Blogger's Note: This started out in the comment section, but then grew to post-size proportions.
"He is saying that he wants to be an activist president resolving many issues that are important to the African American community," Meeks said. "Kerry was simply stating that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Clinton in addressing issues that are important to African Americans."
Actually, what I think Kerry is saying is: "I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing or how I got here."
Like a number of other Kerry moves, this comment strikes me as either exceedingly stupid or exceedingly cynical. Either he's too dumb to realize that, as a former Bonesman, he's going to look disingenuous at best, ridiculous at worst, if he portends to being able to understand the plight of black America. (Clinton, remember, was at least poor and from the South. Joe is more black than Kerry.) If Kerry's not that dumb then his comment is an example of pandering of the lowest kind.
It's good to see a black leader call one of these liberal, elitist, whiteies out. I'be been saying this for a while now, but one day it's going to be true: there will come a day when black people in this country will wake-up to the fact that the Democratic party takes them for granted.
Black Americans will grow tired of John Kerry's (who is just the latest example) pandering for votes and offering nothing in terms of ideas. They will realize that their cultural values are much more in line with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party. And they will look around their neighborhoods and notice that the Democratic welfare-state has failed them.
I honestly believe that Black America will continue to put itself in a precarious position if they continue to allow themselves to be in the back pocket of white Democratic candidates. Candidates that never seem all that concerned with black issues until they are running for something. I'm not saying that this calls, neccessarily, for defection from the Democratic Party. But as long as the party continues to act in such an insulting manner, defection could emerge as the only alternative.
I realize that these comments are a little controversial and I can imagine that I'm coming off as just another white guy who knows best. But my thoughts on this come from a look at reality, something John Kerry would be best to check in on.
Tony
