2008 November | Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

November 14, 2008 by Marc Lamont Hill

The Meanings of Victory
By Mumia Abu-Jamal
[col. writ. 11/04/08] (c) ‘08

The count has been called and Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. has become the 44th President of the United States of America.

But, in truth, history will record him as #1 – the first African-American president.

It is undeniable that this is a singular political achievement, a work of impressive political skill, and (we must admit) a gift of the political gods.

Among friends, in the privacy of a prison visiting room I’ve often made the following half-joke. Obama wins handsomely, and in his acceptance speech, flush with victory, loaded with ‘political capital’, he would open by saying, “My fellow Americans — first and foremost, I want to thank the one person who made my election possible (if not inevitable): George W. Bush!”

I always got a laugh, for like all good jokes the truth makes it happen.

And the truth is, without the blunders of Bush, Obama would’ve been an also-ran. His fundamental issue, which set him apart from the rest of the Democratic pack, was his early opposition to the Iraq War. That gave him a wind that carried him far and long beyond his competitors, who were, for the most part, half-hearted war supporters — or worse, people who supported the war only because to not do so, would’ve harmed their political careers (or so they thought).

That wind carried him to the Oval Office, the grandest prize in U.S. politics.

But what does it mean?

We cannot deny its symbolic value. In millions of Black homes, his picture will be placed on walls, beside Martin, John F. Kennedy, and a pale painting of Jesus. I’d be that quite a few African homes (especially in Kenya) will also boast his smiling visage.

But beyond symbol is substance, and substantively, some scholars have defined Obama as little different from his predecessors. Political scientist Clarence Lusane, writing in a recent issue of The Black Scholar pointed to the money men behind both Obama and the Democratic Party, and noted the following:

The promotion of U.S. hegemony, expansion of markets for U.S. corporations, security-based
multilateral relations, protectionist trade policies, and a focus on terrorism will likely be key
priorities demanded by the major political and financial backers of the Democratic Party.
In other words, in a number of key areas, an Obama administration would echo the policies of
both George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.” *

Yet, symbols are powerful things. Sometimes, they have a life all their own. They may come to mean something more than first intended.

History has been made.

We shall see exactly what kind of history it will be.

–(c) ‘08 maj

November 14, 2008 by Marc Lamont Hill

Time For Some Fashion: The Inauguration Diet

By Melissa Harris-Lacewell

As you can tell I am on a theme. With the election finally over many people have been asking me what we should do next. This week is my chance to play with some answers to that question. Sunday I suggested it was Time to Study. Monday I said it was Time for Some Action. Today it is Time for some Fashion.

Michelle Obama rocked that red dress at the White House yesterday. She was so stunning. It reminded me that as a much shorter and rounder sister I will have to work hard to keep up with the new Obama-inspired fashion trends that are clearly coming our way in the next four years.

So in that spirit I am reposting my Obama inauguration diet. I originally proposed this diet in June when I was still writing for TheRoot.com. Now we have just a brief time to be in shape for the new Obama administration. So I am recommitting to my diet.

After nearly two years of bingeing on the election, here is my plan.

Trim excess partisanship from my politics. Not all Democratic ideas are good for you and not all Republican proposals are unhealthy. This election season has suggested the possibility of new coalitions and revealed the fragility of the old ones. I am training my political palate to appreciate a more refined approach to party politics.

Replace the unhealthy breakfast of American TV political news with a healthier alternative of imported foreign correspondence. Let’s face it, the televised, political news coverage in the United States is so stuffed with pundit fillers and partisan fat that it is not a healthy way to start the day. I am substituting the fresh and trim perspective of foreign press sources. It is healthy to view the country through the eyes of the rest of the world. I am not cutting CNN and MSNBC completely; all things in moderation.

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