After Barack Obama rejected public campaign financing, John McCain and conservatives criticized him for going back on his word. Shouldn't they be happy? Here we have a black man finally getting off public assistance, and the Right still isn't satisfied
The polling is clear. Obama has a steady national lead. More importantly, he is leading in the handful of states whose electoral votes actually matter including four states that voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. John McCain had hoped to make California competitive. Instead he finds himself ahead by only two points in his home state of Arizona, forced to commit resources and to start running deceptive automated phone calls in a desperate attempt to prevent an embarrassing loss.
Assuming he wins, what can we expect from Barack Obama. Can he unite the country as he’s promised? He will have his work cut out. The divisions in America run deep racially and politically, but there can and will be progress, if not total resolution.
A friend and fellow comedian who produces a video series called “This Week In Blackness” spoke with me about the oft-repeated concept of a “post-racial” America. The notion is that we will have won the War On Racism by electing Obama and once and for all healed America’s racial divide. Claims of employment discrimination, systematic imprisonment and economic segregation could be met with, “But you have a black president.” The country could finally move on to more pressing matters, like selecting the next flavour of Coca Cola.
This simple resolution will not happen. In fact, Obama’s mere candidacy (and the reaction of his opponents to it) have exacerbated that racial divide in small but poignant ways. Obama has tapped into hope, but he has also triggered a backlash of fear from the more ignorant realms of our society.
This is so exciting! Tomorrow I join a panel of some pretty cool people talking about some pretty cool things on the BBC programme (see how I spelled it all British-like?), Newsnight Review
Panelists
Me
Ron Silver (actor/director and has his own political radio talkshow)
What’s happened to American culture under the Bush presidency. How did TV, film, literature and music respond to Sept 11th? Or the Iraq War? Is there more political diversity in the arts now? Would Obama or McCain be better for the cultural life of the country or does it not really make a difference?
I wanted to post this on Jack & Jill Politics, but our site is down due to shenanigans at Media Temple. Good thing the ol’ baratunde.com is still in effect!
Here’s an excellent YouTube video to remind you of the perils of overconfidence. I know many of us have been working our asses off and feel good about where we are what with the apparent implosion of McPalin in a different way each day. Don’t sleep. This election is not over.
Fellow New Yorkers, please help out with the “Last Call For Change” effort to contact people and get out the vote in battleground states. It requires no money, just a modest commitment of time. If you want some fun, come to the Latinos for Obama comedy fundraiser at Gotham Comedy Club tomorrow night. We’ll break midway to watch the Obama 30 minute TV special.
Everyone else, check out the Voter Suppression Wiki for ways you can help safeguard your votes and the votes of others. In particular, check out this Action Center page and actually complete the steps. It will make a difference. That’s the point of this campaign. It’s time for us to get involved, so git!
This Wednesday, I’m part of an incredible comedy fundraiser for Barack Obama at the Gotham Comedy Club in NYC. It is a fundraiser, but I know many of yall don’t have many funds so I’m offering you a chance to get one of my five comp tickets (that is, free!).
In order to get the tickets, post a comment on this blog post (by 2pm Monday) with your name, why I shouldn’t make you buy your own damn ticket and how you’ve contributed to the campaign in whatever way you could. Maybe you phonebanked for the first time or gave $20 in September because you were so insulted by Sarah Palin. Or maybe you’re just down for Obama but low on funds because you lost your shiny Wall Street job.
Join New York Latinos for Obama, South Asians For Obama, The Coalition for Barack Obama in Mt. Vernon, Dominicans For Obama and Young Latino Professionals for Obama for a memorable night of laughter supporting our soon-to-be next president.
Wednesday, October 29th - - Doors open at 6:30p | Pre-Show from 7:00p-7:25p | Showcase from 7:30p-9:00p
MC: Eric Vetter. Starring… Craig Baldo | Leighann Lord | Elon James White | Carmen Lynch | Baratunde Thurston | Marilyn Torres | Joseph Rocha | Jane Galvin-Lewis
I’ve been a journalism geek for a long time. In high school, I enrolled in a summer journalism program at American University, and as part of the class we got to visit the National Press Club. It was the summer that baseball almost died (again), and Bud Selig had been named acting commissioner. We got a tour of the building and got to attend his luncheon talk.
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