DMV

August 18, 2011

 

Raynard Jackson

 

How long will the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) continue to behave like a person who has been diagnosed with erectile dysfunction (ED) and has been prescribed Viagra by his doctor?

 

The male psyche is extremely fragile and when the doctor prescribes Viagra to him, initially it is a huge blow to his ego.  Then, there is an initial state of denial, followed by acceptance.

 

So it is with the CBC and their relationship with President Obama.  Obama has all but ignored the CBC and the Black community.

 

When Obama was elected in November of 2008, the Black community felt a great sense of joy for the history that had just been made. 

 

After 2 years of the Obama presidency, the CBC began to think and feel what anyone with a brain had already figured out—that Obama made a political calculation that he could ignore the Black community because no one fears alienating the Black vote.  According to my sources in the White House, “Blacks will only get mad, then fall in line.”

 

Now, like a man who has been told he needs Viagra, the CBC’s ego has been bruised by the willful ignoring of them and the people they represent—the Black community.

 

Begrudgingly, the CBC, after 3 years are exiting from their state of denial and has finally accepted the fact that President Obama has made a conscious political calculation that he can ignore them and suffer no retribution from them.  The CBC has no history of punishing those who don’t cater to their agenda—whatever it is.

 

During the kickoff of the CBC’s “For the People” Jobs Initiative tour Tuesday in Detroit, Congressman Maxine Waters (D-CA) said, “We don't put pressure on the president…Let me tell you why…  We don't put pressure on the president because ya'll love the president. You love the president. You're very proud to have a black man -- first time in the history of the United States of America. If we go after the president too hard, you're going after us."

 

Are you kidding me?  Did she really say that?  Yes, she said this on national TV!  This is the very reason Obama can ignore the Black community with impunity—what are they going to do about his treatment of them?  Absolutely nothing!

 

As much as I detest Obama’s position regarding the Black community, I can’t say that I blame him.  Notice that the Hispanic and gay communities threatened, very publically, to withhold their votes and money if Obama didn’t push their agendas.  Blacks won’t even criticize Obama, let alone threaten to withhold their votes or money.

 

The CBC and the Black community have become so demoralized by Obama’s treatment of them that they have been prescribed “political” Viagra just to function.

 

Without this pill, the CBC isn’t able to satisfy their constituency—the Black community.  Like Viagra, the CBC can only bring temporary satisfaction to their community. 

 

Seeing this frustration about to spill over into the public, Obama will show up at a few Black churches, have some athletes and entertainers over to the White House and continue not to offer anything specific to the Black community.

 

Obama will tell the Black community he needs more time, i.e. another term.  But, he didn’t say that to the gays or Hispanics!

 

So, the CBC, for the past three years, have been telling the Black community to be patient, Obama can’t be seen as trying to do too much for the Black community, and don’t criticize him publically because he is Black.

 

As a result of this, the CBC has unwittingly perpetuated the very thing they have been fighting—that no one should fear offending the Black community.

 

In many ways, the CBC is very similar to Viagra—if you swallow their rhetoric somebody will get screwed!  And it’s usually the Black community.

 

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm.  He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine (www.excellstyle.com) & USAfrica Magazine (www.USAfricaonline.com). 

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