My admission that I’m not manic about Sen. Barack Obama apparently struck a nerve.
I heard from a number of folks, including my longtime friend, fellow blues enthusiast and political operative, Oliver Brown.
Oliver sent me a hot email in which he reminded me I “haven’t had a winner since Bush 41” (I served in his administration). Oliver added:
Atlanta is Obama Country and I am still on his bandwagon! Anyone who can set off a small riot the second he visits a city has got a lot going for him.
As far as I am concerned, those handkerchief-head Negroes in South Carolina can have the Goldwater Girl Hillary. We will probably bypass that little state and Florida anyway!
While Oliver questions the political acumen of black voters in South Carolina, Obama must get pass them.
Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson draws a distinction between naysayers and "they sayers:"
I hear from African Americans who are excited about Obama's candidacy but who suspect that somehow, when push comes to shove, “they” won’t let him win. It’s unclear who “they” might be -- white voters, the “power structure,” the alignment of the stars -- and it’s unclear how “they” are going to thwart Obama’s ambition. The point is that, somehow, he’ll be denied.
I’m just saying.