News of Geraldine Ferraro's racially charged comment about Barack Obama came out on Wednesday. Although Hillary Clinton "regretted" the remarks, she did not immediately boot Ferraro from her Finance Committee. Ferraro (no doubt at the urging on the Clinton camp) stepped down. The press received and published her defiant resignation letter which has her essentially defending her assertion that Barack is where is his because he's a Black man. Hillary used an old political tactic. Rather than directly fire Ferraro and perhaps appear to be giving ground to Obama, Ferraro "resigned", supposedly taking her baggage with her.
Unfortunately for Clinton she did not forsee the media maelstrom that Ferraro's idiotic comments ignited. Yesterday, Clinton apologized to Black folks who may have been offended by Ferraro's comments. She also needed to apologize to the other folks who voted for Obama--Ferraro basically called them dupes. For many, Black and White her apology is too little, too late. Ferraro's comments coupled with Bill Clinton's husband's marginalization of Rev. Jesse Jackson's candidacy is about enough as some Black folks can stand. Trotting out Black women such as campaign manager Maggie Williams or long-time civil rights activist Mary Frances Berry to defend Ferraro did not AT ALL help matters.
Increasingly people are coming to believe that the Clintons are willing to do anything to win this election. If they are not inserting race into the dialogue, they are trying to change the rules so that Michigan and Florida delegates can be seated. People who are coming to this conclusion feel like they've already been through this scenario with George Bush. Seeing how his presidency has turned out they would rather not risk a repeat of that disaster by supporting Clinton. This growing sentiment is not good news for the Clintons or for the Democratic Party. Harvard professor Lawrence Bobb sums of these feelings in his article, Fairy Tale to Ferraro: Why I'm Not Voting for Clinton
If Clinton wins the nomination some folks may choose not to vote in the general election--- a small number of Democratics may even go for John McCain. On other hand, if Obama gets the nod, after such a divisive contest can folks like Ferraro and Clinton's other supporters swallow the loss and work to "unite the party?"
The Democrats machine better figure out a way to reign in the Clintons or be ready to sit on the sidelines for at least another four years under a President John McCain.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Is the Country Read for First Lady Michelle Obama?
It was in the wind last April when New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd criticized Michelle Obama for teasing her husband in public and acknowledging that he was a mere mortal. According to Dowd, "Many people I talked to afterward found Michelle wondrous. But others worried that her chiding was emasculating, casting her husband -- under fire for lacking experience -- as an undisciplined child." Dowd put herself in the weird position of being the understanding White woman defending Sen. Barack Obama against his mean old Black wife.
Most recently, Michelle’s comment that she was "now proud to be an American" stirred up accusations that she’s a loose cannon. The familiar smell in the air is the stereotype of the "Strong Black Woman." While Barack has been portrayed in the media as the cool, charismatic post-race spouse, Michelle is increasingly depicted as the sistah with a chip on her shoulder.
Since Barack appears untouchable, don’t be surprised if Michelle becomes the target of a smear campaign. There’s now talk that her college thesis is racially divisive. Who would object to such a strategy? It would simply go down as another crazy Black bitch dragging down a successful Black man.
Everyone is asking whether the country is ready for a Black President, but perhaps we should be asking if the United States is ready for First Lady Michelle Obama? Frankly most Americans have no context in which to place Michelle----a whip-smart graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School from the working class South Side of Chicago. She is not shaking her ass in rap music videos nor is she caring for little White children (or their parents). She is also not a baby’s mama or some wannabe model/fashion designer/singer who latched on to a wealthy Black man.
Michelle is comfortable in her own skin and wants people to get to know the real her and not a plastic consultant-generated version. In our society we have such low expectations for Black women that even our denigration is effortlessly justified. So people actually believe that Black women like Michelle who have brains, beauty, hefty salaries and loving husbands are anomalies. Embracing Michelle would mean acknowledging a radically different Black female persona—that of a thinking, loving, independent yet supportive Black woman. However in this election it’s more probable that Barack’s opponents will go old school by trying to paint Michelle as a Sapphire--- twisting her confidence into arrogance and her honesty into bluntness.
The Amos N’ Andy character "Sapphire" has come to represent the curt-tongued, ball-busting, emasculating Black woman. On the 1970s television program Sanford and Son she was personified by "Aunt Esther"---Fred’s combative, Bible-thumping sister-in-law.
Aunt Esther was often accompanied by her henpecked husband Woodrow. Woodrow was usually tipsy suggesting that it was the only way that he could deal with his overbearing wife. The modern Sapphire is the Strong Black Woman. She is angry, aggressive, defensive, and controlling. The SBW may have an impressive resume, but she can’t keep a man. The caveat is that if the SBW has a man, he’s got to be weak—like Woodrow.
Barack’s opponents have continually questioned his toughness and even called his foreign policy proposals naïve. It’s apparent that if Michelle can be portrayed as a stereotypical domineering Black woman, it’s easier to insinuate that Barack’s got to be soft to be with her. Unfortunately, some voters may fall for it and believe that a man can’t control the country if he can’t even control his wife’s mouth.
What Michelle’s detractors fail to understand is that many American women see it as a strength, not weakness, that Barack would marry an intelligent "keep it real" woman rather than a Stepford wife. In an April 2007 Chicago Tribune article Barack said of Michelle, "There’s something about her that projects such honesty and strength. It’s what makes her such an unbelievable professional, and partner, and mother, and wife." In this era where fake is the new real, Michelle Obama is a welcome breath of fresh air.
Originally printed on News One @ Giantmag.com
Most recently, Michelle’s comment that she was "now proud to be an American" stirred up accusations that she’s a loose cannon. The familiar smell in the air is the stereotype of the "Strong Black Woman." While Barack has been portrayed in the media as the cool, charismatic post-race spouse, Michelle is increasingly depicted as the sistah with a chip on her shoulder.
Since Barack appears untouchable, don’t be surprised if Michelle becomes the target of a smear campaign. There’s now talk that her college thesis is racially divisive. Who would object to such a strategy? It would simply go down as another crazy Black bitch dragging down a successful Black man.
Everyone is asking whether the country is ready for a Black President, but perhaps we should be asking if the United States is ready for First Lady Michelle Obama? Frankly most Americans have no context in which to place Michelle----a whip-smart graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School from the working class South Side of Chicago. She is not shaking her ass in rap music videos nor is she caring for little White children (or their parents). She is also not a baby’s mama or some wannabe model/fashion designer/singer who latched on to a wealthy Black man.
Michelle is comfortable in her own skin and wants people to get to know the real her and not a plastic consultant-generated version. In our society we have such low expectations for Black women that even our denigration is effortlessly justified. So people actually believe that Black women like Michelle who have brains, beauty, hefty salaries and loving husbands are anomalies. Embracing Michelle would mean acknowledging a radically different Black female persona—that of a thinking, loving, independent yet supportive Black woman. However in this election it’s more probable that Barack’s opponents will go old school by trying to paint Michelle as a Sapphire--- twisting her confidence into arrogance and her honesty into bluntness.
The Amos N’ Andy character "Sapphire" has come to represent the curt-tongued, ball-busting, emasculating Black woman. On the 1970s television program Sanford and Son she was personified by "Aunt Esther"---Fred’s combative, Bible-thumping sister-in-law.
Aunt Esther was often accompanied by her henpecked husband Woodrow. Woodrow was usually tipsy suggesting that it was the only way that he could deal with his overbearing wife. The modern Sapphire is the Strong Black Woman. She is angry, aggressive, defensive, and controlling. The SBW may have an impressive resume, but she can’t keep a man. The caveat is that if the SBW has a man, he’s got to be weak—like Woodrow.
Barack’s opponents have continually questioned his toughness and even called his foreign policy proposals naïve. It’s apparent that if Michelle can be portrayed as a stereotypical domineering Black woman, it’s easier to insinuate that Barack’s got to be soft to be with her. Unfortunately, some voters may fall for it and believe that a man can’t control the country if he can’t even control his wife’s mouth.
What Michelle’s detractors fail to understand is that many American women see it as a strength, not weakness, that Barack would marry an intelligent "keep it real" woman rather than a Stepford wife. In an April 2007 Chicago Tribune article Barack said of Michelle, "There’s something about her that projects such honesty and strength. It’s what makes her such an unbelievable professional, and partner, and mother, and wife." In this era where fake is the new real, Michelle Obama is a welcome breath of fresh air.
Originally printed on News One @ Giantmag.com
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