The Root: Hillary Clinton’s NAN Speech Sounds Good, but Does Anybody Really Believe Her?
"Wearing a flattering red suit, the former secretary of state was met with a standing ovation from the predominantly black crowd. Cellphones and iPads were raised in the air to capture the woman who could be the next president of the United States. Clinton was introduced by the Rev. Al Sharpton who made it clear he hadn’t endorsed a candidate, while demanding that black Americans be talked to substantively. And so, Clinton took Sharpton up on his word with a message that was part sermon, part “Let me remind you Negroes how I’ve helped you.”
From the gate, she dropped names of prominent black leaders, including President Barack Obama and the first lady. She imagined that Jackie Robinson would be proud of the progress we’ve made. She boasted about working for Children’s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman. She declared herself the candidate who would uphold the tireless work Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch have done to end police brutality and racial profiling. She acknowledged the policing problem in America, but added, “Let’s learn from the police departments doing it right.” She vowed to support black entrepreneurs, especially black female entrepreneurs who are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the country
If you’ve been paying attention to Clinton since her 2008 run for president, her NAN speech was right on message. That didn’t make it any less disingenuous. Not all blacks are sold on Clinton despite the initial standing ovation. Her words were not met with the thunderous applause I had expected. On the elevator ride down to the lobby after the speech, a middle-age black man told me, “I heard her. I’m rooting for Bernie Sanders.”
Her promises sound hopeful if you’re willing to overlook her missteps. Or if you've long forgotten how she used race offensively in her run against Barack Obama. Or if you are like the elderly West Indian woman next to me who told me she’s for Clinton because it’s time for a woman to run things, since men have long been screwing up the country; then perhaps she’s appealing. If you put her beside her GOP opponents her promises sound like the land of milk and honey. But when you've heard it all before and find her dismissal of black female protesters and “superpredator” comments unforgivable, her words ring hollow."
http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2016/04/hillary_clinton_s_nan_speech_sounds_good_but_does_anybody_really_believe.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
Edelman may be a friend, but she's not a fan.
It's a pity that public speakers can't treat name dropping like musicians treat unauthorized use of their songs.
"You know nothing of my work!"