Friday, January 11, 2008

The Obama Debates

A debate concerning Obama's link with the Black community was broadcast on Democracy Now! on Wednesday, January 9, 2008. It is a lively debate with Michael Eric Dyson (Obama supporter) and Glen Ford (Obama antagonist).

The debate participants:
Michael Eric Dyson is a professor at Georgetown University, where he teaches Theology, English and African American Studies. He is the author of 14 books and has been named by “Ebony” magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential African Americans.

Glen Ford, Veteran journalist and Executive Editor of Black Agenda Report, a weekly journal of African American political thought and action.

Description of Program:
Does Barack Obama present a hope for dealing with African American issues? Or has he watered down his platform to appeal to white voters?



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Bloggingheads.tv presents a debate of Barack Obama vs. Hillary Clinton... and which candidate will be a better nominee for the Democratic Party. The debaters are Glenn Loury (a Black Clinton supporter) and Joshua Cohen (a white Obama supporter).

The debate participants:
Glenn Loury is a professor of Economics at Brown University.

Joshua Cohen is a professor of Political Science at Stanford University.

Description of Program:
Which one of these candidates can win the White House for the Democrats?

Watch bloggingheads.tv broadcast of the debate.



plez sez: two fascinating debates, very little new information. since i am an Obama supporter, i found it interesting to hear Loury and Ford's reasoning behind their lack of support. i must say that i found the bloggingheads.tv discussion the most interesting since the conversation was more relaxed and the Black guy was supporting hillary clinton while the white guy was advocating for barack obama!

check 'em out.

4 comments:

Francis Holland said...

Thanks for keeping on top of this news and reporting it for us.

As a result of Obama being in the race, Black sensibilities are getting a lot more attention. Representative Clyburn says he's considering endorsing Obama because Hillary said that "it took a president" to achieve the victories of the Civil Rights Movement. Rep. Clyburn hears this as a slight to the Civil Rights Movement, perhaps because it seems to suggest that a white man (Johnson) is the hero of a Black movement.

If so, this encourages Black people to vote for Obama so that, finally, a Black person can be the hero of a Black movement for once.

Perhaps because I'm very supportive of what Hillary's trying to do, trying to become the first woman president of the United States and implement national health care, I'm disinclined to view her statements as insulting. But I'm pleased that Obama's candidacy has brought far more attention to what Blacks will do and why in 2008.

Maybe we'll decide to elect a Black president.

Sleeperwithheavyeyes said...

It seems as if Ford's problem is that Obama doesn't alienate white people.

Unknown said...

Good lookin' out! Thanks for sharing links to both of these programs...

peace, Villager

plez... said...

yeah, the purpose of this posting was to expose what some of the dialogue has been over the past couple of days.

i have been troubled by some of the tactics that have been employed by the clintons over the past week as their desperation grew out of losing the iowa caucus. they would be wise to tone down the rhetoric (especially the rhetoric of the racial nature) leading up to the south carolina primary.