It isn't like Barack Obama isn't familiar with dismal approval numbers. An August Gallup poll showed Obama's message of Hope and Change has been falling upon a steadily increasing number of deaf ears in every demographic for months. But now, the first African American president is struggling with a catastrophe he surely never expected - the dramatic change in the level of hope that African Americans place in him.
According to a recent Washington Post-ABC news poll, less than 60 percent of African Americans have a favorable view of the president. Only five months ago, 83 percent believed. Considering the fact that it will be their votes he will count on most to win re-election, a drop of 23 percent is stunning.
The cracks began showing a year ago at a Washington D.C. town hall meeting when Velma Hart, a concerned middle-class African American mother, veteran and supporter dropped a verbal bombshell on the president. "I'm exhausted. I'm exhausted of defending you, your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for and deeply disappointed with where we are right now."
Since then, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment among African Americans has risen to nearly twice the national average and leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are fed up.
"We've had it," said Michigan Democrat Rep. John Conyers at a House "Out of Poverty Caucus" press conference in July and he called on Americans to march on the White House.
"If Bill Clinton had been in the White House and had failed to address this problem," CBC Chairman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri," told the Miami Herald, "we probably would be marching on the White House."
Speaking at a town hall in Detroit hosted by the CBC in August, California Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters said, "we're tired, ya'll." But she admitted being too afraid to "go after the president too hard" out of fear that African American community would turn on them. She pleaded with them to "unleash" her and to tell her "it's all right" to go after him.
Speaking at the CBC annual awards dinner on Saturday in Washington, the president essentially told Waters and the rest of the CBC to shut up and get back in line.
"Take off your bedroom slippers," he ordered them. "Put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complainin'. Stop grumblin'. Stop cryin'. We are going to press on. We have work to do."
While his remarks drew applause at the moment, Maxine Waters had a few thoughts to share once the weight of the insult sank in.
"I found that language a bit curious," Waters told CBS on Monday, wondering why the president would single out African Americans for rebuke when they are simply one of many demographics who have the nerve to criticize him. She wondered why Obama didn't slap Hispanics for pushing him on immigration or the gay and lesbian community for their push to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
The tea party revolution put their marching shoes on long ago. But they were dismissed as racists. Now that the parade of hope and change discontent is being joined by those who believed most it has become clear that folks like Velma Hart have finally been given an answer to that query of whether or not this is also their "new reality." The question that remains would be: Is Barack Obama ready for his?
penn state football leona lewis weather chicago napa heather morris high school football scores shockwave
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.