Election '08: Japanese Arithmetic Numbers In the Equation

The buzz-phrase in the final days of the 2008 Democratic primary that Obama will win because he has the numbers on his side, is catchy––and to some extent true. But remember... these numbers only matter in the Primary.

While talking to a group of grassroot African Americans recently, it became apparent that there are still too many people who are not familiar with how the Presidential election process works in this country. While it's a fact that Obama has won the most votes in states like Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana... in the Primary... but, Obama has only completed half the battle. The real "war" to determine whose-finger-will-rest-on-the-nuclear-button-in-America... is set to begin as soon as someone puts Hillary "The Filly" Clinton to sleep. (vberryhill-soulvoice.blogspot.com: 05/07/08)

It will take an act of God, an act of Congress––or some Japanese arithmetic numbers to somehow be injected into the Electoral College equation––for Obama to win many of those States he has won in the primary...come November.

Without a doubt, the African American presumptive nominee, Obama, has done a super job getting African American votes to date: 90%+ on average. But realistically, it is the Electoral College votes that determines the occupant of the Oval Office. And to that end, it is in the General Election where the "numbers game" really matters. Unfortunately in America, the numbers game hasn't always proven to be lucky for African Americans on the State-wide and national playing field, as historically, whites (and other ethnic groups) have been hesitant to vote in large numbers for African American candidates.

The below referenced numbers show a dismal reflection of the number of national and State-held offices by African Americans in 2008.

How many elected African American U.S. Senators: 1 out of 100 total
How many elected African American U.S. Congressmen: 42 out of 439
How many sitting African American U.S. Governors: 2 out of 50 (only 1 Governor was elected; the other ascended to office by default).

So, if I were to use those numbers of Blacks elected by whites, hispanics, and other ethnic groups to national or State-wide offices to gauge Obama's electability to the highest office in the land this Fall, I would say: "Obama... keep your day job".

McCain vs Obama: 180-Day Verbal Beat-down

Even though the McCain and Obama presidential camps have pledged to the American public to keep the 2008 White House race clean, issues-focused and will represent the highest gentlemanly conduct toward one another, the opening salvos between the two... reflects anything but.

If the May 8th negative tit-for-tat (where McCain repeated in a news feed the Hamas leader's recent glowing adulation of Obama; and Obama referring to McCain as "losing his bearings"--a perceived reference to McCain being old or senile) is what either of these president-wanna-bes call a clean race... well, we are in for a 180-day "verbal beat-down" that is going to be ugly.

What would make anyone believe them––knowing that McCain and Obama already have a turbulent history of documented terse communications. Everyone remembers the nasty "Flak Jacket" memo-swap between the two Senators. If not, you owe it to yourself to read what Mark Silva wrote here:
swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/05/mccain_to_obama_its_flak_jacke.html

And, the very public Obama McCain Ethics Reform collaboration debacle that ended after only a week. See Paul Kane's account here:
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/30/AR2008033002401_pf.html

No... my hunch is that the next 6-months is going to be brutal. The prevailing wisdom: suggests there remains bad blood from the Ethics Reform break-down and the Flak Jacket heated exchange. And any promise by these two of rising above the usual divisive, negative, detrimentally damaging politics of destruction was just the same-old-same-old Washington, DC political posturing in an effort to look noble!

The eyes of the nation now watches...

Hillary The Filly

As the nation watched the recent results of the IN and NC primaries between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, many dreams and expectations for what began as a promising season, were finally dashed.

The similarities between the end of this Democratic race and the recent Kentucky Derby race are stark in their realities.

In the Kentucky Derby race, you had a field of powerful male stallions and one filly, vying for the top prize. Likewise, in the Democratic primaries... in what began 15 months ago with a crowded field of male stallions and one lone filly––all vying for the top prize: the Democratic nomination.

Without a doubt, during the Kentucky Derby the philly showed unusual strength, and bested the bulk of the stallions in the pack. She demonstrated that she could run with the big boys and not miss her stride. Indeed in this Democratic race, in the last leg coming into the home stretch, the lone filly (Hillary) was able to intimidate––and yes almost overtake the stallion who eventually won: Big Brown (Obama).

While all the world watched, hoping she could prove that a female/filly had what it takes to challenge and beat the male/stallion, unfortunately in the end with all the best effort she put forth, Eight Belle, like Hillary, was only able to come in a close second.

So as the nation watched the Indiana and North Carolina primary results, the Kentucky Derby race was again revisited in our subconscious and right before our very eyes. And like the end results of the 2008 Derby, the voters... the grieving, hurting fans in the stands are begging the Super Delegates to bring this tragedy to an end by euthanizing the lone filly.

A painful and awful sight though it was––especially that the euthanizing had to be done in front of the whole world to see––someone had to do it!

The real irony of the story is that while Big Brown Obama did indeed win the prize... his victory lap is at best bittersweet. Because just like the 2008 Kentucky Derby, how many will remember that Big Brown won... but rather will remember and forever talk about the horror of the killing of the filly!