The President’s Problem: He’s A Negro

Posted: September 26th, 2012 | Filed under: Politics, Ruminations | 17 Comments »

Some years ago, a few pals and I took our first of several blues excursions to the deepest, darkest Delta.

Mississippi was still Third World. Before gaming interests, looking for a cut of the rural poor’s meal money, turned the state into a faux wonderland with paved four-lane divided highways, enough billboards so the players carpooling it down from the Memphis airport wouldn’t have to look at the cotton fields, and kleig street lamps to illuminate the “Welcome To Tunica” signs sitting on cleared sites once hallowed as birthplaces to the blues.

On that trip, we attended the Delta Blues Festival in Greenville, Mississippi. BB King was the headliner. It was his first gig back home in years. Or, something like that.

The crowd at the festival was integrated to a stunning extent. At least to someone who lived up north at the Gateway to the South, someone with the usual preconceived notions of what things were like in the land that spawned the White Citizens Council.

There were two quite different groups of revelers set up on the festival grounds in front of us. To the left was a gang of white frat boys in khaki shorts and button-down Oxford cloth shirts. They had several Styrofoam coolers full of brewskis. To the right was a group of African-Americans, who from their interaction appeared to be extended family. A couple of fellows were defensive line huge, the kind of guys who have made Southern Miss a sneaky good football team through the years.

There was no interaction between the two groups.

Until one of those hefty black fellows, accidentally tripped backward a bit and stepped on one of the frat boys’ coolers. It broke, spilling beer and ice and maybe a sandwich or two.

What ensued was a memorable sociological study.

One of the frat boys, soon aided by a pal or two, started motherfucking and youniggering the fellow who had accidentally stepped on the coolers. As the moment wore on, his vitriol morphed more virulent. Spittle spewing from his lips, the collegian, bellowing invective, was right in the face of a fellow, one of those big uns who could have snapped the frat boy in half with one hand.

Except that the black fellow said nothing, did nothing, despite his simmer that was obviously roiling inside.

It was soon clear the white frat boy knew he could say anything he wanted, and no harm would come his way. Because he knew the black fellow knew he couldn’t lay a finger on the frat boy, no matter how deserving it might have been.

After awhile, the steam dissipated, the dispute dissolved. Neither group moved to another spot. Neither group had any interaction again with the other for the rest of the day.

The white kids, it seemed apparent, were born with a DNA allowing them to believe that such spewing of venom was legit, a birth right. They knew under the circumstances in this public setting there wasn’t a bit of harm would come their way, no matter what they said.

The African-Americans, I sensed, were of a lineage that understood this was as it always had been in their part of the world and there was nothing they could do, regardless of what foul epitaphs were hurled their way.

* * * * *

This is essentially the same trick bag in which Barack Obama has found himself since he developed political aspirations. Most certainly since he aspired to become the first black POTUS.

The absurd birther movement. The current trend in states controlled by the opposition to disenfranchise minority voters. The callous disrespect directed at Obama while in office. His opponent criticizing his stature during an international crisis. A member of the opposition party screaming that the president is a liar during a speech to Congress.

These are nothing more than veiled — not so veiled, actually — manifestations of racial intolerance.

As a black man, there are things that Barack Obama simply cannot do. And he must always be grateful that the American public has given him this opportunity to lead . . . as long as he doesn’t overstep his bounds.

He can’t get uppity. He must never display a mean streak. He must always be measured. He must, in every single action he takes, consider the racial undercurrent that has plagued this country for centuries since we started importing Africans as chattel to do our dirty work.

Bottom line: He must never display any of the character traits the general population associates with African-Americans. He must be whiter than we are.

Obama, it appears, has always understood this. He is always measured. He is eerily articulate. His attire is always immaculate, even on Casual Sundays. Did I mention that he is always measured? So I did.

* * * * *

Upon taking office, Obama was presented with a Herculean task. An impossible one really. Pull the country out of an economic abyss caused by the previous administration’s ill-conceived war mongering and trickle down tax posture.

No president of any color could have pulled us from the muck in four years. Certainly not with the guys riding shotgun pushing on the brakes. (I read that metaphor somewhere I don’t remember, so I can’t give credit. But it’s perfect.) That gang also deflated the tires. (I added that.)

But it seems to me, both friends and foes of the president have held Obama to a higher standard than his predecessors.

We gave you the keys to the car, negro, now get us where we’re going. We’re in a hurry.

I’ve got to believe he’s muttering to himself, “Yes, Miss Daisy.”

* * * * *

It may very well be that Barack Obama’s personality evolved naturally, that he never made a conscious decision to play the game as he has.

His instincts may have directed him to develop the lifestyle which made him palatable as a political force. He surely heeded this wise advice of Dr. King: “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.”

To be honest, some of those developed traits have worked against him. He’s a conciliator in a time when contention reigns.

And, one guy’s opinion, the color of his skin has prevented him from standing stronger and lashing out at his detractors when it would have been appropriate. When, if done by one of his predecessors, we would have admired his backbone.

* * * * *

I have a theory.

Which is that if Obama is reelected, we will see a different personality during his second term. He will be unshackled from the chains discussed above. He will be able to call out his demeaning detractors. He will have a firmer grip on the throttle of state.

Of course, the opposition will become more obstinate, more intransigent. But, because of Obama’s new stance, it will become more obvious where the problems with the direction of state come from.

* * * * *

It is my hope that Barack Obama wins and gets the chance to prove his leadership over the next four years.

To prove that the enmity directed toward him simply because of the color of his skin is abhorrent and in contradiction of the tenets of our republic to which we give lip service.

I have a dream. A dream that we shall sooner rather than later prove to the world and ourselves that we do indeed live in a nation where we judge all our brothers and sisters not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

We owe that to ourselves.

We owe that to our president.

 

 

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