Archive for September, 2008
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-30
In Quick Notes on September 30, 2008 at 11:59 pmSuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-29
In Quick Notes on September 29, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Barack scared me in the debate when he said: “I believe the Republican Guard of Iran is a terrorist organization.” http://is.gd/3drb #
- Barack scared me in the debate when called Venezuela a “rogue state”. Have you ever heard him say that before? http://is.gd/3drb #
- Barack scared me in the debate when he said the “threat of a nucler Iran to the US” threatened Israel (no mention of US). http://is.gd/3drb #
- Dems scare me talking up war in Afghanistan/Pakistan as acceptable because “that’s who hit us on 9/11″. Weren’t most of the hijackers Saudi? #
- Rtwt @betterpoints: BETTER Talking Point: The Bailout http://is.gd/3ihl #
- @jgilliam good catch. I guess Fundies hate Godless markets. #
- Why I think Obama lost the debate
http://tinyurl.com/54×9j4 #
The Republican quad-fecta
In Issues and Politics on September 29, 2008 at 9:10 pmToday, the Democrats managed a quad-fecta (I just made that word up) by creating a space for Republicans to vote against the bail out which allowed them to simultaneously be,
- Anti-Bush and make it popular for Republicans to run against Bush economic policies
- Appear on the side of the people and seem more populist than Democrats
- Republicans can remain stalwarts of the free-market, less regulation ideology that got us in this mess in the first place
- Republicans can run against Wall St. which is something I would never see in my lifetime.
I don’t like this bill and the lack of protections for homeowners but if Pelosi felt that she had to do it, why didn’t she tell Bush that she wouldn’t put it up for vote until she secured a certain number of votes from Republicans? And why in the world is the media not hounding McCain for claiming that his presence helped seal the deal when we don’t have a deal!! That is not the type of leadership America needs. Make sure you get out and vote.
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-27
In Quick Notes on September 27, 2008 at 11:59 pm- McCain is ENERGY ILLITERATE. As a lifelong Republican, I’m supporting Obama. – Matt Simmons, contributor, Cheney Energy Plan, in Fortune mag #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-26
In Quick Notes on September 26, 2008 at 11:59 pm- The Dems may actually suprise me and not fold on this #bailout garbage. If they hold, they can ride it all the way to November. #
- @betterpoints Will either candidate successfully reframe the #bailout in terms of foreign policy/national security? #
- @AroundHarlem My alternative bailout plan: restitution for slavery. Just a thought… https://twitter.com/superspade/statuses/934763576 ♠ #
- The Fortune with Paulson on the cover has a piece by Geoff Colvin http://is.gd/2LeG that resurrects the ‘mental rcession’ meme. Wow. #
- The 29 Sep 2008 Fortune has a Special Advertising Section for Students in Free Enterprise that has a fancy AIG ad touting their “strength”.♠ #
- @karsh WaMu buyout is done http://is.gd/3beF I officially want a new bank. Maybe we should all go the Credit Union route. #
- @antibullshit Sadly, some (especially Black folks) are so afraid of critiquing Obama that nuances of his policies (not rhetoric) get ignored #
- @nezua c-span.org? #
- non-TV people can watch the debate online courtesy of @theyoungturks http://www.theyoungturks.com. #
- @ruby I got that text just now. What’s with the CNN endorsement? #
- Wow. WaMu CEO, on the job a mere 17 days before the bank failed, got $20M golden parachute. http://is.gd/3b4g (yes, that is a FOX News link) #
- Customers thought putting $ under the bed was safer than in a WaMu account. People withdrew $16.7B since 17 Sep, speeding up the meltdown. #
- @barackobama just sent me a new text message saying that I could watch the debate on whatever channel I want. I feel so liberated. #
- Why is no one in the #bailout debate talking about regulating ratings agencies that blessed those worthless mortgage-backed securities? #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-25
In Quick Notes on September 25, 2008 at 11:59 pmFinancial madness
In Issues and Politics on September 25, 2008 at 9:57 pmFirst off I want to say Happy Birthday to my partner in crime…Mr. Garlin Gilchrist II.
This current crisis reminds me of something Bill Maher said, (I am paraphrasing) “Conservatives have the easiest job in the world because when they mess up doing things like governing, they can claim that government itself is the problem and whatever they planned to do wasn’t supposed to work anyways.” So now you have Democrats bending over backwards to make this deal work with House Republicans posturing against the bill.
And here is the problem, people keep saying that this bill is going to end up with a nice return for taxpayers right? If that was the case, then shouldn’t someone in the free market see this gem and buy it up so that taxpayers don’t have endure this socialism for the rich? What’s more is that if Obama said he wanted to invest $100 billion in education, conservatives would cry, “We already spent $700 billion on bailing out Wall Street and we can’t just throw away taxpayer money.” And a bold Democrat would respond by saying, “Wait, you just robbed taxpayers of a trillion dollars because businesses were too big to fail but we can definitely afford to let our children down in the form of disinvesting in education. And if money is not the cure all for whatever the issue, why does this logic apply to Wall St. and not education?”
Seriously, if there was ever anything that would prove a guaranteed return on investment, wouldn’t it be investing in education? Your money is where your heart is.
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-24
In Quick Notes on September 24, 2008 at 11:59 pm- http://twitpic.com/cwl4 – Now, this is what I think of when I hear the phrase "Welfare Queen". #
- Sadly, all the Democrats that voted for the Bankruptcy Bill a couple years ago are going to vote for this bailout proposal. #
- This economic drama now has Obama up 5 points in MI. He can ride this to the White House if he stands his ground. #
- @nezua Peep, I took a step towards that, creating BETTER Talking Points http://is.gd/34EJ so we can talk like Progressives without fear. #
- Rtwt @betterpoints: BETTER Talking Points (BTP) is live at http://www.bettertalkingpoints.com Start talking like a real Progressive. #
- @nezua That’s all me man. Well, technically it’s all my company, @optech. Thanks for the love. Spread the word for me! #
- @nezua Don’t spread the word for OpTech; spread the word for @betterpoints. We both want liberal/progressive ideas to be shared w/o fear. #
- @slanttruth Thanks my friend. Tell your folks to follow @betterpoints and visit the site! http://www.bettertalkingpoints.com #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-23
In Quick Notes on September 23, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Senator Bernie Sanders: “Institutions that are too big to fail are too big to exist.” Amen. #
- New post at The SuperSpade: My thoughts on the financial meltdown ( http://tinyurl.com/4fhnkq ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: Debunking the racism survey ( http://tinyurl.com/46ykfr ) #
- Obama must go to DC & tell these cowardly Dems to stand tall against this bailout bullsh!t & that he’ll back them. Otherwise, they’ll cave. #
- New post at The SuperSpade: More thoughts on the financial crisis ( http://tinyurl.com/3r8rcs ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: My thoughts on the financial meltdown ( http://tinyurl.com/4fhnkq ) #
- What farm is this bailout money being grown on? Oh, right, the same one in China where we grow all the rest of our money. #
- We knew Conservatives hated government enough to take it over & break it. We can now say the same about their approach to financial … #
- Sign Senator Bernie Sanders’ petition to protect everyday our interests, not those of incompetent banking institutions. http://is.gd/31GU #
- Does anyone have a link to text/audio (translated) from Ahmadinejad’s UN address? #
More thoughts on the financial crisis
In Issues and Politics on September 23, 2008 at 12:30 pmMore thoughts on the financial crisis:
- If nothing else is true in the world, “Your money is where your heart is.” The Republican Bush Administration is asking for $700,000,000,000 to bail out banks, not the average tax payer. Bush would never put up $700,000,000,000 for health care or education, you know the things that will directly help you. Do you still support this ideology? Where do you spend your money? WWJD?
- Where is this money coming from?
- Senator Bernie Sanders that said, “If a company is too big to fail, it is too big to exist; those who benefitted most from Bush policy should pay.”
- So this means bootstraps only applies to individuals but not business right?
- This crisis will separate the wheat from the chaffe. I am sick and tired of Democrats ceding that we have to pass this bill before they say anything else.
- Why can’t we have a moratorium on foreclosures?
- Privatizing profit and socializing the loss has never been so apparent. Do you really think that Congress will make sure that the American people get their money back?
- Are you better or worse now than you were eight years ago?
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
Debunking the racism survey
In Issues and Politics on September 23, 2008 at 7:53 amvia Christian Progressive Liberal from Jack and Jill Politics
They Can’t Have That – Why I Don’t Trust Political Polls
Because when it looks like the outcome is not what those in charge would like to see, a statistical poll is published to scare the masses into doing something else. Check out the results of the following poll about the “Racial Divide” in America:
Asked how much of America’s existing racial tension is created by blacks, more than one-third of white respondents said “most” or “all,” and 9 percent said “not much.” Only 3 percent of blacks said “most” or “all,” while half said “not much at all.”
Nearly three-fourths of blacks said white people have too much influence in American politics. Only 12 percent of whites agreed. Almost three times as many blacks as whites said blacks have too little influence.
Far more blacks than whites say government officials “usually pay less attention to a request or complaint from a black person than a white person.”
One in five whites have felt admiration for blacks “very” or “extremely” often. Seventy percent of blacks have felt the same about whites.
I have several problems with this poll. First, it was conducted by individuals at Stanford University. Given that Stanford is indeed, a premier, Ivy League of the West Coast College; the fact remains that it is also one of the most politically conservative colleges in the collegiate education system. Because this is a historic election year, in which the real test will be in whether or not white people can really put aside their bigotry and make a choice based on qualification as opposed to race. Read the rest of this entry »
My thoughts on the financial meltdown
In Issues and Politics on September 23, 2008 at 7:35 amI need to speak my piece about the financial crisis facing America. This will be free form but take from it what you will.
Real people
Many families are in a situation where the only real safety net is that of other family members who are relatively well off. To be clear, we are not talking about McCain rich; rather I am defining well off by having good credit and being able to give “loans” to the family that rarely get paid back. These family anchors (including some in my own family) are being wiped out with this economic crisis. And I am tired of real people being categorized as “Main Street” and banks being characterized as “Wall Street.” This level of distance from real people in our media leaves everyone and no one responsible for our current crisis. In the end, the real victims are faceless and nameless. Read the rest of this entry »
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-22
In Quick Notes on September 22, 2008 at 11:59 pm- “It’s not a bailout, it’s a stick up.” — Naomi Klein during her interview today with Randi Rhodes #
- Randi Rhodes: “This bailout is an *Authorization to use Financial Force* against the American people.” #
- Randi Rhodes on the taxpayer bailout: “You’re paying for your own rape kit.” #
- Damn, Randi Rhodes is killin’ em today. She just said: “These financial _instruments_ that they make up are weapons of mass destruction.” #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-19
In Quick Notes on September 19, 2008 at 11:59 pmSuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-18
In Quick Notes on September 18, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: Michigan election update ( http://tinyurl.com/537zuz ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: Stopping voter purging in Michigan ( http://tinyurl.com/48a5wm ) #
- Obama endorsed Darcy Burner today. She’s a phenomenal candidate and a real progressive. #
Stopping voter purging in Michigan
In Issues and Politics on September 18, 2008 at 12:20 pmWhat’s up fam, the debacle in the form of purging that took place in the 2000 Florida election appears to be a standing pattern for the GOP running from Florida to Ohio to now Michigan. But we don’t play here in the great state. Below is a press release regarding a federal lawsuit filed by the Advancement Project, United States Student Assocation (USSA) and the ACLU of Michigan, and the law firm of Pepper Hamilton LLP.
Advancement Project, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Michigan and the law firm of Pepper Hamilton LLP filed a federal lawsuit challenging two statewide voter purge programs that could potentially disfranchise hundreds of thousands of Michigan voters in advance of the November 2008 presidential election. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Detroit against Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, Michigan Bureau of Elections Director Christopher M. Thomas and Ypsilanti Clerk Frances McMullen.
Read the rest of this entry »
Michigan election update
In Issues and Politics on September 18, 2008 at 12:06 pmBy now, many of you have heard about what is happening in Michigan with the GOP trying to prey on people who are going through foreclosure and trying to disenfranchise them. So for all the call and emails I have received, I want people to know that we are on top of the situation. However, for as fun as it may be to beat up on Republicans, we need to make sure that our folks know how to fight back. First, being foreclosed on your home is not a valid reason for you to be challenged at the polls. So for the record:
If you move within 60 days of the election and you don’t change the address on your driver’s license or ID, you’re still eligible to vote at your old address, even if that address has been foreclosed.
I work with the Michigan Election Coalition and we are coordinating efforts to make sure have the proper information and the other way we fight back is by making sure that OUR folks are poll watchers and actually sign up to work the polls. For people that want to be poll watchers and otherwise get involved, contact the Michigan Election Coalition Coordinator, Tierney Eaton at michiganelectioncoalition@gmail.com and visit the website by clicking here.
Get off the sidelines, it’s not a game out here.
Stay up fam,
Brandon
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-17
In Quick Notes on September 17, 2008 at 11:59 pm- @richardsession I’m glad you like the new color scheme. Maybe now you’ll come & comment
. # - New post at The SuperSpade: Lessons From the Impending Recession ( http://tinyurl.com/6rtp6k ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: My Proposal for a better Hurricane Ike Response: The Equality in Rescue Act (ERA) ( http://tinyurl.com/5c89tz ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: The New NAACP: Upload 2 Uplift ( http://tinyurl.com/3w58q7 ) #
- @karsh try this one http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2008/09/15/daily40.html #
- @karsh We all need to do that. I have $ in Washingtom Mutual and live in Seattle, so I’m watching this closely as well. #
The New NAACP: Upload 2 Uplift
In Issues and Politics, One Change, Politics, Technology on September 17, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Yesterday afternoon, I participated in a call with new NAACP President & CEO Ben Jealousheld a press conference with Black bloggers and members of the Black press to kick off his tenure and discuss his top 2 priorities: helping Hurricane Ike survivors and ensuring full participation in the upcoming election.
NAACP and Hurricane Ike
According to Jealous, the NAACP National Office sent 3 of its staff people to do two things:
- Ensure fairness in the distribution of aid
- Ensure the sins of Katrina are not repeated
They’ve got their work cut out for them, and Jealous actually told us something else disturbing about the lead-up to the storm:
Some poor communities complained to the NAACP that they were not adequately warned of the storm, its seriousness, or the voluntary/mandatory evacuations. This is because the warnings happened almost exclusively on TV, and these people had no TV.
People with questions in the state and out of state can call the NAACP Command Center, which is at their Texas State Conference, at (512) 322-9547.It is a travesty that the NAACP’s Command Center is set up before FEMA’s.
Making sure peoplve vote
While Jealous is working to make sure that folks in the wake of Ike get proper aid and electrical power, he and the NAACP are working hard to make sure that those folks’ electoral power is also fully restored and available. The rights of voters in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina was a major issue, and I actually marched in support of the re-enfranchisement of those voters. 
In what Jealous called “a sign of things to come,” he announced Upload 2 Uplift, a website that gives people the ability to do 2 things:
- Register themselves to vote online, or print out registration forms that they can mail in
- Register their friends and contacts to vote
#2 is very important, and it’s this “social voter registration” capability that really sets this tool apart from other online voter registration tools. Many people know they have friends that are not registered to vote. If you know that person’s email address, you can give them a very simple way to register quickly online. Additionally, the system will send people reminders by email and/or text message to let them know when to vote and where to vote, if they want it too. Pretty cool.
A great start
This was a good meeting for Jealous, and he demonstrated a new way of thinking about the NAACP and about advocacy & civic engagement. By including Black bloggers in his first press conference, Ben Jealous showed that blogging and other forms of new and online media will be an important part of the NAACP’s strategy going forward. By creating its first real online tool, the NAACP shows that technology and the Internet will be important parts of their strategy going forward. I am looking forward to see what they do with this momentum.
One Love. One II.
My Proposal for a better Hurricane Ike Response: The Equality in Rescue Act (ERA)
In Issues and Politics on September 17, 2008 at 8:53 am
Hurricane Ike did serious damage in Galveston and other parts of Texas, and is still causing weather-related issues for people as far north as Ohio. Our prayers have been in full force for all of those impacted.
The Local, State, and Federal government response is under close scrutiny. While we should always pay attention to how a government takes care of and tends to its citizens, natural disaster response watching has be come a professional sport since the governmental disaster that was the response to Hurricane Katrina. Oh boy, is there a lot to talk about. Read the rest of this entry »
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-16
In Quick Notes on September 16, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Register your friends to vote: http://www.naacp.org/vote #
Lessons From the Impending Recession
In Issues and Politics on September 16, 2008 at 7:53 pmLately, the economy has taken center stage in the media and the upcoming election. With the collapse of Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, coupled with the Feds taking over Fannie and Freddie, Wall Street is getting religion in a major way. What does this mean to the average person? Why should you care about the credit crisis? Have you made sense of it? Read the rest of this entry »
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-15
In Quick Notes on September 15, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: What a weekend on Wall Street ( http://tinyurl.com/6qxw6r ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: You know things are bad when ( http://tinyurl.com/5c3q7c ) #
- On the bus this morning, an older Black man told me I ‘looked like an Obama supporter.’ I had to get off before finding out what that meant. #
- Rush Limbaugh: “Clinton was a Governor, Al Capone was a Community Organizer.” Translation: Obama is in the mafia. Wow! #
- Michael Medved guest Larry Kudlow: “Oil has ‘fallen’ to $95/barrel. Let’s look at the positive.” Conservatives have no concept of reality. #
You know things are bad when
In Issues and Politics on September 14, 2008 at 10:11 pmYou know your campaign is negative when Karl Rove says that McCain’s negative campaiging has gone too far. Rove said,
“McCain has gone in some of his ads — similarly gone one step too far,” he told Fox News, “and sort of attributing to Obama things that are, you know, beyond the ‘100 percent truth’ test.”
Sometimes I wish I was a scientist so I wouldn’t be embroiled in all the craziness of electoral politics.
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
What a weekend on Wall Street
In Issues and Politics on September 14, 2008 at 10:05 pmWhat’s up fam,
So the mortgage crisis is steadily swimming upstream and reports show that Bank of America just bought out Merrill Lynch. After what appeared to be Treasury Secretary Paulson’s unwillingness to use taxpayer money to help bail out Lehman Brothers, Merrill saw the writing on the wall and took care of their investors before time ran out. In the interest of full disclosure, I interned for Merrill when I was in college when Stan O’Neal was there. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see writers talk about how difficult it is for banks in this economic turmoil. Trust me on this, people who lost their homes in a far worse situation than the top folks at Merrill. What worse is that for as bad as this situation is, what will prevent our economic system from riding the boom and bust of the bubble. In the 90’s it was the tech bubble. The first decade of the 21st century is witnessing the bust of the housing bubble. I say we use the 10s to ride a clean and renewable energy that only busts global warming, poverty, and a national security dependent on oil security.
Stay up fam
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-13
In Quick Notes on September 13, 2008 at 11:59 pmSuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-12
In Quick Notes on September 12, 2008 at 11:59 pm- @richardsession Yeah, it’s disgusting. The realy question is what’s the Obama Street Team going to do in response? #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-11
In Quick Notes on September 11, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Fat Joe should be featured in an Obama ad. http://is.gd/2282 why is he better at framing than most political consultants? #
- Stephanie Miller labeld Sarah #Palin as an “Affirmative Action” pick. Most understand that Affirmative Action is for qualified people! #
- @richardsession What do they consider to be the “important issues” to MI voters? #
- @digitalsista That Nonprofit Industrial Complex will get you every time. #
- New post at The SuperSpade: When People Lie, People Die: A Frank Lesson from 9/11 ( http://tinyurl.com/4k6jqm ) #
- So sad: Same old soup, just reheated: Retweet @MandianaJones RT @antibullshit “Democrats’ Collaboration at #RNC08 Exposed. http://is.gd/2v89 #
When People Lie, People Die: A Frank Lesson from 9/11
In Issues and Politics on September 11, 2008 at 1:17 pm7 years ago today the world stood still in the face of tragedy as Americans, Black, white, and everyone else stared in pure horror as we saw real planes crash into real buildings with living, breathing people inside them in real time. Then, few saw it as a teaching moment: a moment that we could learn from. Since then, the majority of us have activated our analytical minds and searched for understanding regarding the events that took place on that day and the series of happenings that led to that disaster.
As we remember that day, those who were injured and killed, those who demonstrated the apex of human bravery, and those who have since perished in events related to 9/11, I ask that we contemplate a basic truth exemplified on that day:
When People Lie, People Die
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in one of his many non-”I Have A Dream”-speeches, said this about what I’ll call the Continuum of Lying:
Jesus realized something basic: that if a man will lie, he will steal. And if a man will steal, he will kill. So instead of just getting bogged down on one thing, Jesus looked at him and said, “Nicodemus, you must be born again.” In other words, “Your whole structure must be changed.”
In other words, many big, huge, terrible, evil things start off itty bitty lies. Lies that went unchallenged. Fallacies that were presented and accepted. Falsehoods that are seen then ignored.
Enough!
Barack Obama said this plainly during his Acceptance Speech at the DNC in Denver. It bears repeating and applying here when talking about how we need to stop accepting the lies that politicians tell. (…cough…John McCain…cough…Sarah Palin…cough…)
I don’t like being lied to, and frankly, you shouldn’t either. It’s insulting and disrespectful, and it leads to people getting harmed, hurt, and killed.
So in rememberance of 9/11, its victims, and its survivors, let’s reject lying in our homes, lying in our workplaces, and lying in our politics. Who knows how many lives we can save by just doing that.
One Love. One II.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-10
In Quick Notes on September 10, 2008 at 11:59 pm- @richardsession Don’t shred it yet. What does it say? I’m curious to know what their messaging is as we come down the home stretch. #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-09
In Quick Notes on September 9, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Congrats to @rachelmaddow. The Rachel Maddow Show is starting in 22 min. Tune in & support progressive voices penetrating traditional media. #
- New post at The SuperSpade: We Need Workers, Not Volunteers ( http://tinyurl.com/6hpe6t ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: On Obama\’s Religion #
- @tigerbeat thanks for the @maddow correction! #
- New Post at The SuperSpade: On Obama’s Religion & The Question of Qualified Black Candidates (http://is.gd/2paT) #
- @advodude Will our exposing of this “September Surprise” be enough to preempt the inevitable “October Surprise” they’ll try to pull? #
We Need Workers, Not Volunteers
In Community, Issues and Politics, One Change on September 9, 2008 at 9:06 am
I’m just as excited as the next activist to see so many people engaging in the electoral process this year. People are phone-banking, canvasing, knocking on doors, calling their congress members, etc. All of this volunteerism is beautiful, an expression what passionate political participation by an informed and interested citizenry should look like in a democracy.
What’s not to like?
Well, there is actually one big thing not to like: Very, very little of this is sustainable. That’s right. 95% of this enthusiasm and participation will likely die the day after election day, with the other 5% dying the day after inauguration day.
Why is this not sustainable?
One word: money. Read the rest of this entry »
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-08
In Quick Notes on September 8, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: To Attack Community Organizers is to Attack Black Political Thought ( http://tinyurl.com/6h2zmx ) #
- @huffingtonpost stole The SuperSpade’s framing of Sarah Palin http://is.gd/2mPA Imitation is the highest form of flattery. #
- Why are some folks not OK with the over-militarized police at #rnc08 yet unwilling to acknowledge that same police presence at #dnc08? #
- @nezua Sadly, the Dems missed a chance to demonstrate a progressive approach to event security at #dnc08. What a great contrast to draw. #
To Attack Community Organizers is to Attack Black Political Thought
In Community, Issues and Politics, One Change on September 8, 2008 at 11:40 am
This piece is part of Day of Blogging for Community Organizing Justice: “I Am a Community Organizer”.
Republicans don’t like Community Organizers. Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin ridiculed them specifically in their speeches last Wednesday at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN. This modern crop of Republicans has demonstrated how much they hate grassroots organizing in many ways with their hatred or unionization, their damnation of dissenters inside and outside of the government, and their willingness to ignore the rights, thoughts, and actions of the people of foreign nations that they decide to invade destroy occupy “help”.
While these positions on their own are outrageous and not in line with the ideals of the America that Republicans claim to love so much, it is consistent with another thread of modern-day Republican rhetoric and practice: racism.
For every generation leading up to [and including] the current one, the only foray for Black people to better their lives collectively has been through community organizing. When I say community organizing, I don’t just mean the highly visible ones like Malcolm & Martin, I mean the invisible ones that most of us will never hear or speak of that sacrifice their time, treasure, and talents so that people’s day-to-day lives are better and that their voices are heard. This is the path that nearly all Black politicians have taken to attain the capital needed to even run for office, let alone win. For one to minimize the work of organizers is to minimize the thoughts, actions, and efforts of all minorities and underrepresented groups who wish to uplift themselves individually and as a whole.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-06
In Quick Notes on September 6, 2008 at 11:59 pm- @negrophile good find from Seattle PI. What’s implied there & not challenged is that a vote for McCain is an demonstration of independence. #
- New post at The SuperSpade: Supporting the troops: soundbytes or action? ( http://tinyurl.com/62taye ) #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-05
In Quick Notes on September 5, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: Closing the chapter on Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick ( http://tinyurl.com/6c6xkz ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: Palin talking to the press? Why would you think that? ( http://tinyurl.com/68djgw ) #
- Half a million more people watched John McCain’s acceptance speech (38.9M) than Barak Obama’s (38.4M) says Nielson. WTF? #rnc08 #dnc08 #
- 5M more white viewers watched McCain’s speech than Obama’s speech. 4.5M more Black folks watched Obama over McCain. Surprised? #dnc08 #rnc08 #
- @j_ro Unfortunately, I think that their numbers may be accurate. Sarah Palin is after all the biggest celebutard since Kim Kardashian. #
- @j_ro Is that a sad commentary on Nielson, or on TV viewers? I’m not sure I want to know the answer. #
- @tigerbeat Do you have any data on the online viewing? Clearly, Obama pummels McCain when it comes to web-enabled folks. #
- Randi Rhodes just asked if it’s OK to say McCain is pimping out #Palin because all she’ll be doing is going out & getting him $. Priceless! #
Supporting the troops: soundbytes or action?
In Issues and Politics on September 5, 2008 at 8:05 pmAnyone who knows me that if I am in town, I play pool with my dad…religiously. But last weekend I had a life changing experience. While my Dad and I were wrapping up our last game (and I did win last week, by the way) a White guy stumbles up to me with a beer in his hand (who we will call Dave) whose breath reeks of alcohol, spiked hair, plaid shorts, and flip flops. Through stuttering and some mumbling, Dave tells me that he always wanted to play pool with someone from Detroit.
Politely, I try to decline Dave and tell him that I am about to go leave. For some reason, Dave doesn’t quite understand what I am saying and I get the sense he is going to be heart broken if I don’t play pool with him. So I tell my Dad to pay for the time and tell the cashier to restart the time.
Dave was born and raised in Southfield, MI, a suburb that borders Detroit and his game is nine-ball and as I rack the balls, Dave reveals that he just got back from Iraq. He tells me about the horrors of war and how I should never ever join the army. Dave needs to vent more than anything so I listen as he says, “Man I would rather cut grass than scissors than go back over there. It’s like we’re sitting ducks just driving around waiting to get blown up…It’s nothing like the movies.” As we play, I am entranced at Dave’s anguish and misery, thinking to myself, “Dave will never be the same as a result of this war.” Read the rest of this entry »
Palin talking to the press? Why would you think that?
In Issues and Politics on September 5, 2008 at 6:53 amLest there be any doubt about Palin’s complete inadequacy to be Vice President of the United States, TIME’s correspondent found out that Palin won’t be dealing with the press. Check out this piece I pulled from Jay,
According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don’t care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace — in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough’s show — the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin’s scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads.
Wallace’s bash-the-media exercise has its merits as a campaign tactic. It certainly rallies the base. But the base won’t lift McCain to 50% in November. More importantly, in her smug dismissal of the media’s role in asking questions of the candidates, Wallace was really showing contempt not for reporters, but for voters. I bet there are a lot of undecided voters out there who were intrigued by Sarah Palin last night, but who don’t yet know enough about her — what she believes, what she knows — to be comfortable with the idea of her as vice president of the United States. It’s important to them to know if Palin can handle herself in an environment that isn’t controlled and sanitized by campaign image makers and message mavens. Maybe she can, maybe she can’t. As far as Wallace is concerned, it’s none of their — or your — business.
God help us,
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-04
In Quick Notes on September 4, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: Reactions to Sarah Palin ( http://tinyurl.com/6putco ) #
- Wow. 37.2M people watched Sarah Palin last night. For reference, 38.3M watched Obama’s acceptance speech. WTF? http://is.gd/2dMr #rnc08 #
- Great post by K. Myles, Wichita NAACP In Defense of Community Organizers http://is.gd/2dNF Click & add your favorite organizers to the list. #
- New post at The SuperSpade: Palin…The Conservative Trojan Horse ( http://tinyurl.com/5n28ow ) #
Closing the chapter on Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick
In Issues and Politics on September 4, 2008 at 7:48 pmIf you haven’t heard yet, Kwame Kilpatrick resigned today, ending an eight month long text-messaging scandal that has ravaged Detroit and the entire state of Michigan. I am too tired to explain all the minutiae of these cases because it is too emotionally draining but if you want to learn about it, go to the Detroit Free Press.
To be frank, I didn’t want to write about this story until it was over because I knew that 1) The text messages would be the downfall of the mayor and 2) I choose to focus and work on far more important issues that deserves attention like foreclosed homes, the lack of a quality transit system, failing schools, sky-rocket car insurance rates, just to name a few.
Here is the thing, I don’t believe in kicking a man when he is down. Kwame is out of office and while there needs to be healing for the citizens of Detroit, I rebuke anyone who claims to seriously care about Detroit that will harp on this situation as a reason why they won’t fight the good fight. But let’s keep it really real, I really don’t care about what you think about the court cases. I care about whether you care about the citizens of Detroit. This is where I stood before the scandal, during the scandal, and where I stand today.
So as we look towards the future, there are a couple things to keep in mind. Just because Kwame is out of office does not mean that you have to run for mayor next year. Many folks have said today that this is a unique opportunity for Detroit to make a turn for the better. Those opportunities are present every single day and if you are waiting for the next scandal to sort-a-kinda get involved, don’t talk to me. And don’t wallow in despair. So when someone says it’s a sad day in Detroit, tell them that you look towards the hills from which cometh your help.
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
Palin…The Conservative Trojan Horse
In Issues and Politics on September 4, 2008 at 3:55 pmGovernor Sarah Palin. I am speechless really. I have been following the coverage since she she was announced as McSame’s VP candidate. Later on I will outline the outright lies she spewed in her speech last night. But first, let me say that I am scared with this Palin nomination because I fear that Democrats will underestimate her ability to sway people toward McCain. Someone once told me that people never remember what you say, they only remember how you make them feel. And if that logic holds true, Palin’s life story is very compelling and will go a long way towards her becoming the Trojan Horse that gets McSame in the White House. Now mind you I have said nothing about issues (of which I disagree with her on so many levels) but in the end issues really don’t matter. And if you don’t believe me, check out this excerpt from George Lakoff,
But the Palin nomination changes the game. The initial response has been to try to keep the focus on external realities, the “issues,” and differences on the issues. But the Palin nomination is not basically about external realities and what Democrats call “issues,” but about the symbolic mechanisms of the political mind — the worldviews, frames, metaphors, cultural narratives, and stereotypes. The Republicans can’t win on realities. Her job is to speak the language of conservatism, activate the conservative view of the world, and use the advantages that conservatives have in dominating political discourse.
Democrats, if you want to win, realize that for as much as issues matter, you can’t do anything about the issues until you win so I beg that anyone supporting Obama imagine that you are the perpetual underdog until the polls close November 4th. Below is a clip from the Daily Show that debunks this whole gender card foolishness followed by an abbreviated breakdown of how Palin lied to America last night.
If that wasn’t enough, here is a more detailed fact-based analysis of how she lied in her unusually cynical speech, (Thanks Laurin!)
Fact Check of Governor Palin’s Speech Read the rest of this entry »
Reactions to Sarah Palin
In Issues and Politics on September 4, 2008 at 12:21 pmIt’s taking me much longer than I anticipated to wrap my head around the DNC. Nevertheless, life, and politics, go on.
Now that the Republicans have a Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, a good friend of mine and of The SuperSpade’s has some reactions to her selection and her speech.
Below are links to Clarence Wardell III’s Giant Steps blog, which has two posts on Palin & much more great content.
On the Palin Pick
By picking Palin, McCain has made himself out to be a hypocrite and liar. The immediate instinct is to react as Obama’s communication’s director did, and talk about how much Palin is unqualified, but that is not the winning attack line, and Democrats would be wise to stay away from this as much as possible. Based on Obama’s response to the Palin nomination on Friday, he gets it, which isn’t surprising at all. One thing we’vecome to find out about Obama is that he’s much more politically savvy than people tend to give him credit for being. By attacking on the front of Palin’s inexperience the Obama campaign opens themselves up to the response that she’s qualified as Obama (which is not true). The central line of attack must be that it was not Obama who thought he lacked experience, but McCain who thought Obama lacked experience. With this pick McCain has shown that either:
- He’s a liar and Obama does have the appropriate experience, or that
- Palin is inexperienced too, and he just picked someone who is not the most qualified.
However, he can’t have it both ways.
Read more of the “On the Palin Pick” post.
Reactions to Palin’s Speech
Some have commented that this speech was on par with the Obama speech of 2004. I have to laugh at this, because for one the speech that Sarah Palin read was clearly written by someone for her, packed with about 30 minutes of lines pulled straight out of the McCain commercials we’ve seen for the past month. Obama’s speech was written by him, and then tweaked by others. Palin’s was a speech predicated on division, while Obama’s was a salvo for unity. For all the energy put into the conservative base by the Palin pick, I can only imagine that her speech tonight did the same for the liberal base.
Read more of the “Reactions to Palin’s Speech” post.
One Love. One II.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-09-01
In Quick Notes on September 1, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Finally back in Seattle after spending the weekend following #dnc08 with friends in Denver. Now I’m praying for everyone impacted by #gustav #
- Put my #dnc08 pics up on Facebook at http://is.gd/26rc #
