There are numerous things I actively do (and don’t do) to avoid potentially and unnecessarily violent confrontation. While others honk at and flip off motorists who’ve upset them, I smirk, shake my head, and take solace in the fact that my car would literally f*ck their car up if I wanted it to. I don’t date women with accent marks or hyphens in their names. And, if your nightclub has undergone three name changes in the past two years, you probably won’t find me there.
Why do I go through these lengths? Well, one of my goals in life is to be a 60 year old black man. And, from what I understand, it’s very difficult to be a 60 year old black man if you get shot to death before you reach 60, so I try to live in a way that decreases the likelihood of that happening.
Now, 60 isn’t an arbitrary age. It’s important for me to get to that point because I want to shake hands with a Martian (I figure we’re around 30 years from making that happen) and, more importantly, I want to enjoy the same filterlessness that my dad currently does.
As anyone who has a 60+ father, uncle, or grandfather in their lives will tell you, 60 is the age when men (black men in particular) lose their filters and any sense of self-consciousness and will say anything they want to about anybody at any time. I desperately want to make it there too. I literally cannot wait for the day when I’ll be able say things like “Does your mother know that she raised an idiot?” to a city council man’s face and be able to get away with it.
Anyway, this filterlessness makes for entertaining conversations. So, you can imagine what I was expecting to hear the other night when I asked for his opinion about Herman Cain.
His answer — “Well, I have to say that he hasn’t said or done anything really stupid yet” — stuck with me for two reasons
A) The bar for politicians is so low that “Well, at least he’s not an idiot” is a ringing endorsement. Seriously, can you imagine if other industries had the same low expectations? Can you imagine seeing a Chick-fil-A ad that says “Well, at least you won’t get Salmonella“?
B) My dad, a revolutionary who occasionally rocks black berets and still says things like “solid on down,” isn’t turned off by Herman Cain
My mom — who’s not quite as revolutionary as my dad, but possesses the most potent bullshit detector on Earth — entered the room soon after. I asked for her opinion, and she basically said the same thing.
Now, I realize that this could just be some type of mandatory kinship speaking — a mandate from high (or Morgan Freeman perhaps) that when any black person 60 or over is doing anything remotely positive, every other 60+ black person must immediately give them the benefit of the doubt. But, the feelings from my Black Panther-ass parents made me rethink my own thoughts about Cain and why I possess them.
I have to admit, I hadn’t even considered giving dude an honest chance. Part of it has to do with his name (“Herman” is just a silly f*cking name to me. It feels like something someone should name a dog.), but the main reason why he was thrown in the “Don’t even consider this n*gga” pile is that The Tea Party people — you know, those cats who generally seem to abhor us and think the president is from Jupiter — seem to love him, never a good sign. Also, with the exception of Colin Powell and (maybe) Condi Rice, every black republican I can think of just seems to have a general aura of lame around them. It’s like they’re perpetually engulfed in a spiderweb of wackness.
Cain may very well be the Antichrist. But, it’s not fair to him for me to immediately assume that he’s the spawn of Satan just because he’s black and he happens to belong to the 2011 GOP, and it’s not fair to me to be so intellectually apathetic when deciding on a leader. There’s absolutely no chance in hell that I’d actually vote for him (Seriously. If you’re a close friend of mine and you don’t vote for Obama in 2012, you might no longer be a close friend of mine. Yes, it’s that serious.), but I can at least listen to what he has to say.
I mean, he is a 65 year old black man. That guarantees that he’ll at least be entertaining.
Anyway, people of VSB.com, I’m curious: What are your feelings about Herman Cain? Is he Uncle Ruckus, another republican reactionary, or the realest motherf*cker alive?
Also, did the fact that he’s a black republican influence your opinion about him before you even heard what he had to say?
—The Champ
Imma guess that you didn’t see this, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/09/herman-cain-moses_n_1002744.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003.
Yes, shrugging off Uzbekistan’s role in US foreign policy is a gaffe, but I believe that it’s salvageable.
In fact, his move might endear him to the Tea Party even more: TP members want America to return to its pre-WW2 isolationism since a Ron Paul-style “dismantling of the US empire” could cut military expenditures and could decrease the national debt burden.
And, in Tea Partiers’ eyes, who’s a better person to make such budget cuts than a former businessman?
With respect to Wave Cap’s analysis of the tea party movement, I doubt you’ll find the average tea partier very interested in Ron Paul’s isolationist rhetoric. The tea party and Ron’s ronulans and paulbots are at odds on most issues. Just what is Uzbekistan’s role in US foreign policy anyway? And how is it important to a presidential campaign? Is there any such thing as a former businessman?
What is Uzbekistan’s role?Well apparently they’re a key element for providing an alternate logistics route to supply US forces in Afghanistan.
You know,other than Pakistan.
Might be a good idea not to rely so heavily on one route.
Might be a good thing not to go out of your way to piss them off,particularly as I believe the US is in negotiations with its government for use of its territory.
Oil(Known reserves,600 million barrels)
Eight largest natural gas producer(Known reserves 66.2 trillion cubic ft).
Seventh largest gold producer(4th in reserves).
And all this from 5 minutes Google-fu.
The spectacle of a candidate for President of the US flaunting his ignorance is horrifying to me.Should be horrifying to you too.
He and President Obama are similiar in their politics; they just have different approaches. Neither of them are interested in serving the interests of the working class. We aren’t friends but I can’t see myself voting for a president who doesn’t represent my interests.
He and President Obama are similiar in their politics; they just have different approaches.
Indeed. Quote:
From this Daily Kos article (emphases added by me): http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/10/1024591/-99:-A-Warning-to-OWS-and-the-Rest-of-Us
Difference between a Republican and a Democrat? One party is willing to pay for social programs, the other isn’t. There’s a reason I stepped away from politics. I cannot stand the high level of bullish. I hope both parties destroy themselves.
Yeah, I don’t think he’s out to help the working class:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/05/cain-not-rich-no-job-blame-yourself/
What is it that you think the working class needs from Herman Cain? How about we drop the class business and elect a president and a congress that’s actually interested in turning things around. People in this country have been getting their constituent itch scratched for 50 years, and where has it gotten us? Government has been lousy at addressing inequities across the board. It has created more disparity than it’s ever resolved. People stopped relating to each other, working hard, having families and seeking to improve society and are now waiting on the government to do it for them. We have been waiting for government to improve our national lot for three generations and year on year things get worse. How about we get government out of our lives and our pockets, and back to what it’s supposed to do. Let’s learn how to take care of ourselves.
I agree. I think we should all vote for Ron Paul and call it a day. He’s the most honest politician I’ve seen in a long time, and he’s more into helping the whole country rather than a particular class, be it the working or upper class.
The only thing about that is that IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. It’s simple, as long as someone profits on the current conditions no matter how bad, they will use their current influence and resources to keep the conditions in their favor. Lobbyists will keep lobbying and politicians will keep getting laid and paid by them. Its been happening since there has been organized government. Its gonna take some wild French Revolution type of ish to get these dudes in line for real!
“Government has been lousy at addressing inequities across the board. It has created more disparity than it’s ever resolved. People stopped relating to each other, working hard, having families and seeking to improve society and are now waiting on the government to do it for them. We have been waiting for government to improve our national lot for three generations and year on year things get worse. How about we get government out of our lives and our pockets, and back to what it’s supposed to do. Let’s learn how to take care of ourselves.”
Do we really know how to take care of ourselves???? Some of us do, so much so that we will crap on others to get ours. Government is merely a reflection of the will of the most powerful people of the nation, not the people.
Here’s a suggestion: Stop voting for the people who keep saying that government can’t do anything if the people you are voting for happens to BE government i.e congressman, governors etc
Well you want someone who has experience in politics. But you also want someone who understands the role of government and realizes the problems and the overstepping of government with respect to the Constitution. The role of president is too complex to have someone who has no experience in it.
Uh, you mean like Mr. Obama? He had exactly ZERO experience in anything. I’ll take Mr. Cain’s 40+ years of business excellence over Mr. Obama’s 1/2 term as senator anytime.
Hmmm….maybe it’s just me, but it’s been proven over and over again that those with a strong business background are best suited towards the business field. Frankly, I’m tired of the Donald Trumps of the country believing that they know how to best service and “turn around” the direction of the country simply because the majority of their business deals were successful. I want someone who can relate to and is willing to work for MY causes, not someone whose sole focus is on the business matters of the country (and NO, I’m certainly not downplaying the importance of our country’s economic turmoil nor am I saying that the best move is to ignore our financial burdens).
I agree with this. However, Ron Paul is really not that guy and I don’t get why people especially young people, feel that he can make a better candidate. He wants to leave healthcare to the free market which seems like the complete opposite of him wanting to make it affordable. He wants to eliminate the Dept of Education and leave it in the hands of the states, eliminate the income tax and he voted against a bill commemorating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because he feels that the act did not achieve its purpose and feel that businesses should not adhere to racial quotas.
but what if herman cain is really a spy sent to infiltrate the gop? he could win the election and be like “gotcha b*tch” and switch it up on his party. he would try to get bills passed like “3 day weekends” where the federal work week would be tuesday through friday. or he could try to legalize weed.
That might actually make sense ’cause he doesn’t seem to have a lot of it!
regular working hours would be on CP time
w/ two 15-minute breaks and an extra 15 on top of that hour for lunch…
Wow. You’ve managed to describe a more fantastic circumstance than the Eddie Murphy’s “White Like Me” skit on SNL. Kudos.
I would then love him. Just as much as I love Godfather’s Pizza.
Legalizing weed would help the struggling pizza business. Muuuuunnnnccchies.
very much so. i heard if you get high enough you could eat a whole large pizza.
Wow, I’m Number 1?
The Herman Cain types are no where near revolutionary imo because they are ready to kiss the YT’s arse at any convenience. At least Michael Steele pretended like he was down for the cause because he liked fried chicken and potato salad and used wack hip hop references. But seriously, I never gave Herman Cain a second thought, mostly because he seems to come off as uneducated and close minded as the other yahoos in the running field. They all are trying to out crazy each other in hopes to win a talking spot on Fox News, a speaking arrangement and book deals. It’s cynical as hell…If i’m not #1 anymore, damn…
****They all are trying to out crazy each other ****
And the competition is fierce.
I totally agree with that they are just trying to one up the other in being the most radical! Im reminded of a chris rock jike which he is talking about old black men being the most racist people in america. The joke goes, “but grandad u married a white woman, ‘Hey i love her and she love me and thats all that matters but if tha revolution start tomorrow, i will kill her first just to let these crackaz kniw i mean bizness!!’”.
In that joke i think lies what is missing from ole herman! I think he has know real sense of belonging to black society or white, like unkle rukus! If tha revolution started tomorrow this ninja would def be on the other side as he has bought into conservative, fux news american imperialism bull! When tha race really heats up for the pres, the gop will let him know he still a ninja like the rest and this guy will be a non factor!!
You’re kidding, right? Mr. Cain holds advanced degrees in mathematics and computer systems engineering. He was a ballistics analyst (ie: a rocket scientist) for the department of the Navy before running numerous companies and achieving huge success. He has orders of magnitude more experience than the current occupant of the White House. He’s EXACTLY what this country needs to get us out of the ditch Obama has planted us in. Do yourselves a favor, and listen to his message without the blinders.
Cain 2012!
while I can’t say that I’m on my Morehouse brother’s bandwagon, I do agree. Dude is successful as hell in everything that he does. And he’s educated as hell.
I agree too. When listening to him talk, at least he makes sense. His issue is, ironically, what Champ spoke of, his lack of filter. His issue with religious freedom might kill him in the long run since one thing the Red States do like is the Constitution. They might hate that you ain’t Christian, but they’ll let you be whatever you want as long as it doesnt impede on their rights too.
****He has orders of magnitude more experience than the current occupant of the White House. He’s EXACTLY what this country needs to get us out of the ditch Obama has planted us in.****
1. We were in a ditch when Obama was elected
2. The United States Government is not a business. Businesses grow. And the one thing conservatives DON’T want the government to do IS grow. Thus Cain’s business “experience” means what?
For what it’s worth, Mr. Cain made Godfather’s Pizza successful by shrinking it — jettisoning the unprofitable stores. Then focusing on messaging and quality. These are the same things that have to happen to government. We cannot continue to fund all the programs and departments that exist now, let alone add a gazillion new ones as we pander for votes. As a supposedly rich nation, of course we need a social safety net for the neediest of the needy. For the rest, we need to foster opportunity, and we need to make this nation business friendly so that jobs come back. Mr. Cain is a master communicator with a good head on his shoulders, and his center-right perspective puts him very much in the majority mindset of Americans at large. We need somebody who makes us feel good about ourselves again, the way Ronald Reagan did. He’s the man for the job.
For what it’s worth, the latitude afforded to a CEO, is far different than the latitude afforded to a President working with a legislative body that represent at least 50 different view points and perspectives. It’s fine to have ideas, but the reality is, you will have to compromise.
As to making the nation business friendly, how much more friendly can we be to them? Many of them pay no NO taxes now. You’re aware of this right? So what can we do in addition to this?
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/ad-lib/2011/apr/10/tax-evaders-wall-shame/
I won’t even bother talking about Reagan, his deficit spending should speak for itself. Still, it’s strange that his Presidency makes you feel good about yourself when many of his policies (much to the chagrin of Progressives) mirror Reagan.
*When many of Obama’s policies (much to the chagrin of Progressives) mirror Reagan
Ronald Reagan made “us” feel good? Yeah, like Billy Bob Thornton in Monster’s Ball…bent us over and fcked us. If that’s what you’re going for, by all means, Cain 2012.
so is mitt romney, but you can’t run government like a business. So is say, paul krugman but he has political inexperience and sorry, but you can’t expect the government to nationalize everything. Your point?
Cain is a lunatic or heartless. He wants a 9-9-9 plan.
9 percent national sales tax. Yes. Insane. On top of state that have their own sales tax, that would mean regular consumers would be paying 19% on every item they buy. The freaking Chamber of Commerce (a force I consider to be evil) even thinks this is insane and punitive towards the working class.
9 percent flat tax rate on everyone. His talking points he says that “49% of the country doesn’t pay income taxes” but leaves out the part that THEY ARE TOO POOR TO EVEN BE PART OF THE LOWEST TAX BRACKET. They live check to check and cannot spare a penny to pay taxes. He thinks they should be taxed at the same rate as billionaires. This would be a tax on being poor.
HE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE…
FYI- I’m in a tax bracket and I can’t spare a penny to pay taxes either.
I meant… *paying bracket.*
They may be “too poor to pay” into the system, yet they want something in return anyway. I get it, it’s a tough fricking dilemma, but the fact is, unless people have some skin in the game then they’re ALWAYS going to vote for the team that promises them more free stuff. And that simply will not get them out of their poverty. As I mentioned in another post, we need a social safety net, but we also need to be tough as a nation and pull ourselves up. To get there we need a bit of tough love, a business friendly environment, and a great cheerleader at the top. Somebody like Ronald Reagan to remind us of our greatness as a nation. That guy is definitely Mr. Herman Cain.
The above message was brought to you courtesy of the us chamber of commerce, the gop, the tea party and fox news.
Seriously?
right? I keep asking myself is this a joke? is Champ posing as Chris Conlee to get a rise out of us? iCant.
You can’t pull yourself up by the bootstrap if they took your shoes.
As I was reading that comment I thought of what you wrote only to scroll down and see it. lol! Get out my head!!!
EXACTLY.
FYI- Ronald Reagan, your hero… quadripuled the deficit of this nation during his two terms.
Realize that Obama has attempted to make a difference, but unfortunately the partisan politics in DC have effectively canceled each other out. Nobody is willing to compromise, which is killing our nation. It is very unfair to blame shortcomings on one person, especially because he is a figure head, like most “leaders” (Presidents, Governors, Mayors, etc.).
Uhhh…degrees and work experience is nice. But you STILL come off as a yahoo, as Green Afro put it, when your big ideas include building a moat filled with alligators to keep out illegal Mexican immigrants and not allowing Muslims to work in gov’t for fear that they’ll make us practice Sharia law. He may be smart, but those statements are not.
#FckCain
Uhhh…degrees and work experience are nice. But you STILL come off as a yahoo, as Green Afro put it, when your big ideas include building a moat filled with alligators to keep out illegal Mexican immigrants and not allowing Muslims to work in gov’t for fear that they’ll make us practice Sharia law. He may be smart, but those statements are not.
#FckCain
Sorry bro, but I simply can’t get down with anyone who is willing to support a conservative type of agenda that further separates the American people into groups (racial, classes, religion, any other way you can slice us up). Cain is certainly successful and absolutely intelligent, to that I will agree. But ignoring the social issues that are dividing our country even MORE SO than our current financial struggles certainly are not going to fix the mess we’re in.
Obama (again) 2012…let the man finish the work he’s started….
“60 is the age when men (black men in particular) lose their filters and any sense of self-consciousness and will say anything they want to about anybody at any time.”
Means a** women over 60 do it too. I have to go off on my misguided G-ma everytime she makes a negative comment about my natural hair. (My response: Bish- minus the bish- You aint white! You lightskint ho- minus the ho.) Needless to say, she is learning she can’t pull that shat with me.
I told myself I would give him an honest chance to prove himself at least worthy of my attention and then he went and said that he was too young to participate during the Civil Rights movement… despite the fact that he was born in 1945 and was a college student at Morehouse during the sixties. And when the interviewer mentioned that, he said “well maybe I had a sick relative” … that was the point where he lost my attention and any respect I may have given him for at least being a black man in the position to run for a Presidential nomination. As far as I’m concerned, the man is a puppet for the Tea Party because they need at least a portion of the black vote (and so they can say they aren’t racist) but he’s too stupid (for lack of a better word) or self absorbed to realize that he’s nothing more than the token black guy of the Republican party
I agree ^^
Due to his success in business, he probably is used to being the token black guy.
Good point.. and he’s probably okay with that
Not only ok with it, but probably thinks that’s the way the world is supposed to work. The brainwashed blacks complain and cause problems and try to change things, while the compliant and dutiful token negro, doesn’t cause any waves, obeys the system (even if it oppresses him) and in return some day his loyalty is rewarded.
Lmao! I’m laughing but it’s so not funny cause I know people who think like that smh
I do too. We all do. And that’s why conservatives love them.
Yeah, Forbes says he’s worth upwards of $18 million dollars. He’s been totally oppressed and made to heel with this ‘token’ pittance. Come on, man, give it a break. This dude earned every dollar by being one of the best at what he does. He’s truly an elite, and the black community should be honored to have him as a spokesperson. I’m honored to have him as my spokesperson just as an American.
An opportunity afforded to him by the work of others to make sure he had a chance. Tell you what, when you all nominate him, and he gets elected I’ll stop referring to him as a token. Not for a second do I think you’ll do either… but I stand at the ready to admit I was wrong.
As for who the black community to honored to have as a spokesman, I’ll go with the guy with the funny name born in Hawaii. You know. The guy that worked hard in school, got an ivy league education, earned a Law degree, actually worked in the community, became a Senator, became President, and who’s worth a few million too (even after donating the $1.4 million dollars that came with his Nobel Peace Prize). Is that fair? I mean, that sounds like someone black people should be admire and be honored to have as a spokesman too right?
Yep. Your prerogative.
*Applause.*
I’m honored to have him as my spokesperson just as an American.
That makes it clearer.
All discussion henceforth shall realize who the speaker above is. It makes it easier, and settles your blood. Carry on.
@ Sula:
Noted. Thanks.
yes. I’m gonna stop replying now. I usually read VSB in the morning, and I’m glad I didn’t today, Champ and Mr Conlee would have seriously blew me that early.
I refuse to have a “yes man” as the leader of the free world, next thing you know we gonna be paying 15% taxes cuz China is tired of waiting for they bread
The fact that he was purposefully non active during the Civil Rights movement despite attended at freakin Morehouse (of ALL the colleges) during some of the pivotal moments of the movement has soured me a bit on him. I mean you have an opportunity to be apart of one of biggest events of in the history of America and your chillin on the bench, just doesn’t sit right with me.
*despite attending
If I had money to bet, the same crowd that he runs with now, would have been the crowd who would’ve been LESS than enthusiastic about a Civil Rights Movement. It comes as no surprise to me at all that he sat on the side line. He probably didn’t agree with Civil Rights.
WE WAS HAPPY AT THE BACK OF THE BUS!
Yeah that section of the bus had more rhythm and soul.
And watermelon.
Don’t forget the O.E.
And Tyrese with Coca Cola. -_-
and chicken. Fried hard. *smh*
“The fact that he was purposefully non active during the Civil Rights movement despite attended at freakin Morehouse (of ALL the colleges) during some of the pivotal moments of the movement has soured me a bit on him. I mean you have an opportunity to be apart of one of biggest events of in the history of America and your chillin on the bench, just doesn’t sit right with me.”
yes i was shocked at this too, but i thought about for awhile and honestly he was just being honest. I think thats the funny think about history when something great/significant happens looking back ppl tend to assume anyone near it should and would have been apart of it.
but the honest truth(which cain told) is everyone wasn’t, i once saw a interview of jesse jackson and reporter asked “how did u get close to MLK?” his answer was “there wasn’t a long line of ppl trying to get close to him, bc you had to be willing to get beat up and die.” i’m sure many 65+ blk men weren’t involved with civil right movement and quite a few were just trying to “stay out of trouble” like cain.
take Obama for example, blk ppl love and will fight for obama, based on his accomplishments today one could easily assume all blk ppl had his back in 2008. but history shows us, in 2007 and early to mid 2008 MANY blk ppl backed hiliary clinton at 1st nd didn’t think Obama had a chance, if i’m not mistaken even jesse jackson was in clinton camp before Obama proved he could win.
So just like Obama in2008, i think civil right movement was that same, like i said looking back on history it easy to assume/think every able body black person in the south/US should and would have been eagarly ready to ride or die for the cause but thats simple not the case as cain has shown. I think cain was being honest abt his views at time and its easy in retrospect of history to frown upon him for his honest answer. ask every 65yo+ blk man you know/see were that involved w/cause and i’m sure some werent.
I’m pretty sure Cain was the guy who saw some of those dudes coming back to Morehouse all hurt and s*it. And he said to himself….”I’m going to support this on the sidelines.”
When Obama announced his run for the white house in 2007, I would say none of the “old guard” supported him (i.e. Andrew Young, John Lewis, Jessie Jackson Sr., Julian Bond and et. al.) All them had close ties with the Clintons. I’m pretty sure Hilary was plotting to run since 93′. lol.
You’re “pretty sure” of this…how? Simply because it advances your narrative of who he is as a person? The more of this crap I hear, the more I realize he was EXACTLY correct when he said black voters in this country have been brainwashed into not hearing an alternative point of view. The fact is, he was a young man, who’s father told him to avoid trouble. He did just that, while attending college, setting goals for himself in a predominately ‘white world,’ and he then achieved much more than 99 percent of white people. And he did it without a handout from anybody. This is the kind of role model Black America should be proudest of, instead of trying to tear him down. Why is that, you think?
He is, if nothing else, a great example of achievement. I wonder how much racism he faced climbing the ranks throughout his career?
I wonder if he would have been able to achieve if other black people HADN’T gone out there and got in trouble in the cause of equality and justice.
We’ll never know. Fact is most black people didn’t go out there and get in trouble. So I’m not sure what your point is- we all benefited. We’re all thankful. He took advantage of the work those people put in and became a beast. Wasn’t that what they were essentially fighting for?
They were certainly fighting for us to have the ability to achieve. I don’ think, however, that they sacrificied so that we could one day suggest that our achievement was proof that we don’t have to fight the unjust, that we accomplished all we did on our own, and that the trials and misfortunes of others were singularly their own doing.
It’s not even so much that he was a non-participant in the CRM, it’s that, were it NOT for that movement, he would most likely BE the “unsuccessful” demographic to whom he condescends with his comments. And I wonder, would he blame himself for that, as he is suggesting others blame themselves for the unethical activities that LARGELY contributed to the economic downturn on Wall Street?
This is the irony in his lack of participation in the Movement. He directly benefited from the struggles of his classmates and generation that did participate, but hey…he did it on his own.
He did it because of the men who marched in the civil rights protest and came back to campus bloody and beaten. If no one had spoken up for the injustices in America that governed the very freedoms that White people took for granted or relished having, Herman Cain would not have his successes today.
This argument reminds me of Clarence Thomas saying the same thing about himself and speaking poorly of his sisters. Yet it was his sisters who babysat him so that their mother could work to help pay tuition for the school he was attending. It was the guidance of the nuns at his school that cleared the path for him towards his career accomplishments.
The day YOU are a black voter is the day you get to make comments about who, what and how black voters are brainwashed or not. Why does he need our vote for? He has you and your kind, doesn’t he? Leave us alone. Ugh.
As I mentioned before, I’m not trying to be offensive. I’m just pointing out that you might be better served as a community by even bullsh*tting the two parties into thinking you MIGHT vote republican. At that point, both parties would HAVE to compete for your votes. As it stands right now, the democrats pander for your votes, but don’t deliver ANYTHING to you. By voting as a monolithic block, I believe you’ve diminished your voice. Call me stupid.
And for the record, while I know it is completely inconsequential, and I don’t mean to overstate it, I have some empathy and understanding of black issues. I cut a feature a year or so ago called Wigger, which was written and directed by Dr. Omowale Akintunde, who is head of the Black Studies Department at the University of Omaha. Dr. Akintunde and I had months of conversations about his black experience and I learned A LOT from those conversations.
I don’t mean to be offensive at all, and I apologize to anybody who I inadvertently offend. I’m an unapologetic conservative, and for years I’ve simply wondered why the black and hispanic communities don’t support conservative candidates more? I still don’t understand, but I’m trying.
” I have some empathy and understanding of black issues. I cut a feature a year or so ago called Wigger…”
WHAT THE FCK?
Here’s the links:
http://www.wiggerthefilm.com/
http://www.wiggerthemovie.com/synopsis.html
well chris conlee, you seem to be very into this commenting stuff, so just for future reference, wtf is usually a rhetorical question.
And I was supplying possible narrative to your rhetorical question. I know I don’t have–and will never be a part of–the black experience, particularly, as has been pointed out, each person’s experience is different. I merely hope to make it clear that my intent is NOT to be offensive. Granted, I may be because of my ignorance, but it’s definitely not intentional. I do proudly stand by my candidate, however. May our respective camps face off in the debates next fall and may the best man win.
And I was supplying possible narrative to your rhetorical question. I know I don’t have–and will never be a part of–the black experience, particularly, as has been pointed out, each person’s experience is different. I merely hope to make it clear that my intent is NOT to be offensive. Granted, I may be because of my ignorance, but it’s definitely not intentional. I do proudly stand by my candidate, however. May our respective camps face off in the debates next fall and may the best man win.
actually, a lot of Black people do support conservative candidates b/c they have things in common like Christianity, anti-abortion, anti- gay marriage, etc.
however, the foolishness that comes out of Cain’s mouth is just ridiculous. some of it idiotic and some of it inflammatory.
we don’t have to consider him as a voting option to prove that we’re open-minded.
by the way, taking Black studies and talking to your professor about HIS experiences does not give you an intimate look into the souls of Black folk.
and ur insistance that Blk people are brainwashed for not considering him, in spite of the very specific reasons people on this thread are giving for not supporting him, shows that you are the one that is either 1)brainwashed 2)not too bright 3)or sticking to your uninformed opinion even after being informed.
Dr. Akintunde and I had months of conversations about his black experience and I learned A LOT from those conversations.
Because your discourse seems to come from a genuine(albeit misguided) place, I will keep the discourse. Granted you had your feature with Dr. Akintunde… and while I don’t know much about Dr. Akintunde to really tell you who he is or what his black experience, he does not and will never represent all black people. I understand what you are trying (and might I add, failing) to do but this just doesn’t belong anywhere in this debate.
I can even push further and tell you that based on his patronym I can tentatively assert that Dr. Akintunde is most likely a product of an Immigrant household… and seriously his black experience will be FAR different from say a black man from a non-immigrant household. So while I am in no way discrediting, Mr. Akintunde’s valuable experience, I am just reminding you what all anthropologists and ethnologists have known for eons: even while acclimated to a culture and going as far as living in it, one can never become “it”.
More importantly, it’s rather irrelevant to mention doing a feature on a “prominent” black person… because “black issues” are human issues to start with… and when people will be able remove themselves from their little place of comfort and be objective about life in general, they will realize this little tidbit. But I appreciate your attempt a conversation, and wish you best luck with your candidate. You’re gonna need a whole lot of it.
You know what? I’m voting for Obama in 2012, but I suggest we nominate Sula in 2016.
So, according to your argument, we’re either voting for a party that openly and *loudly* panders for our votes….or we’re supporting a party that simply doesn’t give a damn about the causes and concerns we as a people have to face each day. It’s a catch-22 situation.
Personally, I will not support a candidate that pushes a conservative agenda. Yes, I’ll listen to their perspective but chances are leaning heavily against them. Why? I have found the many, if not the majority, of the issues conservatives push for are geared towards making their OWN SELVES, meaning individuals who are like them (socially, economically, religiously, educationally, etc), more successful while simply blaming every other group for their own struggles. How many times have you heard the argument “If my parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles/etc were able to come to this country and pull themselves up by the bootstraps and were able to make it?”
I just have to get it off my chest- this whole conservative agenda (“If I/my parents/my grandparents/etc were able to work hard and make it, so can everyone else”) sounds GREAT on paper, but it completely ignores the history of the vast majority of the American people. Maybe your grandma and grandpa were able to build their family a nice lil’ shack and raise their children off of Lake Ontario, but my grandma and grandpa were too busy running from dogs and being blasted with high power water hoses while simply trying to make their way to their low-wage job in order to support their family. My great-grandparents were too busy fighting for their land in Oklahoma, being called all types of names, forced to become homeless, and facing brutality, because someone else’s kinfolk were “working hard and pulling themselves up by their bootstraps”. Yes, this history has indeed shaped many of the issues we deal with as a generation today (called the “trickle-down” effect). But I digress…
When will the conservative agenda represent individuals who DON’T have a similar background? I work extra-hard, having a full-time job so I can pay tuition in order to put myself thorugh graduate school, but many conservatives consider me “lazy” because I’m receiving federal assistance through student loans. Why? I know of single mothers who are forced to raise children on their own. These women bust their a** to take care of their kids, maintain a household, earn an education for themselves and work so their children can receive quality education…yet they’re victimized and dogged out because they receive federal assistance? I use these examples because I hear stories and arguments as such from those who support the conservative agenda, and I can’t help but to call bulls*** on those arguments, but I digress again.
I don’t consider myself a Democrat; politically, I consider myself independent. However, I will most likely vote along the lines of the democratic agenda. Until the conservative agenda and party begins to represent the issues that I, as a minority woman, have to deal with due to the historical development of the country, you won’t be receiving my vote or support.
Jeez you guys are projecting all over this guy. At least he went to an HBCU. Now going to an HBCU aint good enough. You gotta be all on the frontline.
Everyone has their role in life. I get mad when I dont see people doing what I deem as “making the world better”. But I have to remember that we all have a role in life and someone may be more suited for donating money than being on the front lines.
Point: Herman Cain may not be MLK but he did more for Blacks by going to college and having a career than Negros who steal, kill, sell drugs and go to prison.
“Point: Herman Cain may not be MLK but he did more for Blacks by going to college and having a career than Negros who steal, kill, sell drugs and go to prison.”
If that’s all it takes for us to rise up and overcome….
That sounds like when guys say: “Well at least I take care of my kids.”…Seriously? That’s the benchmark. If just having a career is the goal, we’re definitely in trouble. Smh.
Man I am SO glad I wasn’t the only one thinking this.
What’s wrong with having a career? With a career and a stable income, plus good conservative ideals, one can raise a healthy, positive, and prosperous family with an eye towards the future. I don’t get this negativity towards Mr. Cain.
The negativity wasn’t necessarily directed at Cain on the comment. My point is when did simply having a career become making it. As for Cain, for me, not particpating in the Movement because his father told him to play it safe is a deficient in MY BOOK. Everyone is entitled to their own litmus test for leadership. I won’t dispute his business acumen or success because it speaks for itself. But in a President, I want a certain level of awareness or empathy, especially someone growing up in the African American struggle. Success and consciousness are not mutually exclusive. I (so far) am successfully navigating the white corporate environment without sacrificing my consciousness and still be able to empathize with the struggle. Clarence and Herm arent the only models for fiscal black success.
But in a President, I want a certain level of awareness or empathy, especially someone growing up in the African American struggle.
+1
Fair enough. I obviously don’t understand the black experience, and it would be totally dishonest to suggest that I ever could. What I can do is support Mr. Cain for president on the merits of his success as a business man and an exemplary communicator, and I just hope more people do too. He speaks to my worldview. Your mileage may vary.
Fair enough.
…and Obama speaks to mine. I think we’ve found some common ground here (being able to identify and support candidates based upon those who speak to our understanding).
The comparison was between someone who is successful versus someone who is not (like someone who will murder, etc).
There is a difference between being a productive member of society and being a destructive member.
I havent listened to Cain’s political opinion but I am not going to automatically degrade hom because he didnt stand in line with MLK……which is the basis for my initial comment and hopefully my other comments will clarify my point.
@RG: you are focusing on the wrong thing (career). My statememt was a comparison that highlights the fact you shouldnt judge Cain based off what you think he did or didnt do at MH or how active he was in the civil rights movement. Maybe he thought getting a higher education as a way to fight. Killing, stealing, and drug dealing are not ways to fight. And that means getting an education (and career), instead of stealing, is the better goal in comparison.
i guess I should have started off with this. Where did anybody mention killing, stealing, or drug dealing as the alternative to Cain’s experience. I’m curious how you choose the most extreme end of the spectrum to juxtapose with Cain’s business successes. The proper comparison is similarly situated HBCU students in his era that chose to participate in the movement. In that case, the argument becomes which way was the best way to “fight.” We’re assuming Cain wanted to “fight” but that would be speculation on either side of the equation. As I stated downthread, what is even more ironic is the fact that he probably benefitted from the struggle of his classmates that did choose to sacrifice and participate, but now has the nerve to talk about black folk being brainwashed. Running for President, Ima need for him to have some historical perspective.
“If that’s all it takes for us to rise up and overcome” – I am not talking about an end all to be all for “overcoming”. I am responding to the criticism that he did not march during the civil rights movement even though he went to Morehouse. Many people didnt march, which may include your parents but IDK. Neither my parents or grandparents participated.
Also, people can make a difference without being on the frontlines, such as getting an education for MLK and others fought.
“That sounds like when guys say: “Well at least I take care of my kids.”…Seriously?” – No, it’s not the same. And it all depends on what you consider “taking care of his kid” means. He could be someone who provides for his kids and spends time with them. He could be someone who doesnt see his kids but thinks that making child support payments is enough.
My point is “taking care of my kids” isnt exceptional. You’re supposed to do that. I dont give awards out for doing the expected. Which is where I place “having a career”? Minimum, at least in my book. That’s not exceptional to me…and that’s not aimed at only Cain. Of course in this economy where the unemployed have only themselves to blame I can see where you would place just having a career in the life achievment category.
The way I interpreted RG’s comment is that Herman Cain building a career does not give him special Negro status because he did what he was supposed to do — which is what millions of Black men are doing.
People who declare they take care of their kids are people who want applause and a sardine for doing what they’re supposed to do.
If Hillary Clinton ran for president under “She did more for women than sluts, hos and tricks” the response would be a lot of “what the…?!”s.
You raise a good point about looking at history in retrospect and that’s a side of the coin I hadn’t consider. Still I do find pause with the fact that he was on the Board of Trustees which means he had to have some insight into what was going on around him and yet he chose to lay low (which like you said it’s easy to say in hindsight he should have risked his life like everyone else).
Also I don’t think it should be assumed that getting involved in the CRM automatically meant sit in’s and the potential for jail time, he could have handed out fliers or fried fish at a fish fry (they probably had those back then right?….I’d think so) SOMETHING.
*Breaking News* We have verified proof of Hermain Cain attending the rallys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rEavNNGUfM#t=29s
*dead*
I’m pretty sure HBCU’s and fish frys go as far back as the early 1900s. lol.
@milesfan79, you’re telling the truth! I’ve heard Jesse say the same thing. Also, I’m not sure about Morehouse student involvement in the Civil Rights Movement but I’m sure Morehouse was no Howard University when it came to student involvement in that movement.
According to Samuel L. Jackson who was a student at the time (can’t believe he is that old), there was a lot going on at Moorehouse and they even sent buses to take students to events. It seemed like you have to actively avoid activism at that school during that era.
Truth. I’m not a huge fan of Herman Cain, but I gave him a pass on that one. Around the Civil Rights era, there were about 15-20 million Black people. Anyone who believes that EVERY SINGLE ONE of those people were “down for the cause” needs to check out this bridge I have for sale. Also, there were people who were broadly supportive of the Movement who didn’t go to every single march and protest. As much as we talk about the 60s, even the 60s weren’t the 60s, if you get my drift.
There are plenty of good reasons to be against Herman Cain (his half-baked Tea Party remix of Libertarianism being among them). Him not marching in the Civil Rights Movement isn’t among them.
A good reason is that his 9-9-9 gimmick doesn’t wash. It would raise only about half the revenue of our current tax system. If he worked at the Fed and can’t even run the numbers, he shouldn’t be in charge of the American economy. 9-9-9 sounds like a coupon special they ran at Godfathers not an economic plan.
I feel you, but college is an incubator for change. Especially back then. Nowadays its a lot different. The activism is almost nonexistent. But back then? At an HBCU? I have to believe that a majority of students were immersed in the CRM. I didnt go to an HBCU, but I had plenty of graduate student friends from HBCUs who let me know what their experiences were like. Activism is intended to be part of the culture. To have attended one of the preeminent HBCUs in that era and make a conscious decision to stand mute is a serious deficiency in my book. Of course, I guess the flipside is he wouldn’t have brought us such wonderful pizza had he taken another route…thank you Godfather.
I went to Morehouse and one of my professors, Dr. Clark White, was in school during the Civil Rights Movement era. He said (and I ain’t reallyproud of this) that while there were definitely a lot of students on campus who were down for the cause, there were definitely a significant number who just wanted to “make it” (whatever that means). I think the Jesse Jackson anecdote makes sense and holds true.
I’m pretty sure that lots of HBCU students, especially at the elite ones, were told to go there to advance the whole “our own kind of people” agenda. And I’m not sure a lot of them could do that getting actively involved in marches etc. Hindsight is a motherf*cker.
I dont fault him for that because hell, lots of folks wanted nothing to do with that movement or were silent supporters because they ain’t want to die. Even at HBCUs. Everybody at every HBCU wasn’t actively involved. You can believe that.
If it is so innocuous for him not to be involved in the CRM, why didn’t he just say so?
Why even offer a story about being too young or having a sick relative? It kinda feels like his subconscious was telling on him.
So what if it was? It was a gotcha question from a white liberal who was trying to put him on the spot. We’ve all done things in our past (or more appropriately, perhaps NOT done things in our past) that we wished we’d done differently. The point is, he’s made a tremendous success for himself and his family through hard work and dedication. Yes, maybe he wishes after all these years that he’d been more active in that particular area. Maybe he sees this presidential run as his chance to stand up and make a difference.
A question about his early political life is a gotcha question? LOL, he didn’t know for 40+ years that he was a bystander to the Civil Rights Movement? Come on. That’s not a gotcha, Cain was just sleep walking. He should have a canned answer ready for that one. I blame his handlers as much as the man himself for that mis-step.
Perhaps I missed the part where he expressed regret that he wasn’t more involved in the Civil Rights Movement. I looked for it briefly but didn’t see it? Is this speculation on your part? He seems fine with having been on the sidelines.
Purely speculation on my part, because it seems to be a big issue for many on this board. You could be right; he might be perfectly fine with his actions during that period and so am I. My only point was, if you take offense at his actions, make sure you know all the facts. Perhaps, just perhaps, he would have done things differently now. Or not. All I really care about is who’s the best person to lead this country. And right now Mr. Cain has my vote.
I still think Cain is a cartoon but I don’t feel any more or less supportive of him. He could have easily pulled a Grandad Freeman and called himself a “Civil Rights Legend” when he really was not. For a real life example think of all of the Frenchmen who claimed to have been in the Maquis or the resistance during WWII when they really just kept their heads down. The sick relative thing sounds mad questionable too but I know damn well everyone wasn’t out soldiering during that time period.
Clark is a beast. Last I talked to him he was semi retired and an adjuct at UT Chatt. Man the students in his class there looked shell shocked. I got serious doubts about the upcoming generations.
“Nowadays its a lot different. The activism is almost nonexistent.”
UMMMMM….. No. Just because you don’t do it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
I was an undergrad from 2002-2006. I protested the war in Afganistan/Iraq. I protested for lower tuition/tuition freeze (I went to a Big Ten state school.) I organized student of color groups and helped them from losing their funding. I organized protests against national speakers who came to campus to spread an anti-affirmative action stance. I helped out the teaching assistant strike by doing a class walkout. And every election I went dorm to dorm, door to door AND out in the community trying to register voters including on how to enfrancise former convicts and the homeless. I was on student council AND involved in student of color activism at the same time full time while going to school fulltime. After I graduated I did this full time for a nonprofit.
What irks me… is folks like you… who stayed up in their dorms playing Xbox… give me side eye, put on their iPod headphones walking past me in the cold trying to table register people to vote. And now you wanna say what????
Later on you wanna say no campus activism happened… NINJA PLEASE!!! You were asleep!
You made a lot of assumptions in your statement. My entire educational and professional career has involved activism. But you didnt know that. I hate to break it to you, but you werent the only one doing the laundry list of things you ran off. My point is as I was actually participating, I saw the lack of interest, and its even worse now. And for the record, I went to a Big Ten school too.
right? how she just gonna throw you in a “folks like you” pile? lol!
Agreed. Truth be told, he could have lied and said he marched a couple of times or attended a few rallies. Who would have known?
Him not marching in the Civil Rights Movement isn’t among them.
But shouldn’t that be left to the individual to decide? Like RG mentioned above, *I* (emphasis on I) need for my president to be a lot more aware about social issues and have much more empathy towards his/her fellow human beings than that. And according to me, not participating in the civil rights movement while it was all happening is a BIG no-no. Simple.
You’re right. This sh*t happens now. I stopped dating this chick because she didnt vote in ’08. Initially my family told me I was extreme, but my perspective was this chick is 28 y/o, black with a Masters Degree and she didnt even participate in the most significant presidential elections probably ever. Just turned me off. But to your point, black folk today are sitting on the sidelines, so I guess we shouldnt be surprised.
OMG! My bf at the time seemed to not care and didnt vote either. He lost a lot of points with me and we broke up shortly. I’m not even that politically charged.
I simply ask, if given the circumstances, how many of us would have participated in the civil rights movement? We can all sit here and talk about what we would have done, and I know that a lot of us would have participated, but it took heavy balls (and no fear of losing your life) to participate. If he were running as a democrat, do you think that the question would have even been asked of him? This question was thrown at him as a way of proving his lack of “blackness” to somehow show that he is a “puppet” for the Tea Party. The media played the race card quite well on this one. Let’s just call a spade a spade.
Preach! Though people seem to forget that Obama’s lack of ties to the “Movement” were used against him early on, especially by the older generation. A lot of older people were saying some ish against Obama in the early going because of that. The problem is that the Movement hasn’t moved on, and that isn’t a good thing considering the new threats we have to deal with.
****If he were running as a democrat, do you think that the question would have even been asked of him?****
Perhaps not… but only because for almost any Black Democrat who is a public servant, it would be a softball question pitched underhand. It’s an easy question to answer when you stand on the right side of history… I wouldn’t assume that the fight for “equality” and “justice” within the Civil Rights movement belonged exclusively to Democrats. I don’t blame the pitcher, I blame the batter.
“It’s an easy question to answer when you stand on the right side of history…” It is SO MUCH EASIER for any of us to say this now in the year 2011 but honestly, are you telling me that this wouldn’t have been a hard decision for you then? You can’t answer that question b/c none of us were there. I don’t blame the batter, I blame the people who watch the game and don’t see the game for what it truly is…simply a game that was played to make a person seem less than.
You’re moving the goal posts a little here don’t you think? I mean it’s not about whether it was a hard decision to make back then… it’s about the decision he made.
Let’s be clear, he had every right NOT to participate. What he doesn’t have the right to, is the expectation that he should get a pass on discussing his past and his politics while running for President. There was a perfectly legitimate question to ask (about Civil Rights) because it dealt with both the past and politics, and I would ask it of anyone. It was only a gotcha question because apparently Cain felt he needed to explain his non-participation.
http://badgerherald.com/oped/2011/10/09/odonnell_wrong_to_qu.php
He discussed what happened and then tried to move the conversation onward. I think for anyone to ask why you did or didn’t do X,Y, and Z when you were young is pushing you to answer the question “incorrectly.”
Clinton drug use (did he inhale or didn’t he) became a topic of discussion when he ran for President
Bush II and whether or not he showed up for his National Guard Duty became a topic of discussion when he ran for President
Kerry’s participation in peace rallies became a topic for discussion when he ran for President
McCain’s involvement in the Keating 5 as well as his wild years in the Navy became a topic of discussion when he ran for President
Obama’s entire child hood became a topic of discussion when he ran for President
No one set any special trap for Cain, he hung himself trying to explain why he didn’t participate, and contradicted his own accounts (regarding his age). Journalilst are SUPPOSED to ask about the contradictions and inaccuracies. Politicians push narratives, journalists are supposed to push truth.
I see you preaching in here today! iLike.
I just can’t agree with you on this. At the end of it all, this question was asked to simply challenge his blackness not if he is fit to serve this country. There was no truth finding in the question. We can just agree to disagree.
We can agree to disagree (here in particular) because your assertion that “this question was asked simply to challenge his blackness” is speculation, not fact. It is equally possible that he was asking the question because of Cain’s locale and age during the CRM. It’s not unreasonable to assume that he DID participate.
The only thing we know for certain is that he, Cain, gave an answer to that question that contradicted his own account. There was nothing nefarious about O’Donnell following up on that contradiction that doesn’t come from our own personal projections.
Hi VSB Family!
First, let me answer Champ’s question with a link to a Paul Krugman article: http://www.pkarchive.org/trade/company.html
Here’s a quote from the article that particularly applies to Cain (and, for that matter, Romney):
“It’s not that economists are smarter than businesspeople. They simply think a different way. Economists deal with the closed system of a national economy, whereas executives live in the open-system world of business.”
Second, it’s with great pleasure that I invite you to take a glimpse at The Married Bachelor, the comedy web series for which I’m a producer and writer. The series is about Al & Brenda, a newlywed Black couple that negotiates the tension between their married life and the carefree lifestyle of their single friends.
The following link will take you to The Married Bachelor‘s Kickstarter page, where the creator A. Marquis Smalls (who isn’t me, by the way) explains his motivations behind the series. Enjoy. And please spread the word!
The Kickstarter link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/424979093/the-married-bachelor
Cheers,
The Same Guy Who Brought You Wave Cap Willis and Boron the Negromancer
^ What he said.
Congratulations Wave Cap Willie!
I think he is a mixture between Uncle Ruckus and a Real Motherf*cker. He got some respect from me b/c he put with the white people bull**it while walking up the corp. ladder.
Also, did the fact that he’s a black republican influence your opinion about him before you even heard what he had to say?
Not really. He is pretty cool compared to the rest of the clowns vying for the republican nomination. History shows that the modern Republican party (1990 on) loves to run regional candidates for president. So guys like Mitt Romney or Jon Huntsman who probably could win the general election is basically unelectable in the primaries. B/c people in the south vote on issues (like the candidate’s religion for example) not pertaining to his capacity to govern.
I actually think Herman Cain is jockeying for position. B/c the republican party probably think they can split the black vote if he is on the ticket.
He is Great Grandfather Ruckus, progenitor of all Ruckii. He is so delusional and so far to the right, I fully well expect the man to report himself to Homeland Security as being suspicious.
The Tea Party loves Cain, the same way you love a jump off… (i.e. they don’t). Oh you’ll invite a bust down to a drunken evening of bed room chicanery, but you don’t actually want to be stuck with them forever. The Jump Off occupies down time, and is shown the door once they served their purpose.
And what is that purpose? Herman Cain is the “best friend that’s black” that proves the Tea Party isn’t racist. He allows them (for now) to claim that they actually disliked Obama for his policies and not his blackness, even though they disliked him before he ever set policy.
“I fully well expect the man to report himself to Homeland Security as being suspicious.”
LOL!
He sure knows how to play his (jumpoff) position well don’t he?
I am honestly one Long Island Iced Tea away from considering the real possibility that Herman Cain is actually an Armstrong Williams clone. Because they both played the political jump off position…
…and played it well.
I’ll likely vote for Obama but it gets on my last nerve when Black people act like if Obama isn’t reelected we (Black folks) are going to be in a worse position. I doubt that would happen to us and if it would, we’d survive it. But, getting back to Herman Cain, I think I’d have more fun hanging out with him than Obama. Herman Cain has a PhD in Black barbershop ig-nun-ce
Kamala, we’ll ALL be in a worse situation if Obama isn’t re-elected because many of the policies that he has been able to get support for and passed the Republicans will attempt with all their might to reverse. 4 years wasted? Not if I can help it.
Clinton had the same thing happen to him and I predicted it would happen to Obama, and it did. Clinton got into office with a Democrat controlled Congress. Man, he was signing legislation so fast his pen was leaving a burn streak! Two years into his Presidency mid-term elections came, folks got all scared because he was actually doing something, and they voted in Republicans which created a deadlock. Not to mention the issues with Lewinsky that mucked the waters while Ken Starr politically beat him down.
Same shyt happened to Obama. It is not enough to be energized during Presidential elections, but also in mid-term elections so that the momentum can actually continue forward. Can you imagine where we’d be now if in the mid-terms Democrats continued to control the Congress?
That’s not to say Obama didn’t realize this either. He did. That’s why he hit the ground running upon election. He knew his time to make significant changes was limited.
So let me get this straight. You’re advocating for government handouts, instead of the hard work and personal responsibility espoused by Mr. Herman Cain? Is that the best way to get blacks advanced in society? I think not. Unbelievable to me that that point of view still festers. Class warfare has truly taken hold, thrown about recklessly by the likes of Obama. People, he’s driven into a the biggest fiscal disaster in 100 years, which is why America stopped him in his tracks during the midterms. Expect and even bigger wave election in 2012. Obama is a disaster of biblical scale for the foundations of this country.
The governments job is not to enforce personal responsibility, but to implement strategies that better the society. This strategy of if you make me president I will do nothing makes no sense to me. If your plan is to do nothing, what am i electing you for?
You know what trips me out about conservatives… they criticize what they advocate.
I know someone who had to work hard to get where he got to, who studied, got an education, worked to make his community better, was responsible, and didn’t get by on his father’s name or hand outs… his name is President Barack Obama… and look at how much respect he gets for it. You aren’t fooling anyone.
Mad props to Mr. Obama. It’s takes a great mind to achieve at Harvard, and he did that. Unfortunately for Mr. Obama, he’s a socialist and a known communist sympathizer who’s out of touch with the majority of Americans. Van Jones had to resign because of his communist preaching, and President Obama’s true beliefs are becoming more and more evident with every class warfare speech he gives. Americans are still prideful people, who want to work hard. Who want to achieve financial success. Who deep down know that it isn’t a crime to make money. Mr Obama isn’t the right person for this economic disaster we’re in.
I knew it!!! Your colors are truly showing. damn, the man can’t even be called President Obama. Put on ignore
I’m beginning to suspect that you probably actually work for a campaign or an advocacy group (which for the record, is fine). All the candidates (at least the serious ones) have tech teams that troll major message boards to try to get their message out to voters. I myself, have seen both Democratic and Republican candidates do it… on numerous sites.
If you really want to influence voters however, at least on any site with meaningful political discourse, you are going to have to embrace (what has been a sort of Kryptonite for Republicans the last 2 decades) the idea that you have to argue with facts. Not slogans, talking points, and catch phrases… facts. And facts, generally don’t support much of what you’re saying.
Example: It’s fine to say we need to be more business friendly, but as a point out in another comment, many corporations aren’t paying any taxes… what more do they need? If you say we need to be more business friendly, be specific… come with facts. If you can’t (and I’m betting you won’t) don’t blame us for ignoring your message.
Nope. Just a dude who has a serious man crush on Herman Cain. I’m an ex soldier and a motion picture editor working in VERY liberal Hollywood, CA. I haven’t been so excited by a candidate since Ronald Reagan ran. He’s the first candidate I can talk openly about supporting in Hollywood, ’cause the liberals around me don’t know how to respond. LOL! I don’t have the facts and figures you crave. I guess I’m falling slightly prey to the “hope and change” fever too. But in this case, I hang my hat simply on the fact that Mr. Cain has tremendous success spanning nearly 5 decades. I think he’s the man with the plan.
—”He’s the first candidate I can talk openly about supporting in Hollywood, ’cause the liberals around me don’t know how to respond”–
Huge LOL. They just freeze up eh?
Oh ok, well you are repeating his talking points (which again, I can’t really criticize too heavily because I think every candidate’s supporters do that to some extent).
Really? I would LOVE a job like that… how do you get them?
THANK.
YOU.
Chris Conlee,
That’s the second time you used the words “government handouts”.
Care to elaborate on what you are labeling as government handouts, because I don’t know that I’m seeing your point, yet.
Let me ask a question to answer your question: what do you expect from your government? Do you expect them to get out of your way, so you can make your own progress in life, or do you expect them to offer you things to make your life easier, at the expense of “the 1%s” who are money grubbing, greedy bastards?
I’ll ask again politely. In everything discussed in the comments section, what are the topics that fit your definition of “government handouts”?
By directly answering my question, your earlier point would be clear.
I don’t think you got anything of what I wrote straight AT ALL. I never said a word about advocating government handouts instead of working hard and taking personal responsibility. Where the hell was the personal responsibility for the banking industry when they were silly drunk with their bad home loans on false securities?
WRONG on the biggest fiscal disaster in 100 years! That shyt started with BUSH! There was a SURPLUS when Clinton left office. BUSH put us in a deficit and 2 F’n wars in just 8 years. Ask anyone you like, it takes HARD WORK to build surplus and BUSH blew that in just 8 years like a drunken sailor at port spending like no tomorrow.
I suggest you read up on some of this before you come at me with some bullshyt. I’ve lived most of what you read in the history books on Ford, Carter, Reagan, GHW Bush, Clinton & GW Bush and I ain’t one to be following nobody blindly. BTW, I have real issues with any one group of people in America wanting to “advance” themselves when we’re talking about how economic issues effect all Americans.
Actually, it began under Carter with the community reinvestment act, which notably tried to put more disadvantaged people into homes. That then led to banks finding new ways to push bad paper. When banks were then allowed to sell their crappy loans to investment bundlers, and those crappy bundles were improperly ‘rated’ by the rating agencies, and then insured by multiple people thru AIG, et al, the system went totally freakin’ crazy. The largest deregulation occurred under Bill Clinton, by the way, granted with a republican congress. There’s plenty of blame to go around. And yes, there needs to be some oversight of the financial industry, obviously. With those cats making and pushing that much money around, there’s lots of motivation for cheating and lying.
Bush’s administration actually DID try to reign in Fannie and Freddie, but was denied by Barney Frank who’s boyfriend was running the place.
Also, keep in mind, that under Bush’s tenure we suffered the largest attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor, which necessitated much currency and market manipulation to keep the economy from tanking. It wasn’t done perfectly, to be sure. I’m no fan of Bush, ’cause he did spend money like a drunken sailor, but he’s not 100% to blame for the ills that befallen our economy of late.
I’m not such a zealot that I cannot see the benefit of some government oversight and currency manipulation. In general, however, I believe government will always strive to get larger and take a bigger role in trying to control our lives if we let it. Therefore I vote for candidates who at least say they will try to reign in government excess.
Once again, the “handouts” arguments surfaces. What conservatives DON’T realize is that there are many, many, MANY people who are busting their a**es to make it in today’s society and that little $7.75/hour paycheck simply ain’t cutting it.
Yes, there are folks of all backgrounds who try to abuse the system. Let’s out them- point them out and cut them off. But are we going to punish the thousands of others who are genuinely busting their a**es to make it because they need a bit of extra help? Sorry, but unless you can prove that the majority of people receiving some type of assistance are abusing programs, your argument doesn’t work. (And NO, that’s not saying the current federal support systems are perfect- we all know they structurally need work. But let’s stop blaming the victims for their situations…)
I agree. In a supposedly rich country, we need to have a social safety net for the truly needy. There is, however, plenty of evidence to suggest that government activity in certain areas has had negative and unintended consequences. Take for example the cost of college. It’s argued in some circles the cost of tuition started to rise exponentially when government got in the business of offering low interest / no-interest loans. Once that happened, colleges started upping their tuitions because folks could get those loans to pay for it. Prior to that happening, people had to pay as they went, and colleges had to compete for those dollars, or else they would have lost students altogether. I’m just saying, we need to be smart how we spend our tax dollars. And we need to make government officials accountable on both sides of the isle.
When people start advocating an end to corporate welfare, I will entertain a conversation about public welfare.
Governments exist to support the well-being of humans, not corporate institutions. The government hand outs I’ve witnessed to huge businesses are much more disturbing than any $40 monthly food stamp allotment.
Nilla, this is one of “Darelyst” comments I’ve seen thus far on Obama’s leadership.
” It is not enough to be energized during Presidential elections, but also in mid-term elections so that the momentum can actually continue forward.”
I don’t understand why people think the President is God or in control of the United States (…under the Bush Administration tho…). I you vote for Prez, congrats but you aren’t doing your job. Until individuals are willing to vote in the mid-term elections or any other elections happening in their state/county/city/town then they aren’t excersing their power as a citizen. But, I’ve been good about not being too political lately so I’m going to back out now.
**** Until individuals are willing to vote in the mid-term elections or any other elections happening in their state/county/city/town then they aren’t excersing their power as a citizen. ****
Worth repeating
It always amuses me what the Republican party will do to try to capture the Presidency and not be viewed as the right-wing egocentric arseholes.
There is no doubt that I will be voting for Obama again. I think even after Obama’s next term there needs to ALWAYS be a President of his quality as President from here on out. Though I think that his blend of worlds is unique and not likely to be repeated.
+1. I’ll be voting for The President again. I think in order to be successful in the office, one has to be a pretty well rounded individual (i.e. understanding different cultures and views). Obama and Clinton both do a great job at that. Bush was ok at that but he really f**ked up when he surrounded himself with the wrong people.
Oh, please. Bush is an idiot. He did a LOT of harm to this country and his lead was like following a herd over a cliff. From his missteps with bin Laden, to his out right lie about WMD, going after a state leader because he believed “he tried to kill my daddy”, to the housing crisis; his leadership STANK! That SOB should have never been in office in the first place. You wanna know who the real leader was during his Presidency? Cheney. Good riddens to both of them.
Have to agree with you here, Bush track record of dismal leadership and failure in office was ENTIRELY predictable. All you had to do was look at his track record.
http://alaric3rh.home.sprynet.com/science/bceo.html
You wouldn’t hire that man to count money from the offering after Church if you had any sense.
I’ll be voting for Obama again (unless another candidate wows me or he does something monumentally stupid between now and election time) because the majority of the failures of this term were not his no matter how much the right tries to act like they were. In a second term, he’ll be able to say how he really feels and push the policies he really wants implemented because he won’t have the threat of re-election hanging over his head
I was talking to 60+ black men a couple of weeks ago and one of them said this: “If Obama gets reelected he really going to show his a**.” I think Obama probably will take a page out of the Bush second term playbook…. Strongarm policies through congress.
Lol but with the Congress we have now, he needs to strongarm policies, he should have been doing it the whole time cause he’s already damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t
I think one of the problems is that his own party is so d*mn spineless. The Republican party would stand behind Bush if he was 1000% wrong or 100% right. Had Obama had a congress like 2004-2008. He would have gotten a lot more done.
Very true. This Congress is horrible, they can’t stop fighting each other and pushing individual agendas long enough to get anything done. And the Democrats won’t stand behind him and the Republicans attack everything he does. I wish every last one of them could be removed from office and replaced with people who actually want to do something for this country vs themselves
I plan on voting for him as well. It kills me when people say they are on the fence. N*gga about what? The pother side wants to leave the economy in shambles due to free market principles and pass on our wealthy to the wealthy. I really don’t get WTF is so hard to understand about that. Even if you don’t agree with the pres now, I must say, the other field of candidates will screw us(and not just ‘us’, but everybody) royally. So for some of ya’ll independents out there, please don’t try to wait until the last minute to decide who you are gonna vote for because you’re just looking for excuses not to vote for the black guy( hint: the socialist one)
****It kills me when people say they are on the fence. N*gga about what? The pother side wants to leave the economy in shambles due to free market principles and pass on our wealthy to the wealthy. I really don’t get WTF is so hard to understand about that.****
Green Afro Diva,
I have literally been saying this since day one. Your commentary gives me hope that I am not the last sane man in a world gone mad.
Sincerely,
DQ
Thanks DQ, this has been driving me insane to see otherwise sane people make the same mistake over and over again. They treat elections like dating: they say they want one thing, but always end up with the complete opposite of what they are looking for and now are mad because they are being dogged by the a$$hole even though he(GOP) pretty much told them what they were about. It’s maddening
this.
You definitely are not. It truly kills me when people are “debating” who to vote for????
Da Hell?? Who is there? Rick Perry? Michelle Bachman??? Are people serious? I won’t even mention Mr. Cain since it seems like his social media fairy will just show up to “refute” with heartfelt, emotional B.S.
*cackles*
tee hee
did u just call CC a social media fairy? iDied
but I totally agree. I’m not on the “change I can believe” in high I had during Obama’s first election season. but have you looked at the competition? there isn’t even anyone to consider seriously. all the other people running seem like an SNL/Chapelle show skit gone wrong. do people even read/listen to the things they say?
all the other people running seem like an SNL/Chapelle show skit gone wrong
I swear sometimes when watching the news nowadays, I feel like I’m an extra in Groundhog Day and life just keep repeating itself in an absurd, nonsensical way… and it’s not even the funny kind. *smh*
Touche. That was a good one. LOL.
Charles Barkley is a Republican too.
And Charles Barkley is fat too.
that was turrrrrble
That was so petty it was beautiful.
* rotflmao *
…and he can’t pronounce the letters A, W, E, and U.
Herman Cain being a black Republican didn’t prejudice me against him per se. But it did cause me to pay extra attention to what he does and says and those things pretty much sealed the deal for him (in that I will never vote for him or take him too seriously).
It’s like when you read an ad for a car and something spikes your BS meter. Everything else now gets extra scrutiny. You already think there is something fishy, now you are looking around for either concrete evidence or enough indirect things to confirm your feelings. The word Republican immediately does that to me, that he is black was mostly irrelevant.
Answer to your 2nd question. Yes, before I listen to any republican I automatically go into eyeroll/side eye status. Being that he’s a Black republican means he gets the epic eyeroll. I understand your point about 60 yr old Black men. My father made 61 this year, and he’s always spoke his mind, but lately he’s been off the rack with his comments. He said he can’t take Cain seriously at all. *oh and my Obama 2012 sticker has BEEN on my car!
So you’re proving Mr. Cain’s point that you’re brainwashed into not even considering a conservative point of view?
you mean how you’re brainwashed into not accepting a liberal view, as demonstrated by your redundant comments?
Fair enough. I’m conservative and will never entertain a liberal worldview as a voter. However, I’m speaking more as a voting block — blacks vote 90%+ for democrats. If they’d even entertain the idea of voting republican, then both sides would have to compete for their votes. As it is, you’re taken for granted by the dems. They pander to steal your vote, then forget your community.
I’m conservative and will never entertain a liberal worldview as a voter
So is it because you are white that in your case it was made from “intellectual decision” and that because I am black my decision to vote Liberal is a “brainwashed” one? Inquiring minds want to know.
I get what you’re saying (although I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing at this point) but just because someone may not agree with conservative or liberal policies does not always mean they’re incapable of listening, understanding the other sides views. I’m a Democrat not cause of brainwashing or because I come from a family of them but because unfortunately I had to choose the lesser evil between the major parties. I’m more conservative than every Dem I know but I can’t support the Republicans due to their financial policies, which will affect everyone in the end regardless of how much they think it’ll protect their assets. Eliminate the middle classes and continue to hurt the lower class and eventually they won’t have employees to run the big corporations they get their money from. When crime continues to increase guess who won’t be immune to it. Continue to ignore education for everyone, health care issues and social programs and eventually it will come back to bite them in their self righteous asses. But in the last election, I was heavily leaning towards McCain simply because I don’t trust Hilary Clinton but once he listened to other people and decided to run with that clown Palin he lost my support. But I would challenge you to name one party that doesn’t pander for votes and then forget their platform…. unfortunately that’s apart of politics at every level regardless of who’s running. At least most Democrats don’t run elections playing to the fears of the ignorant who can’t or won’t do simple research to uncover the lies they’re being fed which is another reason why I could never be a card carrying member of the Republican party. It’s bad enough to be lied to but they lie knowing that most of their supporters will never care enough to uncover the truth even when it’s staring them in the face
You want to know why that is?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy
Prior to the sixties most black people voted Republican.
History’s fun,ain’t it?
” blacks vote 90%+ for democrats. If they’d even entertain the idea of voting republican, then both sides would have to compete for their votes.”
Where are you getting your data from? Or is that just simple speculation…again?
The percentage of blacks who vote democrat is fairly well documented. Here’s just one link: http://www.factcheck.org/2008/04/blacks-and-the-democratic-party/
The fact that the parties would have to compete for the votes, I think is simple common sense. Your mileage may vary.
The percentage of blacks who vote democrat is fairly well documented. Here’s just one link: http://www.factcheck.org/2008/04/blacks-and-the-democratic-party/
The idea that both parties would have to compete for black votes is just common sense. Your mileage may vary.
I’m not a member of either party but I don’t see how voting for a party that I disagree with 95% of the time is a more informed decision than voting for a party I at least agree with 70% of the time. I think too many people in the Republican party have been brainwashed into thinking Capitalism is great, science is bad, and social programs are evil. If I’ve informed myself about the Republican agenda and I choose to vote Democrat or something else how is my decision uninformed just because I happen to be black?
#boybye
forgive me in advance for only skimming the post. all i saw was the title and thought “i fcuking can’t with this MFer. i really really can’t.”
my dad is 61 and after everything he has gone thru as a black man he would be damned to shuck and jive the way cain appears to be right now just for a chance at sipping a highland scotch neat at 1600 Penn Ave. at that age you should really be able to “look at your life, look at your choices” and if they don’t add up to sh!t, you really need to sit the hell down.
unlike colin and condi, everything about this man screams FRAUDULENT. i don’t know what he would have to do to make me respect him but not only has he not done it, i don’t believe he will EVER do it.
all this aside, i will say that i enjoy the GOP primary circus- from afar. if they want to call romney a cult member and push this n*gga on us, they aren’t interested in beating barry. and in the end, his re-election is all that matters.
I’m pretty sure if Cain wins the republican nomination. Barack Obama will win like Reagan in 1984.
Yeah they say they love him, but I would envision a massive Bradley/Wilder Effect in the General Elections if Cain did get the nomination. Honestly I kinda wish he would win the nomination, that way when I vote for Obama again, I don’t have to hear from conservatives that I, “only voted for him because he was black”
Pretty much that.
The real question – if he were the nominee (STOP LAUGHING!) Who would be his VP nominee? A ninja with a white VP might not make it in the tea party.
Unless the VP is a white Tea Party member, then he’s in like Flynn with the Teabaggers.
Just don’t make it a white women, I don’t think they are ready for that.
What if she was an avid Teabagger though
LMAO!
High-larious!
I swear sometimes I do hope that guy wins the primaries! And then it would some funny isht!
This one is too easy. I thought he was gonna bust into his smash hit “Don’t Trust Them New Ninjas Over There” right after his interview with Lawrence O’ Donnell: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44810320
So let me get this straight, peaceful protest is un-American and a lot of African-Americans have been brainwashed to blindly following Dems? Try again.
This guy is Uncle Ruckus, personified. SMH.
This one is too easy. I thought he was gonna bust into his smash hit “Don’t Trust Them New Ninjas Over There”
Literally LMAO.
LMAO!!!
+10
This comment right here? #Love
Let me say this. Herman Cain doesn’t lose any credibility in my eyes for not participating in the Civil Rights Movement. I mean just how active was conservative Morehouse College, Cain’s alma mater, in the Civil Rights Movement? Furthermore, I have more of an issue with those who were active in the Civil Rights Movement who later sold out to get rich.
well said, i agree! not everyone was rush to front of the line to get on the front lines of the movement. and if they were things would have happened sooner and a greater impact due to mass volume of ppl involved
Oh and for those who haven’t heard some of the enlightened views of a one, Herman Cain, see the links below. There’s unfiltered, and then there’s stupid.
http://www.newser.com/story/119243/herman-cains-major-gaffe-on-fox-news-sunday.html
http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Herman-Cain-s-Gaffe-As-Bad-As-Misspelling-Potato
http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/rep_bios.php?rep_id=98516477&category=scandals&id=20110509122548
IMO, being unapologetic about your ignorance, does not mean “you’re keeping it real”, you’re just doubling down on “dumb”.
now that I will grant you. Dude…lol…for all of his business savvy, his human intellect ignorance is damn near off the charts. i mean at least he’s honest about how he feels so folks KNOW what kind of dude he really is.
“IMO, being unapologetic about your ignorance, does not mean “you’re keeping it real”, you’re just doubling down on “dumb”.”
Ok?! I’mma need “I’m keeping it real” to stop being the default for saying dumb shat. Please, thank you… *curtsies*.
Yes, please!
I understand the choosing of sides and the want for that side to win. But what fails to register is this blackmans mentality to degrade without fact or reason. A black father leads a black son to become productive (you’re too young to get into that “fight” in “that” way – focus on school, become productive another way). This equals Uncle Ruckus kissing yt’s azz?!! Hmmm . . . How did that other road work out for the Panther Party (and their fascination with yt’s daughters)?
This ninja has NEVER held an elected position, not class treasurer, chapter president (Kappa), heck he was even elected as the guy to pick up doughnuts for the office on Fridays…. Run for congress or something. That’s like a first year teacher applying to be a superintendent….Oh and back to him bein a Kappa, his own bruhs don’t even claim him… Let a Delta run for president…. Lawd that’d be all anybody heard about, I don’t care what her policies are “you know she’s a Delta right” … Also he pretty much called black people mindless drones incapable of original thought, no thank you sir, no thank you.
*Puts on Tri-cornered Tea Party Patriot hat*
HA! See there? Your unwillingness to follow agree with Herman Cain blindly proves that you follow Democrats blindly.
I know you’re joking, but the problem is ninjas will follow anything with a D next to them. I’m not down with the Republicans, but not every one who is a Democrat gives a damn about Black people. Spend some time around some hipster Democrats, spend some more time around the kabal that runs Black politics, and you’ll see why. Maybe one day Black America will debate policies like White folk. However, we’re still so scared of massa that we’ll roll with anyone who is nice to us. Sigh…
Debate policies? LOL, naw pimpin, policies are only debated by people who won’t actually set them. The people who set policies are the ones who purchase them (by hook or by crook). When Black America is willing to become a massive money weilding PAC (political action committee) that:
1. threatens to withold campaign contributions
2. that unleashes withering media campaigns against candidates who don’t vote the way we want
3. that targets the seats of those who are unfriendly to our initiatives
Then we will have arrived. Alignment to the Democratic party is only as inherent as the prevailing ideologies of the 2 major parties (which change from time to time). Simply put Democrats are the lesser of the 2 evils
Good point man. However, to do all that on the list, you have to think “gee, maybe XYZ needs to change AND I need to put my time and money into changing it.” And I don’t buy the poverty thing either. You’d be surprised how broke a lot of those Evangelical types are, yet they got the Republicans asking how high when they say jump.
But first, you have to have the discussion. Hell, ninjas was mad at Tavis Smiley for going around criticizing Obama, when what he said wasn’t particularly radical. Once we have that, then we can get somewhere.
Evangelicals get Republicans to say “how high” when they jump not because they are particularly renowned for their campaign contributions but because of the perception that they WILL show up to the polls if given the right incentive.
hermain cain is NOT a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated!!! i have researched it and found noting. he is a member of a frat called Alpha Zeta tho
Interesting. That’s a White frat. Hmmm…
It seems the new criteria is “I’ve run a business and I know how to create and maintain jobs.”
Just to be clear…getting elected doesn’t mean you know sh*t more than how to convince people to vote for you. He ran a business…very successfully. And has achieved a lot in management positions. Which is effectively all congress is. Low-priced managers with a significant vote in your life. And since the majority of Americans, myself included, would love nothing more than to get rid of this entire Congress and vote in a new one, getting elected to Congress means bupkus.
That line is a ploy to cater to those individuals who are concerned about the economy and the 9.1% unemployment rate. When we break that number down, low income Americans are impacted the most because of the lack of job skills for the new jobs that are being created (outside of working at Mickey D’s), lack of education, or had to check the convicted felon box.
Except government is not business at all. At All. There is a reason that you can get a string of degrees in the two, separate areas.
I automatically discount anyone who flouts their business acumen as a credential for public office. In fact, if you were to review the public policies of our most recently elected officials that have run on the “I know business” model, you’ll see how catastrophic it’s been for the general public.
My personal example? Florida Governor, Rick Scott. His solution to “running government like a business and getting people back to work” was slashing education budgets while also giving tax breaks to corporations in the state. The result? Schools are seriously debating just having 4 day work weeks.
And in business, a 4 day work week is efficient. In public education, it’s just deplorable.
Carol Moseley Braun. Ran in 2004. Delta. Just Saying….
Oh, *double snap.*
FYI- Herman Cain did run for Senate in Georgia in 2004. He lost. BIG TIME. He has stated publicly that he never even wanted to be President until Obama took office. His exact words: “I just couldn’t take it.”
Cain Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Cain#2004_U.S._Senate_candidacy
Also, there is footage on YouTube of him grilling President Bill Clinton over the potential effects of universal health care legislation on small-business owners such as himself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WP5dYfBBzU
Herman Cain is Exhibit A of the Crabs-in-a-Bucket syndrome. Okay sure, there’s no doubt in my mind that Herman Cain has some good ideas for our nation. However, his decision to run for the highest office in the land without ANY political experience speaks volumes of his opinion of Pres. Barack Obama – if this young half-colored ninja with a name like Barack Hussein Obama can be president, why can’t I be president? It’s the same reasoning behind why dingbats like Michele Bachmann (or Sarah Palin – but wait, she’s not running no mo’) think they can be president. In their deluded, bigoted and prejudiced minds, there’s no way a young black charismatic leader can be smarter than them or be a better leader than them. A lot of us in the professional realm are well acquainted with this sort of soft-bigotry – “how did YOU get to work for/promoted to yyyzzzz?” I mean seriously, when was the last time you saw the former CEO of a dang _pizza company_ with no political experience all of a sudden decide he’s fit to run for president of the United States of America?!?
Note too the big difference between how Michael Steele, former RNC chair related to the President compared to Herman Cain. Sure, Steele was playing for the other team and at times said some harsh things, but he kept it strictly political and still respected President Obama. Recall how Steele sharply criticized the whole birther nonsense and implored folks to focus on more important issues. Next thing he knew, he was looking for a new job. In contrast, you’ve got Herman Cain talking about how Obama must “prove he was born in the United States” and saying all kinds of derogatory stuff about President Obama. He’s willing to selfishly tear another brother down and do the Republicans’ dirty work because he THINKS he’ll be rewarded for it. Little does he realize that when they’re done with him, he’ll end up an irrelevant, bitter, has-been, an Uncle Ruckus in the flesh. Heck, he’s already talking like he’s in the terminal stages of Ruckusfication, saying mind-numbingly ignant stuff like he doesn’t believe racism in this country today holds anybody back in a big way. Seriously mane?!?
All it takes is a successful brother (or sister) to bring out the Uncle Ruckuses and their bitterness at seeing another black person becoming more successful than them. And they’re more willing that the KKK to sabotage the success of another. Just kinda sad to see an elder put himself out there like that for the task.
Word.
I know this is an old expression but “two snaps in a circle”.
“perpetually engulfed in a spiderweb of wackness” may just be my favorite phrase on this site to date.
But yes, Herman Cain is no doubt the real life Uncle Ruckus. I’m still shocked every time I see him on TV. I just think, “This n*gga?? This is what the GOP has for Obama? Oh.”
“This n*gga?? This is what the GOP has for Obama? Oh.”
My sentiments exactly.
IMO herman cain is just politician telling GOP/white voters what they want to hear. they want the uncle tom “go along to get along” type of negro and he just playing to their egos. thats all politics is, tell ppl want they want to hear to get their vote/money then doing what you want once elected. just so happens he is doing the extreme as far as the black community is concerned
Plus he brings some “legitimacy” to gop, they can now say “we aren’t racist, look we like and voted for herman!”, so they need/want him. If anything he is like the token blk guy that hangs around all white ppl. In a sense you can’t knock his hustle bc if he wasn’t doing it someone else would lol
He’s an opportunist.
He’s trying to sell books and set himself up to be the black Sarah Palin.
All of this attention helps.
All I know is, somewhere, Alan Keyes is PISSED
I was about to say the same thing, and going head up with Obama kind of ended his GOP story, so I wonder if Cain will meet the same fate?
hhahhaha Alan was a few years too early…LOL
I just googled ‘is Herman Cain’s wife white’ (yes, the h3ll I did!) She’s Black. http://www.paulanealmooney.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/gloria-cain-herman-cain-wife-photo.jpg
HA!
Well, I guess that’s the new Black Republican wave. There are some sisters riding Uncle Ruckus all the way to the bank!
This doesn’t shock me. White republicans aint going for a ninja with a white wife. They start having flashbacks of the plantation.
You just made me think of that scene from Mandingo where Massa put ol’ boy in the pot of boiling water.
Aww and she’s cute.
I get the impression that most of us younger folks assume that all Black people are progressive and liberal.
You go to church long enough and you find out that ain’t really the case. Blacks are hella “republican” behind closed doors.
Hah! Yes! LOL
We have a LOT of conservative tendencies which is why it is baffling that the Republicans choose to eschew obtaining this support in favor of going after the ever shrinking “The South Will Rise Again Confederacy” vote.
I have said it before… I might be the most liberal (I truly am like very liberal) person I know in my entire entourage… Black people are notoriously conservative, which makes it even sadder that the stupid Republican party does not take that into consideration and tap into it… Nope, they want to appeal to the “white supremacy rawks” vote. Serves them right.
****Black people are notoriously conservative****
It is amazing that they can’t see it. And truthfully the same could be said of MANY latinos. They have a conservative bent as well, but until the GOP is ready to jettison the “Confederacy Vote” Democrats will win their votes fairly easily.
Truth.com but when yo mix in racist elements into one/both parties, one has to go with the lesser of 2 evils
you, damn keyboard…..
She looks like my dentist.
If one day all the white Republicans wise up and drop the racist/ white supremacist stuff, 99.9% of black folks will instantly become Republican.
Conservative Republicans are openly homophobic and proud, hate feminism, love Jesus, think people with “funny” accents are terrorists, and think liberals are uppity and weird. Sounds like a lot of black people I know.
The only thing keeping most black people from loving Herman Cain is race-based distrust between his base (the angry white man) and brown people. That tension probably won’t go away until the entire country turns beige* and then it might take another couple hundred years for all of the cultural/ emotional/ psychological baggage and pigmentocracy drama to disappear.
As a liberal democrat, blacks’ refusal to embrace Cain because of the base he represents has me feeling a little thankful for racist ignorance, which is awkward, because I’m black. I bet a lot of white liberal democrats are thinking the same thing (except for the “I’m black” part) but they’ll never say it out loud.
*I believe that this is a genetic impossibility, but too much technical bs is needed to explain why.
Brazil is mostly beige. The country recruited Germans & white eastern Europeans to stop the beige-ing of the country. Brazil is still racist as h3ll. You cannot f*$!k your way out of white supremacy. Whites enslaved their children. Non black parents w/ black children still spout some level of white supremacy/anti black racism. Non white peoPle cling to the kyriarchy like it’s ambrosia from the heavens. I don’t see that changing just because people get busy with a wider ethnic mix.
+1
Light is right is several South American and Caribbean countries. Jamaica has a problem with suspect bleaching creams being sold, in Mexico, the light skinned senoritas play the love interests on Tele Mundo, and has anyone seen what Sammy Sosa has done to his face since retirement!!!???
Good one Be on It. Plus the country plays fast and loose with its racial statistics. It’s the only place in the world where one can have a Black mother, a Black father and claim “Pardo” or mixed on the Census if you’re high up on the food chain.
” You cannot f*$!k your way out of white supremacy. ”
You’re on it. + 1
I agree, and was thinking of Brazil’s crazy 100 degrees of admixture pigmentocracy, and also Louisianna. “Another couple hundred years” is an under-estimate. It’s interesting that you cite white supremacy and whiteness as the driving force. However, I believe that if the whitest person on Earth ends up being a light shade of brown, the pigmentocracy would still exist. I know some people who swear that white skin does not appeal to them, but they still rank light brown the highest on the value scale.
#truth! Alladis. I’m not a liberal, but if I were you, I’d recite this post to the bitter end.
Oh, can I say I’m a straight ally of the gay community, like feminism, keep Jesus at arm’s length, call people with funny accents family…and still think liberals are uppity and weird? Jussayin’.
* lmao *
LOL. Well, yeah, I concede that hipsters and such can get on my nerves sometimes.
me and you are on the same page.
You absolutely translated the opinion I have always held… I succinctly mentioned it above.
I’m a liberal (I won’t say democrat), but I am somewhat of a fiscal conservative and a HUGE social liberal… and I am at odds with 80% of my own people. But the “republican base” doesn’t get it… which is perfect for the likes of me.
Another thought…I like to think/ fantasize that Herman Cain is conspiring to blow the GOP to h3ll from the inside, and get lots of money and press in the process. It’s kind of a win win for him. He’ll either be the amazing negro who beat Obama, or he’ll be the (tragically) amazing negro who rode the GOP train straight into the ground.
Bonus points for use of “the amazing negro” and “who rode the GOP train straight into the ground.”
I wonder how much money he makes to get on that stage and that microphone and be Herman Cain for the GOP.
Yes, I did have an opinion as soon as you said GOP…but your opinion didn’t help me stay on an unbiased platform either. I’d like to hear what he has to say…and then turn off the tv and donate money to the Obama campaign. 2012 Y’all!
*Should I be upset two black men are running against each other and white folks are just gonna sit back and watch?*
You should be happy that no one can accuse you of voting for one or the other “because he’s black.” Winning!
BTW, does Cain officially have the nomination? I haven’t been keeping track of the GOP primaries.
There is not one blogger who write more about Herman Cain than Chancey Devega http://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/
“I mean, he is a 65 year old black man. That guarantees that he’ll at least be entertaining” The Champ
If I need to be entertained, Uncle Ruckus is not the one to do it.
Herman Cain is out of touch with my age group. The fact that he’s black gave him consideration, the fact he’s republican made me shake my head a little bit, but the fact that he frequently speaks without checking facts (as he’s said himself on a news broadcast) was just the final straw. How you want my vote, but you wanna lead me into idiocy on some “well, I’m not sure and neither is my canidate…but we’s in thur!”
Also, what point is there in voting in a president if the mo-fos around him been there since 1938 and voted the same way since then? o.O Sure we can get Herman in (why we would is beyond me) but if he’s just gonna bend over and take it, no change is going to happen. And if it’s anything we need right now it’s literal and figurative change.
-What are your feelings about Herman Cain?
I think this dude is ill-qualified to be the POTUS. So you got rich selling pizza in Stuckey’s- this qualifies you to well sell pizza at Stuckey’s. Cain’s views are so narrow that he would have to put together a stellar cabinet to deal with the legislative branch and foreign affairs.
-Is he Uncle Ruckus, another republican reactionary, or the realest motherf*cker alive?
He’s only the old man in the barbershop. Nothing more. The constant gaffes are only small windows into how backward Cain is.
-Also, did the fact that he’s a black republican influence your opinion about him before you even heard what he had to say?
No it didn’t. Jackie Robinson and Colin Powell are both Republicans and I admire them. Robinson and Powell didn’t suffer from diarrhea of the mouth and mind either. I listened to Cain and saw him for the cartoon that he is. I saw him for that and the cartoonish faction, the Tea Party that he follows and stopped listening.
Two years from now we won’t even remember Herman Cain. The GOP is grasping at straws and are looking for a messiah figure.
Mmmmmmm… Truck stop pizza.
I started really respecting Powell after he cut ties with the Bush administration. His endorsement of Obama’s level headed approach to things was the icing on the cake. If Powell ran for POTUS and he expressed enough pragmatism and willingness to cross the isle to get important stuff done, that mofo would definitely have me voting GOP.
General P. couldn’t get the GOP nomination in this environment. He’s logical, pro-life, and will compromise. The tea party would just call him a R.I.N.O and dismiss him which is sad. He should have ran in 2000.
While I think its a nice fantasy to take a serious look and listen to Black Republicans when they speak, I think the truth of the matter is that being a Black Republican takes a fairly dramatic amount of self-hatred, or at the very least, self-loathing.
In a perfect world, it would be amazing if the Republican Party actually had Black interest in mind and used its political power to improve life for Blacks. The plain truth is that Republican policies are designed to limit access to wealth and to make socioeconomic PERMABILITY more difficult. Since George W. Bush’s Presidency, EVERY…and I am not exaggerating, EVERY quality of life indicator used to measure, basically society’s basement floor, has dropped dramatically.
From wage earning, to poverty rates, to educational attainment, and of course unemployment, quality of life indicators for Black Americans are nearing 30 and 40 year low. However, people like Herman Cain expect Black Americans to look at the modern Republican policies and turn an blind eye to the fact that they have literally stripped wealth and opportunity from our community rather than built either. In fact, one need only look to the Clinton years to see a very dramatically different condition for Black Americans. I say that, not to say that Clinton was the white-black Jesus for Black Americans, but to compare the impact his policies had (and they weren’t all positive) on Black America, verses the impact that 8 years of right-wing policies espoused, promoted, and enacted by G.W. Bush and the Republicans.
The truth is that Black Republicans are USUALLY folks who have made strides, financially, or who are extremely religious (usually they hate gays). There aren’t many Black Republicans who actually make coherent arguments as to what beneficial impact Republican policies have had on the community. They don’t even try to make these arguments because the fact is that they have an extremely negative impact on our community. The truth is that Black people are smart enough to understand that you’re either better or worse off after a set of policies have been enacted and frankly, we’ve haven’t been AS worse off for decades and Republican policies are responsible for it, and that is an undeniable fact.
So when Herman Cain speaks, please forgive me if the sound his tap-shoes, and the glare of his shinning white teeth, speak a lot louder than anything he says.
Well said
And that’s the trouble with the republican party. I honestly believe that blacks could make that trek back to the other side because we all believe in pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and personal responsibility, however, mix in the fact that GOP policies have done little to nothing to build wealth in our communities along with mixing in racist rhetoric(as employed by the Southern Strategy), then it’s a lose for them. Right now, people are hurting and black unemployment is at around %17 yet their policies have continued to strip our communities of wealth and all but completely eliminate the middle class
The best politicians do not care about interests. They care about plans and strategies. The problem is that black interests always tend to be presented as “issues” and not solid plans that will benefit the country as a whole. Folks from political leaders all the way down to grassroots organizations can share the blame for that.
My father is a 78-year old black man who NEVER had a filter on his mouth (which is why I’m probably in need of years of deep psychotherapy). In fact, my father’s name is some down-home southern name that rhymes with Herman. Nevertheless, hell would freeze over before he’d vote for Cain (me too).
Cain actually spoke to my then-company’s sales meeting back in the 90s. (Yeah, you all were in elementary school.) He was motivating and a good speaker, but if you’d have told me then that he’d have a remote shot at the Republican nomination, I’d have laughed in your face. And, he needs to stop singing in public. It’s as pitiful as Clinton playing the saxophone.
“In fact, my father’s name is some down-home southern name that rhymes with Herman.”
Hmm.
Vernon?
Sherman?
Rufus?
That dude may be the realest *crazy* motherfucker alive. Aint nothing wrong with that – just don’t want him to be my president.
Herman’s politics do seem to resonate with older African Americans. When we are polled, most of our views are conservative in nature. Had it not been for the Civil Rights movement, most of us would still be Republicans and this topic would be a non-starter.
#truth. Negroes are some right-wing idiots behind closed doors. Then again, I’m the one who is for gay everything, legal prostitution and legalizing all drugs for those over 18 and all that jazz. Heck, gimme enough time and I’ll bring polygamy back. I’d struggle to find 10 Black people over 50 who would be with me on that agenda.
If it wasn’t for you finding liberals uppity and weird, I would have said “hear, hear” my brother.
But I agree with everything you said above. I am such a social liberal that I sometimes have to check myself to make sure my name is not Raynforest from Portland, Oregon.
He lied about why he wasn’t active during the civil rights movement. He also says in his book that he was taught to “say in the back of the bus” by his father. I could not see myself voting for this type of “black man”. If we had to count on leadership like his back in 1950-60 we would still be sitting in the back of the bus. To quote Dave Chappell “my blackness won’t allow me” to vote for this cat.
“I could not see myself voting for this type of ‘black man’.”
I don’t know your age but how can you judge his actions back then, when he and his family was threatened with violence? Isn’t it usually the minority that protests? Some took a stand- many didn’t. I was shocked that ya boy even asked him that question.
Hi everyone. Just a warning, I’m about to go on a long-winded rant against Cain – I’ll try to restrain myself, but politics is my life, so I tend to ramble. Sorry in advance.
First of all, let me admit that I do have a bias against Black Republicans. Not black people that have conservative ideals, mind you – I actually think some conservative mindsets, when applied properly and with moderation, are necessary and useful – but active supporters of the Republican party. That doesn’t fly with me. You can tell me that you agree with their approach to politics until you’re blue in the face, but that party has made its name off of marginalizing the underrepresented under the guise of supporting the “average American.” Yeah, whatever. And don’t tell me its only a small minority of racist fools – that small minority holds ALL of the leadership positions in the GOP. Its 2011 and political leaders had the nerve to demand birth certificates – and NOT ONE GOP leader stood up and said “this is stupid”? Miss me on that.
That said, there are a few black republicans I respect. Namely, Colin Powell. But you saw how they treated him once he publicly voiced his opinions. He was a “great mind” to them…until he disagreed. Now Cheney is trying to rake him over the coals via memoirs. Basically, the GOP loves to tout black leadership as long as they sit pretty and say whatever they want without sounding like an absolute retard. Colin
Powell, being a man of dignity and respect, couldn’t fly with that. Steele gladly played that role until his attempt to reel in the “urban that factor” became too ridiculous to justify. And now its Herman Cain’s turn.
Nobody can tell me that Herman Cain believes half of what he says. If you look at every debate, his positions on issues drastically changes every debate. And for a well-educated man, his view on fiscal policy and basic economic structure is woefully stunted. You cant tell us to adopt the fiscal structure of Chile, man — wtf. And dont get me started on him saying if you’re unemployed and not rich, it’s your fault – that completely glossing over a major issue by marginalizing stereotypes, and thats ridiculous.
Beyond that, he has NO political experience. At all. And that’s an issue, regardless of which party you identify with. I personally think that a lot of Obama’s issues stem from the fact that he had no significant legislative experience before he segued into the presidency, and had to learn on the go (which hasn’t been going too well).
That said, he has made some valid points that shouldn’t be ignored. Blacks tend to blindly aside themselves with democrats – to our detriment at times. But that aside, Herman Cain is just a fool who likes to make polarizing statements, both intelligent and unintelligent, to get attention and support from the far right. And sadly, its working. Whether or not that makes him an Uncle Ruckus is irrelevant to me.
We need to support the Fair Tax. If anyone sees this comment please look it up. Granted Gary Johnson is the only candidate that has actually said this tax plan by name, Herman Cain has a variation of the same plan. Herman Cain isn’t an Uncle Rukus. He is a real MF. If you saw the last debate; he won. He actually answered the questions he was given. He may be ignorant about some things but I think it’s more generational than flat out dumbassness. If he actually got elected I think he would do and say a lot of things that would piss people off on both sides. What we don’t want though is someone who cannot build consensus between the two parties.
First, shouts to you for rolling with Gary Johnson. If it’s him against Obama, I’d vote for him in a heartbeat, and I don’t care if not another Black person speaks to me again. If you do the math on what Gary Johnson actually supports, I believe the totality of his plans would do a lot more to help Black people in substance than anything Obama has proposed. Bugged as it sounds, I think Johnson is more against “The Man” than Obama is. Peep Obama’s financial advisors. They’re just as wedded to the Wall Street corporate welfare establishment as anyone else. Hell, I’d take Ron Paul, especially if he checks the few racist yahoos in his camp. I love his small government, pro-legalization stance, but the fact he let his team get checked like that makes me nervous.
That said, Herman Cain is a fool. He was a one-trick pony fighting socialized medicine who has proven that he doesn’t have any other ideas. Fck that!
I’m sorry but winning the republican debates is like being the smartest person with down syndrome. It doesn’t really mean much. Everyone trying to rally support by making vitriolic statements that it impresses when someone even attempts to make a cogent argument – even if it is flawed. And while I will admit that cain held his own in the last debate – it is more so because he drastically shifted his tone from when he first came on the scene. Props to his PR team for smacking some sense into him – but that doesn’t convince me that he has an inkling on how to run government.
And. the Fair Tax? For real though?! To me that just decreases consumer spending and continues to benefit the upper class. Sending poor people 200 a month is not going to offset the cost of skyrocketing exoenses . Revenue is going to take a hit. And yes people will ultimately need to buy food andnclothes, but luxury soendinv will go wayyy down.
I’m sorry flat rates don’t fly with me. It imposes a significantly bigger impact on the bottom quartile than the too five percent. And they can whine all they want about how unfair a sliding scale is, but they are taking in 80 percent of the revenue. So an equal rate of return should not be had by all in my opinion. And as long as capital gains continue to stay off the table, which is where the elite generates the majority of their net value , I’m not gonna have any sympathy over the plight of the “unfair tax hikes”
Thiswas sent from ny blackberry. Kindly excuse any errors.
“I’m sorry but winning the republican debates is like being the smartest person with down syndrome.”
I laughed so hard at this….
I agree; he killed the debates. I’m actually a little excited for the next one. I just feel like he’s one wild comment away from losing it. (Perhaps they all are though.) The fair tax has been milling for a long time with nil result.
“What are your feelings about Herman Cain? Is he Uncle Ruckus, another republican reactionary, or the realest motherf*cker alive?”
You said it best, Champ. Entertaining. Ain’t no way I’m finna call a man who wants to mandate a tax code based on something that sounds like a pizza deal a dayum spawn of Satan.
“who wants to mandate a tax code based on something that
sounds like a pizza deal”
If i die today remember me like John Lennon..
If you haven’t gotten into his 9-9-9 plan, you should. Not really but that’s alI I know him from. And please don’t have me thinking he’s the anti-chirst. I’m still thinking Obama is. Why does the anti-christ gotta be black??
I just dont take him seriously. He’s like the Mayweather of these debates, he answers the questions and gets the points but i just dont think he feels strongly enough about them to push the agenda. He has a couple good ideas and not much else which pretty much makes him a glorified cabinet member. Overall i think the GOP has whiffed on their candidates, Romney is a career politician, Perry is Bush without his father pulling strings, and the rest arent even worth mentioning. #FourMoreYears.
Perry is over. Michele is annoying. Romney has the better shot than Herman simply because he has actually run a government before and has equitable business experience as Herman and he’s not uber-conservative (last time I checked) which is a plus in my eyes.
Huntsman is worth mentioning. If he were able to get the nomination, he would give Obama a run for his money. But he won’t get the nomination because he has sense and makes clear arguments. Honestly, in 2016, he is one republican I would actually consider voting for…in 2016.
Huntsman was making sense during the debates as well. I stopped listening when someone called him one of the Ken dolls but I would be interested in hearing more from his as well.
He believes in civil unions, global warming, and realistic illegal immigration policy. Honestly, he seems to be a conservative dem that had to run as a repub b/c he is from Utah.
“What are your feelings about Herman Cain?”
I mentioned the last time we has a political topic that I thought Herman Cain was loose. That must be why I got that vibe from him- he’s an older black man with nothing to lose. I like Big Herm. Either 2012 or 2016- I haven’t decided. Barry hasn’t made me mad enough to want to kick him out just yet.
i haven’t done the research I told myself I would do about his 9-9-9 plan which likely won’t get passed but sounds good because it’s not the same old sh*t we’ve been hearing. When asked about the economy he seemed to have an actual plan not just a lofty speech about how we need to get America “back on track” (that’s the Republicans favorite term). People say it’s great that he hasn’t held public office- I don’t know. Godfather’s Pizza isn’t the United States of America. I wonder if he’d be better off running a state than a nation- or at least getting that experience. But, I’ve heard, several presidents did not have government backgrounds before taking office so it’s no precedent.
Him being a Republican had no bearing on me liking him. I don’t have any affiliation to any party although that may change soon. I’m interested in ideas. I’m annoyed with the notion that the Republican party is racist. There are racist elements in all political parties.
In summary, I’m interested.
His 9-9-9 plan would hurt lower income earners in our population. Taxes on income should never be flat and a national sales tax shouldn’t be so high that it hurts an already disadvantaged group. That’s the socialist in me I guess.
Plus I’m thinking of the massive tax evasion involved. Granted, the theory is that the higher taxes will be balanced out by lower costs for goods because of lower corporate income taxes. Then again, if I’m smuggling in dollar store stuff from Canada, do I really give a F about corporate taxes?
He said (well, his site said) with fewer deductions and credits available, they’ll be less room for evasion and less incentive to do so with the flat tax.
Ridiculous tax evasion. Corporations should be taxed at higher rates. Why? B/c they make billions and loop holes in order to not pay taxes in the first place. Now small business should be given some cuts which they do get. What people fail to realize is that the more money you make, the more you find ways to not pay taxes. I was listening to Planet Money on NPR (it was either that show or Freakanomics) and they asked “do rich people really move to states with a lower income tax in order to save money?” The guy, a tax lawyer for the rich said in so many words said, “Nope, they don’t. These people hire accountants to find ways to not pay their fair share in taxes.” Even Buffet said that he pays the same percentage in taxes as his secretary. SERIOUSLY!! Nope, I am not in favor for flat taxes on income and am not in favor on a high flat tax for goods.
While I am admittedly not an expert on business and economics, the idea of a “fair tax” or his 999 policy seems counterintuitive to the idea of job creation and relieving the burden on the working class. Truthfully, the richest individuals in this country are not making their decisions for future business expansion on lower taxes. If you’re rich, you’re rich enough to expand your business when you want. The group that would be the most impacted by lower business taxes would be the small business owners who do not make enough revenue to actually open their business or industries overseas. The small business owners would benefit the most from lower taxes… They would actually invest the money back into their businesses. Once you hit a certain level of rich, raising or lowering taxes does not impact you that much. You still buy your yacht and private plane.
BTW, it’s scary to think that people are in no way concerned with how a fair tax will devastate the poor and working class. Honestly, I don’t see how the middle class will really benefit either.
“…and relieving the burden on the working class.” The idea of a flat tax on income relieves the “burden” on higher income earners.
Recalling the teachings of rich dad, poor dad (or some combination of what not), the “rich” don’t invest because they feel like it, “when they want”. They invest because it will benefit them financially or they believe it will benefit (I believe the point of “investment”). The idea makes sense- if you free up business money, businesses will invest and jobs increase when businesses invest and grow.
From my POV, the problem is that in practice, businesses, at least the biggest ones, don’t necessarily invest. Some reek of greed taking home million dollar bonuses while asking for more tax cuts at the same time. Just one of those things that works better in theory than in reality.
“They invest because it will benefit them financially or they believe it will benefit (I believe the point of “investment”)”
Are you trying to say that rich folks won’t create jobs out of the goodness of their heart?! They won’t open businesses strictly for the benefit of helping people that need work?! (gasp) LOL
I think people tend to forget that there is some degree of greed that many of the Fortune 500 CEOs have to possess to get to that level of success… and it doesn’t include worrying about creating jobs for people that need it. That would cut into profits too much.
According to “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, the rich invest wisely in arenas that generate passive income. They know that passive income will build wealth for them. The book also says that corporations are built for tax purposes–the money goes back into the corporation.
If businesses do not invest then why do they own stocks? I am not sure I understand your statement that businesses don’t necessarily invest.
Million dollar bonuses and tax cuts are just business. CEOs of a business have the freedom to decide all of that–it is under their control as CEOs to do what they wish with their own business’s profits.
I want to add that businesses donate millions of dollars to Non-profits and other charities that benefit our communities. Yes, a certain percentage of their money goes to charities every year.
I think the real issue is that *now* people are realizing that corporate America’s focus is and always has been making a profit…and that benefits from one’s jobs, retirement, Social Security is not guaranteed, nor under our control.
That’s actually what I mentioned in the last discussion- taking home millions and not creating jobs is not illegal. None of us have a right to what someone has lawfully earned. But I believe the point of the current protests (wall street and abroad) is that many believe it is immoral.
When I said that businesses don’t necessarily invest, I was alluding to the trickle-down idea- “When we free-up businesses money they will create jobs”- and suggesting that isn’t necessarily the case. When we give large companies a tax break, it may result in jobs or it may result in executive bonuses. That has been my observation.
“the more money you make, the more you find ways to not pay taxes.”-
because if you don’t the government will try to take ALL yo sh*t! LOL They find ways to pay less because they realize, “wow I’ve done all this work and this what I get to keep? WTF?” All corporations aren’t billion dollar operations. Many are 1-person operations. People say “corporation” thinking about GE, not about Sam’s Accounting down the street. There is a big difference between the two and GE is not the majority.
The giants, like GE, create and hold jobs so the government panders to them so they won’t leave the country. That’s what it comes down to in my eyes. You say “tax them more,” they “peace, we’re out” and nobody has a job or they’re tax revenue. I’m not sure there’s really a way around that. The stop gap is the consumer- if we actively support and seek out businesses that invest in the US then everybody wins.
“because if you don’t the government will try to take ALL yo sh*t! LOL” LOL. This made me laugh
I agree, there is no easy way. However, there will always be cheaper labor and reasons for corporations (I am thinking Fortune 500 companies) to find reasons to go over seas. The only thing that would keep them here is if we don’t tax them at all. Seeing as how this would hurt our economy (since we would lose a source of revenue), this will never happen.
Most one man “corporations” are merely registered Sole Proprietorships. These SP’s are taxed differently than S-corps, C-corps, LLC’s, and partnerships. GE would not only be listed as a different type of corporation than Sam’s Accounting, but they would also be taxed differently and policed differently.
Not to mention, one of the largest corporate loopholes is donating to non-profits, which you will find that some of these non-profits are ran by people linked to those major corporations. Lot of shady ish going on with companies that people don’t understand.
A single person can form a corporation and elect to be treated as an S-corp or a C-corp and they are taxed as such. This is not the same as a Sole Proprietorship. Please correct me if I am mistaken about their tax options, but I have worked with many individuals operating as actual corporations, not sole props. Single person corporations often choose the corporate route for the tax benefits and/or loopholes.
I’d say there’s enough shadiness to go around- rich and poor. I thought there was a limit on charitable giving deductions- is there not?
You’re correct on alot of that. Shady is a matter of personal definition nowadays as its still called “doing business”.
Well, flat tax will always hit lower income earners more. I wonder how much it will help those mid-income earners though. 9% sounds good to me. From briefly reading more this morning, it sounds as though his plan is to eliminate most corporate deductions besides those that create jobs in disadvantaged areas and to eliminate “payroll” taxes- I’m not sure what taxes he’s referring to though- Unemployment taxes? Employer contributions for SS and medicare? Don’t know. I’m more concerned with his plans for health care. The sales tax isn’t a big deal because we pay 7.5% here already. It wouldn’t be that big of a blow unless you’re in a state with no sales tax.
Living in Massachusetts we well on our way to 9% anyway Gov. Lil Deval has been a big disappointment
Herman Cain isn’t the realist but an educated Uncle Ruckus. He is what I dub as an, “inclusionist,” if you will. Minorities such as Mr Cain want to be included in the Anglo mainstream so badly, that delusion, misinformation and denial are the bedrock of their decisions. His self hatred lashes out at blacks and villianize them for their own misfortune. He and Clarence Thomas should be black men that our community should embrace, but the warp ideology that is articulated by them disinfranchise them from us. In response they act as if their success is a one of its kind and those shiftless negro’s could have the America dream too if they only wake up.
Yes, Herman Cain and Clarence Thomas are the Big Brother Almightys of the political world.
1+ for the School Daze reference! “Big Bro-tha-Al-might-TEE!”
His GOP membership automatically raises red flags for me. I haven’t followed him closely at all, but the few statements I’ve heard make me want him (& the rest of the GOP) out of the race, lol. I should point out that the soundbites I’ve heard come from The Daily Show/Colbert so they’d be the easiest to make fun of. Bottom line though – I’d never vote for a Republican, so I guess it doesn’t really matter what he’s saying since I feel I know the broad strokes of his agenda.
The rent is just too damn high.
Does it not seem like Herman (Mc)Cain could just be a latter day Clarence (sometimes Uncle) Thomas? Listening to the man, he makes a decent point here and there. However, its almost like he’s the kid that wants the rest of the popular kids to like him, so he leaves all his nerd buddies and becomes the cool kid’s running joke. Eventually, it’d he nice if he came around and went back to the nerds, but it prolly won’t happen. Yet another nerd bites the dust.
I think the recklessness that is Herman Cain will diminish over time…it was cute before but now its getting real. He has a decent shot at the nomination and im sure ppl r in his ear reminding him every thing he says can change him from President Cain to Vice President Cain to Alan Keyes…
Herman Cain is a TOOL being used by the Right Wing. A puppet and monkey’s paw being used to pull their chestnuts out the fire, and to spout racial rhetoric at black people which they would get in trouble for it the same things were said by their lily-white candidates.
I will have more to say on the subject after I’ve done my writing on my latest book for today.
Let it suffice to say that Herman Cain would not have had a chance if President Obama were not president today–he is the best the extreme Right Wing can do to advance their Conservative agenda which has always been disastrous and “unfriendly” to hard-working black citizens and other minorities…
@Chris conlee you sound more like a plant then a real supporter of Mr Cain or your speaking from your nether region. But all jokes aside, before you boast about Cains record of success. You need to take a look of the current report that came out today. His “success” came at the expense of cutting jobs. That’s not a job creator.
Actually it IS a job creator (or saver,as Obama is fond of saying). If the company goes out of business, think about how many people would have lost jobs. It’s an unfortunate reality when running a successful business that you can’t spend more than you take in. Sometimes that means pruning back. The same thing happens in government. It’s now time to prune back, because we can’t afford to spend what we’ve been spending.
Regarding the plant comment: who would plant me? I’ve been a supporter of Mr. Cain since I heard him speak in March. My support for his policies and his worldview has grown steadily since then.
That doesn’t make sense you can’t say cutting jobs creates jobs. It may sustain jobs but it doesn’t create jobs. No new jobs pop up because a company downsized.
That’s why I said is saved jobs. Didn’t mean to imply that it created jobs. He did, however, create many jobs at Pillsbury and Burger King.
A Nation is NOT a business. It just isn’t. The US isn’t in the business of making money by any means necessary, or at least it shouldn’t be.
Most of the conflict among us plebs (most of us on this board i’m sure) is over this concept. Is or is not a nation a business? And if it isn’t, why is our leadership attempting to run it like one?
Why Herman Cain is the last honest black republican i tell ya! First he doesn’t like those Mooslems, then, when he gets called on it he back tracks.
And of course he hates the Occupy Wall Street movement. Get a job ya bums!
But my favorite thing about the Hermanator is that when it was time to stand up, he didn’t. In the middle of the civil rights movement he admits he just wasn’t down with it. His daddy told him to fall back. :-/
Now understand this folks. Everybody can’t be a leader. Everybody can’t be a hero. If my garbage man told me he didn’t stand up during the civil rights movement, i’d be ok with it. Why? He’s a f–king garbage man that’s why!
But if a black man who was in college at the time (he tried to lie about that part to) says he didn’t stand up during the Civil rights movement, then turns around and ask’s for my vote so he can be President?!? Negro please! How are you gonna lead the free world when you didn’t have enough heart to stand up for yourself in the midst of injustice!
He didn’t have to be John Lewis with it, but failure to act at that time is an automatic dis qualifier if a black man wants to be a leader today. That WAS his fight and he ran from it.
However he DID make Godfathers pizza profitable…. Yummy!
THIS!
(Seriously. If you’re a close friend of mine and you don’t vote for Obama in 2012, you might no longer be a close friend of mine. Yes, it’s that serious.)
I don’t understand why one would feel compelled to vote for Obama just because one is black, I was all for him in 2008. But he extended Bush’s disastrous tax cuts for the rich, did not fight for the public option, passed the debt ceiling on the backs of the poor, and went to Palestine to pursued Mahmoud Abbas not seek nationhood. He is no different than any other politician in this corrupt two party oligarchy.
” I don’t understand why one would feel compelled to vote for Obama just because one is black ”
Um, WHERE in Champ’s post does he say that the reason he is voting for Obama because he’s black?
” I don’t understand why one would feel compelled to vote for Obama just because one is black ”
Um, WHERE in The Champ’s posts does he say that the reason he is voting for Obama is because he’s black???
Yes, he extended the tax cuts, but he did so unwillingly. Remember, they dangled the fate of unemployment benefits in his face and he caved to save it. It is not like he’s not trying to do what’s important. I’d rather have someone who’s trying to fight the good fight than someone who has NO intentions at all of fighting it.
And as for the “no different than any other politician” argument…Really, if that is the case and “all politicians think alike” than why vote at all?
Herman Cain, AKA The Hermanator, Hermy, HC, Mr. Black Walnut, Cain & Able…
Is straight Uncle Ruckus. As much as Obama revealed himself to be channeling some of that “Black people stop whining” BS-ish during his last speech at the Black Caucus, I think Herman Cain has got him beat.
Why? Because Herman Cain has the grand-standing effect that Obama is kinda lacking. He can razzle-dazzle! He’s got the 999 plan! He throws down statements like, “When I’m president there will only be small bills”, because ya’ll know we’re too lazy to read so that changes to the laws of our country can only be in the form of a fortune cookie!
Seriously. I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy started making julienne french-fries while carpet-bombing countries in East Africa — because that’ll teach them to complain about being hungry from famine.
He’s so real that he’s actually a caricature of a character.
But lawd I hope he runs against Obama! Because that would be some funny sh!t.
But lawd I hope he runs against Obama! Because that would be some funny sh!t.
Word.Life.
It would be some funny sh!t, but what is he wins? That won’t be so funny. Not if voting drops in significant segments of the population.
Nah, he won’t win. Why? Because two Black men running for president has a very high chance of devolving into “You think you’re Blacker than me?” And then Rush Limbaugh will explode into a hate-cloud enveloping the Earth, killing all sentient life except for cockroaches & Dick Cheney. Or Obama will just win the White vote, again.
This comment made me fall out of my chair.
I meant to leave a comment much earlier (5 hrs ago). Herman Caine. What can be said of this man? He is literally a gaff machine. We don’t take kindly to republicans in this, the black reading man’s world. We are even harder on black republican’s. And for good reason: they say insensitive crap, they support legislation that makes life harder on us, they disavow responsibility to the past but by no means consider an economical reset plausible. They support xenophobia to unnecessary lengths.
Basically, Obama 2012
Forget Herman caine…now
Herman Cain is a sad joke. He has never won a real election in his life, and just because he ran a business, it does not mean he knows how to run the government. This has been a huge branding exercise for him to raise his profile and sell more books. He will never win the nomination. Why do people want CEO types in government? So we should hand over government to the guys that run BOA, Enron and Blackwater?
Herman Cain is the black face of white racism. The GOP love him because they have a mouthpiece for all their racist beliefs.
Free my comments please.
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OFF TOPIC: i have to admit i am glad i found this website! It is a breath of fresh air to hear thoughts of intelligent black people (for the most part)
@Chris Conlee: in the same manner that people say Obama “doesn’t get it”, YOU chris dont get it. but thats ok, because its not yours to get.
It wasn’t the fact that he was a black Republican that initially turned me off; the educated negro inside of me likes to think that I don’t vote party, I vote policies (…). In my opinion, however, being a rational human being and being a Tea Partier are mutually exclusive. so…no.
Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 policy came out just in time for Halloween. Pretty soon we’ll see anti-Cain ads with him holding a pitchfork and wearing horns next to 9-9-9 turned upside down. Caption: Herman’s Hell for the middle class.
Also, he’s pointing the finger in regard to race and racism. He’s pointing the finger at us as a matter of fact. Saying that we (Black people) use it as a crutch when we can’t get ahead. I don’t think the generations of college educated unemployed Black people want to hear that. He might gain more popularity with his base but he’s not going to get very far with us or other minorities playing the blame game. Obama plays his cards right when it comes to race. He doesn’t point the finger at anybody, he tries to move on the basis of common ground and those words will continue to reach more people.
Or how about the slogan, “Cain isn’t Able”
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i think that herman cain is the white man’s puppet! i also think that big business runs america and it really doesnt matter who is in office…chit rolls downhill under both parties…its just that, if your party is in office…you choose to not see the chit and/or side step the chit. that is all. btw…my dad is 70 and he never says a mumbling word about anyone…he hardly speaks…he’s been that way as long as ive known him and he’s NEVER said (or done) anything stupid. now, my grandfather on the other hand….woo Lawd…he survived the depression, jim crow, the armed forces being desegregated, the 40s-70′s and beyond…he passed in 2007….now HE was hilarious…oh the stories he would tell and just the things he would say…” too dumb to live” “more ______than you can shake a stick at” ” i hate all the white blood running thru my veins!” Pa Pa was something else!