SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-26

• @maddow Please don’t have Eric Schmidt on to talk about the economy at large. He’s as much of an authority on that subject as Jenna Bush. #
• @davidjam Adjustments are necessary. But, Citi & friends failed adjusted to the Brave New World too, yet they got bailed out. Doesn’t add up #
• @SistersTalk A few people at my day job have Acer NetBooks. The cool factor is high; the practical factor for me was low (keys too small). #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-24

• We’re back on our Twitter grind now… #
• Is it just me, or has the anti-Detroit coalition been given political cover to spit fire towards my city b/c of the proposed Big 3 loan? #
• Let’s not get it twisted: Hate Detroit = Hate Working Class = Hate Unions = Hate Underemployed = Hate Undereducated = Hate Black folks #
• @urbanreporter I’m blessed, tryin’ to win a free wedding http://bit.ly/wedding-of-a-lifetime I saw them the week before they bounced. #
• @donlemoncnn Absolutely. I see this as a great opportunity to de-commercialize Christmas and the entire holiday season. #
• @thesmak I’ll cede you KK. MI has political power, but what’s important here is that this loan is for more than just MI. #
• @karsh It frustrates the hell out of me when I see that too. Why is valuing technical skill so foreign? Congrats on going independent! #
• @thesmak Dingell lost out because he’s not on Pelosi’s good side. Chairmanships have never been strictly based on Seniority. #
• @thesmak I’ll give you that it hurts MI as far as the House goes. I’d like to see Sen. Levin turn a more keen eye towards domestic issues. #
• @BWBConference The timing is bad if the new administration decides to forget about the Midwest. Obama will not do that. He can’t. #
• @BWBConference The Big 3 are asking for a loan, not a gift. We taxpayers just bough Christmas presents for Citigroup execs. #
• @BWBConference The Big 3 are lumbering towards progress & there should be very stiff strings attached to the loan to change practices. #
• @BWBConference However, these banks’ biz practices left them burning through cash as well, but the government had no problem gifting them $. #
• @ruby Evolve? Yes. Leave behind the Midwest? Aboslutely not. Every lawmaker from MI, OH, IL, IN, PA, WI & others represent automakers. #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-19

• New post at The SuperSpade: Help the Big Three ( http://tinyurl.com/5g6oxo ) #

Help the Big Three

I am so astonished at the vitriol being directed towards Detroit in terms of this bailout of the auto industry. For the record, I was really upset with the bailout of the financial industry because it reminded me of how we got involved in Iraq which was, “Pass this bill now or the world is going to end!” I mean the financial bill had to be passed in what, a week? Didn’t it seem like this emergency came out of nowhere? Even emergencies should require due diligence and too many in Congress were not willing to put the brakes on and say, “If we are going to give you $700 billion dollars, you can wait a minute.” Do you remember trying to ask your parents really fast so they don’t catch all the details? That was the financial bailout.

I think Congress should help the auto industry for the following reasons;

We are talking about a $25 billion dollar loan (there is precedent a la Chrysler, Lee Iacocca) which is a fraction of the $140 billion tax cut that Paulson tucked in the bailout bill.

Some people say we should let the Big Three die. We are not just talking about 3 million jobs being lost, we are talking about ripple effects that run deep in our communities. Take healthcare for example. I have a friend who works at a hospital here in Michigan that is announcing major layoffs. Why? Because as the auto industry announces more and more layoffs, these laid off workers lose their health care which then forces people to sign up for Medicare and Medicaid. And because Medicare and Medicaid reimburse at lower rates than do say Blue Cross/Blue Shield. So for real, a world without the Big Three is not going to be contained to Detroit and trust me, it will impact you in a very real way.

Framing

I find it interesting that most coverage of the auto industry is framed in terms of saving or not saving “Detroit.” Detroit is not being saved, the auto industry is asking for a loan. Although Detroit is known for the auto industry, this framing has negative consequences. For starters, the economic bailout of Wall Street was never framed in terms of saving New York. Instead, the framing was that Wall St. is the engine behind your paycheck and small businesses all across America. One doesn’t have to think long to conjure up negative images about the city of Detroit and we end up pitting city against other cities. Again, this is about America, not Detroit. My city has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. No economic bailout is going to put Detroiters to work again but failure to do so will guarantee millions of people not directly working for the industry will see an economic downturn that will be peanuts compared to what we are seeing with the economic mess.

We are all in this together. Congress, do the right thing

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-16

• New post at The SuperSpade: Thoughts on Obama ( http://tinyurl.com/5k6q3f ) #
• New post at The SuperSpade: What are we fighting for… ( http://tinyurl.com/5ebra8 ) #
• New post at The SuperSpade: Accountability and your money? Spare me ( http://tinyurl.com/5qo33e ) #

Accountability and your money? Spare me

I am getting so upset with the vile being directed towards the auto industry’s request for $25 billion because after the 700 billion dollars doled out to Wall St. (and they are still not lending!), we find out that the Department of Treasury just gave Wall St. a tax deal worth up to $140 billion. See the excerpt below form the Washington Post.

The financial world was fixated on Capitol Hill as Congress battled over the Bush administration’s request for a $700 billion bailout of the banking industry. In the midst of this late-September drama, the Treasury Department issued a five-sentence notice that attracted almost no public attention.

But corporate tax lawyers quickly realized the enormous implications of the document: Administration officials had just given American banks a windfall of as much as $140 billion.

The sweeping change to two decades of tax policy escaped the notice of lawmakers for several days, as they remained consumed with the controversial bailout bill. When they found out, some legislators were furious. Some congressional staff members have privately concluded that the notice was illegal. But they have worried that saying so publicly could unravel several recent bank mergers made possible by the change and send the economy into an even deeper tailspin.

“Did the Treasury Department have the authority to do this? I think almost every tax expert would agree that the answer is no,” said George K. Yin, the former chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, the nonpartisan congressional authority on taxes. “They basically repealed a 22-year-old law that Congress passed as a backdoor way of providing aid to banks.”

It can not be said enough how much this financial bailout process mirrored the invasion of Iraq. Bush use fear tactics in asking demanding that Congress give him unchecked powers. Congress accepts this horrible framing and capitulates and then use Congressional hearings to explain why they voted the way they did while trying to lambast whoever they asked to appear before their committee. If it is so hard to be in Congress and do the right thing, don’t take the job!!!

If there is anything true about the Bush years is how Congress never debated saying no but they instead focused on trivial issues concerning oversight. It will be interesting to see how many on the hill will suddenly discover checks and balances under Obama.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

What are we fighting for…

I have been non-partisan voter registration efforts for some years now and one line that was particularly salient (given Obama’s candidacy) during the campaign was that “People died so that you could have the right to vote.” I am excited that millions took up this call and participated in this election but what will be our generation’s clarion call? I know people died for us to have the right to vote but many more put to death their selfish tendencies as they invested their dreams in the generations to come. What do you think we should be fighting for?

UPDATE: Thankfully, there is an organization, Generation Vote that is at the forefront of defining and shaping the youth agenda.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

Thoughts on Obama

What’s up fam,

I wanted to wait to write about the historic election until it seemed normal. True to form, I wanted to share with you some thoughts I have concerning the Obama administration.

1. MLK’s dream was not that there would one day be a Black President of the United States. W.E.B. DuBois never claimed that a Black President would break the color line. The themes and tropes that Ralph Ellison highlighted in his book, the Invisible Man, is just as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1952.

2. Our role as Obama supporters should be to provide the political space for Obama to make bold decisions rather than be his reliable defenders. Not only does Obama not need coddling (Michelle has that locked up), he also shown he can take a punch. This means that you need to stay engaged with local advocacy groups and make sure your communities are prepared for the change Obama seeks. Even positive change can be difficult for most people so know that voting for Obama was the easy part.

3. I really want Obama to break with tradition and use a computer in the Oval Office because not only would it represent his own appreciation of technology but it would hopefully shed light on the digital divide that still plagues communities all across the country.

4. I know many men admire Michelle because let’s face it, she is a rider and sacrificed a ton so that Barack could have the freedom to chase his dreams. So as men, I know many of us, (including me) have said that we need a “Michelle” in our lives. In case you didn’t know, Michelle has many of the same qualities as Barack and could just as easily be President of the United States. The implication here is that as men, our “Obama fantasy” may mean that we are supporting our partners running for office or helping to found a business.

5. I wonder if there will be an increase in people of color joining the army now that Obama is Commander-in-Cheif? Morally speaking, I wonder if and how Obama will internalize the deaths and injuries endured in Afghanistan and Iraq. I raise that because at least with Bush, he decided that we were going to war so when he meets with the families of fallen soldiers, there is a direct line of responsibility that he must shoulder. Obama, on the other hand, not only opposed the war but he did not decide that we fight so will Obama be able to mentally shift responsibility to Bush?

More to come later,

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

UPDATE: I just came across an article where we learn that Obama does plan to use a laptop (a first for any President) in the Oval Office but he will be forced to give up his Blackberry, (I feel bad for you Barack, I say you push back) apparently due to security reasons. From the Statesman, “Aides said he hopes to have a laptop on his desk in the Oval Office. He would be the first American president to do so.” Wouldn’t it be sweet if Obama had a family portrait set as his background?

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-13

• @richardsession It’s only funny because it’s true! #
• Vote for Garlin from The SuperSpade to win a free wedding! http://bit.ly/wedding-of-a-lifetime You can vote for us once per hour! #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-12

• Interesting visualization of the words & works during the 1st 100 days of every President since FDR: http://is.gd/6SZo #
• NAACP President & CEO Ben Jealous’ reaction to the Election: “Proof Through the Night” http://is.gd/7dza #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-07

• Rtwt @optech: 30,000+ ppl looked up voting info on Know How To Vote http://www.knowhowtovote.us. Thx 2 the NAACP for contributing to this success! #
• Still writing that new post called Were you Obamacized or Politicized?… #
• Republicans now want to rebuild their party with the Internet as a foundation: http://www.rebuildtheparty.com/ #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-06

• New post at The SuperSpade: Big Opportunities, Big Change ( http://tinyurl.com/69zund ) #
• Great Election Results Visualizations from a fellow Universtiy of Michigan alum: http://bit.ly/election-results #
• @jimgilliam I think @maddow ‘borrowed’ your http://www.whitehouse2.org “set the next President’s priorities” idea http://is.gd/6wgB #
• Still writing that new post called Were you Obamacized or Politicized?… #
• More people have voted Democrat in the Presidential Election since 1980: http://is.gd/6xuo Why then do Dems always move towards the center? #
• Pundits are oversimplifying the goals of the Civil Rights Movement by saying their dreams are have been realized with the election of Obama. #
• @SistersTalk I think the Dems can probably reach more folks by appealing to the positive, lean-left part of you than the middle part. #
• @SistersTalk Increased numbers of Democratic voters means an increased opportunity to share Democratic frames and ideology. #
• @SistersTalk Registered Republican doesn’t mean opposed to alt. ideology. Dems must understand what attracted these voters & capitalize. #
• @SistersTalk My guess is that the middle part of you is open to all sides, so the Dems need to find the right ways to communicate with that. #
• @SistersTalk That hurt him, no doubt, but I think there’s more to it than that. It’s up to the Dems to figure out if I’m right or not. #

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-05

• New post at The SuperSpade: A User\’s Guide to Having a Black President ( http://tinyurl.com/5zcblx ) #
• The game has changed. #
• http://twitpic.com/k65m – OMG Obama! #
• Rush Limbaugh is in rare form today. #
• @digitalsista I just bought the shirt for her. #
• @batterista He’s saying the loss is a referendum on moderate Conservatism & that unapologetic conservatism works (ex. CA Prop 8). #
• @batterista He’s also saying this officially puts fimrly on a path to ever-growing government (i.e. socialism). Glenn Beck said this too. #
• @digitalsista I will if I can. The shirt I wore yesterday was the Obama-as-Vince-Carter shirt: http://is.gd/6q3U #
• @batterista I wish it was, but it wasn’t. To fundamentally change the economy, foreign policy, etc., we must confront problematic ideology. #
• @batterista Changing problematic thinking is how we’ll sustain the change we want & It’ll prevent garbage like this: http://is.gd/6q5S #
• @batterista They will regroup. However, they won’t see this as problematic if we reject & address their premise that government is bad. #
• Rtwt @OneCampaign Mandela to Obama: “Combat the scourge of poverty and disease everywhere” http://tinyurl.com/5g4fyq #
• Great pics of Obama during the campaign from The Big Picture: http://is.gd/6pFq #
• How can I make sure that I don’t get yet another random mass text messages with not-so-funny phrases about 40 acrs & crackers? #
• Still writing that new post called Big Opportunities, Big Change… #

Big Opportunities, Big Change

Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama!

Barack Obama warned us that some would try to make this big election be about small things. My warning is that we don’t let this big opportunity only lead to small change.

Big Opportunity

More than 137 million voters cast ballots this election, up 14% from 2004. 63.7 million (56%) of those people voted for Barack Obama, giving him more votes than any candidate in the history of US Presidential Election history. That is what you call a mandate.

Being the candidate with more supporters than any other President has ever had, Obama has been given a chance to serve more people than anyone could imagine. He can impact the finances of millions of people. He can improve the health of hundreds of millions of people. He can increase the moral standing of a nation in the eyes of billions of people. What a great opportunity to carry out public service and set the tone for the spirit of shared service & shared sacrifice that he so eloquently espouses.

Big Change

To whom much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48)

The level of support and passion surrounding Barack Obama says more about the people supporting him than about Obama himself. It says that Obama is an inspirational figure, but that was evident before he started running for President. More importantly, it says that people are hungry. Hungry for change. Hungry for a new approach. Hungry for something to do. This is why Obama always talks about this election not being about him, but instead being about us.

With everybody so hungry, the onus is on the Obama team to give us something to eat. I don’t want a snack. I want a full, seven course meal. Legions of people do not organize for incremental change. Armies form to march forth into bold victory.

Now is our chance to make real, fundamental change in very progressive ways. This change will not happen because Barack Obama is a progressive. It can & will happen if we push our government, our newly-elected President, and, most importantly, ourselves to work towards the new kind of politics that Barack Obama helped us to believe was possible.

Let’s be bold. Let’s ask for a lot out of this administration. Let’s make Barack Obama a successful President by ensuring that he keeps his promise to start making big changes to the way America works. We helped him make history on November 4th. Let’s keep making history for the next 4 years.

One Love. One II.

P.S. Homework assignment: Everyone under 30 should talk to someone over 60 about what this election means to them.

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-04

• Still writing that new post called On the Eve of Change… #
• New post at The SuperSpade: On the Eve of Change ( http://tinyurl.com/6dqadv ) #
• Yes, those are Jeremiah Wright ads I’m seeing the night before the Election. Wow. #

A User's Guide to Having a Black President

Like the majority of you, I am following the election on CNN.  Like you, I am extremely proud of what President Obama has been able to accomplish.  He has single-handedly had to put up with more bull than any presidential candidate…ever.  Yet, like a true Superspade, he has been able to surmount adversity and prevail.  This arguably, makes him the most influential person in politics since JFK and the most important African American figure since Martin and Malcolm.  Yet, the question everyone is struggling with is this: what does this really mean?  And where do we go from here?

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-03

• New post at The SuperSpade: Things not to do before Election Day ( http://tinyurl.com/64a2ev ) #
• Early voting is over in Florida. Why does early voting end the day before the day before the actual election? #
• Is it illegal to steal yard signs? #
• What time do the polls close in your state? Check here to find out: http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/rr174/sspenight/map1024bz2.gif #
• Obama’s grandmother just pased. Let’s all pray for the family. I know what it’s like to have a grandparent miss your greatest achievment. #
• @digitalsista I bought my g/f a shirt that has that alternative cover on it. #

On the Eve of Change

What were you doing the day before that election?

That’s going to be the question people are asking one another years from now about tomorrow’s important election.

Will you say you worked hard? Did all you could? Did nothing?

What “Black Leaders” Said

This morning, Sen. Obama held an African American Leadership Conference Call featuring Donna Brazile, Rev. Joseph Lowery, Oprah, Diddy, and others. What those people had to say was really nothing remarkable. Brazile did give another number to use if you have trouble at the polls: 877-US-4-OBAMA. Use it.

What Senator Obama Said

Senator Obama spent much more time speaking with all of us than I expected him to. During his 5 or 6 minute remarks (I expected maybe 2 minutes), he sounded exceptionally calm, thoughtful, and reflective. Wouldn’t it be great to have leadership like that?

He talked about the importance of the journey that he has traveled with his supporters. He talked about the historical importance of his campaign and potential election for Black adults and children alike. He talked about why the “fierce urgency of now” must energize everyone to work through tomorrow to ensure that people are heard and able to vote. He did not give us a stump speech. He did not repeat his closing arguments. Instead, he gave a personal set of remarks that really gave insight onto who he is as a person. And all of this was after he already found out about the passing of his grandmother. Wow.

What were you doing?

I was working. Phone banking. Canvassing. Door-knocking. Posting updates on Facebook. Posting Bulletins on MySpace. Text Messaging. Blogging.

I’m not saying that to brag. I’m saying that to show that we all have things that we can do. It’s not enough to vote. We deserve the leadership we work for. 

Barack Obama understood that and empowered everyday people to do more this season than any campaign ever has. Let’s use this collective power to work for better leadership this Election Day, and every day after.

One Love. One II.

Things not to do before Election Day

Brandon and I have been hearing all kinds of weird interesting things that people are doing between now and the close of the polls tomorrow. A couple examples:

1. “Man, I’m not gonna _________ until _________ gets elected tomorrow.”
   Fill in the blanks with whatever you want: eat, shower, shave, hoop, whatever. After you finish working your ass off today or tomorrow, take time and do what you have or want to do. This isn’t the time for silly superstitions.
2. If Obama doesn’t win, I’m going to _________.
   Fill in this blank with something riotous, violent, or offensive. While many people may be upset at McCain winning, burning up poor neighborhoods probably isn’t going to accomplish much. Consider doing something more productive.

Let’s work hard. Let’s be smart. Let’s vote. Let’s make sure others vote. But in doing that, let’s still take care of our kids tonight. Let’s still stay clean while we await the next President. 

Don’t do anything stupid. Trust me, everything will be alright.

One Love. One II.

SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-11-02

• New post at The SuperSpade: Earn your drink on November 4th ( http://tinyurl.com/673guv ) #

Earn your drink on November 4th

For the past couple weeks, wherever I go people tell me, “Brandon, you look tired.” I always want to respond by saying, “You don’t so why don’t you put in some work so you can look tired too.” For real though, I know many of you are really excited about the prospect of an Obama Presidency and may even be trying to figure out who is going to be hosting be best celebratory party. STOP and keep your nose to the ground. If you think Obama has enough money, he doesn’t. If you think everyone is volunteering so why should you, they are not. If you think there is no way Obama can lose this election, he can.

Bottom line, you don’t deserve a celebratory drink unless you put in work and ARE tired on Election night. Stop the foolishness.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.