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Tavis Smiley, Herman Cain and haters galore…

November 9, 2011 by  
Filed under News, Opinion, Politics, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Criticizing the policies of President Barack Obama will have the Left accusing you of racism and the president’s supporters will brand you as a “hater.” Scrutinizing the presidential candidacy of Herman Cain will have the court of the high Right indicting you as a co-conspirator in a “high-tech lynching.”

Yes. There are racists on the fringes of the Tea Party. Yes. Defamation mercenaries exist on the fringes of the American left.

Beware! Our ideological arch nemeses may even be riding on the same Big Thunder Mountain Railroad car with us at Disney World! Hateful individuals and extremist factions will always abound within any radius replete with humans. Even so, patriots and humanitarians who express their love for America in different ways will also abound in those same circles—Tea Parties and Million Man Marches alike. 

Mr. and Ms. Public figure, we know that the sting of criticism and the crucible of scrutiny are not comfortable—we feel your pain; but such criticisms and crucibles are not personal either. This is America; the land where the freedom of speech and the freedom to criticize and scrutinize are the very boons that make this democratic experiment so glorious. Dissenting and disagreeing voices don’t speak very loudly in Cuba.

Maybe Tavis Smiley’s critics are right. Perhaps this accomplished black commentator is a tad bit green with envy due to the unparalleled once-in-a-generation ascent of President Barack Obama. But who among us can honestly see a person’s heart so lucidly that we can attribute motives? What we can see is that black unemployment has hovered around 16 percent since Mr. Obama took his oath of office and that 42 percent of black Americans agree with Mr. Smiley’s acute critique of the president according to a recently-published Washington Post-ABC news poll. President Obama defaults ad nauseum to his mantra, “I inherited this economic mess from President Bush.” But implicit in the word inheritance is a sense of taking possession. Dear Mr. President, please own the state of the union that you preside over and please do so with the urgency of now. Could it be that Mr. Tavis Smiley is not sipping from the proverbial “haterade” thermos like the Obama-can-do-no-wrong parade loves to roar? Is it far flung to think that Mr. Tavis Smiley is an independently-minded man who is measuring the president on the basis of his policy heft and effectiveness (or lack thereof) instead of employing the flawed metrics of personal charm and hue? No, it is not.

On second thought, the “hater” label may actually be accurate insofar as many of us hate the fact that highlighting the huge chasm between President Obama’s rhetoric and his reality provokes a visceral counterblast from his supporters that rivals that of critiquing Jesus Christ. Jesus!

As for the tiff between President Obama and the Tea Party: Are you telling me that the participants in what is arguably the most energized conservative movement in American history are actually knocking one of the most liberal presidents ever elected in the land? Stop the presses! How could they?!

But Ms. Coulter, you’re wrong as well. Stating that the Left is performing a “high-tech lynching” on Herman Cain is like asserting that gravity is performing a “high-tech lynching” on a surfer just before wipeout. Falling is a part of surfing. Scrutiny is a part of politics. It comes with the territory. Furthermore, we could more than likely trace the origins of these attacks against candidate Herman Cain back to his own G.O.P. tribe. Romney and Perry have more to lose to Herman Cain at this point in the election than Obama and Biden.

The good news for Mr. Herman Cain and President Obama is that these fierce ambushes against them confirm one very important fact—both of these men are out in front. The motivation for these attacks has less to do with Mr. Obama’s and Mr. Herman Cain’s skin color and political stripe and more to do with the fact that Mr. Obama is president and Mr. Herman Cain is a presidential candidate. One man leads our nation. The other man is leading in some important Iowa polls.

For the pioneer, arrows aren’t personal. Arrows have historically been part and parcel to the process of taking new territory. It would be wise for the president and the presidential candidate to conserve the energy that they spend whining about the sharp arrows of criticism and scrutiny that are being launched in their direction and expend more of their energy aiming to rise so far above the fray that these arrows will no longer be able reach them.

Staff Writer; Marvin D. Rogers

Also connect with this brother via Twitter; M. Drogers.

 


Comments

9 Responses to “Tavis Smiley, Herman Cain and haters galore…”
  1. erik younge says:

    This article is scatterbrained in too many ways. It is now chic and a kind of false baravado pose for certain Black commentators and critics to loudly criticize Presiodent Obama. It shows their “manhood”, so to speak. It is fine to point out the weaknesses of this administration. My problem is those who do not have the same boldness to take a stand against the pathethic lack of leadership by those who are legislators and yet have failed to have a single coherent plan and a vision for the African-American community. What is the agenda for Black America of the Congressional Black Caucus? They are the legislators. The President is in the Executive branch. People like Tavis Smiley are like a kid who didn’t get picked on the team, so he wants to whine and attack out of bitterness and spite. We need solid, intelligent, vigilant, principled leadership, not just petty rhetoric.

  2. Nicholas says:

    Marvin Rogers…you article was insightful and well said. The advice you gave for President Obama and Herman Cain, to stop whinning and spend that energy,campaigning in Cain’s case and running the business of the country in the Predident’s case. We the people should also take that advise and realize that while we spend out time chaseing Herman Cain’s personal problems, 38 states have introduced legislation this year which is designed to impede voters from voteing in the comeing elections. They are working from the principle, stated by the highly influential conservative activist Paul Wyrich, that “our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down”. Since the 2010 election the GOP’s efforts to disrupt voting rights has become more widespread and effective than ever.

  3. BIGG ROME says:

    CAIN ACCUSER HAS HISTORY OF FILING WORKPLACE COMPLAINTS…

    Karen Kraushaar, 55, filed the complaint while working as a spokeswoman at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the Justice Department in late 2002 or early 2003, with the assistance of her lawyer, Joel Bennett, who also handled her earlier sexual harassment complaint against Cain in 1999. Three former supervisors familiar with Kraushaar’s complaint, which did not include a claim of sexual harassment, described it for the AP under condition of anonymity because the matter was handled internally by the agency and was not public.

    http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-accuser-filed-complaint-next-job-080946066.html

  4. BIGG ROME says:

    According to a new story in today’s Chicago Tribune, the woman who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment on Monday has a history of money problems and legal issues.

    Sharon Bialek, according to the report, has twice filed for personal bankruptcy, first in 1991 and again in 2001:

    In the latter case, she claimed $5,700 in assets and more than $36,000 in liabilities. Among the creditors seeking payment was a management firm demanding back rent of $4,500, four credit card companies and a lawyer asking for his legal fees.

    The problems don’t end there. A team of reporters from the Tribune, led by Lisa Black, John Chase and Lolly Bowean, dug up court records that show Bialek accused a former boyfriend, William Concha, of harassing her for repayment of a loan.

    Bialek borrowed $4,500 from William Concha, though Concha now believes she had no intention of paying him back, according to his brother, Mario.

    Records from the Cook County recorder of deeds also show two liens filed against her:

    The IRS filed a tax lien against her in 2009 for nearly $5,200. In August, the Illinois Department of Revenue claimed Bialek owed the state more than $4,300, including penalties and interest, relating to income taxes from 2004, according to county records.

    http://www.mediaite.com/online/report-fourth-herman-cain-accuser-filed-for-bankruptcy-twice-has-history-of-legal-issues/

  5. charles says:

    This challenge that Mr. Cain has met is a normal vetting process of any presidential candidate. He will make it through it.

    It is his ideas of how the country should go forward, should be looked at carefully.
    Were does his money come from, who will he beholden to if he becomes the next President?
    Will Mr. Cain take us further into war?
    Will be cut government spending and has it live with-in it’s means. We are the ones footing the bill.

  6. DG says:

    “On second thought, the “hater” label may actually be accurate insofar as many of us hate the fact that highlighting the huge chasm between President Obama’s rhetoric and his reality provokes a visceral counterblast from his supporters that rivals that of critiquing Jesus Christ. Jesus!”

    That is absolutely one of the best lines I have read on this site so far Marvin. Classic!!!

  7. hoodgirl says:

    Why hasn’t the MSM criticized and scrutinized Larry Sinclair’s sexual and drug accusations about Obama?

    Larry Sinclair held a press conference in Delaware detailing his relationship with Obama. Shortly aftewards, he was arrested by the Attorney General, Bo Biden who is Joe Biden’s son. After Larry Sinclair’s arrest, Obama chose Joe Biden as his VP, still not criticism or scrutiny by the MSM!

    It is very suspect at the least that Cain’s accuser, Sharon Bialek, lives in the same building as Obama’s top adviser, David Axelrod!

    Race aside, Cain is a threat to the Democratic and Republican establishment!

  8. Flor Strollo says:

    Very well said… “This is America; the land where the freedom of speech and the freedom to criticize and scrutinize are the very boons that make this democratic experiment so glorious. Dissenting and disagreeing voices don’t speak very loudly in Cuba.”

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