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November 7, 2008

Thank You George W Bush jr. for Our Black President

Filed under: Chicago, Society Ethnic Racial — Tags: Black President, Bush, Obama — Dave @ 12:59 am

No, no really! We couldn’t done it without you. Take a bow my brother-you deserve it. Stand back and observe what you have wrought (I know you’re big on the Bible so I threw that in for you). Now, no gnashing of the teeth! You must move forward. Get started on you Presidential “library.” Lot of people would underestimate designing a 2 foot by 3 foot space but I know, even that, takes planning so don’t let us hold you up on your next exciting adventure.

All kidding aside, many do view you and your presidency as a joke, but let’s be real for a minute. A lot of real live people died because of you. A lot of people died here in the country as a whole, in the Armed Services, in Iraq, in Louisiana! And all the people who did go to work and came back missing limbs, or missing jobs, or missing years of their kids lives, or coming back to NO FAMILY AT ALL. A wife who jut couldn’t’ take the stress. And a lot of people lost their homes. Your REFUSAL to deal with wall street gone wild cost people their retirement with the Enron and all the other companies who played with people’s lives. But turns out that was just the tip of the financial iceberg right? In other words your damage is very real. Very real. And so much carelessness because you surrounding yourself with a callous and greedy body of people. Cheney and his Halliburton money grab, Wolfowitz and his theories and Rumsfeld and his armchair general’s approach to combat. Real people really suffered.

But with Obama’s election the world is proud of America. The signal has been sent. That the ugly Americans have finally been beaten back into submission. Everybody recognizes that they’re still here, but that it will take an enormous effort for them ever to regain power and wreck havoc on the world again. People knew that we black Americans didn’t have the numbers to ever put a black man in office, that it was going to take all types of Americans pulling together to enact a actual “regime change.” But we did it, we ending a stranglehold that went on for too long. It’s over.

The thing that has struck me in life is how unusual are the people who want to be president. Invariable what I see is this desire to go down in history. I only see the desire to serve the people as in afterthought. Except in 2 cases Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, otherwise it’s been one history whore after another. As we’ve just seen with McCain’s use of Sarah Palin. His greed for that office prompted him to insult the American people to such an unbelievable degree that after the initial shock wore off his OWN party realized that guy couldn’t give a flying fuck what happens to us if it meant he would “get to be president.” I have a theory that I’m always telling people; toothpaste does not come out of the tube on its own. I’ve learned that in life almost no movement forward happens without the appropriate pressure. And you Mr. Bush backed the country into such a corner, such a corner, that they would vote a black man into office. That’s a hell of accomplishment. You will go down in history, not just as the worst president ever, but the main who made Obama possible.

So again, being the good Bible man that you are I guess there’s only one way to say goodbye; don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

Here’s an image brought to my attention by HotRod at WFMU. As you know this blog is 1/5 about comics and Alex Ross who went to art school here in Chicago did this one.

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November 1, 2008

Oh! That’s Why John Edwards Wasn’t Chosen as the Running Mate

Filed under: Society Ethnic Racial — Tags: 2008 Election, john edwards, Obama — Dave @ 7:43 pm

Has it been that long? Wow, john Edwards. Remember him. Man, time waits for no man and it seems like years ago that Edwards was a part of this whole election circus but yeah, he was in it. Anyway I took a gigantic break from writing on this blog, but I didn’t stop thinking about story ideas, so a bunch of things that are now going to start popping up because they’re still vaguely relevant. Take for example this piece you’re currently reading.

Months ago John Edwards dropped out of the race, and at the time he wouldn’t give his endorsement. He was being coy. Ho hum. Then he FINALLY dropped it on Obama, and the event was like the Fourth of July; with these guys holding hands and looking triumphant. And it seemed like a fait accompli that he was going to be the running mate. I even wrote this whole piece about it. A couple of young, progressive, popular guys, one black one white. It was like some awesome Hollywood cop buddy movie. But then…things went quiet about the VP pick, in fact it shifted to Hillary talk after she got knocked out of the race. And I was confused.

I mean I’ll be honest I’m not a long time fan of political things, but like many people have HAD to become other world has just gone to shit. So I thought a I had developed a pretty good grasp of things because I DO have a strong understanding of human behavior. So when Edwards didn’t get the VP pick I was really surprised. Cut to; a few months later and John Edwards is hiding out in a hotel bathroom. But it wasn’t a Republican style closeted gay issue. He had allegedly fathered a child out of wedlock. Well, well, well. Turns out black guys aren’t the only ones. The National Enquire dug up Rielle Hunter AND took pictures. And that’s what happened to Edwards; the vetting process dug her up or he confessed that this shit was about to explode and they took him out(”John, you sure that’s not anything you want to tell us about?” “No. No, why do you ask? Have you heard anything? Well…well, there is one small thing…”). Coulda bin a contenda’!

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June 5, 2008

The Obama Assassination Hints Are Starting To Stack Up

Filed under: Society Ethnic Racial — Tags: 2008 Election, Assassination, Bush, Clinton, Fox, Hillary, Huffington, Jimmy Carter, McGreevy, Murdoch, Obama, presidential election, Yazmany Arboleda — Dave @ 2:37 pm

It’s amazing isn’t it? How we’re hearing all these Presidential assassination allusions. Obviously in private people must do it all the time, but probably not since Lincoln have we heard so many public figures make some kind of remark and then have to either make a retraction or face the consequences with law enforcement. After all it IS illegal to allude to killing a President, former President or even Presidential candidate. So in the last month there have been several public figures who’ve had to say things like “Oh I didn’t mean it that way” or “I was just kidding.” Obviously FOX News wasn’t going to allow itself not to be the FIRST place to get people thinking about this idea of a dead Obama . And of course Hillary herself got into the dead President game (and I don’t mean money). And of course I MYSELF said this kind of talk was going to start picking up momentum. White people can’t take it. Listen I know people keep talking about “young people” love Obama-of every color, Hurray! But maybe some young people are cut from a different cloth . Take, for example, this young guy…

This is Yazmany Arboleda and he just had his art show closed down. The title of the show? “The Assassination of Hillary Clinton & The Assassination of Barack Obama.” You say to me, “But Dave, he threw Hillary in there too.” And I say to you, that is what we call a “smokescreen.” Like gay guys and their “girlfriends” or “wives.” I mean you MUST remember Republican Jim McGreevy? He was just in the news! He came out and confessed to being gay, and recently the ex-aide brought out the whole three-way with McGreevy and wife. Oh how short our attention span. At any rate, Arboleda is a Boston artist (what? of course he’s from Boston; I think the black/white issues up there are quite well documented) and he had this great idea for an art show. The problem was that title. A title so inflammatory the NY city police and Secret Service shut him down . The content of the show doesn’t really show either of them getting killed per se, unless you consider maybe character assassination. You can see the contents yourself if you like at that link above. But I have to warn you; there is some graphic content. The Hillary stuff? Oh no, not that. The Hillary stuff includes year book photos of her, her pantsuits, her dog and cat, and allusions that she’s not sexy and takes political money. No. What you’ve got to prepare yourself for are the Obama images . And it’s not the Nappy Headed Hoe picture that’s a problem. Maybe it’s the painting of him and the deceased Kennedy and the word “passed.” Or maybe it’s the Hillary poster that says she’s the “cure for Niggeritis.” Or maybe, just maybe it’s the 18 foot long 6 foot high naked penis of a black man that stretches across all four walls of one of the exhibition halls. Maybe it’s that one.

So why this animosity? Why are people so ANGRY at the prospect of a black man being President. I mean that IS all it is. FAR lesser prepared people who walking into office. I liked Gerald Ford the person, but come on! And does the name George W. Bush ring any bells? But, Dave, he was a governor! Yeah, a bad one. I have a LOT of respect for Bush the elder, but the son? He was so busy killing death row prisoners instead of checking for DNA when almost every single state in the nation put a pause on the practice that he managed to make Texas Number One for number of prisoners killed. And shall we review his alcohol abuse, (unconfirmed?) drug use, failed companies and bail outs? No need to right? You’ve heard it all before. And how about his running of the country? How on earth can any single human American have any conflict about Obama after the Bush experience? Or any conflict about ANY person who is capable of tying his own shoes running the country at this point. The Republican Party got everything they wanted. The Senate, the House, the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and entire NETWORK dedicated to promoting their opinions and masked “leaks.” That’s the whole show. They had a LONG time to show us how good their rule was. They said if they could just get control of the country the “grown ups” would show us how it’s done. And boy did they show us! Let’s let companies police themselves, they’ll do right by consumers and the general public. Let’s let Greenspan run the money-he’s so smart we don’t understand him. (By the way Greenspan’s legacy is the nationwide home loan scandal that’s not just about to crush the American economy but the WORLD money supply-do 20 minutes of research and have your mind blown).

So the white fear; is setting in. But let me ask you-WORST case scenario, how much worse can he be than Bush? And it wasn’t JUST BUSH by the way, it was the other two branches of government AND a cabal of Right Wing Hawks. Who, by the way, have been slowly backing out the back door like thieves in the night and plan on leaving Bush holding the bag alone by next January. They know what they did. They’re like a kid whose mother comes home and he’s all alone with a broken lamp-and says I don’t know how it happened. They know. And WE know. So what is problem with Obama? He’s black. I don’t care what you say about him serving all those years in government here in Illinois AND the Senate. People don’t care. They just feel like he’s “stealing” the government. He’s the ONLY person to apply for this job with a clean record. Just LOOK at McCain’s history or anybody else. Bill Clinton managed to slip in DESPITE his dirty record, Obama’s actually lead a decent life. He’s a bright guy. What else do you want? Oh. White skin. Silly me. I sometimes get to the end of a paragraph and forget how I started.

Listen. I kind of DON’T want Obama to win. The aftermath of Bush is going to be so severe that the person who goes into office now is going to look TERRIBLE. Unless they’re a miracle worker. So Rupert Murdoch says “no” on Obama and people like former President Carter and Arianna Huffington say “yes.” I bring those 2 up because they agree with ME that Obama should not have Hillary as his VP. It’s a bad idea-the Red States would burn the country down first is what I believe. But Jimmy says their combined weaknesses would too easy to attack. Huffington says you’d get Bill in the package too, and that “three-way” as she put it would be too much. It’s a long time till November though. A long time.

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May 16, 2008

Is Edwards the Great White Hope for Obama?

Filed under: Society Ethnic Racial — Tags: Al Gore, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bill Richardson, Bush, Democratic nomination, Edwards, election, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, john edwards, McCain, Obama, Obama Edwards, politics, vice president — Dave @ 7:33 pm

I was REALLY torn about what angle to take on this piece. It was either the obvious path I’ve decided to go, OR I was going to make a sort of Police reference and use the opening line “Don’t stand so close to me.” And why would Edwards be apprehensive about standing too close to Obama? Well ever since I was a little black kid all the way until I became a doddering old black man (40!) every single black comic I’ve ever heard has had a routine about a black man becoming president and how very SHORT his term would be with the gag line being about how fast he’ll be shot. So now that this premise has become a real "life imitating art" scenario I DO wonder about the prospect of that happening. But since presidential assassination is sort of an American tradition, I decided NOT take that angle on this piece. I’m trying to bring new idea to the table here!

So instead I want you to consider this premise; John Edwards is being presented as the safe white man who’ll "be there” to keep the ship on course. Just like good ole’ dad holding onto the back of jr’s first bicycle ride. Here’s the deal; have you noticed in the last few weeks how Howard Dean has popped up again like a rejuvenated, hibernating bear? Well, he clearly has been very busy behind the scenes, and one of the things I believe he spent May doing was convincing John Edwards to be Obama’s Vice President.

So Edwards, who repeatedly said (like they all do), that he had no interest in being vice president is doing a considerable amount of VP posturing. That endorsement looks VERY running mate/winning ticket photo op. So you know what this about right? I mean we’re all adults here, so let’s be real. This is how it’s GOT to be playing out in Dean’s mind an the DNC think tank. ”OK, let’s let Clinton and Obama fight it out and whoever seems to pull ahead in a definitive way is who we’ll throw Edwards at.” Because again, let’s be real; Clinton and Obama-a woman and black guy, sure that’s OK for democrats around the country but the Red State people? Get real! I mean really! Get real. No matter HOW sick they are of Bush, no matter HOW much money McCain’s wife wont disclose that she has, no matter how bad McCain’s temper is or how old he is-those Red State people will let this country burn to a cinder before they put a woman or a black guy in office-without a some kind of safety net. ESPECIALLY Bill Clinton’s wife. I mean really! Get real. So what do you do? You slap a standard issue, Southern drawl talkin’ white guy on the ticket. Fait accompli. Despite the tiff that supposedly happened between Obama and Edward’s wife-water under the bridge now that they’re looking at the next 4-8 years doing Air Force 1 flights together.

Meanwhile the temerity to suggest that anybody AT ALL was wondering what Al Gore is going to do with his super delegate vote. AS IF. As if this is a question in any way, shape or form. Listen Gore is NOT Bill Richardson. Gore can’t claim he “paid his debt” to the Clintons. Bill Clinton did a lot for Richardson and Gore, but he made Gore VICE PRESIDENT! There have only been 43 in the history of this country. And let’s face it; after Gore lost people were really ANGRY that he didn’t try a little harder only showed his "human" side after the election. So he spent the next several years doing all kinds of "works for the world" to rebuild his personal capital and become beloved. So if he switches over to Obama…that’ll go down the drain. He’ll revert to persona non grata. I don’t care if Hillary was some old broken whore in some old fashioned Western town, Gore would STILL have to sleep with her. He is DUTY BOUND to slap on 10 rubbers and get into bed with her. And so Gore’s vote is not even up for debate.

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May 7, 2008

Post Number 200: A Look Black. No That is Not a Typo

Filed under: Society Ethnic Racial — Tags: black, crime, media portrayal, Obama, police brutality, Race — Dave @ 7:53 pm

Tempus Fugit indeed. Has it really been that long? Well let

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April 30, 2008

Black on Black Crime Obama vs. Rev. Wright

Filed under: Chicago, Society Ethnic Racial — Tags: Barack Obama, Black people, daily show, democratic party, Jeremiah Wright, Obama, politics, presidential election, Presidential Race, Rev. Wright — Dave @ 12:18 pm

If you watched The Daily Show this week, aside from President Jimmy Carter making a visit, maybe you saw the montage of Reverend Jeremiah Wright “clarifying” his various statements. I cringed and cringed and cringed. As a Black man, to see an adult, ex-military, presumably educated black man go into multiple media venues and express himself with seemingly no regard for the impact it would have was mind blowing . And I’m not even running for President! God almighty, what must life be like for Barack Obama these days? Watching Wright do a Stepin Fetchit routine in particular was so upsetting I had to just turn the volume down. I couldn’t take it. Well of course, Obama came right out there and said what he was supposed to say “I denounce his actions…”

But most (white) Americans are probably scratching their heads and have no idea what happened. Hell, I’m sure even some BLACK people are wondering what the hell would make a man do that. What would make a man, who says he’s the friend of another man, go out in public and cripple him? A Black man. A minister no less. To destroy by association, another Black man-who’s running for President? First time in HISTORY that a Black man might have an actual snowball’s chance in hell of winning . So how could this happen? I’ll tell you. As it happens all three of US are from Chicago. (Barack is an import, but he’s put in 25 years so we’ll call him a Chicagoan). And most people do NOT know what being Black in America is like. And most people REALLY do not know what being Black in Chicago is like. That. Is. A. Unique situation. I kid you not. Keep in mind, I had been out of town for nearly 20 years, and when I got back almost 3 years ago I had to RE-learn what being Black meant around here.

By now I think it’s become part of the lexicon to talk about “Black on Black crime.” It’s one of those platitudes people throw out there whenever yet ANOTHER crime takes place “in the city” and gosh darned, they just wanna make sense of it all! But have you heard about the crabs in a basket analogy ? I’ve heard that when crabs have been captured and they’re all piled in a basket if one tries to claw his way out the other crabs will pull him back down. None of the craps escape. The fishermen don’t even need to put a lid on the basket; the other crabs will do the work for them. Can you see where I’m going with this? And so it is with Black Americans; especially in Chicago. Did you know that the 1^st generation children of African immigrants (and even Jamaican immigrants!) tend to do better in education and economic growth then most long standing Black people? Say, isn’t Obama’s dad an African? And aren’t Colin Powell’s folks from Jamaica? Yeah, the Black people in this country have a problem . And that problem is NOT White people; it’s other Black people. Shhhhhhh!! This is kinda secret. I mean it’s the worst kept secret since…well, no this is the worst.

There used to be a rap song in the 80’s where the refrain was “Self destruction, you’re headed for self destruction!” Well that’s us! And Chicago is like a petrie dish for me. It is easily the largest grouping of Black people, unbroken by other races, in America. In other words it’s the biggest Black neighborhood in the world. And because of that, all of our bad habits are MAGNIFIED here. So let’s just say on any given day on this side of town (that’s the South Side y’all) you’re very likely to hear “man them niggers is crazy” at least a dozen times. Oh yeah. It’s a VERY popular expression around here. And the reason for that is…well them niggers IS crazy. What can I say?

Reverend Wright is not only a product of this environment, but he’s a product or our cultural flaw of crab-like behavior. Rather than see another Black man move in an impossibly lofty position he’ll ruin him. He’ll ruin him. NOBODY else has it in them like us; sit down for a moment and reflect on the one step forward, 2 step back hokey-pokey the Black population has been doing for all these years. We are broken on such a deeep level that a guy whould make himslef look like an ASS on the world stage (and it’s going in the history books folks) out of vindictiveness. I’m asking you to consider the SCALE of what he did and then try to imagine some other group of people doing that. Especially given how often we do it. It’s unimaginable for ANY body else except Black people. We knew what it was right away.

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March 4, 2008

This Super Tuesday Thing Just Might Change the World

Filed under: Society Ethnic Racial — Tags: 2008 Election, Clinton, marine throws puppy, McCain, Obama, ohio exit polls 2008, ohio primary results, ohio voting, super Tuesday, texas election results, texas voting — Dave @ 3:35 pm

Well it’s mid-day and the question is; how are things going to pan out for Clinton and Obama? What kind of country are we going to have. On the other side it’s pretty much over; McCain has got this thing sewn up. So the REAL question is; is America REALLY ready for a totally new way of thinking. Standard issue white guy, black guy or woman? WOW. That’s a massive concept. Has the pendulum swung so far in response to Bush that the country is ready to take that big a chance? the sad news it’s going to be tremendously difficult term for whoever goes in, so if it’s Obama or Clinton they’re going to get 100 percent of the blame for every single thing that goes wrong. Here’s how things look over at CNN.

The big question is; are the Ohio voting and the Texas voting going to determine who gets to be the Democratic nomination? So everybody’s watching for the Texas primary results and Ohio primary results with intense scrutiny. In fact you should start seeing hungry reporters trying to gather Ohio exit polls 2008 opinions in the next this afternoon. But the contest really wont be decided until the final Texas election results are in.

Ironically the BIGGEST news of the day is this “marine throws puppy” video. I’ll post a link for the video at YouTube, but I wont post it here. I’m not a huge fan of dogs, but I don’t hate them either. So press the IMAGE below to go to see the video, but YouTube has been removing them all day so hurry up.

UPDATE

Wow! She won…well, I guess people really looked at the situation and said, ok, Obama looks like a good choice but can we REALLY do it? And there’s Hillary over there-but wait it’s NOT just Hillary we’re actually getting a 2 for 1 deal! Since we can’t legally but Bill back in, we can slip him in the back door. Now you know why a woman who had barely been in congress longer than Obama and spent WAY less time as an elected politician kept using the word "experience." It was code for Bill will be co-president behind closed doors-in fact check out my follow u p piece .

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