Cornel West is furious at Obama

[impik]

Just like the memo goes. He can hardly contain his anger.




President Barack Obama shakes hands with Princeton University professor Cornel West, center, and poet Sonia Sanchez, left, after delivering remarks at the National Urban League 100th Anniversary Convention in Washington, Thursday, July 29, 2010.

[jefferson_dem]

1. Ha!

I love both these men.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. He generally...

...is furious....

[NJmaverick]

3. K & R!

[Unsane]

4. why does he always wear a scarf

[JTFrog]

6. In a book about him it was stated that the way he dresses, in neat three-piece suit with black scarf

is a nod to the cool jazz musicians of the past.

[Unsane]

7. lolwut

[JTFrog]

9. African American Biographies, Cornel West - By Corinne J. Naden, Rose Blue

He even turned down a job at Harvard, at one point, because he didn't think Boston radio stations played enough black music. Even the way he dresses, in neat three-piece suits with a black scarf - is a nod to the cool jazz musicians of the past.

West believed that for African Americans, music is history. It has helped black people survive many hardships and struggles. Borrowing a line from African American poet LeRoi Jones (also known as Amiri Baraka), West thinks of African Americans as "blues people".

No idea of how accurate it may be, but it's the only reference I've ever seen to why he dresses the way he does.

:shrug:

[flamingdem]

22. Those excerpts are so interesting, thanks! Will have to read more by him nt

[Forkboy]

5. Are people actually saying he was?

I know West has had some strong words for Obama, but it's all been highly thoughtful and respectful (naturally...it IS West we're talking about), and I haven't seen a hint of animosity between the two.

[Kind of Blue]

8. Fooled me!

Nice pic. Wonderful to see Sanchez as well.
KnR

[DirkGently]

10. Handshake or no, here's what some of what he's said

Reasonable people have been known to shake the hands of those they disagree with on some issues, of course.

On what President Obama is doing wrong: "While he's made some good, positive changes, I don't think he's a messiah or even a very progressive politician. It turns out when you talk about hope, you have to be a long-distance runner."


On "whitewashing within administration": "What happened to the black elites inside Obama's campaign, Valerie Jarrett, John Rogers and Eric Whitaker? They're practically invisible or gone. Instead Obama has a savvy political team — brother Axelrod, Bbrother David Plouffe, brother Robert Gibbs, brother Emanuel — who are eperts at PR. ... Black folk can't be blindsided by Obama's pigmentation and historical symbolism. What I'm saying is I wish he could be more Martin Luther King-like. ... But by necessity, Obama has had to downplay his blackness to appease the white moderates and independents and speak to their anxieties."


On his current relationship with Obama: "He doesn't return my calls. ... I did 65 events for my dear brother Barack on the campaign trail but have not seen him since Martin Luther King Day 2008. ... I couldn't even get a ticket to the Inauguration for my mother. ... I think he has the kind of disposition where he just moves on."

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1007/west_obamas_no_messiah.html

Educator Cornel West sat down with thegrio to discuss how unemployment is affecting African-Americans. thegrio asked West about national unemployment trends for African-Americans. <snip>

West, who has been outspoken in both his support and criticism of Obama, said the current administration has not made poor people a priority. “Obama has an economic team that’s composed of persons who have no history whatsoever of being concerned about poor people,” West said. “Obama’s been doing a good job of reassuring the establishment. But there’s many of us who believe the establishment is on our necks.”

http://www.obamawatchblog.com/2010/04/cornel-west-obama-is-for-big-business-not-the-jobless/

[LisaM]

17. He makes it sound as if he wishes Obama were a religious leader

That is the great difference between Obama and Martin Luther King. There is a time for religion, and a time for it to distance itself from politics.

[GreenArrow]

24. Sounds to me more like he wishes

Obama had a moral center.

[Clio the Leo]

11. so THAT is who was hooping and hollering during the speech yesterday...

... the whole crowd was both fired up and ready to go.

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Cornel West is one of this nation's great thinkers

and he deserves more respect than to be used as fodder for a silly political game. Mr West is a man of words, of great and towering words of truth, and no matter how hard you try, he can not be reduced to a glyph or a bit of rhetoric.
Odd that you would frame West as unable to speak clearly for himself. Never heard him say he was furious with the President. I think you made those words up. I have read and heard what he has to say, and of course he is far more nuanced and complex than you might like him to be, but he is not a man who needs any of us to clarify his positions for him.

[roody]

14. +1

[Ross K]

13. West is always furious

[bassnectar]

15. always furious?

The "Angry Black Men" stereotype is an easy way for ignorant people to attack the messenger.

[polmaven]

16. Furiously brilliant, maybe

:hi:

[avaistheone1]

18. Looks like Cornell is trying to break his arm

or at least shake some sense into Obama.

Good luck Cornell.

[SunsetDreams]

19. Admit it, you just wanted people to click on your thread

Clever Title :evilgrin:

[Whisp]

20. wow, he looks pissed!! what's up His ass?

:rofl:

[ProgressOnTheMove]

21. Whatever they can do to divide, most AAs understand the power structure over Pres. Obama and admire

how he's negotiating the waters. Captures brilliantly what an icon in history Pres. Obama has already become.

[moksha]

23. West is a good guy. He can separate person from policy.

He can like one and criticize the other.