Cornel West: Obama on a roll

[babylonsister]

Expert: Obama on a roll

By Kenneth Mullinax
[e-mail]


A Princeton professor and outspoken expert on African-American culture said he believes U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy for president is an important breakthrough for blacks -- whether Obama wins the Democratic nomination for president or not.

But Cornel West believes Obama is going to win.

Speaking Monday night to thousands in the Joe L. Reed Acadome on the campus of Alabama State University, West said he believes the Illinois Democrat, after running behind U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York for most of the presidential race, has turned the corner.

"This man's on the move, he's out there running hard and sounding good," West said. Recent polls show Obama and Clinton in a statistical dead heat.

West, speaking at the Ralph D. Abernathy Civil Rights Leaders Lecture Series, said he was with Obama last week at New York's Apollo Theater for a fundraiser, and plans to be with him next week in Iowa, one of the first battlegrounds of the primary season.

more...

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071204/NEWS/712040321/1001

[MaineDem]

1. I believe he does polling for Obama

He also does polling for the DNC.

I'm not saying these numbers are in any way skewed but it's only fair to have full disclosure.

[groovedaddy]

3. Thanks for pointing that out. The article did not.

Though he certainly came across as a supporter in the article.

[maximusveritas]

4. Who? Cornel West?

He doesn't do any polling.

[babylonsister]

5. Do you have a link? Thanks, as I wasn't aware of that. nt

[frazzled]

8. You weren't aware because it is laughably false and made up

Cornell West couldn't poll if he tried--that's not who he is or what he does. FYI:

"Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American scholar and public intellectual. Formerly at Harvard University, West is currently a professor of Religion at Princeton. West says his intellectual contributions draw from such diverse traditions as the African American Baptist Church, Marxism, pragmatism, and transcendentalism."

West is an (often controversial) author, educator, and public thinker. He don't do no polling.

[babylonsister]

9. That's what I figured, but thought I'd give the poster the benefit.

And while I only know about Cornell West because of Bill Maher :blush: I love him! Intelligence is such a turn-on!

[MaineDem]

11. Sorry, I got my Cornells mixed up.

I'm sorry. I made a horrible mistake.

Cornell Belcher is the pollster.

[MaineDem]

10. A thousand pardons...I was thinking of Cornell Belcher.

I am so embarrassed.

Total brain cramp. I apologize for the error.

[ClarkUSA]

14. Huh? West is a former professor at Harvard and is now at Princeton.

He's no pollster. He's a great professor, by the way.

[beaconess]

16. Dr. Cornel West is not a pollster

He is an esteemed professor (Princeton University) and author.

He is not a political hack.

[MaineDem]

17. I'm embarrassed to say I made a mistake

Cornell Belcher is the pollster.

I admire Dr West a great deal. I can't believe I made this error.

Please accept my deepest apology.

[Cha]

25. Mistakes happen all the time..

At least you graciously apologized! To "apologies" for our mistakes~ :toast:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. Interesting article. Professor West is someone to whom I pay close attention.

Sen Obama would be wise to take his counsel. MKJ

[sandnsea]

12. He introduced Obama at the Apollo

I think there's a video of it in the political forum. Or maybe somebody had a personal clip of it, I can't remember. It was incredible. If you can't find it and want to see it, let me know and I'll go back through my posts and see if I can get it.

[babylonsister]

13. If you can find that video, I would love to see it. Just checked the

youtube forum, but couldn't find it. Thanks!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

18. Thanks, If I don't find it, I'll take you up on your offer... double thanks. :-)

MKJ

[Renew Deal]

23. Here's some Cornel west stuff

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=cornel+west+%2B+apollo

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

27. Thank you!

:-) MKJ

[Renew Deal]

22. Here it is.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=23133977

[frazzled]

6. I was truly surprised to hear West was supporting Obama

Because early this year, I heard him on Tavis Smiley's radio program make a really strong and somewhat offensive statement about him: "He's not really a brother, you know." He had gone on to intimate that he was definitely not an Obama man. It was the first time I'd heard this 'Obama is not black enough' argument made.

It was only a few weeks ago that I heard Smiley say (to Obama): "your good friend and mine, Doctor West, who is a big supporter of yours ..."

Interesting to know how that got turned around.

[ClarkUSA]

15. West changed his mind after talking with Obama after the Tavis Smiley show statement...

Now he's an advisor to the Obama campaign.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

19. Please provide more resources. "I heard" often equals faulty memory.

Thanks! :hi: MKJ

[Cha]

26. Right...things change sometimes..

That's a beauty of life.

[BenDavid]

7. Well of course it is a breakthrough, and so is HRC's campaign.

But the difference, HRC is not out there saying she is now the leader of all black, white, brown women. Obama on the other hand is saying he is the new leader of all blacks in America. He annointed himself this un-official role.Claims he is the new Joshua, but Joshua continued the struggle and not abandon the struggle, and this is where Obama runs into trouble within the African-American community.

The media failed to evaluate Obama's phony track record in Illinois politics. Apart from his first campaign for the state senate, when he used truly nasty tactics, Obama had never been one to fight for victory. He was always the candidate offering himself for coronation and that is exactly what Obama is doing here. Obama in my honest opinion believes he deserves the nomination, not because he is the most experienced. The one that has the attitude and the aptitude for the position but simply because he is black.

Even Mrs Obama is out promoting the idea that " 'Black Americans will wake up and get it' but Mrs Obama has already started laying the foundation of blame.Who is Michelle Obama laying the early blame on? Black people.Mrs Obama thinks that if her hubby doesn’t win, it’s because black folk don’t have enough self-esteem: Reporter: “The polls are showing your husband is trailing Hillary by 46% to 37% in the African-American community. What’s going on here?”Mrs. Obama: “First of all, I think that that’s not going to hold. I’m completely confident: black America will wake up, and get . But what we’re dealing with in the black community is just the natural fear of possibility.If one cared to read the entire interview — in addition to blaming black people’s low self esteem for her husbands failed popularity — Mrs Obama also tells the black community that they should be voting for her hubby for no other reason than they share the same color skin.Now imagine that the white wife of a white senator blamed their campaign woes on the low self esteem of the black community.

There is something patronzing in her assumption that its some sort of ingrained fear keeping them from backing her husband. What a low opinion of others she evidences and perhaps an inflated view of Barack himself.Does it not occur to her that perhaps these could be people who think independently and for themselves and are not still bound to a historical or community perception? What if those not coming out to support him simply don’t agree with his politics, or his social stands, or his views on Iraq, or any other issue that the next POTUS will be facing? Why doesn’t she give the African American community the benefit of the doubt instead of yet another negative assumption - but then that would entail having to admit her husband might not be the best candidate.

Ben David

[AX10]

20. I've copied and saved this post.

Your summary is an accurate description of the Obama campaign. I am very turned off by Obama's abandonment of the battles of the past, for they have not been won.

[babylonsister]

21. Damn! Do you have "ONE" link to any of the bile you just hurled?

It seems to me you are twisting lots of things here.

[ellacott]

29. More from the resident Negro Expert

Where are you getting this expertise from. I shake my head when I read many of your posts because they are so off base.

[Colobo]

24. Thanks, Dr. West!

[Sultana]

28. Professor West is amazing.

Having someone like him backing you up is a good thing.



GOBAMA:bounce: