Obama Walks, Fox News Squawks

Not since 1977 has a newly inaugurated President walked Pennsylvania Avenue, Jimmy Carter was the last to do so. This afternoon, President and First Lady Obama got out of their armored Cadillac limo to walk Pennsylvania Avenue. With a 15 degree wind chill, the Obamas graciously waved and smiled at the thongs of citizens that gathered to get a glimpse of the world’s most powerful couple.

In the meantime, a bottomless pitcher of haterade was being served up over at Fox News where I caught a somber looking Brit Hume praising the presidency of the outgoing 43rd and Glenn Beck nitpicking the 44th’s pragmatic but eloquent inauguration speech. I see it’s going to take some people a long time to get over the fact that Barack Obama is our president. Now is as good a time as any because it’s going to be a long eight years. Not content to see the error of their divisive, narrow minded politics, they are convinced they know better than the 9 million people who elected him by overwhelming popular vote.

At one of the most challenging economic times in American history, President Obama is going to need our support and prayers. Change has obviously come but some people still aren’t ready for it.

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The Beginning of a New Era

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

The importance of this historical day was best summed up by a friend who said that her grandfather called her today in tears. His father was lynched many years ago and today he is watching President Obama’s Inauguration…what a blessing. She was right.

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At Least He Said Something Nice

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Caricature of Dick Cheney, originally uploaded by josh.ferrin.

I have the same feeling that I think many Americans have, that it’s really remarkable that — what we’re going to do here in a few days, is swear in the first African-American president of the United States.

The evil, outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney had some kind words about Barack Obama. In an interview with CNN report Wolf Blitzer, Cheney appeared to show a kinder, more gentle persona when discussing the upcoming inauguration and our President-elect. He’s only got nine more days in office anyway, he can’t be the face of evil forever.

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The Clinton Kool-Aid

Hillary Clinton (2), originally uploaded by Nrbelex.

On MSNBC’s ‘Hardball‘ today, Chris Matthews asked political columnist Christopher Hitchens what he thought of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Hitchens called it a “ludicrous embarassment” and cited Miss Hill’s use of the race card during the Democratic primaries and her lie about dodging bullets in Bosnia as the major disqualifiers. I’m riding with Hitchens on this one because he’s right.

Besides the glaringly obvious fact that Miss Hillary has no foreign policy experience, she and hubby Bill will bring too much drama to an Obama administration. Do you really expect Bill to remain quiet if he disagrees with President Obama’s foreign policy decisions? Think again!

I’m already feeling there’s not much you can tell either of the Clintons. Obama is asking for trouble with these two provided he really wants Miss Hillary to be Secretary of State.

Miss Hillary is Bill’s wife and I roll my eyes everytime someone talks about how experienced she is for the job. Since when does traveling alongside your husband as First Lady qualify as foreign policy experience? The idea that Bill Clinton’s foreign policy is somehow is going to help his wife as Secretary of State is asinine. This idea is sexist and simple-minded. I’m also aghast at the notion that since Miss Hillary proved herself as a worthy adversary in the Democratic primaries against Obama that she deserves a plum cabinet position in his administration. Uh, I don’t think so.

On her own merits, Miss Hillary has very little foreign policy experience. If Condoleeza Rice were married we wouldn’t expect her husband to help formulate foreign policy or help with diplomacy because he accompanies her on diplomatic trips so why does this qualify for Miss Hillary for Secretary of State?

For now, I’ll pass on that pitcher of Clinton Kool-Aid and hold out for something better.

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Go Back to Africa And Other Niceties

Photo taken from Press-Enterprise Online.

With the election of Barack Obama as our next president, our country took a small step toward facing its racist past. For the majority of us, it meant transcending skin color as the sole means by which to judge a person’s character and suitability for a job. It wasn’t so much about Obama’s race as it was about his message for change. After eight years of George W. Bush and a worsening economy, it’s time for something new.

The Associated Press reports that since Obama won the Presidential election the number of reported hate crimes has risen. I can’t say I’m surprised by this. I was expecting a small contingent of folks to be upset over . It didn’t help that McCain-Palin campaign in their desperation used smears to question Obama’s patriotism and incite fear. Instead of attracting mainstream Americans, McCain-Palin rallies attracted the fringe element of the party, those who believed Obama was a Muslim, communist, socialist and an Arab. Though their beliefs defied all logic and common sense, there was no way you could talk them down. They’ll be right there in 2012, cheering Sarah Palin on when she runs for President.

I don’t care what anyone says, John McCain owns some responsibility for this uptick in hate crimes. Civil rights legend John Lewis called McCain out on this and he was right for doing so. McCain tried to feign indignation but didn’t do a very good job. He was appealing to the lowest common denominator, fear. I would respect these people more if they just came and out said they don’t like Obama because he’s black, but the “go back to Africa”, fried chicken and watermelon jokes just aren’t funny.

One of the more idiotic hate crimes since the election comes from Standish, Maine. The Oak Hill General Store has an Osama Obama Shotgun Pool where customers can bet on the date when Obama will be killed. Not funny. It wouldn’t even be funny after a couple of beers or 40s. I’m certain the Secret Service will be taking a trip up to Standish to check this one out. The good thing about is they’ll have a ready-made list of suspects to work with in a town with less than 10,000 people.

I hate to make generalizations about folks in small towns but I’m pretty sure the people who signed up for this pool probably think lynching is funny too.

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Hillary Clinton For Secretary of State? Keep Your Enemies Closer?

Ever since news surfaced that Hillary Clinton is being consider for Secretary of State, I’ve shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, mostly in disbelief. Surely the press is getting overzealous in their reporting. President-elect Obama has also met with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson too but you don’t hear reporters speculating about Richardson’s meeting with Obama. Richardson is obviously more suited to be Secretary of State than the bullet dodging Miss Hillary.

Until it’s official, I’m going to write off Obama’s meeting with Miss Hillary as political strategizing, nothing more. AAPP, a blogger over at the Independent Bloggers’ Alliance is also skeptical about the news that President elect Obama is considering Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State. Read the post here: Independent Bloggers’ Alliance: Hillary Clinton For Sec. of State? Keep Your Enemies Closer?

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Is He Serious?

Say it ain’t so. President-elect Barack Obama is considering Hillary Clinton (my pet name for her is Miss Hillary, you know, like Miss Daisy, as in driving. . .) for Secretary of State!? After an ugly campaign where she was bested by the upstart Obama, I can’t believe he’s seriously considering her for such an important position. With Miss Hillary, you get Bill and that’s going to be a problem for Obama. The Clintons don’t know their place, never have.

Toward the end of the Democratic primary, it turned quite ugly with Miss Hillary questioning Obama’s blackness, playing the “he’s not electable” card and being a sore loser. Personally, I don’t think the Clintons ever got over having Obama beat them at their own game. Their support of Obama has been lukewarm at best, even when they campaigned for him, it never seemed to me that they were very sincere. That’s why I find it hard to believe that he would offer her such an important position within his administration.

Miss Hillary as Secretary of State is not the kind of change I can believe in. She should not be the face representing America to the world. She’s better known as former President Clinton’s wife than she is for her foreign policy experience. She was wrong on Iraq and refused to admit it plus she has some of those unnerving George W. Bush-like qualities that I don’t think would benefit an Obama administration. She never admits to her mistakes.

If President elect Obama wants to put Miss Hillary somewhere, I think she’s better suited for the Supreme Court should a position become available or better yet, give her a lesser cabinet position, like Health and Human Services but please, not Secretary of State.

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The First Family of the United States

the obamas, originally uploaded by kingdomm.

The great thing about the Obamas being America’s first family is that Americans and the rest of world will finally get to see that black people really aren’t that different from everyone else. The Obamas are not the Huxtables, they are an authentic upper middle class black family not a fictional one. So forget all of those things you’ve seen on television about black people because you will be sorely disappointed. It definitely won’t be ‘Good Times’, ‘The Jeffersons’ or ‘Baldwin Hills’.

The Obamas have class so don’t expect to see Michelle doing the chicken neck, snapping her fingers or bragging about how much money she spends shopping. You can also expect Malia and Sasha to be paragons of class. The Obamas seem to be well acquainted with something that has gone missing in our society lately, it’s called humility.

For all of those people who are afraid of a black man being president, be prepared to discover that Barack Obama and his family are just like any other American family. And yes, black people are just like everyone else.

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Barack Hussein Obama, My President

Barack Obama Hope Sticker, originally uploaded by PEEL.

Last night at eleven, I exhaled. Barack Hussein Obama had been elected President of the United States. Later I cried and cheered as our President elect and his family appeared on stage. It was a historical moment indeed. A black man had been elected president of my country in my lifetime. Obama wasn’t elected because he was black but because he was the best man for the job.

For me, nothing was more gratifying than seeing the multi-ethnic, multi-generational crowd of Americans gather at Grant Park in Chicago. The excitement and anticipation in the crowd was obvious, it was a collective moment that everyone played a part in. Barack Hussein Obama, was our president. At that moment, he wasn’t just a black man, he was every man. The new face of America.

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