If You Thought People Liked Obama, Don’t Worry; It’s 0nly Black People.

One of my non-blogging buddies (one of the coolest mofos on the planet, actually) tipped me to this nice little article, by Byron York, entitled The black-white divide in Obama’s popularity. Imagine the look on my face when I read this, the very first paragraph (actually, don’t imagine that look; it’s not pretty):

On his 100th day in office, Barack Obama enjoys high job approval ratings, no matter what poll you consult. But if a new survey by the New York Times is accurate, the president and some of his policies are significantly less popular with white Americans than with black Americans, and his sky-high ratings among African-Americans make some of his positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are.

Um, yeah…WTF?

This dude actually wrote this. Here, let me translate this for you:

Black people don’t count (or if they do count, they sure as hell don’t count for more than 3/5’s of a white person) so, even if President Obama has a high approval rating, it’s not accurate (or actual) because black folks are all up in the mix. We all know that only white people’s opinions matter, right?

The entire article says nothing other than black people like Obama, and so he’s not really as popular as you think he is. It doesn’t matter that we happen to be members of the population and so our opinions count too. It doesn’t matter that black folks also overwhelmingly liked Bill Clinton. No one challenged Bill Clinton’s popularity because black folks loved him (ok, now that I think on this some more, I bet a good handful of folks did, but still). But when a lot of black folks happen to like another black dude, well then obviously something is amiss.

Post-Racial United States. Gotta love it.

Now You See There, Michael Steele

It’s bad enough that your deluded ass actually let the RNC play you into thinking that you’re actually running shit, but now you had to go and grovel all over Mr. Limbaugh after you messed up and spoke out of line. Now that Limbaugh has put your black ass firmly back in place, he’s all emboldened and ready to go after Obama.

Poor Michael Steele.

The Republican National Committee chairman picked a fight with Rush Limbaugh, lost and then apologized in a manner that confirmed the chairman’s utter inconsequence and his dismal prospects for renewing a party that it is now clear he does not lead.

Limbaugh won’t even be bothered to keep picking on him.

Displaying the penchant for marketing maneuvers that has made him an incredibly successful media personality — if not, perhaps, a party builder — Limbaugh has turned his shoving match with Steele into an excuse to demand that President Obama join him on the radio for a debate.

That’s right.

Not satisfied with running the Republican Party, Limbaugh now wants to run the country — or, at least, the discussion about its direction.

So the talk show host isn’t inviting Steele to debate him.

He’s inviting Obama.

“I have an idea,” Limbaugh announced on his nationally-syndicated program Wednesday. “If these guys are so impressed with themselves, and if they are so sure of their correctness, why doesn’t President Obama come on my show? We will do a one-on-one debate of ideas and policies… ”

So this is a Hip Hop Makeover, huh? How does it feel getting schooled by the MC Hammer of Republicanism?

President Obama Takes Presidential Oath. Again.

Y’know, with all the fools out there trying to deny that President Obama is the duly elected President of the United States, it doesn’t surprise me that they did a do-over just to be on the safe side:

WASHINGTON (AP) — After the flub heard around the world, President Barack Obama has taken the oath of office. Again. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the oath to Obama on Wednesday night at the White House – a rare do-over. The surprise moment came in response to Tuesday’s much-noticed stumble, when Roberts got the words of the oath a little off, which prompted Obama to do so, too.

Don’t worry, the White House says: Obama has still been president since noon on Inauguration Day.

Nevertheless, Obama and Roberts went through the drill again out of what White House counsel Greg Craig called “an abundance of caution.”

Ha! An “abundance of caution”! You mean, they knew Michael Steele and Ken Blackwell were conferring about planning their suits five seconds after the mistake was made.

President Barack Hussein Obama

I am, simply, happy right now.

Rick Warren? Say It Ain’t So!

Ok, President-Elect Obama. I sometimes just don’t get you. While I think it’s cool and all that Time named you the Person of the Year, and you certainly deserve it, I am absolutely baffled at your choice of Rev. Rick Warren to give the invocation speech at your innauguration. What gives? I understand that you’re all about reaching across the aisle, and I respect that. I’d be flipping folks off, so you’re probably a better person than I; and I’ve long ago come to terms with the fact that you are not as progressive as I’d like you to be (and if you were, you wouldn’t be the President-Elect right now); but really, why are you giving a platform to a staunchly anti-gay, anti-choice minister, a man who refers to pro-choice folks as “holocaust deniers“?

I am so sick of people trying to make a point by disrespecting people’s lives and histories–both on the left and the right. That shit is so tired and needs to be called out more often.

There are many, many ministers out there that use their faith as an avenue of justice. I know. I’ve worked with them. The Rev. Rick Warren is not one of them. Here’s someone you could look up. Why? Why did you have to chose this man?

I also gotta say, that Aretha Franklin, who sang “Respect” and “Someday We’ll All Be Free” at a concert for Bill Clinton, will be following Warren…well, the irony of that is about to make my head explode.

I want to believe that my vote for you was the right thing to do. Please don’t prove me wrong. I hate being wrong.

The First Jazz-Poet President?

Could Obama be the President that gets people interested in poetry again? Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but it turns out that he dabbled a little in verse back in his undergrad years, even publishing a few poems in the undergrad literary journal. Heh, even Harold Bloom “was not unimpressed” with his work, which is really saying a lot coming from Bloom.

This is really cool, though (h/t Baratunde).

President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that he wants to “open up” the White House to local children and artists and that he also envisions a science lecture series to inspire youth.

Mr. Obama, speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” outlined for the first time a way to showcase the “tapestry that is America.”

“We want to invite kids from local schools into the White House,” he said.

Mr. Obama said he wants the White House to be a forum for “elevating science once again and having lectures in the White House where people are talking about traveling to the stars or breaking down atoms, inspiring our youth to get a sense of what discovery is all about.”

He said he would like to invite jazz and classical musicians and have poetry readings in the White House.

Wait? What’s this? Intellectualism and creativity in the White House? Say it ain’t so! Poetry readings and Jazz in the White House? I too get all blubby about hearing that Obama plans on, gee imagine, investing in the U.S. infrastructure and creating jobs, but stuff like this just sends me into a complete tizzy of happiness.

Art, science, learning, and all a part of the new administration. Wow. Just wow! You’ll forgive me for being a tad overwhelmed over the thought of it. I’ve suffered from an 8-year nightmare that would send The Sandman into hiding.

Yes, I Just Went There

Not even seperated at birth...

I see no other way to describe this mess.

That a Supreme Court Judge, a black one at that, would actually dignify this baseless, racist, hateful meme that Obama is not a “natural born citizen” is beyond the pale.

It’s gonna be a long four years, folks.