Black State of the Union vs. Obama

I was so proud to be in attendance last year at the State of the Black Union (SOBU). It is a very powerful event. Last year many of the attendees were very critical of Sen. Obama for not attending the conference. I was with them. Then I though a little bit more about it. It was the same day Obama declared his candidacy for the Presidential nomination. It was also around Abraham Lincoln's birthday celebration in Illinois. This was the perfect opportunity for him to announce he's running for President of the US. Now if he simply wanted to be the premier leader within the Afro-American community he should've been there. Obama needed to show he is a leader amongst all Americans; Black, White, Puerto Rican and Asian.

Well this year Tavis is back at it. He is upset that Obama will not put a hold on his campaigning to go the Nawlins (New Orleans) to participate in this year’s SOBU. I personally agree with Obama. It could prove detrimental if he doesn't present himself to those still to vote. The people of Louisiana already showed their overwhelming support to Obama. He needs to focus on TX, OH & WI.

Hillary has confirmed that she will be in attendance. She has something to prove to Afro-Americans. Once her family was adored within our community and that is no longer the case. Obama needs to gain the support of all Americans because he is already fighting out of a hole.

Obama offered his wife to attend in his place. That would be a welcomed site. We have already seen plenty of Bill Clinton this season. Why not compare the entire team. The Clintons showed that the role of the 1st mate might be more than throwing dinner parties, so we should at least know what we're getting from both Obamas. The black mother is the foundation so let's spotlight Michelle.

Politics & A Time For Change

The polls are in. The Iowa caucus results have Obama & Huckabee leading their prospective parties. There have been so many things made of these results. People see it as a sign of racial equality in the US. People see it as a call for change. I see it as an early sign that we have a new generation at the polls. Obama has taken a fairly positive approach to his campaign. He has attempted to keep the mudslinging down. The greatest move is his website. With the popularity of myspace & Facebook, they created my.barackobama.com. The site is a true social networking site. You can update your profile and create interest groups. It also allows for fundraising. This type of site does not target baby boomers. It targets people who have just started voting in the last 10 years. We are a group that has often been said to not show up come the big day.

The Huckabee victory shows something about the Republicans as well. He won based on his religious affiliation. They are still relying heavily upon Christian Conservatives. If Obama truly makes this an election about change the Republican party could be in trouble.