DarkStar Spouts Off

To Those Who Race Bait Over Fenty's Loss

To those who are race baiting over Fenty's loss, here is something for you:

• Fenty and his opponent are both Black.
• Fenty appointed Rhee, but he also appointed a woman as police chief and she is white. If Fenty's loss was due to Rhee not being Black, why doesn't the same apply towards the MPD police chief?
• If Black voters in D.C. didn't want transformation, or don't like transformation, then how is it that Anthony Williams won the D.C. mayoral election two times?
• If the D.C. election were just about Rhee firing teachers who are primarily Black and thus taking food out of the mouths of middle class Black voters in D.C., why is it those same voters support the D.C. charter school movement?

Think about it; or not.

Let The Deaf, Hear

I think many conservative ideas are good ideas. So why do I "spend so much time attacking conservatives"? The answer is simple: your behavior and methodology stinks. Here's a simple anecdote.

When my daughter was at Howard University, she attended a political "discussion." A Black male student, who is Republican, when it was his turn to speak, started off by saying Blacks are on the plantation, and stupid for being Democrats and so forth. His delivery turned off my daughter and most of the audience, who turned negative at the start. Days later, this young man used the negative attitude towards him to buttress the idea that Blacks don't like Black Republicans. But he refused to look at his own negative behavior even though in response to him, someone pointed out how he, according to my daughter, "Showed his ass."

But what do I know?

Off to spend time with the family.

Black Con vs Black Lib: Stupid Reasoning 1

One of the arguments made by Black and non-Black conservatives/Republicans against Black liberals/Democrats is something like the following: major cities have been run by Democrats for the past N  years and they are a mess. Doesn't that prove Democrat failure?

My two part response is, no and that the question, itself, displays faulty reasoning.

To the former, I state no because the question gives no room for consideration of Black middle class and strong working class migration out of the cities.

My mother's peers are, for the most part, in the city. However, their children, including me, who are middle class and strong working class, have, for the most part, moved to counties where the perception is a better quality of life. Those who are still in the city, move to the more stable and functioning sections of the city. They are not a part of the problem.

This migration of the Black middle class and strong working class out of the cities have left those who are less functional and has caused a concentration of those who are less functional in the cities. Changing the world view and the actions of those who are less functional is not a matter of politics. The scourge of conservatives and Republicans, the NAACP, Jesse Jackson, Sr, Al Sharpton, et al, have never supported, for example, "Stop Snitching" and I know they have blasted that concept. 

A good example of the results of this migration, besides unemployment and crime, is education. Many Black people left Baltimore City and moved to Baltimore County. If you look at the Maryland Report Card website and select white and Black subgroups for Baltimore County, you will see the white graduation rate is 84%. The Black graduation rate is 83%. For Baltimore City, the Black graduation rate listed is 66%. For the record, a lot of Blacks have also moved to Howard County, specifically Columbia. In Howard county the white graduation rate is 95% and the Black graduation rate is 90%.

At this point I mention that Baltimore City is controlled by Democrats as is Baltimore County. And that points directly to my statement that the question, itself, is faulty reasoning.

Email Exchange: I Got Your Plantation Right Here!

From an email exchange, today:

I'm Black and I'm a Republican. What I hate is Black Republicans and Black conservatives, alike, LIE about the progress that Blacks have made.

Did you know that for the past few years, Blacks have been leading, proportionally, in creating small businesses?

When listening to public Black Republicans and public Black conservatives, people would never know that 20-25% of Blacks are on welfare vs. MOST which people like [ public Black conservatives/Black Republicans ] would have you believe.

A serious side note: the same public Black conservatives/Black Republicans say that Al Sharpton is a race hustler and leader of most Blacks. Yet, Sharpton won ONE mostly Black voting district [ in the Democrat Presidential primary race he ran ] and at "his rally" this past weekend, less than [ a couple of thousand ] people who showed up. And the NAACP membership has been dropping since the 1980s!

But pointing that out takes away from talking points.

But I didn't write anything new.

Some black conservatives question tea party's inclusiveness

The title of this post came from the title of this article.

I must say this is a good exercise in media representation or misrepresentation. I'm going to pull out selected quotes:

A year ago Brandon Brice was one of the primary speakers at the tax day "tea party" rally in New York. The 27-year-old African American, who calls himself a hip-hop Republican, felt at home with the fairly diverse crowd of protesters, shouting into the microphone: "We tell the federal government that it does not tell us what to do!"

Today, Brice says he is worried about the movement.

"It's strayed away from the message of wasteful spending and Washington not listening to its constituents, and it's become more of this rally of hate," he said. "The tea party leaders should apologize on behalf of the irresponsible comments that were made, but they should also stand very firm on where we stood and where they stood in 2009."

...

Yet Lenny McAllister, a Republican commentator and author, said he has seen racism within the tea party and has confronted it -- approaching people with racially derogatory signs of President Obama and asking them to take the signs down. Like Brice, he said leaders of the movement must not ignore the issue.

"I feel like the tea party movement is at its core a good thing for America. It is a group of citizens that have not been previously involved," McAllister said. "The people are speaking up and becoming more educated on the issues, but you have fringe elements that are defining this good thing with their negative, hateful behavior."

McAllister, who has spoken at several tea party gatherings, said the movement is more diverse than news clips show. "There is this perception that these are all old, white racists and that's not the case," he said.

...

Jean Howard-Hill, a moderate Republican who leads the National Republican African American Caucus, wrote that she is "not sure what's in the cup of tea."

"Any movement which cannot openly denounce racism, calling it out as wrong troubles me," she wrote. "To attack President Obama on his policy is one thing, but to do so on his race or some hysterical pretext of socialism is yet another."

I selected these quotes, and not those from Black conservatives on "the opposite side", because I think it's important to see Black conservatives who are making an oppositional stand to other Black conservatives which is somewhat in line with what the media is presenting as the "mainstream Black opinion". By this I mean, some Black conservatives seeming to agree with "mainstream" Black opinion.

And, at least for The Washington Post, since when have so many self proclaimed Black conservatives been mentioned in one article?

Presented Without Comment

Presented without comment:

If this is true, black leaders need to do more than carp at the president. We need to address the problem ourselves. A good first step is to hold congressional leaders accountable by putting into legislation the tenets of the "Covenant with Black America," a document (turned best-selling book) formed by Smiley and others during the Bush presidency. The "covenant" proposed a "black agenda" and pledged to hold the winner of the 2008 presidential campaign accountable to its principles. So why now do those same black leaders find it unconscionable for black people to question a black president or hold him accountable?

Black Leaders Gone Wild, II

The title comes from a comment by Duane, the Black Informant. Thanks D.

Tavis Smiley was on The Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning and he, Tavis, delivered one HELLUVA smack down to people who preached accountability on a Black agenda a few years ago but are now saying President Obama doesn't need to address a Black agenda.

Again, I'm going to say, on accountability, Smiley is STRONG.

Later, I'll put up the link. [ UPDATE ] Here's the link.

Afterwards, Al Sharpton responded and I'll post that link as well. "If Mr. Smiley had said that at first..."

Holding People Accountable, But for the Wrong Reason?

My wife is done with with Tavis Smiley and the following is what did it.

On the "one year anniversary" of Obama being in office, while everyone else was highlighting this date, and I was shaking my head thinking it doesn't make a damn bit of difference, Tavis Smiley was interviewing...

Hillary Clinton.

Tavis is saying the RIGHT thing when he states Blacks need to hold Obama accountable. He said throughout his last book that Blacks need to hold all politicians accountable, be them Democrat or Republican, regardless if they voted for the office holder or not.

Tavis is RIGHT. The problem is, Tavis may be right for the wrong reason.

[ Updated ] Fight Fight Fight!!!!

Whooooooooaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tavis Smiley takes on "Black leaders"

"Singing from the same page" of "the president doesn't need to address the Black agenda"?

Later, Al Sharpton responds?

More later, I'm late for an appointment.

[ Updated ]

Al Sharpton -- "Don't call for a show down you don't want!"

Dayyyyuuuuuuuummmmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..... He's calling Smiley a liar and says Smiley has an ego.

[ Is there a pattern here with Smiley? Hmmmm.....]

Sharpton just called out Smiley for calling Bill Clinton the first Black president..... HOT!!!!!

"I'm an activist! I got work to do! I ain't got time to put on productions!"

HOTTTTT

This Is Called A Damning Quote

This is called a damning quote:

"The jury is still out on the relevance of the NAACP, but this is definitely a step in the right direction," said Andra Gillespie, a professor of political science at Emory University. "The biggest structural challenge [facing NAACP] is in an era where there is codified equality and you have a black president, you have to figure out what a civil rights agenda looks like. No one has figured that out."

Hence, the NAACP's irrelevance.

Obama and Black Political Side Eying

I'm starting to wonder if President Obama is providing the opportunity for Blacks to look more critically at the policies of Democrats and at Democrats in general.

Don't get me wrong, I've said and I continue to maintain that Blacks know that Democrats are not the ideal political candidates for Blacks, but they are the choice, for some, as being The Devil We Know candidate. But I noticed when Obama initially was running, ordinary Blacks, and not just the public political Blacks, were asking key questions about Obama. I'm also noticing now, that while polls show Black support of Obama is strong, the more critical comments are being made concerning what Obama is NOT doing.

This is not just in the media but on a personal level. It's been about one year and people are starting to say, "When are you going to get going?" I like this, not because I am a Republican, for now anyway, but because a genuine "Come to Jesus meeting" has to occur with Blacks and the political establishment.

With younger Black Democrat politicians seeming to be more than just the "civil rights track" type of Black politician, as is seen with Obama not seemingly catering to the civil rights establishment, the shift that needs to occur is manifesting. With Blacks registering as independents instead of joining a political party, the shift that needs to occur is manifesting. If younger Black Republicans start to target the "urban areas" in other than a "stop being a victim" bomb throwing manner, then the shift that needs to occur will manifest.

Leader of Whom?

Obama got 95% of the Black vote.

When Al Sharpton ran for the Democratic nomination, he won ONE mostly Black voting district.

The greater Black population support vouchers and charters but not Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Sr, or the NAACP.

The membership of the NAACP is falling and has been at least since the mid-1980's.

The greater Black population doesn't support gay marriage but the NAACP does support gay marriage.

If "they" lead, who are they leading?

Remember this when people say/write that Blacks are "victims" of Black leaders. Then ask yourself, who is attempting to make Blacks, victims?

Quickie Question of the Day

Who presents Blacks as victims more? Is it "Black liberals" or "Black conservatives"?

More later in another post.

Question For Public Black Conservatives

Care to guess how many articles Black conservatives have written stating Black teens/men who don't speak American standard English are at a disadvantage in the job market?

How is that different from what Reid said?

The CBC Grows A Spine?

The CBC grew a spine?

According to this, it appears they did!

WASHINGTON (AP) — Call it the $6 billion boycott.

By boycotting a key House committee vote last week and threatening to abandon support for banking regulations, members of the Congressional Black Caucus got $4 billion added to a Wall Street regulation bill and $2 billion to a proposed House jobs bill in spending they sought for African-American communities.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) this week inserted $3 billion to the legislation to provide low-interest loans to unemployed homeowners in danger of foreclosure. He added $1 billion for neighborhood revitalization programs.

The money would come out of the $700 billion financial rescue fund.

Isn't this interesting? They finally get some spine.

There are some people who look at the political opposition to the Obama administration and wonder where this type of anger/fervor/strong opposition was when Bush was in office and wonder if it is because a Black man is president or flat out state the opposition exists because it is a Black man is president. Frankly, I think there is some merit in wondering that, but I want to take this in a slightly different direction.

Where was the CBC's spine when the Dems controlled congress and Clinton was in office? The CBC wouldn't stand up to the almighty "white man", then, but they'll stand up to "the brutha"? Why is the CBC not showing the same type of deference to President Obama that they showed to President Clinton? Could it be because they are afraid of the white powers that be in the Democrat party? *DAMN SKIPPY*!!!

That's right! I put it out there!

H/T: Booker Rising

CBC vs Obama: Ain't Nuthin' New

Some are pointing out the disagreement between the CBC and Obama concerning how much is "being done for Blacks" with the CBC saying there are not enough specific plans "for" Blacks while Obama is saying, essentially, what is good for America is good for Blacks since a rising tide lifts all boats.

So, what's new about disagreement between Black Democrats? Only demagogues or the politically ignorant would say this is something that doesn't happen in Black politics.

When Barry was running for mayor of D.C., at the core of his campaign was what he "would do" for Blacks in D.C. and not afraid of calling Blacks who didn't agree with him Uncle Tom. The same has happened in Baltimore and Camden mayoral races.

Let's not forget that half of the CBC supported Hillary Clinton and half supported Obama. So what makes anyone think they would be of one accord?

Oh. Wait. That's right. All Blacks think alike and so believe those who even say that Black Republicans show that all Blacks don't think alike. Think about it.

It's Time, Don't You Think?

Don't you think it's due time to cut off Jesse Jackson, Sr's nuts?

Observation On Unemployment Stats

Here is an interesting observation about the reporting of unemployment statistics.

During the Bush administration, conservatives , Republicans, and the conservative media crowed about the low unemployment numbers, and rarely, if at all, commented on the unemployment numbers for Blacks (unless the minimum wage was mentioned) or the "real unemployment numbers" that included people who "gave up" looking for a job. However Black progressives/liberals seemed to always use these statistics as well.

Now that Obama is the president, Republicans, conservatives, and the conservative media, are using these numbers (Black unemployment, "real" unemployment) to indict the Obama administration policies. Meanwhile, Black progressives/liberals are continuing to use those numbers as well.

I find that "interesting."

Interesting Thought From The Town Hall Meetings

Here's an interesting thought as a result of the town hall meetings.

Republicans and conservatives are attacking Democrat politicians for their response to the meetings that turn rowdy. In Maryland, when Ben Cardin mandated RSVPs for people who want to attend the meetings, people said Cardin was afraid to address people and that he should just take his lumps.

Now, contrast that to Republicans who won't go to Black groups to address them. Contrast that to the Republicans and conservatives who support the idea that Republicans should not address Black people because of the "hostility."

Bullet Point Brain Spew

Thoughts in bullet point form:

• I thought about posting my thoughts on one of the health care alternatives that was being "linked" about the Internet, especially the part about the potential for end of life counseling. After reading the offending section and a lot of the alternative, I decided to hold off on posting anything specific because it was one of 3 alternatives AND because the "end of life" counseling wasn't spelled out in the way critics of the health care reform effort have made it out to be.
• Any congress critter who didn't read the differing bills being put forth, but still trying to defend the effort, deserved to be yelled at.
• I'm not comfortable saying that people who really disagree with Obama are doing so mainly because he is Black, but a trusted "fly on the wall" has confirmed the number of threats against Obama has exceeded those of previous POTUS. I'm just sayin'.
• At a community cook out, besides learning how bad the previous "owner" of my home was, I learned other Black families moved into the area, even with the high cost of the homes, because of the school system. One family moved from a highly regarded area to this one because of concerns of the high school his children would be attending.
• You can't  have one Black American political agenda because the concerns of Blacks at the various socio-economic and family levels, will not come together enough for their to be a common Black political agenda.
• When you read this opinion article, keep in mind the following math:
  • Today you have 100 items. Tomorrow you have 200 items. That's a growth rate of 100%
  • The day after that, you have 300 items. That's a growth rate of 50%.
  • The day after that, you have 400 items. That's a growth rate of 33 1/3%.
  • The day after that, you have 500 items. That's a growth rate of 25%.
  My point is very simple. When you have low numbers to start with, any increase will be a large percentage even if the increase amount is constant. Walter Williams is relying on this math play to distort facts.
• Michael Vick In Philly?!?!?!?!?!?
• Go RAVENS!!!!

Raw: Young Brother Response

This is a "raw" response to this post. Real life calls and I don't know when I can get back around to this, so I'll put it out there and let the chip fall where they may.

Points to hit:

Organization racial uplift fails because such organizations don't scale and they are too abstract to be practical.

• Programs targeted towards education are too abstract?
• Helping people in prison turn their lives around too abstract?
• Teaching young men to be good fathers, too abstract?

The first is that I come from Los Angeles, a big city where people with big mouths try to make big organizations. I haven't seen it work much better than a good church, and well that's already done. In a smaller city, I think there might be a more pressing need and a greater commitment to make strong love out of weak links.

• Obama made a mistake spouting off on Gates with a situation you don't know and you do the same about areas that aren't LA?
• Or maybe it's the organizations which you have come in contact with.

Secondly, the objective progress of black Americans means that on average the organizational ability latent on the black communities is greater than it was when I was a young black man. So the chances of an honest effort ending up okeydoke is smaller today than it was 20, 30 years ago.

• Huh?

If you are middle class, the chances that you are going to lift poor people into the middle class are slim. Especially in times like this when times are hard and messianic politicians are taxing you back down into the ditch.  If you're rich, the chances are better. What I'm saying is that if you've got a 50k job, it's likely that the time you spend trying to get somebody with a 20k job into a 35k job might often come at the expense of you getting a 75k job. So volunteer your time very carefully, because it's the man with the 150k job who has the time to recognize the ways and means of the rich that paves the greater path. And if you don't believe that, then why aren't you moving to Cuba, comrade? But then again, that's just all about money.

• Many of the "racial uplift" groups aren't about lifting the poor to middle class but giving people the tools to make better decisions and/or helping people improve the stock in their lives. After that the goal is the improved decisions improve their lives.
• Isn't the goal of job training providing a person the opportunity to learn a new skill which will allow them to feed themselves and their families? What's wrong with that?
• Parental training. If you see some of the poor excuse for parenting that is happening now, and realize that poor parenting may lead to societal dysfunctional people, what's the beef?
• Educational tutoring
• So what if a person making 50K "prevents" themselves from making 75K with their efforts? The people doing the work are making a decision and it's not yours or anyone else business to tell them their decision is wrong because it may retard their economic progress.
• A false decision is laid out here

The people this hurts the most are those who have not experienced the ways and means of power, because they see the game but they can't tell where the game ends and the realness begins. I think that especially counts for young black men who are not in close proximity to the ways and means of social power in the mainstream. When the mainstream carries power over you and your boss is gaming rather than authentically civil, then you will instinctively reject. You'd be right, but you sacrifice your own promotion. People who come up like that carry the dual consciousness, it destroys confidence in self and society.

• Civility is taught and if the parents aren't teaching, because the bonds have been broken in some manner, who the hell are you to deride the efforts to mend some bonds?

So my advice to everyone is the same. Read Carter and know that civil people with integrity are out there, dispersed and often unavailable, trying to express something better than a game face and working with integrity to earn the trust they deserve. That's the civilized world I'm living in, person to person in America, because I don't have time for anything else.

• Fine, your choice, no time, cool. But who the hell are you to deride those who take the time to make the choice?
• Following your comments, AUTENTIC GOD FEARING pastors, men and women of God who preach, teach, and spread the Word of Jesus Christ, would not do so, or at least that's what I get from your hackery.

Maybe he's thinking things through and putting thoughts out as they become "solidified" or so he thinks, initially. Or maybe he is, as has been written, a "conservative" and is approaching things from that perspective instead of "organically" where your beliefs come from your core and then you identify an ideology into which you "neatly fit."

The Talented Tenth

There was a lot I intended to write about the NON-sense Cobb wrote about the idea of the Talented Tenth. Some day I may come back to it and break it down, but right now, all I have to write about it is this: The first hour of part one of "Black in America, 2" on CNN shows The Talented Tenth in action.

The problem with this and all black role modeling. Only people with racial hangups need black role models. And only people who want to affect people with racial hangups want to be black role models. It is one of the great temptations of my class of folks, those formerly known as the Talented Tenth.

The first hour put the lie to the above quote, with efficiency and quickness.

I HATE lazy thinking. Cobb is now demonstrating lazy ass thinking more and more and I'm disgusted, especially when shots like the above are made. Frankly, he ought to be embarrassed. If he watched the first hour, and re-reads what he wrote, if the man has any shred of decency and thought, he'd write something saying, at least, that he has to reconsider some things, since he claimed he thinks all of the time.

'nuff said. Now I'm done.

Da Truf Is Out: It's About Black Politics, AKA, Party Pettiness

Here's a money quote, right chayah....

When I get some free time, I'm going to compare Obama's address to GW Bush's. That should be more fun than a barrel of monkeys. In the meantime, read all of Obama's "you're on your own" rhetoric like you should: The well is empty and that fiction y'all call black politics ain't going to deliver squat.

That's at the core of that rhetorical sewer that I've come down on in a few posts. Instead of being straight up about the core of his thought, he wrote mainly a turd to drill down to this: Black politics, aka identity politics when the phrase is used by conservatives, doesn't work.

If he said the Black community is fractured enough that there is no core set of political goals that can fit under a "Black politics" umbrella, then I could have agreed. I could have pointed out on the AFROAM-L listserv I wrote that it makes little sense for people to expect a Black consensus in politics at this point. For example, my family members who are not doing well, are more worried about the safety of their neighborhoods, job opportunities, and public schools. My family members who are more well off are more worried about 401(K), moving into neighbhorhoods with good school systems, being a part of the schooling of their children, legacy wealth, politics, and other things. There's a disconnect and it's because of money.

Or maybe I would have pointed out my defense of Jack & Jill and how J&J is a part of Black America no matter how much people want to define the Black community as the poor Black America.

Or maybe I would have, again, written on his blog that the Congressional Black Caucus, as a group, is useless because, as a group, they don't know how to use the power they SHOULD have in the Democratic Party.

Or, maybe it, I would have pointed out, again, supporting Jewish causes to get the Jewish vote is identity politics. I would have pointed out that making sure you speak to Christian groups and throwing them "red meat" is identity politics. I also would have pointed out, again, that anti-identity politics IS identity politics. Refusing to address gay Republicans because "the religious Right" would see it as "pandering to gays" is identity politics. I would have pointed out that refusing to ask for the Black vote or address Black groups even when they ask Republicans to address them, is identity politics.

Or, if I was in a snarky mood, I would have pointed out that OUR party, the Republican party, has had some recent identity politics screw ups missteps and he, Cobb, hasn't written jack about it but will complain at times about non-Republican Blacks attacking Black Republicans?

Cobb's piece was pure rhetorical small minded partisan pettiness.

I ain't done...

[ Update ] Project 21 is identity politics.

Talented Tenth Horse Pukies

Another money quote:

See if you were Talented Tenth, then you already know about a litany of black role models, because you study prior role models with a bit of envy and a bit of spite. If you buy into what I call the role monkey circus, then you already know that somehow you have to overcome the same demons you intend to chase out of your followers. So you might start during Black History Month with Carter G. Woodson and get enough inspiration from him for you to be a beacon to others. And basically you need enough self-esteem to assume the task, that plus the initiative taken on Woodson, and an opportunity to play show and tell. Bam, instant role model. Do it enough times for enough media and you become a 'black leader'.  Do it in a calculatedly brilliant way in front of all America in the political arena and you might even become Barack Obama. But the underlying premise never changes, you're a show off in front of people who don't have the courage and demon-shields to do for self.

I am an acquaintance of a man who used to be in the correctional system. Many times he has said he was tired of seeing men, especially Black men, on that end of the system, so he left the system to help men BEFORE they even have a chance to enter the system.

He's a pastor who speaks many times to Black men about Black men needing to take care of our health, being men of God, being good husbands and leaders of the family, being good fathers, being good providers.... Not struggling alone in issues that other men have.

At the regular men's breakfast on Saturday, a meeting/minstry/bonding group that he started, another man spoke for about 15 minutes about how he and his wife adopted a son and about he is now mentoring another teenage boy and how that mentoring is starting to positively affect the teenager's life. He encouraged us to look around and see what young boy needs a man in their life and to engage.

100 Black Men of America, Inc

Concerned Black Men

Project Alpha

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first black Greek letter fraternity in the nation, understands the importance of a community of support in every youth’s life, specifically focusing on fatherless African American boys and their need for a strong, male role model. The word mentor means a wise and trusted counselor or teacher or an influential senior sponsor of supporter. Even boys with supportive fathers in their lives can benefit from the program objectives set forth by this altruistic group of young men and their mission to nurture other male youth.

Through their partnership with the March of Dimes, Alpha Phi Alpha’s Project Alpha seeks to provide mentoring to at-risk youth working within the African American community. Project Alpha is a national initiative that seeks to provide “education, motivation and skill-building on issues of responsibility,” teaching young men ages 12 to 15 about fatherhood and the role of males in healthy relationships. Their program includes education on abstinence, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy in the hopes of inspiring wise decision making in the future.

I listed "Project Alpha" because Cobb is an Alpha Man.

But why did I point out mentoring groups?

I pointed them out because mentoring IS role modeling, which Mike makes lite of in the quote above. When that kind of non-sense is put out there, it has to be smacked down with the fierceness.

But I ain't done...

Project Alpha

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first black Greek letter fraternity in the nation, understands the importance of a community of support in every youth’s life, specifically focusing on fatherless African American boys and their need for a strong, male role model. The word mentor means a wise and trusted counselor or teacher or an influential senior sponsor of supporter. Even boys with supportive fathers in their lives can benefit from the program objectives set forth by this altruistic group of young men and their mission to nurture other male youth.

Through their partnership with the March of Dimes, Alpha Phi Alpha’s Project Alpha seeks to provide mentoring to at-risk youth working within the African American community. Project Alpha is a national initiative that seeks to provide “education, motivation and skill-building on issues of responsibility,” teaching young men ages 12 to 15 about fatherhood and the role of males in healthy relationships. Their program includes education on abstinence, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy in the hopes of inspiring wise decision making in the future.

I listed "Project Alpha" because Cobb is an Alpha Man.

But why did I point out mentoring groups?

I pointed them out because mentoring IS role modeling, which Mike makes lite of in the quote above. When that kind of non-sense is put out there, it has to be smacked down with the fierceness.

But I ain't done...

Credulity

A money quote to me:

Obama has proven to be, in my opinion, a great litmus test for American credulity.

OK, that's just straight partisan b.s. and although I think Obama's policies, largely, are wrong, I'm calling Cobb out on this one.

Wasn't "credulity" exactly what Christians were guilty of in supporting George Bush, especially with the faith based initiative?

A former senior presidential aide has accused the Bush administration of using evangelical Christians to win votes but then privately ridiculing them once in office. The allegations by David Kuo, the former deputy director of the White House office of faith-based initiatives, come at a devastating time, when the administration is counting on born-again Christians to vote in sufficient numbers to save the Republicans' hold on Congress in the November elections.

In a book entitled Tempting Faith: an Inside Story of Political Seduction, to be published on Monday, Mr Kuo portrays the Bush White House's commitment to evangelical causes as little more than a cynical facade designed to win votes.

"National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as ridiculous, out of control, and just plain goofy," Mr Kuo wrote, according to MSNBC television, which obtained an early copy of the book. In particular, he quotes Karl Rove, the president's long-serving political adviser and mentor, as describing evangelical Christians as "nuts".

From what I could tell, largely based on this, and the fact that Bill Clinton was the epitome of immoral, Bush was able to ride the wave of evangelicals into office.

Or what about the so-called "compassionate conservative" nonsense? What exactly did that mean? If you asked 10 different people who were politically aware what it means to them, you would get 10 different answers. Isn't THAT the definition of credulity? People assigning beliefs to something that is not really spelled out?

How about this one? How about people believing Republicans will cut government spending when, during the Bush administration, they spent this country into the toilet just like the Democrats are doing right now?

I'm not done.