Vote for the Brotha

I've never been hesitant about expressing my displeasure with both the Republicans and the Democrats. In my world (no, not the black world but the world occupied by one little quirky black woman), there appears to be very little difference between the two parties. Granted, there's now a black guy on one ticket and a white woman on the other. And that means what? Now the two parties have miraculously morphed into something they're not? I don't think so.

I'll come right out and admit that I will be voting for Obama in November. Not because he's the first viable black candidate in the history of this country. If that were the case, I should have also supported Clinton as the first viable female candidate in U.S. history. (Shirley Chisholm was a bad ass sista . . . who was never going to win.)

I don't know that I've liked any of the presidents who've held office during my lifetime. I don't remember many of them obviously. Perhaps Kennedy had some stuff. We'll never know. He died when I was a few months old. I realize that I, as a mother and a woman of middle age, want to believe that my president will get down and dirty if he has to. I don't mean tough talk. I mean a man, or woman, who's not afraid to get in someone's face. I have every confidence that Hillary would have been just that type of person. I believe Obama is too. McCain? I don't see it. He doesn't scare me.

I want a president who's willing to take Ahmadinejad behind closed doors and threaten him with bodily harm if he doesn't straighten up and fly right. I know Obama isn't completely one of us. His mom was white and his dad wasn't from the U.S. Therefore, Obama, in some ways, was born without the burden I've discussed earlier in this blog. The racial collective unconscious that taps into the days of slavery and whatever else that haunts us is not quite a part of his DNA. But he is a brother. He is a black man who has lived most of his life in America. He's dealt with some stuff and he knows how to dig deep to evoke that place of anger that all black men (and women) in America share. I know it's there. I can see it in him. America, specifically white America, doesn't want to see it. White folks fear that anger. What is that about? That anger, white America, is not necessarily directed at you. It's your fear of this anger that is at the root of much of today's racism. (Goodness!! I'm getting off on a tangent. I'm going to run with it though. I'll get back to my point about Obama in a minute.) Black folks are angry. We may always be angry. It's time for everyone to accept that and deal with it accordingly. (That means black folks acknowledge the anger, recognize how it hurts us and determine how we'll keep it from killing us. That means white folks will acknowledge the anger, stop the fear and the guilt associated with it and determine how best to keep from exacerbating it.)

Check this!! Ahmadinejad does what he does best. Threatens most of the world with destruction. McCain will pursue diplomatic routes to deal with this dude, right? He'll make some veiled threats, turn bright red and then stroke out because, let's face it, he's much too old to be president. Then we're left with Palin, who's inexperience with the lower 48, let alone the rest of the world, scares me to death. She won't do anything other than a lot of posturing. She may threaten to take him moose hunting and then do to him what Cheney did to his "friend". Who knows? All I know is that she's done nothing to inspire my confidence. Yeah, we both have ovaries and boobs. Sharing those physical characteristics is not enough of a reason to gain my support. What do you think Obama would do to Ahmadinejad? Yeah, he'll smile, looking cool and collected while playing up his intention to use diplomatic avenues to bring this dude to his senses. But somehow I know Obama will take Ahmadinejad aside for a closed door meeting. I know Obama is completely capable of getting in someone's face. I can see it clearly. Ahmadinejad will threaten to obliterate Israel or do something harmful to America and Obama will be on him. That index finger will be in Ahmadinejad's face. Obama, with his face not far from Ahmadinejad's, will have his head cocked to the side. You see this body language quite a bit when brothers get angry. What will Obama say? "Nigga, I will fuck you up!!"

What? It could happen. And it would certainly give Ahmadinejad something to think about. We need a president who's not afraid to take it to the streets. There's only one person I can see doing that. So this election is a no-brainer.