Good Morning,
The other weekend my good friend Toney was in town for a visit. Toward the end of a nice lunch together I thought I would impress him with the skyrocketing leaps i've made in my political world. For the past month or two, I have been listening to the Rachel Maddow Show on my iPod!...
Toney gently informed me this is not a balanced presentation if I’m looking for the truth in politics i should consider NPR as a news source.
I told him yes, but this is not as fun. My way I get to kick back in my lounger, swizzle my glass a gin, and laugh as my views are either crammed into my crossword
“thou shalt not ___."
or
hear them delivered with insight and playfully cutting wit.
okay, and secretly, i could not admit that mostly i like to listen because i often imagine myself the lost correspondent to the Rachel Maddow Show. Seeing as I do not like to wear anything with a purposeful crease in it my area of expertise would be professor of hip hop!
As you can imagine, my specialty is lightly used on such a show. I was about ready to throw in the towel on my hopes and aspirations when real life which in truth is stranger and funnier than fiction happened.
The following Rachel Maddow moment downloaded and played into my earbudded head.
Rachel spoke with a Harvard media studies scholar about the Republican Party's image overhaul--they've gone hip hop! it is thought President Obama used his "cool" factor to gain advantage with the Black and Latin American voters through a shared brotherhood or hip hop sensibilities? (word up!)
I find this argument funny (as well as sad) for many reasons. not the least of which is reducing Black & Hispanic Ams to simple stereotypes. I imagined Rachel had to then turn to me--the hip hop expert for levity.
"Yes Rachel...
although President Obama is undeniable cool he is not hip hop. I can use my many hours of musically aided running (listening to Lil Wayne, T.I., Young Boosie...) to support this.
Here are just a few of the reasons why President Obama is not hip hop.
He's not referring to his female companion (his wife) as my bitch, ho, or hood rat.
He doesn’t refer to his posse as “goons” or certain members of the cabinet as "my niggas"
i've never heard him pounding the stump yellin "Grillz baby Grillz!" (if you remember "Drill Baby Drill" was the slogan used to incite audience to orgasmic frenzy at the GOP Convention)
Rachel would laugh her funny laugh here.
also,
he does not seem concerned which dolla bill hid...excuse me i mean his face is going to be on
and most important
we have not heard a thing about his d—k. i.e., we know nothing about its size or what he plans to do with it.
back to you Rachel!"
Rachel: thank you alo, again that's a-lo our hip hop corespondent!
my point? i'm pretty sure it wasn't these qualities that brought many Black and Latin American voters to the polls.
Funnier (and scarier) still the next day i learned about the man recently selected to lead the Republican Party. GOP Chairman Michael Steele plans to attract younger voters, especially Blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party's principles to "urban-suburban hip-hop settings."
Michale Steele a "brother" himself is not sounding "so hood."
He said these plans are going to be "off the hook!"
i decided with such posturing going on Rachel would have to ask me back!
"Alo" hip hop expert:
Yes Rachel, I'm not sure Mr. Steele wants to open himself up to Lil Wayne as a running mate. If you can recall from one of my previous MMN e-mails here are just a few of "Weezy Baby's" campaign promises: put the cocaine back in Coke, support the use of steroids in baseball, legalize weed, and put an end to child support...it might make him popular in Atlanta where the Coca Cola Co. (word up!) headquarters, but the Republicans already seem to have a strong hold in the South.
Rachel: ahhh have a Coke and a smile...thanks again alo!
my point?
again, in short, the amount of desired public relations boost Mr. Steele and this "hip hop" campaign might have among the desired electorate is probably minimal.
further
i'd like to offer that in order to reach ALL people they (Republican leaders) might try to identify the following qualities within themselves and promote the heck out of that...
5 Reasons I admire the President
1. If I told him this joke he would get it.
“If sitting long enough was the point, then chickens would be enlightened.”
2. He does not apologize for making good sense.
3. He makes a point to understand the words he uses. (e.g. stimulus)
when criticized for having a stimulus bill that emphasized spending ...President Obama cleverly mocked
"I get the argument [from people] 'this is not a stimulus bill it is a spending bill.' What do you think a stimulus is? That’s the whole point! No seriously that’s the point." to stimulate.
4. He dances…and can concede his wife is the better dancer
5. He seems willing to ram his head into a wall a couple times in the attempt to do what makes best sense for the greater good. In this way he models/demonstrates patience each time he comes back to reach out to the Republicans after getting the metaphoric cold shoulder or hand slapped away.
okay, peace and love from my square office.
Happy Monday,
Amanda
p.s. if you'd like to hear how this sounds in audio i recorded it.
http://homepage.mac.com/amv12/iMovieTheater53.html
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