The price of lack of diversity on progressive blogs

[angee_is_mad]

This is what happens when there is a lack of diversity on progressive blogs.
Progressives hold up a black professor who no longer has any credibility in the black community as the second coming because he bashes President Obama on late night TV.
This professor of an Ivy league school made tons of money touring HBCUs and now can't even get a 2 minute spot on Black radio. He use to fill those auditoriums and now the only ones who attend are the students who have to go for extra credit. Oh and by the way, when he does visit those HBCUs his rhetoric is totally different that what he has said or doesn't say on bill maher.
How the mighty has falling, but he now has a new audience that once didn't take him serious but is willing to give him airtime. Brothaman, make that money while you can.

[RandomThoughts]

1. LOL

Credibility is a terrible thing to have.

Each statement should hold its own credibility. If you have credibility, someone would post as if they were you, and spend your credibility for there purpose anyways.

And most of the people that were thought to be credible, really weren't, and got people to do things from that concept.

So credibility is just storing up some thought context, that one of the many thieves out there will steal.

Why you need to think and feel, and telling stories and having fun is a good way to keep a few blockers up also.

Credibility can also be a trap, if a person is right 5 times in a row, then says something dumb, and someone does it, the credibility can be used to build up for a worse effect (supernatural uses that also)

Each statement must carry its own credibility.


Also why I like credible songs.

Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8cDmi7-U8

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

44. I love Cornel West, but he was wrong about several issues the other night.

But, you're right. Since he is no longer a fan of Obama, he's now heralded as the spokesman for Black Intelligensia? Not only is it disturbing. It's downright offensive.

[These Eyes]

2. I totally agree...

It is mind-boggling. His reaction is what is to be expected when one becomes aware of his own increasing irrelevance. The reason he's being held up as, as you said, the second coming is that they believe that if a black man is bashing the black president, then it is proof-positive that Obama is everything the progressives say he is -- not even aware of the mindset behind what they are doing.

[impik]

3. You are right, there's no diversity at all

It's Obama-hate party 24/7.

[Avant Guardian]

9. As opposed to an Obama worship party 24/7?

The reality lies in between

[impik]

25. Let's say that you're right, so what's the OP's point?

[Union Scribe]

34. That only racists and Unlce Toms criticize Obama.

That's what their point was.

[stevenleser]

43. Where does such a thing occur, pray tell me. The biggest Obama supporter here on DU has several

things with which they disagree with him.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Yep.

I wish Mr. Professor would try and run for office and actually earn money
making a real difference.

[scribble]

5. What is this thread about?

Really.

Sometimes ingroup references and gratuitous irony are just not enough.

sc

[Moral_Imagination]

7. Cornel West on Bill Maher

He is the new Outrage king.

[Moral_Imagination]

6. Cornel is what the right accuses Obama of Being

Intellectual Ivory Tower Elitist... not that there is anything wrong with that, but you can't run a country that way.

[Mass]

8. So, he was great a few years ago, but, because he disagrees with Obama, he should be banned?

(because he has not changed. He is still against the same things he was, contrarily to some here).

My guess is that it is you who are against the lack of diversity.

[Avant Guardian]

10. Why does he have no credibility in the black community?

Because he says that Obama is walking hand in hand with corporations? Show evidence to the contrary if you disagree with what he says.

Not sure what the point of this OP is, besides being thin skinned.

[Enrique]

11. do you have anything supporting your accusations?

you are levelling a lot of really harsh charges against West. Usually people document such charges.

[Exilednight]

13. They have nothing BUT accusations. n/t

[CreekDog]

20. Is this what happens when we criticize Obama or Obama's actions?

you just automatically lump us together as haters and people who are out to get him?

look in the mirror for the accuser in this thread.

[treestar]

12. It is a way of getting attention

That's what it's all about these days. So many who see an opportunity to get attention. Negativity seems to be the best way.

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. Maybe he can turn his anti-Obama tirades into a multi-million dollar empire...

like Arianna? And the o.p. is quite right, btw. Cornel & Tavis used to be greatly admired in the AA community. Sellout events, and book sales. They are now dead to most of us. I wouldn't spend one minute of my time listening to either of them, even if they were speaking in my own living room.

[politicasista]

45. +1

They fuss about accountability, yet where was all this accountability when Bush, his then GOP-controlled Congress was destroying this country? Cornel has been real disappointing because he once spoke and my Commencement and was taught by my paternal grandmother as a kid. He drunk Tavis' Haterade and hasn't looked back since.

[LooseWilly]

15. Bookmarking for the next time Andrew Sullivan gets posted in GDP

as the "voice" for his minority group.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. When you call Sully the voice of his minority group

You'd best mean drunken Catholic Republican Brits. That IS what you mean is it not? Either that or Drunken British Republicans.

[dsc]

24. yeah I bet the amen corner in this thread

will do a complete 180 when that thread comes up. I guess only some minority groups get to pick their spokespeople.

[Number23]

16. Who? What? When??

I got questions, Angee! Give me some answers!!

I think you're talking about Cornell. Don't bash him too hard. I love(d) that man. I have no idea what his schtick is lately but this comment you made:

Oh and by the way, when he does visit those HBCUs his rhetoric is totally different that what he has said or doesn't say on bill maher.

sounds like the God's honest truth.

[Top Cat]

17. K&R

[seaglass]

18. What did Cornel West do between being a poetic truthteller in 2005 and

now being a fallen man? I mean other than "bash" Obama.

It seems that you are saying that because DU is not diverse we don't know that we are supposed to dismiss West's opinion now?

Why don't you just make the case as to why he is persona non grata instead of just being accusatory?

[Teaser]

36. Nothing, he was crap in the past

he continues to be crap.

Dr. West should try publishing some scholarly work once in a while.

[CreekDog]

19. What? I read Kos, Matthew Yglesias and TPM

not a WASP among them.

[chimpymustgo]

21. Do you have something approaching a FACT to back up your FALSE ACCUSATIONS???

Cornel West is a respected academic. He criticized Bush, now he's criticizing Obama for his warmongering, corporate, right-wing policies. Your own credibility is zippo.

[Hello_Kitty]

23. There just aren't enough administration shills on the blogs!

:eyes:

[FrenchieCat]

26. Yep....of the Black folks that bothered to comment in this thread,

4 out of 4 agreed with the OP....

Some will call us shills, however....
whioh is partially why this website
has relatively very very few Black voices on it these days.
Folks get tired of being called names by those
who appear to be automatic shills of whomever criticizes this President
the loudest on just about everything.

[Hello_Kitty]

27. Are you implying that all criticism of the President is racism?

[FrenchieCat]

28. Nope.

I'm implying that some folks discount just regular ol' Black perspective as meaningless....
over and over and over again.

[Enrique]

29. this thread is a smear of a black man

imho, as a white man.

Look at all the accusations in the OP. I and another DUer asked the OP to back it up and they didn't do it. Imho, it's a smear of West because he criticizes Obama.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dokkie]

31. I cut my hair at every 2 weeks

at an African American barbers shop and I can tell you from conversations with barber's shop patrons, that he hasn't lost any credibility among that crowd. So the OP maybe right when it comes to the blacks who still go to college but for the high school graduate crowd. these people can see hes trying to push Obama to do more for the African american (and other poor in general) in area of unemployment, law enforcement harassment (be it war on drug and general DWB) instead of just chilling for him so he can win the next presidential election. These people want real job opportunity that is not military related and that my friend is the same thing West is asking for.

Btw, I am black

[FrenchieCat]

32. High School graduates discussing Cornel West in the Barbershop?

That's great! :applause:

At my Flat land East Oakland Hair salon located on Fairfax Avenue off Bancroft in the East Bay,
we certainly discuss Pres. Obama, but rarely if ever does Cornel West come into the mix.
In fact, I'd dare to say, that many only know Cornel's name as the battling
Harvard Black Studies professor who switched to Princeton some years back,
but not where he stand on any particular issue.

My church, located on 85th Avenue and International Blvd.....is a place where
Cornel West has attended service, and has had talks held to sold out crowds in
the past....but not recently....as have Tavis Smiley, Rev. Sharptonm and Rev. Jackson,
as well as many others.

Rep. Barbara Lee is a member of our church as are other Black community leaders of the
East Bay....and one of the things that I have observed about most of them is that
even when they criticize the President, they do so respectfully, and lovingly. I will
also mention that all of their talk of the President is not all done laced with only
negativity.....perhaps because most have worked on enough projects within the Black
community to understand the nature of politics, and how hard it is to get change to
take place. Some have been doing constructive community work for so many years,
that they clearly, perhaps more than anyone else, understand exactly the perils that this
President is going through, and the last thing on their wishlist is to put the President down
simply because they think he should be doing more. They, wisely, are mindful that just cause
one can say whatever they want, it doesn't make it constructive, or results in a benefit to
those who need benefits the most.

But thanks for your additional input on the subject! :hi:

[Union Scribe]

33. So start a fucking blog

It isn't tv media. You don't have to get hired. Go do it instead of whining no one else is.

[FrenchieCat]

35. Done that.

Still posting here too.

You mind?

[allincompassing]

37. You go Girl!

As a Black Man, that stops by from time to time. I support the work that Frenchie Cat provides to DU. Needless to say, the commentary on many of the DU threads leans heavily toward criticizing President Obama, more often than not. Kind of weird for a site that calls itself the Democratic Underground. My guess is that there's a lot more Freepers here than Skinner is willing to acknowledge.

Last but not least I've personally visited the EBFC (East Bay Faith Center) and Frechie's more than right about the community involvement from many leading politicians. I grew up at 16th and Filbert, West-side in the house!!
And nothing is more obvious than the collective and media bias that permeates every move our President makes.

This is the hardest working president we've seen in our lifetimes, and like many other people of color will tell you, nothing he does will ever be good enough.

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ramulux]

39. Are you fucking talking about Cornel West?

If you are, this is a pretty fucked up misrepresentation of the guys career. West is one of the most respected scholars in the country and has been for years. Saying that he was nothing before Obama is just not true.

I suggest you check out his part in the movie "Examined Life", it shows just how incredibly brilliant this guy is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Q6v1xsvcI

[golfguru]

40. Two black guys got standing O's at CPAC!

Herman Caine and Congressman Allan West received standing ovations multiple times
according to news sources. I guess GOP is aiming at diversity.

[JI7]

41. it certainly shows how out of touch many are, especially those calling for a primary to Obama

[last_texas_dem]

42. Where was all the bashing?

I watched last Friday's Real Time and don't recall any sort of no-holds-barred Obama-bashing emanating from West. Actually, the main thing I can remember hearing relating to Obama and West was West *defending* Obama from Maher's suggestion that Obama isn't really a Xian.

I've seen him on there several times, pre-Obama presidency to today, and West has never come across to me as an "Obama basher." Has he criticized Obama? Certainly. But I'd be a little creeped out if any smart, politically-knowledgeable liberal of any race didn't have at least some beefs with Obama.

I have a hard time following the idea it seems like you're trying to put forth that West somehow does what he does 'cause he's in it for the money. So, he's made all this money from touring black colleges but is now supposedly persona non grata due to his being overly critical of Obama? If he's just a money-driven opportunist, wouldn't he have altered his criticisms (in all venues) to be soft on Obama in order to cater to a pro-Obama audience? I'm not seeing how West's consistent, outspokenly liberal rhetoric (which is what I've heard from him for as long as I've been aware of who he is, pre-Obama presidency to today) is something that has ever lined up with making loads of money.