I'm proud of Sanders for NOT jettisoning Dr. Cornel West

[Bonobo]

Dr. Cornel West is a courageous man of substance. A strong black voice whether you disagree with him or not. But this is not an OP about Dr. Cornel West.

This is a post about Bernie Sanders. He is a man of integrity and substance, a strong and courageous man.

Most politicians would look at the negative Tweets and internet traffic about Dr. West and take the advice of their professional handlers to jettison him. But Bernie is a man who knows his own mind and will never shirk in the face of that kind of pressure if he believes in someone and something.

Bernie is not your average politician. It is his strength and his conviction, his loyalty and his unwillingness to alter himself, to compromise himself in order to be something he is not -THAT -that is what people are responding to. THAT is the quality that sets him apart and can only be described as "honesty".

It is hard not to go back and remember how President Obama did, in fact, throw his own pastor, Jeremiah Wright, under the bus for daring to speak angry words that could be used against him politically. It was a wise move politically. Obama would have payed a price for keeping him around. But what price did he pay in his soul and in his integrity for tossing him away. Was his turning a cold shoulder to Dr. West essentially the same thing? Probably.

[yourpaljoey]

1. agreed and proud

[Kalidurga]

2. Dr. West has the soul of a poet.

He speaks the truth and does it even when it's gonna piss people off. I like that in a person. I like it even if I don't agree with them.

[zentrum]

20. I'm listening to him now!

Streaming at Kalw.org on line!

You can hear it too.

http://kalw.org/schedule/kalw

[thereismore]

3. Agreed. It shows his loyalties are not subject to where the wind blows.

Cornel is great. I like his writings.

[MuseRider]

4. I have never understood

the need to throw a person and all their good works under the bus because of a few things. Yes, I KNOW what he called Obama but is that a reason to throw everything he has done out?

I feel exactly the same way. He has done many good things. To some he has offended and that is a shame but to toss out all the good he has done just strikes me as odd and unfair.

I am glad Bernie can accept the good and the bad about people. It is hard to do and something to respect.

[orpupilofnature57]

5. I was kicked out of AA for sticking up for him, I do regret not being able to discuss in that group,

I don't regret sticking up for a man who out of frustration of being Marginalized , and being blown off by our President said some outlandish things, what he was talking about was the presidents facilitation in the Oligarchy. Point being unlike Hillary, Bernie doesn't let inconvenience of the Truth deter him, it's not Legend or a popularity contest .

[Major Hogwash]

60. Well said.

If Bernie was ever concerned about how disastrous Dr. West's words would appear, he never showed it.

[MrMickeysMom]

83. I can't understand being kicked out for standing up for your belief in what a person says

In fact, some of these groups do themselves a disfavor by limiting the dialogue.

[noiretextatique]

110. consider yourself lucky

that forum is a hotbed of disinformation, they've influenced many peopje in this thread.

[orpupilofnature57]

115. Thank You, I thought it might be me Misinterpreting it .

[nadinbrzezinski]

121. That group is full of neo liberal loving hacks

there, I said it.

And disinfo is their main name.

[Babel_17]

6. The left is the left, nobody gets to fence anyone out

Though who you associate with is by choice. I think Senator Sanders isn't going to ignore Brother West just because he isn't always in total agreement with him.

Doing so would reflect an attitude that has hobbled the left in the past.

[ecstatic]

7. Or, it could be that Bernie Sanders is so out of touch that he does not know

how people feel about Cornell West. My guess is the latter.

[Bonobo]

8. Out of touch as in can't spell his name right?

Do you have much experience reading or listening to Dr. West or did you just kind of become aware when the shit-flinging started? Be honest.

[ecstatic]

12. An autocomplete error. And my knowledge of West goes back to 1998.

How about yours? As I stated back in 2013, he jumped the shark shortly after President Obama took office.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2246703

[Bonobo]

13. Okay, good to hear. 1998.

So did you always think that he was "cuckoo" as you stated in that link

ecstatic: "Regarding MLK's bible, I think I'll side with MLK's family and not Cuckoo West. "

[roguevalley]

16. jumped the shark = I don't agree with his opinions.

[noiretextatique]

10. How some very vocal people feel

Not all. And Black people aren't as in lockstep with Clinton as some claim. Sanders has 25% of the black vote...and climbing.

[Bonobo]

11. And to suggest that Bernie isn't aware of the politics surrounding Cornel is asinine. nt

[noiretextatique]

14. Indeed...so many assinine comments today eom

[dana_b]

22. my guess is that Bernie isn't that kind of person

He won't turn on you just because others point at you and laugh or criticize. Cornel is smart and someone that Bernie believes in.

[noiretextatique]

96. which people?

i am black, and i don't know a single black person who dislikes Dr. West. but my friends are progressives.

[ecstatic]

116. Well now you do.

But it's less about dislike and more about acknowledging that he's fallen off over the past 8 years. He can easily redeem himself at some point in the future. Maybe.

By the way, are Al Sharpton, Tah-Nehisi Coates, Melissa Harris Perry and Michael Eric Dyson progressives in your view?

https://newrepublic.com/article/121550/cornel-wests-rise-fall-our-most-exciting-black-scholar-ghost

http://www.thenation.com/article/cornel-west-v-barack-obama/

[noiretextatique]

117. ah...intellectuals debating each other

surely this will be read by every working-class black person in america! i have never had a discussion about him, except here. but your point is taken.

[Mira]

9. Fully agree with this post n/t

[navarth]

21. Probably something poetic and truthful

and offensive to some authoritarian. And he probably mentioned John Coltrane in the same sentence. It just doesn't get any better than Brother Cornell.

[Pharaoh]

15. I'm out of the loop

What did West say?

[Gene Debs]

18. I missed it too, but from the tone of the post, and recognizing the buzzwords, I suspect

it was some truth that Clinton supporters found difficult.

[MrWendel]

58. That...

Obama is the first "Niggerized President"? That part you find true?

[MissDeeds]

26. I'm out of the loop too

Hope someone will clarify for us. Please???

[navarth]

17. yes on all counts

I was very disappointed with Barack when he turned on Rev. Wright.

Bernie and Dr. West are two that I trust. They both walk the walk.

Damn Bonobo, you've been on fire since you came back. Boo ya!

[Bonobo]

19. It gave me time to think. Thanks.

I don't want to be silenced again, either.

[shadowmayor]

23. Speaking Truth to Power

Always a treacherous path when one speaks truth to power. One thing that the TV machine and its pablum spewing morons can't seem to fathom in this primary season - America likes fighters. Never mind sensibility and reason, or promising the moon, a lot of it boils down to rooting for a fighter. That's why Herr Trumpf on the right is so popular - he's a political pugilist scrapping and eye-gouging and fighting in the gutter, but he's fighting. Yeah there's a whole lot of bloviating and bragging and out and out lying, but through it all, Trumpf comes across as a fighter.

Same thing for Bernie only on a much more adult, serious, and honest level. He's fighting for the people who haven't had a champion, or felt like they haven't, for some time. It feels good to see someone go to bat. To speak truth to power and to fight the good fight is also something Dr. West has been doing for decades! He's a compassionate fighter.

Hillary to a certain extent is a fighter. Christie is a fighter. The others pretending to run for President come across as fear-mongering, whining wimps. The Repukes can easily bully the current administration, or Hillary or even Bernie but put them on a stage with a fighter and they cry and cringe. Americans love to see someone fighting for their side and for the first place ribbon.

[randome]

90. Calling Obama 'the first niggerized President' is speaking truth to power, eh?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]"The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it."
Tony Randall, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)[/center][/font][hr]

[iandhr]

24. Really? He called Sharpton a ‘Bonafide House Negro of the Obama Plantation’

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023566547


He might have been a "courageous man of substance" but I see now a man who is angry because he is no longer relevant so he says crazy things to stay in the news.

[Pharaoh]

27. wow that is pretty rough

will be interesting how it plays out

[bbgrunt]

25. Me too! proud and grateful.

[Live and Learn]

28. Ditto. nt

[joshcryer]

29. A Sanders "support" thread turning into an Obama hit.

Where have I seen this before?

[joshcryer]

32. Your concern for people is touching.

Obama's soul, my feelings, etc. I hope you bring it up every time I have something to say, it'll make me feel quite comforted there are such kind people out there.

[Bonobo]

33. It was the least I could do.

And thank YOU for your well thought out response to my OP about the one of the character traits I admire about Democratic candidate, Bernie Sanders.

[joshcryer]

34. Obama's integrity is important to me.

His soul, too, I suppose. Given his leadership over the past 7 years it's obvious that his association with Wright was more political than his disassociation. And that by separating he was being more true to himself.

[Bonobo]

36. Okay, I'll bite.

You say his association with Wright was more political than his disassociation.

That is an intriguing thought and I am curious why you feel so confident that that is true.

I don't want to slam his integrity, but are you saying that he was associating himself with Revered Wright for political gain and then he decided he just needed to be himself more and so he then disassociated himself? Furthermore, it was merely fortunate that the disassociation was politically expedient for a political run?

That would certainly be interesting, if true.

[joshcryer]

47. Would you argue the past 7 years indicated Wright influence?

I don't think so, I think history has shown he wasn't really a radical in any sense. I think Wright's church was and is a nexus for Chicago politics, so it was only natural for Obama to "show up" there, rather than be a pariah over a the few times Wright would say something he disagreed with. He's likely not even going to go back to live in Chicago when he leaves the White House, so he won't really "have" to associate with that church ever again.

I don't think that Wright was controversial to his run and actually, if Obama was really influenced by him, and then immediately went back to the church after winning, or embraced Wright and his politics while in the White House, then that would've shown a lack of integrity and loyalty.

No, it's more conceivable to me that Obama saw an opportunity to break away and decided to disassociate because it wasn't him. The media, and Clinton's campaign, tried to bludgeon Obama and create a controversy, that to Obama, wasn't a big deal. The connections were tenuous at best and Obama had no qualms with breaking ties. If Obama was truly influenced by Wright and truly identified with those radical politics, he would've defended Wright and his connection. Hell, I just checked and Wright never even showed up at Obama's prayer breakfasts (ironically, Bill Clinton invited him before; and the Clinton campaign threw Wright under the bus as soon as it was politically newsworthy).

I don't think it was "political expediency," in retrospect, because he's shown that he's not the kind of person that would be a Wright advocate. But I concede it looked that way at the time. But a thing we don't remember, the speech that arguably got him the nomination, the post-Wright controversy speech on race relations, he pretty much laid the foundation for his pragmatic bipartisan attitude, fully distancing himself from Wright completely.

Really, though, all this writing and it's one simple question: was Obama truly influenced by and admiring of Wright? History says no, imo.

[Kentonio]

54. That's a bizarre bit of historical revisionism.

He threw him under the bus, over comments that could have been explained in a way that helped white America understand better the anger and frustration felt by so many.

[JI7]

57. the white america that had a problem with it is just racist

racist white americans are not victims of racism.

[Kentonio]

65. I'm not sure how you got that second part from anything I said..

[joshcryer]

59. He never ascribed to Wright's approach.

You clearly don't recall his A More Perfect Union speech. He explained in depth the racism of white America without using divisive language. And it arguably won him the nomination and the Presidency.

Here's Obama explaining white racism in a clear way:

In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds - by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.

Please don't accuse me of revisionism when what I said has been born out by 7 years of Obama's moderate Presidency. He did not ascribe to Wrights approach or views. That's what the Clinton campaign attempted to do in their dishonest campaign and that's what the right wing still accuses Obama of doing (there's a recent article about the National Prayer Breakfast where the comment sections are inundated with hate speech against Obama and Wright).

[Kentonio]

66. He could have protected Rev Wright by explaining a little of the history and context of his remarks.

He didn't need to tie himself to the same language or thinking in doing so. Instead he threw him under the bus to avoid the issue derailing his campaign, and it wasn't the right thing to do.

[joshcryer]

67. You clearly did not read the speech.

Why don't you go do that?

Better yet, since this is the internet, why don't you Control+F his name?

Obama emphatically did not "disown" Wright.

The issue would not have derailed his campaign if he agreed with Wright on those issues and on that approach. That's the meme the Clinton campaign wanted to send. And, again, if Obama really did ascribe to those views, after getting elected, why didn't he show those views? After getting elected again, why didn't he shift far left or some crap? Because Obama did not, actually, ascribe to those views, and he laid it out in the very speech you aren't reading or remembering, in an attempt to revise history yourself.

History bore it out, Obama was not in fact a Wright follower, politically or ideologically.

[Kentonio]

72. He visited his church for 20 years

The idea that he didn't know the kinds of thing Wright preached on is completely ridiculous.

After he withdrew his invitation to Wright to deliver an invocation, his spokesman came out with..

Senator Obama is proud of his pastor and his church, but... decided to avoid having statements and beliefs being used out of context and forcing the entire church to defend itself.

That sound like someone who is utterly disgusted by the views of a man he's listened to for 20 years? A man whose church he donated $20,000 to? A man he described as like his 'old uncle'?

Obama seemed pretty happy to put it down to context and quote picking.

It's as if we took the five dumbest things that I've ever said or you've ever said in our lives and compressed them and put them out there — I think that people's reaction would, understandably, be upset."

The right wing were being absolutely disgusting about Wright, and the event perfectly encapsulated the institutional racism so deeply buried in the media. He deserved to have his 'friends' stand by him even if they weren't standing by everything he believed.

Then as the media shitstorm intensified, and Wright did his speaking tour that 'pride' he felt in his pastor suddenly changed into this..

I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday... The person that I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate, and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church. They certainly don't portray accurately my values and beliefs. And if Reverend Wright thinks that that's political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn't know me very well. And based on his remarks yesterday, well, I may not know him as well as I thought either.... What became clear to me is that he was presenting a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for, and what I think particularly angered me was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks were somehow political posturing. Anybody who knows me and anybody who knows what I'm about knows that I am about trying to bridge gaps and I see the commonality in all people. ...[A]fter seeing Reverend Wright's performance, I felt as if there was a complete disregard for what the American people are going through and the need for them to rally together to solve these problems. ...[W]hatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed, as a consequence of this.

That sound like Obama "emphatically not "disowning" Wright" to you? Because to me that sounds like a man being very strongly and decisively thrown under the bus.

[joshcryer]

77. Your digging is quite is charming.

And you still didn't read the speech, I am 100% sure you didn't read the speech at this point. Your article, the one you fail to even link, was after the Clinton campaign continued to use Wright to their advantage, pit Wright against Obama, and continue to stir controversy around Wright and Trinity Church.

Obama gave his "A More Perfect Union" speech on March 18, 2008, the press conference you're trying to use as some kind of "throwing Wright under the bus" thing is from April 29, 2008. Weeks after the Clinton campaign repeatedly hit Obama with Wright commentary, and a day after Wright's Press Club Speech where he doubled down on his hateful and wrong commentary (commentary Obama disagreed with). Then, the final nail, on April 28, the speech Obama is responding to here, was set up by a supporter of the Clinton campaign earlier!

But now, it turns out, we should have been paying a little less attention to Wright's speech and the histrionics of his ensuing news conference and taken a peek at... who was sitting next to him at the head table for the National Press Club event.

It was the Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds, a former editorial board member of USA Today who teaches at the Howard University School of Divinity. An ordained minister, as New York DailThe Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright at the head table of the National Press Club event Monday which Reynolds helped arrangey News writer Errol Louis points out in today's column, she was introduced at the press club event as the person "who organized" it.

But guess what? She's also an ardent longtime booster of Obama's sole remaining competitor for the Democratic nomination, none other than Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. It won't take very much at all for Obama supporters to see in Wright's carefully arranged Washington event that was so damaging to Obama the strategic, nefarious manipulation of the Clintons.

So, you are literally running Clinton's smear machine here, to prove some vacuous point in the OP, which is just beyond reason, when history proved that Obama was not a Wright follower. You only prove my point, but only after resurfacing a Clinton campaign manipulation about Wright, and only after an extraordinary attempt at revisionism, without dates in context, with selective quoting (and yes, you know you did it, because you had to put ... in where you split up the quotes).

My original contention stands, Obama did not follow Wright. All you've shown here is that the Clinton campaign used Wright to embarrass Obama, a month later, and Obama had to come out yet again and disagree with Wright's comments.

[Kentonio]

82. He was a member of his church for 20 damn years, donated $20,000 and considered him a close friend

It's not about being a follower, its about fighting to protect the people close to you and not just throwing them under the bus when the heat gets turned up.

I admire many things about Obama and his presidency, but that was a real low point and I lost a lot of respect for him for it.

[joshcryer]

86. Right, I'm saying that was political.

He was part of Trinity Church more for political reasons, and by leaving it was not political, but personal. We know this because he wasn't a radical and he never espoused Wrights views during his time in office. He disagreed with Wright. Read the reply at the top of this subthread.

Obama's integrity is important to me. Given his leadership over the past 7 years it's obvious that his association with Wright was more political than his disassociation. And that by separating he was being more true to himself.

The Clinton's broke up Wright's friendship with Obama the moment they trotted him out to repeat his baseless comments right before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries (they were only separated by a hundred or so delegates at that point, the smear attempt was to cause the media to go nuts on Obama and give Clinton an edge, it didn't work because Obama came out forcefully against Wrights statements).

You fell for the Clinton smear machine hook-line-and-sinker.

Wright wanted to defend himself at that presser, but there was no need for that presser, because Obama wrote and delivered a kind speech talking about his disagreements with Wright. When that Clinton supporter trotted Wright out to defend his positions in front of a very antagonistic media, they knew that Wright would put his foot in his mouth and double down.

With quotes that you conveniently left out, such as accusing the US of engineering AIDS. Do you really think Obama was wrong to condemn that?

Do you have any idea how fucking crazy this is that you, presumably a Sanders supporter, presumably an Obama supporter, are trotting out the Clinton smear machine as proof of the OP's weak point? It's crazy!

[Kentonio]

87. I have no idea how you're rationalizing this to yourself.

You're basically saying that Wright wasn't really a friend of Obama, but that Obama pretended for 20 years for political advantage and then took the somehow moral route of disassociating himself when the smears came from Clinton and the right.

How would that not be even worse than what actually happened?!

[joshcryer]

88. This Clinton defense is incredible.

His relationship was pastor parishioner, they weren't like best buddies. What happened was they went to not even taking to one another since the Clinton's pit them against each other.

I don't see a damn problem with a man going to church to be part of his community which values church going.

[Kentonio]

89. I have no idea how this is a Clinton defense to you.

Both Clinton AND Obama did the wrong thing, it's not mutually exclusive.

[joshcryer]

92. What did Obama do wrong?

[Kentonio]

93. Threw a friend of 20 years under the bus for political expediency.

But we're just going around in circles now, let's just agree to disagree.

[joshcryer]

94. Wright threw him under the bus!

After the Clinton's had him double down on their disagreements! This is insane!

Do you think Wright was correct in doubling down on the AIDS conspiracy a fucking day before the Indiana primary? Doubling down about "God damn America" literally in the last campaign Clinton had a chance to catch up?

You cannot be serious. Wright himself said it was about political expediency at the very presser Clinton's people set up.

It was all an attempt to shit on Obama and question his judgement. Just like you're doing now. It couldn't have been a guy going to a church on the regular, then leaving that church when he had an opportunity to do so, could it?

[noiretextatique]

97. what a load of bullshit

he dropped for political expediency

[Nyan]

30. Dr. West is a prophetic voice.

I love him. I don't care what anybody says about that great man. Good on Bernie for having him on his side!

[840high]

52. Agree.

[uponit7771]

35. Cornell West called Obama "N-Word-izzed" for non reality reasons and has been vile

... and hateful towards Obama for slighting him on inauguration seating arrangements.

Sanders has jettsoned him, Sanders hasn't been seen in SC like he was in IA ... West is going to be an albatross around Sanders neck

[noiretextatique]

98. have you read any of his books? listened to a lecture?

i didn't think so. straight from the AA fourms lips to your fingertips.

[Drunken Irishman]

37. Absolutely! I wish more people would call Obama Kenny G in black face.

We need more of that beautiful, courageous substance on the campaign trail!

[Bonobo]

38. This OP is about the courage and honesty of not bowing to political expediency.

You can pass judgment of Dr. West based on a sentence or two out of a decades long career of fighting for the rights of the underprivileged, but this is not really an OP about him.

[Drunken Irishman]

40. West is his words.

It's more than a sentence or two. He's said racist, bigoted things about the President of the United States. Those words are just as strong as any legacy you claim for West. And who knows? Maybe you agree that Obama is the first niggerized president.

[Bonobo]

42. You don't get to tell a Black person what is racist.

Neither do I.

[Drunken Irishman]

44. Sure I do.

Racist language is racist language no matter whose mouth it comes out of.

West doesn't get a pass on his hateful rhetoric because he happens to be black. No more than, say, Allan West.

[Bonobo]

46. Okay. You go with that. nt

[Drunken Irishman]

49. I'm sure you'd be as supportive if, say, a conservative black guy called the President that.

[noiretextatique]

99. Dr. West is a scholar: He did no simply call Obama a name as the idiotic reductionists keep implying

he critiqued his actions, specifically his cowardice on race. he did so after Obama used the n word on Marc Maron's podcast. Is Obama now a racist too?

[Drunken Irishman]

106. He's a bigot.

Lots of bigots have been scholars. One just died last week.

[noiretextatique]

108. according to you. and your thoughts on Obama's use of the n-word?

let's see how consistently outraged you are.

[Drunken Irishman]

112. Did Obama call anyone the n-word recently?

I must've missed it.

Calling someone black face is bigoted. It's racist.

[noiretextatique]

114. so I guess that's a no

Obama is not a bigot for using the n-word, since it was not recent, but West is a bigot for using the n-word he used, even though both happened at the same time. got it.

[Drunken Irishman]

124. Did Obama call someone the n-word as president?

I don't recall he ever did. Wow. That would've been news!

Or are you implying that using the n-word in the context Obama did is the exact same as calling someone it?

[sheshe2]

51. Hide,

12 O'clock high. ^^^^^^^^

[Sheepshank]

39. As a true blue Bernie supporter, it's not like you have much choice in the matter

A true blue Bernie supporter cannot criticize anything Bernie...it's not tolerated. So it makes sense that the collective you, have to feel good about Cornell West. The rest of us are pretty glad he's on your team and we don't have to bother with him.

[Bonobo]

41. I think you are projecting based on your own operating mechanisms.

It takes a lot to swallow that your candidate cast a vote that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed a country, a candidate that is for the death penalty and is deeply tied with big banks, wall st. and the lobbyists that influence the country to the tuin of 99% of the population.

I think you confuse your own rationalizing with the false belief that others are doing the same.

[Sheepshank]

43. I'm not the one selling or buying into the "Cornell is the best" idiocy Nt

[Bonobo]

45. I don't think I am selling that he is "the best".

Are you able to even read the OP?

This OP is about the integrity of not tossing someone away for political expediency.

But no, I do not think that Cornel West should be tossed away because he made some comments about Obama that you find offensive.

On balance, given his body of work, he is a man with an important voice and Tweeter-level superficial discourse does not change that.

I EMBRACE that Sanders is not the kind of shallow, poll-driven, sleazily marketed candidate that would throw someone out like that.

It speaks to the strength he will have in standing up to other bullies, foreign and domestic.

[sheshe2]

50. Hide....

12 O'clock high.

[mhatrw]

48. Cornell West is 100% REAL. Barack Obama is at least 50% stagecraft.

Sure, one is a politician and the other is not, but if given the choice, I'll take real over stagecraft 100 times out of 100.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! West said (REAL) mean things about Obama! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

If that hurts your delicate cult of personality sensibilities, grow some skin. Adults can and should have and express serious political differences. If you want to stand up for Obama. fine. I understand and respect the counterargument. But don't vilify West for simply speaking his mind. This isn't kindergarten.

[still_one]

56. bullshit

[mhatrw]

61. LOL. Typical.

[still_one]

75. and that is why Sanders is going to lose, because calling President Obama "50% real", is a slur

against an extremely popular President among Democrats:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_obama_job_approval_among_democrats-1046.html

[mhatrw]

79. He's at least 50% stagecraft. So was Bill Clinton.

It's not a slur by any means. It's actually a very low ratio for a politician. Reagan was about 95% stagecraft, and Trump is 100%.

Hillary is 95% bad high school play.

[still_one]

81. we obviously disagree. have a good night or morning depending where you are

[noiretextatique]

111. some people are not as ridiculously thin-skinned

and acknowledge that popularity does not exempt a politician from criticism.

[uponit7771]

69. Cornell West called Obama "N-Word-izzed" you think that crap is "real"!?!?!?

[mhatrw]

80. Yep. Just like Jeremiah Wright.

Who are you or I to tell Cornell Wright what language he can or cannot use?

[noiretextatique]

101. after Obama used the n-word on a podcast

wrap your head around that. West believes Obama was a coward by avoiding race.

[one_voice]

95. Well since you bring....

delicate cult personalities....

[MohRokTah]

53. Sanders? A man of integrity and substance???

[mhatrw]

63. Typical

[noiretextatique]

102. West's response was to Obama's use of the n-word on a podcast

is Obama still a man of integrity?

[still_one]

55. President Obama distanced himself from Pastor Wright because he didn't agree with what Wright was

saying. In fact he articulated it quite well:

"words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit."

As for Cornel West, I have to assume that Sanders agrees with Dr. West on his assessment of President Obama, and other issues.

It isn't a question of Sanders' "distancing himself" from Cornel West. He agree with Cornel West, so why would he distance himself from the man?

In the case of President Obama, he made it very clear that he did not subscribe to the views that Pastor Wright. President Obama didn't throw Wright "under the bus", Wright did that to himself, by his hate filled rant

[mhatrw]

62. What degrading words were you referring to?

The United States government lied about their belief that all men were created equal. The truth is they believed that all white men were created equal. The truth is they did not even believe that white women were created equal, in creation nor civilization. The government had to pass an amendment to the Constitution to get white women the vote. Then the government had to pass an equal rights amendment to get equal protection under the law for women. The government still thinks a woman has no rights over her own body, and between Uncle Clarence who sexually harassed Anita Hill, and a closeted Klan court, that is a throwback to the 19th century, handpicked by Daddy Bush, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, between Clarence and that stacked court, they are about to undo Roe vs. Wade, just like they are about to un-do affirmative action. The government lied in its founding documents and the government is still lying today. Governments lie.

The government lied about Pearl Harbor too. They knew the Japanese were going to attack. Governments lie. The government lied about the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. They wanted that resolution to get us in the Vietnam War. Governments lie. The government lied about Nelson Mandela and our CIA helped put him in prison and keep him there for 27 years. The South African government lied on Nelson Mandela. Governments lie.

The government lied about the Tuskegee experiment. They purposely infected African American men with syphilis. Governments lie. The government lied about bombing Cambodia and Richard Nixon stood in front of the camera, "Let me make myself perfectly clear..." Governments lie. The government lied about the drugs for arms Contra scheme orchestrated by Oliver North, and then the government pardoned all the perpetrators so they could get better jobs in the government. Governments lie.... The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. Governments lie. The government lied about a connection between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein and a connection between 9.11.01 and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Governments lie.

The government lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq being a threat to the United States peace. And guess what else? If they don't find them some weapons of mass destruction, they gonna do just like the LAPD, and plant the some weapons of mass destruction. Governments lie.

And the United States of America government, when it came to treating her citizens of Indian descent fairly, she failed. She put them on reservations. When it came to treating her citizens of Japanese descent fairly, she failed. She put them in internment prison camps. When it came to treating her citizens of African descent fairly, America failed. She put them in chains, the government put them on slave quarters, put them on auction blocks, put them in cotton field, put them in inferior schools, put them in substandard housing, put them in scientific experiments, put them in the lowest paying jobs, put them outside the equal protection of the law, kept them out of their racist bastions of higher education and locked them into positions of hopelessness and helplessness. The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing "God Bless America". No, no, no, not God Bless America. God damn America — that's in the Bible — for killing innocent people. God damn America, for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America, as long as she tries to act like she is God, and she is supreme. The United States government has failed the vast majority of her citizens of African descent.

Sounds as if Wright was just trying to keep it real to me. Too bad Obama didn't even wait for the cock to crow.

[uponit7771]

68. Cornell West: “my dear brother Barack Obama has a certain fear of free black men,”

https://newrepublic.com/article/121550/cornel-wests-rise-fall-our-most-exciting-black-scholar-ghost

Cornell west hatred of Obama is well documented and his fault for calling from a blocked number


West is not only a laughing stock but a well known Obama hater among black politico, him and Tavis Smiley were common invites to shows where a black person was needed to dog the president with veiled reasoning to give the appearance that some racist among thems critique was valid.


Sanders associating himself with west and Bigga ... up north.... and not hanging with them TIGHT in big venues down south is well


interesting

[noiretextatique]

105. He does not hate Obama, he disagrees with him politically

sheesh you folks really need to step away from that forum. all this over-wrought emotion and accusations of hate is beyond tiresome. West is a vocal critic of Obama...that does not equate to hate.

[uponit7771]

64. Cornell West called Obama "N-Word-izzed" for non reality reasons and has been vile to Obama

... cause West didn't get the inaugaration seats he wanted.

No, this is documented...

West is a petulant jerk and most of black politico knows about him

[Kentonio]

70. Keep repeating the smears

Sure, the fact that the man is a pacifist who has dedicated a large part of his life to trying to fight for the poor and the needy couldn't have anything to do with his anger at a President who continued a policy of drone assassinations and warfare while also handing the financial reins of his administration to Wall St.

No, it must just be because he's butt hurt over inauguration tickets still. Right..

[uponit7771]

71. How is West own words "smears"!?!? I wont post them here cause the overt hiding of post

... of people complaining of racist comments on GDP but you can read them yourself

https://newrepublic.com/article/121550/cornel-wests-rise-fall-our-most-exciting-black-scholar-ghost

[Kentonio]

73. I've read his words many times.

You keep throwing out this stuff about how he only fell out with Obama over some inauguration tickets and that's a gross mischaracterization of events, which you know perfectly well. AKA a smear.

[uponit7771]

74. West called Obama "n-word-izzed" ...thats West own words and the tickets are Obamas

...own words and not a smear...

West didnt provide a call back number... thats his fault

quoting someone in context is not smearing

https://newrepublic.com/article/121550/cornel-wests-rise-fall-our-most-exciting-black-scholar-ghost

[Kentonio]

76. Didn't provide a callback number? Seriously?

“There is the personal level,” he says. “I used to call my dear brother [Obama] every two weeks. I said a prayer on the phone for him, especially before a debate. And I never got a call back. And when I ran into him in the state Capitol in South Carolina when I was down there campaigning for him he was very kind. The first thing he told me was, ‘Brother West, I feel so bad. I haven’t called you back. You been calling me so much. You been giving me so much love, so much support and what have you.’ And I said, ‘I know you’re busy.’ But then a month and half later I would run into other people on the campaign and he’s calling them all the time. I said, wow, this is kind of strange. He doesn’t have time, even two seconds, to say thank you or I’m glad you’re pulling for me and praying for me, but he’s calling these other people. I said, this is very interesting. And then as it turns out with the inauguration I couldn’t get a ticket with my mother and my brother. I said this is very strange. We drive into the hotel and the guy who picks up my bags from the hotel has a ticket to the inauguration. My mom says, ‘That’s something that this dear brother can get a ticket and you can’t get one, honey, all the work you did for him from Iowa.’ Beginning in Iowa to Ohio. We had to watch the thing in the hotel.

That sound like he didn't have a number he could reach him on?

[uponit7771]

78. Yes...if the number he was calling from was a blocked number!!!

Dyson comfirms this in the link I posted

either way... tickets doesn't deserve years of racialized dogging of Obama so some people can feel comfortable about criticizing him.

but look here... Sanders is hiding this brotha now so the op is a little off...Sanders dumped west a lot faster than Obama did (in west mind...not in reality)

[Kentonio]

85. If you think Barack Obama couldn't get a number for Cornel West then I don't know what to say to you

And again you completely ignore the giant elephant in the room which is Obama's policies once in office running contrary to the deepest held beliefs of Cornel West and contrary to the positions he himself ran on. If you think its just an ego trip over some tickets, then I have a bridge in Alaska to sell you.

As for Sanders 'hiding' West, that's just nonsense. He's continued working for Bernie constantly, including a widely reported article just a few days ago and a speech at Smith College where he promoted Sanders over Clinton.

[uponit7771]

118. So Dyson and Obama are wrong on getting in contact with West? You listening to yourself?

Also, factually I disagree with your claim that Obama ran contrary to his policies seeing he got 80% of his agenda passed or compromised on.

Seeing what he had to deal with he did a damn good job.... getting 80% of your agenda passed or compromised on isn't running away from anything.

Also, your narrative... like Sanders does... leaves out congress... you make a cursory nod towards its effect but leave it out in the total dog of Obama running away from his promises.

Can we deal in facts no and not what you and I think?

also

K, were West at then?!?!? I mean standing by Obama in big venues not some break room at a factory or something...

Sanders SEEN with West out front like West was in IA not hiding working with speeches and crap...

We'll see

come back

[noiretextatique]

113. do you have any clue about the rest of what he said?

again, unlike the partisan spin in that forum, some AA's agree that Obama was weak on race when he first took offfice. in the AA community, some people do not like Obama because of his initial weak stance. And let me assure you there is diversity of thought about Obama and West in the AA community, in spite of repeated claims to the contrary.

[uponit7771]

119. weak != "n-word-izzed"... I 100% disagree with the form and function of the wording

[noiretextatique]

109. Please address Obama's use of the n-word

since West's comments were in response to that.

[uponit7771]

120. No it wasn't, West was labeling Obama "n-word-izzed" not just using the word in a neutral context

[noiretextatique]

107. do you know or care that he used that term in response to Obama's use of the n-word on a podcast?

this presents a dilemma for you and others. Does Obama hate black people because he used the n-word? Is he a racist or bigot? Does he hate Cornel West because of the use of the n word? Are you angry at him because of his use of th n-word? Is the n-word less offensive because Obama said it?

[noiretextatique]

103. after Obama used the n-word on a podcast

West's comments were in response to that. and he dumped Wright...period. I don't care how he parsed it.

[uponit7771]

123. West labaled Obama a compound form of the word pejoratively... we can read

[pdsimdars]

84. pure

Every time I've seen Cornel on TV (usually Bill Maher), I marvel at his brilliant mind. . .what a pure intellect and soul.

[delrem]

91. Why would he?

I would no more jettison West than I would Obama, or Lewis, or any other person - Steinem, any of the people who have impressed me. I take all of their statements in context, because I was taught to. And as I was taught, I obey.

I listen to all of the arguments.

I want to make a better world.

[Le Taz Hot]

100. Why would he?

[noiretextatique]

104. i bet very few of those against West have clue about what he said...and why

second-hand info is often unreliable, especially here. believe it or not, some people agree with substance of his remarks, if not the words. all people post here are words without context. welll...here it is.

Posted on June 22, 2015


Reacting to President Obama's use of the n-word on Marc Maron's podcast, Cornel West called him the first "niggerized" president in an appearance on CNN. West criticized Obama as "a person who is afraid and intimidated when it comes to putting a spotlight on white supremacy."


http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/06/22/cornel_west_on_obama_the_first_black_president_has_become_the_first_niggerized_black_president.html

[uponit7771]

122. REALLY!!??!? it was a pajoratie labeling of the first black president using the n-word and somehow

...that's suppsoed to appropriate!?

This form has gone rightward

[MrWendel]

125. This ...