For criticizing Obama: "They are harassing my momma, harassing my brother. It's getting to be crazy"

[bigtree]

Criticizing Obama, Causes Firestorm

By Darryl Fears

Tavis Smiley, the bestselling author of the "Covenant With Black America," is in a world turned upside down. He said he's being "hammered," "barbecued," and is "catching hell" from black Americans for suggesting that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made a major mistake by declining to speak at the State of the Black Union event that Smiley plans to host next week in New Orleans.

"There's all this talk of hater, sellout and traitor," Smiley said to me in a telephone interview. Smiley even mentioned getting death threats, but wouldn't elaborate. He said his office has been flooded with angry e-mails. "I have family in Indianapolis. They are harassing my momma, harassing my brother. It's getting to be crazy," Smiley said.

Smiley's problems started early this month after he invited Obama to speak at the State of the Black Union, an event Smiley founded nine years ago. Held annually during Black History Month and broadcast by C-Span, the event gathers a Who's Who of black intellectuals, pundits, activists, entertainers and politicians to discuss and brainstorm about where black America is and where it is headed. This year's topic is "Reclaiming Our Democracy, Deciding Our Future."

The State of the Black Union has grown into a key event for black people since its start, but as Smiley has discovered, Obama's presidential run is far more highly regarded.

As the first black person to have a legitimate shot at a presidential nomination, defeating Sen. Hillary Clinton's rich campaign juggernaut, Obama is virtually a third civil rights movement, the manifestation of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. His candidacy has produced a fervor in black America born of centuries of wanting. Nearly every black vote that Clinton thought was hers at the beginning of the race has been siphoned by Obama.

Each of the presidential candidates were invited to speak, but only Sen. Hillary Clinton accepted . . .


http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/16/black_commenter_criticizing_ob.html

[dkf]

1. Obama is the manifestation of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream

Wow. That is something indeed. I never thought about it that way...

[bigtree]

3. so are millions of other Americans

obviously.

[jackson_dem]

9. And Condi Rice would be a manifestation of MLK and Susan Anthony's dreams

I guess we should vote rethug if she is the rethug veep?

[incapsulated]

12. lol, too true

Remember the part about not being judged by the color of your skin?

Being black does not a revolutionary make.

Or even half-black. Like me.

[Egalia]

24. That is SO not true. .

Susan B Anthony was a feminist who spent her life working for the rights of women. The only rights Condi Rice has worked for are her own.

[jackson_dem]

27. Oh. So you are saying we need to look at records, policies, and issues?

So color isn't enough?

[dkf]

34. Its the bigger picture people...

And it is an accomplishment for Condi to be where she is now. Problem is she isn't very good at what she does. I'd say she has the same problem as Hillary. No foresight. No good judgment.

[roguevalley]

75. Rice is the backhand nightmare version. A sell out was not what

these people had in mind a few years ago.

[MADem]

2. Uh, oh...Tavis isn't going along to get along....!

How dare he be....a JOURNALIST!!!

.....On the Tom Joyner Morning Show recently, Joyner brought up the controversy during an interview with Obama, relating how Smiley was taking heat for saying he thinks Obama doesn't want to talk about issues black people care about.

Obama chastised Smiley, but spoke as if the two were friends. "I'm going to have to call Tavis up and straighten him out on this," Obama said. He said he's addressed issues that Smiley cares about, such as health care and eliminating the legal sentencing disparity that allows judges to send mostly black crack cocaine offenders to prison with sentences that are five times longer than powder cocaine offenders who are mostly white and Latino.

Obama followed up with a letter to Smiley, dated Feb. 13. In it, Obama explained why he declined the invitation, saying that he needed to campaign in states that Clinton must win to in order to topple her candidacy.

"I will be on the campaign trail every day in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly to voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum such as affordable housing, economic opportunity, civil rights and foreign policy," Obama said in his letter. He had offered to have his wife, Michelle, speak in his stead at the State of the Black Union, but Smiley had declined. .....Smiley responded in a commentary on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, condemning Obama's decision with his usual strong, passionate, rapid-fire delivery. He recounted the gist of his statement in the interview. "I think it is a miscalculation on his part not to appear and a missed opportunity."

"I love Barack Obama and I love black people," Smiley said. "I celebrate his past accomplishments and I celebrate his future aspirations. I never wanted to stand in the path of his growth."

However, he said, "My job is to ask the critical question, to raise these issues and keep these guys focused. There are some people who are disappointed that I'm not jumping up and down saying, 'Vote for Barack Obama.' That's not my role as a journalist. That's not what I do."

[jasmine621]

57. Can someone say "blackmail" with no pun intended? Now black

Congressmen who have endorsed Hillary are being threatened to lose their Congressional seats next term if they vote for Hillary. With this kind of damage done to voters, I wish Obama had the decency to drop out. Hillary doesn't deserve this kind of treatment and neither do her supporters. This entire thing is a tragedy and hate is behind it.

[incapsulated]

4. How's that "Unity" thang goin'?

DRINK THE KOOLAIDE OR DIE.

[TheDonkey]

5. Sorry Tavis. Obama is trying to win this thing and not just provide more media for your event

Tavis should be embarrassed for rejecting Michelle. An excellent speaker and surrogate for Obama.

[PetraPooh]

17. Not to mention that Obama is running as an American, not a blackman.

I totally agree with Obama's decision. I think that he is running to help all Americans (even if I don't agree with all his positions therein), and it would be a huge mistake to allow himself to be pigeonholed as being interested in the "injustices" faced by black americans.

[maximusveritas]

19. Exactly. He's a shameless self-promoter and this is just the latest example.

He just wants everyone to come down and kiss his feet as he gives the Black State of the Union. Does he think he's the President of Black America or something?

[fortyfeetunder]

30. I agree, Obama has his priorities

Michelle would have been a wonderful representative for this forum.

But I would have to side for Mr. Obama on this one -- this is a tight race and he needs all votes....his priority is to get them.

[jasmine621]

53. Tavis is finding out like the Clintons, "No good deed shall go unpunished."

This Obama mania has brought us all so low. Or, maybe that's were we all were to begin with?

[PetraPooh]

78. I sincerely do not understand your post. What good deed and

what punishment?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. Tavis is caught up in his own self importance

far be it for a presidential candidate to fail to kiss his ass.

[PetraPooh]

18. Yep, I too do not care for Smiley and never have, his attitude is

just too much for my tastes.

[NOLALady]

68. I also get the feeling that he's on a power trip.

[tokenlib]

7. He should have accepted Michelle..

The contrast with Hillary would have been priceless.

[gateley]

13. I agree - that would have been quite a show. nt

[NastyRiffraff]

15. Michelle and Hillary...

Let's see. Both are strong, accomplished women.

What's the difference? One is a presidential candidate, and one is NOT. Smiley wants presidential candidates to debate; not their spouses. If Bill Clinton had accepted, I can hear the outraged outcries now. Michelle is NOT a debate substitute for Barack, by anyone's measure. Smiley was absolutely right to reject her.

[Rock_Garden]

8. Good article, bigtree. Definitely needs a K&R.

[jackson_dem]

10. Death threats for criticizing St. Obama. More proof of the cultist nature of many Obamites

[nebenaube]

20. It's not a cult

it's the new guard displacing the old.

[jackson_dem]

25. Age means nothing. Obama and Hillary are of the same ilk

And only a cult would threaten a man's life for daring to criticize their leader...

[NJObamaWoman]

32. Oh please lets remember that Obama is a black man who is running for POTUS

he is getting more threats than anyone that is why he has the most secret service men. No not all people are threatening TAvis life. But many are calling him out and other black leaders who have told us time and time again to support Blacks (them) but when a new black man comes out and says HEY the Clintons are all that and there is still much more than needs to be done in our communities those black leaders are scared. They are scared because their free ride by the Clintons are about to be over. Many blacks are supporting a black man (Obama) which they encouraged us to do against their Masta Clinton. Please Tavis is just a crab in the bucket and I'm glad many black americans are calling out these pathetic leaders.

[jackson_dem]

40. What a racist post

"Masta Clinton"? :eyes:

KKK types are a cult too.

Yes, I know Obama is facing "long odds." How does he do it with only $162 million and almost the entire msm behind him? :sarcasm:

[NJObamaWoman]

45. I'm calling it what it is. If you don't like it oh well :)

Yes even with that doesn't mean that Obama is a shoe in. Do you talk to any black person. I've heard so many times from just my friends and family that they were concerned about voting for him because they don't want him to be shot. If you don't get it then you don't get the KKK like you mentioned in your post. Do you understand that these people paraded around on MLK's Birthday? Being black in America is not rosey.

[jackson_dem]

47. lol Obama is facing an uphill battle?

:rofl:

The guy has risen faster and farther than anyone in American politics in 100 years, and that guy did it by being a war hero then a governor of the largest state and even he inherited the presidency via an assassination. Obama gave one speech.

[butterfly77]

74. This is a bunch of bull...

they are even talking about lawsuits if the delegates choose the candidate,from what I hear the delegates have been choosing the candidates for yrs this is a no win situation. I for one should be complaining because my vote is not being counted in michigan.

I have also had arguments with aquaintances because I as a black person chose Hillary as my candidate,I now just listen at the stupid arguments like yours that I should vote for Obama because he is black, am I suppose to not look at each candidate the way that MLK said, for content of their character and not the color of their skin? I am looking at the overall person and situation and mainly the issues. I heard that next they will be going after Maxine Waters.

[LoZoccolo]

58. And proud of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBeUGqeYsQg

[Rageneau]

11. Mor proof that the hate and meanness in this campaign is coming form Obamaniacs.

When black (and I betcha many white) supporters of Obama attack a leading black man -- one who has long been a voice for black advancements -- with intimidation and death threats simply because he expresses regret that Obama won't do what Hillary IS doing -- take time off from campaigtning to honor Black America -- then we have just reached a new low for behavior among democrats.

I don't even know if I want to be a Democrat anymore if what from Obama fans is the face of my party.

Frankly, some of the behavior (like this instance) that I'm seeing from Obama supporters looks EXACTLY like the behavior of Russ Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich and Dan Burton, IOW, the behavior of mindless, consciousless, hate-filled wingnuts.

[emilyg]

14. Hear. Hear.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. that was the 1st thing I got out of reading this

[maximusveritas]

23. How many death threats do you think Obama gets every day?

Everyone in the public eye gets death threats.

Talk to any major website operator. They get death threats all the time. They usually don't talk about it unless they're desperate for some positive press.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

29. not from Clinton or her supporters..how can you even try to justify this with your distract tact?.

[jackson_dem]

42. Yup. Has anyone threatening to kill the Obamite Gov. of Wisconsin for attacking Hillary?

He attacked her, Tavis made a legitimate criticism of St. Obama.

[NJObamaWoman]

43. how do you know? Obama hasn't said anything because he's

above it all and wont WHINE for being who he is in America. All of this is just Tavis whining because there are many black americans who are calling his ass out. I'm sure there are people who threaten him before because he's a tv person but he doesn't cry then. No its because people are calling his ass out that he wants to cry.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

56. got some proof of those threats?

[NJObamaWoman]

63. my proof is the secret security guards that Obama has compared

to everyone else. My proof is the KKK who protested on MLK's b-day. My proof is that racism still very much exist in America. My proof is the fact that I'm a black woman who has felt the sting all at the age of 24. That is my proof dear and thats enough.

[PetraPooh]

21. Smiley started it by denouncing Obama for essentially not being black enough.

[cbayer]

37. What? Please point that out to me. nt.

[PetraPooh]

51. Not in those exact words, but what would you call it when he

accuses a man of not giving black issues and his personal black oriented event the attention that Smiley deems appropriate. He may as well have said it straight out, because that is certainly the implication.

[cbayer]

59. I can't even respond to this. nt

[jasmine621]

60. "Not in those exact words" is what has turned this primary season into

the most divisive primary in my lifetime. The race card is being played by the ones who cry against it all the time. Blacks may as well not have a vote if they are going to be threatened for not voting the way people want. No one threatened black folks for voting for Nixon, Bush I or Bush II. This makes it really bad for any blacks, male or female, who might have had visions of running for President in the future. The fact that Obama has not spoken out about this and deplored it tells me a lot about him and lets me know that my negative instincts about him are probably right on target.

[PetraPooh]

62. Where has the race card been played against voters here?

Unless I sorely misread the OP, the threats have to do with Obama being dissed for his choice, not for anyone not voting for Obama.

Perhaps Obama will address this, I think its fair to give him a chance to respond. Its certainly new news to me, I would expect that he may be doing something else just now and hasn't had a chance to even be aware of it.


I don't understand your desire to exaggerate this beyond reason.

[NOLALady]

66. She exaggerates

to justify her anti Obama posistion and/or maybe to recruit others. Many, if not all, of her posts are anti Obama.

[blonndee]

22. Name-calling makes it so easy to know who needs to go on Ignore.

Thanks for helping me diminish the ugliness of the DU experience for me. *Click.*

[NJObamaWoman]

26. More Crabs in a Bucket by Tavis. I'm starting to lose respect for him day by day!

Stop whining Tavis because I'm sure just as he's getting hammered Obama is getting hammers even more. Has anyone thought that maybe Obama is getting death threats and threats against his family for running? As a black man who is running for POTUS I'm sure he is getting hammered and this is why he has the most Secret Service men. But you DO NOT hear Obama crying about this or saying how unfair America is.

Thats the diffeerence between Tavis and Obama. Tavis is still in that damn sad mentality of people don't like me as a black man so I must bitch about it. WE as a people wont get anywhere if we continue to bitch and feel like the white man etc is keeping us down. Move about your business Tavis.

I see this is more bitching by the King Crab in the Bucket who supports HRC and wants to bring down Obama and his black support. I'm glad that many Black Americans are calling out our black leaders because they are FAKE!!!

[cbayer]

41. What? Have you seen his show? Listened to his radio pieces?

And where do you get the idea he is supporting Clinton?

[NJObamaWoman]

46. Yes and I've even heard him speak at my graduation in 07.

Again I never thought he was all that. I respected him but I don't think he's all that.

[Irishonly]

28. That's Too Bad

Threats for criticism makes no sense.

[Little Star]

31. If Hillary can take time to go to a state she lost to Obama, then

why the heck can't he? She needs to be campaigning in all the same up coming states that he uses for his excuse. Obama looks bad for dissing this event.

[NJObamaWoman]

35. Obvious many black Americans don't care LOL.

He doesn't look bad for not attending this debate. Have you heard any black radios? LMAO most don't care and understand WHY he can't go.

[jackson_dem]

44. One poll has Hillary up to 27% with blacks in Texas

Maybe this will matter...

[NJObamaWoman]

48. LMAO polls don't matter until Obama gets down there.

I'll take black radio than polls.

[jackson_dem]

55. Where else has Hillary been over 20% with blacks? She's been stuck between 11-15% most places

[ElsewheresDaughter]

61. she is up 21 pts in TX and Ohio,,,,and she's up 16 in PA

blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/02/clinton-has-big.html

[jackson_dem]

64. Yes but with blacks she has been below 20% in every state since the swiftboating on race

[fortyfeetunder]

39. It;s free publicity for Mrs. Clinton...she's hungry for it...

I am being objective on this based on what I've observed:

Mrs. Clinton's campaign is financially hurting -- having to lend her own money to the campaign. Under those circumstances, she is going to take any free publicity she can get.

Mr. Obama, still perceived by some is an underdog, hasn't yet experienced a financial problem. He's trying to reach a wider and more diverse cross-section of voters, and he offered his wife as a substitute.

Different candidates, different priorities.

[NJObamaWoman]

49. But she has to appeal to Blacks since many are voting for Obama too.

[NOLALady]

65. It looks bad to who?

It doesn't look bad to me. I support his decision 100%. I would also support HRC if she made that decision.

[cbayer]

33. Isn't this an interesting delimma?

Tavis Smiley is an unabashedly strong advocate for african-americans in this country and has no difficulty talking about race without pretense. I think that this makes a lot of "folk" (Tavis's term, which I like) quite uncomfortable.

Obama, trying to be a unity candidate, really doesn't want to take that position for political reasons. At the same time, he is getting tremendous support from the african-american community and takes the risk of angering some if he disses Tavis.

Not an easy decision for the candidate.

Tavis, on the other hand, will be just fine.

[NJObamaWoman]

38. But he also can't go over to the event because he can't appear to

favor one race over the other. If he would have went I think that would have turned off many Americans like some Latinos and Asians who already fear that if he's elected that he will push for blacks instead of Latinos and Asians. He can't favor a race. He also has the black vote so far now he has to get the white, latino and asian votes without appearing Black but as an American.

[woolldog]

52. Perfect summary

He's in a no-win position. Tavis is being an idiot.

[NJObamaWoman]

54. I agree which is sad.

[Olney Blue]

36. I don't understand why Tavis didn't graciously accept Michelle

and come out encouraging Obama to keep fighting in the trenches.
The first AA president is within grasp!

[NJObamaWoman]

50. Crabs in a bucket. Michelle would have been great.

[jasmine621]

77. She is not running for President. The invitations was for the candidates.

Give me a break!

[Rageneau]

67. One COULD view this as showing BO puts his personal ambitions ahead of his race.

If Hillary thinks of enough of Black America to take time off from campaign in a must-win state in order to attend an event inside a state she can gain NO political benefit from, she is obviously putting her desire to stand in solidarity with African-Americans above her personal ambitions.

Why can't Obama show that much class?

Maybe because he doesn't have it to show?

[NJObamaWoman]

69. Yeah and you can also say that she is only there to kiss black

peoples asses since many aren't voting for her. I think that is much more accurate than anything other idea out there.

[Straight Shooter]

70. In other words, as for Hillary, she is damned if she does, damned if she doesn't.

Double standards and tortuous logic.

Hope and change. Yeah, right. Let's wait another century. Maybe then.

[NJObamaWoman]

72. LMAO oh please get off the poor HRC act.

If you believe she is only there to support black issues than you are the naive one.

[Jamastiene]

71. Proudly gets on a stage with ex-gay hate mongers,

refuses to speak at such a key event as the State of the Black Union, complains about "excesses" of the 60's, which includes the civil rights movement inspired by Dr. King, makes misogynistic remarks about Hillary Clinton...the list goes on and on...

Is this the kind of "CHANGE" we will see when it comes to civil rights legislation in this country if Obama is elected? No thanks.

[NJObamaWoman]

73. As a black person this is NOT a key event. So lets stop trying

to push it like this represents most black people. Listen to black radio for the true feelings of my people. Most don't care that Obama isn't there.

[NashVegas]

76. Wow. Just Looking At the Comments Here and on the WaPo Blog

Pretty much tells the story.