Abrahams, take your anti-obama sentiment and shove it. No one gives a rats behind what you and your movement is about. Is this how you make up for your lack of attention as an adult?

Lynne, hate is a very strong word to describe what I wrote. All I said is that Obama doesn't have the balls to be a real leader. Rev. Jackson is a leader. Obama is not. Obama wants to be a leader. There is a big difference.

Arthur your self-hate is truly pitiful.

He's got to continue playing it straight with the black community. A flip-flop on this would be dangerous. Don't want to be seen as giving in to Jackson.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

read more about the on line anti-obama movement:

http://thevote.abc13.com/2008/07/whats-a-puma-1.html