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Cornel West’s Racist Attacks Highlight The Racial Limbo of Barack Obama
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After the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama told the assembled crowd that he was president to all America and not just his legion of supporters who worked tirelessly on his campaign. Shortly after taking office, racists began murmuring that President Obama was pursuing a legislative agenda to repay his black race and punish white people. This past week, the debate was joined by Dr. Cornel West who assailed the president for not fulfilling his campaign promises and being a “black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats. And now he has become head of the American killing machine and is proud of it.” Dr. West’s comments would be excusable coming from a radical extremist intent on widening the racial divide between the president and African Americans, but West is an intelligent professor who should know better than to invoke the race card just because Obama is not president to Black Americans exclusively.
Apparently Dr. West harbors animus against the president for some perceived slight over an inauguration invitation, and joined by Tavis Smiley, has mercilessly demeaned President Obama over every single policy decision he has made since taking office. West has challenged Obama’s adherence to progressive standards and offensively questioned the President’s degree of racial purity by asserting that the president “has a certain fear of free black men” because, “As a young brother who grows up in a white context, brilliant African father, he’s always had to fear being a white man with black skin. All he has known culturally is white. . . . When he meets an independent black brother, it is frightening.”
Dr. West must be aware that it is a slippery slope to challenge the degree of blackness of any bi-racial individual, because despite West’s all-knowing prescience and wisdom, the president’s life-experiences are solely those of Barack Obama and not Cornel West. The esteemed professor can only speak to what it is to be an African-American intellectual and not a bi-racial man, and certainly not the President of the United States of America. Perhaps if President Obama had anointed Dr. West the crown prince of America, the slander and attacks on the president would never have materialized, but alas, Dr. West is not a crown prince or any kind of politician. It is apparent that West forgets his own admonition to white America that they will never understand the experience of being African-American and therefore not presume to speak for or opine about being Black in America.
The result of West’s comments about Obama has been a spirited defense of the president by the Reverend Al Sharpton, Professor Melissa Harris-Perry, and Jonathan Capehart who understand the life experiences as African-Americans. Capehart in particular compared West’s remarks to the birther movement by questioning the president’s inherent blackness and indulging in the “Obama-as-other” meme white bigots perpetuate with the help of the Republican Party. Whatever West’s motivation, he has joined the ranks of liberals using divisive tactics that may seal America’s fate if not stopped.
Dr. West’s outburst against the president is insignificant if not for the chorus of disparate groups on the left who assail Obama for every imagined slight borne of self-importance and lack of unity America needs now more than ever. Indeed, even after the 2010 midterm elections where anger at the passage of the Affordable Healthcare Act and regulatory reforms contributed to Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives and numerous governorships and majorities in state legislatures, there are rumblings of primary challenges to the president in 2012.
Advocates of a public option in the healthcare law sat out the 2010 midterm elections because the president did not insist on a single-payer or public option feature that although desirable, would have doomed the health law to stagnation in committee. Ezra Klein pointed out that if the president had demanded a public option, conservative Democrats would have balked and the measure would have been dead on arrival reminiscent of the Clinton health care proposal. There are still public option advocates on the left who will sit out the 2012 elections like spoiled 7th graders who did not get the video game they wanted for Christmas.
There are members of the gay community who are incensed that Obama has not waved his scepter and commanded Congress to make same-sex marriage a Constitutional law and are threatening to abstain from voting in 2012 like they did in 2010. Anti-war advocates did not vote in 2010 because Obama did not withdraw all fighting forces from Iraq and Afghanistan on his first day in office, and their inaction contributed to Republican victories in the midterms. When the president failed to close and abandon Guantanamo Bay, he was criticized and some on the left withheld their votes adding to Republican victories in 2010. Some of the professional left has used the arrest of Bradley Manning as a reason to attack President Obama, and are relentless in their baseless accusations that the president is responsible for torturing the intelligence analyst even though the soldier admitted to stealing State secrets and passing them to foreign agents.
The list of groups that oppose the President for perceived slights is inexhaustible and grows daily despite the damage Republicans are doing to this country. It is true that Obama has not been all things to all people, but there are two minor aspects that the disparate groups fail to recognize. The president is not a monarch or dictator, and he is the president for all Americans. Many on the left mock teabaggers for their ignorance of the legislative process and the Constitution, but they too misunderstand the limits of power of the presidency. The misguided belief that President Obama can or will fulfill every whim of every group contributed to Republicans taking power in 2010 and the country is perilously close to becoming an oligarchy because a fair number of Democrats failed to vote.
Although President Obama received much of his support in 2008 from Independents, he and Democrats are going to need all the support they can get in 2012 or Republicans will gain control of the Senate as well as increase their majority in the House. The Republican propaganda machine is well-funded and despite the weak presidential field, conservatives are angry and driven to win at all costs in 2012. In several states, voter suppression measures are being enacted that will give advantages to Republican candidates, and anti-union legislation is meant to weaken support for Democratic candidates. Even with Republicans losing support among voters, their base is still energized to defeat Obama and the last thing the country needs is another Republican sweep in 2012.
Cornel West may have legitimate ideological differences and complaints about the president, but using race to drive a wedge between Obama and African-Americans is irresponsible and in bad taste. It is one thing to differ on policy, but there is no excuse for someone with Dr. West’s stature implying that the president’s race is relevant in governance. West is aware that there are myriad racists who are making Obama’s presidency about race so his foray into the field puts his character in question. If there was ever a time for Americans to stand together against the right-wing takeover of the entire government, it is now. If all Democrats, liberals, and progressives unite, the Republicans have little chance of maintaining their majority in the House much less take the Senate. Constructive criticism is good in a free society, but degradation of the president because he is not Black enough is beyond comprehension. Republicans are searching for any advantage in 2012 and the last thing liberals need is for some of their own to supply advantages to defeat Democrats. It doesn’t matter if it is the anti-war crowd or Cornel West, not supporting the president is tantamount to voting for a Republican takeover and either group knows better.
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Reynardine
May. 19th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
If anything fries me, it’s nihilism. You know, stuff like, “It’s all bullshit anyway”, “They’re all corrupt”, “I never vote because it doesn’t make any difference”. These are self-fulfilling prophecies, and the stay-at-homes suffering from the policies of (p)Rick Scott are beginning to realize there is, so, a difference. I just hope everyone wakes up before it’s too late.
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Sarah Jones
May. 19th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
I couldn’t agree more. I just read a piece on paid trolls (paid conservative trolls) and tat is one thing they are taught to say- also “both parties are the same” – obviously that’s not true, and that benefits the GOP, not the Dem party.
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Anne
May. 19th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
The last time I checked, President Obama is the president of ALL Americans and not just blacks. I don’t have any use for self-appointed spokespersons for blacks like Cornel West, and while I may not always agree with the president, I am definitely glad I voted for him November 4, 2008. He stands head and shoulders above his detractors, who are nothing more than backseat drivers. Between those on the right who hate him, thinking he would only help blacks, and those on the left who say he is not “black enough,” he has persevered in spite of them. He will be remembered well by history long after they have been consigned to history’s dustbin.
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cathy
May. 19th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
I agree completely! How did we become so selfish–that all of MY needs must be met? What happened to discussion and compromise? We don’t have to agree to get along together. Diversity is what makes us great, but acceptance and tolerance will keep us great. And RESPECT!
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 12:44 am
Bravo! You completely nailed it.
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LaShawn Hannity
May. 19th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
“Racist Attacks”? I thought it was PC to say Blacks can’t be racist.
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Juanita de Talmas
May. 19th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
I don’t know. Mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a puppet of corporate plutocrats sounds pretty accurate to me.
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Realist
May. 19th, 2011 at 1:09 pm
I have to agree.
West is adopting the mantle of the voice of the urban black, whose plight is worse than that of the nation as a whole. That West would so presume to do so is understandable when examining the socio-economic numbers, such as unemployment and poverty. I won’t get into those specifics now, as anyone who really cares can do so.
Obama is currently reported to be seeking to rebuild his coalition, yet his coalition is seeking to rebuild their lives. His policies could have made a huge difference if he had chosen to fight for Main Street instead of against it by cravenly serving Wall Street with our tax dollars. Why should people of color (and those of us who are not who also had higher expectations of the Candidate of Audacious Hope) answer his call? “I’m the lesser of Two Evils” is hardly a rallying cry. “I got most of you a mandate for health care coverage that requires higher co-pays and delivers less service” isn’t a resume item.
Blaming the GOP intransigence is not a better strategy then Just Say No To Everything as the Republicans have done. The nation we all knew is dying, and yet Obama insists on worrying more about his apparently easy re-election than about how easy it is for the wealthy to plunder what remains.
Blast West if you must. Blast me if you must. You can’t make up your own facts to hide behind when the truth is so evident. He’s letting us down, and we are letting him know about it. West is just the first. He won’t be the last.
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majii
May. 20th, 2011 at 12:02 am
One thing you should know is that blacks don’t look up to those like West, Smiley, or even Reverend Al Sharpton for guidance. We have diverse opinions and make up our own minds. One would be surprised to know that few blacks in America even know who Smiley and West are, or care, and one would be surprised to know that millions of blacks look with distaste upon the divide and conquer strategy West is pursuing via race-baiting. Of course, one would have to be black to realize these things. If West and Smiley want to do something to help urban blacks, they’ll have to do more than denigrate the president. We know that Obama is president of all Americans, and we are not looking to him to be our savior. Anyone who would say that President Obama is not addressing the needs of Americans, even blacks, is not very cognizant of the political process in America. As Rmuse stated in this post, President Obama is not a dictator, and anyone who holds him solely responsible because certain issues have not been addressed needs a refresher course in civics. Should the president use a series of executive orders to accomplish certain parts of his political platform, the same people who are blaming him for not getting their special pony would yell about abuse of power. President Obama is chief executive, and the Constitution prohibits him from introducing even one bill into any house of Congress. He can scream all day long about what needs to be done, but if Congress doesn’t address the issue, the bill doesn’t reach the president’s desk, and it doesn’t become law.
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Realist
May. 20th, 2011 at 10:06 am
I did say that West PRESUMED to don the mantle. That doesn’t make him wrong about what he says, just that he’s not justified to pretend that he is a spokesman for the downtrodden who “don’t know who he is”.
And as for that inability of the President to move Congress to act, how come Wall Street got trillions in a matter of days? It’s because the word of the President (first Bush, then Obama) insisted that the world economy would collapse without that support. Someone in Congress took that statement seriously.
So don’t try to tell me that the President is powerless. He just refuses to use his influence for anything except that which benefits his corporate masters, just like a good employee should.
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 1:10 am
I am sorry to say but you screen name does not fit you. You are not a realist because you demonstrate absolute ignorance of the reality of the American political system and culture.
I dare you, or Dr. West, to run for President and see if you could push through your pure progressive agenda! In the first plave I doubt that either of you would win. If you don’t believe me check out Ralph Nader’s and Dennis Kucinich’s record of running for President
You are all so big on criticism of this hard working, and skilled politician, who has accomplished more for progressives than any other President in my life time.
By the way show me any President in history who was perfect? And please not Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, FDR, or LBJ! Any person, with average intelligence, knows fully well all their shortcomings.
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Realist
May. 20th, 2011 at 10:06 am
Do you know yours?
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 12:54 am
So where does that live Dr. West who is a privileged professor, drawing a three figure salary from an ivy league university that is deeply entwined with corporate plutocrats? What, in practical terms, has this privileged flame thrower done for the benefit of the masses? Has he donated any of his obscene speaking fees to programs aiding the poor? Why doesn’t he run for President to show us how he would win and and then proceed to demolish corporate plutocrats? As my grandmother, God rest her Soul, was fond of saying: “Talk Is Cheap!”
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Realist
May. 20th, 2011 at 10:08 am
A three figure salary? A high-school kid working at McDonald’s can make a three figure salary. You are hurting yourself by displaying your angry ignorance in such a blatant manner.
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
I meant to say a six figure income. But I suppose you are so perfect that you’ve never made any typing mistakes! If that mistake constitutes “angry ignorance” then I bow down to your superior and well reasoned response to my comment!
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Shiva (Moderator)
May. 19th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
I have to say that if there’s anything I hate its people threatening the president over their own concerns. We have the Hispanics who are going berserk because president Obama has not freed them yet to illegally enter this country whenever they want. We have some black people who are going berserk because president Obama has not made this a black state yet( generalization), we have gays and lesbians who are saying that they will not vote for president Obama because he has not given them the freedom to marry yet.
What’s a president to do?
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Proud of Obama
May. 19th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
As an African-American woman, I am disgusted by the likes of Cornell West and his ilk. Their real problem with our brilliant President is that he knows exactly who he is. He is comfortable with who he is and he is comfortable with all people of the world. President Obama is not in racial limbo, the racists — both black and white — are the ones who have the problem.
West is simply envious of President Obama’s intellect, skills and achievements. His personal attacks on the President say more about him than they do the President.
As for some of the comments from the obvious trolls, it is fascinating to me how you try to mask your hatred of and bigotry toward the President under “he’s let us down” “hasn’t done enough.”
Pulling the economy from the brink in less than one term would normally earn any other President life-long hero status. But President Obama added saving the auto industry, adding almost 2 million jobs, and other achievements too numerous to list here. But for you folks that’s not enough. And the truth is, it will never be enough. You folks cry about what’s not getting done but you do nothing to pressure congress to do its job and represent the will of the people.
Just one example: closing Guantanamo. The PL wants to blame the President that is remains open, completely ignoring the fact that this was the very first order the President signed. You ignore the fact that congress (republicans and the progressive savior Feingold) refused to fund the closing tying the President’s hands. Admitting this doesn’t fit the hate narrative you want to push so you ignore the facts.
West and his ilk are a disgrace. Here is a black man whining (and I suspect lying) about some slight, about not being respected when he is not man enough to respect the President of the United States.
Cornell is what my grandmother would call an educated fool. He does not speak for me or all black people. And I have not seen anything he has done to help the poor he claims to be an advocate for. From what I see he’s busy earning huge speaking fees and pontificating on Real Time. If he cares so much about the poor, where’s his action?
I also find it interesting that West’s attacks and those from others come at a time with 72% of folks like this President, when his approval numbers are holding high, when he’s kicking butt and getting things done.
Makes me ask, who is West really speaking for.
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mel in oregon
May. 19th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
sorry, but dr west is right. president obama gets his money from the same sources republicans do (wall street). just because obama isn’t as bad as bush means little. we still continue with the costly wars & tax cuts for the extremely wealthy. look at obama’s cabinet, it’s full of wallstreet personnel. it seems most people that support obama enthusiasticly, are solid middle class. the choice is, vote conservative, for the extremely rich, vote democrat for the solid middle class. nobody represents the very poor. the problem with the middle class is, they want the poor to support someone who has no interest in them.
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Shiva (Moderator)
May. 19th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
and that presents the real problem. All the money comes from Wall Street and banks as well as corporations. They give millions to political campaigns but we don’t force them to pay their taxes
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Proud of Obama
May. 19th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Sorry, but you are wrong. West is totally wrong. As I said, he’s throwing stones, he’s been out there for years yelling speeches and writing books about nothing. What has he done for the poor? Not a darn thing. Just sits in his elitist Princeton tower and throws stones.
As as I said, those complaining need to zero in on congress. They write and pass the laws. They’re the ones in the pockets of big oil, big banks, etc. But you give them a complete pass and throw blame at the President.
This is the same mentality that enabled the republicans to take the house and the state level government. And they’re showing you everyday how much they care about the poor and the middle class.
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Dash Riprock
May. 19th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Just because West hasn’t done anything for the poor doesn’t mean he’s wrong when he says Obama hasn’t either.
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majii
May. 20th, 2011 at 12:24 am
What black has said he/she wanted president Obama to “do” anything special for him/her? West pretends to “speak” for blacks in urban areas, but what he fails to realize is that many blacks in America have spent most of their lives struggling and have still managed to survive and succeed. Blacks struggling economically in America didn’t begin under President Obama, and it won’t end with him. Where was West’s voice between January 2001 and January 2009? Millions of blacks were struggling just as hard during these years as they are now. Our history is rife with examples of us succeeding in spite of adverse circumstances. Never have the majority of us given up, and never have we wailed and howled because things didn’t go our way. Ours is a history of persevering under conditions that would have thoroughly broken less hardy, and determined, individuals. Unless one has lived the black experience, one has no authority or basis to make a comment about what he/she “thinks” any president has/has not “done” regarding blacks. If this question wasn’t asked under other presidents, why is it being asked under President Obama so relentlessly? I suspect there’s something else at work here besides a sudden “concern” for the economic welfare of blacks in America. I wouldn’t expect President Obama to “do” anything specifically for blacks because it would be wrong. He’s the president of all Americans, and his policies have shown that he’s well aware of this fact. We blacks have lots of experience in not giving up when things get tough. If we didn’t, we would have all died out by now from broken hearts. West knows this, but he has decided to gain a bit of notoriety for himself, but he should never, ever forget that we aren’t listening to him or Smiley because we know what President Obama is dealing with probably better than most others in this country.
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 1:30 am
Talk Is Cheap!
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mel in oregon
May. 19th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
you have a right to your opinion, so does dr west, & anyone else on here. the point is that many people believe obama has not done a good job period. he had a democratic congress to work with originally. he still catered to the right wing. we know how corrupt congress is & also republicans are. that isn’t relevant. you cannot excuse obama for not using the bully pulpit to make life a little less harsh for the extremely poor as kennedy, johnson, truman, fdr & ike did decades ago. many people are fed up with the lesser of 2 evils choice at the polls.
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Sarah Jones
May. 19th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Um, actually, he did – here’s one of many examples: He fought the GOP and had to compromise re the tax cuts for the rich in order to get UE bennies extended and when he did that, progressives said he was being weak for standing up for the poor and the out of work because he compromised with the GOP (didn’t use the “bully pulpit” ; translation, didn’t abuse his power and actually worked within the system of govt we have set up). Funny how that gets turned around.
There are things we’d all like to hear from him, and ways he can use the “bully pulpit” better, but “failing” to stand up for the poor is not a fair criticism esp from the left who attacked him for doing so. People should also note that the rules of the senate have changed since FDR’s days, and that comparison is a wish list, not a reality. Furthermore, the behavior of the senate has changed – they no longer defer to the wishes of the President. Blaming Obama for that is sort of kicking ourselves in the nose — accomplishes nothing and it’s inaccurate to boot.
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Realist
May. 20th, 2011 at 10:09 am
Surrender isn’t compromise.
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Shiva (Moderator)
May. 20th, 2011 at 10:27 am
Surrender and compromise are only in the eye of the beholder. To some it might appear that capitalization was the order of the day which is surrender. To others it may appear to be a compromise. If a person does not get the deal they were demanding its surrender. if someone is willing to see both sides its a compromise
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majii
May. 20th, 2011 at 12:42 am
If the bully pulpit brought results, I’d be all for it, but it doesn’t. If a bill isn’t introduced into Congress and is passed, the bully pulpit has zero power. It’s very naive to ignore the political landscape in America today where the republicans’ only goal, as stated by Mitch McConnell in January 2009, is to make President Obama a one term president. Wile trying to accomplish this, they are also giving our money to the super rich and corporations. One would also be negligent if one didn’t admit how many members of the president’s own party oppose him because they want to keep their seats in Congress. They have no interest in anything else. Democrats voted against HCR, putting an end to oil subsidies, and against closing Gitmo, just to name a few things. According to Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly, there are also rumblings that some dems will even vote against raising the debt limit even though they’ve voted to raise it in the past. Ben Nelson is the individual that Benen identified. I’d like to see all of those who are griping about every little thing, actually do something other than gripe, like maybe run for public office and show America how they can overcome all of the hurdles involved in getting elected and in governing and get their policies enacted. The reality of what is needed to get elected and of governing might be exactly what they need. And, no, I’m not saying don’t criticize the president, but what I am saying is make sure you know as much about why certain things don’t get done as you can before expressing an opinion that leaves out vital information.
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majii
May. 20th, 2011 at 12:43 am
**While**
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 1:29 am
Where does Dr. West get his money? Is Princeton University a bastion of anti-wall street socialists? Is HBO, MSNBC, where Dr west appears regularly ( and I am sure paid handsomely for his appearance) models of anti-wall street? Are you so ignorant that you did not notice that President Obama had to agree to a tax cut for the rich in order to protect a tax cut for the middle class?
I dare you to go ahead and support Dr. West for President and see if he will win? And if he cant be president what exactly can he do to affect policy other than appear on t.v. or give speeches for which he is paid twice as much, per speech, as the average working poor gets for the whole year.
Please forgive me but I am sick and tired of privileged people who always claim to be speaking on behalf of the poor and yet do absolutely nothing realistic, other than talk, to improve their conditions. Why doesn’t Dr. Waste put his money where his mouth is? No body is stopping him from running for President to represent the poor! But I know Dr. West is not stupid because he knows that he will never be elected. And if, by some miracle, he was elected, he still has to deal with a Congress that is not dominated by advocates of the pure progressive agenda. In the end, the poor will end up being worse than they are now because he will get absolutely nothing done!
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Anne
May. 19th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
Cornel West undermined any credibility he had on the subject by getting highly personal and insulting. As an African-American woman, I am sick and tired of folks like him trying to tell the rest of us what’s “black enough.” His own idea of what “black enough” is seems to feed into the negative stereotypes we are all too often saddled with. The remarks to the effect that the president is afraid of black men is especially stupid and immature, which makes it particularly unworthy from a supposed intellectual. But his remark to the effect that the president is a “birther” is particularly stunning in its unconscionable pandering to the racism and xenophobia of those who have made his birth an issue the past 2 years. As for Tavis Smiley, I happen to know that he was for Hillary Clinton during the nomination process, and it just may be that he is still smarting over that.
Like many others, West has made the mistake of assuming that one man alone can do it all, not taking into account the Congress which contains a lot of do-nothing Republicans who want this president to fail and Blue Dog Democrats who often serve as enablers to the Republicans. It’s easy to be an armchair critic, but much more difficult to actually run a country. The problems in black communities are not unique to us, but are more acute. These problems have to be approached with large-scale solutions that also involve the communities affected. Then there is also the issue of voting not just for a president, but also for people in Congress and at the state levels who support his agenda. Those who either didn’t vote or voted Republican trying to stick it to him have no one to blame but themselves. As president, there is no way President Obama can address blacks exclusively, in spite of the fearmongering of his enemies on the right. If Cornel West had merely cited the administration’s policies he disagrees with, it would have been one thing. But he chose to play the race card, which as far as I’m concerned has undermined any credibility he ever had. He is indeed an “educated fool” who only criticizes but does nothing constructive.
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Greg in Denver
May. 19th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
Why is it, that each time one get’s a head the rest of put them down and start being hateful towards them? I understand not having blind support for President Obama does no one any good. Yes we need the President to get more Federal contracts for us and more jobs out of walstreet for us. However let’s be honest, the Republicans in Congress while as the out of power party would have still been able to stop the funding for such programs. President Obama did get the Black farmers their over due money, HBCU’s got more funding just to name a few. The GOP will do far less for us. I will repeat what I read go after the House and Senate if you want to see anything done. Lobby them with small dollars and make K street your block. You can always give a rich man a penny. Write them, call them and make an poor persons lobbying group. We need action that comes from self not someone elsd.
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Fidel
May. 19th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
There’s been no change, just billions more for banks and health care. But to call Cornel West attacks racist truely takes the cake. Nope I’m not on “Team Democrat” this time and I guarantee that this attack piece came from the White House, just like the his other attack dog Ed Schultz who had Cornell on his dog and pony show the other night. I know I’m not alone, but Obama better show me somthing and soon, other than attacking the greatest intellectual in America. This nonsense didn’t work for Hillary, and I highly doubt it will work for Barack either. Can you say “I’m sitting this one out”, I know I can.
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Shiva (Moderator)
May. 19th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Cornel West ? greatest intellectual in America.?
No change? Yes, you are setting this one out alright
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majii
May. 20th, 2011 at 12:50 am
A winning strategy for bringing about change, for sure!!
Few blacks even know who Cornel West is, and many of us who do know who he is, know the game he’s playing. We’ve had to deal with Cornel Wests in communities all over America.
Every community has one!!!
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 2:11 am
Hi Majii, great comments!
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 1:55 am
His shameless and petty criticism of President Obama clearly revealed that he is not deserving of the title “intellectual,” let alone your conflated title, “the greatest intellectual in America,” which is not supported by any empirical evidence.
Being miffed because he did not receive an invitation to the President’s inaugural does not qualify as an intellectual exercise. Opining about who is more black than the other without providing concrete evidence to support his opinion does not qualify as an intellectual exercise. Failing to understand the complexity of the system of divided government, with checks and balances, that does not allow the President to unilaterally impose radical policies on the country does not qualify as evidence of a great intellect. Certainly, promoting divisions within the black community, and divisions within the Democratic party, thereby making it possible for the triumph of the Republican right wing party, clearly reveals the political naivety of the “Great Bother Doctor.”
By the way, you are free to choose not to vote because you hate President Obama. I am sure the teabaggers/Republicans would applaud your decision! But please, spare us the sanctimony that your refusal to vote will help the poor working class! Only privileged people, like the “Great Brother Doctor,” can afford such a luxury! If you don’t believe so, check out what’s happening in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and, of course, the U.S. Congress.
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Anne
May. 20th, 2011 at 9:33 am
Anyone who would say foolish things such as the remark that the president is afraid of black men, or that he is a birther, is not worthy of being called an “intellectual.” Calling him the “greatest intellectual in America” is especially laughable, since he also seems not to understand the complexity of our government, and his ridiculous litmus test of who’s “black enough” is so limited and ignorant. He and those who agree with him may decide not to vote at all, but such an action is tantamount to voting for Republicans, who continue to offer ample proof that they care nothing at all about anyone except the rich.
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nk007
May. 20th, 2011 at 12:42 am
RMuse, thanks for this wonderful post!
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Eli
May. 21st, 2011 at 11:16 am
The Culture of Poverty has been around for more than just 2 1/2 years, Dr. West.
It’s very easy for Dr. West and others to point fingers at President Obama and try to blame him for all that ails economically challenged communities.
Dr. West, how do we as Americans, help break the cycle of poverty and change that culture? How can a single mom of three on TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) turn her life around when she is pregnant with her fourth child?
How can we increase the number of high school graduates and make college and vocation training accessible and affordable?
How can we show unemployed or underemployed folks that selling drugs ultimately will lead to the hospital, prison or morgue?
I have been hearing Dr. West’s rants for years and saw him in one of the Matrix movies, but I haven’t seen a real initiative from him or any of the others to get into the economically challenged communities and help turn it around.
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