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Tuesday, 20 February 2007 16:30 |
 | | Roland Martin |
CHICAGO ó A few days after my initial column on the ìblack problemî faced by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., I received calls from a number of individuals wondering why I took exception to black leaders questioning his candidacy.
One of the consistent points they raised: ìWhere is his black agenda?î
There was a constant comparison to the 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the last serious campaigns by an African-American for the most powerful position in the world. I reminded them that Jackson only received 8 percent of Democratic votes in 1988, but that didnít change their view that he ìwonî simply by running.
Sorry to disappoint, but in my book, winning means winning.
The most difficult job a black politician has is trying to run for
higher office. Most minority politicians run in ìsafeî districts that
are drawn along racial lines. Itís easy to present a black, Hispanic or
Asian agenda when the majority of voters are of the same hue ó you can
easily speak to their issues.
But when itís time to run for a citywide, statewide or national office,
the agenda has to change, and that is disconcerting to a minority group.
One of the most damaging things that can be said of any minority is
ìselling outî for a bigger job. If you are black and you run for mayor,
governor or president, the expectation is that you must carry the hopes
of your people on your shoulders, and place their concerns above any
other. Itís the most delicate of political dances, and for a lot of
people, it is tough to do.
When then-Rep. Harold Washington ran for mayor in Chicago in 1983, he
had to appeal to a wide variety of interests. African-Americans who had
been shut out of city hall made it clear they wanted a black mayor,
while white liberals were afraid of him being seen as the black
candidate, and wanted him to speak to a broader constituency. When he
spoke at rallies on the South Side of Chicago, he had one message. When
speaking at a church on the North Side, he had quite a different one.
He may have been talking about housing, but Washington had to master
the art of speaking to different audiences.
Some call it the political
two-step; others consider it being politically bilingual.
In many ways, thatís the dilemma Obama faces.
When he steps to the microphone, African-Americans have an expectation
of him, and others have a different one. He clearly has to connect with
black voters, but he canít do it and alienate whites.
Rev. Jackson knows the feeling.
In 1984 he was asked to distance himself from Nation of Islam Minister
Louis Farrakhan, who is perceived by non-blacks as being divisive. But
among African-Americans, he is largely a striking figure who speaks to
black empowerment and is willing to point out white oppression. Jackson
would have lost tremendous credibility among blacks had he distanced
himself from Farrakhan, and he was under pressure from progressive
whites to do so.
At the end of the day, he didnít, and there is no doubt he lost some white support as a result.
The delicate nature of this can be seen in the agenda that Obama is
likely to advance. He has spoken traditional themes of the need for
universal health care, leading our troops out of Iraq and ending the
divisiveness that permeates Washington, D.C.
What wonít you hear Obama speaking on constantly? Reparations. An
aggressive federal affirmative action policy. Impeaching President
George W. Bush.
If you listen to black radio stations and read black newspapers, you
will hear many of these themes. But donít expect Obama to tout them on
the campaign trail. They simply arenít looked on favorably, and he
isnít likely to garner moderate votes with such rhetoric.
Understand, Obamaís plan isnít to put an urban agenda on the table,
something Rev. Jackson wanted to do, and the same thing Rev. Al
Sharpton has talked about doing. Obamaís goal is to win, and he has to
manage the process as best as he can.
One question tossed to me had to do with former North Carolina Sen.
John Edwards opening his campaign in the Lower Ninth Ward in New
Orleans. ìWhy is Obama launching his campaign in Springfield, Ill.? Why
not be like Edwards and go to New Orleans?î
Nice thought, but the reality is that Edwards needs to shed his label
of being a rich trial lawyer, and New Orleans serves his purpose of
focusing on poverty and the disenfranchised. Many voters may expect
Obama to speak to issues of poverty and the plight of the poor ó hey,
thatís what the black guy is supposed to do. Yet he must counter that
by focusing on matters such as foreign policy.
Hey, it may not be the perfect scenario, and folks will undoubtedly be
unhappy with his choices. But if Obama wants to be sworn in as
president, he has no choice but to do the dance.
Remember, running isnít winning. Winning is winning.
ï
Roland S. Martin, editor of The Chicago Defender newspaper, is author of ìSpeak, Brother! A Black Manís View of America.î
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