Identity politics is alive and well in Obamanation

I was asked recently if I could support a candidate who shared my religion. As a Jewish person, could I carte blanc support my California Senators Diane Feinstein or Barbara Boxer, both of whom are Jewish? No delay of thought is necessary. I could no more support either simply because we share the same religion than I could support any inherently wrong decision I was about to make. Feinstein and Boxer’s opinions and mine are polar opposite on most if not all issues.

Is it fair to ask some one who is Black if that voter would automatically support Barack Hussein Obama simply because the voter and candidate share the same race? 95% of Blacks voted for Obama in 2008. Does Obama still enjoy the support of the African-American community? Latest Gallup poll shows Obama support among Blacks is a steady 85%. Identity voting is alive and quite well among Black voters. Now that the Democratic machine has successfully disposed of Herman Cain, it’s onward and upward for the Republican primaries. I am surmising Ginger White, Cain’s accuser of the so-called 13 year “affair,” suddenly and miraculously has no immediate money woes and the Democratic National Committee is slightly lighter in the pocketbook. The other two Cain canaries also made a quick buck for singing their faux stories. Results? The sleaze is cast and Herman is sullied and he is gone. Not unlike Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Cain did not fit the mold for what the Democratic Party thinks a Black person should stand for, so he was doomed.

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I was curious about those who essentially vote for a candidate based on the individual’s race, gender, or ethnicity. I made some inquiries and did some research. The two people I spoke with shared one characteristic: both are Black. For purposes of this commentary, both persons asked me for anonymity and respect for their individual privacy. I will honor that request. The first person I spoke with is in his mid-forties, a man I have known since 1992. I have great respect and admiration for this gentleman. In my previous career, I was (and remain) a licensed California real estate broker. I assisted this man and his family on several occasions helping the family buy and sell their residences. Over a decade, I grew to know this man and his family. He was and is prosperous by anyone’s standard. I asked him if he voted for Obama is 2008. “Yes, I did.” “Would you vote for him in 2012? He responded, “I am undecided at this time.” He continued, “If Al Sharpton was running for president, I could not and would not vote for him. Likewise, if Michele Bachmann or Newt Gingrich are the Republican nominee, I could not and would not vote for either. ” He equated Al Sharpton with Michele Bachmann or Newt Gingrich. The individual said his mind remains open but a Gingrich, Santorum, Bachmann type candidate would move him to the incumbent. The other person I spoke to was a former NFL player, who is 48. I mentored this person in the field of professional public address announcing when I was the announcer for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. I have known this individual for some 15 years and am very fond of him... I asked him if he voted for Obama in 2008. “No, I didn’t vote three years ago but I would have supported him had I voted.” He continued, “You have to give this man an opportunity to turn this country around. Bush got a full eight years. So should Obama. ” I retorted, “are you in agreement with Obama’s policies?” He responded, “I was never a political person and chose not to involve myself in politics but I do feel the rich should pay more taxes; they can afford it. We have to turn this country around. ” My position was not to argue and persuade either of the above individuals to change or even re-think their positions. I simply wanted to know, three years into his term, what is your mindset on Barack Hussein Obama. There are painfully few Black Republicans who dare to step into the line of fire and voice opposition to Obama. Here are a few: Rep. Allen West (R-Florida), Economists Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams, former congressmen J.C. Watts ((R-Oklahoma) and Gary Franks (R-Connecticut), Homeless advocate and Minuteman Ted Hayes, and brilliant talk show host Larry Elder, who is actually a Libertarian. The masses of unhappy Black voters who feel slighted by an Administration that marginalizes and dismisses them in favor of coddling the steady influx of illegal immigrants, are going to speak out soon. Is it possible the nominee could be so overwhelmingly qualified, that candidate would indeed surpass the highest level of Republican or Democratic scrutiny and soar above the sleazemuckers who inhabit the Beltway? Is that candidate Republican Condoleezza Rice and will she be the one to save this country from itself? Food for thought. In the meantime, I continue to say take back America 2012.