"You Make The Call!"

It's time to Break It Down!

Great Taste…Less Filling, voter apathy…indifference, breath mint; candy mint, Tar Heels…Blue Devils; OK, maybe not Tar Heels…Blue Devils. Over time we have sifted through a variety of conundrums, seeking everything from the preferred malt beverage to the quintessential motivation for would-be voters, to the compelling purpose of mints. During the past nine months; roughly the time span of the Obama Presidency, I have searched the literature, scrutinized news shows, and interrogated friends and acquaintances, in an effort to discern, aptly, whether the relentless wave of anti-Obama sentiment is a function of amped up racism, or of serial cases of outsized right wing dogma.

There are contemporary competing and compelling arguments emanating from former Presidents Carter and Clinton. In summary, President Carter’s assessment is that racism is a substantial component of the malicious vitriol that is so prevalent in our daily discourse. This view is countered by that of President Clinton who attributes much of the dissonance to a vast right wing conspiracy.

Of course, they both bring significant currency to the debate, if for no other reason than they occupied the lofty station President Obama finds himself in today; Commander-in-Chief. In that regard, it is fair to observe they view the subject slanted by the prisms of their individual experiences…then and now.

President Carter, who will observe his 85th birthday tomorrow, was the first American President born in a hospital. His paternal ancestors arrived in Colonial America in 1635, his family has lived in the State of Georgia for generations, and his great-grandfather, Private L.B. Walker Carter served in the Confederate States Army. In what Tom Joyner might call the “Little Known Black History Fact,” Jimmy Carter is related to Berry Gordy, Jr., Motown Founder. James Earl Carter, Jr., former Naval Officer, and gentleman farmer, came to Washington in 1977 as the 39th U.S. President, a Southerner, and the quintessential outsider, promising to throw the rascals out.

Unfortunately, what happened was less than awe inspiring. Carter’s term in office coincided with an extended period of global stagflation, which is high inflation and economic stagnation, simultaneously. In addition a number of national and international crises unfolded, including the takeover of the American Embassy in Iran, the hostage-taking by Iranian students, a failed hostage rescue attempt, and fuel shortages and fuel price escalation. Not surprisingly, President Carter failed to win reelection.

President Clinton, the 42nd President, a full generation younger than President Carter, observed his 63rd birthday last month. He is considered the first Baby Boomer President. In the Presidential Elections ensuing between Carter’s defeat in 1980 and Clinton’s election in 1992, Democrats fared miserably in the quadrennial contests. Clinton effectively reinvented the national face of the Party, running as a New Democrat, and popularizing a philosophy known as the Third Way of governance. His policies were considered centrist.

In contrast to President Carter’s years, President Clinton presided over the longest peace-time economic expansion in American history. In the mid-term Congressional elections of Clinton’s first term, Republicans won control of the House of Representatives for the first time in four decades. Still he went on to win a second term, the first Democrat to do so since Franklin Roosevelt. He would later be impeached for obstruction of justice, but was subsequently acquitted by the Senate. His rocky moments notwithstanding, President Clinton left office after his second term with a 66% approval rating, the highest mark for any President since World War II.

If President Clinton lives another 22 years, which would put him at President Carter’s current age, and he takes on as many projects and causes, as President Carter has in the last 22 years, he will significantly add to and continue shaping his legacy. Conversely, it is likely President Carter’s legacy is fundamentally complete. While I have no doubt both want the best for the current President, it is easy to see how and why their respective views might be dissimilar.

Putting that extensive preamble to the side, the Tag Line of today’s discussion is “You Make The Call!” That brings us to one of the most recent escapades to unfold; the now infamous FaceBook (FB) Poll. If you are not sufficiently schooled on the intricacies and etiquette of social networking, Google the topic for a primer. My guess is most of you not only know the FB story, but you have also heard about the poll. Over the past weekend, a FB third party application poll appeared on the site. The poll, with the lead in, Vote in the Obama poll inquired:

Should Obama be killed? The response options included:

• yes
• maybe
• if he cuts my health care
• no

According to various media reports, 731 responses were logged before the poll was pulled by FB. Authorities are investigating the matter to determine whether the device was an attempt to foster violence against the President, or a prank.

These are interesting times. I have long maintained, the President’s men (and women), his advisers as it were, crafted a series of consistently brilliant strategies and tactics, on the way to master-minding his election. Allow me to stipulate these wunderkinds did not suddenly become incompetent after November 8th. To the contrary, I suggest the opposition stepped up its game.

In that light, I do not expect President Obama, who consistently downplayed the importance of race during the campaign, to now set upon a course his detractors would surely characterize as playing the Race Card. The 44th President, Mr. Obama observed his 48th birthday last month. His message of "Change," combined with his call for post-partisan governance blended the best of Presidents Carter and Clinton's campaign foci. To wit, his wry comment to David Letterman that, “I was black before the election,” sets the perfect tone…for him. But what about you; what do you think? Do you believe all the garish cartoons, the offensive jokes, the rude remarks, and the racially tinged caricatures are simply indicative of trademark rough hewn business-as-usual behavior of a full-throated Right Wing? “You Make The Call!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/28/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5347004.shtml

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/secret-service-investigates-facebook-obama-assassination-poll/story?id=8696126

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/28/facebook.poll/index.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-talk-obama-facebook-threatsep29,0,584462.story

http://www.startribune.com/nation/62473207.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/obama-facebook-poll-asks_n_301860.html

http://www.switched.com/2009/09/29/facebook-poll-asking-whether-obama-should-be-killed-draws-fire/

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016538349?Facebook%20Poll%20On%20Whether%20Obama%20

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10362725-71.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/feds_investigate_online_poll_asking_LVwMZlxvfW705DA9q4P5rM

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2009/09/23/opinion-carter-gets-it-right-racism-fuels-attacks-obama%E2%80%99s-governance

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/27/bill-clinton-barack-obama-rightwing

http://newsone.com/nation/lying-african-of-course-its-about-race/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_Gordy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama