But a soaring jobless rate among African Americans and a newfound comfort by black lawmakers to criticize Obama’s economic policies are prompting the White House to recalibrate — and to focus more directly on the struggles of black America.
Wait. Let me get this straight. People making demands of the president is causing the president to address their particular constituency? Shocking. SHOCKING!
And the White House announced this week that Obama will pay a Labor Day visit to Detroit, a hard-hit city where a town hall meeting held by the black caucus drew headlines last week when Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) decried the black jobless rate as “unconscionable” and blasted the president for his recent Midwestern bus tour that focused on rural white communities.
Shocking! Shocking! Let me catch my breath because I never ever contemplated the idea that pressuring the president would get results. Never. EVER! SHOCK-the-fuck-ING!
The Rev. Al Sharpton, a top outside adviser to the White House on black community concerns, said that political success in 2012 will require more policy specifics.
“There is going to have to be a different and more direct approach,” he said. “The direct approach has to say, ‘Here’s our jobs plan, here’s the plan to get it done and here’s the enemies against it.’ ”
WAIT WAIT WAIT! This would be the same Al Sharpton who was telling everyone to get off Obama's dick? Really?
“We don’t want to come across as being critical of the president,” Curry said. “But if the president can count on 90 percent of the African American vote, then the African American community should expect something from the man who’s getting 90 percent of their support.”
Well look who finally woke up. How long have I been saying this? How long?
“If he comes and speaks out for black people in the middle of this, he will lose his reelection, and you know it,” said Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.).
Earth to Rep. Frederica: If Obama fails to win re-election it will not be because of attention paid or not paid to black folks. That kind of thinking is called "blaming the victim". Racists will not vote for Obama regardless of WHO he helps out. Republicans who hate Democrats simply because they are Democrats will not vote for Obama. People who think that Obama has either caved to big finance or is a "mascot" for big finance will not vote for Obama (or vote reluctantly out of fear of whatever Republican is in the offering). Obama will win or lose because of the policies he puts into place across the board or not. It will be due to the economic and social environment but it will not be because black folks got a few token construction jobs. This whole "Can't be seen with the Negroes" attitude needs to get dead. Quickly.