I am a liberal and an African-American who feels totally left out because I didn’t drink the Kool-Aid and fall in behind Obama’s followers. I’ve been told by conervative friends that I am more of a conservative than I think (I was reared by my conservative grandmother, so maybe I do have conservatism in my blood). It must be true because I want to kiss you for writing this! I hope you know you’re goinjg to be on the new President’s “hit list” along with his other detractors. I expect to be there, too, due to my column “Chit-Chat” in which I’ve opposed him since he was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey. (I’m pasting that one at the end of this comment.)Thanks for your clarity and sanity. I plan to keep reading you for the next year or so – I believe our new President is psychologically imbalanced and will have a meltdown by then: I think this man is a narcissitic megalomaniac who is more dangerous than anyone can imagine. Just my opinion, but I do have a background as a behaviorist. Thanks again.
CHIT-CHAT by Geoyce Chatman
© 9/13/2007, gjc
The OOPS Factor: Oprah-Obama, Political Suicide
Barak Obama’s endorsement by billionaire TV star Oprah Winfrey may make it difficult for him to continue in the role of “man of the people.” Sure Oprah is perceived as the warm, shoulder everybody wants to cry on, but she’s no more the middle class soccer mom than George Bush is the good ol’ boy buying drinks for his buddies at the neighborhood bar. Perhaps that explains the President’s appearance on Oprah’s show just before the 2004 election: two posers making nice for a TV audience full of voters and viewers, their “raisons d’etre,” respectively. But back to Obama. Say Oprah pulls it off and gets her man in the White House (remember, first he has to get the nomination as the Democrats’ candidate). What will she get out of it? Probably nothing more than the satisfaction of being a kingmaker, that rarest of powerbrokers who can select heads of state. Regardless of whether true or not, people would probably think that the Big O owned a President she single-handedly put in office (and there’s a little thing call an election that has always been a factor in choosing U.S. Presidents – well, until the last two, anyway, if you ask certain disgruntled parties, including yours truly). One more politician at the beck and call of Big Business. Make no mistake about it, with HARPO Productions, her magazine and other interests, Oprah is BIG Business with three capital B’s, and that last one stands for the billions she’s worth. Just as veepee Cheney has been viewed as the political pawn of Halliburton, Obama could very well be viewed as Oprah’s “Man in the Big House” should he get elected President. Although, close association with a corporate giant hasn’t hurt Mr. Cheney, despite all of the negative press. So Obama might survive the cheap shots about being bought and paid for by a TV star. But what about the feminists and other assorted women’s factions? Will Obama lose the support of women if he takes away our only hope of having a woman for President? Don’t get me wrong. As an African-American female, I am thrilled to have both an African-American and a woman vying for the top job in our government. Actually, as a proponent of laying claim to our unique heritage of having roots in Africa and descending from African slaves, their white owners and Native tribes, I think Obama is representative of this unique mixture of races that I call AfrAm (a blending of the words African and American in the tradition of the language created by African slaves). Although his connections with slavery aren’t as extensive as most of those born here, since he is only one generation removed from Africa (I understand some of his mother’s ancestors owned slaves), he is, like us, a blend of cultures, ethnicities and races; which makes him very American. But we could have a woman for President! I would have bet that Oprah would have put her influence and money behind the first viable woman candidate for the office, since she has been a champion for women’s issues all these years. Perhaps she can prevail on Obama to choose a female running mate if he gets the nomination. I guess she could take that spot, but I’m not sure she can stand up to the pressure of running for office in this country. One weepfest and she’s history! No, he’d be better off choosing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (the first woman speaker!) or his worth opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton – that is if either of these formidable women would assent to being his second in command. Perhaps, he should cross party lines and choose a woman who seems to be content standing in the shadow of a powerful man, Condoleeza Rice. At any rate, Oprah’s endorsement of Obama does present a variety of possible problems, any of which could cost him the nomination, or, should he wrangle that, the election. Think about it. The majority of American voters are women. It’s rather doubtful that even Ms. “I’m Every Woman” can convince her network of sisters, survivors, big losers and book lovers to vote for any man, even one as charismatic as Obama, when they could put a woman in the White House – finally! OOPS! Nice try, Oprah. Maybe you should have backed Hillary.
