General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Any thoughts why Cornel West always finds it necessary to refer to the color of the Presidents skin [View all]cascadiance
(19,537 posts)I think when Obama was campaigning so much on a nebulous "change" agenda (without filling in the details), many people had a lot of hopes that he would really bring some progressive changes to bear in our government, which sadly, he really hasn't in many areas that we really hoped he would. A lot of people as Democrats are disappointed in how he had them feel betrayed by what he's actually done or not done since being elected. Yes, there's been a lot of obstructionism, but there still are many things that Republicans couldn't have stopped that he should take ownership of. Things like appointing severe corporatist Rahm Emmanuel as his chief of staff to help him select his cabinet, selecting corporate lobbyist Tom Wheeler to head up the FCC which now has taken away Net Neutrality, not using executive actions to stop Keystone oil pipeline in its tracks, and doing his own lobbying efforts behind the scenes to try to get the TPP stealthily passed in congress. These are actions that most Democrats really didn't want happening from a person that promised the "change" they had hoped for.
I think for African Americans, it takes on an added disappointment in that Obama getting elected was a major accomplishment in overcoming the racist history in our country in getting a person of color elected. It might not happen again in our life times. And for many people like West, they were really hoping that Obama would set a template for other African Americans running for high office to follow that would really bring progressive reform that might help get us to elect more of them to office and help him be more proud of his racial heritage and roots, and I'd be a proud American if I felt that more persons of color could be an avenue for change we need too.
I think we might have similar problems if Hillary gets elected and continues the more corporatist leadership that Obama, Republicans and Bill Clinton have been engaged in in their presidencies. If we were to elect someone like Elizabeth Warren instead, and she would set the template for a woman being elected to office being one of progressive change that so many of us want and need, then I think that would pave the way for so many more women to be elected in offices around the country too. If someone like Clinton, or another woman corporatist is the first person elected, then it will jade the American electorate even more, who will then feel that it doesn't matter who they elect, that all of the politicians that run and get elected are corrupt S.O.B.'s, and many would stay at home.
In short I think West WANTED to be Obama's biggest fan during the election, but has felt severely disappointed in his subsequent actions, and is verbalizing that as a feeling of betrayal in more extreme terms than others might voice.