Commentary — 20 December 2010

Although the presidential campaign of 2012 may not have officially begun, cynics like Mo’Kelly are of the opinion that it is actually in full swing.

Of course presidents try throughout their first term in the Oval Office to accrue chips and credits to cash later, come re-election time. With that in mind, “President Obama Claus” has been hard at work on his Christmas list, checking it twice and passing out gifts and treats this yuletide season.

President Obama Claus evidently thought moderates had been good this year, extending the Bush tax cuts for another two years. Oh and lookie here…the presidential election is in two years, what a coincidence.

Or not.

Note, Mo’Kelly said “moderates” and not Republicans. The Republicans have done nothing outside of professionally obstructing, personally insulting and publicly rebuking the president. At first read, the extension of the Bush tax cuts is a head-scratcher. Yet when you figure in the role of moderates, independents and/or “Reagan Democrats” in the coming election, the gift makes more sense.

President Obama Claus has now checked moderates off of his list.

Next this yuletide season, there was the repeal of DADT, fulfilling one of the president’s many campaign promises. Gays and Lesbians will now be able to serve openly in the military. All sarcasm aside, the Obama administration wanted to make sure this voting block which is mostly but not only Democrat, remembers him in 2012.

President Obama Claus has also checked off Gays and Lesbians from his list.

Hey, where are all the chants of President Obama being the president of ALL of America, not just “Black America?” President Obama Claus has demonstrated a propensity to specifically address the needs and interests of particular groups during his presidency thus far. Not so surprisingly, such misguided arguments and chants have also virtually disappeared in recent months.

Moving right along…

Also earlier this month, the DREAM Act, (which would have been a pathway for some illegal immigrants to obtain legal status) failed to pass in the Senate. To which President Obama responded:

It is disappointing that common sense did not prevail.”

Agreed, but common sense also says that the DREAM Act was only of particular interest to Latinos. Not a value judgment, just a statement of fact. Throw in the addition of Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and Latinos have been checked off twice.

Justice Sotomayor

Barack Obama isn’t the president of “Latino America,” he’s the president of ALL America, isn’t he?

Moving right along…

As the nation inches closer to the presidential race of 2012, the quintessential questions of campaigns will be posed to and by individual ethnic communities and collective society.

The candidates will ask, “Are you better off today than four years ago?” The communities and special interest groups will respond with, “What have you done for us lately?”

To which, the Obama administration is clearly setting the stage to preemptively answer both questions. But what about African-Americans who voted for Obama at as estimated rate of 92%?

For African-Americans who’ve done their homework (no pun intended) we can point to the $850 million laid out by the Obama administration over the next 10 years to HBCUs. The only problem with that is overall college attendance for African-Americans is down dreadfully nationally, which disproportionately impacts the HBCUs. The major issue(s) confronting African-Americans have to do with our secondary schools and urban violence which threaten to derail our children long before they reach the age of college matriculation.

Specifically, President Obama sent two cabinet officials to Chicago in 2009 to look at the causes behind the surge in youth violence and remarked, “This isn’t a Chicago problem, violence, youth violence is a problem throughout our country.”

Agreed, but it disproportionately impacts and afflicts African-American communities and our futures.

And since youth violence is then a “national” problem and Barack Obama is not just the president of “Black America” but of ALL America…you get Mo’Kelly’s point.  DADT does not impact African-Americans.  Neither does the DREAM Act and arguably nor do the Bush Tax Cuts.

Moving right along…

Extending unemployment insurance benefits is nice and yes a bunch of Black folk are still unemployed but Mo’Kelly hopes that the Obama administration doesn’t deem it worthy of checking Black folk off of “his list” for 2012.

Mo’Kelly would like to politely remind our president of his own words…

It is disappointing that common sense did not prevail.”

Common sense is applicable to many aspects of our country’s return to economic stability and international respectability. To “save” the Big 3, Wall Street and extend the Bush tax cuts for two more years to impress the wealthy and moderates is common sense in terms of re-election strategy.

Alternatively, it is anything but common sense for African-Americans to vote for President Obama at a rate of 92% or higher if the crux of the contribution to our community is in the form of unemployment insurance and measured support of HBCUs.

Common sense tells us that moderates and “Reagan Democrats” will not vote for President Obama in 2012 at a rate of 92% or higher, yet look what bang they’re getting for their buck.

Common sense also tells us that the wealthy, irrespective of party affiliation will not vote for President Obama in 2012 at a rate of 92% or higher.

Common sense also screams that Latinos will not vote for President Obama in 2012 at a rate of 92% or higher.

So why should African-Americans? We’re clear that President Obama will kowtow to special interests and specific communities. But has he earned the African-American vote or merely taking it for granted…again? Can we finally move past the novelty can get to the responsibility that comes with the office?

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse…as well as entertain. For more Mo’Kelly, https://mrmokelly.com. Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at [email protected].

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Mo'Kelly

Morris W. O'Kelly (Mo'Kelly) is a columnist, radio and television commentator. Visit https://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo'Kelly. Find him on social media - @mrmokelly

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