Why are we so hard on ourselves???

So as we all know, we have a black candidate running for the Democratic nomination for president. This is something worthy of note, of praise even. This is the third such time in history. This is actually a candidate that has some of the highest credentials of any black candidate to date and the highest potential to garner broad appeal across the country, save perhaps someone like Colin Powell. So....... why aren't black people coming out in droves to support this man?!?!? Isn't that what happened when Jesse Jackson ran? Al Sharpton even seemed to have more popular black support than we seem to be giving Barack these days.....

So, why is this? He has a funny name.... He isn't really black, his dad was African and his mom was white..... The fact is, to the general public, he looks like a black man. And what ever his actual ethnic heritage, he has made a name in Illinois and in the US Senate as someone who is dedicated to the issues that black people really care about.

It is funny how we as people hold our own leaders to higher standards than the majority..... True they do represent the whole race when they take that position or that office but do they not deserve our support unless they are a saint or an icon? Are we shooting ourselves in the foot waiting for the perfect candidate? The point is, no one is perfect and you don't have to be perfect to be president (George Bush and even Bill Clinton, as much as I like him, are evidence of that!) we need more representation so that we can even the playing field, so that each and every black candidate can stop feeling this inordinate burden.

Or maybe this is more of the "crabs in a barrel" effect.... The fact is, most black people don't know any more about Hilary Clinton's politics than Barack Obama's, they are just lazily giving her their support because of her association with Bill. Yes, she is smart but she seems to lack to ability to transmit charm and charisma in her speeches and to the audience like her dear husband could/can.... And that is what, in the end, drives people to vote and support you.

So I am not saying just blindly support Obama because he is black...... But what I am saying is do your research, black people! Vote for the candidate that is most closely aligned with your issues. But if you are going to follow someone blindly......let it be the black man..... because, yes, even with a white mama and a funny name. he is still one of us!