Tavis Smiley Quits Tom Joyner Show

[WillyToad]

http://www.maynardije.org/columns/dickprince/080411_prince/">"Activist Said to Be Hurt by Hate" Over Obama Issue

The whole hate thing just makes me mourn for whats left of the democratic party

[LisaM]

1. Sigh. Once again, Obama the Uniter.

I watched the State of the Black Union, or at least much of it. I can't understand Obama refusing to attend this year, and swiping the attention away from them last year (declining their invitation, then kicking off his campaign that same day). Was there some big symbolic reason he had to announce his candidacy that day (but not there?)

Do he and Tavis Smiley just not get along?

[EFerrari]

2. People are upset with Smiley for being critical of Obama.

Obama can hardly be blamed for that. It is too bad, though.

I like Tavis Smiley and even force my eyelids to stay open so I can watch his show. :)

[LisaM]

3. I don't think that he's relentlessly critical. It sounds as if he just

didn't heap praise on him all the time.

I know that Obama was at some big rally during the SOTBU this year, but announcing his run at the same time after declining an invitation? COME ON.

[EFerrari]

4. The article in the OP said that people are very passionate this time out.

Sounds like they're taking it out on people like Smiley -- the public acts like a mob sometimes.

I don't know what's up with the timing and the SOTBU. But, the Clinton campaign tried to frame him as a candidate only black people would vote for. (And, they're still at it. Today, on Hardball, the guy from Politico told Tweetie that the Clintons are telling the Super Ds that Obama will not get the Jewish vote, the low income white vote or the Latino vote. They're still at it.) Anywya, his campaign probably anticipated that and decided not to do big public events that focus there for now.

I don't know if that's a good decision or not. But as has been pointed out over and over, Obama self identifies as black. He could call himself biracial or mixed race or a bunch of other descriptors. But he didn't.

[LisaM]

5. When did the Clintons say that?

I do agree that the old paradigms of what candidate groups will vote for are shifting dramatically. Most political analysts still see it in terms that are two election cycles old. I don't particularly like framing it in terms of "the Jewish vote", "the black vote", etc. - though traditionally, it's been possible to predict (my family is Irish-Catholic on one side, and at one point my great grandmother is supposed to have slammed the door shut on a Republican canvasser because she assumed he was also a Protestant!)

I don't think that the Clintons can actually think that, because they must know age demographics are a part of it too, particularly at colleges this time around. I don't think Hillary has a chance at the college vote, even though her views on education are as good or better than Obama's, IMO.