DISQUS

Prayerfeathers · 1 year ago

If you lost your job because your former employer had moved operations out of the US thank Bill & Hillary Clinton.

If you call a call center to check on your credit card balance and you have a problem understanding someone with a thick Indian accent thank Bill and Hillary Clinton.

If you are worried about your children’s toys and lead paint thank Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Thank You Bill And Hillary Clinton for NAFTA

T-Steel · 1 year ago

And if he would have attended, MSM and certain bloggers would say his appearance at the SOBU shows he's the black candidate and goes against his unity angle.

He's smart for declining.

rbj · 1 year ago

Death threats for criticizing Barack? This Obamamania is getting out of hand.

PoliticalSeason · 1 year ago

There is no backlash for Obama in not attending. 80-90 percent of black america is giving him their vote and black america's decision has been made on who they want for the nominee. Most blacks think he should be out campaigning to deliver the kill shot to HRC's campaign and Tavis got heck from the community for being critical that Obama would not come when he obviously had bigger fish to fry. Having watched it most of the day, It was also smart for him to stay away in order to avoid being branded with some of the commentary they had. Good point about McCain showing up, since as you say, he's got a little free time. Considering that there are black republicans, if the GOP ever wants there to be more, it could expend a little effort to come to forums like this one and make the case, build relationship.

BurfordHolly · 1 year ago

>It was also smart for him to stay away in order to avoid being branded
>with some of the commentary they had

It would have been good for months of demands from conservatives that he publicly denounce every Tom, Dick, and Harry that they don't like.

Bogey · 1 year ago

hahahaha
precisely!

they would have id'd various nutballs there and then talk all fall about Obama being tied in to such and such

unclesmrgol · 1 year ago

Obama could not attend if he were to avoid being branded a black racist. He tried to send his racial surrogate Michelle, but Smiley slapped that olive branch down. Note in the letter Barack's attempt to deal with Tavis' racial center by an appeal for understanding:

On February 9, I was deeply humbled to win the Louisiana primary with 86 percent of the African American vote...

Barack's point on not being able to leave the battleground was lost on Tavis, I think. Tavis can now join Fox as a jilted bridesmaid.

Ripclawe · 1 year ago

The backlash against Smiley has been building for a while long and railing against Obama just pushed it over the edge. He is looked at as being a Hillary supporter and thinking he speaks thru his books and television show as the voice for black people. When he started going after Obama about not discussing issues related to the black community on the Tom Joyner show, all hell broke loose on him.

Sweating Through Fog · 1 year ago

Not attending is a smart move on his part. You need to focus on groups you need to swing, and he has the black vote locked up.

In contrast, this is another sign of Hillary's incompetence at campaigning. She needs to work on her appeal with white men - good luck with that Hillary!

TomB · 1 year ago

I think it is quite a shrewd move on Obama side. As Bennett said, he is a Presidential candidate who happens to be black. Actually I admire his decision on this one.

T-Steel · 1 year ago

The State of The Black Union is a joke. It's entire purpose is to make you commit to only dealing with black folks (like me) and if don't follow the script, they blast you. I attended one of these and the issues raised can and should be dealt with in the black community, not with a president or presidential candidate.

Firefirefire · 1 year ago

"The backlash against Smiley is a little strange. He has received death threats and his family has been harassed for daring to criticize Obama."
This has been something I've wondered about, It didn't take long for the Obamasheep to threaten violence against critics of His Obamaness. Can actual violence in His name be far away?
I hope that when He loses his followers don't go mad and riot in the streets!!
that would be SO third world!!

iconoclast · 1 year ago

agreed. the community that comprises the black union will vote for BO whether he shows up or not.

Who possibly thinks that the social group "black" (specifically leaving out recent immigrants from Africa here) will vote for a Republican? Complete waste of time and money for both McCain and Obama to visit these folks.

Joanna Barksdale · 1 year ago

Does anyone doubt that Obama would have attended if the event were scheduled for March 5th? Smiley is being a jerk, and Clinton is just pandering.

Bennett · 1 year ago

I doubt Obama is going to lose anything by not appearing at this conference. He'd just be preaching to the choir. And maybe there's a rationale. He's not the Black candidate. He's the candidate who happens to be Black. So he doesn't owe this particular group any more obeisance than any other organization and shouldn't alter his schedule to fit it in. At least there's no particular reason for him to do that.

This being said, I've watched the SOBU conferences in the past, on CSPAN, and they are generally informative and fairly well done. Usually an interesting mix of participants. And Tavis Smiley does a good job.

howardlohmuller · 1 year ago

For the candidates to miss dilettante Tavis Smiley's gathering is about as important as missing Spike Lee's birthday party.

terrye · 1 year ago

Death threats over something like this? Man, these people are getting just a little too maniacal in their devotion to the Chosen One.

But McCain should have gone too.

Bogey · 1 year ago

this strikes me as consistent.
"state of the black union:?

hasn't Obama campaigned precisely against such divisions always talking about ONE union?

BurfordHolly · 1 year ago

If he wants to talk to New Orleans' Black population, he can talk to them in Texas, which is where they ended up after Katrina.

Republicans have been so happy about the changing demographics of Louisiana, they have not considered how many NOLA residents are now in Texas.

unclesmrgol · 1 year ago

I guess Tavis didn't realize this either. This gives a few of the reasons Smiley chose New Orleans, as well as some of the things he hoped to accomplish there. Note that some of them actually involved using picks and shovels, so you can see why Smiley wanted Obama there -- I guess he didn't think Michelle could handle the heavy labor.