pointblank: Commentary & Opinion by Chris Stevenson
 
THE OBAMA FACTOR: The IL will soon give the country it's next Black Senator,but is he the real deal?

Can a Black man go to Boston and dare to utter hopes of becoming US Senator of Illinois? Can a Black democrat run for Senator in one of the nation's most influential states, and have his White republican opponent step down due to scandal, and see Alan Keyes as his worst threat? Can a Black IL candidate have it so good? It's like Hillary Clinton running against Anna Nicole Smith, a can't miss if I ever saw one. That is the true "audacity of hope," and the real audacity is, it will probably happen.

Maybe Democratic candidate John Kerry didn't score as high as he wanted, but the recent dems convention in Boston MA will go down in the annals as one of the most rousing political campaign conventions ever, and due in no small part to a relative newcomer; Barack the Bomber Obama.

"Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope," were among the words that will go down in history, words from a young man who seems to state an urgency for the democratic party to overcome it's many complicated problems with pragmatic solutions if only for one night, words delivered in a manner that's calm enough to draw tearful reflection, but sharp enough to draw enthusiasm.

Who is this man, and why are we listening to him? Obama does not come from blue blood or any of the noted prominent Black civil rights families as have Jesse Jackson Jr., or Harold Ford Jr; who preceded him as the Campaign 2000 keynote speaker. By now it's well-known that Obama (42) is the son of a Black man from Kenya, a goat-herder (just what we need, hey, I like the dems, but they have a lot of goats), and a German-American mother from Kansas. Obama may have family in Kansas, but one gets the feeling he is no Dorothy. He openly admits and accepts the fact that he was chosen for the address because he is Black. As a former congressional candidate and an 8-year state law-maker he is battle-tested, as a teacher and former editor of the Harvard Law Review, he is a sound-bite artist in his own right.

Mary Mitchell of the Chicago Sun-Times stated; "Democrats desperately need a Black star to shine." In truth, the dems need a star to shine period. They've taken an image-beating due to being historically reactionary. Obama's rap doesn't sound reactive-hence his appeal-the underdog daring to dream and pursue his dreams betrays a proactive launching-pad that crosses political boundaries, the likes of which hasn't been heard from since Booker-T, Douglass, King, Malcolm, and yes even Powell. Obama's rise seems to come at an ideal time, the era of the light-skinned Black celebrity who is the product of the interracial relationship seems to be all the Black that Hollywood wants young White consumers to see on their plasma TV's nowadays. The bizarre thing is, during the '70's, Big screen success for the collective brothers-lite actors was confined to "Blaxploitation" flicks, yet here is Obama in '04; finding appeal with no-doubt many of the same people who watch "the Rock," and Vin Diesel, Macking the vote for John/John and himself. Superfly TNT indeed. As expected, Bomber already has gathered his share of playa-haters.

Jesse Jackson Jr. is reported as being a little jealous of Obama's sudden rise, he was overheard in an elevator of a Boston hotel to infer that parts of Obama's speech was lifted from elements of Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech. In truth every Black leader in some way or another including Jr's father has invoked King. King's words are so common and well-known, you don't have to announce you're using them (just don't tell the King family). Jesse Jackson's "Keep Hope Alive" slogan is nothing but a revamped "Free at Last." Hey Jr., if you are really put off because you feel you've been around a few years and no one asked you to give any party campaign keynote address, while Obama basically came from nowhere... then brother I just don't know what to say. In fact I liken Jr. as a P. Diddy of Chicago politics, if you've driven along the Illinois 'pikes the past several years as I have, you'll know what I'm talking about, virtually every Black that's running for office has a large photo of himself or themselves with Jesse Jr. standing beside them on billboards posted alongside the NE IL highways.Yes he's there, but what else?

Jesse Jr., if you feel the democratic party is making Obama it's new poster-boy while you are now out of the picture, understand that even though it's not fair, it ain't completely about you. For better or for worse, the nation at large has had all it can stand of Jesse Sr., you are young and have your whole future ahead of you, in you all they see is 30-40 years of another Jesse. It would behoove you to either become a more powerful orator with a message that people identify strictly as your own, or change your name to Nkrummah Jenkins, since African names may be in. You and your dad are close, so the latter is impossible, which makes the former more important. Other Black critics expect too much from Obama.

Take a lesson from Bobby Rush, the former Black Panther, and now IL Congressman. In 2000 Obama ran against Rush and only got 30% of the vote (to Rush's 61%), Rush feuded with Obama for years, but said nice things about Obama in the aftermath of his address, and mentioned him as a possible VP in an '08 campaign ticket. Maybe the dems finally have their Black star, but it's too early to rush to judgement.

• Pointblank can be read at www.voiceoffreedom.com <http://www.voiceoffreedom.com>, and Black and alternative papers across the country.Email comments to Stevenson at pointblankdta@yahoo.com