The Grio.com, Owned By MSNBC - Goldie Taylor - How we can still change the math in WashingtonFrom the article
Back then to hear cable news pundits tell it, you were just an overly ambitious, naive junior senator from Illinois. Your election, they said, was a fluke. They said you didn't have the experience to run the country, didn't have enough time in Washington, and, candidly, you weren't the "establishment" candidate. And well, you were black. Nobody, not even the rows of African American journalists in that room, wanted to bet on a losing horse -- no matter how beautiful his coat. We didn't want to get our hopes up.When I initially read the article from Goldie Taylor I did not appreciate the presence of the word "WE" in the title. "WE" means US, the collective, our team. "I am here to HELP YOU".Just as I heard Bev Smith seeking to have Black people conspire with President Obama to keep our community criticism of him BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and thought that this was a CONTAMINATION of the Black "Permanent Interests" - Ms Taylor's use of "WE" for the group that will "Change The Numbers In Washington" is in the same spirit.I am forced to ask Ms Taylor what I am always forced to ask PPPP Rev Jackson and PPPP Rev Sharpton: "WHO IS 'WE' ?"
- We Democrats?
- We Progressives?
- We BLACK PEOPLE?
- At the NABJ
- At The Root.com
- At MSNBC
Ms Taylor:You are a marvel and an enigma from my perspective.I have never before seen someone calling themselves a "Journalist" admit in their own column that they were in the tank for a particular candidate, party or ideology. In admitting that you were a journalist who was pulling for Obama you have no doubt secured your future at MSNBC.Tactically, however, you have made two mistakes.Since you have yielded the guise of an (objective) journalist you are clearly operating with some qualifier.Is it more accurate to call you a "Black-Progressive-Journalist". Since there is little question that you were not pulling for Rep Scott and Rep West in their historic elections the three part label seems apt. The second part of your strategic mistake comes from the obvious fact that there is a "solution set" for the problems that plague Black America that exists beyond Politics and the Progressive/Conservative battle that seems to be the popular sport. Since you have thus committed yourself - it is unlikely that these perplexing problems that our community suffers are going be resolved by a fix that is uncovered by any journalistic muckraking from your word processor as you, for example, TRANSPARENTLY analyze the amount of investments of ballots and the fusion of our "Community Development Consciousness" into the strategy that you have outed yourself as supporting - probing for a RETURN ON INVESTMENT for our people. More importantly demanding ERNEST MONEY along the journey before we agree to take another step forward.How did we get here Mr Taylor?Your predecessors from 45 years ago accepted the plan for Black Community development by voting just as you and the monopoly balance of the content contributors on this and other "Black Progressive" news sites have compelled the Black community to do. Ironically, Ms Taylor - the space/time continuum of these facts are lost as now it is popularly reported that 7 MONTHS OF TEA PARTY opposition against "40 Democratic Jobs Bills" are the reason for the enduring high Black unemployment rates. In addition $447 Billion in a jobs bill proposed by Obama and the opposition from the Republicans that every single Black Progressive journalist that I have read since the Thursday night speech told us it is going to trigger IS the POLITICAL FOOTBALL that the Black Community should all stand on the offensive line and drive forward as Obama and the Progressive Democrats seek a "First Down".Do you see, Ms Taylor - when you operate with the disposition that you do you also define the narrative that Black people are asked to converge around. We no longer debate IF this strategy has indeed produced organic benefit for our people. Instead we merely keep our eye focused upon the ideological enemies and commit our bodies, ballots and consciousness to support the ideological and party line.What happens after VICTORY per the terms that you and others have set up for our community to engage in and yet our community STILL LOSES at what matters the most to us? Should we keep struggling behind the machines that you appear to be the spokesperson in support of OR is it time to find a new investigative reporting source that will ask more directed questions before we continue struggling?
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