Superville Review

Well, well. Last night's debate for the Democratic Presidential potentials alerted me to a couple things. One, I'm not sure if a debate with eight candidates is the most effective means for all, but the top candidates to get their message out. Obama, Clinton and Edwards seem to dominate the proceedings, from questions to answers. Which leads to point number two. The limited chances for those candidates not seen at the top of news polls have to make their case in a sound bite or else.

Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel's position that the Democrat were more to blame for the Iraqi war than President Bush. This type of statement, while allowing the candidates to state firmly held beliefs and at the same time get "face time" could serve to undermine whichever Democratic nominee comes out of this process. Senator Clinton's tack of minimizing differences between the Democratic candidates while pointing out the disparity between the GOP and the Democrats is a sound one and one that Mr. Edwards and Senator Obama might employ in as insistant a way as Senator Clinton.

If the candidates at the low end of the media radar need to ravage those at the top, it will only damage the Democratic chances in a general election, strengthening a GOP which, at present time has no clear front runner. The small gang of GOP candidates participating in tomorrow night's debate face similar issues due to the size of the proceedings. No clear front runner has emerged and despite the emergence of Romney and McCain's steady hold on the public consciousness there are too many voices to get a strong sense of individual plans and belief.

So I propose a new paradigm in Presidential debating. Identify, through official polls and popular sentiment the top three candidates from each party, Democrat, Repubican, Green or Independent. All other candidates have debates to see who gets to the main stage. Of course there will be issues with fair access to media time and the like, however, it is far from fair for the American public to be given a smorgasboard of candidates that is high in calories, but low in value.

Labels: Barack Obama, Debate, Demorats, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Republican, Republicans

The Democratic party at some point in the nation's history overtook the Republican party for control as the party of the "common man," the doer of good deeds, the free thinker, the social justice manufacturer. Black American's more than many others became the trusted confidante of any Democratic candidate at the local, state or national level. Today, the Democratic party has taken that confidence for granted and African-America has fallen into a trap of familiarity that damages progress.

The Republican party, with it's economic and social paradigms of do-it-yourself, seems to have not taken into account or dealt in a real way with the foundation America was built on. A foundation one of their own, Abraham Lincoln, found to be wanting when he, despite his political reasons, put an end to slavery and backed that sentiment with the civil war. Today's version of the Republican party has itself to blame for the distrustful and cyncical gaze cast upon it by the black community. However, this reality should not be a free card to Democrats. Black voters will never get the best of any politician or political system until Democratic candidates are made to acknowledge, through action, issues of import across large sections of black America. Should a Republican candidate be the one to address these issues, in a way that makes sense, black voters owe it to ourselves to listen, and yes, vote for this candidate, in spite of what the traditional thought lines are regarding the GOP amongst many in African-America.

Some politicos might say issues are addressed during every election as it relates to labor, gender, and racial issues. However, the type of acknowledgement Americans of all stripes needs from their politicians is not the standard political talk; slogans, catch phrases, and buzz words that taste good, but leave their patrons malnourished. Black America needs some meat on the bones of candidate offerings. Education, health care, a living wage and equality always seem to be issues revolving in the orbit of black America. We need plans; a direct way for community objectives to be accomplished. If presidential candidates are not offering this then black people need to pass on their candidacy and move on to the next option.

As shredded as the relationship between a throng of black America and Republicans has become, the black voter needs to, at least, take in what the Republican potentials are saying, as well as the Independent candidates. Black America must become a well rounded voter in 2008 or be faced with a knowledge of problems that are not going to be solved in a manner timely enough for children, parents or neighborhoods.

Like the stunning girl hovering in the shadows of a red-light house party, black voters will have to play hard to get to see the agenda of politicians change. In making black votes a fluid entity instead of money in the bank the black agenda will become more important than it has been in some time. If one disputes the importance of black America all they need to do is look at the state of public education in inner-city America, unemployment in inner-city America and working poverty in inner-city America. If the black agenda, which calls for an address and quick change of these circumstances, was important, there would be qualified teachers leading class rooms, school buildings that are in repair instead of dis-repair, meaningful tax relief for the shrinking middle class and a living wage for those who work one job, two job, three job, four, to make ends meet, yet have no official health coverage outside of substandard care at county facilities.

The ballot has overtaken the bullet, but today, black voters, who will not present themselves as a people to be courted and catered to, by politicians across party lines, have taken the bullet and shot ourselves in the foot.

Labels: Black America, Democratic, Education, Health Care, Independent, Republican, Taxes, Voters