Is President Obama Any Blacker Than Herman Cain?
Is President Obama Any Blacker Than Herman Cain?
by
Maze Jackson
I have been accused by some of being the dreaded “conservative,” which to some extent I agree with. I would say that I am socially and morally conservative, with a belief that government should be place that people can turn to their most desperate situations. I also believe if you are able bodied and of sound mind, you should go to work. I can’t lie and say that it does not tick me off every time I get my paycheck and I see how many taxes are taken out. Oftentimes, I am like, “Damn, I want to do my fair share but enough is enough!” I recognize that taxes go to pay for schools, roads, and even healthcare, but I do steam when I hear stories of mothers who push to get their children declared learning disabled to get the additional social security check, or see someone in the corner store buying whiskey and cigarettes with a LINK card.
Now, I believe we need social programs, but I also believe we need to be real with ourselves, because all of us know someone who is hustling the system. I used to think I was getting the “hook-up” when someone would sell me their LINK card $60 for $120, then I realized THAT WAS MY MONEY ANYWAY! So I can’t lie, I am open to more conservative solutions to some of the fiscal issues we have in the country. I am not for letting corporations off the hook, but I am also for us being real enough with ourselves to say that most of the solutions our community needs aren’t going to come from government. We have to be able to confront some hard truths, recognize our faults, while acknowledging that we have the same goal ultimately, which is to make a better place for our people in society.
I say all of this because I am a bit disappointed in all of the Black folks that take delight in seeing Black Republican Presidential Candidate Herman Cain being dragged through the mud on national TV. While I still don’t think he would ever be the Republican nominee, (I also said a Black Man would NEVER be President, at least in my lifetime, so what do I know?) I think the way he is being vilified in the press is strikingly similar to the Clarence Thomas case.
Now before anybody goes off, I do think Clarence Thomas is definitely not the biggest supporter of Black causes and has not been friendly to our issues. I also do not want to minimize the idea of sexual harassment and do not think that any woman should be subject to a hostile work environment PERIOD! And if Herman Cain is found to have done wrong, he should pay the price.
BUT, when I go on Facebook, Twitter, or read commentaries and blogs online, the most vicious attacks on the man are coming from BLACK people, and frankly it pisses me off. Now I don’t agree with everything he says, but to me he is still a BLACK MAN. A successful BLACK MAN at that, and if he was doing anything else but running for President of the United States, most of us would consider him an undeniable Black success story.
But because he chose to run against the first Black President, we are just looking for an excuse to denigrate him. But my question to the Blacks are celebrating, sharing, and tweeting is “What makes President Obama any Blacker than Herman Cain?” Why are WE so happy participating in his demise? And ask yourself this, if the Republicans came out with a story saying President Obama was accused of settled a sexual harassment case years ago what would you say? I bet just like me, you’d scream, “BLOODY MURDER!” So what’s so different for Herman?
We forgave R. Kelly (I still haven’t but he does make some damn good music) and a lot of you SAW what he did, whether the court said he was guilty or not. And while we’re on the subject, we were all so appalled at what Chris Brown did to Rhianna (If I ever get my hands on that Chris Brown…HI RHIANNA!) he is back hotter and selling more records than ever! And don’t get me started with Bill and Monica Lewinsky. And in those cases, Black folks DEFENDED them, after SEEING what they did. But we want to crucify Herman Cain because we HEARD he might have said something inappropriate? Not because of his plans or tax policies? C’mon y’all, we can be smarter than that. Can’t we?
How Gov. Quinn Could Teach Mayor Emanuel a Thing or Two Politically
How Gov. Quinn Could Teach Mayor Emanuel a Thing or Two Politically
by
Maze Jackson
Here I go again with a full disclaimer: I served as Field Director for Governor Quinn in the last gubernatorial election, and many of the people on the staff are my friends. We went through some very rough battles on a very tough campaign, and against all odds, we emerged victorious. There were many times I thought we may be down for the count, but thankfully, our opponents wanted to mass kill puppies in gas chambers, which effectively neutered his campaign. (I was trying for humor there.) Governor Quinn ascended to the highest office in the state of Illinois, where he faced a new challenge, the state legislature.
Now, I like most people was in awe of the fact that it THE FRIGGING GOVERNOR, regardless of who he is, it’s THE GOVERNOR. I confess I’m a political junkie, so it may mean more to me, but it’s as high as one can go individually, so yes, I took pictures and am proud to be on a first name basis with him. The state legislature however, is not, and by all accounts, should not be in awe of him. They are collectively equal partners in government, both elected to do the will of their respective constituencies.
Governor Quinn by all accounts is a well-intentioned man with the good of the people truly being his mission. Throughout his career, he has fought the insiders, trying to get a fair deal for the common man, and as Governor, he is now in a position to do it. Realistically, no one is able to accomplish everything, but as Governor, he can use his bully pulpit to get a lot of things accomplished, if negotiated and done diplomatically. But like a lot of warriors, I fear the Governor may have missed an opportunity to put down his sword and use diplomacy as his tool in the months leading up to the fall veto session. Instead of building rapport with the legislature, some say he alienated them.
That alienation resulted in a string of legislative losses for the Governor in the veto session, the most significant defeat being SB 1652- better known as The ComEd Smart Grid Bill. But the more telling defeat was the “Road Kill Bill” sponsored by Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb), which would have allowed citizens to pick up road kill. No big deal to most of us, but the Governor vetoed it even though it passed with veto-proof majority. I don’t point this out to be critical, but more as a parallel learning opportunity for our city government.
The key is Rep. Hammond (insert City Council member here) stated that no one from the Governor’s office (insert Mayor’s office here) talked to her. Then he vetoed the bill, using one of his most powerful tools to defeat his opposition. The Governor (insert Mayor here) essentially used a sledgehammer to kill an ant, which also looks strikingly similar to some of the things that we’ve seen our new Mayor do to many of his foes. Doubt me? Just ask the Occupiers, the nurses, or any number of the city’s unions who have found themselves reeling from the Mayor’s unflinching quick strike media or police responses.
But the civic lesson that the Illinois Legislature (insert City Council here) reminded the Governor (insert Mayor here) of, is that governance is not a forgone conclusion, and even the most powerful man in the state (insert city here), is still accountable to the LEGISLATURE (insert City Council here), which is also elected by the people. There are 3 branches of government, executive, legislative, and judicial, but we’ll only focus on executive and legislative for our purposes today.
So let me recap the lesson: When the EXECUTIVE BRANCH (President/Governor/Mayor) is accused by the legislature (US/IL House, Chicago City Council) of not being responsive to their issues and concerns on a variety of issues including economic, educational, and political, the result in two out of three cases is: THE LEGISLATURE WINS. What makes Chicago so different? I’m not exactly sure, but it sure would be interesting to see what would happen if BOTH branches revisited that lesson.
See, and I bet you didn’t think Pat Quinn could teach Rahm Emanuel a lesson in politics.
Grant Park versus Englewood
Grant Park versus Englewood
by
Maze Jackson
“And I’m from the murder capital/ where they murder for capital/ heard about at least three killings this afternoon/ looking at the news like damn/I was just with him after school…It’s time for us to stop and redefine black power/Forty-one souls murdered in fifty hours.”
- Kanye West on Murder To Excellence from Watch The Throne
The story is the same. There were a rash of shootings throughout the city, particularly on the South and West Sides of Chicago this past weekend. We have heard the story so much, that the shootings don’t really even make the news beyond a slight mention, unless innocent children were killed. And to top it of, most of the shootings were in Black and Latino communities. In essence we are doing it to ourselves. I still cannot for the life of me understand why the solution is a gun, and why we are consistently the biggest perpetrators of violence in our own communities.
With that in mind, I was preparing to write an article denouncing the violence, and what we as people of color need to do take back our streets from the hooligans. The Mayor just had a press conference announcing that he had put over 1,000 additional police officers on the street, so it was time for me to stop complaining and get organized. Time to call out the criminals taking over our streets, let’s fight together to save communities like Englewood, Chatham, and Ashburn! We can’t just rely on the Mayor and the police, we have to…Then I saw it, the Chicago Police Department arresting protestors from the Occupy Chicago movement for being in Grant Park past 11pm.
Wait a minute! There were over 15 shootings this past weekend, but the CPD was arresting people involved in a PEACEFUL protest? I was dumbfounded! Now I am not naive enough to believe that just by deploying those same police that were dispatched to Grant Park to the neighborhoods would have prevented all of the shootings; but I do believe that the increased presence may have discouraged some of those shootings. But that really is not my point. With 1,000 new officers on the streets, why is the focus on arresting middle and working class people that are asking to be heard by their government?
When I complain about the lack of resources that make it to our communities, I do not honestly believe that there is a malicious plot by the powers that be to take away from our community, as much as a level of apathy by those same powers that be, to the issues that affect our community. For instance, the Mayor admitted last Monday that he consulted with Chief McCarthy regarding removing the “Occupy” protestors from Grant Park. It was part of his consciousness, a top priority, to keep downtown “safe.” To protect our “crown jewel.” Did he consult with him about Englewood?
We saw it with the flash mobs which were portrayed as violent and a threat to our economy. In response, downtown became a fortress, and the “flash mobs” ended. It was the same story with the North Avenue Beach incident this summer. Initially we were told that police closed the beaches because of the high heat. We eventually found out that they were deployed to prevent “mobs” from taking over another one of our city’s jewels. Did he ever ask about our jewels in Chatham?
There seems to be a pattern here: if there is violence or even the threat of violence in “certain” neighborhoods, then police and whatever resources necessary are deployed to insure that those same communities remain safe; BUT, if it’s not one of those “certain” neighborhoods, then violence in crime are just facts of life. I mean c’mon it is ENGLEWOOD. What else should we expect?
Well here’s what I think what we should expect. We should expect that before our Mayor dedicates valuable time, manpower, and resources to breaking up PEACEFUL demonstrations against his friends (Chicago Mercantile Exchange read Wall Street), he take some time out and really think about his redistricting plans and policing priorities. I know he has not been to a lot of our communities beyond el stops, grocery stores, and press conferences, but someone really should tell the Mayor. Fifteen shootings deserve at least the same police resources as a peaceful demonstration.
Mayor Emanuel: Giving Us What We Asked For…
Mayor Emanuel: Giving Us What We Asked For…
by
Maze Jackson
If you followed me on Facebook or read my articles during the last mayoral race, you would know that I was not the most strident supporter of Mayor Emanuel. As a matter of fact, I felt as if I was the lone voice in the wilderness (old timers excluded) cautioning our community not to participate in the coronation, unless we had a clear understanding of what exactly he was going to do for us.
People think I am crazy, but I watch it happen all of the time, communities negotiating for their economic interests in exchange for political support. Now to be clear and not raise the ire or suspicion of Mr. Fitzgerald, I am not talking about money, campaign donations, or anything nefarious, but really community benefits.
My concern was not that he could not or would not be a good Mayor of our great City, but whether he actually KNEW our City. Yes, he knows downtown, and the North side, and all of the big business people, and he could make our city the global juggernaut we’ve always wanted to be, yadda, yadda, yadda! But, does he really know OUR community outside of the briefings given by staffers or what he has read? Could he not only understand our community, but also EMPATHIZE (not sympathize) with our challenges and partner in the solution process? So far the signs point to no.
Last week I discussed how the aldermen were summarily being replaced in press conferences with flat screens and CEO’s. Concurrently, the Mayor gave us the budget, a tough pill to swallow, a needed but still tough pill that cut jobs and services, but addressed a significant amount of waste. I was suspicious, but OK, I gave him credit for making some tough decisions.
I just didn’t think he understood that a lot of those middle management jobs gave a lot of black communities a solid base of homeowners and community leaders that helped stabilize places like Ashburn, Wrightwood, and Chatham. As those opportunities for advancement in government go away, there will be a significantly lower number of stable families in OUR communities was my estimation.
But he allayed my concerns when he had yet another press conference announcing another international company, Ernst & Young was bringing 500 more jobs to the city. With one press conference, he announced he had basically replaced all of the jobs he cut on the city side in private industry. As a matter of fact, since he has been Mayor, he has announced the creation of over 4,000 new jobs from corporations such as Seaton, Walgreens, Chase, Motorola, Ernst & Young and their like, appeared at their announcements, and proceeded to deliver on his campaign promise to bring jobs and make Chicago a world class city.
But then I asked myself WHO were those jobs for? Does a social service worker, a young black male who may have been arrested as a youth, or a single mother get a chance at those firms? And if they do, do they ever get beyond entry level or hourly? How many of those jobs will benefit Englewood, Chatham or Wrightwood? My guess is very few.
Now I am in no way knocking the jobs he is bringing, but I do think that Mayor Emanuel needs to address jobs in OUR community too. You see on the campaign trail, when you have to go to community meetings, forums, and the like, you get to hear the people’s concerns directly, personally. We never got that opportunity at the grocery store and el stop appearances that our community was not only relegated to, but ACCEPTED OVERWHELMINGLY. Now we have a jobs boom that most of us can’t participate in.
But it proves what the always say, “You got what you ask for!”
The End of The Rubber Stamp?
The End of The Rubber Stamp?
by
Maze Jackson
I will begin this one with a disclaimer: I work with a lot of elected officials, come from a political organization, and got my political start from Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. I say all of this because you will probably think I am biased when I say that the aldermen do a lot for their wards that they don’t get credit for, but I really believe they do.
For all of their criticism as a whole, most people tend to like their individual alderman when they are doing a good job for their community. They catch a lot of criticism for things they have no control over, or when they ultimately have to make choices between bad and worse for the good of the overall city. When I discuss city issues on Facebook and in forums people are often quick to criticize “aldermen.”
They have even gone so far as to call them the “Rubber Stamp” City Council, because Mayor Daley used to win votes 50-0 or 49-1. But what most people did not realize was that there was a lot of behind the scenes lobbying that occurred to maintain the so-called “Rubber Stamp.”
The Mayor’s people knew they needed to get the support of the aldermen to push the Mayor’s agenda forward. To insure this, they spent a lot of time, briefing, convincing, and negotiating. They knew to insure their boss’ long-term success, they dare not offend the aldermen, (well most of them anyway.) They knew how to talk to the aldermen, how to share the credit, and to make everybody look as good as possible.
At every groundbreaking, ribbon cutting, and grand opening the Mayor attended, there were the aldermen standing behind him. They worked together, and while their was the perception of him being a dictator, he knew how to play the game, how not to be disrespectful and how to maintain relationships.
But there is a new sheriff in town, and I’m not sure if he got the playbook, or better yet if he even cares about playbook. I see more and more press conferences, on jobs, police, budget…heck there’s one everyday telling us how HE is delivering on HIS campaign promises. God bless him, he is doing his thing. Curiously though, as the frequency of the press conferences increase, the aldermanic presence lessens. Where there were aldermen in the backdrop of every press conference, there are flat screens, multimedia presentations, and corporate CEOs. His staffers tend to be mostly 20-30 something college grads that believe Rahm can do anything, and may have only read about how City Hall works, not understanding that former Mayor Daley’s power came from negotiating, compromising, and partnering with aldermen.
You see, they believe in the omnipotence of the Global Rahm Emanuel Persona. They believe that because he said it is; that they should all just be happy to be in his presence. I mean he is the RAHM! I get it n the global sense. And I’m sure that all those staffers who believe their own press releases also believe that the budget will just magically pass, just because Rahm said. But this is Chicago, and what they may not realize is that it took mutual respect and relationship building for Mayor Daley to become DA BOSS. We will see how good a job they’ve done of this during the upcoming s budget hearings chaired by Alderman Carrie Austin. Combine that with an emboldened and reloaded Black Caucus led by Alderman Howard Brookins, and I have a sneaky feeling the days of the so-called Rubber Stamp are over!
How Herman Cain Could Take Out Obama
How Herman Cain Could Take Out Obama
by
Maze Jackson
There is a not so subtle frustration growing in the Black community surrounding our President, Barack Obama. I think a significant amount of the frustration is because we see the Republicans, particularly the Tea Party as haters (really racists) that will block ANYTHING that he proposes; yet he still tries to negotiate with them. We want him to get “tough,” but he and we knows that if he does, he will be perceived as the “angry Black man,” which he can’t afford.
Yet and still, at the street level, we continue to hear that he is not “Black enough.” We’ve heard it ad nausea throughout his career, to which it gets one of two responses, wholehearted agreement or angry disagreement. For those that believe he is not “Black enough,” I believe their argument would be better served by stating he does not have the same experience of the average Black man growing up in America, which I believe is fair statement. If he did, I doubt he would be able to shackle the angry Black man that resides deep down in those of us that did. And I’m almost positive if he did, he would not have become POTUS. It is not a knock, but was a necessity for him to attain his level of success.
Now enter Herman Cain, Tea Partier, Republican, multi-millionaire, and Black. And guess what? He’s an angry Black man, who is mad at the President, Congress, and the current political system. And he’s making waves. Currently tied with Mitt Romney for the lead in the Republican Party, Cain is the latest Tea Party supernova, who I doubt will maintain this lead for longer than two months. But his significance goes beyond today, and I believe is part of a long term strategy that the Republicans are using him to make inroads with disenfranchised Blacks who feel ignored by the current system, regardless if the President is Black or not. Herman Cain gives them a place to deposit those frustrated votes.
You see, Herman Cain gets to say the things that White Republicans can’t. He gets to tell President Obama how many Blacks feel deep down, but could never say for fear of embarrassing the President (read BLACK PRESIDENT) or being branded sellout by other Blacks. Herman Cain gets to take off the gloves and hit the President with body blows in areas the I am not sure that his Democratic strategists are prepared to defend outside of the “our Black President” argument.
At the same time, his ability to lead the Republican field, even if only for a short time is mutually beneficial for him and the Republican Party. For the Republican Party, Herman Cain’s success “proves” that they’re not the racists that many Blacks believe them to be. From now until eternity they will be pointing to Herman Cain whenever they are accused of being racially insensitive. Conversely, Herman Cain positions himself to be a long-term player for the Republicans as they look to siphon off disenfranchised Black voters.
Now whether you agree or not with his politics, you must admit Herman Cain has made some very smart political decisions. As I stated before, I do not think Herman Cain will be the Republican Presidential nominee, but I do think he is well positioned to be a very formidable Vice Presidential nominee. Think about it, the job of the VP is to be the attack dog and go after the President. Could you imagine President Obama having to defend himself from not only conventional Republican attacks, but targeted attacks in the Black community, by a Black person asking “real questions” about the unprecedented unemployment, poverty, and educational issues that plague our community? I don’t think it would be a pretty picture, and while most would still support President Obama, I could see Herman Cain getting a lot of “Amen’s” while speaking in Black churches.
A while back I wrote an article entitled, “Why I Like Black Republicans,” in which I discussed why I thought that Black Republicans were necessary to make Black Democrats more relevant. I think Democrats better start paying attention because I think the Republicans are starting to get it. As an avid Obama supporter, Mitt Romney with Black Republican Herman Cain is not a ticket I would want to face. He could get the Republican, Independent, Pissed Black, and White Liberals who could still say they voted for a “Black Man.” And the Tea Party would not be racist anymore to boot. May seem far-fetched, but so was a Black President eight years ago.
Democrats, I implore you do not take the Black vote for granted! All is not well in the kingdom.
Defending Rick Perry’s Niggerhead
Defending Rick Perry’s Niggerhead
by
Maze Jackson
I’m not supposed to say I’m Black anymore, it’s African-American. Hispanics are now Latino, and Whites are Anglo. No more retarded, the correct phrase is developmentally challenged. And God help anyone that refers to the LGBT community improperly. Your career is over, just ask Isaiah Washington from Grey’s Anatomy. Who is that you ask? Exactly my point! It’s called Political Correctness, and to be honest I am still learning the ropes. As a 40 year-old man I have seen a lot of changes and am still adapting and learning how exactly to be politically correct.
I remember attending a meeting in 2006, and through learned that my clients were Jewish. I proudly informed them that I had grown up shopping in “Jew Town.” My clients gasped, eyes popping and stuttered, “What did you just say?” I repeated the words, “Jew Town,” and they had the same reaction. Bewildered, I asked, “What’s wrong?” They proceeded to inform me of the harshness of the word, the historical perspective, and the politically correct name for the area, which was the “Maxwell Street District.”
I didn’t see the big deal, but I got it, and even though “Jew Town” triggers many positive memories for my friends and me, negotiating and bargaining for our Run DMC Adidas, LeCoq Sportiff sweat suits, while eating grilled onion and mustard covered polish sausages, I have chosen to whitewash it from my vocabulary. I took their advice and changed my point of reference and vocabulary out of respect for their feelings and opinions.
So I am going to go out on a limb here and say, I understand how Governor Rick Perry could have hunted at a place call Niggerhead. I’m sure that when he was growing up, the word “nigger” was not politically incorrect, at least not to Rick Perry and people of his era. It was a commonly used descriptive for a lot of things that were Black. The word niggerhead has many references if you check out Wikipedia. When I say it does not surprise me that a man of wealth and power, from TEXAS, again TEXAS, who may have uttered, joked about, or referred to many things Black, including people, as “nigger” I Mean it sincerely. It was the way of the times.
To further illustrate my point, as recently as 1984, while growing up in Bolingbrook, I had neighbors that had a black Labrador retriever named, you guessed it, Nigger. Was it right? No, but it was what it was at the time. And, I bet if we look back through history, there will be many examples of President’s who may have used the word, “nigger.” I would even bet that our current President has used the word at some point.
Now we as Black folks believe that we have proprietary rights on the word, nigger and all of its derivatives and usage since “we overcame” after the civil rights era. Quite frankly through the proliferation of rap music in mainstream society, we have given away those proprietary rights, but that’s another column. My point today is that “Niggerhead” is just as politically incorrect as “Jew Town.” Perry’s family had the sign painted over in the early ‘80’s (I’d also like to point out he was a Democrat at the time), probably BEFORE my neighbor’s dog Nigger died, but it was definitely BEFORE I stopped calling the Maxwell Street District, “Jew Town” in 2006. Times change and so do people. So cut him some slack on Niggerhead and just wack him because his policies are RETARDED! Sorry, I meant developmentally challenged. I’m still working on this politically correct thing.
