Democrats Should Be Ashamed Of Themselves

I would like to preface this by stating for the record that I was not going to speak about the presidential race so soon because we have no idea who Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will be facing, but recent events warrant the following comment. That comment is that if I were a member of the Democrat Party, I would hang my head in shame.

Here is what you have as far as choices for the Democratic ticket, simple and plain. You have a racist in Sen. Barack Obama (IL) and a snob in Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY). I normally do not call it so boldly, but that’s what I have to do.

Ladies first, Clinton is acting like a Republican first and foremost by labeling Obama an elitist. For the junior Senator, that is like the pot calling the kettle black. She attended an Ivy League school and for the better part of over 15 years, she had lived in an executive mansion as a first lady. For her to parade around with a whiskey shot in one hand and a glass of beer in the other, just to show that she can be an average person, is an insult. If anyone has seen the video, she looked anything but.

The dog and pony show at the bar shows that Clinton is now in desperation mode. Over the weekend, I saw her say the same thing about comments Obama made in San Francisco about how out of touch he is with Americans. I would argue that the same can be said for her because at last check she has the old liberal guard of the party supporting her.

Speaking of the old guard, she also has allowed two of her supporters to bring race and stereotypes into this for the sole purpose discrediting Obama. Geraldine Ferraro, who until recently was on Clinton’s finance committee, said that if Obama was white, he would not be in the current position that he is holding. She later said that the campaign twisted her comments and then said that she was being attacked because she was white. I do not know how you can twist her comments any other way. Her comments are reminiscent of some people, not just whites, who say for argument sake “Kenny got his job because he is Black.”

Also saying the same thing as Ferraro is BET Founder Bob Johnson, who is on my spit list as well for other reasons as well. Johnson in the Charlotte Observer recently: “What I believe Geraldine Ferraro meant is that if you take a freshman senator from Illinois called `Jerry Smith' and he says I'm going to run for president, would he start off with 90 percent of the black vote? And the answer is, probably not...Geraldine Ferraro said it right. The problem is, Geraldine Ferraro is white. This campaign has such a hair-trigger on anything racial ... it is almost impossible for anybody to say anything.”

I find that amazing that Obama magically started off with 90 percent of the black vote, because most of that vote (I would argue at least 70 percent) didn’t think Obama was Black enough. I would not be surprised if Johnson had the same thoughts originally.

This is the same Johnson who not to long ago said that while the Clinton’s were fighting the civil rights fight, Obama was in the hood. Now remember at the time, Johnson was allegedly referring to the Senator’s work as a community organizer. If anyone believed that, I feel so sad because in the recent Observer article, Johnson alluded to the January incident stating, “I make a joke about Obama doing drugs (and it's) `Oh my God, a black man tearing down another black man'.”

Johnson ripping down black people is nothing new, which explains why he is on my spit list. Johnson has spent the better part of two decades during his reign at BET, not adding anything of substance as far as uplifting and educating black people. His only saving graces were “Teen Summit” along with “BET News” and “BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley.” Other than that, he aired 16 hours of rump shaking music videos a day during my high school years. This is deplorable considering that he could have taken a courageous stand against that content and refused to air them, but he didn’t. He also balked at the idea of creating more original programs citing financial reasons. I thought that this was bull considering that many Spanish networks at the time (like here in the capital region) were on low powered television stations and they were able to come up with original programming of substance.

Then there is Barack Obama. I am convinced that he is an outright racist. Either that or he hates America. Many Christians I know would have walked out if they heard they’re preacher use the Lord’s name in vain. I certainly would have walked out. If I had a white parental figure, I would have walked out if that preacher kept saying hateful things about white people. Of course I would have a few choice words for him, after I say them I would leave and then ask God for forgiveness.

His wife, Michelle Obama, said this year that she was finally proud to be an American. OK, but what about the year’s prior? I usually don’t pick on the spouses, but Michelle Obama’s comments were very telling, especially after hearing her husband’s recent comments about small town America.

I will not pretend to be from an area that I am not, unlike some bloggers, but I will say that small town America is not clinging to guns or God because they are bitter. They cling to guns for protection and for hunting. Maybe Mr. Obama should ask some of those who were around during the civil rights era who had guns to protect their families from the psycho racists that wanted to burn their homes down or burn a cross on their yard.

Small town America, or better yet, Americans cling to God because they are going through rough times. I know during my rough times, God was all I had. I was not bitter when I clung to God, I needed strength and rejuvenation. As an American and as a Christian, I am insulted by his comments.

This supposed peoples party has insulted Americans in some way shape or form in the first four months of 2008. Between Clinton, Obama, Johnson and Ferraro, I do not think there is anyone else on the list that they can insult. If I were a Democrat, I would have to ask myself if I really want either Clinton or Obama as the nominee, let alone President.

According to Ferraro, I would have gotten my position because I am black, while Obama says that I was clinging to God because I was bitter and racist and according to Clinton, if I went to an Ivy League school, I would be an elitist. And people wonder why I am a registered Republican.

P. Kenneth Burns is the editor/writer of Maryland Politics Today and a columnist for PolitickerMD.com. He also contributes to Red Maryland and Salisbury News. He lives in Laurel, Prince George’s County. His email is kennyburns@marylandpolitics.us