Dream Ticket? Not a Snowball's Chance in Hell

Commentary: Forget an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama ticket
By Roland S. Martin

(CNN) -- Democrats across the country are abuzz over the possibility of the "dream ticket" featuring Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama running for the White House in November.

In the words of one of "The Sopranos" characters, "Fuggetaboutit!"
Look, this might sound exciting and history-making to have a woman and an African-American competing against the Republicans, but there are multiple reasons why this won't happen.

1. Clinton will not be overshadowed by an underling. Clinton is hugely popular in Democratic circles, but truth be told, that pales in comparison to the love and affection showered on Obama. This is a guy who brings people to tears just by speaking, and attracts folks on the left, right and the disenfranchised.

When you have the children of elected officials putting pressure on their parents (Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill is one example.) to support this guy, you know he is touching people in a place others haven't in 40 years. The role of a VP is to be supportive of a presidential candidate, not someone who overshadows them.

2. Obama would not want to carry Clinton baggage. He has offered a vision of change, and having to answer to the years of strife under the Clintons would be too much. It would make sense to have a fresh face serving as his vice president who doesn't engender anger among some in the Democratic Party, and definitely the GOP. An Obama run would be about going after Republicans and independents, and Clinton being on the ticket would make that very difficult.

3. Way too much bad blood between these two during this campaign. A lot of folks say that George H.W. Bush rankled Ronald Reagan by declaring his economic plan "voodoo economics." That didn't keep Reagan from adding Bush to the ticket. But Bush was one of these loyal guys who would have done anything for the party ... and himself. I don't see that for Clinton and Obama. (Source)

I have to agree. Barack is posing as the face of change and as a politico who hasn't been tainted by Washington (yet). Having Hillary as his sidekick wouldn't be a good look because she's a reminder of her husband's era (which wasn't all that great).

Plus, I don't see Hillary wanting to run with him either. Her campaign focused a lot on sullying his character, so running with Obama after the mud slinging wouldn't make sense. You can't spend a good portion of your campaign (along with your co-presidential hopeful) trying to convince the masses why Obama's a bad choice and then turn around and run with him. A move like that would redefine "flip-flop."

I know that Obama and Hillary running on the same ticket wouldn't work for me and many others. Perhaps one of them will come around. I'm not a good liar so you can imagine my struggle to type that last sentence. Then again, we could be in for a surprise. We'll just have to stay tuned.

Feminists Not Voting With Their Vaginas, Endorse Obama; My Two Cents

Feminist Leaders Oppose Hillary, Endorse Obama

Jon Weiner

More than 100 New York feminist leaders released a joint statement Sunday afternoon criticizing Hillary Clinton and supporting Obama for president - evidence that Clinton's support among women activists has declined significantly in the days before the super-Tuesday primary.

Clinton's support for the war in Iraq was the leading reason she lost the support of the group, which calls itself "New York Feminists for Peace and Barack Obama!" "We urgently need a presidential candidate whose first priority is to address domestic needs," the group added.
Those endorsing Obama include longtime peace activist Cora Weiss; Katha Pollitt, columnist for The Nation; Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times writer Margo Jefferson; award-winning women's rights historians Alice Kessler Harris and Linda Gordon; Barbara Weinstein, president of the American Historical Association, and Ellen P. Chapnick, Dean for Social Justice Initiatives at Columbia Law School.

"Choosing to support Senator Obama was not an easy decision for us," the group stated, "because electing a woman president would be a cause for celebration in itself." They "deplored" the "sexist attacks against Senator Clinton that have circulated in the media." But, they stated, they nevertheless supported Obama because his election "would be another historic achievement" and because "his support for gender equality has been unwavering."
The group based their opposition to Clinton on "her seven-year record as senator." Despite her recent pledges to remove troops from Iraq, the group stated, Clinton's "record of embracing military solutions and the foreign policy advisers she has selected make us doubt that she will end this calamitous war." (Source)

Here is the petition drawn by New York Feminists for Peace and Barack Obama.

Since Edwards dropped out of the race, I'm gonna go with Obama who was my second choice. I don't mean to make him out to be sloppy seconds, LOL! Contrary to the belief of some overzealous (White) liberal women and Black Billary supporters, I'm not voting for Obama because I'm Black. I prefer Obama because of what he stands for. He stands for change, he's new to the scene, he's not a war hawk, he's very in touch with the youth, and I appreciate his ideas on how he'd run our country.

I don't support Hillary because of

1. Her hawkish ways

2. Her filthy campaign that drips with race-baiting and distortions of Obama

3. Her shamelessness in running on the laurels of her husband

4. Her taking the Black vote for granted

5. Disrespecting and devaluing the contributions of Martin Luther King, and when you think about it, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young (he's too blinded by Bill's honorary Blackness to see her disrespect though), and countless others. My boss approves all of my projects so should I be discredited for all of the work I put in?

6. Some of her alliances (Bob "BET" Johnson, Charles Rangel)

7. Her telling Obama to renounce the support of certain people (David Geffen, Nevada unions' ads) while not addressing State Sen. Robert Ford (D-SC) for saying "It's a slim possibility for him to get the nomination, but then everybody else is doomed. Every Democrat running on that ticket next year would lose — because he's black and he's top of the ticket. We'd lose the House and the Senate and the governors and everything."

8. Her "desperate times call for desperate measures" tactics like using Obama's elementary school essays to indicate inconsistencies with his desire to be president

9. And last but not least, fuck another political dynasty. I am 26 years, so since my conception (LOL!), it's been Bush (Reagan), Bush (Reagan), Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, and Bush. See the pattern? Who'll come after? Jeb and then Chelsea? NO THANK YOU.

Even though she said that she'll be the second Clinton to clean up the second Bush's mess, I don't believe it. And Slick Willy made a mess himself. Some even before he got into the Oval Office.

Remember

1. Troopergate (Gennifer Flowers)?

2. Sister Souljah (I mean, her name spawned a political lexeme)?

3. Lani Guinier?

4. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?

5. Rwanda?

6. Kosovo?

7. Sexual harassment cases?

8. Mandatory sentencing?

9. Welfare reform?

10. The dreadful War on Drugs?

11. Zippergate?

12. Black Hawk Down?

13. Wet Foot/Dry Foot?

14. Whitewater?

Ummm ... that's not a good look so therefore, no to a co-presidency. Especially a bad one. Stop the madness.

You Mad, Tiki?

African American Lives 2

This is the second installment of the popular PBS series that delves into the family history of each of its participants. This year's participants are

Linda Johnson-Rice - President and CEO of Johnson Publishing Co., Inc.

Don Cheadle - Award-winning actor

Chris Rock - Award-winning comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director

Tom Joyner - Nationally syndicated radio host

Peter Gomes - Minister and Harvard theologian

Maya Angelou - World-renowned and award-winning poet

Morgan Freeman - Award-winning actor, producer, and director

Jackie Joyner-Kersee - World-class Olympian

Tina Turner - Rock and Roll icon

Kathleen Henderson - One of over 2000 applicants selected to partake in the program

Bliss Broyard - Best-selling author and freelance writer

African American Lives 2 premieres Wednesday, February 6 at 9PM ET. Check your local listings. Be sure to also click on "Programs A-Z" for more programs for the month of February.

"Yes We Can" by Will.I.Am., Barack Obama, and Others

This is a nice concept.

The Miller Boys Celebrate "Black History"

"Black History" by Master P f/ Lil' Romeo

Props to Master P for making another thoughtful video as of late. Also props to him for trying to invoke thought into the minds of young Hip Hop listeners.

Six Gym Health Hazards

From Newsweek:

Going to the gym is supposed to be good for your health, but if you don't take the proper precautions, it may have the opposite effect. Germs can lurk on any surface, from exercise equipment to the spigot on the water fountain, and locker rooms are ideal places for bacteria and fungi to thrive. But you can lower your risk of catching other gymgoers' germs—and with them the risk of catching a cold, athlete's foot, or even the potentially deadly staph infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (or MRSA). Portland, Ore., sports medicine internist Dr. Carol Otis offers these tips:

1. Cover any breaks in the skin.

2. Don't go barefoot.

3. Use disinfectant.

4. Change your towels and clothes.

5. Don't share.

6. Keep your towel on.

When Properly Channeling Your Anger Works

I found an article by Alec Baldwin on HuffPost where he discussed the reception of Barack Obama by small town America. In the piece are images from the so-called satirical article found in The Independent that niggerized and ghettoized Barack and Michelle Obama. It also indirectly (maybe directly) slighted Hillary Clinton along the lines of sexism ("Bitch-slap that ho") and slighted John Edwards along the lines of homophobia ("I might consider bitch-slapping him, as he is somewhat of a Pretty Boy if you get my jist"). Good thing I wasn't the only one disturbed by this piece of shit "satire."

A whole week later, The Independent has offered two apologies:

From the editor

AN APOLOGY

By Rick Murphy

INDY EDITOR, RICK MURPHY, DEEPLY REGRETS TWO MOST RECENT INDEPENDENT COLUMNS.IN OUR LAST TWO ISSUES OF THE INDEPENDENT, TWO COLUMNS OSTENSIBLY "WRITTEN" BY HILLARY CLINTON AND BARACK OBAMA WERE PUBLISHED. THEY WERE IN INCREDIBLY BAD TASTE AND OFFENSIVE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.I WROTE THEM. NO ONE ELSE AT THIS NEWSPAPER IS TO BLAME. IT'S EASY TO VILIFY EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THIS NEWSPAPER, TO PLACE SOME BLAME ON EVERYONE. THAT'S NOT THE CASE. JERRY DELLA FEMINA, OUR MAJORITY OWNER, RUNS AN ADVERTISING FIRM IN MANHATTAN. HE NEVER SEES OUR PAPER BEFORE IT COMES OUT. HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT WILL BE IN IT. HE OWNS IT. I'M THE EDITOR.THE BUCK STOPS HERE.POURING OVER ALL THE REASONS WHY I THOUGHT THE ATTEMPTS AT PARODIES I WROTE WERE APPROPRIATE FOR PUBLICATION IS A MEANINGLESS EXERCISE. THEY WEREN'T APPROPRIATE. THEY WEREN'T FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THEY HURT PEOPLE, AND IF A HUMOR COLUMN IS HURTING A READER THAN THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF ELICITING LAUGHTER HAS GONE HORRIBLY AWRY. (Source)

From the writer

There's No Excuse

By Jerry Della Femina

There's no excuse. I've written and rewritten the lead for this column a dozen times. It all comes down to three words. There's no excuse.I've received hundreds of letters blasting Rick Murphy's frankly vile columns on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.One of them, from Dr. William A. Schutt, Jr., an Associate Professor of Biology at C.W. Post College, summed it up best. Dr. Schutt wrote:Please tell me that this was all some sort of joke gone awry. Maybe the staff at the The Independent was trying for some sort of "East End Paper Pays Homage to the National Lampoon of the 1970's" thing. As I'm sure you're aware, back then, writers like P.J. O'Rourke and Doug Kenney often relied on racist and misogynistic humor - and some of us actually found this stuff pretty damn funny (I think mainly because the writers were genuinely talented, and their editor, Michael O' Donoghue, never left any room for doubt that what we were reading was meant to be laughed at - not taken seriously). Unfortunately your editor, Mr. Murphy, and his writing staff (e.g., Karen Fredericks), have demonstrated none of the above-mentioned talent. In fact, they are scaring the living &^%$ out of me (and I'll bet I'm not alone here). Because if this wasn't just impossibly bad writing, if Mr. Murphy and his writers actually believe the garbage they've have strewn across the pages of The Independent, then I think you have a serious, serious problem. In conclusion, I look forward to your prompt attention to this matter and an absolutely clear explanation of what is going on here. Bill Schut

(Source)

Like a lot of people, I get pissed when I read something offensive and then do nothing about it. I'm gonna try my best to start challenging the media and their sponsors whenever I hear or see something offensive. Not everything needs a demonstration outside of a corporate office or someone's home. Sometimes the best challenge is to hit them where it hurts and contact their sponsors. Your money should not pay for anything that you find a offensive and plain filthy.

The Cos Takes Stab at Rap

Now this I've gotta hear.

From AllHipHop.com:

Bill Cosby Working on Rap Album

Bill Cosby - a staunch critic of some rap music - is set to release a Hip-Hop album called State of Emergency, which will be a sanitized, issue-oriented CD. Sources told AllHipHop.com that the actor, comedian and philanthropist will address issues like proper parenting, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, Black-on-Black crime and the dropout rate in America's high schools. Cosby's album will not contain any profane language, nor will it offer any denigrating comments towards women. State of Emergency would be the 35th album for the legendary comedian, actor, who released his first album Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow in 1963.

Source: http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2008/01/31/19220155.aspx

Oprah in Bronze

Controversial sculptor's latest: 'The Oprah Sarcophagus'

Some of you out there really worship Oprah. Well, now you finally have a golden idol.

Controversial sculptor Daniel Edwards’ latest creation is “The Oprah Sarcophagus,” a gold-colored bronze and a very full-figured likeness of Chicago talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey.

The sculpture features Oprah — famous for battling her weight — with, as one report describes it, “a full-breasted woman with generous child-bearing hips.”

The image is attached to a block in the shape of a burial chamber, much like an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus.

Why Oprah? Edwards has caused stirs before with his sculptures of celebrities — “The Birth of Sean Preston” (Britney Spears giving birth), “Paris Hilton Autopsy,” “Suri Cruise’s First Poop” — and has said this piece “pays homage to the closest thing America has to a living deity.”

Source: http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/people/767543,oprah013008.article

Do you think her figure's exxagerated? Or is this her true form minus Spanx?