Jackson Free Press

After I signed my first recording contract, an old industry mentor asked me: "You've bought the album. Now what are you going to do with it?" In other words, now that you got what you wanted, how are you going to handle it? I'd have to say that same question stands before the newly empowered Democrats.

Now, I don't vote along party lines. I vote conscience. Than means I choose candidates by platform and how that platform will aid people like me. However, I will say that under a Republican majority, our country has been headed to hell in a hand basket.

Republicans gave us a senseless war on the basis of false threats, soaring gas prices and, ironically, the party of "values" turned out to be morally shaky after all. There was a little money laundering, a few shady business deals and a little ill-timed perversion. I thought Republicans were supposed to be beyond reproach. Turns out they were normal, flawed human beings. Go figure.

So now that those mistakes have prompted America to remove Republicans from power in Congress, the question for Democrats is: What are you really prepared to do now that you have the baton?

Despite having no real platform, no real plan and no real backbone, you've been given the reins. That's like winning by default. Understand that you didn't win over voters so much as voters were disgusted with the other party. You can do one of two things: You can squander your opportunity much as you did in the '90s, when you last had power, or you can take advantage of this situation and grow some cantaloupes. That means putting a definite game plan together and making it stick. Develop a clear-cut exit strategy from Iraq, one that satisfies both the die-hard war fanatics and the Cindy Sheehan supporters. Raise the minimum wage—finally. And put a leash on that yahoo George W. Bush for the next two years.

Finally, you've got another task at hand, one that Mississippi Democrats face as well: Create some superstars. You lack name and face recognition outside Bennie Thompson. The majority of you could walk up to any average layperson and slap them in the face, and they still wouldn't know who you are. You have no clear-cut presidential candidate, and you have no outstanding Democratic gubernatorial candidate besides Mike Moore. Sorry guys, but it's true. The Dems need some new faces to rally around instead of resurrecting the corpse of John Kerry every few days. He almost single-handedly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory this past Election Day.

Point is, don't you Dems gloat just yet. You've won power for now, but I, like other independent thinkers, will be watching. Just like the Republicans, if you start messing up, we'll replace you, too. With me, it's not so much the party as it is the person, but since the Dems have said things will be better now, America has given them the chance. Don't screw it up.

And that's the truth ... sho-nuff.

Previous Comments

ID

74059

Comment

Good job, Kaze. Thanks for showing the people rappers have range and depth too. How about about that Martin Luther King Memorial on the capital mall in DC that our fraternity spearheaded and caused to come about? It will be finished in 2008.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2006-11-28T12:38:56-06:00