Not Feeling the Bern: Who's Fault is That?

Let's get to business. I am two things. I am a Black nationalist and I am an American economist. As an economist, I lean towards a structural view of the economy. That means I'm closer to being a socialist than anything else. As a Black Nationalist, I know that neither candidate will do much for the Black community. I don't bemoan The Clinton Crime Bill because crime has to be addressed and its flaws are in the execution which means the bill was not dumbed down enough for law enforcement to properly execute it. 

I am an independent. I haven't decided who I'm going to vote for in the primary. It will either be Hillary or Bernie. (As an independent, my ballot will have both Democrat and Republican nominees on it.)

In May, Hillary Clinton was halfway to the nomination and Bernie was splitting delegates along the way. At best he slowed Hillary down but had no chance of stopping her. Hillary Clinton is going to win the nomination as long as it's close. The Democratic nominee will win the general election. I still have questions. Hillary Clinton has a strong reputation. She also has a short resume. She gets things done but I don't really like her as a person. Bernie Sanders has a long resume. He also has a strong reputation. I mostly wonder why Bernie Sanders hasn't been more successful as a politician. 

To be clear, he's known as the king of amendments. He does get bills passed with little support from Democrats or Republicans. I'm measuring political success as moving forward in your career. So, I'm asking, why so long (six presidential elections) before running for president. Even failed elections succeed bringing agendas to national attention. That's why small party candidates even bother.

That's it. I like Hillary as a politician. She's pragmatic. She's tough. She's moderate. No matter how far to the left or right our friends try to pretend they are, most people are moderate. They are conservative about some things. They are liberal about others. Take an older Black church goer. They are surely generous with social entitlements and they support civil rights. But they are usually economically conservative. They are pro-life. They are against planned parenthood and contraception. I know gay black men who will find at least one issue they're conservative about.

I really like Bernie! He has a strong personality that grows on you quickly. His campaign has a lot of energy. I do wonder though why all that energy and youth in his campaign hasn't manifested a Rock The Vote type push to register new voters and make sure people vote. To be fair, neither has Hillary's campaign but her campaign doesn't have the same energy anyway. And I lean more towards a Socialist perspective than a purely Capitalist one. However, I know that the revolution will not be televised. especially not on a debate stage during the Democratic Primaries...

I am extremely hesitant to jump on the Bernie Sanders bandwagon. The peculiarity of the situation is that it has nothing to do with Bernie Sanders and everything to do with his fans. This is the same everything from Kim Kardashian to Black Lives Matter. It's more apparent because I really do like Bernie Sanders whereas I've been mostly ambivalent to everything else. In short, it's you, my so smart friends, who are turning me off. I am repulsed by the #FeelTheBern political revolution and its implementation. 

During this primary season, some of my smartest most intellectual friends have ignored logic and reason to fully embrace Bernie-mania. He was never meant to win with or without intervention on behalf of Hillary Clinton. He was virtually unknown to most of America. His name was even absent from the mouths and timelines of some of the most gung-ho supporters I know before 2015. COMPLETELY absent. Some of those supporters might say that's OK because they were equally unaware of President Obama before 2008. However, as someone who was aware of Barack Obama in 2004 and Bernie Sanders in 2012, it's not the same. In 2004, Barack Obama gave a speech at the DNC that had Fox News pundits predicting he would win an election in 2008. (FOX NEWS...) Barack Obama is a political insider. 

My final decision is coming down to the supporters. I have never been so ridiculed, attacked and talked down to when discussing politics than I have this year discussing the democratic primaries, with other democratic leaning voters. Correction, I've never been ridiculed, attacked or talked down to by other democratic leaning voters until this primary. I find that is the most ridiculous thing about this election. I say again and again, the Democratic nominee will win the general election. But these Bernie Sibs (Siblings/Bros and Sisses) have gotten crazy. THEY actually have me scared they will do something foolish (like not vote) in the general and give the election to the Republicans.

And that would be the end of the movement. I fear, the movement will end at latest after the general election. It will end because the Bernie Sibs are not the revolutionaries they are pretending to be in 2016. Those that I know are more capitalists than socialists. Firmly entrenched in the bourgeoisie class, they participate in a bit of social welfare but they aren't ready to give up their middle-class status for the revolution. But they're gone change the world in 2016!

...and change it right back in 2017...

Why? Because the Bernie Sibs ain't giving up their comfort! In fact, I had a Bernie supporter tell me they don't believe in the revolution. It's unfortunate that many more Bernie Sibs may feel that way about the revolution. Which makes me wonder why/how they become Bernie Sibs since the revolution is All that Bernie is about. Someone as politically intelligent as Bernie knows the President can do very little to affect the changes he wants. He needs at least 300 congressional seats, quite a few governors, and some major municipalities. That's at least two more election cycles away and half the Bernie Sibs have quit on the revolution and it's not even November.

It's a little discouraging when a general's army quits on him before the war even begins. That's my hesitation in jumping on bandwagons. It's not the driver of the wagon. It's the other passengers. I don't want to ride with yall because I don't trust yall.

Love Bernie!

Not feeling the Bern...

Strawberry Letter (Pimpology 101 Returns)

I was going to write about Super Tuesday, but I was listening to The Strawberry Letter on The Steve Harvey Morning Show and I HAD to say somethin!

Before I let yall read this letter, let me say this about Hillary Clinton:

SHE IS NOT BILL CLINTON!

1. She is not the type of politician Bill was. She will fuck us all. Check the records.
2. She doesn't like people or care to be liked. She is not racist. She just doesn't care for any group of people. Even women!
3. Perhaps the biggest difference. She don't get no ass like Bill does! (See I said "does". He still gettin it!)


Back to this letter. Read it, comments please, and I'll do another blog to detail my response.
Date: 02/06/2008
Subject: Am I a Good Man?

Good Morning - Steve, Shirley & Tommy. I want to first start off by saying that you guys are an inspiration and keep up the good work. I am currently in a relationship with a woman who has somehow stripped me of my dignity as a black man. She's a mexican-american woman. I am contemplating on leaving this woman and have been for sometime. I just don't know how. I cannot gather up enough courage to do so...A little background in our relatiionship. During the early stages in our relationship - she has talked so negative about the black race stating that black people are ignorant, lazy and ugly...That I was lucky that she even gave me a chance. Because of these sterotype she has about black people I stayed in the relationship to change that myth, however in the process I've been stripped of my dignity and self-respect. She has slapped and punched me; she has called me a stupid N with the "ER" at the end; she has caused me to drop out of graduate school; she had taking control of my entire pay check only providing me with a enough money to travel to and from work; she has taken limited communication with any of my friends and family; she demand back massages every night; I moved in with her, but I don't have a key to her apt., she states that I need to earn it by "behaving"; she altered my visting schedule w/my daughter from every weekend to every other weekend; she states that the only thing my daughter should get from me is child support and nothing above and beyond that; She gives me a daily allowance of $5 from a monthly check of over $4,000 net; She gets upset over the simpliest thing and we stay up arguing until its time to go to work the next morning; she will not allow me to go to bed, if she feeling upset or angry about anything; she refuses to discuss my issues; I told her that I wanted to strengthen my relationship w/daughter and she's against it because it may take time and resource away from us; she sometime makes me leave and sleep outside in the cold as a punishment for making her upset. The last time i made her upset was when I told her I was to work on the relationship with my daughter, especially since she starts highschool next year; she takes and hide my driver's license, passport & car keys and since, I don't have the keys to her house, I cannot simply go there when she's at work. There's not a day that I wish I was dead. Steve, Shirley & Tommy: I know this relationship is not healthy, but the problem is I am afraid of her; She always make me feel like I am the problem and I think its working - whenever, I gather up enough strength to leave, I fill guilty. I need some solid advice, please give me advice how to get myself out of them. Signed: Am I a Good Man?


Well what is there to say?? No he's not a good man....he's not even A man! I mean what kind of a real man with any pride and knowledge of self would let another woman treat him in such a way to prove a point?? What kind of a man allows another person to disrespect, degrade and destroy the very essence of who and what they are so that they can call themselves a good man? What kind of a man allows himself to be seperated from his own blood and allows someone else to control his destiny (finances, education, his comings and goings)??????
And I'm not gonna clown the brotha for saying that he's scared of this chick but I'm gon do it like Steve.....nowhere in this letter did he say that this woman is violent(ok she slapped and punched him) but as a grown @zz man if a slap or a punch from a woman incites that much fear......than droppin out of grad school was the best thing for him to do. That boy needs some karate lessons. or that she's threatened his child? So what are you scared of? He's not scared....HE'S WEAK!
When that chick started talkin reckless about your race and your culture that should've been his sign to break out the machete and cut that broad off! He's so weak....even in the very act of this letter while he calls himself reaching out for help its just weak. He dropped out of school because of himself not because of her, he cut his visits w/ his daughter because of him!
I can't take him!

I would love to hear what Steve had to say!

Man, I was gonna drop something about super tuesday too, but I'm slacking today. In any case, you're definitely right. Hiliary is NOT Bill!!! She's got a lot of drawbacks for me, primarily being that I think she'll just bring more party politics to Washington with her. She comes off as being very devisive person. What people want is CHANGE. How can there be change, if we keep electing politicians who conduct business in the same manner as the people who got us into the mess that we're in now? I think that's what has people rallying behind Obama. One of the commentators made a very insightful point last night on CNN. He said that Hiliary is running a strong campaign, but that it's difficult to combat a movement. Those words are strong (think about the civil rights movement...the Jim Crow south tried to stop it and eventually failed). Movements are stronger than anyone person. Movements unite people across all lines...race, gender, status...and bring them together to effect change. I think if people really take a hard look, being President shouldn't be all about experience (which is something that I give Hilary credit for), but it should also be about uniting people. And that's something that I think Obama is definitely more qualified to do.
In any case, what's up with this cat who wrote this letter??!!! I mean after reading that shit I was like WTF? I mean, he must have no self-esteem whatsoever to stay in a relationship like that one. Scratch that, to even get involved with someone with an opinion like the one she had is completely crazy. How are you going to justify a relationship by saying that you hope to change the opinion of a person about an entire race of people? It's insane. I've got two words for that guy, MAN UP! If he doesn't have any kids by this woman, he needs to be a MAN and kick her to the curb! He makes upwards of $4,000 a check, he can obviously support himself! It sounds more like she's living off of him that anything else. She talks about black people being lazy, but she's living off a brother, isn't that a little bit hypocritical? It's amazing to think that a person can have this type of effect on another. She's degrading him to the point where he feels ashamed to do what he knows he should. He definitely needs help, but I think first he needs to help himself and get out of that relationship....and I'm out!

I'm voting republican so I can care less about Hillary... as for the good man strawberry letter; I don't think its a good, bad, black, white or brown issues. We tell others "false whys" to support how long we chose to tolerate a problematic relationship in hopes that we'll someday believe it to be "true", but ultimately, it's simply that "a choice". That man made a choice to be with that woman and likewise can choose to leave her... but what's pimpish about?

How very Republican an answer to both items. The pimpin is on her end and he has all the symptoms of a typical hoe. But wait for my full response...


And thanks for sharing!

What the HELL?!

Poor Democrats

So I was going to let another political fiasco go by with out saying a word about it. I mean, I thought about talking about the gay Republicans. I thought about talking about why Barack Obama may or may not be the first black president of the United States. Or why Hillary Clinton may or may not be the first woman president. But no, I will talk about why John Kerry will never be president and why the Democrats are going to get their asses handed to them next week.

I'm listening to Frank and Wanda this morning (I wanna find Frank after this and tell him how wrong he is on this), and they are talking about this Kerry fiasco. It didn't become a fiasco until he apologized. I knew he would and when he did, I just shook my head.

The Republican party has the best spin doctors in the universe. Virtually all of America is afraid to say the wrong thing about this war we allegedly won years ago. Its been years people. Remember Bush in the flight suit. How dare we mention how many soldiers are still dying lest we insult the soldiers who will die tomorrow. Don't even point out the FACT that more soldiers die in a month now than the entire time before Saddam was caught and victory was declared. And by no means, should you ever, ever, EVER ask when we are going to pull out of Iraq. The answer by the way is - when we have something going on bigger than Iraq going on.

Just my take for the ones who want to know about what Kerry said. (By the way - he told a bunch of college students to study and get good grades or they would end up in Iraq.) He made a reference to options. But mainly, he was talking about the draft. There will be one. And if you flunk out of school. Or can't pay. Or have to leave. You're going to Iraq. Soldiers who are already enlisted, had a choice. They chose to enlist. Picked the branch. And tested for a job they would like to have. A draftee has less of a choice. They will be tested but they get last priority compared to enlisted men/women. All that is to say - Study or Front Line.

Kerry is a smart man. But as smart men do, (think Gore turning down Clinton's help) he made a fatal error. He backed down to the Republican spin machine. For Christ sakes! There are gay congressmen chasing minors!!! (The key word is minors not gay) AND he back down to a democratic party he has all but turned his back on. John Kerry has (had) the democratic nomination whether or not they wanted to give it to him. He starts out as unafraid and independent of everyone. Then he buckles. He buckled in '04. He's buckling now. Two years later! That's chronic buckling. You don't want to be known as a chronic buckler. People like to play with buckles. Push the button while they're at the light. Push it when they're on long trips just to pass time. Just checking to see if it still works or how long it will last. John Kerry has become a sometime safety restraint. Sometime plaything. He's a buckle.

The Democratic National Convention is only partially to blame. Granted they buckled first. But they are just an approval body. They are supposed to represent all registered Democrats. Whether or not they actually do that is of no concern. They continue to get punked by the Republicans. It takes a candidate who operates oblivious to Democratic cowardice. Like Bill Clinton. Like Barack Obama. Like Hillary Clinton. Not like John Kerry.

But don't ask me. I voted for Nader. I probably will again.