"Afrosphere" or "Blackroots"? Two Synonymous Names for the Same Movement.

Dear Kinfolk:

With the advent of the term "blackroots", there has been some confusion as to what difference, if any, exist between the terms "blackroots" and the "afrosphere," both of which terms describe a portion of the Blacks who participate in blogging. In fact, the terms are synonymous, as is explained and documented in this article.

As I observed at my blog back on June 13, 2007, in a comprehensive article entitled, "An Essay on AfroSpear Nomenclature: What We Call Ourselves and Why":

(2) The "AfroSphere" on the other hand, is the term that we have developed over the last few months to mean "Blacks on the internet, at Black blogs and websites, working for Black cultural, political and social self-determination, renewal and advancement and sharing generally similar goals, even if they do NOT know one another and and have NOT become part of an organization to pursue these goals in unity and collaboration. Being part of the Afrosphere reflects a choice to pursue the goals of Black self-deterimination, but without necessarily hav[ing] joined any particular group to do so as part of a collaborative. "An Essay on AfroSpear Nomenclature: What We Call Ourselves and Why," June 13, 2007.

Now, compare that definition to the discussion and definition of the term "blackroots" that is offered by BlackProf.Com's "professor and [Black] blogger Spencer Overton, as discussed and quoted in YahooNews on February 14, 2008:

Spencer Overton analyzed the rise of the Blackroots in a prescient post last May: While the "grassroots" are romanticized, in the past couple of decades Black politics has been hierarchical and limited by orthodoxy that constrains debate. An MLK/Malcolm model has defined the leadership styles and political philosophy of Black elected officials, non-elected figures like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, organizations like the NAACP, and neo-Black Nationalist commentators and figures. Those not with the program essentially had the option of becoming Black Republicans. Older Black folks often complain about complacent black youth who don't vote, march, or otherwise live up to their model. Black blogs offer not only an opportunity to break from old orthodoxy, but to do so in a way that is flatter, and allows for more engagement through comments from readers (which are often more provocative than the posts)....

He cited the successful Fox News campaign as a "significant development" that fit into a larger effort to advance wired collaboration and force "transparency [to] hold Black elected officials more accountable." During the Fox fight in April, Afro-Netizen blogger Chris Rabb questioned how the CBC could cut deals and take contributions from Fox while neglecting its own constituency:

Do these [CBC] folks know what the "netroots" is? Do they think it's just made up of by young, white college-educated geeks far removed from their own congressional districts? Do they know that the vast majority of Black voters who elected them are accounted for in the much larger population of African Americans who regularly access the Internet, approximately 20 million strong? Will they come to understand that the Black netroots community is presently a slumbering giant who, it seems, only the likes of a Fox News Channel can begin to awaken? Yahoo.Com

When you look at the definition of "Blackroots" offered by Professor Overton, as well as the groups, activities and political perspectives that he says comprise the "Blackroots", it is seems clear to me that "blackroots" and "afrosphere" are synonymous. In fact, Professor Overton says at the blackroots' BlackProf blog, in an article entitled, "A Significant Development for the Blackroots":

The past couple of months have produced a significant development among Black blogs. Many are working together to challenge conventional Black leadership. ( . . . )

Afro-Netizen and Jack & Jill Politics, for example, separately criticized Jesse Jackson for speaking out against the Fox/CBC debate, and then deferring to the CBC the next week. Jack & Jill Politics disclosed to its audience that from 2003 to 2005, Fox News gave the CBC Foundation between $47,000 and $99,000, with 2006 numbers unavailable.

( . . . )

3) The Power of Collaboration: Despite the interactive and collaborative nature of the Internet, many Black blogs have remained relatively autonomous. We've provided links to occassional posts on other sites and included other black blog sites on our blogrolls, but our interaction has been limited, at least with regard to action. And autonomy is important--the wisdom of crowds comes not through parroting, but through autonomous decisionmaking. And we all have different interests. But the CBC/Fox Issue is an important step in the evolution of network effects--the power of a broad, flat, and well-connected blackosphere. Professor Spencer Overton, "A Significant Development for the Blackroots", BlackProf, May 1 2007.

By looking at who comprises the "blackroots" and the "afrosphere," -- what our perspectives are and what we are doing -- it becomes apparent that these are but two synonymous terms for the very same "loosely organized" but "well-connected" "network" or "sphere" of people, perspective and activities. The term "afrosphere" derives from the term "blogosphere" (the "afro" part of the blogosphere) and gains its meaning in juxtaposition to the term "whitosphere". Meanwhile, the term "blackroots" is derived from the term "netroots", and its meaning is best understood in juxtaposition to the term "whiteroots", a term whose first published usage may have been by John Stodder at Althouse, on September 27, 2007.

Based on my first-hand knowledge of the history and usage of the term "afrosphere", and after having quickly reviewed the usage and definition of the term "blackroots", it is evident to me that"Blackroots" and "afrosphere" are two different names for the same loosely and informally organized sphere of online Black people, perspectives and activities.

Going forward, blackroots/afrosphere members may choose to agree to select one of the two of these terms to signify this concept, if only to facilitate the understanding of the news media, the public and government officials, as well as our own members. In the earliest days of the AfroSpear, we agreed to use the term "afrosphere" for this concept rather than "blackosphere" because many members believed that a term such as "blackosphere", derived from the term "Black" defined us only by our skin color. In comparison, the believed that, by adopting the term "afrosphere", we define ourselves in terms of our commitment to African-descendent-oriented people, politics, culture and history. In that sense, the terms "blackroots" and "afrosphere" differ in the same ethereal way that the terms "Black" and "African-American" differ.

For my part, Field Negro, Exodus Mentality and Asabagna convinced me that the term "afrosphere" and AfroSpear were preferable for our self-definition based on the argument above, and based on the need to select one term that all of us would use uniformly. Once having agreed with them on this point, I have always been happy with the term "afrosphere" and have never looked back. I am a member of the "loosely-organized" afrosphere as well as of the political blogger member group, governed and managed daily by consensus of the members, that is called the AfroSpear.

(3) The "AfroSpear" is our international, consciously and purposefully organized collaborative of Black bloggers and websites who develop online and offline organizations, forums, newspapers, messaging groups, chat rooms and other media to organize and mobilize the international Black Diaspora to pursue goals that will enhance and further our well-being, in all of the cities, towns, countries and continents where we live, throughout the world.

Being part of the "AfroSpear" requires that one have both adopted the goal of Black self-determination AND have decided to participate actively in this particular group to pursue these goals. Becuase the term AfroSpear has a very precise meaning, it necessarily includes substantive criteria for membership and its definition also requires that some people can only be non-members, because their views, advocacy and/or societal and cultural position simply have nothing to do with or are clearly adverse and contrary to the goals of Black poltiical, cultural and economic self-determination. An Essay on AfroSpear Nomenclature: What We Call Ourselves and Why, Francis L. Holland Blog, June 13, 2007.

To help distinguish between the term "afrosphere" and the group called the "The AfroSpear," and because "AfroSpear" is the name of a formal organization while "afrosphere" is not, therefore AfroSpear members have decided NOT to capitalize the word "afrosphere."

For those Black self-determination bloggers have been blogging for at least three months and who wish to participate in a tightly-knit Afro-descendant Black bloggers' group, with over 130 duly admitted members from half a dozen countries and four continents, with daily e-mailing, press releases, a unified and automatically updating AfroSpear blog-list, and group organs such as AfroSpear in the News and AfroSpear Freedom Technology Christmas, I encourage you to consider applying for membership in the AfroSpear: http://groups.google.com/group/the-afrosphere/about

Sincerely,

Francis L. Holland, Esq.
The Truth About John McCain Blog
"One Love, One Nation Under an AfroSpear"

Black Leadership Self Hatred and The Obama Campaign

AAPP says: I Just finished reading an article by Darryl Fears in the washingtonpost.com. In the article he talks about Tavis Smiley, the bestselling author of the "Covenant With Black America," and how Tavis is being "hammered," "barbecued," and is "catching hell" from black Americans for suggesting that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made a major mistake by declining to speak at the State of the Black Union event that Smiley plans to host next week in New Orleans.

Here is the article and my thoughts, highlighted in red. Based on what I'm reading and hearing, Tavis is another Black Crab hating on Obama.

Black Commenter, Criticizing Obama, Causes Firestorm
By Darryl Fears, The Washington Post



Photo of Tavis Smiley

"There's all this talk of hater, sellout and traitor," Smiley said to me in a telephone interview. Smiley even mentioned getting death threats, but wouldn't elaborate. He said his office has been flooded with angry e-mails. "I have family in Indianapolis. They are harassing my momma, harassing my brother. It's getting to be crazy," Smiley said.

AAPP: If this is true, this regretful, inappropriate and unlawful.

Smiley's problems started early this month after he invited Obama to speak at the State of the Black Union, an event Smiley founded nine years ago. Held annually during Black History Month and broadcast by C-Span, the event gathers a Who's Who of black intellectuals, pundits, activists, entertainers and politicians to discuss and brainstorm about where black America is and where it is headed. This year's topic is "Reclaiming Our Democracy, Deciding Our Future."

The State of the Black Union has grown into a key event for black people since its start, but as Smiley has discovered, Obama's presidential run is far more highly regarded.

As the first black person to have a legitimate shot at a presidential nomination, defeating Sen. Hillary Clinton's rich campaign juggernaut, Obama is virtually a third civil rights movement, the manifestation of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. His candidacy has produced a fervor in black America born of centuries of wanting. Nearly every black vote that Clinton thought was hers at the beginning of the race has been siphoned by Obama.

Each of the presidential candidates were invited to speak, but only Sen. Hillary Clinton accepted. Clinton is desperate to bolster her flagging campaign with a larger share of the black vote after losing all but a small percent to Obama. Smiley said he wants the candidates to focus on the issues that black Americans care about.

AAPP: Hillary is the only candidate who needs to convince black voters to stop voting for Obama and vote for her. Hillary will be glad take a few pictures with you Tavis. I'm sure Bill Clinton will be willing to show up too. He sure would be glad to tell some black jokes and make some more color aroused statements against Barack Obama. Maybe Hillary will bring out some other surrogates like Robert Johnson or Andrew Young. I'm also sure Hillary will also bring her new black female campaign manager around. If that won't work, maybe Hillary can dig up some family members of Lyndon B. Johnson to let black folks know how unimportant MLK was to the Civil rights movement. But then again, with Hillary in the house, talking black, giving her southern drawl, and a few photo ops, maybe you can get some photo ops for a new book. "Hating on Barack - My 11th hour effort to create discourse with black folks and Brack Obama."

If the blogosphere is any reflection, however, black America believes Smiley should check his ego. Commenters would much rather see Obama campaigning against Clinton in Texas and Ohio than at Smiley's confab in Louisiana, a state he's already won. Critics burned up Internet chat rooms, taking turns at denouncing Smiley. Pundit Melissa Harris-Lacewell, an Obama supporter, authored a biting anti-Smiley opinion on TheRoot.com (which is owned by Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive), entitled, "Who Died and Made Him King?"

AAPP: I agree, smiley appears to be involved in a little bit of old school self-hatred as far as I am concerned.

A fan of Smiley commented on one blog, saying, "Tavis, Ya Killin' Me, Man." An angrier writer headlined his comment, "This is just dumb." "This man is involved in the fight of his life for the presidency of the UNITED STATES, not black states," he wrote of Obama. "I don't know if Tavis got the memo, but Hillary is leading in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the governor said that his white folks won't vote for a black." Other comments would likely be blocked by Net Nanny and can't be printed on the Web pages of a family newspaper.

For Smiley, the tumult is a major turnabout. Until now he was a darling commentator in black America. His passion for the people endeared him to many. People listened to his commentaries on the popular Tom Joyner Morning Show, and snapped up so many copies of the "Covenant" that it made the top ten lists of the both the New York Times and the Washington Post. When Smiley talked, black people listened.

AAPP: I agree, at this point Tavis seems to be more to be interested in selling books, and being the "Journalism king of Black America." Although Obama may change his mind and attend, I'm with Obama on this one. Obama needs to continue to get busy and campaign where he need to get undecided votes. Don't listen to the self-hating black folk, even those who sell a lot of books and talk the talk.

"One of my friends said, 'you are being barbecued in the blogosphere,'" Smiley said. He told Black America Web writer Michael Cottman's that "I'm catching hell." In our interview, Smiley said: "This is the first time in my entire career that I have found myself in this kind of relationship with some folk in black America. I now know what it feels like to have the weight of the Internet world bearing down on you. Man, it's an eye opener when you get caught in the middle of it."

AAPP: look in the mirror Tavis, this election is bigger than you!

Obama's campaign said he called Smiley twice on his cell and office phones. Smiley said he returned the calls but got no response.

On the Tom Joyner Morning Show recently, Joyner brought up the controversy during an interview with Obama, relating how Smiley was taking heat for saying he thinks Obama doesn't want to talk about issues black people care about.

Obama chastised Smiley, but spoke as if the two were friends. "I'm going to have to call Tavis up and straighten him out on this," Obama said. He said he's addressed issues that Smiley cares about, such as health care and eliminating the legal sentencing disparity that allows judges to send mostly black crack cocaine offenders to prison with sentences that are five times longer than powder cocaine offenders who are mostly white and Latino.

Obama followed up with a letter to Smiley, dated Feb. 13. In it, Obama explained why he declined the invitation, saying that he needed to campaign in states that Clinton must win to in order to topple her candidacy.

AAPP: Hey Tavis, Obama is right, get over it!

"I will be on the campaign trail every day in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly to voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum such as affordable housing, economic opportunity, civil rights and foreign policy," Obama said in his letter. He had offered to have his wife, Michelle, speak in his stead at the State of the Black Union, but Smiley had declined. "I ask that you reconsider," Obama wrote. "Michelle is a powerful voice for the type of reach change America is hungry for."

Smiley responded in a commentary on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, condemning Obama's decision with his usual strong, passionate, rapid-fire delivery. He recounted the gist of his statement in the interview. "I think it is a miscalculation on his part not to appear and a missed opportunity."

AAPP: Hey Tavis Smiley, there you go with that, "I'm more important" than the people of America that Obama needs to convince to vote for him stuff. In the big picture of this campaign, your not as important, this time around. No photo op for you and Obama this time.

"I love Barack Obama and I love black people," Smiley said. "I celebrate his past accomplishments and I celebrate his future aspirations. I never wanted to stand in the path of his growth."

However, he said, "My job is to ask the critical question, to raise these issues and keep these guys focused. There are some people who are disappointed that I'm not jumping up and down saying, 'Vote for Barack Obama.' That's not my role as a journalist. That's not what I do."

AAPP: Whatever! Enjoy the kiss up and photo op with Team Clinton. This is nothing more than old school, black leadership self hatred against Barack Obama. Just another Crab in the basket.

Note: I will be discussing this tonight (Sunday) on:
African American Political Pundit's - "Late Night Black Political Slugfest"

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

Join me for my "Late Night Black Political Slugfest.
Every Sunday night at 11:00 p.m. ET.

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

It's a late night black political slugfest for grown folks,
Bloggers and Internet political junkies.

Black elected officials and black superdelegates begin to ditch Hillary

Well I guess the big loss of Al Wynn in Tuesday's election is causing black lawmakers to rethink their support of Hillary Clinton. It also appears that the Congressional Black Caucus
knows that that they will be held accountable. It's interesting that team Billary has been allowed to insult Black Men, Black Women, and Democratic Activist without the Congressional Black Caucus saying anything. You know what I'm talking about, Hillary has been able to say that
"we Don't Matter."

Well it appears that we may have just reached a number of black superelegates finally understand that we have reached the tipping point.

As noted by Associated Press, "In a fresh sign of trouble for Hillary Rodham Clinton, one of the former first lady's congressional black supporters intends to vote for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, and a second, more prominent lawmaker is openly discussing a possible switch.

Rep. David Scott's defection and Rep. John Lewis' remarks highlight one of the challenges confronting Clinton in a campaign that pits a black man against a woman for a nomination that historically has been the exclusive property of white men.

"You've got to represent the wishes of your constituency," Scott said in an interview Wednesday in the Capitol. "My proper position would be to vote the wishes of my constituents." The third-term lawmaker represents a district that gave more than 80 percent of its vote to Obama in the Feb. 5 Georgia primary.

Lewis, whose Atlanta-area district voted 3-to-1 for Obama, said he is not ready to abandon his backing for the former first lady. But several associates said the nationally known civil rights figure has become increasingly torn about his early endorsement of Clinton. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing private conversations.

In an interview, Lewis likened Obama to Robert F. Kennedy in his ability to generate campaign excitement, and left open the possibility he might swing behind the Illinois senator. "It could (happen). There's no question about it. It could happen with a lot of people ... we can count and we see the clock," he said.

Clinton's recent string of eight primary and caucus defeats coincides with an evident shift in momentum in the contest for support from party officials who will attend the convention. The former first lady still holds a sizable lead among the roughly 800 so-called superdelegates, who are chosen outside the primary and caucus system.

But Christine Samuels, until this week a Clinton superdelegate from New Jersey, said during the day she is now supporting Obama.

Two other superdelegates, Sophie Masloff of Pennsylvania and Nancy Larson of Minnesota, are uncommitted, having dropped their earlier endorsements of Clinton.

On Wednesday, David Wilhelm, a longtime ally of the Clintons who had been neutral in the presidential race, endorsed Obama." More HERE

AAPP: What do you think. Should black superdelegates abandon Hillary if their districts supported Obama?

H

AAPP: I watched CNN in amazement yesterday afternoon as Hillary Clinton dismissed her weekend losses. It's clear that Hillary Clinton has a strategy of continuing her color aroused campaign. She continues to bring up at every opportunity that Obama is Black, as he beats her and Bill in more states with large white populations.

AAPP: " Hillary is truly becoming a modern day American political campaigning disgrace, saying essentially that 'Democratic activists' and black voters don't matter. Hillary and Bill are truly showing their deep down color aroused feelings regarding black America. It truly seems to be deep rooted and just plain angry."

Both John Aravosis (DC) from the blog America Blogs and the Daily Kos are covering the story.

Here is what Hillary had to say today about you 'activists' and blacks who vote in the Democratic primaries. You see, you don't really count.

Hillary Clinton on Monday explained away Barack Obama's clean sweep of the weekend's caucuses and primaries as a product of a caucus system that favors "activists" and, in the case of the Louisiana primary, an energized African-American community.

She told reporters who had gathered to watch her tour a General Motors plant here that "everybody knew, you all knew, what the likely outcome of these recent contests were."...

Noting that "my husband never did well in caucus states either," Clinton argued that caucuses are "primarily dominated by activists" and that "they don't represent the electorate, we know that."

The DailyKos notes:

One of the hilarious side-effects of every Obama victory is the spin from Clinton quarters and its surrogates and supporters explaining why said victories "don't matter".

Iowa didn't matter because it was a caucus state, and it's undemocratic. Same goes for every other caucus state including Maine. The only caucus state that mattered was Nevada.

Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Alaska, and Utah don't matter because they're small Red states that Democrats won't carry in November.

Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana don't matter because they have black people. Expect the same spin out of DC this Tuesday. Black people don't apparently count.

Washington and Minnesota don't matter because they have educated white people.

In any case, Washington, Nebraska, and Louisiana didn't matter on Saturday because everyone expected Obama to win them anyway.

Virginia and Maryland, assuming they're won by Obama, will be a combination of the "black people" and "educated people" rationalizations. Throw a little of "Obama was expected to win anyway", and you've got the trifecta.

Illinois doesn't matter because that's Obama's home state. Expect the same spin when Obama wins Hawaii by double-digit margins in two weeks.

Missouri doesn't matter because Clinton sent out a press release claiming she won it.

Colorado was a caucus state, so that leaves Delaware and Connecticut. Those are the only two states that apparently matter, giving Hillary Clinton a commanding 10-2 lead among states that matter.

One final line of attack used to minimize Obama's victories is the notion that "he can't win states without his base", his base of course being African Americans, white yuppies, and Red state Democrats. More HERE

AAPP: It has become more and more obvious that Billary has color arousal issues with a black man running against her and winning. It's also obvious to this African American Political Pundit that Hillary supports her own political abortion when she makes statements like she did yesterday. I guess the Obama/Hillary ticket won't happen. And that may just be a good thing for the Democrats. If Hillary wins the nomination, blacks may just stay home."

The Tipping Point, Superdelegates, Obama, Billary and Democracy in America

AAPP: The Democratic Party and/or its Superdelegates, just may try to shut Barack Obama out of the Presidency. It's the color scheme stupid.



The writing is on the wall. Denver may be the scene of another 1968 like Democratic National Convention. That's if superdelegates, party leaders, members of congress and other VIP's get an automatic vote on the Democratic Convention floor for a brokered convention. Meaning the winner of the pledged delegates who represent the popular votes across America (which will probably be Obama) loses to the candidate who has the most superdelegates (which will probably be Billary Clinton). So, America, it would appear the Fix just might be in. The Democratic Party and/or its Superdelegates, just may try to shut Obama out of the Presidency. This should alarm the American Democratic electorate. It just may cause a Revolt against the Democratic Party rules not seen since the days of Fanny Lou Hammer and Hubert Humphrey.



This has the makings of ugly Democratic Politics that may destroy allegiances of progressive voters to the Democratic Party. The question many black bloggers, including the blog What About Our Daughters is asking; Will Barack Obama pull a "Fannie Lou Hamer" or Will he take ne for the team?

But it's just not black bloggers, as John DeSio writes in the Village Voice "Barack Obama’s is locked in a virtual tie for convention delegates with slim delegate lead over Hillary Clinton, but Democratic Party rules could still shut him out of the presidential nomination despite his strong performance in the primaries."

John Desio goes on to write, "At issue are so-called “superdelegates,” former and current elected officials and other Democratic power-players who are appointed as delegates to the party’s national convention and can choose their preferred candidate with no regard for how their state has voted. New York’s superdelegates include, among others, former President Bill Clinton, United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and every Democratic member of the State’s congressional delegation.

Within the primary voting system Obama has put together a small lead over Clinton, with 635 delegates compared to her 630, according to CNN, though other counts vary. But Clinton has maintained a strong majority of those superdelegates that have made their official pledge, and leads Obama 783-709 when those numbers are factored in (other superdelegate counts give Clinton a larger lead.)

Obama is well aware of the disparity and has sent a message to the Democratic establishment on those superdelegates, stating that they "would have to think long and hard about how they approach the nomination when the people they claim to represent have said, 'Obama's our guy.'" Obama’s message is clear: do not subvert the will of the people.

The superdelegate system used by the Democrats was put into effect during the 1970’s, as a means for party officials to maintain their influence in the face of reforms that arose from the 1972 presidential campaign of former senator and liberal stalwart George McGovern, said Tom De Luca ,a professor of political science at Fordham University.

The superdelegates are bound to nothing but their own opinions, said De Luca, and make up a strong 20 percent of the total Democratic delegate count of 4,049. Should Clinton’s lead among superdelegates vault her to the nomination, despite her defeat to Obama at the hands of the people, it could mean trouble for Democrats in November.

“I think it would be very, very bad for the Democrats,” said De Luca. “It might really demobilize some of the Obama constituency in the November election, which could well be very close.”

Harlem State Senator Bill Perkins was the first New York elected official to forsake his hometown senator and endorse Obama’s campaign, and he too is concerned that the will of the people could be cast aside at the convention, all in the name of party politics. Obama’s campaign is one of hope, said Perkins, and those hopes could be dashed by the superdelegate system, shutting Obama out of his rightful nomination “not on the basis of merit.” More here

I agree with David Sirota and his Huffington post article, A Short-Term Solution to the Potential Superdelegate Problem, Americans need to find out who their Superdelegates are in their state, and then start putting pressure on them. As David said, We've got to get ahead of this thing before the horse-trading and backroom dealing starts. We have to watch out and make sure Billary Clinton does not try to buy or steal the election. The message needs to be sent out. Superdelegates: We Are Watching You

AAPP: Here is more historic information on the Superdelegates.

Superdelegates

Who: A superdelegate is a Democratic Party representative who carries an independent vote going into a national convention. He or she can be a former elected, or party, official or a current officeholder. A superdelegate is not bound to vote in line with party primary elections or caucus decisions.

How many: The Democratic Party has just fewer than 800 superdelegates headed to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The exact number of superdelegates is fluid until March 1. They will account for about 20 percent of delegate voting at the convention.

The GOP: The Republicans give each state and protectorate three unpledged delegates: the state party chair, a committeeman and a committeewoman. Also, there are some GOP state parties, such as Colorado's, whose primaries or caucuses are meant to guide pledged delegates but do not bind them to the popular vote.

History: In 1984, Walter Mondale persuaded the Democratic Party to create superdelegates while running as the party's establishment candidate. The Republican system evolved after reforms in both parties in 1972.

Why: Democrats banned winner- takes-all contests in the 1980s to apportion support so that underdog candidates had a fighting chance. But the invention also shelters party front-runners from being overwhelmed by unknown candidates who surge from behind. The real aim is to head off protracted fights on the convention floor, keeping some power for party insiders.

Source: DenverPost.com

Black Voters Smack Down" Black Political Leaders - Support Obama!

Obama is for Real

Change is coming to America.

"The votes are still being counted in cities and towns across America," Obama told supporters in Chicago, Illinois. "But there is one thing on this February night that we do not need the final results to know: Our time has come. Our movement is real. And change is coming to America."



WaPo reports: "Obama won about eight in 10 African Americans, a trend that put him over the top in Georgia and Alabama." More HERE

WaPo also reports Obama received four in 10 white voters in Georgia and fared better among white men there than he had in an earlier racially polarized race in South Carolina, giving his campaign a chance to claim that he had broadened his support in the intervening weeks. Victories in Connecticut and North Dakota bolstered that claim."

AAPP: If not for California Billary Clinton probably would not be in the presidential race. there is general agreement that the extended primary battle may help Obama.

He won overwhelming African-American support despite early endorsements of Clinton by black political handkerchief heads. Black folks were not drinking that Kool Aid any more.

Obama kicked butt across Midwestern and Rocky Mountain states with mostly white populations -- Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota and Kansas, showing he can go head to head against team Clinton.

WaPo reports, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won victories over Sen. Barack Obama in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York last night, giving her presidential campaign a crucial boost. But Obama countered by winning a string of states, including the general election battleground of Missouri, in the seesaw race for the Democratic nomination.

AAPP: Billary may be smiling now, but she may not be smiling in a few months. Even Republicans like Obama, and lets not talk about independents.



Get this, Obama also won primaries in Alaska and Utah, say what!

He also won Delaware, Connecticut and his home state of Illinois. reports are that he holds a slight lead in New Mexico's primary.

It's all about the delegates baby!

More Later Today!

It's the Hillary Clinton Middle Class Black Vote Shuffle, Better known as, "Yes-Um Boss"

My early morning Rant





It's interesting to see all of these black political clowns, handkerchief heads, and a number of black preachers say to blacks that we should vote for Hillary Clinton because her husband was (code words) ' a good white man."

Many of these black political "yes em" types, even sound like they are in the deep south (after reconstruction) during a county seat election in which a black man had the audacity to run for political office. You know the type, a smart, educated black man comes back home after getting a east coast education. and decides to run against Mr. Charlie. Mr. Charlie goes to the preacher and says, "now you know I treats you negroes good, now you just go out there and tell your negro friends what a great white man I have been for you. Tell them, "I'm just as black" is that smart that smart ass nigger who is running against Mr. Charlie. You can even tell those black guys, "I've had sexual relations with just as many black woman as that smart ass nigger." And that is exactly what they (Bill and Hillary) did in late 2007 and early 2008, they had Andrew Young come out and say this:



Now there are those middle and upper middle class black folks running around talking about, "I can vote for anyone I want, this is America." I'm voting for Billary because she is more qualified than Obama. Whatever! No you have been bamboozled, you have been took, you have been lead astray, you are now that black man in the county seat ready to vote for the black man, but were told don't you dare vote for that black man, don't you vote for that smart ass nigger who has the audacity to run against Mr. Charlie (in this case Mr. Charlie's wife) and you have bought into the hype about how good they have been for us.

Let's see if those blacks who think that way are out of touch with the masses of black folks across America who will vote on Super Tuesday. Let's see if South Carolina was a fluke?

This may be the last time in for many black baby boomers, and those who fought the great civil rights fights lifetime, that they will have an opportunity to ever vote for a viable black presidential candidate. At least Caroline Kennedy and others can see the moment, it's too bad there are a few blacks of middle class status who can't.

But that's just my opinion. What's yours?

Late Night Black Political Slugfest

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

Join me for my "Late Night Black Political Slugfest. Every Sunday night at 11:00 p.m. ET.

I'm from Boston, so this week we will even talk about the Superbowl win by the Patriots.

Join in on the conversation. It's a late night black political slugfest for Bloggers and Internet political junkies".

Date / Time: 2/3/2008 11:00 PM

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867