Black Politicos Dilemma: Obama or Clinton?

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) was booed over the weekend at a rally in her hometown. Rep. Jackson Lee is a Clinton supporter whose district overwhelmingly voted for Obama. This is a dilemma that many African American supporters of Clinton face throughout the country. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) has a challenger for the first time in years because his constituents felt that he did not change his support fast enough. Lewis recently took some calls during an Atlanta morning radio show where angry supporters of Obama called in and expressed their displeasure. This is not without precedent as black politicians faced a similar backlash when some supported Walter Mondale over Jesse Jackson 1984. This time is different, Sen. Obama in this case, is in a position to win.

Can a black politician support Clinton?

At this point, the only blacks that should be supporting the Clintons are the ones being paid to do so, Maggie Williams and her ilk. The Clinton treatment of Barack Obama and the injection of race in the primary contest were tactless and showcased their true colors. Apart from the obvious arrogance and sense of entitlement, Sen. Clinton in her bid to become the first female president, has especially been vicious in her dealings with Sen. Obama

The Clinton camp has managed to anger the African American electorate in their attempt to marginalize and defeat Obama. This started in South Carolina when Bill Clinton, who is often referred as America's first black president, made some disparaging remarks about the Illinois Senator. This essentially was a slap in the face of a core constituency that supported the Clintons for years. The racial rhetoric became even more banal when Obama continued his winning streak and the Clinton camp devised a multiple pronged kitchen sink strategy. Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman Vice Presidential candidate who was obviously chosen because of her gender, launched the first attacks. The uproar it created provided the opening for the Rev. Wright controversy. Obama was then ridiculed, his religious orientation questioned and was incredulously offered a VP slot when he was well ahead in delegates.

The Ferraro incident was a strategic move and campaign tactic seeking to polarize women and rural white voters. This was in effect the Jesse Jacksonization of Obama to limit his reach amongst the white electorate. The attacks provided ample ammunition and fodder for political pundits on both sides of the ideological spectrum.

Obama, previously careful not to introduce race in the campaign, was forced to address the issue in a major speech that's been viewed over three million times on YouTube. After THE SPEECH and the relentless attacks on Obama, the only question that remains is:

How can any black person support the Clintons, unless they are being paid to do so?