General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Cornel West on the President [View all]Cha
(297,123 posts)and brain power when it's put to good use.
But, not this.. the pattern over the years.. this from 2012..
Viewpoint: Whats Behind Cornel Wests Attacks on Obama
When Princeton professor Cornel West called Obama a "Republican in blackface," he's speaking from a place that's too emotional and idealistic
".. But its sad how hes damaged his image as an important thinker because of a series of attacks on President Obama and on other black intellectuals who have not been as critical of Obama such as Michael Eric Dyson and Melissa Harris-Perry and Reverend Sharpton. Wests critique is draped in rhetoric so inflammatory that it almost disqualifies itself from being taken seriously and risks him sounding like a rapper enmeshed in a battle. In his latest salvo earlier this week, he called the President a Rockefeller Republican in blackface.
Theres nothing wrong with critiquing the President, but the reference to blackface is a verbal Molotov cocktail. And it doesnt even make sense: if Obamas in blackface then hes performing a grotesque caricature of blackness that is a white fantasy of a harmless, docile black person. Is that what hes doing? Is Obama not the opposite of that as a calm, dignified, intellectual alpha male? Im not really sure why blackface was mentioned or what its supposed to mean unless its a way of calling Obama an Oreoblack on the outside and white on the inside. But thats just a guess. Earlier this year, West told TruthDig that Obama is a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats. Im not sure why race is even injected into that critique.
The rest of the story..
http://ideas.time.com/2012/11/15/what-behind-the-bad-blood-between-cornel-west-and-obama/