Neglecting the Base - Bob Herbert

[groovedaddy]

Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it was striking, nevertheless. The mayor of Washington, Adrian Fenty, one of the so-called postracial black leaders, suffered a humiliating defeat in his bid for re-election last week when African-American voters deserted him in droves. The very same week President Obama, the most prominent of the so-called postracial types, was moving aggressively to shore up his support among black voters.

Mr. Obama, who usually goes out of his way to avoid overtly racial comments and appeals, made an impassioned plea during a fiery speech Saturday night at a black-tie event sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. “I need everybody here,” he said, “to go back to your neighborhoods, to go back your workplaces, to go to the churches and go to the barbershops and go to the beauty shops. And tell them we’ve got more work to do.”

It’s no secret that the president is in trouble politically, and that Democrats in Congress are fighting desperately to hold on to their majorities. But much less attention has been given to the level of disenchantment among black voters, who have been hammered disproportionately by the recession and largely taken for granted by the Democratic Party. That disenchantment is likely to translate into lower turnout among blacks this fall.

The idea that we had moved into some kind of postracial era was always a ridiculous notion. Attitudes have undoubtedly changed for the better over the past half-century, and young people as a whole are less hung up on race than their elders. But race is still a very big deal in the United States, which is precisely why black leaders like Mr. Fenty and Mr. Obama try so hard to behave as though they are governing in some sort of pristine civic environment in which the very idea of race has been erased.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/opinion/21herbert.html?th&emc=th

[Demeter]

1. If It Were Only Neglect--It's the Abuse That Has Started the Brushfires

Clinton was never so tacky as to call his base "FR"

[HereSince1628]

3. Nope he didn't. He courted corporation support openly

And he pushed policies based on the ideology that unions were anachronisms of a post-industrial "investor-based" society.

Unfortunately, the nature of ponzi schemes is that they balloon and then collapse.

It's nice that he lost weight for his daughter. It makes him seem so human.

[Vincardog]

2. If Obama and the 'leadership' want out support they better start DOING the things they campaigned on

and quit telling us to STFU when ever we start talking about them not doing them.

[Skittles]

5. WATCHOUT VINCARDOG

you'll be accused of WANTING A PONY or be told that PEOPLE IN EUROPE AND AFRICA ARE MYSTIFIED why not all of us are blabbering our devotion to this, er, "LEADERSHIP"

[yurbud]

7. people in Europe are mystified that we want more?

that's a profoundly dishonest talking point.

[democrank]

4. You know for certain something is wrong when

the first black Democratic president has to beg for black votes. African Americans have been taken for granted. This "post-racial" stuff is crap.

[RainDog]

6. it's the economy.

African-Americans have been hit harder than anyone.

It's hard to get out the base when it appears that Wall Street matters more than Main Street - whether that's the reality or not.

however, since democrats could not even vote as a bloc on unemployment extension the first go-round - it's no wonder people lack some enthusiasm for the current candidates.

people don't want republicans - but they look at the democrats and wonder why it seems like the ones that brung 'em to the dance are getting mocked when Democrats get to sit at the table with the frat boys who make fun of those of us who have to do actual work for a living rather than, say, sell worthless financial instruments and get bailed out and forgiven and kept from worrying about whether or not they can afford that month-long vaca on the yacht.

That's your problem, demos.

[groovedaddy]

8. If poor people started voting in mass (and the votes were counted!) things would change in a hurry.

The promotion of cynicism and resignation, feelings of powerlessness all play into this. Maybe things will have to get really bad to get people up off the couch, out into the streets and into the voting booth.

[RainDog]

9. well, the last general election does not serve as an advertisement for empowerment

and neither did the 2006 mid-term.

in both cases Americans elected Democrats to move away from right-wing policies -

yet impeachment was "taken off the table." single payer was "taken off the table."

yes, vote for the lesser of two evils - but don't pretend Democrats offer anything much better. To change what's wrong, Americans have to work with organizations outside of the government because the govt we have really doesn't give a shit about most people who live here, no matter what platitudes they mouth.

[groovedaddy]

10. I don't think it's fair to lump all Dems into the same category. The newly elected ones in '06 and

'08 are far more progressive. Not all of them abandoned impeachment or single payer. These progressives got elected because more people showed up at the polls (though not necessarily the working poor, etc.)
You are right to the extent that there are far too many bluedog/corporate lacky Dems, who, in collusion with Repubs, stifle progress.

[katty]

11. neglecting and scolding his base...ivory tower intellectual POVS

don't really fret about how to acquire or maintain the real necessities of getting a job, paying rent and feeding the kids.