Not all Smileys: Unpredicted Collateral Damage
John Edwards. New York. The Clinton Brand. DMX.
If you had told me in December '06 that any of those would become collateral damage of a successful Barack Obama campaign for President, I would have nodded in probable agreement. And as my good friend Kennyboy reports, Obama and Wright knew even a Black Church broadside was likely. But if you would have said Tavis Smiley, I woulda' smack you like I was your grandma!
Don't you say that in my house, youngin'!
Tavis Smiley is not just a name in my house. He is an autographed book - What I Know For Sure - sitting on my shelf. He's a devout Black activist/commenator who stood up to Bob "Coon for Clinton" Johnson in a famous contractual dispute.
But after over a year of ugly tensions between Obama and Smiley, I am in disbelief that their spat has gone on long enough for one of 'em to pay an unfortunate price. Not to be too dramatic or anything. Smiley still has his nightly TV show and still his Convenant with Black America work. But he and Joyner have been through the fire with each other over the years, particuarly over the Johnson dispute. Him leaving the Joyner show now is of no small significance.
I think many of the Obama-maniacs will be quick to throw Smiley under the bus. To some degree I think they have a point. Eric Wattree's recent column in Black Star News provides perspective on this. But are we Obama-maniacs so delusional that we don't expect our man's feet to be held to the fire? Yes, it was a smart political move, but was it the right one for Obama not to attend Smiley's State of the Black Union? And to the Smileys, I ask the inverse to you all: Yes it was right for your man to question Obama's commitment to Black America, but was it a smart move? What was gained?
Different languages spoken on common soil, can bring progress only with mutual understanding.
Keep the faith.
If you had told me in December '06 that any of those would become collateral damage of a successful Barack Obama campaign for President, I would have nodded in probable agreement. And as my good friend Kennyboy reports, Obama and Wright knew even a Black Church broadside was likely. But if you would have said Tavis Smiley, I woulda' smack you like I was your grandma!
Don't you say that in my house, youngin'!
Tavis Smiley is not just a name in my house. He is an autographed book - What I Know For Sure - sitting on my shelf. He's a devout Black activist/commenator who stood up to Bob "Coon for Clinton" Johnson in a famous contractual dispute.
But after over a year of ugly tensions between Obama and Smiley, I am in disbelief that their spat has gone on long enough for one of 'em to pay an unfortunate price. Not to be too dramatic or anything. Smiley still has his nightly TV show and still his Convenant with Black America work. But he and Joyner have been through the fire with each other over the years, particuarly over the Johnson dispute. Him leaving the Joyner show now is of no small significance.
I think many of the Obama-maniacs will be quick to throw Smiley under the bus. To some degree I think they have a point. Eric Wattree's recent column in Black Star News provides perspective on this. But are we Obama-maniacs so delusional that we don't expect our man's feet to be held to the fire? Yes, it was a smart political move, but was it the right one for Obama not to attend Smiley's State of the Black Union? And to the Smileys, I ask the inverse to you all: Yes it was right for your man to question Obama's commitment to Black America, but was it a smart move? What was gained?
Different languages spoken on common soil, can bring progress only with mutual understanding.
Keep the faith.
posted by Andre Lancaster at
8:09 AM
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