Obama rejects invitation to State of the Black Union in New Orleans...

[IndianaJones]

He also claims that Michelle Obama was offered as a surrogate, but was rejected. Smiley today said that no communication was received by his office requesting Michelle Obama attend in Baracks place, but that he would have rejected any such request from any candidate.

Clinton has accepted the invitation, and McCain and Huckabee have not yet answered.

[qanda]

1. That is a mistake!

He really should rethink this one.

[EffieBlack]

46. Why? Is he supposed go to all of the black things?

[qanda]

48. The reason I feel it's important has nothing to do with him being black

A lot of blacks tune in to the state of the black union to find out how issues which are key to our community will be addressed by those in power and those seeking power. I think it's a wonderful platform for those who care to show up and a mistake for any politician that doesn't.

[EffieBlack]

52. Tavis' State of the Black Union is not the ONLY venue for blacks to learn about our issues

And while it might be a good forum, it's certainly not the only way for African Americans to get information, no matter what Tavis says. We're not stupid, ignorant or ill-informed. We watch CNN, C-SPAN, MSNBC, our local news, read newspapers, magazines, raise questions and answers and are very well-informed about all manner of issues.

Barack Obama does not need to appear on Tavis Smiley's program in order for him to be exposed to black people. And black folk don't need to tune in to Tavis' show in order to learn more about Barack Obama.

This looks like a power play to me. And Tavis won't win it. Right now, Obama is the most powerful black man in America and one of the most powerful PEOPLE in the country - and is in a good position to become the most POWERFUL PERSON ON EARTH. And at this point in time, there's very little that Tavis can do to make it happen or stop it from happening.

[qanda]

53. You make very good points

We'll see how it plays out.

[Tatiana]

2. UGH. He needs to go. If Clinton shows and he doesn't, there will be hell to pay.

He'd better rethink this.

[SIMPLYB1980]

3. What's up with that Obama?

[EmilyAnne]

11. While I think its great that Hillary has accepted the invitation,

I don't think that by not attending, Barack is telling these people to go to hell. Good grief.

[Olney Blue]

4. Do you have a link for that?

[Bullet1987]

5. Obama doesn't NEED to go when he's getting 80%-90%

of the Black vote. Clinton NEEDS it and needs it badly...

[Tatiana]

9. Yes, he does. It's a respect thing. n/t

[oasis]

36. Obama's arrogance comes shining through.

again.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

51. since Obama is 50% white, 50 % black, why is everyone labeling him BLACK?

why does Obama have to be black only?

Once he is elected and starts pulling our country out of the ditch, then suddenly
will the pundits be labeling him WHITE?

[ellisonz]

54. Welcome to Amerika!

[robbedvoter]

6. He won LA already, the hell woth those people!

Don't they know he has better things to do?

[KittyWampus]

19. Your girl didn't even bother to campaign there.

[MadBadger]

7. We back to the Obama's not black enouugh meme?

[my2sense]

8. Here is a post from Roland Martin on this topic

Why Obama should skip Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union

Sen. Barack Obama took a lot of heat last year from participants in Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union annual confab, which was held in Virginia. To be fair, he was a little busy that day...announcing HE WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT!

Some of the folks there were besides themselves, and frankly, were childish about it, even saying that he should have put off his presidential announcement to be there.

Now, almost a year later, he is faced with a similar dilemma.

Tavis has announced that he will hold his State of the Black Union annual talkfest on Feb. 23 in New Orleans, La. This is a huge event attended by thousands each year; broadcast on C-SPAN; and attracts some of the nation's top black activists, politicians and intellectuals.

During his commentary Thursday on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, the most listened to black radio show, Tavis said he's invited the three top candidates, Republican frontrunner, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. He said only one has accepted, and he will wait until tomorrow for the other two to decide.

He didn't say which one decided to attend, but on Friday, Clinton announced that she was attending.

In his commentary, Smiley said he was going to snap on those who don't attend on Tuesday's show, demanding that they own up to black issues and zero in on social justice issues as outlined in the book he edited, "The Covenant with Black America."

Here is my analysis of the situation, and hopefully it will put this presidential campaign and the delicate task of navigating the waters of black politics in perspective.

1. Clinton MUST attend. She led Obama in all of 2007 among black voters by huge margins. But that trend has shifted -dramatically. At best, she's polling at 25% among African Americans. Her acceptance is critical because she needs to capture 30% to 40% of the black to really stop Obama.

The perceived racial slights toward Obama by Clinton campaign surrogates, as well as her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has done significant damage in the black community. His attempts to explain the comments haven't mollified African Americans. Her appearance at the event can help her restore her standing among a vital Democratic constituency, which she will need to turn out en masse if she wins the nomination.

Also, her campaign doesn't have the cash Obama has. She needs any free media. And if Obama shows up, that means all the national media will be there, and the stage is set for her. Tavis said on the air that he would push for the candidates to debate the issues. She's called for more; Obama has only accepted two.

Smart politics on her part, and if I were advising her, no doubt I would tell her to attend.

2. Obama must look forward, not in the past. The Louisiana primary, which he won handily, was on Saturday. Why go back to Louisiana for an event on Feb. 23? That is not to dismiss the needs of people along the Gulf Coast. But the only way he can truly help them is if he wins the nomination and the White House.

Obama needs to be solely focused on Texas and Ohio. Those two mega-states offer a huge bounty of delegates, and he needs to win a large state to move ahead of Clinton. She polls strongly in both states, and they are a huge part of her winning strategy; so much of her time will be spent there in the coming weeks.

All his time must be on the ground. In Texas, he must blanket South Texas because of the Hispanic influence. He didn't do well among Hispanics in California, and he must change that.

There is some hope (no pun intended). When former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk ran in 2002 for the U.S. Senate, he took 74 percent of South Texas. Yes, an Hispanic was running for governor, but that bodes well for Obama. In Ohio, he must do well among blue collar Democrats. Clinton has owned these low- to middle-income voters, and Obama must score well among them.

If Tavis wanted to have an impact, he should have held his event before Louisiana or before the Mississippi primary. As the saying goes, bad planning on your part doesn't constitute a sense of urgency on mine.

3. He can't be defined again as the black candidate. Some will say he must avoid black folks to be more palatable to whites and Hispanics. I disagree. But you can't deny the reality that he's running for president of the United States and not president of Black America. The week of the South Carolina was all about race, and he knows that is not a winning discussion because of this nation's history. His campaign successfully beat back that issue since South Carolina, winning nearly all-white states like Utah, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Delaware, Connecticut, and Nebraska.

Obama is looking to have mass appeal, and showing up in New Orleans at a State of the Black Union event doesn't help him at all in a close race.

4. Send Michelle Obama. What is the purpose of surrogates if you can't make it somewhere? His wife is perfectly suited for this event, and that frees him up to go elsewhere. Plus, he's his top surrogate, and having a female counter your female opponent isn't a bad matchup.

Ask any campaign manager and they will tell you that when it comes to politics, especially in a close race, every minute matters. Candidates are on the phone lines campaigning, trying to raise money, and secure endorsements.

Spending the day with Tavis and his panelists is vital for Clinton. For Obama, time spent courting Latinos in Texas is more important.

African Americans are asking a lot of Obama, the best chance blacks have ever had of one of their own capturing the White House. I often hear folks say they want to know if he is going to back "their" issues. It is no different than how white women are feeling about Clinton. These are indeed historic firsts.

By the way, when people say that black issues are being ignored in the campaign, they are wrong.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the nation's most prestigious think tank devoted to African American issues, released a survey showing that the top issues to blacks are the war in Iraq; healthcare; jobs and the economy; and education.

Sounds to me like the candidates have spent a lot of time on those issues, although they could always do more.

As an aside, when I asked my radio listeners on WVON in Chicago if Obama should skip the event, we got 29 calls in two hours, and only two said he should go. And this is a crowd that is normally in agreement with Smiley.

[K Gardner]

10. I was just getting ready to post that, thanks.

[Exultant Democracy]

16. Come on...that makes just way too much sense to be in GD:P.

[Hutzpa]

20. Remember the ol saying'

'Black people are like crabs in a bucket, everytime one tries to get out,
another pulls you down' besides Tavis is a Clinton mole....period.

[Hoof Hearted]

23. He can't be defined again as the black candidate. Some will say he must avoid black folks to be more

Obama must look forward, not in the past.

He can't be defined again as the black candidate. Some will say he must avoid black folks to be more palatable to whites and Hispanics.

Obama is looking to have mass appeal, and showing up in New Orleans at a State of the Black Union event doesn't help him at all in a close race.




My oh my. It looks like this post is saying campaigning to blacks just isn't necessary now, he's got them shoved firmly in his jacket pocket so it's time to go back to being not quite so black anymore. We need some kind of cue card system to let us know when Obama is and isn't black.

[sampsonblk]

30. Your post is uninformed, in my opinion

The individual points you make are probably correct. But Obama is going to pay a price for not showing up. If he shows up, he gets to make his case. Even if he showed up and didn't say anything, it would be better than not showing up at all. His absence is going to mean a lot to a lot of people. Its going to say a lot about his candidacy, too.

[loveangelc]

31. yup. roland martin knows what he talks about...

[Occam Bandage]

12. Obama's the black candidate! Obama's not black enough!

[knowledgeispwr]

13. I'm black, and I don't think Obama should go

besides the fact that they were all over him last year, the last thing he needs is an excuse for them pin him down with being a "black candidate."

Tavis Smiley has been more scrutinizing of Obama than Clinton without good reason. Attending or not attending this event is not the be all or end all for Obama.

[jasmine621]

27. Hmmmm...what a double standard here.

Hillary stands more of chance of being pilloried here than Obama. Still can't give her her props. Had she declined what a HUGE race card she would be playing, eh?

[psychopomp]

33. I sure hope she puts on that "Ain't no waays tahrrd" routine again

Oh please oh please!

[Window]

35. HA! (that would be a Chris Matthews' "HA!")

Funny.



Peace:thumbsup:

[knowledgeispwr]

43. No double standard from me.

Obama was pilloried last year. I don't know what they said about Clinton last year.

I will agree that Clinton has more to lose from not going than Obama because of what has transpired so far this campaign.

Good for Clinton for going, but it's something she needs more than Obama does. If she had declined, I don't know what you could say about it. It wouldn't help her, but I don't know that it could really hurt her at this point.

[EffieBlack]

47. They jumped all over him last year for not going and didn't say a word of criticism that the other

candidates didn't go. Obviously, he's being held to another standard.

But frankly, why SHOULD he go? Tavis frames this as an opportunity for people to discuss issues of concern to blacks and for blacks to hear and see what they have to say. HELLO? Obama has been talking about issues of concern to blacks for years and he's doing it every day now - the economy, the war, health care, etc. And it's not like he needs Tavis Smiley as his go-between with blacks.

I think it's a tempest in a teapot. Tavis can complain all he wants, but he is not the boss of Obama and Obama doesn't need to run to New Orleans because Tavis whistled so that he can go talk to black people in Tavis' program.

[ProSense]

14. How does this mesh with Hillary campaign's claim that the states Obama won are insignificant,

which includes Lousiana?

Hillary needs to go to make up for her campaign dissing the entire state.

[Renew Deal]

15. Gotta link or did you make something up again?

:shrug:

[IndianaJones]

17. Tom Joyner Morning Show, 7:20AM CST. Tavis is on every Tues and Thurs...

Black radio...probably don't get reception in your car.

[Renew Deal]

18. So it's the telephone game.

OK

[stillcool]

21. Tavis Smiley...

is an ardent Hillary supporter. I'm going to have to wait for actual sources for clarification about this. There seems to be an up-tick in the number of surrogates putting out the daily trash.

[bigdarryl]

58. Travis Smiley has this forum every year and they don't solve a damn thing afterwards all...

they do is take turns getting on stage talking about the problems in the black community and they have NO SOLUTIONS to the problems its just a dog and pony show every year and i am saying that as a black man.

[Hoof Hearted]

22. How Republican of him. I guess it's not just rhetoric.

k&r

[IndianaJones]

24. not so fast...the Republicans haven't outright rejected the invitation yet. nt.

[jmg257]

25. Clinton MUST attend. She led Obama in all of 2007 among black voters by huge margins. But that trend

has shifted - dramatically.

[jasmine621]

26. Hillary is going but she will roundly attacked. I respect her for accepting.

Obama has gone down a notch in my view (he was already low)if this is true.

[grantcart]

28. where is your link?

[Freddie Stubbs]

29. Why bother? He already has the black vote sewed up

He needs to concentrate on undecided voters.

[oasis]

37. He doesn't want to be on the same stage as Minister Farrakhan. That pic won't go over

well in the general election.

[Freddie Stubbs]

42. Wouldn't go over well in the primary either

A lot of Democrats are Jewish.

[ShortnFiery]

32. Michelle Obama would be an outstanding representative for Obama's Campaign.

That makes perfect sense to me. :shrug:

[greguganus]

41. I'm glad Michelle's not going...a pic with her and Farrakhan wouldn't look good either. n/t

[QC]

45. Would it be wise for him to pimp her out like that? n/t

[Uzybone]

34. A preview of how Obama will act once he is the nom?

After all by then he will have the democratic vote wrapped up right? I really cant believe anyone is defending this. Does he think that white people are so stupid that they dont realize he is black by now? How is going to a black forum going to make him any "blacker"?

[mckeown1128]

38. What does the "black state of the union" thing have

to do with Obama being president.

[Uzybone]

40. All Im reading from Obama supporters

is that "why go back to La. he has already won that state". Or "why does he have to go, he is already getting 85% of the black vote." He shouldnt take anyones vote for granted. It is already impossible for him to get less than 80% of the black vote going forward in the primaries, but he still needs to speak to our concerns.

[formernaderite]

39. doesn't mean anything

I'm pretty sure he understand the state of the black union perfectly well, and the press would focus on him and highlight him as the "black" candidate once again.

[loveangelc]

44. exactly.

[IronLionZion]

49. Why should he go? Should Clinton and McCain go to every white event?

He's also a bit busy running for president while still doing his duties as a senator.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

50. AMEN! & FURTHER, OBAMA IS WHITE TOO - SO THIS IS ALL BULLCRAP

The labeling of Obama as black is misleading.

His mother was white and his father is black.

[Hutzpa]

55. These folks are all Clinton's shill,

Tavis Smiley is a Clinton Shill big time, Hey! Tavis.....just a quick reminder, Barack Obama
is not running for President of the United States of Blacks, he is running for President of
the United States of America.

Every Tom, Dick and Tavis out there, so...cut him some slack. Keep taking your money from
Clinton and be happy.

[tgnyc]

56. Remember his speech at the 2004 DNC (he uses it in his ads):

"There is no Black America..."

Why would someone who believes this attend a function called "State of BLACK AMERICA?"
x

[Catherine Vincent]

57. Obama is too busy for such things.

He's got the black vote locked, so why bother?