(ThyBlackMan.com) In comments that are not likely to get a response from the White House, actor (and perhaps comedian) Samuel L. Jackson stated that he’d like to see President Obama transform into a n*gga during his second term. He also said that Obama’s message meant nothing to him and that he voted for him solely because he’s black.
“When it comes down to it, they wouldn’t have elected a N*gger. Because, what’s a A N*gger is scary. Obama ain’t scary at all. N- don’t have beers at the White House. N- don’t let some white dude, while you in the middle of a speech, call [him] a liar. A N*gger would have stopped the meeting right there and said, ‘Who the [bleep] said that?”
Samuel L. Jackson then went on to make it clear that he didn’t care about the president’s message or policies and that he voted for him solely because he’s black.
“That’s American politics, pure and simple. [Obama’s] message didn’t mean [bleep] to me. In the end, he’s a politician. I just hoped he would do some of what he said he was gonna do. I know politicians say [bleep]; they lie. ’Cuz they want to get elected,”
The remarks by Samuel L. Jackson are a good example of when “keepin it real” can go horribly wrong. I sincerely hope that the brother was joking, but judging from the depth of his statements, it appears that Mr. Samuel L. Jackson thought very deeply about how to be appropriately simple-minded.
We’d be silly not to think that there aren’t others who see the presidency in the 
same way as Samuel L. Jackson. While there are millions of Americans who can point to policy and facts as their basis for supporting Obama, there are quite a few who cannot. The only arguments I hear consistently are “I love Michelle and the kids,” or “the Republicans are going to be worse.” Quite a few others can’t state a single reason that they believe that Obama is the best candidate and don’t have a clue about what the administration has or has not done for the African American community.
Unfortunately, the fact that President Obama has black skin has removed almost any necessity for him to prove that he is loyal to the black community in any way. Rather than remembering that he is just as white as he is black, we see his black wife and beautiful black children and thus conclude that he must be the politician for us. This works out perfect for his cabinet, since they then realize that they don’t have to do anything to earn or keep the African American vote – there’s a difference between a politician liking you and him actually respecting you. We have proven ourselves to be almost entirely unworthy of serious political respect.
Deciding that President Barack Obama is the best candidate is perfectly fine. But voting for him without thinking about his policies leaves you open to deception. The most destructive enemies of progress in black American history have often disguised themselves with black skin. Not that Obama is one of these individuals, but there are those in the White House who are quick to advise the use of cosmetic politics to play with the minds of folks who don’t care to know any better.
I don’t want President Obama to be a n*gga, we’ve got enough of those. There is no pride in ignorance, no matter how much it is glorified in the media. At the end of the day, we want black public figures who embody intelligence, vision and the willingness to admit that perhaps they are meant to be something other than a n*gga.
I’m not interested in going too hard on Samuel L. Jackson for this one, I really like his movies. But his comments are better meant for a comedy show, music video or profane action film, and are not necessarily the kind of thing that should be part of the black political discussion. We are in the midst of searching for our souls and understanding what it means to have a black president. The last thing we need is for the ‘ignant’ voices to be the loudest.
