...Yes I'm talking about this WP story that's got the white folks goin' crazy. How can black voters not fall in love with Barack Obama? As a matter of fact how can they (allegedly) support Hillary Clinton 3-to-1?

I can't for every black Democrat or black voter. Hell I can't speak for every black Democrat in my family. I can only speak for myself and why I haven't jumped on the Obama subway to salvation yet.

I don't know him.

And that was the crust of the story (which was ruined by a ton of bullshit in quotes). No one knows the guy. We've heard him, we've seen him, we like him, but we don't KNOW him.

No one knows a person until they can identify with their flaws. And I don't know Obama's flaws. Sure he's not a lifelong politico type, but that's not a flaw. I want to know what's not perfect about him and how he reacts to adversity. Not that adversity of a rough childhood, etc., but the adversity of being called out as a bitch and a traitor in public like Bush's crew did to Kerry and Kerry stood around like an idiot. I need to know Obama isn't going to stand around and take a punch to the face like that.

You see, I know Hillary Clinton. I love the Clintons, they are like family to me (and many black voters). I can identify with their negatives and appreciate their positives. I could see Bill and Hillary at my mom's family reunion in Elloree, South Carolina. I can see it now:

"Hey look mom, there's Uncle Bill and Aunt Hillary. You know Uncle Bill's always been my favorite uncle. He's so smart, he's funny, he has a subscription to Playboy. We were angry with him when Aunt Hillary caught him fucking cousin Chelsea's ninth-grade Civics teacher, but we saw that coming. And he probably needs to stop grabbing Aunt Cookie's ass too before Uncle Joe beats the shit out of him."

We love Bill Clinton and by that note we've learn to accept Hillary. She's not as dynamic as a husband, she doesn't command a crowd like her husband, she's not as cool or as flambouyant as her husband. But she's a fighter and we've seen her fight even when she was at her most vulnerable state. Punch Hillary Clinton and she'll punch back. She's not afraid to get her hands a little dirty. She's rough around the edges and her face tells the signs of the battles she's been through (no Botox doesn't hide it) and it tells the signs of the battles she's willing to wage.

And most of all.

I trust her....politically speaking.

Trust is a funny thing and it's on short supply. I can name the people I trust on three fingers. Mom, Dad and my sister Michelle. Everyone else in life has or will let me down or I have or will let them down. But politically speaking, Hillary hasn't really ever let me down. Sure she's disappointed me, but she's also surprised me. She said she'd represent the state of New York well and she has. She said she'd stand on her own when the opportunity to run for president came about and I believe she will.

This isn't to say I'm decided, because I'm not. But my vote doesn't come easy and it's going to take a lot more than being black to sway me and many black voters that Obama's campaign will need to sway. I want to see his fight, I want to see his flaws and I want to know that he won't desert me when the pressure gets too heavy. He'll have many opportunities to win a lot of votes in the next 12 months and I hope he takes advantage of those opportunities with a message that can resonate a base of American voters that want to give him a chance.

Besides it's not just Obama v. Hillary for me, wait until Al Gore starts him "See I told you so campaign".

Labels: Politics