Consequences of 2008

Written By: Brandon Parrish 

October 28, 2008 was a glorious day. It was the day I turned 16. (Every October 28^th is glorious by the way) Nonetheless, on that day, I saw a “skinny guy with a funny name” energize and educate a crowd of individuals, from every demographic you can think of, about his platform of hope and change. From seniors to teenagers, from blue collar workers to white collar workers, thousands stood in line for hours to hear Senator Barack Obama speak. It was freezing and raining, but there we were, catching colds and hypothermia just to see and hear him speak. That election was electric. From sea to shining sea, the emotion was overwhelming and everyone felt it. The first African American president was elected. We all love President Obama. With accomplishments such as Obamacare, Cuba, Iran, Dodd Frank, the automotive industry, the unemployment rate and many more, his resume is impressive; however, his election and presidency had some consequences - primarily for the general electorate and for African Americans.

President Obama is one of the greatest politicians this country has ever seen. The foundation of his appeal is his public speaking. During his keynote address in 2004, I saw the ghosts of Dr. King and President Kennedy. His genuine demeanor, authentic swagger, and unifying rhetoric electrified an electorate that had been waiting for a politician of his caliber. Although this electorate only appears every four years, they are loud and displeased with the status quo. I do not mean to say progress has not been made with the Obama administration, but we do see a lot of the same politics as usual. The working poor are being ignored, Wall Street is swimming in record profits, and the police are gunning down our citizens.

 Now, the same electorate that was awakened during the 2008 election cycle is wide-awake in 2016. It is now Senator Bernie Sanders who is speaking their language. It’s no secret President Obama is pulling for Hillary Clinton, but those two represent the politics of the last 8-24 years:  the establishment. Obama was a card-carrying member of the establishment in 2008 –Harry Reid told him to run! With Obama and the Democrat’s laser point focus on the middle class, it seems they have forgotten about the poor. They are creating jobs but the income gap is astronomical. There are families in New York City pulling in $18,000 a year! They talk about hi-tech jobs and trade, but do they expect the 68-year-old man who lost his retirement to the great recession and his job to trade deals to hop on social security, Medicare, and food stamps to live the rest of life with dignity?

The first African American president was elected, and while I commend the president for leading the discussion on prison reform, I am disappointed with his political calculation in regard to police brutality. The argument is that Obama cannot be just the President of Black America – he must be the President of all Americans. This is true, but aren’t African Americans still American? On one hand, we demonize anyone who proclaims all lives matter. On the other, our president said all lives matter in his 2015 state of the union and his approval ratings soared. He doesn’t have to tell the truth about police brutality? Why is the standard lower for him? Is it because he’s black? Well, that just makes him another out-of-touch black politician – the best one though. It is this type of calculation that people are sick of. Someone needs to tell Hillary that wrapping herself in Obama isn’t going to sway this new electorate. And while you’re at it, you can tell the CBC that black people don’t care who they endorse.

Though President Obama is part of the problem, the spirit of his campaign lives. The new electorate that he expelled from the shadows is present and accounted for. Voters just want to Hillary Clinton to be herself. She is smart and experienced, but this new electorate rewards honesty, authenticity, and courage of conviction. The Clintonian politics of the 90’s are not going to work anymore. It’s a new day. The revolution is coming.

~ Consigliere 

The D N Clinton !!!

Editor-in-Chic: Nia Langley 

At the beginning of this election season, former Governor Martin O'Malley voiced many complaints about how many debates the Democratic National Committee (DNC) should have, saying that there should be more debates to give the American people an opportunity to really understand who is running for president and where they stand on the issues. At first, like many people, I saw his cries as someone whining because he would not have a seat at the big kids' table; but now looking back, I see that he may have some merit to voice his concerns.  In a very lop-sided Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton is primed to run away with the nomination without having any serious problems before the general election. The question is: should she be allowed to claim that prize undeterred?

No matter what happens, we are all smart enough to know that Hillary Clinton will win the nomination; and I have no problems with that, especially since Biden has decided that he would not run for office.  The problem I have is Mrs. Clinton running away with the nomination. In a country that champions the power of the people’s right to choose their leaders, I believe it is important that the people have as many opportunities as possible to hear what the candidates have to say on the issues. Debates provide the perfect platform for the voters to do just that.  This election season has seven Democratic primary debates. To most, that may seem like a lot, but when looking back to 2008 when there were twenty-six, the current number really pales in comparison. Even though the Republican debates have proved to be less substantive, they still have 11 this season.

Former Governor O’Malley is currently in last place with 88 days left until the Iowa caucus, and many have written him off, me included; yet for the DNC to considerably limit the number of opportunities for the other candidates only adds fuel to the rumors that the Clintons have total control of the DNC. Why would they want to have control? If you remember correctly, around this same time eight years ago, Madam Clinton was in a similar position — she was leading in all the national polls and was the proverbial favorite to become the nominee. By debate 19, then Senator Obama was surging, and after debate 21, he was leading, and we all know what happened after that.  The only way history does not repeat itself is if you limit the amount of free exposure the public has to the unknown candidates.

Well played Clintons, well played. Now in no way, shape, or form does this mean that this is what happened, but it does make sense. If there is one thing I hate, it is sounding like a conspiracy theorist, so let me be clear — there is no conspiracy here because if what I say is true, the Clinton Campaign has done nothing wrong. They are supposed to be in coordination with the DNC, and they did just that. The DNC, on the other hand, should have never given so much power to one campaign. In an election cycle where the White House can legitimately be purchased, now, more than ever, the people should be the ones deciding who their next president should be, not special interest groups and definitely not national committees. Mr. O’Malley, though you will not be the next President of these United States, your cries have not fallen on deaf ears. You came up short because you went against the DNC, but in this case it was the (D N Clinton).

~Consigliere