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NPR News and Notes With Farai Chideya

Archive for the 'Politics' Category

29 Jun

Bill Clinton to Obama: “kiss my ass”

So this is the lion in winter? Is this what a denied and now all red and inflamed sense of entitlement looks like? During the primary campaign, former President Bill Clinton has already heaped a mountain of tarnish on his own legacy. And now, he’s about to insure that his prolonged toddler tantrum will eclipse [...]

24 Jun

Dear ‘Angry Hillary Ladies’: Welcome to my world

A wonderful friend of mine keeps trying to convince me to go to Denver with him to attend the Democratic National Convention. You see, he is an intimate of some of Hillary Clinton’s most major donors and passionate supporters. He promises that if I go, he’ll bring the “lawn chairs” and we will have front [...]

22 Jun

Admitted racial bias - How much will it matter for Barack Obama?

According to an ABC News-Washington Post poll reported in the Washington Post today, 3 out of 10 Americans acknowledge racial bias in assessing Barack Obama.
Lingering racial bias affects the public’s assessments of the Democrat from Illinois, but offsetting advantages and Sen. John McCain’s age could be bigger factors in determining the next occupant of [...]

11 Jun

A “sense of black grievance”

Sorry for the slow down in original posting just now. I am setting up a move and it’s got me all topsy turvy. In depth posting will resume tomorrow.
But in the meantime, I wanted to make sure you saw this thought provoking New York Times editorial: Color Test - Where Whites Draw the Line by [...]

07 Jun

What do you think about Hillary Clinton’s Concession Speech?

Brava, Hillary!

I thought Clinton’s speech was powerful, well-tempered and sincere. In comment threads, much is being made of the fact that the former first family and Terry McAuliffe are wearing black. Well, why not? This is a very hard, sad day for a little less or a little more than half of the Democratic [...]

04 Jun

Already? Obama painted as physically intimidating…well, slightly

*UPDATE: Jack and Jill Politics has a very different take on this.*
*UPDATE: More from DailyKos*
As a black man Barack Obama has to walk a very thin line. As discussed on NPR News and Notes, it will be hard for Obama to maintain a Presidential posture while still being the “magical black friend” that some voters [...]

04 Jun

All About Race on NPR - Audio Link!

AUDIO LINK of Today’s Broadcast
Today I’ll mix it up with two other bloggers on NPR’s “News and Notes” program. Host Farai Chideya will put us through our paces discussing a broad range of topics.
I’ll be on with Baratunde Thurston, who blogs as Jack Turner on the ever excellent Jack and Jill Politics and [...]

30 May

Grab your life vests friends, we are headed to a river called Denial

Clinton Issues Post-Primary Schedule (Yes, Post-Primary Schedule)

May 29, 2008 2:04 PM
ABC News’ Eloise Harper Reports: The press traveling with Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign received an email Thursday afternoon informing reporters they could sign up for travel through June 6 on the campaign website.
Given the speculation surrounding plausible outcomes from this Saturday’s DNC Meeting and [...]

29 May

Michelle Obama on talk of assassination and the possibility

I came across this over at Jack and Jill politics. Michelle Obama spoke out about the poisonous talk of assassination - and the possibility.
Here’s what went down in Phoenix on Tuesday:
…(Michelle Obama) Called on another supporter, whose voice quivered and broke with barely contained emotion as she explained how important it is to her, personally, [...]

27 May

To the DNCC: Where are the bloggers of color?

*UPDATE* May 30, 2008 - Wider variety credentialed in General Blogger Pool. See Complete List.
Although I have no party affiliation right now, eight years ago I walked away from the Democratic Party and registered as a Republican. In part it was because I believed and still believe that the Democrats take the black vote for [...]

23 May

Vile: Hillary brings up ASSASSINATION to justify her continued campaign

From the New York Post:
Hillary Clinton today brought up the assassination of Sen. Robert Kennedy while defending her decision to stay in the race against Barack Obama.
“My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was [...]

22 May

Images of Murder and Torture emerge against Obama and his wife

These images are viscerally offensive. But they were not created by those you would expect. The second photo appeared on the cover of a Georgia newspaper. The first illustration was created by a liberal, white blogger at Daily Kos named ONECITIZEN - trying to make a point. This is unsettling because I expect violent, [...]

21 May

Poll Dancing aka Protecting Democracy

I’ve taken the first steps to become more involved in protecting our democracy. I will be a polling place supervisor during California’s June 3rd election. My day will begin at 5:00am and go until about 10:00pm. In all I’ll be paid about $170 for time, which includes the two-and-a-half hour training session I went through [...]

20 May

Finally someone says it! It’s his color.

I had to laugh this morning when Harold Ford, former US Senate candidate and MSNBC talking head, agreed with Pat Buchanan that Obama should have campaigned in Kentucky. My inner dialogue responded, “Gentlemen, you guys must not have been to the Kentucky I’ve been to.” It all sounded like second guessing bluster in contrast to [...]

15 May

To Michael Steele: An open thank-you note

Dear Mr. Steele,
This note is long overdue. I write to thank you for single handedly disproving the myth that black people, in herd like fashion, will always vote for the black guy because he’s black. The fact that you lost your bid for an open Maryland Senate seat in November 2006 does more to refute [...]