It must be the Obama Effect

I watched CNN's Black in America 2 last night and was genuinely surprised about how positive the program was. If you remember last year's documentary, it focused on the aspects of the black community that mainstream media sees far too often. We saw mothers on welfare, kids in poor neighborhoods, and deadbeat dads. But this year we saw kids in poor neighborhoods travel to South Africa to help those that are less fortunate than them, a charter school that sends 100% of its students to college, and a glimpse into the world of black elitist. People use the concept of the "Oprah Effect" the explain her show's influence on businesses and people featured on her show, but I think the "Obama Effect" has an effect on how mainstream media portrays African-Americans. Don't get me wrong, the media still has a a very long way to go, but I am seeing slight changes. Desiree Rogers on the cover of The Wall Street Journal magazine, more news stories about the positive effects Obama's presence is having on young men, and charities featuring commercials with African-American athletes making differences in their community. The Obama family has only been in the White House for 6 months, so it will be interesting to see if the trend of positive images increases during his term. I hope it does because we're a people of so much more than shooting hoops and entertainment; we're leaders, pioneers, and change-makers.

Rahm Emanuel Accepts 'Chief of Staff' Position for Obama White House

A senior Obama advisor has confirmed that Representative Rahm Emanuel, D-Illinois, has accepted the Chief of Staff position for the Obama White House.

Read more about it here.





*Update* for those wondering who will be among those leading Barack Obama's transition team, John Podesta, a former chief of staff under President Bill Clinton's administration, will be among those leading Obama's transition team. Valerie Jarrett(one of Obama's top advisors) and Peter Rouse, Obama's Senate chief of staff, are members of the transition team as well.

RIP

Rest in peace to Barack Obama's grandmother-- she just passed away. No worries, she's watching out for us from heaven above; having a conversation with Jesus to ensure that Obama wins the election tomorrow. Yessir!

Read more about her passing here

A day before the presidential election, Barack Obama announced the death Monday of his grandmother, who helped raise him and who he praised as the cornerstone of his family.

The Democratic presidential candidate announced the news in a joint statement with his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng. He said his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, had died peacefully after a battle with cancer.

He said: "She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances."

The candidate learned of her death Monday morning while he was campaigning in Jacksonville, Fla. He planned to go ahead with campaign appearances.

Late last month, Obama took a break from campaigning and flew to Hawaii to be with the 86-year-old Dunham.

Obama said the decision to go to Hawaii was easy to make, telling CBS that he "got there too late" when his mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995 at 53, and wanted to make sure "that I don't make the same mistake twice."

The Associated Press

November 5th Etiquette

An Email Forward my girl JClew sent me:

They'll be watching us on November 5th (the day after the election) for signs of the end times.

To keep the peace and keep a lot of folks from getting nervous, I think we should develop a list of acceptable celebrations and behaviors we should probably avoid – at least for the first few days:

1. No crying, hugging or shouting "Thank you Lord" – at least not in public

2 No high-fives – at least not unless the area is clear and there are no witnesses

3 No laughing at the McCain/Palin supporters

4 No calling in sick on November 5th. They'll get nervous if too many of us don't show up.

5 We're allowed to give each other knowing winks or nods in passing. Just try to keep from grinning too hard.

6. No singing loudly, We've come this Far By Faith (it will be acceptable to hum softly)

7. No bringing of barbeque ribs or fried chicken for lunch in the company lunchroom for at least a week (no chittlings at all) (this may make us seem too ethnic)

8. No leaving kool-aid packages at the water fountain (this might be a sign that poor folks might be getting a break through)

9. No Cupid Shuffle during breaks (this could indicate a little too much excitement)

10. Please no Moving on Up music (we are going to try to remain humble)

11. No doing the George Jefferson dance (unless you're in your office with the door closed)

12. Please try not to yell----BOOOO YAH!

13. Just in case you're wondering, Doing the Running Man, cabbage patch, or a backhand spring on the highway is 100% okay.

If I've missed anything feel free to add to the list. I just want to make sure we're all on the same page when Obama brings this thing home on November 5th.

Now go get your early vote on and let's make this thing happen!!!



Oh yeah, and don't let the folks at the polls tell you bull shit about your inability to vote. Apparently there have been rumors circulating about republicans putting in phony phone calls to people about their ability to vote over the phone or the possibility of being arrested due to prior criminal records. GET OUT and VOTE! Oh, and wear a plain t-shirt. Save the Obama 'nalia for November 5th when we CELEBRATE! AMEN!

5 Days to Change Rally with President Clinton

The Obama Campaign made another stop in Minnesota! This time, President Bill Clinton came to speak about his belief in Obama's candidacy. President Clinton is an eloquent speaker and spoke passionately about what he knows Barack Obama can do to help foster fundamental change in this nation.
His words filled the room with a fire and energy like no other that I have ever experienced. Clinton's words were amazing; but the most captivating parts of his speech were when he would let that Arkansas accent come out, "Now, you hear me, we're fixin'to win this thing." I agree President Clinton; we're fixin' to have some change.

YES WE CAN!!!!!!!

Since the election is only 1 week away; we will have a political post overload! Almost everyone has seen this video, but I just wanted to post it amidst all this crazy nonsense and hatred targeted towards Obama. There's no denying that this man's words can inspire a nation.

What If????

Seven Days and Counting! I got my voter registration card in the mail yesterday so Novemeber 4th here I come! My girl Coutura forwarded me this email full of "What if?" inquiries. I appreciate the inquiries. I appreciate them more because they call into question the hypocrisy of our double standard society!



Soooo... What if???

Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around? .....think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different?

Ponder the following: What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to painkillers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker? What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included; discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution.

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality,do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

Educational Background:
Barack Obama:Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization! inInternational Relations. Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political ScienceSyracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Vs

John McCain:United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semesterNorth Idaho College - 2 semesters - general studyUniversity of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism Matanuska-Susitna College 1 semester University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

This is not meant to offend anyone and i know education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest office in the land as well as our standing in the world. You make the call.

The Obama Effect

The University of Minnesota is hosting "The Obama Effect" conference and having several forums and events about Barack Obama's race to The White House. Tonight Joe Feagin, a Pulitzer Prize nominated sociology professor at Texas A&M University, spoke on "The Impact of White Racism on the Obama Campaign." This white male (pictured ) was the most educated person I have ever heard speak on the topic of race.

He started with, "America is the only advanced country in the world founded on racial oppression"; yes he meant business. Obama is probably in the top 2 or 3 most talented men to run for president and has one of the best organized and tech savy campaigns in history. However, he still does not have the majority of the white vote and many white voters continue to doubt his ability to lead this nation. Based on Obama's credentials, this election should be a landslide. Obama is only leading the polls by a small margin because of the "White Racial Frame" that dates back to the foundation of this nation.

Since the beginning of this nation, white people have believed that white is virtuous and black is bad. This idea that black is bad has extensively fueled the image of the "dangerous black man." The black male is often stereotyped, as inferior, angry, and violent; I mean look at how the media ripped Dr. Jeremiah Wright to pieces because of a 30-second clip from a 40 minutes sermon. However, we barely heard about John Hagee, John McCain's long time friend and pastor that married him and his wife Cindy. Yes, Hagee's comments about having a "slave sale" to raise funds for high school seniors or that "Hurricane Katrina was God's curse on New Orleans" were over looked. But the media just cannot let this Reverend Wright story go.

Why has Barack Obama been able to escape this label and come so close to becoming this nation's first black president? Answer: He is making history because white people see him as the "exception to his race." Obama can maintain a strong black persona and dodge race issues at the same time. He was raised by a white mother and went to a good school, one Obama campaign volunteer explained "he is not the product of any ghetto." No he is not the product of any ghetto, but the majority of American-Americans aren't either. Does that mean myself and all my friends are also "exceptions to our race?"

Barack Obama must talk and act in a way that pleases white liberals. It's acceptable for John McCain to get angry during debates, but Barack Obama must watch what he says and keep his composure. If not, the white liberals will label him as that dangerous black male.

Professor Feagin said so much more, but I think I will save the rest for later. I agree with most of his arguments; and understand how Barack must feel everyday. Like I asked in my previous post; When we will stop having to prove ourselves to white people?

Barack's Speech At Al Smith Dinner

Obama's speech at the Al Smith Charity Event. Obama is funny guy- have at it.