This past silly season, as in has been the norm, Blacks have been blasted for giving their votes to Democrats. While I recognize that it is not politically sound to "have all of your eggs in one basket," I refuse to let the criticism go by when it's based on false premises.
In doing so, I'm placed into the "Democrat plantation" camp by people who don't have a clue. So for these people, I present "Ed on Ed". These come from the USENET Google archives.
Ed on registering as an independent in March, 1999:
When I first registered to vote, I put down "non-aligned" because i didn't know enough about either party. When the next national election rolled around, it was Reagan against Mondale. I read in the newspapers that the Black politicans were complaining the Mondale was not going to the Black areas to ask for votes. In an interview he was quoted as saying there was no need to go to Blacks because Blacks had no choice but to vote for him. I refused to re-register as a Democrat because my vote will not be taken for granted.
Ed on Jesse Jackson, Feb. 1999
Jesse Jackson let Clinton punk him. Clinton went in front of a national
audience and berated Jackson over the attendence of Sista Souljah, a
"rapper" who was not widely known. Jesse Jackson did not appreciate it,
and withheld his support of Clinton until the '92 presidential race
heated up. Clinton *PUNKED* Jesse Jackson. Between '92 and '96, there
were newspaper accounts of the discord between the two, including
Jackson saying that Clinton was immoral. Jackson complained about
Clinton ignoring issues of importance to Blacks and he complained about
Clinton signing welfare reform. He publically stated he was thinking
about running against Clinton to highlight the political issues. He
decided not to do it. If those issues were that important, as he claimed
they were, he would have run against Clinton ON PRINCIPLE.
On Bill Clinton, Aug 1996
I understand, but my point is this: Clinton ain't a savior, he's another "cracka in a suit" if/when his political ass is on the line.
On Democrats and Blacks, Apr 1999
Since I first started posting, I've said that Democrats take the Black vote for granted and that Blacks need to get the Democrats attention. If that means voting Republican, so be it. If it means that a Black Democrat leaves the party, becomes a Republican, and then runs against a Democrat candidate, then so be it.
But I'm not going to sit and watch Democrats treat the Black voters
like the "old stand-by" that you go to when you can't get anyone else
better.
Clinton treated Jesse Jackson like a punk and, later, Jackson comes
back and helps him. That helped Clinton but it hurt Black political
power in the Democratic party.
More Ed on Democrats, April 1998.
Look, Black people need to stop the "Democrats are our friends" garbage, and start looking at what they are doing and what they are not doing.
Start with the March 1998 issue of Emerge that has the picture of Ward Connerly as a puppet. Read the article on the money strings behind Prop. 209.
Then ask the same question I was posting: Where were the Democrats at
during the anti-Prop. 209 campaign?
Finally, what I wrote recently:
So, now what do you have to say?
Can you wrap your mind around the fact that I don't have to be in the Democrat camp to blast Republicans? Can you get your mind around the fact that I don't have to be a Republican to blast Democrats?
So to those who think I'm on somebody's plantation, if I am, it's my own plantation. Take a look at what YOU are defending.
Posted by at November 8, 2004 11:50 PM | TrackBack
Good stuff and timely too. Black leadership has failed miserably. Dems take us for granted and Republicans try and ignore us in order to not have as many of us mobilized AGAINST them.
At the same time our leadership sticks to the DEMS who, as you said, PUNK them-like flies in a horse's butt. I don't know much about Barak Obama, but I'm hoping that he isn't another in a long line of would-be black leaders who fall in step with traditional black leadership who rail against the republicans and are the best 'base' the Dems have.
Posted by: don at November 9, 2004 08:53 AM