Does This Cain Really Believe He Is Able?

Herman, Herman, Herman ... Why did you have to go here?

The video above shows that the man is in love with himself and delusional.

It seems that some of our friends to the right of the political middle feel as if they may have found their great black hope, and his name is Herman Cain. Frankly, I've largely tried to give this man Cain the benefit of the doubt as he has shoehorned his way into the media spotlight largely through his willingness to takes shots at President Barack Obama. In all honesty, one good way to find a place in the media spotlight is as a black politician or pundit who is willing to verbally attack President Obama (Lloyd Marcus, Jesse Lee Peterson, Michael Steele, etc.).

This all brings me to some comments that Cain made at a tea party (yes, there was at least one black man at a tea party) event in Florida.

Here is what Cain had to say:

"The liberal mainstream media, notice how they have tried to destroy Sarah Palin. Notice how the more popular Michele Bachmann gets, the more they try to destroy her. You want to know why they go after those two ladies more viciously? Because they know that Michele Bachmann or Sarah Palin is going to draw a lot of the women vote away from the Democrat Party."

Bachmann and Palin have done (and continue to do) more to destroy themselves then the so-called mainstream media could ever do. I am not a woman, but I have a hard time seeing many independent or left-wing women gravitating to Bachmann or Palin ... just saying.

But, that is just the beginning of what Cain had to say. It is interesting to see how far we've come in society when some people are seeking out a great black hope.

More from Cain:

"They are scared to death of that, if they were to run and get the nomination. They are doubly scared that a real black man might run against Barack Obama."

Is he, of all people, trying to say Barack Obama is not a real black man? Negro, please.

Does Cain really think he is that real black man? As they say on ESPN, "Come on, man."

Real Clear Politics:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/03/31/herman_cain_media_scared_that_a_real_black_man_may_run_against_obama.html

UPDATE: "Cain spokeswoman Ellen Carmichael told POLITICO that Cain's race remarks had nothing to do with him challenging Obama's racial origin. "'He was referring to himself in the first person,'" she said. "'He was saying that there could be a general election with two black men.'"

Garth Brooks Suffers From "White Guilt"?

 Early Saturday morning while watching a repeat of Friday's The O'Reilly Factor, I was intrigued by that night's "Pinheads and Patriots" segment. Although I find the "P and P" segment as a whole rather silly, this one caught my attention. For those who aren't familiar with "P and P", Bill O'Reilly runs a clip and the viewers vote on whether the people/person in the clip is "Patriotic" or "Pinheaded". On the following night, O'Reilly airs the poll results. Thursday night he aired a portion of the following clip:

 To the best of my knowledge, O'Reilly only aired the part of the clip in which Garth gave his answer to the question "Has President Obama lived up to your expectations?" When O'Reilly revealed the poll results, it showed that 85% felt Garth Brooks was a pinhead for what he said. This led me to see what people had to say about Garth Brooks' comments online. The following are some of what I found at FoxNation.com:

• Pssst, Garth, you don't have to like people just because they have a little extra melanin.
• ...another Loser supporting a Loser.......what a waste of whyte...
• Garth Brooks is a fat, stoopid-looking little dweeb who has made so much money peforming to primarily white audiences that his 'white-guilt bags' are overflowing to such a degree he can no longer pick them up. As a release, he has convinced himself that loving Obama will make all of his miserable feelings of shame go away.
• There is the perfect example of a caucasian that is incapable of talking down on a black man. And these are the people that got us into all this trouble.
• In Obamas' world, you committed the original sin simply being white and no amount of sucking up can change that.

Say it ain't so?! Members of the right needlessly injecting race into a topic. No, they'd never do that!

Note: The comments section for the Garth Brooks story has been closed at FoxNation.com.  However, you can read similar nonsensical remarks in the comments section here at CNSNews.com.

I plan on writing a guest post about the Garth Brooks controversy from a different and more serious angle on the conservative blog Teresamerica later this week soon.  As I said, the comments section for the GB story has been closed at FoxNation.com.  However, I cut and pasted some of the "best" comments into a Word document.  I'll be including some of these in the guest post. Stay tuned...

Fallout From the "Asians in the Library" Video Rant

By now, many of you may have seen the video in which then UCLA student Alexandra Wallace went on a rant about Asians. The video (which I've posted below) is offensive and ignorant on a multitude of levels.  As expected, the video has drawn strong reactions.  Unfortunately, some of the reactions have crossed the line.  According to UCLA officials, Wallace and her family have received death threats.  As a result, she has decided to withdraw from the school. In a letter to the UCLA newspaper in which Wallace explained why she is leaving the school, she also apologized for the comments she made in the video. Here is a NY Daily News story that provides more details.



As ignorant as the video by Alexandra Wallace is, responding to it with more ignorance isn't the answer. After reading the N.Y. Daily News article, it still isn't clear if she's apologizing for what she said or simply sorry because of the negative publicity the video has generated. Apologizing to the entire UCLA campus was a nice gesture. However, saying she was sorry to the Asian community as well would have been even better.

Something positive could still come from Alexandra's "Asians in the Library" video rant.  I realize it's a dirty term for some, but this could be a "teachable moment" not only for her, but for others too.

Documentary On the Fab Five Airs On ESPN

From left to right: Ray Jackson, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, and Jimmy King

On Sunday March 13 at 9 pm EST, "The Fab Five" premieres on ESPN. Billed as "warts and all", the 100 minute documentary tells the story of the University of Michigan’s 1991 men’s basketball recruiting class of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. The documentary features interviews by many of the key players in the Fab Five saga.  The glaring holdout is star forward Chris Webber who after much prodding, declined to participate.

With their baggy shorts, black socks (with shoes to match), and trash talk, the Fab Five revolutionized basketball by bringing a hip-hop flavor to the game. This didn't sit well with many as the documentary displays racist letters sent to U of M and its players at that time. Among the racist letter writers were alums from the school who actually signed their name and year of graduation! The documentary also details how the Fab Five felt about their nemeses Duke and its recruiting practices when it came to black players.

The Fab Five never won an NCAA title during their two years at the University of Michigan (losing in the championship games in 1992 and 1993 to Duke and the University of North Carolina, respectively). However, they remain one of the most talked about stories in college hoops history. 

Below is a clip of Ray Jackson, Jimmy King, and Jalen Rose during an appearance on ESPN First Take in which they discuss the documentary. For more on The Fab Five and the accompanying documentary, click here for an article by Detroit Free Press sports writer Mark Snyder.

The Most Typical Face On the Planet

Last week I came across this article on Yahoo which I find very cool.  As part of its "Population 7 billion" series, National Geographic magazine put together the clip below showing the most typical face on the planet.   Based on their research, the world's most typical person is... you didn't think I was going to tell you did you?!  To find out, you have to watch the clip.  Along with showing what the world's most typical person looks like, the clip includes other interesting facts about life expectancy, income, consumption, etc.

Guest Post: The Pitfalls of Victimhood

Although our political viewpoints are polar opposites, I am Facebook friends with a gentleman named Trestin (whose blog is titled Trestin Meacham).  Last December, Trestin was engaged in a discussion on his Facebook page which led me to ask him if he was interested in elaborating on his comments by writing a guest post for DI.  He offered up the following:


Recently I had a discussion on Facebook in which the subject of racial preference was mentioned.  I stated:  “I don't believe we have equality. Let's face it minorities get preference in many ways, and I'm not too bothered by that.” 

When I entered the service, my recruiter asked me if I was part Native American.  I told him no.  He then explained that if I was Native American I would be more likely to get the rate I wanted and be promoted.  I once again (to his surprise) said no, because I am not of Native American decent, and did want my service to be based on a lie. However, I had another reason for telling him not to lie about my racial origins. 

I was born into a single parent home.  My mother’s life was a mess in many ways.  In school, I was not well liked by my many of my teachers.  No adult likes a nine year old that knows more about the subject you are teaching than you do, and is not afraid to tell you when you are wrong.  I was often in fights with other kids. 

I did not start getting my head straight until I was in high school.  I started getting involved in sports, and became religious.  I went from being an angry bitter young man, into one of the more popular kids in our school.  The key to this change and everything good in my life since was the realization many of my problems were my fault.  If I wanted my life to improve, I was going to have to change myself.  Two things I read had a profound effect on me; the biblical story of Joseph in Egypt, and a poem:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul
.-Invictus by William Ernest Henley

This poem helped me realize that no outside force could conquer me, unless I allow it to conquer.  I was no longer a victim of my circumstances, and vowed to never be again.  Yes, bad things still happen to me that are out of my control, but I am the one who chooses how I react. 

I think that most of our racial problems stem from the illness of being a victim.  That goes for all races.  We all know that great injustices were done in past.  I many ways people of certain racial backgrounds do have more to overcome in this life.  However, just like me, only those who shed the burden of being victim will be able to rise above their circumstances. 

Do not think that this is some kind of lecture intended for minorities.  It is intended for all people.  White people are just as guilty about embracing the cancer that is victimhood as any group.  I have heard many white people complain about affirmative action and how unfair it is to have such a system.  Yes, I suppose that it is somewhat unfair, but what are you going to do about it?  Are you going to be a victim and blame your problems on outside forces, or are you going to rise above your circumstances? 

Life is not fair, and those who expect it to be will never have any kind of peace.  I am not going to spend my life being a victim.  I am the master of my fate I am the captain of my soul.

The Unamericanization of President Barack Obama

In an effort to smear President Barack Obama, one of the sleazier tactics used by some on the right is to paint him as being  anti-American, "other", "different than us", etc.  The latest right-winger to jump on the "Obama is anti-American" bandwagon is Fox contributor/author/possible GOP Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.  He began his journey into the muck during a 3/1 appearance on Steve Malzberg's radio show.  He then descended even further into it during subsequent appearances on Bryan Fischer's radio show and on "The O'Reilly Factor". Although I disagreed with his politics, I used to think Huckabee was decent guy who was above this type of stuff. 

Why has Huckabee decided to pander to the fringe element of the GOP?  Is he trying to boost sales of his new book, gearing up for a bid to run for POTUS, or both?  Whatever Huckabee's reasoning is, I don't see it as a winning strategy.

In regards to the depths some conservatives/Republicans have sunken to over the last couple of years, I used to ask, "Have we reached the bottom?"  I don't even bother asking anymore because sadly, I suspect there is no bottom. Credit to people like Chris Matthews, Lawrence O'Donnell, Cenk Uygur, and John King for calling out Huckabee on his nonsense.

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