So, now that the Democratic Nomination Brouhaha is seemingly over, and it appears that Barack Obama has emerged as the choice of the party, I do have a few feelings about this situation that I'll share at this time.
First, I'm sad that Hillary didn't win, and although I've always felt that when the choice came down to a Black man and a white woman as the Democratic nominee, it all but GUARANTEED that a Republican would be voted into office in November, I'm still a bit miffed that Hillary didn't get the nomination. Personally, I think Barack Obama has been used as an operative of the Republican Party (similar to how Ralph Nader & John Kerry were) to make sure that there's never really a "viable" candidate to run against them. Don't get me wrong, I think Barack Obama's ok and all, but I don't think his "Change" mantra is going to be all that effective, since PEOPLE DON'T LIKE CHANGE! Aside from that, while I'm sure people are head-over-heels excited about the first possible "president of color", I'm just not as caught up into that hype as people feel I should be as a Black woman.
Leading me to my second point: This democratic nomination process has been amazing to me on a personal level. I've personally lost friends and family members as a result of my choice to support Hillary's campaign. Truthfully, some of those relations were already strained, and the Obama thing just finally made the last straw snap, but it's been amazing to see how emotional people are over this issue! And by "people", I have to be honest here and say I mean "Black people". They've been frothing at the mouth and worshipping Obama like he's the "second coming", and I think it's sad and ridiculous and it reminds me of the way people supported Bush in 2000 and 2004, even despite the fact that common logic and intelligence seemed to indicate that doing such a thing was UTTERLY STUPID. That's not to say the people that supported Bush were stupid, but many of them did appear to be mindless lemmings following whatever he said and falling for sound bites on topics that were really of the least bit of concern to MOST americans. That's the way I see lots of Black people going. They're following Obama, because they believe that he'll somehow secretly open up doors for Black people once he gets into office, despite that fact that him doing so would be AGAINST everything he talks about and represents (i.e. he's for ALL people, thus Black folks need to "get in where they fit in").
Point three: Though it's no longer "socially acceptable" to otter these words, I will: I don't think Barack Obama is "Black enough" FOR ME! I say that in the vein of the "He's not Black like me" sentiment that I'm sure many Black folks in america who are the descendants of slaves feel (though they can no longer express this thought without people - many of them Black themselves these days - shunning their concerns or opinions on the matter). Yes, as a multiracial man of African descent in this country, Barack Obama is a proud symbol of what can happen for you in this country if you work hard and have a white mother. I know it's hard for many people to understand where I'm coming from with this, but I'm not hating on him, I'm just pointing out the reality of the fact that much of his success is based on the fact that he's half-white, whether people are willing to admit that or not. If Barack had two Black parents that were the descendents of slaves in this country, he wouldn't be where he is. Hell, for everything she's accomplished, even MICHELLE OBAMA couldn't be where he is (nor her brother, with a similar pedigree) if the tables were turned! Yes, Barack's nomination is a step in showing that there's been some progress on race relations in this country, but I still see the racism in the "golden boy" who's accepted by america because he's got half of the "right blood" coursing through his veins. Again, I know it's unpopular to have this opinion, but far be it from me to shy away from something simply because it's not popular! LOL.
Fourth, Hillary ran a bad campaign! She didn't really run this race as if she was in the race against a REAL contender, she ran it as if she was the presumptive nominee, and didn't think that Obama would be a threat. And it wasn't until he was actually shown to be a threat, that she started strategizing. That was her BIGGEST FAULT. By that time, in my opinion, the fight was over. Many people lose battles when they fail to analyze who their competition is before starting the war! Along the same lines that I see racism in Barack's campaign, I can admit that there's sexism in Hillary's as well. There's NO WAY she could be in the position that she is if it weren't for HER HUSBAND! That sucks! It still sends the same message that your worth as a woman, no matter what your other accomplishments, is still tied to a man. I hate that, but accept it as yet another "necessary evil" of life.
Finally, who I'll vote for in November is still up in the air. Should Barack Obama not select Hillary Clinton as his Vice President, he surely won't have my vote automatically given to him. Hillary was my candidate of choice, and I'm not a Democratic, so I don't feel the need to automatically throw my support behind whomever sits on the Democratic ballot. I think Barack's alright and all, but if he doesn't choose Hillary as a VP, then it'll force me to take a closer look at where he and John McCain stand on the issue (as well as who JM chooses as a VP, 'cause if it's Romney, he'll never get my vote), and decide from there.
I think this country is headed into the crapper, and if I could leave it, I would! Maybe I need to spend a few years somewhere else so I can truly appreciate WHATEVER it is that makes others love america so much! The democratic nominee process has once again jaded me on the political process in this county, and the truth of the matter is, I'm really tired of the way things happen here! I need more options!
------END RANT------
