Now, as I have exhibited the past week or so on Kos, I am not afraid to criticize Obama when he does something I don't agree with. With that being said, I must take exception to Ralph Nader's claim that Obama is trying to "talk white"
There's only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He's half African-American. Whether that will make any difference, I don't know. I haven't heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What's keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn't want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We'll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards.
As an African American, I take exception to the term "talk white" Black people are dealing with the SAME issues as White people, maybe on different levels, but we are all dealing with them nonetheless.
Outside of the ignorance of the "trying to talk white" statement. He is wrong on the notion that Obama has never addressed exploitations in the ghettos (and they don't only happen in the ghettos, and MORE than Black people live in the ghetto. In fact, most Black people are middle class, and don't live in the ghetto). He's talked about payday loans, predatory lending, and lead. Nothing is stopping him from addressing all of those things.
So please allow me to address the pure ignorance of this statement in full.
With regard to payday loans:
February 6, 2008
Obama is No Fan of Payday Loans
Obama is concerned that predatory lending in the form of fast cash loans affects a wide swath of American families, both middle- and lower-class, and sees a cap as the best way to take action against unscrupulous lenders.
[snip]
On top of protection from exorbitant payday loan interest fees, Barack Obama is also interested in safeguarding consumers from predatory practices in cash advance lending. One of the biggest anti-consumerist allegations made against fast cash loan merchants is that they deliberately bury the real costs of their personal loan products in the fine print of loan contracts, or do not disclose them at all. Obama would have all payday loan customers allowed mandatory access to "clear and simplified’ loan information, including fees, penalties, and terms, in language that the average layperson can understand. Lenders would be required to provide these comprehensive and simplified disclosures before the loan application process was initiated, giving consumers the chance to review these materials and make an informed decision as to whether a certain credit product was truly a good choice for them.
That's right, he's not only proposed a cap, but also wants to increase the amount of counseling people receive before taking those loans. He doesn't just want to give the man a fish on this one, he expects the government to begin teaching the man how to fish, but forcing predatory lenders to have their terms laid out in ways that the average person could grasp without needing to consult a lawyer. He hasn't been sitting on his hands. And I can recall many a time when he's talked about predatory lending practices. Simply because he doesn't say "and I'm talking about Black folks here" doesn't mean it doesn't apply to Blacks, Whites, Latinos, Asians, etc. Predatory lending is a problem OUTSIDE of the African American community as well.
Obama has round-table talk on South Side
June 12, 2008
Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama held a round-table talk today on the South Side with three consumers gouged by credit card companies.
"For too long, credit card companies have been using unfair and deceptive practices to trick Americans into signing agreements they can’t afford," Obama said.
[snip]
Obama said he knew only too well how easy it was to get caught by deceptive credit card deals: "In the interest of full disclosure, I've gone through this. I've had credit cards," Obama said.
"We have a bunch of regulators in Washington who see their job as protecting banks and see you folks as little profit centers for them," Warren said.
[snip]
Obama acknowledged that, "Part of why our debt crisis is so bad is that some folks are making reckless decisions -- racking up big credit card bills by purchasing flat-screen TVs and other luxury goods that they know they can't afford." But he said the credit card companies are pushing many responsible consumers into inescapable debt.
He proposes a "Credit Card Bill of Rights" that bans the companies from unilaterally changing rates, especially on past debt; and a ban on charging interest on late fees.
OMG, is that Obama talking about predatory lending? And he's doing it on the South Side of Chicago where I'm sure there are Black people? And he did it like last week? Go figure. Maybe John McCain isn't the only person that needs to learn how to GOOGLE.
And again, I fail to see how this is only a "black" problem.
on Lead:
EPA Accepts Obama Proposal to Eliminate Lead Paint from Schools, Childcare Facilities
Monday, March 31, 2008
Since 2005, Obama has worked to force the EPA to issue new rules on lead paint
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to require lead-safe practices during the renovation and repair of housing, child-care facilities, and schools:
"After more than a decade, the EPA has missed an important opportunity in issuing this new rule. Although I am pleased the agency accepted my proposal to extend this rule to schools and child-care facilities, today's action falls far short of what could have been done to protect our nation's children. The regulation provides a loophole for homeowners to opt out of the rule, possibly endangering children and expectant mothers, and it also fails to require stringent standards to verify that lead dust stirred up during renovation activities is removed afterwards. I intend to work with my colleagues on legislation to strengthen this rule."
For three years, Obama has worked to force EPA to protect children from harmful lead poisoning. The EPA rule announced today was first mandated by Congress in 1992 and should have fully implemented by 1996. However, the proposed rule was not published until December 2005, after Obama threatened to block the confirmation of a high-ranking EPA nominee, and passed an amendment to stop EPA from delaying the rulemaking process. In 2006, Obama introduced the Lead Poisoning Reduction Act of 2006 (S. 3969) to require all child care facilities that are outside of the home to be certified lead-safe in five years.
Since 2005, Obama has worked with Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative Henry Waxman to call on EPA to issue these rules.
And he constantly talks about how one of his problems with NAFTA is that there are no environmental safeguards to ensure our kids aren't playing with toys and other things made of lead paint. But again, this isn't just an issue for Black people.
And all of the articles I've cited are from 2008! (it is truly amazing what you can find if you simply GOOGLE!!!) So Obama has been talking about these issues. And he's also been talking about another HUGE issue in the African American community, education. In fact, he's the only candidate in this race that has a real plan for education reform.
So Ralph, before you open your mouth, try doing a simple Google search so you don't end up looking like an asshole.
Oh, but Ralph doesn't stop at the ignorance on his policies, he decides to go where he shouldn't:
He wants to show that he is not a threatening . . . another politically threatening African-American politician. He wants to appeal to white guilt. You appeal to white guilt not by coming on as black is beautiful, black is powerful. Basically he's coming on as someone who is not going to threaten the white power structure, whether it's corporate or whether it's simply oligarchic. And they love it. Whites just eat it up.
Are you serious? Now I will admit that lately I have been feeling like Obama is spending a lot more time showing he's not "black and scary" but even before that Obama wasn't threatening. He was winning a significant amount of the White vote in states where the nastiness of past race relations wasn't prevalent. I'll be the first to admit, Obama is probably the "whitest" black politician you will find, but it's not because he's trying to act white in an effort to not scare the bigoted white people who are convinced he's going to institute white slavery (which is really stupid, especially since Obama was raised by his WHITE family, and because slavery is ILLEGAL in the US). Barack Obama was raised in the "white" culture, and it was only when he moved to Chicago in his 20s that he became acclimated with the African American community.
The beauty of Barack Obama is that he's not just another candidate that can only see one side of the coin. He's seen them both. He can understand the frustrations and resentments of both the White and Black communities. And for Ralph Nader to say that Barack Hussein Obama, who is married to a strong and beautiful black woman in Michelle Robinson Obama, and has two beautiful black daughters with her named Malia and Natasha Obama shows how ignorant Ralph Nader is. Obama can't run from the fact that he's black, and he would be stupid to try. One thing that is really pissing me off about this election is the focus that is placed on race and religion. Perhaps it's a testament to the United States' growth that my generation isn't so stuck on stupid stuff like that. I'd wager MOST of the country is tired of focusing on things like that which divide us.
Do I think Obama may be downplaying his "blackness"? Yes. But not nearly to the extent that Nader is suggesting. Obama can no more deny his "blackness" than he can his "white grandmother." He's part of all of us, and it's really sad that people either can't see or don't want to acknowledge that fact.
*UPDATE:*
Hours later, the Obama folks struck back, and they didn't hold their punches.
"It reminds me of that old saying," said communications director Robert Gibbs, "which I'll paraphrase: 'Better to be thought not-so-smart than to open your mouth and remove all doubt,' which is apparently what Ralph Nader did in Denver yesterday or the day before. Obviously Ralph Nader hasn't spent a lot of time looking at the entire career of Barack Obama, somebody who turned down high-paying Wall Street jobs and Supreme Court clerkships to come back and organize on the south side of Chicago, in fact, taking on asbestos in public housing projects. He's worked tirelessly in the United States Senate to make sure that our kids don't chew on toys that are imported from China that are filled with lead and that we begin to pass reasonable, but strong rules ensuring that there isn't any more lead paint in homes that children can chew on. We've talked throughout this campaign about making sure that our middle-class is protected. So, I think Ralph Nader is -- besides those comments being reprehensible and basically delusional, I don't think he's spent a lot of time looking at the record of Barack Obama."
As MSNBC moderator Andrea Mitchell properly pointed out, had Nader's words come from the lips of a GOP operative (or perhaps even former President Clinton), cries of racism would have bounced off the walls. To which Gibbs replied:
Well, I don't know what we'd be calling it. It's downright delusional, whether it's being said by Karl Rove, Charlie Black, Ralph Nader, or by me. I think those comments -- as I said a minute ago -- are reprehensible. I can't begin to think what the thought process is that goes through some person's mind before they open their mouth and suddenly that comes out... I think this war of words -- whether it's Karl Rove or Ralph Nader -- that's exactly the type of stuff that needs to stop. Because you know what, words and rhetoric, none of that's making college cheaper. None of that's helping people to get the gas this need to go to their job or look for another job, which is what Barack Obama is focused on in this campaign. Obviously, I think those remarks are reprehensible and delusional. But I don't know that I'd dignify them a whole lot more by talking about who said them and why.
(all emphasis is mine)