Change? Vote Your Wallet

Those who did not watch the Democratic presidential debate live are compelled to rely on the interpretations of arm chair “experts� with various media outlets, including CNN. They tell us who they believe “won.�

[On The Spot]

 

I do not put much stock in polls, so on, “Super Tuesday,” we will see how the millions of voters in the 24 states cast their votes. 

We must think like Giants and put those Patriots – “Act” to rest forever.  Let’s get back our freedom.  This is still the United States of America.

This election is on us. We cannot just depend on the views of the mainstream media, elected officials, labor leaders, or civil right leaders. We must vote with our wallet. 

“How is it that I lived in America all my life, worked two, sometimes three jobs and I’m still behind the eight ball?” this African-American gentleman asked the other day? He was begging for a swipe in order to get on the train because he had no money to get home.  “I’m down here looking for work and can’t even find a job.”

It is amazing how the mainstream media no longer mentions Iowa.  Iowa rocked this nation with their vote, setting the tone for this presidential election, sending many running in shock.

The complaints in New Hampshire about votes not being counted clearly shows nothing has changed. The election process has been exposed as not foolproof. Votes can be manipulated or tampered with.

If you have not seen the timely movie, “The Great Debaters,” produced by Oprah Winfrey, you really could not appreciate the Democratic presidential debate last Thursday between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton.

In my opinion there was no clear winner in the debate. Both Obama and Clinton did very well, and raised the level of the Democratic Party, which will play a role in this presidential race. The debate came down to whom you like better as a candidate and nothing more– that night. 

The Democratic Party is all about change and has already changed the way Americans think when electing its next president.  The Republican Party has never run a serious African American candidate or a woman for president.

Also consider how these “debates” are shown to us. They are broadcast by mainstream media and major networks that control the questions posed to a particular candidate.

Those who did not watch the Democratic presidential debate live are compelled to rely on the interpretations of arm chair “experts” with various media outlets, including CNN. They tell us who they believe “won.” 

During the debate Clinton ran into a wall on two key questions and began to try to justify her vote to go to war. Clinton would have come across better if she had just told the truth. What has not been mentioned about those senators who voted for this war is that millions protested and marched in the streets across this country telling their representatives not to go to war. The demonstrators were ignored. 

Another problematic question: if elected president, how was she going to keep her husband, former President Bill Clinton in line? Her answer was not strong, which clearly speaks to any Obama/Clinton ticket. It just will not work, no matter how good it sounds.

I agreed with Clinton on a few points.  The Republicans are more of the same and having a woman in the White House may be great for the country. But, having an African American in the White House may be even greater. It will show the world we are really a democracy. 

Our foreign policies must be fair and seen to be so. This will improve our foreign relations with countries different from our own, and Obama speaks to this type of change. Will the Democrats stick with Obama all the way if he becomes the chosen candidate? Will they defect in November at the polls? Will the powers that be stand by and allow voters to put an African American in the White House?    

There is talk about fixing a broken government, a broken immigration system, a broken healthcare system, and on and on. Recall the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Can we get around an election process which has not been fixed? 

The American people should be able to elect the next president of their choice without the interference of the Electoral College, the controlling two percent, and never again should the Supreme Court select another president.  We are just a better country than that.

I watched Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorse the Republican Presidential front runner John McCain and could only think of the immigration issue.  Schwarzenegger, McCain and Rudolph Giuliani are the immigration issue.  Where did the “undocumented worker” label come from? 

When did immigration only become a label for people of Latino, Caribbean, and African descent?  Right under our nose and straight in our face, the powers that be have done it again – separating the races on the immigration issue by class.

We have arrived at the doorsteps of real change.

Remember the words from that old spiritual song? “We shall overcome; we shall overcome; we shall overcome, Today; because deep in our hearts, we do believe, that we shall overcome, Today.”

Contact Winkfield for his consideration regarding covering your own story: (347) 632-2272 By mail: On The Spot, Post Office Box 230149, Queens County 11423; Email: [email protected] or [email protected]; call (212) 481-7745. Together we can get the justice everyone just talks about.

To comment, to subscribe to or advertise in New York’s leading Pan African weekly investigative newspaper, please call (212) 481-7745 or send a note to

[email protected]

Also visit out sister publications Harlem Business News www.harlembusinessnews.com and The Groove music magazine at www.thegroovemag.com

 

“Speaking Truth To Empower.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *