Jackson Free Press

In 2006, the Jackson Free Press drove then-presidential hopeful Senator Joe Biden around the city to get him off the beaten path and talk about issues facing everyday Mississippians. Due to his election as vice president, we are moving the narrative of that visit back to the top of the site for an encore

The folks who set up the Jackson Free Press' exclusive interview with Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware suggested we take him somewhere hip and trendy, to show off Jackson. I said I preferred to show him the Jackson that gets less attention, if that was OK. They said they'd send a driver; I could provide the route. When photographer Kate Medley and I met Biden at the Cabot Lounge on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, he had just come from a Mississippi College Law School softball game in Clinton. He was displaying his signature grin and apologizing for being late. His chief of staff, Danny O'Brien, told us we'd probably have 20 minutes with him, maybe 30. "Let's go then," I said, a bit disgruntled by how little time we'd have for my tour. I told driver Kate Jacobson, a Millsaps student: "Head downtown, then turn right on Amite street, then onto Farish."

We loaded up into the SUV. As we headed toward downtown and Biden started talking, Belhaven had probably never looked lovelier. The azalea trees were in bloom; it was a day real-estate folks dream about.

Sen. Biden, 63, began by telling us he had flown in earlier from Florida. "I did a fund-raising event for myself (there), attempting to see if I could put together enough money to run (for president) in '08," he said.

Without prompting, as we passed Baptist Hospital, Biden started talking about our state. "I know it sounds corny, but it's nice being back in Mississippi." Biden said he has an unusual history with Mississippi because he was close friends with former Sens. John Stennis and James O. Eastland--not exactly the most progressive senators Mississippi has ever put up, especially Dixiecrat Eastland, who helped lead the vicious fight against ending Jim Crow in the South.

Biden, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 when he was 29, served on the Judiciary Committee with Eastland. Later, Biden would take the reins as chairman of the powerful committee, presiding for 16 years until Republicans again became the majority party in 2002.

As we neared Amite Street, Biden told me he was addicted to politics from early in his life back in New Castle County, Del. "As a young kid, I was a junkie, you know in politics, particularly Southern politics," he said. And even though the Yankee might not have seen eye-to-eye with Eastland on every point, his knowledge of rich and divisive Southern politics made him a bit obsessed with the senator from Sunflower County.

"I'd go back to Senator Eastland's office every Tuesday after a Judiciary Committee meeting, and his office was cater-cornered from the committee meeting room. And he'd sit there and chew on a cigar. He would have one small glass of Chivas. You know, he would leave just a little tiny bit in the bottom of the glass," Biden said, beaming at the memory.

Stennis also befriended Biden when he arrived in the Senate. Biden's wife and daughter had been killed in a car accident in December 1972 after a tractor-trailor broadsided them while they were Christmas shopping. "My two boys were badly injured, and I had no desire to go to the Senate," Biden remembered. But he did, sworn in next to his sons' hospital beds.

The elder senator reached out to Biden immediately. "We became close friends. I mean, I was the kid. ... He was an incredible guy. And now I have his office."

'It Freed My Soul'

"I have the famous table (from Stennis' office) that is pictured in 'The Master of the Senate,' the book about (Lyndon) Johnson. If we had time, I'd tell you that story," Biden said as we passed the Jackson Marriott. I still hadn't asked a question, and the clock was ticking, but I was curious about his story of the man who had helped put me through college.

"When I was at Mississippi State, I was a Stennis Scholar," I said. "He helped me afford it."

"Well, he was a hell of a guy." As we turned onto Farish Street, he told the story about the table. When he first arrived at the Senate, he went to pay respect to "the old bulls of the Senate," including Stennis, he said. "He used this great big conference table as his desk. He had 12 leather chairs around it. He said, "Sit down, son, sit down, sit down. So I sat down, and we exchanged pleasantries. And the next thing he said was, 'Son, what made you run for United States Senate?' Like a damn fool I told him the exact truth without thinking about it. I said, 'Civil rights, sir.'

"As soon as I did, I swear to God I began to get these beads of sweat on my head, and it was like, 'Oh geez, what have I said?' He looked at me and he said, 'Good, good, good,' and that was the end of the conversation." Biden left Stennis' office believing he had said the wrong thing to a man not exactly known as a civil-rights leader.

Eighteen years later, Biden had moved up in the ranks, and Stennis was retiring. "He was closing up after about 40 years there." His staff wanted him to look at Stennis' o;he found Stennis sitting there in a wheelchair; he had lost one of his legs to a cancerous tumor. He was sitting at his huge table-desk staring out the window toward the Supreme Court. "He looked up, and he said 'Joe, sit down, sit down.' Then he stunned me. 'I want to tell you now what I wanted to tell you the first time you came to see me."

As Biden's words rushed out, he was glancing left and right at Farish Street, at the facades of crumbling buildings, the murals of hope. We stopped across from the Alamo Theater and sat as he finished the story about Stennis and his table: "He put his hand on that desk and that table, and he started caressing it. He said, 'You see this table and chair? This table was the flagship of the Confederacy from 1954 to 1968. Senator (Richard B.) Russell had (representatives from) the Confederate states sit here every Tuesday to plan the demise of the Civil Rights Movement. We lost, and it's good we lost."

"Then he looked at me," Biden continued, "and I got chills when he said: 'It's time this table goes from the possession of a man against civil rights to a man for civil rights.'

"I said, 'Mr. Chairman, I'm honored,' and we spoke a few more seconds. When I got to the door, he said, 'One more thing, Joe.' He turned in his wheelchair, and he said, 'The Civil Rights Movement did more to free the white man than the black man.' I said, 'How's that, Mr. Chairman?' He went like this." Biden held his fist over his heart and quoted Stennis: 'It freed my soul. It freed my soul.'"

"You tell stories like a Southerner," I said to Biden, as we jumped out of the SUV, with some 15 minutes gone already.

'From Delaware?'

Almost immediately, a woman wearing extremely high yellow heels jumped out of a Camaro parked on the sidewalk in front of Peaches. "Excuse me, is that Mr. Biden?" she called out.

"Yes, it is."

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"What's your name?" he responded, walking over to her.

"Anita Gregory. It's a pleasure to meet you, Senator." Her car had a Sunflower County plate; she said she lives in Indianola.

After visiting with Gregory, Biden turned toward Peaches. Gregory told me as he walked away: "I like him. He's nice. Believe it or not, I am a big news freak. My girlfriend is an attorney, and she called me yesterday and told me Senator Biden was going to be in town. I wanted to go see him. Does he know about Peaches Restaurant?"

I nodded toward the restaurant, where he was surrounded by people, and someone had turned up the blues jukebox a bit louder.

Owner Roderick Ephram didn't recognize Biden as he extended his hand. "Joe Biden. I am a senator from the state of Delaware. How you doing, man?"

"From Delaware," Ephram said, as he shook the senator's hand.

The son of Miss Peaches told the senator his mother had opened the restaurant back in 1961. "That's when I graduated, man," Biden responded. (From high school. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, and from Syracuse College of Law in 1968.)

I noticed with a bit of surprise how Biden's ease made him seem almost Clinton-esque without the drawl.

"They got me down here from Delaware trying to figure out how to get some money in here," Biden told the men.

"From Delaware," another man said. "I got a tour coming up in Delaware in August."

"August? I'm like a poor relative. Man, I'll show up for it. Where are you gonna be?" Biden pulled out a notebook and took down the information. "What's your name again?"

As Biden and I continued walking down Farish, I asked him why he was in Mississippi "in flyover country"?

"I can't govern as president if I win unless I can compete in a dozen so-called red states. I'm not saying I can win Mississippi, but I've got to be able to do well in Mississippi. How do you govern when the whole middle of this country's red, and you lose it 70-30? Everything I care about from a national energy policy, energy independence, to making sure that every kid in America can go to college, to national health care, they all require consensus. Not one of them lends itself to a 51-percent solution."

Biden said that his party makes a huge mistake by ignoring Mississippi because they do not believe it's winnable. "I'm out to prove to myself and to prove to my party that we can come to Mississippi, and we can get 45 to 48 percent of the vote. Maybe even win it if things are as bad as these guys are doing it now. You follow me? If you can't do that, how the hell do you govern?"

'… I'm a Fool, Too'

Over the last year, Biden said, he has spent much time in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida, and is increasing visits to Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee—tough red states for Democrats. "I'm trying to convince the party that we can't keep up this policy that (Karl) Rove suckered us into—just win one more state; if we can just win Florida, we win the presidency."

Besides, he said, "I do not believe this country is as divided culturally or on faith as they make it out to be. I'm of the view that if Bill Clinton, with all his problems, had been able to run again in 2000, he would've won Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee. He may not have won Mississippi. He didn't win it the first time. But my point is this is not just a divided nation. This woman right here, and the three of you (pointing to Gregory and the women in our entourage), whatever your interests and concerns are individually, you are no damned different than women similarly situated in my state."

"We get ignored during the elections," I said.

"Exactly right. Sure, you do."

I then asked him if he knew that in the last presidential election, 62 percent of Mississippians under 30 voted for Kerry.

"Yes," he said. "That's why I went to the law school. People would say to me, 'Why the hell would you come all the way down to Jackson and go speak to 100 kids playing softball?' Hey look, I refuse to believe that we Democrats are permanently out of the South. The South is changing. It's changing big time. Your state is changing."

In particular, Democrats should take the black vote in the state much more seriously, he said. "You have the largest (percentage of) African Americans in the country. And by the way, there is a vibrant black middle class in America. I just refuse to say we can't compete here. And my party's basically said that in the last two races."

"I agree with you, but people say I'm a fool for saying that," I said to Biden.

"Yeah, they think I'm a fool, too," he said with a chuckle.

As the senator—a Scorpio—and I ambled back toward the SUV, he seemed reluctant to leave Farish. I talked about how both parties overlook voters who are not "conservative—who call themselves "independent," or don't vote at all. How can you get disenchanted young people—especially young people of color—to turn out to vote?

"Just by being here. I want them to see me. I want them to touch, to feel. I want them to find out. People can tell. They can tell authenticity and fake. If I come down here, and people don't respond to me, I shouldn't be the nominee. I've got to go out and talk to the folks. I saw the look on your face when that woman said, 'Senator Biden.' You were kind of surprised. Wherever I go in the country, the amount of support I have in the black community is real. There's hardly a city anywhere you go where a black cab driver will charge me. … People know your comfort level. I've got to get down here and have the African-American community see me." He added that a large portion of his support in Delaware comes from black voters—that it is a constituency with which he can communicate.

"The point I want to make is that an African American on this street faces the same damn problems an African American faces on French Street in Wilmington, Delaware. But also, if we're smart, we can face the same opportunities. There's no reason it has to be this way. I think the country is ready."

We returned to the SUV—with O'Brien crestfallen there was no time to dine at Peaches—and Biden turned to education.

"I bet there's not a single, solitary woman you will find in this neighborhood who has a child, that doesn't dream of that child going to college. Not a one. Why don't we have complete access to college for every qualified student? And forget the dollars. If you're below a certain income, the government pays for you to get there. Not just loan programs."

Such an approach to educating our citizens will be good for the bottom line, Biden said. "I mean the idea that we're going to compete in the 21st century with countries that have their students going to school three and four years longer than we do, and we're gonna just squander and say, 'Hey you can't make it; we can't figure how to get you there financially.' It's crazy."

Faith Is a Virtue

As the SUV drove slowly down Farish—the part not under renovation—toward Monument and then Fortification, Biden's head and his eyes started jerking side to side as we passed crumbling houses and broken-down cars. He kept talking, though.

"I just think that there's so much more. And one of the things that this administration does, it's united that black kid that just went by in that beat-up car with the white kid not far from here in terms of what chances they have. This society has grown into the haves and have-nots. We are killing the middle class. And people get it."

The scenery got tougher as the SUV slowly turned west on Fortification and then onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, bound for Lanier High School. I asked Biden what the Democratic Party must do to "de-wedge" politics, to bring the discussion back to real populist issues and away from divisive issues like abortion and gay marriage. He responded that the American people are with his party on real issues of health care, education and other populist messages—but believes Democrats must convince voters they can keep the country safe. "You don't get to get into the game presidentially unless you can ante up in the poker game of security. Not war—security. Do I believe this woman or man is tough? Do I believe they mean what they say, and they're going to protect me? That's number one."

Number two, the Catholic said, is that Democrats must stop allowing Republicans to pretend that they own religion—that somehow the party that represents the little guy is the part of "elitists." He continued: "We've got to negotiate the faith issue. It's a big deal." After all, he said, faith drove the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement among progressive Christians, Jews and people of other faiths. "We didn't have any reluctance sitting in the black church praising Jesus. So what happened all of a sudden in America?" he asked, shaking his head at the notion that Democrats do not embrace moral and religious values.

"The reason why I don't think many northerners fully understand the black community is that they don't get it. Faith is a big deal here. It's a big deal. Black churches have lost some of their power, but it's still a big deal. And so what do we communicate? The elites in our party communicated, whether it was intentional or otherwise, that we basically kind of look down our nose at people of faith. ... This is a nation of faith, not religion. Faith. Faith in a God. Faith in there being a deity. Faith in the notion that there's an afterlife. Faith in believing that there's a relationship with what you believe about God and how you act as an individual.

"I think people want to know that their president is guided by his sense of faith—not out there saying the Lord told me this is what I should do," he added, making a not-subtle reference to President Bush's statements about getting instructions directly from God.

Biden said he was on "Real Time with Bill Maher," when the conversation turned to faith. "I said, look, I want a president who, after he makes a life and death decision, walks out of that Oval Office, says a little prayer and says, 'God, I hope I did it right.' I don't want a president who prays and says, 'Lord, tell me which way to go, and I've seen the light.' I don't trust people who are the only people who've seen God."

"I'm a product of my faith," Biden added. "And we Democrats by our body language, I think, have sort of distanced ourselves from what the average American is. Black or white, rich or poor. … All they want to know is what's your center: Is there something about who you are that makes you realize that (there is) something much bigger than you?"

Progressive people of faith, Biden said, must talk back to "guys who abuse power telling me they're Christians, and (that) they're more moral and decent. We don't fight back."

But, he added, don't fret over labels such as "liberal": "You don't fight the fight over a phrase. You fight the fight over the principle. So I'm not up for arguing whether I'm liberal or not. What I want to talk about is being humane. I want to talk about fair. I want to talk about decency—everything from Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and college scholarships to programs that (help our) neighborhoods."

Delaware, Miss.

In front of Lanier High School, Biden and I walked to the front of the building, as a young man in a car with fancy rims slowed down in front to watch. "Hey, man, how you doing?" Biden called at him.

"This is Senator Biden," I added. "He's running for president."

"A Mississippi senator?" the young man asked.

"I'm from Delaware," Biden said.

"Delaware, Mississippi?" the young man returned.

"No, plain old Delaware, the state!" Biden said.

As the young man laughed and drove away, the senator said to me, "By the way, there are about 20 cities named Delaware. There is a Delaware, Mississippi."

I told Biden that I had brought him to Lanier, one of our city's poorest high schools, to talk about "No Child Left Behind." He nodded, saying that he had signed Bush's high-stakes education act, but believing that it would be fully funded—Republicans have consistently rolled back money to pay for the problems that the act, with its focus on testing, is designed to reveal.

"A congressman from Philadelphia (Pa.) and I introduced an amendment (to NCLB) saying that if you're going to hold kids to the same standard, give them the same amount of money. I lay 8 to 5 (odds) that this school probably gets one-quarter, one-sixth, maybe one-third if they're lucky, of what a white middle-class or upper-middle-class school district (in the area) gets." NCLB also punishes teachers, he said. "That's why they don't want to come and teach here. You're going to get graded based upon whether you bring a class that is so far behind the rest of the country up to the average or not. Why not go to the other high school and the neighborhood we just went through (in North Jackson)? There you're only lifting two pounds instead of 200 pounds."

Biden, whose wife Jill is a public-school teacher, said there should be federal education standards—and consistent ways to identify whether certain schools are up to standard. "But I think it's necessary for the standards to reflect the place from which you start. So there's gotta be a baseline."

I said to the senator that NCLB seems designed to identify the worst schools—and then punish them rather than help. Instead, he said, the standards should start with each school's baseline of achievement. Then, "give me a goal."

"In a school like the one you just described to me as an all-black school in a poor neighborhood with, I expect, relatively low per-pupil funding, the staff could raise the standards by 25 percent in a particular year, but still be 50 percent below what the federal standard requires." Compare that, he said, to working in an affluent high school where meeting the standard only requires a 2 percent improvement. Of the two scenarios, "you reward the teacher who brings it up 2 percent and punish the teacher that brings it up 25 percent?"

The answer, he said, is to "either come up with the difference in the money or account for the difference in the standard." He added: "I would 1) fund it, and 2) move in the direction of relative judgments, keeping the goal."

Biden emphasized that he believes in high standards—and tackling the attitudes that certain kids cannot learn. "I think we made a mistake in the '70s and '80s when we decided to teach down to blacks and teach down to Hispanics and teach down to poor whites." He quoted his mother, Katherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden: 'Children tend to become that what you expect of them.' If you treat African-American children or economically deprived children in a way that you conclude you're going to teach down to them and not hold them to the same standard as you hold all children, you're doing them a great disservice. But the flip of that is you have to have the resources. You can't expect them to meet the standard if you're not actually teaching them. They need the same quality teachers teaching them with the same quality equipment, the same quality environment."

Dumbing Down: Not Cool

By the same token, Biden said he believes that the culture that education is somehow "uncool" must be changed: "You (shouldn't) have to dumb yourself down in order to be accepted. … And that's why, even though I've been very out front on civil rights my whole career, that's why I never bought in to this ebonics stuff. I don't buy the notion that you should not prepare children for the world they're going to live in."

Biden said he rejects the idea that there is any barrier for learning for immigrant children, black children, poor children that cannot be overcome with determination: They must be made to believe and given opportunities. "But you've got to demand it. (What) bothers me about No Child Left Behind is the part that was supposed to be there is not. (We should) make up for the lack of resources through this legislation to put that black child, put that poor white child, put that poor Hispanic child on the same footing to learn as you did the middle class or upper middle class white child. That's the part that's the travesty. We don't do that."

As we returned to the hotel over an hour after we left, cutting off the rest of my West Jackson itinerary to make up for our lingering, Biden emphasized that young people must be taught that they have to do their part. "There's no easy way through it. My message to black males is, hey look, I got it, I understand, you were deprived. You had no father. … But guess what. There's a way out, and it's gonna be really hard. It's really hard, but it can be done. It doesn't work the other way. You just continue to go under the same spiral."

Biden said he realizes "it's a hard, hard sell," especially coming from a northeastern white man with many more opportunities, and family wealth, starting out. "I say, well yeah, you think everything's been handed to me, and I started off a hell of a lot further ahead of the curve than you did. But how many of you stuttered so badly that you couldn't even walk up to a girl in 9th grade and ask her to go out on a date without feeling like an idiot? How many of you have lost your family? I'm not the same as you. You have it a lot worse than me. But don't assume that everything's (been easy)."

Still, it is up to those of us who can to reach out to those who need our help, he said. "You gotta give a hand. You can't just demand and walk away. You can't demand and hold the standards without recognizing the disadvantage from which it started. I don't have the answers, but I do know I have faith. I have faith it will change."

As we all crawled out of the SUV, Biden kept talking about why he has faith. "Why the hell would you keep doing what I do or you do if you didn't think you could (bring) change?" he asked me, pulling in about three inches from my face. "Why would you do it?"

For the record, we hear that O'Brien returned to Peaches later that night for fried chicken and candied yams. For more info on Sen. Biden's platform, visit http://www.joebiden.com.

This story and all quotes contained within are Copyright 2006 Jackson Free Press. Any portion or quote must be expressly attributed to the Jackson Free Press. Photos Copyright 2006 Kate Medley.

Previous Commentsshow

Biden may not believe in labels but I'd have to call him a socialist. "Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and college scholarships to programs that help our neighborhoods." Oh my! More tax dollars right? Did he have time to talk about reforming some of the problems with these institutions? And, what's wrong with consulting God BEFORE making a life and death decision?

The Red Baron

May 4 2006

Which test did he cheat on? Did he and Ted collaborate? Did it take more than the two of them? If not, whose sheets did they look on. I did, I admit, instruct how to spell one of their names. Will they call me on that? Which toilet at UVA is their sheet under?

MAllen

May 4 2006

The Red Baron writes: And, what's wrong with consulting God BEFORE making a life and death decision? A wise man once told me that if you talk to God you're religious, but if God talks back you need meds. So if you pray for guidance, that's great. But if you wake up the next morning and say "God has given me guidance, and the decision I'm about to make is divinely sanctioned," that's not a sound way to make life-and-death decisions. I mean, what happens if it goes wrong? Do you pass the buck to God? "Oh, well--13.7 billion years of ruling the universe and you're bound to screw the pooch from time to time!" I'd rather see politicians blame themselves for their mistakes. Not that I'm convinced Bush has ever actually experienced the whole visions-and-locutions thing, at least in his clean-and-sober years. I think the God-talks-to-me business is just rhetoric he puts out there for the sake of his base. Cheers, TH

Tom Head

May 4 2006

Great interview, BTW. I like Biden. I like Feingold more, but I like Biden. If he were top-ticket, I think he'd stand a very good chance of winning. Cheers, TH

Tom Head

May 4 2006

... Biden emphasized that young people must be taught that they have to do their part. “There’s no easy way through it. My message to black males is, hey look, I got it, I understand, you were deprived. You had no father. … But guess what. There’s a way out, and it’s gonna be really hard. It’s really hard, but it can be done. It doesn’t work the other way. You just continue to go under the same spiral.” I really liked that part. RedBaron, I wouldn't see anything wrong with consulting God before making a life and death decision, but I'd wonder why this consultation isn't an everyday, ongoing thing. If you consult with God for the life and death decisions, but consult your cabinet or self on other items, there is an inherent imbalance. I'm not saying that we as humans don't follow that mold (and therefore, one can't JUDGE the president for doing that--I didn't care for Biden making reference to that, but that's part of my entire distaste of politics and election campaigns). Just saying that inconsistencies (once again, commonly observed in humans) take away from outside perception of one's sincerity. Tom Head says, "I think the God-talks-to-me business is just rhetoric he puts out there for the sake of his base." This is an example of one direction our perception can take based on a person's inconsistencies. This isn't a thread for it, but I feel that we have available to us a direct link with God for guidance, etc, and He will not be one to 'screw the pooch' from time to time. Hold up, where in the world did you get that saying from? lol

lilsoulja

May 4 2006

I actually saw the Bill Maher show in which he said that statement. It was extremely eloquent and funny when he said it. (when he was speaking about faith and politics) At the conclusion of that show I really, really liked him. You are correct in that he comes off very well.

Lori G

May 4 2006

"Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and college scholarships to programs that help our neighborhoods." Do you really think that's "socialism"? Maybe we ought to study up on some basics before moving forward with this conversation. Good Lord.

DonnaLadd

May 4 2006

Donna, I only expect this to be noted, but you have a very jagged edge when it comes to correcting folk. Grow a lil more patience with the less-informed. [yes, 'telling' you what to do on your own site, lol, don't bar me though]

lilsoulja

May 4 2006

I won't bar you ... for that, anyway. Actually, you're seeing my soft side. ;-) Seriously, there are certain things that I have *no* patience for, and have no intention of going easy on. One is the anti-intellectual garbage that more (a) ignorant or (b) conniving conservatives throw around in the name of "socialism" or "communism." They've been doing that crap in this state alone for decades, and it just breeds ignorance. I will call it out, and hard, every time I see it. Only a fool would try to say that health care, Social Security or college aid amount to "socialism." Soft enough for you? (grin)

DonnaLadd

May 4 2006

I have liked Biden for years. I have also felt for years he was trying to find the right time and platform to run for president. He reminds me of Clinton too to some degree. Needless to say, I love Clinton. He's the most talented man I ever met or heard about. Very comfortable around all kinds of people. Instead of the democrats running from him they should have been studying him. Take away the womanizing habit of his and you got a man of few peers. Take away the covers from many so-called glittering republicans and all you have left is a lying and perveted fraud. Yeah, I said it.

Ray Carter

May 4 2006

Ouch! Maybe Biden's not a hard-core socialist yet. I just get tired of hearing about all these social programs that have all these problems. Consulting God is something we should all do each and every day. It shouldn't be for a political stunt and it shouldn't be in some wild and random Pat Robertson way. That's one good thing about God (also not the right thread for this). He's a very personal One that we can approach with our day-to-day problems and decisions.

The Red Baron

May 5 2006

I just get tired of hearing about all these social programs that have all these problems. I get tired of all the problems that don't get addressed that create the need for the social programs. Still doesn't make it "socialism."

DonnaLadd

May 6 2006

well, how nice. It's about time a senator wises up and realizes you have to win more than 51%, realizes that states like Mississippi are important.

casey

May 6 2006

I could never vote for a man like Biden. He wants to ask God if he mad the right decesion after it's been made? The man has it all backwards. He should be asking God's advice before making his life and death choices. It is really sad to see a big time politican make the statement he made about God.

nyview

May 8 2006

If you think Biden's crazy, you should take a good look at Bush and Reagan, God torch his behind and soul.

Ray Carter

May 8 2006

“I know it sounds corny, but it’s nice being back in Mississippi.” Biden said he has an unusual history with Mississippi because he was close friends with former Sens. John Stennis and James O. Eastland—not exactly the most progressive senators Mississippi has ever put up, especially Dixiecrat Eastland, who helped lead the vicious fight against ending Jim Crow in the South. Sound corny? not at all. It's the redneck m.o. of thinking. please continue, sir. "Needless to say, I love Clinton." You fall in love quick don't you? "He's the most talented man I ever met or heard about." Oh he's very clever. veeeerrrry clever. "Very comfortable around all kinds of people." Too bad most are as comfortable around him. "Instead of the democrats running from him they should have been studying him. Take away the womanizing habit of his and you got a man of few peers. " True. most shot-calling killers don't have many friends. "Take away the covers from many so-called glittering republicans and all you have left is a lying and perveted fraud. Yeah, I said it." Do the same with Clinton and you have the same thing, but worse. You should study up on Clinton a bit more. His "ways" will turn your stomach. Oh and "F" Biden. His tired chittlin'-circuit pre-campaign is disgusting.

JSU

May 8 2006

I just ran across this DailyKos diary about my Joe Biden piece above. Note those quotes on there are from this piece, and it has drawn more than 200 posts (not all very interesting, but many are). I'm happy that the piece created such discussion over there.

DonnaLadd

Jun 21 2006

Study up on Clinton for what, JSU? I'd probably be even more impressed. I'll admit a couple of my friend hates him. They think he's a low down dirty dog. I should add a third friend named D.L..

Ray Carter

Jun 22 2006

The official announcement e-mail that went out this morning: Donna -- I have some important news that I want to make official. I've chosen Joe Biden to be my running mate. Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois -- the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago. I'm excited about hitting the campaign trail with Joe, but the two of us can't do this alone. We need your help to keep building this movement for change. Please let Joe know that you're glad he's part of our team. Share your personal welcome note and we'll make sure he gets it: http://my.barackobama.com/welcomejoe Thanks for your support, Barack P.S. -- Make sure to turn on your TV at 2:00 p.m. Central Time to join us or watch online at http://www.BarackObama.com.

DonnaLadd

Aug 23 2008

Nominating the man who insulted you on the campaign trail as your Veep? Brilliant. Nominating the third-ranked liberal in Congress as your Veep? The man who makes Kirk Fordice look like a model of restraint and tact? Brilliant. This'll be good.

Ironghost

Aug 23 2008

Iron, you're so cute when you start the "liberal"-bashing. Haven't you heard? The Republican Party singlehandedly made "liberal" en vogue again. As for Biden's mouth, that will be be interesting. However, he said some *great* things in our interview with him above. I am, however, encouraged that Obama is trying to take the country to a place where verbal gaffes don't carry as much weight—depending on the apparent intent behind the remark, of course. It's one thing to say something awful that obviously reflects your views and say something in a wrong way that obviously doesn't. The country needs to be smart enough to tell the difference, and we need to slap down media that try to get us to play that nonsensical game. So, we'll see. This could be a good thing. My jury is out.

DonnaLadd

Aug 23 2008

Great article that I likely passed over a few years ago. Makes me like the guy a helluva lot better.

David McCarty

Aug 23 2008

I am, however, encouraged that Obama is trying to take the country to a place where verbal gaffes don't carry as much weight—depending on the apparent intent behind the remark, of course. Well, hmmm...I gotta think that ol' W has lowered that bar just a bit. And let's not forget that McCain's mouth gets him in his own sort of trouble -- things he can't remember like which are the Sunni and Shia and how many houses he has. Biden's got major cred with white working class voters in the rust belt and will probably make a play for Reagan Democrats and Hillary supporters that were on the fence for Barack. He's also got a resume that means he isn't an unknown quantity and he "plays" as the strong advisor in Cabinet meetings. In as much as he might be running against Chaney, he's the perfect foil. And he's tall. Oh, lord, just imagine if McCain picks Lieberman.

Todd Stauffer

Aug 23 2008

You know, just speaking for myself, the only problem I have with Biden--other than some specific elements of his legislative agenda, like the death penalty expansion in the '94 crime bill--is his tendency to say insensitive things on race. But he's running mate to the first major-party presidential nominee of color, so voting against the ticket because of his gaffes on race would seem silly, particularly given his amazing record on civil rights. Given the choice between a candidate who says the right thing and a candidate who does the right thing, I'll go with #2 any day. And the fact that Obama is willing to take him on despite his gaffes will play well with blue-collar voters who are worried Obama is too aloof and PC. It does great things for both his image and Biden's for them to pair up. Obama/Biden is a great ticket. I would have preferred Obama/Richardson or Obama/Lincoln, but given the options before us in the final days (Bayh, Kaine, Biden, Chet Edwards), Biden was by far the best of the pack. Most of all I'm glad Obama didn't follow the pattern of choosing a socially conservative Southern politician to "balance out" the ticket. One of the unexpected blessings of the John Edwards scandal might have been that it took him out of the running for the VP slot, where he could have done for Obama what he did for Kerry (i.e., nothing of consequence)...

Tom Head

Aug 23 2008

Oh, great interview, BTW. The last paragraph, in particular, is really powerful stuff... It's easy to imagine Biden saying that. Particularly bearing in mind that he has a negative net worth--$300,000 in the hole, poorest member of the Senate--so we know he's not in it for the money. And the NAACP leadership loves him. His gaffe took him out of the presidential race but it didn't set him back very far other than that, and IMHO shouldn't have. He's a rare senator. Very rare. His 80% lifetime ACLU rating (the highest of any presidential candidate not named Kucinich or McKinney) doesn't hurt, either...

Tom Head

Aug 23 2008

Here are more photos from our Biden interview/ride-along that Kate posted on her blog. In this one, you can see his passion as we were riding around. I was sitting next to him with a tape recorder and notebook; Kate Medley was in the front passenger's seat taking pictures, and Kate Jakobson was driving. That's Danny O'Brien in the very back seat behind us. He was great; at first, he wanted to keep Biden on schedule, and then he relaxed into it, realizing, I think, that Biden was enjoying the tour and the kind of conversation we were having. And thanks, Tom. The whole thing was quite powerful, especially the end. I think it was a different kind of interview for him; it was really more of a passionate conversation, really. And note that our frustrations with the way Democrats have "flown over" Mississippi, as well as ceding faith to a largely hypocritical GOP, have played out. This campaign is very different as a result, thankfully. A lot of the old wedge issues are simply off the table.

DonnaLadd

Aug 24 2008

Oh, and of course this is Anita Gregory in her yellow high heels. ;-) Kate's photography is the best. Come home, Kate! (She's in Atlanta now.)

DonnaLadd

Aug 24 2008

I don't know why, but Biden doesn't excite me. Of course, it will not affect my support for Obama one bit and I'm not saying I don't like Biden period. I don't know what it is, but I wouldn't chosen someone else before Biden.

golden eagle

Aug 24 2008

I think Biden's a great choice and one I didn’t anticipate before last week. When I first heard Biden’s name floated last month I thought it was a smart choice but unlikely to happen given that it appeared to run counter to the anti-Washington change message that was the heart of Obama’s campaign, and given Biden’s own criticisms of and gaffe about Obama.

Jeff Lucas

Aug 25 2008

Biden is a good choice. However my opinion of him dipped in recent years due to his flip mouth without knowing the right things to say. That romance about the desk of Senator Stennis turned my stomach since Stennis was a horrible Mississippi racist. Biden will never regain my full respect until he successfully explain the quip about Obama not being qualified and McCain is for president. That was another stupid comment by an arrogant white boy. It wasn't honest or intelligent, it was typical jealous, grandiose smart-ass white boy.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

Bill and Hillary did all they could to lose any chance at that slot or position. Obama's run made Bill and Hill reveal their true natures, it seems. So too will it make others, as well. I must admit that the republicans, by and large, have kept their racist comments and feelings within the party, their homes and cirlces. Be not fooled though, their kind of racism will show at the polls in November. Hopefully, the majority of people have overcomed that disease.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

Baquan, I predict part of the Republican strategy to throw off the undecided will be to suggest that if Biden is so much more seasoned and experienced (using Biden's own words) and ready to take on Juan McSame than Obama, why isn't he at the top of the ticket?

Jeff Lucas

Aug 25 2008

I'm still amused that after all that talk about change, Obama picks someone who's been in congress since Obama was Seven! Heck, he's been there longer than McCain has been by a decade, at least. I still don't think it'll help the democrats.

Ironghost

Aug 25 2008

In the FWIW department, NOW-PAC has enthusiastically endorsed the Obama/Biden ticket now and says that Biden is an excellent choice for VP. They had been arguing against Bayh, Kaine, and Webb. I'd say the anti-Obama PUMAs fall into three categories: (A. Committed racists who are voting against Obama, consciously or subconsciously, because he's a black man. We know these voters exist, but we don't know how many there are. This category intersects with the three below.) 1. Blue dogs, conservative independents, and Republicans who don't ordinarily vote in Democratic presidential primaries, but flipped over to oppose Obama because the Republican race was resolved early. Note that Clinton won most of her primaries only after McCain locked in the nomination, so these voters had nothing else to do. These and largely folks who always vote Republican in national tickets anyway, so no major loss. 2. Hardcore feminists who are PO'd right now, but will come around as November approaches and they realize how bad a McCain administration would be for women. 3. Hardcore feminists who may or may or may not be PO'd, but are excited by one of the two third-party tickets (Green and Socialist) headed up by women of color. My suspicion is that #1 is the biggest category, followed by #2, and that #3 is the smallest. I suppose I could add a category #4 made up of hardcore feminists who plan to vote for McCain, but nobody who actually votes for McCain could be accurately described as a hardcore feminist. Seriously, it's that stark. The guy wants to ban abortion, strike down the constitutional interpretation that prevented bans on birth control, sex toys, and gay/lesbian sex, and on top of everything else he opposes the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. There are some feminist arguments that could be made against Obama, but there is no real feminist argument that could be made for McCain and anyone who votes for him in protest against Obama would almost have to be motivated purely by racism and/or spite. I don't think very many of these so-called feminists exist; I've never met one.

Tom Head

Aug 25 2008

I don't know why, but Biden doesn't excite me. Of course, it will not affect my support for Obama one bit and I'm not saying I don't like Biden period. I don't know what it is, but I wouldn't chosen someone else before Biden. So far there hasn't been much excitement about Biden according to this poll. But that doesn't mean much now. We'll see how effective Biden will be in his role as the attack dog and the bridge to white working-class voters and whether that translates into increased support for Obama.

Jeff Lucas

Aug 25 2008

Rev. Nutscutter compares Obama to Jackie Robinson: http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/12798 I think he makes some interesting observations.

Jeff Lucas

Aug 25 2008

Biden can't win the south nor can he change the minds of the hardcore working class whites who think part of their racial duty or purpose is to make sure blacks stay in their places - the bottom of the well. Even Hillary and Bill couldn't win the south although they came very close to playing openly the race matter. I admit I wanted Obama to pick someone who could reach some of these kinds of people. However, Id be surprised if Biden reached any significant portion of them because they have been fooled into thinking he's a liberal as if that's the real devil instead of them and the republicans. Did Biden reach them as he personally ran for president? Mind you, it is the concocted devil in their screwed up world which is why race-baiting politicans can hook them hook line and sinker merely by saying Biden is a lover of blacks or liberalism. It doesn't even have to be true to work. If Biden can help significantly in other regions of the country he will have done his job. I'm also worried Biden will on occasions try to upstage Obama unless he learns soon to think as the number 2 man instead of the number one. As to Hiilary's supporters, I hope they vote for Obama in the end, but won't be surprised if they don't. One of the thing we have to always remember about white women generally is that while they don't have the violent history of racism against blacks, many are quite racist. How can you explain as many as 5,000.00 of them once holding membership in the ku klux klan, the constant discrimination by white women in the work place against black women and men and the lack of any real or significant effort to stop, impede or reduce the racist ways of their white male counterpart. Too often the white female has felt it was her rightful place to receive any affirmative action, largesse or hard-fought power along side or instead of the white man, despite most of them refusing to play any noticeable role in civil rights or the women suffrage movement. Irrespective of the foregoing, I have met some amazing white women who unfortunately are too few in numbers for any of us to start deceiving ourselves about where they stand politically, socially or racially.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

Walt, that little diatribe is just about the most offensive thing I've seen on here. It's the reason the democrats have had problems leading this nation, all the liberal democrats can offer is undiluted hate and class warfare. Republicans may have their faults, but at least they didn't openly dance with the KKK after democratic conventions.

Ironghost

Aug 25 2008

Jeff, I think that is Revern Cut His Nuts' Son who made those comments, unless my reading is off or I don't know which Jessie is the junior.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

Heck, he's been there longer than McCain has been by a decade, at least. True, but he got there when he was 29. ;-) What was it he said during his speech Saturday—he has the fourth highest seniority, but nearly half the Senate is older than he is? Or, something like that. I don't think McCain's "age" issue is about seniority in the Senate. I think it's about being out of touch and, well, old. In many ways, the Obama-Biden ticket is very attractive. It is led by someone new and dynamic, who hasn't been in D.C. long enough to be corrupted by it. And it is supplemented by someone who brings the advantage of experience and success getting things done in Washington. McCain supporters are going to despise whomever Obama picks, so let's stipulate that and ignore what they say because it doesn't add anything to anything. But this is an interesting choice. Having spent a bit of time in intense conversation with Biden, I believe that he is sincere and very intelligent and compassionate in ways that really matter. We could do much, much worse for a vice president, and indeed have in recent years, Al Gore excepted. (Although I wish Gore would have found his groove a bit sooner, but that's a different topic.) Besides, I believe Obama and his campaign team are smarter than most of us here put together about what he needs to do politically. So I leave it in their hands and go into this Convention very, very excited about the possibilities for our future. It feels good to feel hopeful and proud of a presidential candidate after all these ugly years we just went through.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

Ironghost am I factually wrong? If so, please set forth the manner and facts that are incorrect. Do you have anything besides emotionalism to ever add? And will you ever accept the truth for what it is?

Walt

Aug 25 2008

Biden can't win the south nor can he change the minds of the hardcore working class whites who think part of their racial duty or purpose is to make sure blacks stay in their places - the bottom of the well. Walt -- why would you want someone who "could reach these kinds of people" even in the Democratic Party? Biden is a bulldog and he'll play well in the rust belt. If anyone is going to win a Southern state it's the man at the top of the ticket. Don't count him out. And, Walt, I'm with you that this is your opinion, but I think you're arguing from the specific to the general. That's your right, and I offer you great latitude in that opinion, but remember that *millions* voted in the Dem primaries. In national polling, about 20% of those who voted for Hillary are saying they're not voting for Obama. Recall that a number of independents and Republicans voted for Hillary (probably 10s of thousands in Mississippi alone) as part of the Limbaugh plan. http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1192 I'm not saying you're wrong -- and I know there's a fear among both black and white progressives that people might push a different button once the curtain is closed. But, still, this is what the polls say... A total of 88 percent of American voters say they are "entirely comfortable" or "somewhat comfortable" having a black President, but 9 percent are "somewhat uncomfortable" or "entirely uncomfortable." And 86 percent say Obama's race won't affect their vote. also... "We note with a grain of salt that voters tell us they're not prejudiced against Obama because of race, or that only 20 percent are worried about McCain's age," Carroll said. Last I checked, women are polling for Obama.

Todd Stauffer

Aug 25 2008

Walt, that little diatribe is just about the most offensive thing I've seen on here. It's the reason the democrats have had problems leading this nation, all the liberal democrats can offer is undiluted hate and class warfare. Republicans may have their faults, but at least they didn't openly dance with the KKK after democratic conventions. Holy twisted history, Batman!

Todd Stauffer

Aug 25 2008

Iron, do you understand the party switch that happened in the '60s and why it happened? The current GOP is the Party of Strom (and the Goldwater of the '60s). The Democrats dancing with the Kluckers switched party, friend, in order to follow the racism where it bounced. The good news is that the days of the southern strategy are limited. The GOP will have to reinvent itself, and lose the race-baiting habits it adopted in the '60s. When it does, it may regain power. all the liberal democrats can offer is undiluted hate and class warfare. You know, I think I just lost all respect for you. That is a simply idiotic statement and far below the person I thought you were, even in your worst moments. As for Walt, I think he is over-reacting about white women. However, I too have been disturbed at some of the white Democrats who seem to think it's a great idea to vote for Hillary and not Barack. It's rather hard to find an excuse for that. However, those numbers are much lower than some would have us believe, for reasons that Todd stated well already. That is, it's white men who are the real problem when it comes to Obama's skin color. Not all of them, but too many of them (showing, ironically, how far we/they still have to go on the race issue). But, fortunately, white male power is shrinking in this country every year. What they, as a bloc, think doesn't matter as much as it used to. And when the dominant gender/race loses its hold, we will be in a place where race politics can matter less. But not until then. As long as white guys are still motivated by race, everyone else will be, too.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

Walt, you are correct. Those were the Son of a Nutcutter's remarks. My bad.

Jeff Lucas

Aug 25 2008

Yeah, ITodd, you know I like to think and write on the edge. I don't have a problem at all with being proven wrong. I hope I am wrong and would be too glad to admit it later on should I be proven wrong. I can't lie, I'm still afraid the white women are going to do what some people have called the white thing at the poll and vote against Obama due to race. I was in a restaurant eating chicken and shortening my life Saturday when a black person said Obama would win. I case the room for responses, verbal or non-verbal, and made eye contact with white women who said non-verbally not if they could help it. This coupled with other nonverbal and verbal comments doesn't give a brotha much hope down this way. Thanks for the polls information. We will see. I hope Obama realizes the situation and time in which he finds himself and makes the speech of his life. Not that the speech will matter to some people, but we true talents and change-makers must do our best in times that try men' souls.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

For clarity, that comment about white women being in the klan is a historical fact of many, many years ago, when klan activity was high as in the early 1900s. I forgot to add that. If that caused any confusion, please accept my apology.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

I knew what you meant there, Walt. I'm not offended by it. HIstory can hurt, but it's still history. Some people would prefer it not be brought up, but I'm certainly not one of them, as you know. We don't talk about it, we don't learn from it.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

I can think of nothing that would breath more fire and life into a campaign than picking a running mate that makes 90% of the people you want to get to vote for you say... "Who?" He did come up with a great line about Rudy Giuliani, "Noun, verb, and 9/11." Not an exciting choice, but a safe one.

Tre

Aug 25 2008

Finally, Iron, you really did hurt my wittle feelings. I forgive you though and believe someday we both will be free. I'm going to teach you yet to jump out the box. It must be quite restricting and smothering in there. I still love you like a distant cousin I have nothing in common with.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

Whats funny is while Jackson Jr is cautioning Obama not get angry, James Carville is advising him to get outraged and show a little more fire.

Jeff Lucas

Aug 25 2008

With due respect to both those dinosaurs, I don't think Obama needs to take advice from either Jackson or Carville. It's a new day.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

Yeah, Jeff, this is interesting. I often face a similar challenge on a small scale since I have to argue to whites frequently imploring them to do the opposite of what white prosecutors urge them to do. On one hand, if I come at them too timid-like they won't beleive I'm sincere to my cause or worthy of believing or following, and black folks will call me weak. On the other hand, if I come strong or very strong, I'm often seen as an angry black man. Sometimes we do jury interviews to guage their perceptions of me versus white lawyers in the same cases. You'd be amazed at what they say about me when I come fearlessly strong without any stratching of the head, shuffling, bowing, docility, hesitation or undue respect for the system. I'm used to it. I expect it. White women castigate me just as severely as the white men do in these cases. To keep from losing unjustly, in my view, I have to outsmart them. Fortunately, I know I won't be viewed like a white lawyer. I don't cry about it, I just do what I have to do to overcome it. Obama knows this walk of life too. If he didn't know it before he ran for this office, he knows now. I think he should show some anger and outrage too about republican policies and our state of being, but explain it so that Rust, Anne, Sean, Lars, Fox and others want explain it for him. Otherwise, stay calm and deliberate and see where that takes him. Anybody ever wonder why white people are so afraid of angry Blacks, Indians and others? This is why I laugh when the average white person says "I'm not guilty of anything." If you're not guilty of anything and played no part in harming any one, why do you have so much fear. I call this trickery of the mind.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

I meant why some white people are afraid of angry blacks. Not all of them are.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

I feel you, baquan, but Obama is doing better among white women than white men. And even though there have been many, many awaful white female bigots over the years, many have also fought for racial equality, and some even died for it. I think some people are reacting to vast generalizations, which never work. But you have the right, and should, point out that it hasn't been all about white male bigotry and supremacy. No doubt. I've always said that black women got it the worst. They've traditionally been hit with both white supremacy (often coupled with rape) and sexism from within their own race, too often of the stand-by-your-man-no-matter-what-he-does-to-you variety. White women get that, too, but it's not usually combined with the idea that standing up to male abuse is a slight to our race. I'm rambling now, but I sure do agree with you on women like Ingraham. And I agree that there is bigotry in the Democratic ranks—hell, it came out of the mouth of the Clintons.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

Anybody ever wonder why white people are so afraid of angry Blacks, Indians and others? I believe, Walt, that it is as simple as fear of the tables being turned back on them/us. I suspect you agree with me. Of course, I believe it's much less likely that the tables be turned if we white folks have the courage and gumption to stand up, apologize and try our damndest to make it right. Or, try a little love, as they say.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

So I can see why Walt's point, in the reaction of Clinton supporters flipping to McCain - and I mean you have delegates that are attending the convention today that feel that way. So I just do not want to mainly place that idealogy soley on independents and non-registered republicans that voted in a democratic primary. BTW, the polling shows there are *very few* Dem DELEGATES who don't yet support Obama...while many of them say they will vote symbolically for Clinton on Wednesday, only five percent say they do not yet support Obama as the presumptive Dem nominee. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/us/politics/25delegatesweb.html?ex=1377403200&en=2430699b52e25348&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Still, more than 80 percent of the delegates surveyed said they enthusiastically supported Mr. Obama, and about as many (including more than two-thirds of Mrs. Clinton’s pledged delegates) were confident he would win the election. Majorities across all regions except the South said Mr. Obama held an edge in their state. When you look at this polling, I bet that the Obama team said to themselves "we're challenged on 'experience' and 'foreign policy' cred. Answer: Let's sign up Biden."

Todd Stauffer

Aug 25 2008

No argument there, Baquan. It gave me a gut check, too, and I'm not black. If there is anything that drives me crazy as a "progressive," it's to see a so-called progressive suddenly look like the worst bigot in the room. And it happens too often, and always has.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

The white woman because of her numbers, color and respect nationally and globally has a great and unique ability to ereck change in the system if she will finally learn to think for herself, unify, and stop being deceitful about the racial faults of the white male and herself. In other words, correct herself too. I'm not anti-woman period. I'm not even anti-white woman. Nor am I too dumb to note and calculate the white women's role in much of the problems the dominant race has caused to others and society due to racism, greed and self-preservation. One of the thing black feminists had to learn is that old-time white female feminists were almost as racist as their white male counterpart, and initially accepted them (black feminists) only as marginal and inconsequential beings. To my best knowledge, this has changed tremendously in recent years due to the continued education of the black women which brought about critical thinking and better skills to articulate their ideas, but the white women don't need to be parading as if it has always been nothing but good on her behalf. I do note the great courage, sacrifices and accomplishments that a few white women made toward civil and women rights. Those accomplishments have been significant, but I don't know that they are attributable to any large percentage of white women being on that train of thought, change or sacrifices toward that end. I'm loving this conversation this day regarding white women. Too often it's assumed she's in a righteous position or place without any proof whatsoever.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

Let me take it a step further, Walt. I believe white women should lead the fight against white supremacy because so much of its violence and hate was promulgated, supposedly, to "protect" us and our honor. What a crock. And I know you're not anti-white woman. Sadly, many white women have been disempowered over the years, as have black women, by the men in their lives and by society's attitudes toward them. And it would be easy to assume that those white women are as guilty as the men around them for not doing more to fight white supremacy. I would argue that some of them—not all or close to it—fought back by whispering to their children. That's what my mother did in Neshoba County. She kept whispering to me over and over and over again that no one person was better than any other. It was her way of flighting back, and one could argue that it was not entirely ineffective. ;-)And she wasn't the only one. One very good effect of empowering women, and getting more into office and management and so on, is that we tend to care very deeply about people and, often, injustice. Just as the country needs to diversify on every level race-wise, so we on the gender front. We will see major change when diversity truly has been achieved on every level. Of course, there will be stinkers of all races and genders, but we'll have more power to do something about it.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

Thanks Donna. Your mother certainly did a good job with you. I adore the fact that your mind is wide open to listening, learning, change and ideas, and you're not afraid to show love, compassion, empathy, even sympathy for others racially unlike you. We need more people just like you. Unknowing to many, we're quite similarly in that regard. Yes I know people are afraid of me because of my style, ideas, courage and dissenting voice. Those who know me, love me though. And as I often say proudly, the rest can go to hell. A white male person that I try hard to respect but often don't once commented to me that you're a bleeding heart and lost liberal, so to speak, and he doesn't like you. I told him unhesitantly that he and many more would be better off if they were more like you. He was stunned, apologized later and said he didn't know we were friends. I made it clear that I would like you trememdously even if I didn't know you because I can read, think and evaluate for myself. I'd like to think my parents raised me well too although we never had a conversation about white people or racism or prejudice. Looking back I consider it amazing that we never did. Assuming I'm the average black person, it shows blacks do not teach their children racism or prejudice as Rust, Anne, Sean, Bill and other sickos would claim. Once the little poor college opened my eyes fully for untainted learning and acceptance of the truth, I made a decision to do good no matter the past abuse of my kind or me. Doing good doesn't mean I won't talk about the past. It simply means I choose not to repeat past mistakes and to make an effort as a multi-national part of a group to make the world the best place I can by my efforts, deeds and example. Of course, I know that in the minds of many, as Morgan Freeman has erroneously said, the best way to do that is to stop talking about race. I choose not to make people who can't handle or deal with race that happy about things staying as they are.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

A white male person that I try hard to respect but often don't once commented to me that you're a bleeding heart and lost liberal, so to speak, and he doesn't like you I always love that kind of response. Let me guess: He thinks we "lost" folks are wandering around, hoping he likes us, even though we care too much for others for his taste! There's an attitude of privilege, eh? If someone doesn't like me because I'm a compassionate, loving person concerned about the plight of others, I think it goes without saying that I wouldn't like them very much, either. What a way to live. "Go to hell," indeed. ;-) I tend to feel sorry for people like that more than I dislike them, though. What a prison to live in. I wonder what he thinks of what's going on around him, or if he's noticed, yet. He will. Thanks for the kind remarks, as always. I just call it as I feel it, and I've never been afraid of feeling compassion or even a little shame as needed. And shame is needed, too, make no doubt. I also have enough self-esteem as an individual that I do not need to defend everything people of my race have done on behalf of my race in order to feel good about myself—and I'm even capable of calling it out. I've never understood people who feel the need to stand up for our race, or any race, no matter what. It's not about the race; it's about what is done on behalf of that race that matters. And if you don't call it out, you might as well be condoning it, or doing it. I learned that growing up in my hometown. I vowed to live a life not making the same mistake, if I could help it. And that vow has opened me up to so many people and experiences I wouldn't have if I were the obedient little white Mississippi girl your guy would like me to be. He might like me, but people such as yourself wouldn't know, or care, that I existed. Good it's not up to his ilk, eh?

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

I just noticed this is the Biden thread. We should probably steer it back that direction, Walt—although my experience with Biden told me he probably wouldn't mind where this has meandered. I rather doubt his new running buddy would, either. ;-)

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

Well, the GOP of late has had a pretty basic problem. You can't really appeal to a race of people (except to the opportunists in their midst) if you are using a racist strategy against them to get the white vote. You kind of have to choose--and the post-Goldwater-Nixon Republican Party chose racism. Now, I fully expect to see that change, out of demographic expediency if nothing else, but it'll take a bit of time to wash out of the system. I mean, the head of the RNC already apologized to the national NAACP for the southern strategy, but it doesn't mean it just magically stopped. If Obama wins this fall, expect rapid change in the GOP. The Democrats better be ready for it, because the GOP has shown it can change on a dime, as in the '60s when it went from being the Party of Lincoln to the Party of Strom, and will again when it knows for sure that the southern race strategy is dead. It'll have to. But the GOP is going to have to stop badmouthing the very idea of government. They have a generation of voters now who don't want to hear that after watching the government's miserable responses to 9-11 and Katrina. I wonder if they've gotten that memo, yet. I'm guessing they will this fall.

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

Yes Baquan, the republican party has one or two real black republicans like Colin, Condoleeza, and some say Alan, and then there are a few podium or stage negroes as I like to call them. Negroes who want to take out master's night bucket in hopes that master will remember them in case he has some leftover crumbs to pass along. Many of these negroes are mere opportunists looking for a handout and a chance to separate themselves from other blacks even if it means selling the whole black race down the drain. Yet they say we're looking for a handout from the Democrats or the government. If we're looking then we have been looking a long time to no avail. I can't wait to see the republican farce - their convention - to see what podium or stage negroes will be present and offering up negroes for for sale this year. These people are today's slave catchers, in my view. If master says go get me some blacks, they will tear down master's porch running after old, feeble, unsuspecting and can't run negroes. I watched some of these shameful republican negroes on c-span a few nights ago and almost puked. I won't blame them for kissing Mr. Charlie's rump if Mr. Charlie did something humane and rightous toward blacks in general. But those negroes are out for self. As to Biden and Obama, I'm hopeful that ticket will have the strength and elasticity to weather the storm as it get stronger toward blowing them away. McCain wants to win and before long he will altogether forget he's a different kind of republican. What do you call a party that has among its proud membership the Klan, CCC, dixiecrats, wingnuts, Rust, Anne, Sean, Bill, glen, et al. I'm too nice to even say. I'm prayerful that Biden and Obama can win and restore America back to the respectful place it once enjoyed.

Walt

Aug 25 2008

McCain wants to win and before long he will altogether forget he's a different kind of republican. I think he did already, sadly. And you're right about that membership line-up: One should think seriously about any club with all those folks as members. I remember being in West Palm in 2000 to cover the election mess for the Village Voice. A story I ferretted out was about the white supremacists who live in the area (like the guy who started Stormfront.org). I hung out with them as they stood across the street from the voting place where they were counting chads, as they held huge Confederate flags. I watched the good Republicans on the other side of the street look anywhere but at them as they stood in front of the cameras. But many of them then drove by and flashed a thumbs-up in our direction when they didn't think the media were watching. I guess they thought I was a Stormfronter; I guess that's what it feels like to be inside the Bigot Club! (Disgusting, that is.) Not that I love the Democratic Party, either, as everyone knows. But at least it went to great lengths in the 1960s to move past its Dixiecrat days. I wish that torch would have been put on mothballs, but opportunistic Republicans decided to sell their party down the racist river by grabbing it before it could be extinguished. That is truly one of the blackest marks in our history, and it surprises me that some of the good people I know who are Republicans identified with a party that would do that for so long. And that includes the scant number of black Republicans, as you point out much better than I ever could (get away with), Walt. ;-)

DonnaLadd

Aug 25 2008

I know this isn't exactly the right place to put it, but I just saw Mrs. Obama's speech...that was a speech she had to make and she didn't disappoint. She hit a lot on family and love of her country and I believe it really resonated with a lot of people. She didn't go over the top on anything and she didn't use language that would indicate any real sort of victim mentality. If Michelle Obama had a moment of reinvention, tonight was her moment. And may I say she looked really good tonight. Somebody please tell my mother and grandmother that Michelle is not an ugly woman.

golden eagle

Aug 25 2008

I saw the speech too. It was excellent. Michelle looked great and performed brillantly but it won't matter to many or most of those working class people who still strangely claim they don't know who the Obamas are. They know exactly who and what Obamas are and that's why they don't plan to vote for them. Three of those working class whites showed up in Denver with guns in a poorly contrived venture to show the world why the Obamas couldn't reach them. Barack needs to do his thing too to the best of his ability and hope enough non-racist and non-diseased white people are fair and honorable enough to know we don't need any more republican trash running this country.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

I've grown to not watch Sly as A Fox News as Ray Carter coined it. The trash on there, no matter the race or gender, makes me sick. I'm afraid I might shoot the television if I watch. Watching Fox is tantamount to digging a hole in the ground all the way to hell to meet awful people. The country needs Biden to show the skills and talents that allowed him to get and stay where he is in Congress. We need him to do as Kerry once did and call the republicans what they clearly are. In other words, call them out repeatedly without fear. After all, it has been proven this group of republicans are neither real republicans or real conservatives. They don't really follow hardly any of the priciples both claim they stand for. They're racist, pathetic, lying, phony and thieving scums. Too bad half of America apparently likes that. Three of their members showed up in Denver yesterday with guns apparently intent on hurting Barack, Nancy Pelosi or some other savior-like Democrat. I bet the republican party will not oust or censor those three welcomed and upstanding members should they ever get out of jail.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

My apology for saying the 3 want-to-be killers were republicans. I don't know that for a fact. All I know is that their type is welcomed and celebrated in the republican party therefore I made a reasonable deduction. My bad!

Walt

Aug 26 2008

"Three of their members showed up in Denver yesterday with guns apparently intent on hurting Barack, Nancy Pelosi or some other savior-like Democrat. I bet the republican party will not oust or censor those three welcomed and upstanding members should they ever get out of jail." - Quote by Walt. Could it be that our salvation does not lie with government? Be it the Democrats or Republicans in power there. I am surely not going to wait on a rooftop for either party to come save me or my family. I have been reading these discussions for a few days now, and I have to admit that I was a bit suprised at the amount of racism and name calling contained in them. People should remember when you are painting with such a broad brush you will inevitably smear the paint on yourself too.

WMartin

Aug 26 2008

I know I haven't displayed any racism whatsoever in my opinions. Anyone who can read what I wrote and find racism probably can tell us the exact location of heaven and hell, too. I'm not in any way going to change what I think of republicans since their deeds and efforts earned said opinion.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

Government exists for a purpose. Many of the people crying wolf now that republicans have been exposed for the no good scoundrels they are weren't saying a thing before the sh1t hit the fan. Now that things aren't going their way, they want to argue government is useless or unimportant. I ain't buying it.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

Sure Walt... Why give up the broad brush now? =)) I don't know you and I don't know what's in your heart. I suppose I was making a "reasonable deduction" about someone who's reality seems to be based on the classification of people into their respective stereotypes. As far as the location of heaven and hell I suspect they are still where they have always been, in the fevered imagination of superstitious zealots the world over.

WMartin

Aug 26 2008

WMartin, where were you when this broad brush demonized and crushed well-meaning and well-qualified Democrats for years? Indeed, I don't think or imagine (but I don't know for a fact) that every republicans fit within my classification of them. I have studied them for decades and have seen little or no good in them, any of them. All of them seemed to have been on the train to turn back the hands of times. I have worked and interacted intimately work-wise with thousands of them. I can count on one hand the exceptions. Since you don't know me, you should be careful about broadbrushing me. I'm not shallow, dumb or unlearned. I joke a little in my posts but I'm nobody's fool.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

I listened for years, as I was growing up here in Jackson, about the "good ole days" and I was sickened when I really started to learn what actually happened in those "good ole days". So I share your desire never to go back to something like those. I will resist it along with you. But that doesn't mean anyone with a (D) beside their name gets my vote, neither does an (R). I just have a really hard time assigning evilness to a whole political party simply based on my disagreement with their platform. I think it's the lowest form of political strategy... it also seems to be rather ineffective. For Obama to win, his campaign and his supporters have to give the people reasons to vote for him not just reasons to vote against his opponent. By the way, I am not so foolish as to believe you a fool and it was not my intention to infer that. I get frustrated when people who obviously are passionate about what they believe let their emotions run away with them. Otherwise sentient and important points are too easily discounted as the rantings of partisans and kool-aid drinkers.

WMartin

Aug 26 2008

I agree WMartin. William I choose to be a dissenting voice and to talk about things most people won't because too few people are honest and courageous enough to do it. I only get one run through life and I figure I might as well spend it in Mississippi trying to get people to look beyond their socializations and comfort zones. The majority race, as far as I can tell, doesn't want to hear anythings that places them in a bad light, no matter their despicable histories or how truthful the commentary. Perhaps, all people are like that. But we black folks have a collective storied history of being lied on, vilified and having our shortcoming or imperfections magnified and amplified. There is nothing racist about me, but I do not want acceptance by the majority so much or to the extent that I will silence my honest and dissenting voice. I also know that I will only get a certain amount of acceptance no matter what I do. In other words, if I did everything the majority told me to do I know some whites still won't accept me fully. I know this and I don't care. The bigger task for me is to try and change old and shallow mindsets. I have no intentions of doing it by mere or great kindness. I'll let Mission Mississippi, a great organization, do that the slow and kind way. Black folks have been screwed royalty for scores and centuries while being too concerned about white folks' feelings as the status quo and suffering of black folks continued uninterrupted. Thanks for your commentary.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

Something should be said about Ted Kennedy's speech which I think was partly meant to get the Clintons in place and time. I realize the Kennedys aren't liked very much by white southerners, based on nearly all the comments I've personally heard about them by the same; however, I think he served his great purpose last night, just as he has in the senate for years, despite his personal indiscretions earlier in his life. I was glad to see Rosalyn and Jimmie Carter, McGovern, Kerry and other major Democrats who stood almost silently for years as we hurried to hell and war. As history put things in perspective let's see hom many republican leader win Nobel awards or any other awards other than having an airport or library named after you. Biden looked good sitting there too. I just hope he comes out smoking with guns blazing when he has to. I'm not even worried about the assessment of the matter by the other side - republicans. I don't expect any good from them as that is not what they're into.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

Having seen cancer take two of my family members, its my observation that it took great strength for Sen. Kennedy to deliver that speech last night. That said, I have a feeling he won't be around very much longer.

Jeff Lucas

Aug 26 2008

It is now being reported in the Washington Post that Hillary will praise her former rival tonight and attack McCain and the Bush Administration. It'a about time for Hillary to figure out the right thing to do in order to have a chance at the presidency or some other important position. An attack on the daily, hourly and minute menstruation or fleecing of America by the republicans is what all Democrats ought to be talking about. The attacks of McCain are also in order. He can't really be different else he wouldn't be over there. No one can serve 2 masters. You will love one and hate the other. For any Democrat who is worried about whether persoanal attacks are beneficial politically, please check the masterful record, although mostly made up, of the republicans for the last several years. If you need more proof be sure to watch any portion of the "Farce on Minnesota" to take place next week. By the way, a farce is a broadly satirical comedy with an improbable plot, or a ridiculous or empty display.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

I just saw and heard some white female Hillary delegates or supporters saying Obama isn't qualified to be president, and furthermore saying they can't vote for Obama. I heard one say they can't vote for neither Obama or McCain and one say she will vote for McCain. I'm still trying to understand this. I'll bet my last dollar those particular women are prejudice or racist or sexist because neither mentioned or juxtaposed George Bush or McCain. And neither particularly said, as usual, what talents or abilities Obama doesn't possess. What makes McCain qualified and Obama not qualified? I hope Obama isn't sweating over those worthless kinds of women who are likely republicans perpertrating as Democrats. If I became president, I'd institute the draft, force them into the arm services, and send them over to Iraq or Afghanistan to help us out with the wars. A woman can do anything a man can.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

Just kidding!

Walt

Aug 26 2008

I just heard two more white women say Obama has to sell himself to them. I think they mean sell his soul and kiss their booties. Once again they repeated the old sad refrain of not knowing who Obama is. Again, I say they know exactly who and what Obama is, and that's why they're having a problem voting for him. If they're real Democrats, did they also have these questions and say these same things about Kerry who showed himself weakly, Dukakis who lost big style, or Gore who didn't know what the hell to do. I know Gore got cheated blatantly and screwed by the supremes (not the Motown ones either). Frankly, I don't know who the hell these so-called Democrat white women are. What did Hillary offer or give them to get them to act like wingnuts from the other party? These are foolish and full of crap white women if you ask me. What is it they want Obama to be besides white like them? I guess not being George Bush doesn't count for anything! These same heifers (sorry I mean women of the Democratic party) claim Obama speaks well but where is the substance beyond his ability to speak well. Hell, where is their substance? Where is McCain's substance? Why don't they tell us this? I'm about to think those white women are as ole style leaning as Billy "Playa" Clinton. I still have hope though. Let's see what concoctions these same slimmy women come up with after Obama gives his acceptance speech. At this point if I were Obama, I'd finally say you Hillary ______ can kiss my face behind.

Walt

Aug 26 2008

Walt raises a good point. No ... not that most white women are wanting Obama to sell himself to them. They would probably HAVE to be Republicans disguised as Democrats to afford him :-P. But that it keeps being repeated that Obama doesn't have the experience required to be president. Why do we keep electing people to the highest offices when all the experience they really have is that they keep getting elected? I think it should be a mark of shame to hold elected office for decades, to do nothing more productive than to oversee bureaucracy. Which most people will tell you they hate, but those are the people we keep putting in office when it comes 'round election time again. What experience did "W" have that qualified him to be President? Obviously not enough. I, personally, would love to see someone with limited government experience as President. .oO(If Obama was only for limiting the size of government he would be perfect. But someone with that plan isn't on the ballot this November.)

WMartin

Aug 26 2008

That is so weird, Walt. Assuming they're not wingnuts, I don't blame you for questioning their motives. To be honest with you, there's a certain brand of older feminist I've had my problems with over the years, starting with the ones who made fun of my nail polish back at a NOW meeting at Mississippi State. I didn't go back because I don't like toxic people regardless of what they claim to believe in. Truthfully, though, the women you're talking about seem to have a lot in common with Hillary—believing she deserved the presidency no matter what. That's a big reason I never supported her. They also know the media is hungry for a spat to liven things up a bit. My response: This, too, shall pass. Oh, Michelle. Obama. Rocks. I've never seen anything quite like her speech last night.

DonnaLadd

Aug 26 2008

I, personally, would love to see someone with limited government experience as President. I'm with you there. That complaint is typically used as an excuse, anyway, which you're pointing out. What I want is someone who can coalition build and get all sorts of people to the table. Someone who is intelligent (knowing the different between Shia or Sunnis, for instance), and who knows how to surround themselves with good people not afraid to challenge them, which Bush would not do. He was afraid of being made to feel stupid. I want someone who can inspire, and someone who doesn't get blow jobs from interns on the job. I want someone honest, who understands the plight of different kinds of people. I want someone who doesn't take corporate/PAC donations. I want someone who wants to fix government, not drown it in a bathtub so corporations have nothing to keep them honest.

DonnaLadd

Aug 26 2008

Oh, and I want someone who will admit mistakes and is man (in this case) enough to apologize when needed for twisting their words wrong, or for making a bad decision, or trusting the wrong person. I believe Obama fits all those criteria.

DonnaLadd

Aug 26 2008

I think you are right on point. That's what the American people need to be shown or sold, however you want to look at it. His campaign needs to hammer those reasons, the reasons to vote FOR him. Not the negative crap that only drives the wedge farther between us as a people. Harping on how many houses John McCain has is only a distraction that will never amount to anything.

WMartin

Aug 26 2008

By the way... I only think the career politicians who think everything is cool with the way things are going need to be drowned in the bathtub, maybe on a water board.

WMartin

Aug 26 2008

I haven't read all the posts, so forgive if I repeat and/or go afield. However, I simply cannot not respond to you, Walt, and your use of the terms "so-called Democratic white women," and "full of crap white women." I know you don't mean to demean a white Democrat who was a Hillary supporter who is struggling with how she is going to vote. And, it seems your interpretation of that struggle would be that she is racist. I think, though I feel your pain, that you might be missing the mark. I am an old white woman who works daily to live into the fullness of what I believe--and that is that I support and try to enable opportunity and hope for all of us--white, black, yellow, pink, purple, green--and, yet, as a Hillary suppporter, I understand the gut connection that these women have with Hillary. Hillary and these "old white women" walked and talked and worked and sacrificed along with the civil rights workers to bring to fruition a chance for a black man and a white woman to vie for the highest office in the land. I think that open minded, all embracing people reach out to each other and join hands and bring all into the fold. I hope that's what happens. Some of those "old white women" are struggling with things that we may not clearly understand. And to try to diminish the struggler won't do a dadblasted thing to bring them to the polls to vote for Obama in November. I am--as some of my friends might say--"a heap sight more interested in" reaching out in peace and hope with those "old white women" [present company included] and encouraging them, than I am in foreclosing them with comments that cut them loose. [Did I use "loose" correctly, Donna? :)] There comes with leadership a responsibility to rise above derisive name calling. Even if it makes us feel good to do it. That, really, is what is so attractive to me about Obama. He is above all that. But, he appears to be looking directly into the light. And he sees that Hillary's girls [yep, some of us still feel like girls] number 18 million. That is not a tidbit. I can't understand anyone's past, really. And, I can't understand what turns you on, Walt. Obviously, not us old white women. But, I do think that this prejudice thing runs in every direction. And, I want to hope that this Obama candidacy offers us all kinds of hope: hope for each of us. Not for only a certain segment of us. For each of us. Even for us old white women. God, I pray that is the case. And, I press the submit button on this machine, in salute of our Democratic ticket: Obama/Biden and I shall work for them and support them and pray that they are held in God's protection and that we can move forward toward some hope of a future with them as our leaders. But, I say to you, Walt, and all the Walt's everywhere, stop and re-look at us old white women. Some of us are the reason that you are able to blog and spout off and presume such knowlege. We are a part of what got us to where we are. Toss us, my friend, and you toss the one that helped (even in a tiny tiny way) bring ya to the dance. Love, Peace, Obama/Biden

J.T.

Aug 26 2008

Thanks your honorable J. T.. Believe me, I respect older women. I even like them more than most people I know. I adore the ones who don't immediately run me off with some kind of prejudice, racism, stereotype or various other kinds of unjustified dislike of me. I can even remember one old white lady treating me like crap in corporate America for about a year. I took this treatment due to my relatives' good raising. She caught me on the wrong day eventually and I told her off while practically apologizing at the same time. She treated me with respect after that incident. My grandmothers, mother and aunts taught me well along those lines of respect for women and I have been rewarded handsomely with love, protection and knowledge (wisdom) as a result. I credit most of it to women. I wasn't accusing white women Democrats any more than I was asking questions and seeking answers. I don't totally blame anyone for wanting to know where Obama stands. I just think he has told us as best he can, and I know he's not George Bush which ought to stand for something. J. T., if it's alright to call you that, I appreciate your reply. I was clearly trying to get someone to say something, no matter what they said. Hillary was fantastic last night. I say again, she is a better debater than Barack and equally good at giving speeches or rising to the occasion. She is a marvelous and outstanding woman. I can't see how any honest person can disagree. I was a big supporter of hers until I realized so many whites rejected her making it nearly impossible for her to be president. I switched to Obama only after he started defeating her. It's my hope that Bill will show the nation tonight why he beat the republicans twice and give his full support, know how and intellectual capacity toward helping Obama win this election. Bill knows, like all of us honest people, that the worse thing to happen to America in scores of years is the type of abominable republicans populating the country at this time. We can't have 4 more years of this. Bill, Biden and Obama are up next. If they do what they're capable of, we should win. I don't understand why there is a contest when 80% of the American people know the country has gone to hell in a handbasket due to no good republicans. J.T. I understand the struggles white women fought against a sexist and brutual white man who was almost as devastating in non-violent ways to them as he was to the slaves. He kept y'all from voting for many years after he finally let us do it. However, white women did receive great benefits, protections, et al, from this pathetic individual. Fortunately, things have looked up for us all. I do note the contributions of some white women and some white men toward defeating slavery, James Crow and many other evils. I also know that only a few deserve credit for this - not all.

Walt

Aug 27 2008

I forgot to say how much I enjoyed the Governor of Montana. I had an legal intern from Montana to work with me this summer. A marvelous young white female who helped exceedingly with one of my cases. She coupled with Governor Schweiter and comedian Dana Carvey who is also from there are going to compel me to visit that place some day. Governor Schweiter was funny and intelligent at the same time while wearing what looked like jeans, tennis shoes, a western type shirt and no tie. He and Willie Nelson are my kind of fellows. They don't seem to give a darn what everybody else is wearing or doing, and do their own things no matter what. The movie "Dances with Wolves" was filmed in Montana.

Walt

Aug 27 2008

"These same heifers (sorry I mean women of the Democratic party) claim Obama speaks well but where is the substance beyond his ability to speak. well. Hell, where is their substance? Where is McCains's substance? Why don't they tell us this. I'm about to think those white women are as ole style leaning as Billy 'Playa' Clinton. I still have hope though. Let's see what concoctions these same slimmy women come up with after Obama gives his acceptance speech. At this point if I were Obama I'd finally say to H._____can kiss my face behind." Thank you, Walt, for your most recent blog, which is an attempt at dialogue, unlike this earlier quote of yours. Whether I am white or black, old or young, tall or skinny, rich or poor, the best of me and the best in others (which is what I see Obama calling forth) responds to other's attempts to dialogue with me rather than offend me. That best hunkers down, however, when another slaps me in the face by calling me a "heifer" (a young cow that has not yet given birth to her first calf) or suggests in an intimidating way that if I don't do a particular thing I should kiss another's behind or that I am slimmy. I can just tell from your blogs that you would feel the same way. One mark of healing of a people is when we can have civil discourse with all--those that are like us; those that are different from us; those that we like; those that we dislike; those that we understand; those that seem to be flying onto our turf from Mars. We've got a lot of healing to do. This and other blogs are a great place for Obama supporters to express their opinions of his substance. They are a great place for civil dialogue to occur. For healing to occur. Something in me rises up, digs in my heals and stands firm when bloggers who have the ability and where-with-all to serve as catalysts for honest, fun, humorous, sharp, sincere profundity or delightful trivial discourse, instead, slice others up to be cool. That happened with me and your blog. Substance: how much each of us has is what we are each working on each day; developing our substance is never completed: you, me, Obama, McCain, Hillary, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, white women, white men, black women, black men, Asian women, Asian men, Latino women, Latino men--you get the picture, Walt, and I be that you and I agree on this point. However, the difference in questioning substance at the moment when we talk about candidates for President is this: The candidates have a responsibility to convey to us their substance. And, each of us has different threshold levels for intake of info. Obama and McCain each have their jobs cut out for them. And, they should. After all, if we are electing the leader of the U.S.A., we need to know who this person is. I thought, like you, Walt, that Hillary's speech was exceptional. Politically, it will go down in history, I think. But, pragmatically, it will help attempt to elect Obama. For, lest we kid ourselves this is a huge race--the future of the world, the continuation of our country depends on it. And, it is close and may go down to the wire: every word we say and everything that we do, as Obama supporters, Walt, adds to the "for" or "against" votes in the Democratic column. Truthfully, if I were an undecided white woman and allowed your posts here to have great influence over my choice of candidate for President, I would be hard put to support your candidate. Obama needs women and men of every color and every kind to work hard for him. He does not need any of us to discourage voters who for reasons we may not understand are struggling with their votes. Thank you, again, for your sincere response to my blog. I appreciate it. Peace, my friend, and let's get out the vote in November for Obama/Biden.

J.T.

Aug 27 2008

Well, J.T., one thing Donna knows about me, and likely you too if you have followed me for a while, I can reason and write wonderful and great things if I choose to. However, I sometimes just get sick of people who seem to need 400 more years to do what I and they know is the right thing to do. Often I simply say the hell with them. Unlike you, J. T. and likely Donna too, I'm not willing to waste much more of my valuable time on people I know based on general American history and their personal histories they aren't worth my time. My time is running out and I rather spend it fighting, cursing and showing my tail than begging since begging has done so little good. As all intelligent black folks know, no matter what we do, accomplish or know, the color line is always there to remind us of our limitations as we interact with whites of either gender. This is why Fredrick Douglas nearly gave up and W. E. DuBois actually did give up. We have to face the fact that racism is an intractable and unalterable disease in some white folks. A few blacks too. Surely Barack is too smart to not know this. One of my great strenghts and faults too some say is my reluctance or incorrigibility to changing who and what I am. I'm no accident. I intend to be just as I am. I intend to provoke and have an air of unpredictability. I know I won't be liked or appreciated by some and I don't care. I'm not running for office and seldon need the people I piss off. I figure most needs or deserves pissing off. Smile. I don't care who people vote for because I'm convinced that if my mere commentary is claimed to cause someone to vote another way, that person already was likely to vote another way. I don't buy your argument there. I'm not against good or meritorious change. Change that makes a difference and is based in real flaws. I won't change anything just because someone would like me better if I didn't say certain things. Rarely do I walk around mad or weighted down because I believe in letting it all out. Getting it off my chest, so to speak. I don't have any regrets because I like people who are that way. You won't see me closing dowm or running because someone chose to let it all out. Once it's out, I then finally feel like I know the person I'm dealing with. Once I know you I can then work magic with you. My blog preceding the last one was an attempt to dialogue too although you didn't like it. Personally, I wouldn't waste my time here if I weren't attempting to dialogue, learn, teach and help improve situations. I have been told my whole life by teachers and others that I couldn't do this or that and that I needed to change this or that. I rarely took the advice because the people giving it had no idea of my complex nature or understanding of things. I've done almost everything they said I couldn't so I know they miscalculated and misinterpreted me. Mind you, I'm free and open to learning, interacting and even change to anyone who can convince me I need to change. Finally, I take it the portion of my earlier blog that you presented here offended you. I knew it would likely incite. I meant to incite but not to offend. Is anyone beyond some offense? I happen to think some offense is necessary and good for us. Since I didn't write that to any specific person but only generally, I'm not taking it back. I have supported wonen causes on here numerous times to show my great affinity and love toward women. I will however say I meant nothing negative, denigrating, or discounting of any women, especially not Democrats. I was trying to be funny and have heard countless women use the same terms when talking about women they loved. Do you require more? Not saying I will do it.

Walt

Aug 27 2008

Walt, I'm glad we are getting to know each other better. I appreciated your forthrightness. From my heart and my gut: Bottom line, you and I are in our essence like all other human beings that God created--no different. We have each had different experiences that infect us with complexities of personhood, pain, joy, despair, hope, kindness, etc. Despite our pasts, we each make choices everyday that connect us in a healthy way with each other or alienate us from each other. Our choices always carry consequences. I make poor choices and good choices. You do. Everybody on the globe does. We are human. If we make poor choices, we blockade positive results. But, because we have a mind, we can assess the results and do differently in the future. Living in a democracy (republic?) requires its citizens make choices that allow it to survive: that its citizens make choices based on the best interests of themselves AND each other; choices the echo the desire to get unstuck from old hate and old fear and old grudges. That we look beyond our own ingrained chips on our shoulders and reach out in good faith to others. Do I think that means overlooking wrongs. NO! Do I think that means compromising our principals, our selfhood, our right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"? NO! Do I think that means closing our eyes to our past? NO! If we don't know where we are from, we haven't a prayer's chance of changing courses that need changing or making choices that avoid old ruts in the road. And ruts run in two directions. But, all of our choices carry with them responsibility to respect and honor the humanity of each other. For, in the trying, we may not succeed, but we might learn a little bit about ourselves. And, that's the journey. Peace.

J.T.

Aug 27 2008

Thanks, J.T..

Walt

Aug 27 2008

No, thank you, Walt. Peace

J.T.

Aug 27 2008

Bill Clinton and Joe Biden rocked the house at the Democratic Convention last night. Biden did an excellent job of telling us who McCain is and will become should we stupidly let another reublican become president anytime soon. He played his vice-preidential role well as he touted Obama. I'm happy to say Bill Clinton did an excellent job of respecting and touting Obama while pinpointing the arrogance, evil and fall of the repugnant republican party. The Clintons are welcomed back to the family - the good and decent human family. Hopefully, they've learned you don't have to stoop to the levels of the repugnats (not repugnants in this instance although I'm speaking of the same people) to win an election and help destroy them. I've always thought ex-presidential candidate Buchannon was crazy as hell but the more I listened to him describe the republicans of now and what the Democrats ought to be doing to them, the more he makes good sense. Yes, I turned to crock news (aka Fox) a minute or two last night just to hear him. Hopefully, Obama will bring his A game tonight and knock the ball out the stadium and we good and decent people of all kinds will get behind him. How about giving George and the Screw Crew four more months and a one way ticket back to hell where they came from.

Walt

Aug 28 2008

Baquan, did you know we're in the same fraternity? Gamma Upsilon, Fall 1975.

Walt

Aug 28 2008

I've always thought ex-presidential candidate Buchannon was crazy as hell... Yes, I turned to crock news (aka Fox) a minute or two last night just to hear him. Are you sure that was Faux News? Buchanan is an analyst for PMSNBC these days.

Jeff Lucas

Aug 28 2008

Thanks Jeff. Praise the Lawd that I didn't really stick my hand in that slop news vicegrip. No wonder I liked the cast of newspersons over there. Oberman was on the station so it is similar to the station you named. Subtlety!

Walt

Aug 28 2008

Obama's speech last night was a grand slam, a masterpiece. He knocked the ball out of Denver. I saw Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Majic Johnson and Michael Jordan, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, Johnnie Cochran and Willie Gary, Walter Peyton and Jim Brown, Cornell West and W.E. Dubois. Racism may stop Obama but lack of ability and capability won't. Like Denzel said in Glory as he played the great soldier recently pulled from slavery to fight in the war against racism yet still not sold on the white man or his willingness to be righteous, "It doesn't matter what happens the mar, we men ain't we, we men ain't we." Neither Hillary, Bill, Joe, Jessie or Al could have topped that speech last night. I won't even mention McCain except to say he was a p.o.w..

Walt

Aug 29 2008

Oh, yes! This is a historic election indeed.

Jeff Lucas

Aug 29 2008

Biden booed at last night Eagles-Giants game. However, I wouldn't worry about it: Fans in Philadelphia are very notorious for booing. They booed their quarterback when he was drafted. Heck, they even booed Santa Claus at a game in 1968. They'd boo Jesus if given the chance.

golden eagle

Nov 10 2008

And at this point, it really doesn't matter. ;-)

DonnaLadd

Nov 10 2008

Satan's oldest boy still holding high governmental office, Dick Cheney, and his wife, Lynn, a disciple as well, welcomed Biden and his wife into their new home with a tour on yesterday. My sources, Skillet, Junebug and Half-paint are reporting that once Cheney and Biden were alone Cheney got a little rough with the conversation and ultimately asked Biden if he wanted to see his gun collection. Biden sharp as Democrats have become of late pushed Cheney violently and said you might have busted a cap in one of your ole republican buddy's behind while he wasn't looking, but I don't play that John Wayne accidental shooting sh1t. Biden then walked backwardly with his eyes on Cheney until he located the women, then grabbed his wife and left abruptly. This may not make the mainstream media as these reporters work exclusively for me.

Walt

Nov 14 2008

Walt, where were Pistol Starter, Belly Ache and Lil' kay Kay when Skillet, Junebug and Half-paint were collecting all of the data for your comprehensive news report? LOL!

justjess

Nov 14 2008

I do know them Justjess but I can attest to their accuracy and veracity in reporting the news as it happens. I only employ and report news from known reliable sources. Cheney is the most dangerous vice-president we ever had according to Biden. I agree.

Walt

Nov 14 2008