Bill Richardson.

CNN.com had this article up today.

Reading it, I was struck by its similarities with my last post about black directors and August Wilson.  Then I realized…they’re not remotely the same thing.

Navarrette is arguing that the failure of the Obama administration to hire this one specific person (Richardson) for this one particular job (Secretary of State) is a slap in the face to Latinos everywhere, one that will cost Obama the Latino vote in 2012.   My argument earlier was that hiring one specific person (Bartlett Sher) for one specific job (Joe Turner’s Come and Gone) could be seen as a slap in the face to African-American directors.   Similar, right?

Here’s where I see the difference in arguments: I’m talking about cumulative impact.  He’s talking about all or nothing.  If Richardson doesn’t get the gig (which he didn’t), all Latinos are offended.  I’m saying that if a black director doesn’t get the gig, there’s still room to make it right with other gigs.  It’s a question of absolutes.

And the bigger issue, of course, is that August Wilson plays are plays that are often directed by black directors.  There’s not only a precedent there, there’s a reason to believe that a director’s race could play a role in his/her qualifications for the job.  Not so with SOS.  It would be great to have Richardson in the position, and he’s certainly qualified (and maybe moreso than Clinton), but you don’t get the feeling that a job was taken away from a Latino and given to a white person there.

Man, I feel almost like a union rep with that argument.

Michelle Obama vs. Claire Huxtable.

From Newsweek:

Since her emergence on the national scene, Obama has been deemed radical, divisive and the adjective that no modern-day black woman can live without: angry. Thankfully, so far, she’s endured these demeaning accusations with a smile and shrug—at least in public. But if she does end up in the White House, continuing to dial back her straightforward, vibrant personality isn’t the answer. In the same way that Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy and Hillary Clinton each redefined what it meant to be First Lady, Michelle will forge her own path. Not only will she draw the usual criticisms, but she’ll be open to some new ones too. I eagerly await the public reaction if Sasha and Malia ever sport cornrows or afro puffs on the South Lawn.

Hillary.

i’m listening to her speech for the first time right now.  Here are thoughts as I have them:

*”No way, no how, no McCain.” — Gangster.  And here’s the thing: she can be just as gangster and just as important to the Democratic Party without being the Presidential nominee or even the VP nom.  Obama can stay somewhat above the fray–because that’s kind of who he is–and folks like gangster Hillary can keep doing the important work that they do for the party.  I like the way this works.

*PUERTO RICO!  HOO!

*”Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits” — slightly less gangster, but the idea is a good one.

*The more I listen to her, the more pleased I am with the way things worked out.  I think she’s powerful and important.  She speaks well, she’s smart, she’s got moxie (and I debated long and hard before using that word, because I don’t mean it condescendingly), she’s a vital part of the Democratic Party.  But I think she’s going to do better things for this country outside of the White House than she would have from the inside.

*They’re going hard at gay rights this convention–good for the Dems.  Kennedy mentioned it, Hillary’s all over it–good stuff.

*She is doing such a good job of the “and that is why I am supporting Barack Obama for President.”

*”Were you in it just for me?” — DO YOUR THING, HILLARY!  This is exactly what I want Barack to ask to, especially Barack, to ask all of us who are standing behind him to make sure that we’re not just standing behind him, but standing together for the ideals that he and Hillary (and everybody including crazy ass awesome Kucinich) stand for.

*She is the striker, folks.  She’s got no restrictions, and is saying all the attack type stuff on McCain and Bush–again, she’s opening the door for Barack to be what he needs to be–cool, calm, above the fray.

*The woman voting stuff is so fundamental and important, and now it’s a part of the discourse for the years to come.  It’s a goddamn great thing to hear.

*HARRIET TUBMAN!  Hillary’s greatest moment is Harriet Tubman!  She’s suddenly turned into a preacher, and I effing love it.

Great speech.  Here it is.

Yes We Will, Part Three (The Prequel)

So as promised, here’s the original Obama post I wrote, way back in February on NY Primary Day.  Actually, it’s a slightly excerpted version–I cut a couple of minor paragraphs.  At the end of this post, I’m going to add some of the comments I received in response to the rant. I don’t post those because people are responding to my writing, but to illustrate the passion that we’re working with here.

I don’t usually write (or read, for that matter) notes on Facebook, and I stopped updating my Myspace blog many months ago. I’m not likely to start up again anytime soon. But today, I’ve got something to talk about, so here I am, and I say what I’m about to say without irony:

America felt especially beautiful this morning.
New York City feels especially beautiful today.
I can’t quite wrap my head around how beautiful the whole world might look tomorrow morning.

I voted today. I’ve never voted in a primary before. I’ve been registered as Independent since Nader–and no, I didn’t cost Gore the presidency, Mom. When I moved back to New York, I re-joined the Democratic party. I did it so I could vote for Obama.

So okay, it’s not a shock that I’d be voting for this guy. I’m a member of the hip-hop generation. There’s a cool ass Black dude–a Progressive cool ass Black dude–running for President? Of course he gets my vote. He’s from Chicago, he plays basketball, he owns up to his youthful indiscretions? Sign me up. And he can speak? He can speak with rhythm, with flavorful cadences, with enthusiasm and passion and accessibility? He can speak to me, directly to me, the way so many hip-hop artists and theater artists and neighborhood geniuses have spoken to me, full of confidence without bluster, swagger with compassion, spirit and spirituality and yeah, I say this without irony, love in his voice and his heart? And he’s young, he’s handsome, he’s–I can’t believe I’m saying this–electable? I’m voting. I voted. I ride for Barack.

AND he sounds like The Rock? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeit (c) Clay Davis.

I’ve voted in two other presidential elections in my lifetime. Nader had me (and many of my peers) fired up because he represented something different. He was a voice for the issues we felt were important. We knew he wouldn’t win. We didn’t care about him winning. We went Green and independent because we were independent, because we needed to be heard somehow, and he was the way to get heard. And we lost, and our second choice lost, and it was disheartening, yes, but it felt like we were speaking loud and clear, and lo and behold–our second choice is now the greenest motherfucker in politics. And film, for that matter. As Fergie and Daddy Yankee would say: “Impacto.”

In 2004, we mobilized and we mobilized strong. We rode hard for Kerry, not because any of us really dug Kerry, but because–well, you know. And we lost. I remember being at Southpaw on election night, watching Baba Israel and J-Love and company bring hip-hop and funk and US to the presidential election. We went to bed that night thinking we had changed the way things were done. We woke up to find out the efforts had fallen short. The students I had been working with on the campaign said things like: “Why should I even register when I turn eighteen? We did all this work, and it didn’t make a difference.” I knew where they were coming from. I couldn’t teach that day. I cried tears of frustration in the office when no one was looking. The tears weren’t about losing so much as anger at the process–we poured this much work into getting behind a guy that NO ONE really wanted to see as President. And we still almost made it happen. Imagine if it was Edwards. Imagine if it was a cool ass smart ass Black dude. Things would have changed.

But of course, things do change, and impacts are made, and now, today, it’s soggy and nasty in New York, but The Giants are parading in the Canyon of Heroes, and there’s an energy here, yo.

Brooklyn College (the most ethnically diverse institution I know of in NYC) is buzzing. For a primary.
Emerson Middle School, where I voted, was buzzing. For a primary.

There’s a guy we care about, and he’s running against a woman who, all things being equal, would be a President I could stand behind. Hell, there’s a crazy old Republican with a crazy way old mother who I could stand behind (The old guy, not the mom. No wait–the mom too). There’s an internet rock star independent thinker sticking around, stirring things up. And yeah, there’s a business as usual Mormon robo-politican around, and a religious conservative dude–but hey, no Rudy.

And there’s Barack Hussein Effing Obama, who has put tears in the back of my eyes, who has me believing in Bob The Builder slogans (Yes We Can!) as a sign of potential social change.

I’m not convinced he’s going to win.
Hell, I’m not convinced he’ll get nominated.
And I’m sure that if he does win, he’ll never–NEVER–live up to everything that my generation is expecting of him.
He might not be the best President ever.

And you know what? It wouldn’t matter.

Because right now, a whole lot of people fucking care for once.
And we care because this dude is here.

And now, the comments:

“so many people have said to me that they felt proud voting in this election.

proud.

that’s a first for my folks.”

“Kris…what a great manifesto that encapsulates how so many of us feel and have felt. Rock on! Go Obama!”

“I voted for Barack at the outlet malls in Draper, Utah. That night, he won Utah. And Alaska. And North Dakota. And Idaho. And Minnesota. If that ain’t change, I don’t know what is. The time is now. Obama ‘08.”