I Think Obama Can Win, But This Is What He Has To Do
Posted on August 28, 2008 4:11 PM
Written Biko
I have to be honest. I was getting ready to start packing my bags for Canada. I really thought Obama was on a sinking ship. That was until I saw last night's speeches. Now I am starting to feel better about Obama's campaign. I actually think he can win!!!!
It's not going to be easy though, especially considering the fact Republicans are some disciplined beasts who approach politics with a win at all costs mentality. But I think Obama will be the next President of the United States if Obama if he takes the following steps:
#1 He Needs to Keep Working with Clintons
Say what you want about the Clintons, but people love them. It's hard not to. Not only do they have deep networks but Bill Clinton is a masterful public intellectual who has perfected the art of public speaking. They don't call him slick Willie for nothing!!! Bill and Hillary need to be on their grind in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan if Obama is going to turn out working class white voters. He simply can't win without their support (I see you Teach One).
#2 Stops Pissing Off Veteran Black Leaders
I'm not sure if you noticed it or not, but Obama doesn't have a lot of veteran black leaders by his side. I use to think that it wasn't that big of a deal until I got to Denver. Almost every person I know that is connected to a civil rights organization or the Congressional Black Caucus feels slighted by the Obama campaign. I can sort of feel their pain too, can you imagine having access to the most powerful office in country during the 90's only to be shut out eight years later? Barack isn't going to get the voter turn out he needs in key urban areas if he doesn't have the support of these important leaders.
#3 Embrace Hip-Hop Culture But Not Get Caught in the Fu*ckery
Barack is between a rock and hard place. Not only can he not be too connected to rap music's N-word activities, but some of hip-hop's biggest leaders are so politically naive that it's not really all that beneficial to deal with the fu*ckery. But Obama is going to have to really get his bar up in urban communities if he is going to win. It's not talked about a lot, but in 2004 African-Americans experienced a jump in turnout of more than 11 percentage points—the greatest increase in turnout of any racial or ethnic minority. He needs to get a strong surrogate from the rap community in his corner if he is going to win the hip-hop vote.
#4 Stop Hiring Outsiders to Organize Urban Communities
This one is tough, but I think the Obama campaign has been doing a pretty poor job of connecting with local urban communities. A big part of it is that they aren't hiring a lot of local leaders to be on their field teams. I know that the Obama campaign wants to run a tight ship, but I think he has to do a better job of hiring organic leaders who can turn out their peers. A lot of Obama's campaign staffers have good intentions, but Obama needs folks that understand the hood.
#5 Obama Needs To Read This Blog
Say what you want, but if you've been reading this blog you know that I got a lot of game. If Obama wants to win he better get a staffer soaking up the advice I offer up on a daily basis.
[Editor's Note: The views of this blog do not necessarily reflect those of SOHH.com]
you have some valid points. i know he will win. i live in florida and its a swing state but everyone i talk to is voting for obama. mccain is a complete idiot i dont know how he got past the other candidates. and hillary supporters that are voting for mccain should vote obama cause if mccain win you better believe obama win be back next 4 years after mccain f*cks up the country more.
Dude are you serious? This is like a high school student's myspace blog. It's crap...cousin Jeff you are not.
Just b/c you know who is running doesn't mean you know what the hell you are talkin about.
Barack a sinking ship!?!? GTFOH~
He needs the Clintons as much as the Clintons need him....HE BEAT her remember????!?! Now....They are a good look. They have followers. But they will be dead politically if they don't come on down.
hip Hop?!?! hell no.
Ole folks??!? 1no one cares about Jesse. Cmon now.
He is dong well because he is for everyone...not just u.
if he deals with hip hop it should be people who are not stupid. and he is supposed to be for everyone not just us black people
you have no idea what you're talking about and you sound like an idiot...please stick to hiphop
you have no idea what your talking about, you sound like an idiot...please stick to hiphop
#1 The Clinton's need him much more than he needs them, regardless to what pundits try to present in their divided party commentaries. Fact of the matter is, the Clinton's played dirty, and if their fuckery causes Obama to lose this election, Black people WILL turn on them. You can count on it, and they know it. your point is invalid.
#2 Old guard Black leaders chose their white savior in Hillary. They stood with her tooth and nail, for various reason, 1 being they couldn't do what Obama is primed to do. They discount the struggle of the current generation because we didn't march with them, or weren't alive to watch from the sidelines like most of them. They're arrogant as Hillary supporters thinking Obama needs to coddle them and kiss their ass for him to be successful, cause all of a sudden their support is critical to his success. False. There are enough sane people in the US who will not cut off their noses to spite their faces, and Obama doesn't have to "yes'm" for these bojanglin ass hypocrites, who hold funerals for a damn word, when the sentiment is alive and well. At the end of the day, these useless self-serving relics had better fall in line, cause it's our time whether they're at the forefront or not. your point is invalid.
#3 Jay-Z, Nas...what other staples does he need in the Hip Hop community? You're on a hip hop blog trying to pretend to be the political voice and you say this nonsense? catch up...please.
#4 Last I checked the primaries showed record african-american turnout. There are plenty of grass-roots effort to boost voter turnout, along with Obama lead initiatives. It's a foregone conclusion that we WILL be coming out in droves. You still haven't made a valid point.
#5 The biggest "nicca please" moment of this long ass waste of time you call a blog. You're not even insightful enough to warrant MY readership, let alone Obama's. You get a pat on the head for being ignorant enough to spur me to respond to this non-sense. log off
i agree. right now he def needs the clintons. she had the popular vote. why do people act like he won by a landslide and not by the dnc's decision not to count florida, michigan and hold a lot of questionable caucses? they are kissing hillary's azz right now. they picked her vp. biden was her choice. and give both prime time at the convention. yes she lost but i assure you she really won.
the only thing i disagree with is that he will win. i thought so but now no more. not after that debate with mccain where he made a fool of himself. and yall better not blame clinton either
obama had 18,000,000 votes just like she did
you are the same person from SOHH who was insisting that Obama has to choose Hillary Clinton for VP or he is finished, that you know better. You had no faith in him then and now that he has been nominated, you come around and tell us how you are so happy and that you were almost parking fearing that Obama will loose. Its people like you who have no faith in us that let us down, you only think good things can come from other places but not in your own community. you make me sick with your suggestions to Obama, you need to grow up and believe more in yourself and others too. Dont write people off in life ok, just a quiet advise.
hey EsgMrs obama and mccain haven't debated yet so get your facts straight. and obama is going to tear mccain in half if you've followed closely like i have you'd notice there are a lot of republican voting for obama and every new registered voters is 3/4 are democrats. i know for a fact obama is going to win dont listen to these false polls.
EsqMrs...she didn't have the popular vote, and how she went about her campaign when she was getting torn a new ass is exactly why I WILL blame her if Obama loses. She played to the basest instinct of white america on some Uncle Rukus type "Don't Trust Them New Niggas Over There". She played up the scary black man you can't trust angle, the shifty negro you don't know to scare white people back into their subconscious and latent racial ignorance and bigotry. And it's not by accident she's now starring in a McCain ad AGAINST Obama. She knew what she was doing and is culpable for her actions.
Hillary's doing damage control right now. She's being played for her transgressions, messes she HAS to clean up to preserve the Clinton legacy, and THAT'S why they're put front and center. To clean up the bullshit they started, the ill will they conjured up as a last ditch effort in a losing campaign. no one is kissing her flat ass.
and don't forget, it WAS a blowout, until it was statistically impossible for her to win...that's when she went ultra dirty to damage obama and picked up some votes. Obama was already on his victory lap and she was desperate and trifling, trying anything to get Obama out, in the hopes that if she damaged him enough he'd be seen as a lame duck and she could sneak in the back way. Nope...she's talking nice now cause HER political career is on the line.
well said Double U Double Oh
Why will I vote for Obama? Here's why:
Obama may slighly lower payroll taxes initially
He says he'll heavily tax coal & natural gas... meaning electric & heating costs soar. that tax impacts all income ranges.
He says we must switch to alternative fuels immediatly & tax oil companies even more
Tax Oil companies more.... sure, that'll make gas prices go down. Obama has SAID he wants gas to be $8/gallon so all his MoveOn tree huggers will be happy
Exxon alone (only exxon) paid the same amount of taxes as the bottom 50% of ALL taxpayers in 2004. Google it.
Exxon tax rate = 40%, your broke ass tax rate = 3%.
Obama wants shity ass federal healthcare (look how well that's working else where haha).
McCain wants to give you a $5k tax credit so you can choose your own damn health insurance.
Obama wants to blow the teachers union... giving them all raises.
McCain wants to pay the teachers based on student performance (same theory as with Drs) & give you a voucher/tax credit so even the poor can send their kids to a good private school
You think increasing corporate taxes is a good idea? when was the last time these greddy companies didn't pass on any cost increases to the consumer?
Any tax againist a cororation is a tax against the consumer.
Obama wants to increase taxes on everthing made overseas & "revisit" trade agreements... meaning 98/100 items you buy will now cost more.
He wants to increase taxes on those evil rich people... the same ones signing your paycheck.
If you work for a small company you'll feel that shit. If you'r ceo is making less money so are you + less new jobs and less growth.
Plus, he wants to increase the minimum wage to almost $10/hr... WTF? every high schooler doesn't need to make 10/hr... that money should be spent on education and not kiling business.
What do you think the combo meal is gonna cost once Obama doubles the minimun wage... "I'll take a #1" ... "That be $10.99"
NObama!
Geeez... Didn't realize Obama was such a prick bastard
McCain! McCain! McCain!
McCain! McCain! McCain!
McCain! McCain! McCain!
He'll give me $1k tax break & raise my cost of living by 10x that.