Obama. Natural born intelligence versus silverspoon fed bigot. Photo–YouTube.
A welcomed sight for the leadership of the Democratic Party returned to the political stage and none to soon: President Barack Obama.
Immediately Obama has eclipsed the Great Pretender in The White House.
Starting with a rally in Chicago, and followed with a California campaign appearance, President Obama reemerged and stepped up right front and center into the political fray with two months left before the November midterm elections.
On Friday, Obama signaled he is ready to do battle with the man who forced him to provide his birth-papers to the American public; because of the bigoted Birther accusations of the White supremacist who now sits as president in the White House. Obama now has a golden opportunity to help Democrats regain control of Congresswhile exposing Trump as the naked emperor and fraudster who has neither clothes, nor a stable brain.
Will President Obama take the gloves off and pummel this spoiled bigoted bully like he should with his superior intelligence, sarcasm and wit?
Friday, speaking at the University if Illinois, President Obama jumped right into the current rancid political waters that have been made so by Republicans and Donald Trump. Obama made it clear he had been intent on following a wise American tradition of ex-presidents gracefully exiting the political stage and making room for new voices and new ideas.
However, the 44th President said, Im here today because this is one of those pivotal moments when every one of us, as citizens of the United States, need to determine just who it is that we are. Just what it is we stand for. And as a fellow citizen, not as an ex-president, Im here to deliver a simple message, and that is that you need to vote because our democracy depends on it.
This years mid-terms are critical in changing Congress, so checks can be placed on this criminally corrupt White House. Republicans have shown over the last two years they are political opportunists who care more about party than country. Why else are they so silent as President Trump flagrantly violates political procedures and shows contempt for presidential decorum?
The only principles Republicans care about is tax-breaks for the wealthy and confirmation of partisan justices like Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.
President Obama pointed out progress in America doesnt proceed in a straight line, because there is always backlash coming from people who are genuinely, if wrongly, fearful of change. Here he is clearly talking about the fear of the shifting racial demographics, that will change America from a majority-White country to a minority-majority country by 2040. This reality is behind the racist hysteria regarding all immigration, not just illegal immigration.
More importantly, President Obama talked about the manufactured nature of this backlash by the powerful and privileged who want to keep us divided and keep us angry because it helps them maintain the status quo and keep their power and privilege. Of course, this has been an essential tactic in the Republican political playbook since the rise of their Southern Strategy. Obama said It did not start with Donald Trump. Hes a symptom, not the cause. Hes just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years.
Republicans are the ones who made it possible for Donald Trump to run on a platform of prejudice and racism. Donald Trumps Birther message would never have found aid-and-comfort in the modern Democratic Partyonly in the current Republican Party. Republicans like to preach about how there are the party of Lincoln, yet they refused to denounce Birtherism. Worse of all, Donald Trump used Birtherism and Latino-bashing as the launching pad for his presidency.
A responsible Republican Party should have repudiated racism and Trumps Birther nonsense. They couldve followed the lead of Senator John McCain when he took the microphone from a racist Minnesota woman, in 2008, and told her Obama is a decent family man [and] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and thats what the campaigns all about. Hes not [an Arab].
This is no implicit negativity towards Arabs, but the woman was pushing the racist canard that all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists; and that by extension Obama was one.
The Republican Party embraced Trump’s racism, especially once he became the party’s nominee. This is not the party of President Abraham Lincoln, Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner. They are now the party of White supremacy. Why else would Trump say there were very fine people among the Nazis in Charlottesville? Why else is he calling African nations shit hole countries?
Representative Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania and Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts both pushed President Lincoln to be more progressive in matters regarding African-Americans than Lincoln, a calculating politician, had been. Stevens and Sumner were members of the Radical Republicans who fought against Slavery and for the rights of African-Americans; both pursued important remedial programs.
When last has this Republican Party done anything to help African-Americans?
During the funeral coverage of Senator McCain, it became clear McCain reached out to President Obama, earlier this year, and asked him for help in rebuking Trump. President Obama was reportedly surprised when Senator McCain called him. How much did Senator McCains conversation with President Obama influence his decision to say what he did about Trump Friday?
Reportedly, Trump had to be forced to fly flags at half-staff in honor of McCain. Apparently, Trump still says he has no regrets saying, in 2015, that McCain was no war hero. Even if one is critical of the destructve U.S. war on Vietnam and McCain’s role in it, we still see the incredible hypocrisy of this draft-dodger Trump. He was certainly not a conscientious objector. Cowardly Trump disrespects a former POW, like McCain. Then he has the gall to attack Black NFL playerspeacefully protesting police brutality and institutional racism, like Colin Kaepernick didwith baseless claims about disrespecting the military, while he himself denigrates McCain.
Obamas return to the political stage should be a welcome sight for the Beltway leadership of the Democratic Party. Some of these establishment Democratic leaders seem strangely surprised by the surge of non-traditional Democrats whove been winning primary racesand unseating long-time Democrats.
There is dismay, among some in leadership, by the unseating of long-time traditional Democrats. For example, incumbent Rep. Michael Capuano, was beaten in last weeks Massachusetts primary, for the 7 congressional district, by Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley. In New Yorks June Democratic primary, for the 14 congressional district, Alexandria Ocasio-Corteza member of the Democratic Socialists of Americapulled off a momentous upset against former Rep. Joseph Crowley.
The Democratic Party leadership doesnt seem to realize these upset wins represent part of the Obama legacy. Barack Obama upset the status quo with a stunning win against Hillary Clinton, in the Democratic primary of 2008; before making monumental history by becoming Americas first African-American president. Many of the Democratic candidates who are now making their own history were no doubt inspired by Barack Obama.
Democratic voters want change. Many are tired of the lack of urgency they see in the Democratic Party establishment that is so out-of-touch with its grassroots supporters. Voters are craving for strong leadership that will fight ferociously for them, like weve gotten from Rep. Maxine Waters, who was disgracefully labeled un-American by Senator Chuck Schumer. The same senator who sided with Benjamin Netanyahu against Obama on the issue of Iran.
There is a necessary purge going on within the Democratic Party. New blood is needed. The purge mayve started when a young community organizer from Chicago shocked American politics with his audacity of hope. The most important thing Barack Obama did for Black America, and all minority and marginalized groups, with his politics of the possible, is illustrate that extraordinary things can be accomplished with insightful strategy, determination and hard work.
Who better than President Obama to explain to the Democratic leadership the upheaval now occurring internally and to oversee the transition of power that must take place within the party?
Who better to lead the Democratic Party to victory against Trump and the Republicans in November and in 2020?
