CRABS IN A BARREL!! Tavis Smiley Is Now GOING HARD AT Barack And Michelle Obama

CRABS IN A BARREL!! TAVIS SMILEY IS NOW GOING HARD AT BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA

February 14, 2008. MediaTakeOut.com is so sad to report this - but talkshow host Tavis Smiley is acting like a straight up BEE-YOTCH!!!

Here's what's going on. Apparently Tavis Smiley is upset that Barack Obama didn't come and kiss his booty before announcing that he's running for president. Since then, Tavis has been publicly criticizing the Democratic front-runner.

But things all came to a head a few days ago. You see, Tavis put out the word that he wanted both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to attend his State Of Black America conference in Louisiana this week. Barack reached out to Tavis and explained to him that he's busy campaigning in States with upcoming primaries, so he can't make it over to Tavis' event. And he offered to have his wife Michelle attend the event in his place.

Well that wasn't good enough for Tavis - who put the word out that Michelle Obama is not welcome at the event. According to Tavis - if Barack can't attend, he didn't want Michelle there either.

Can you believe this dude. We at MediaTakeOut.com used to have so much respect for him as a man. That's all changed now...

To hear Michelle Obama's classy response to Tavis un-inviting her, click here

And if you want to let Tavis know how you feel about his behavior - send him an email at ts-info@tavistalks.com

To email this story to a friend enter email address here:

COMMENTS:

FelonysHobby
	#1 from the 60621 ----- I am the stone the the builders refused. (H.T.W.S.S.T.K.S.)
	--------------- www.myspace.com/felonyshobby

chocolik-icing
	Happy Valentine's.....but i'm first!!!!
	--------------- live, laugh, LOVE and learn!!

Mz_Deelyte
	u know i hope this aint true. We gotta stand united as people. Once THEY see us divided, they're gonna move in for tha kill!!!
	--------------- http://www.myspace.com/mz_deelyte

crackhead_tony
	tavis has been a crackhead for years. ever since he stopped using the "r" in his name.
	--------------- I GOT RECEIPTS!

stringerbelle
	but im sure if hillary sent bill he'd be all beside himself with joy and understanding. Its sad but to hear him on Tom Joyner in the morning kissing hillary's butt is disgracefyl. he's supposed to be neutral but he's obviously biased. There's nothing wrong with not accepting a candidate just because he's black but there's something wrong with holding him to a higher standard than the other candidate for that very reason and if i didnt know any better I'd think Tavis was a tad bit jealous
	--------------- my secs, mins, hrs go 2 da almighty $$

stringerbelle
	*disgraceful
	--------------- my secs, mins, hrs go 2 da almighty $$

MsGleam
	Tavis needs to respect the Obamas before he has backlash from the public who supports Obama and no one will watch his show! World's greatest all natural jewelry cleaner! Natures Gleaming Clean puts the BLING on everything: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Diamonds, Opals, Pearls & Grillz, it also keeps Fake jewelry Gleaming like it's Real! naturesgleamingclean.com MySpace.com/MsGleam


Florida_Chick
	ITS ASHAME...
	--------------- DONE HATIN?? CARRY ON...

jimmy67luv
	I hope this aint true...we don't need to be pulling each down. stop the self hating please.


jville904
	Tavis said they never contacted him. He tried to clear all this up this morning


Mystiq-Nique
	Sad.... very sad. I thought Tavis would be better than that.
	--------------- www.youtube.com/SinamonMystiq SUB NOW!

Brew62
	A media whore just like the rest of em'. He's no different than Dr. Phil.


halfapino
	Well damn.
	--------------- www.myspace.com/miss_t78

Justcause07
	Press... twisted this around I think.


GoObama08
	Travis: Needs to stop and respect Obama, and move on you and I can't make it to everything. Obama has to meet and greet supports Unlike Hillary she is just hitting the larger states for more delegate I don't want a President sho over looks the small towns Plus he was just at Tulane last week.


bigfella
	HOnestly I wouldn't want Michelle either. Stringerbelle I know you aren't trying to say that Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton are on the same level. Bill Clinton did use to be president. He would by far be the highest ranking official to have ever been on the State of Black America. I think the biggest person that has been on there is Jesse Jackson...


HUEmanbro
	Ya'll act like barack obama is ya'll so called saviour. What has he said he was goig to do to help black people?SMH
	--------------- http://shiitushouldkno.blogspot.com/

poetical
	Hate is not a good look for Tavis. Stop!!! Globaldatepages.com Find Love for Free


Oneinamillion02x
	Chim_Pansy, yes Hillary is attending the event, been read that on CNN.com. And I see a lot of comments saying "we have to stick together" "We have to stand united." Just showing again that some of you all are voting on race and not issues, which is sad very sad. And as far as this thing with Al Sharpton and Julian Bonds, I agree with Julian Bonds they are going to have to seat those FL and MI delegates. Think about it regardless who the nominee is, they will need those states to win the general election. 2000 and 2004 the democrats lost the election and lost FL both times. To just strip all those people their voice is wrong. The citizens there can't control what upper officials do. They will be mad come the general election and just might no vote out of spite. The DNC really needs to sit those delegates or we can expect another republican in the white house. Al Sharpton just needs to go sit down somewhere, he gets on my last nerves.


geminiblk2
	Between him and Bob Johnson, KAPPAS are looking like real haters towards Obama Tavis is an EGO DRIVEN brother like Jesse and Al, it amazes me we are one the verge of GREATNESS and we can not come together. WAKE UP and put these egos to the side and move forward even Hilary's former campaign manager is now endorsing Obama. Brothers and sisters we have got to come together and these brothers that are suppose to have Black America in there best interest...have only been placed in these positions by the media. If tavis was really concerned he would have kept this conversation behind closed doors. I am now off the soap box
	--------------- "[EXPLETIVE] it is What it is!"

nupe4life
	Cut it out Travis, or I'm gonna have to call on Diggs!


LDinDallas
	Tavis should STFUP because he should know Obamam is trying to get a nomination. I have watched those SOTBU on CSPAN and what happens from them nothing but arguing. If Tavis really wanted to do something he would get people registered...
	--------------- YUENVYME

stringerbelle
	big fella you're right Bill clinton WAS president but he is serving as husband/supporter of his wife who is a presidential candidate right now just like Michelle Obama. Should she get special treatment and understanding b/c her husband happened to serve as president and Michelle Obama didnt?
	--------------- my secs, mins, hrs go 2 da almighty $$

FelonysHobby
	Someone is lying here. Tavis has represented us well and I did read his Covenant book but I believe he is lying because Barack didn't accept his invitation and he felt snubbed. I think it WOULD have been appropriate for Michelle Obama to attend in place of Barack because she does represent the professional mother who is holding her family together. If a wife cant speak on behalf of her husband, who can? ----- I am the stone the the builders refused. (H.T.W.S.S.T.K.S.)
	--------------- www.myspace.com/felonyshobby

greenking
	He's awesome. very manly. but to my shock, I seem to see his profile on a celebrity and millionaire site. It seems called 'rich kiss. c om'. And more he's a certified millionaire there. OMG ! Is he dating someone rich there?


Buttah_Bean
	IF HILLARY IS ATTENDING THE EVENT--SHE HAS NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO! SHE HAS MAJOR BUTT TO KISS! SHE COULD USE MORE OF THE BLACK VOTE! I THINK TAVIS NEEDS TO GET OFF HIS HIGH HORSE, BEFORE HE DOES ANOTHER STUPID THING AND REGRETS IT. ----BARAC HAS MAJOR EVENTS TO ATTEND THAT MAY BE A LIL' MORE IMPORT THAN TAVIS SHOW (WHEN DOES IT COME ON?).


LastofthaReal
	Why does he have to pull the next man down because he didn't get what we wanted. Whoever is the next president, they need to pass a law on b!tch n!gg@s hatin. Send these cowards to jail for a month.
	--------------- MyHandNotNYoPantsSoIAintPlayinWitcha

stringerbelle
	big fella you're right Bill clinton WAS president but he is serving as husband/supporter of his wife who is a presidential candidate right now just like Michelle Obama. Should she get special treatment and understanding b/c her husband happened to serve as president and Michelle Obama didnt?
	--------------- my secs, mins, hrs go 2 da almighty $$

stringerbelle
	oops didnt mean to post that again lol
	--------------- my secs, mins, hrs go 2 da almighty $$

geminiblk2
	@ HUEmanbro Me personally I do not think Obama is anyone's saviour because he is still a politican at the end of the day. However, with some many of our media choosen "leaders" falling because they have not own mistakes and ego. It is just refreshing to see a brother be just positive. To be able to tell the kids I mentor that they can look up to someone besides the Jay-Z, Little Wayne and/or Weebie is good. To see all these elderly African-American campaigning is an inspiration, they already vote but they are campaigning is great. We have an opportunity to come together. Why can we do come together when a white community attacks a black youth (JENA 6) but can not come together when a there is no attack and just a positive black man doing the right thing?
	--------------- "[EXPLETIVE] it is What it is!"

MochaDLight
	This is so silly to uninvite a person because their husband can't attend. I bet if Hilary said I can't come can I send Bill they'd be like hell yeah! This is childish and immature, koodos to Obama for even attempting to resolve the situation.9613
	--------------- A new calling

SouthernRenaissance
	THAT'S WHY THIS GUY IS ON A BOOTLEG NETWORK NOW....WHACK!!
	--------------- myspace.com/southernrenaissanceworldwide

Oneinamillion02x
	I am not supporting Obama just because he is black and I am black. And from what I see most of you guys are doing just that, it will come back to bit you in the end and I am done.


geminiblk2
	Why can we do come together when a white community attacks a black youth (JENA 6) but can not come together when there is no attack and just a positive black man doing the right thing? "PROOFREADING IS FUNDAMENTAL"
	--------------- "[EXPLETIVE] it is What it is!"

ms_pisces1
	HUEmanbro: Barack was a CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY! Before he decided to run for president he was already fighting for the rights of ALL PEOPLE!


Offmymind
	MTO IS A MUTHAFUK** LIE!!!!! Tavis spoke on Tom Joyner this morning and stated that Obama sent him a letter announcing that he could not make it and Michell was NEVER offered to fill in for Obama...Tavis also stated that he would not accept any of the candidates spouses filling in for them, not even Bill Clinton which makes sense...Tavis said that he understood that Barack is busy and still showed him love and wished him the best...Mto bloggers learn to read for yourselves MTO plays on your ignorance and you being uninformed when they print mess like this. MTO YOU'RE THE REAL CRABS IN THE BARREL POSTING SH LIKE THIS...ILLITERATE, LYING ASSH**** NEED TO LEARN HOW TO READ AND GET YOU FACTS STRAIGHT!


TuthBtold
	Tavis Smiley is sabatoging Baracks campaign. If he shows up to all thos stae of black this and state of black that he will seem like a typical BLACK candidate ex.. AL Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. Whites will be scared to vote for him because they will think that he wil focus on black issues only.
	--------------- Nas, JadaKiss, Eminem, Jay-Z, Ghostface

TuthBtold
	In order to get into office..Barack needs to be neutral..he can't be looked at as too black or he wont win. Its unfortunate but Tavis knows this. Race can't be a continuing issue or white folks will get scared and vote republican or for Hilary. Wait until after he is elected...if he doesn't want to come to your panel at that time...then start with the bashing.
	--------------- Nas, JadaKiss, Eminem, Jay-Z, Ghostface

LorenzoWilliams
	This story is not true at all.
	--------------- www.myspace.com/lorenzowilliams

not_1_2_hate
	@ mz_deelyte Gimme a break with that silly talk. We've been divided for years. I wish poeple would stop blaming the "MAN" for our issues. The "MAN" was finished with us a long time ago. The "MAN" doesn't have to lift a damn finger anymore! We do his dirty work now. The KKK is retired now because the crips & bloods and other ignit black folks do the killin for them. Once we do truly unite, maybe the "MAN" will focus on us again, but for right now, we da "MAN"
	--------------- The SMARTEST dumb man is still DUMB!

plumsbabeeee
	Forget Tavis!!!!


MissLouisiana
	@Offmymind, YOU HIT IT ON THE NAIL
	--------------- "The Real Testament"

lovetolive
	NOW SEE WHEN BARACK BECOMES PRESIDENT ..HE'S GONNA WISH HE HAD NOT SAID THAT ...MY FATHER HAS DONE BUISNESS WITH TAVIS IN THE PAST ..HE SAID HE IS AN ARROGANT BASTARD.
	--------------- GOD- turning my test into testimonies

SoulPole
	Of all people I would never imagine this coming from Tavis! Barack needs to stay focused on those states that are less likely to vote for him. Look at the big picture Tavis.. I know you are man enough to realize when you've made an error in judgement, not only to realize it but extend an olive branch to the Obamas. In terms of numbers, African Americans comprise of approximately 16-17 % of the population, even if every elegible black vote went for Obama, it would not be sufficient to win the presidency, Barack stay the course brother, Tavis will come around!
	--------------- Yall n i g g as still here!!

FLgirl26
	Barack is campaigning to be president, bottomline. It is not like he has a HUGE lead in delegates. Either you want the man to be president or you don't. His time is valuable and he has put it where he sees fit. It is understandable that Hillary is going because she needs more black votes.


geminiblk2
	@ offmymind Thanks for the clarity but understand not everyone gets "The Tom Joyner" radio show in there area. Its hard to believe anyone or anything these days
	--------------- "[EXPLETIVE] it is What it is!"

GameFaceCEO
	IF THAT'S TRUE, THAT'S LAME... I USED TO LIKE TAVIS
	--------------- myspace.com/therealmajaleeg

LorenzoWilliams
	THIS STORY IS NOT TRUE AT ALL--READERS READ MORE WEBSITES THAN THIS ONE AND LISTEN TO THE RADIO. TAVIS SMILEY WAS ON TOM JOYNER MORNING SHOW THIS MORNING AND DISCUSSED THE ISSUE!
	--------------- www.myspace.com/lorenzowilliams

lovetolive
	WOW MICHELLE WAS VERY CLASSY IN HOW SHE RESPONDED ..GO OBAMA!!!!! THE WHITE HOUSE SURE COULD USE A LITTLE COLOR.
	--------------- GOD- turning my test into testimonies

milw242
	Tavis needs to check his ego.Winning primaries is a lot more important than talking to Tavis Smiley.


detroitsport
	Tavis knows that if he openly supports Obama that Barack will lose half of his following. That's just science.


Only1aja
	Tavis really is angered at the fact that Barack is unable to attend the Black Summit in Louisiana, however to reject Michelle's attendance in my opinion, contradicts the message of Black Unity that Tavis has preached for years and subsequently capitalized from. You can't be for Black people and against them at the same time and it annoys me that his (Tavis) cause is too selfish to understand the importance of Barack staying on the campaign trail to secure votes in states that would normally turn a deaf ear/blind eye to a Black Man running for President of this country. I think it’s another Black Mans (Barack) contribution to the betterment of Black people and all people that may intimidate Tavis, thus causing a slight resentment for Barack's stride and his ability to reach the masses and make, not just the Black community better, but the world as a whole. If anything Tavis should see how he and Barack are working towards the same goals, except Baracks is on grander scale. If he becomes President it will forever change the lives of Black people. It will give us the confidence to achieve anything we put our minds to and that is the greatest work of art anyone could ever do for us as a people. Tavis, like one lady stated yesterday on the radio w/ Michael Baisdon, if you really want Barack to attend, move the Summit, change the date so that it falls in sync with the big picture. Stop being selfish and unnecessarily controversial during a time when black unity is so crucial to this campaign and future campaigns. Your are allowing your ego and your fears of Black people finally doing better, (which will in turn affect your cash flow, ‘cause you’ll keep getting rich as long as you can keep talking about us getting better) to cloud your judgment and further divide the us. Just do like Spike Lee said and, “Get On the Bus!” I love ya Brother, but you’re showing your true colors.


lovetolive
	@ LORENZ..MICHELLE OBAMA WAS ON THE SHOW ADRESSING TAVIS COMMENTS..HE EVEN INVITED TAVIS TO CALL THE SHOW TO HELP CLEAR UP THE MESS....CLICK ON THE LINK MTO GAVE TO HEAE THE WHOLE THING ...GOD BLESS MY BROTHER
	--------------- GOD- turning my test into testimonies

mrmokelly
	This story is completely untrue. Michelle Obama was never invited, nor should she have been. The invitation was for the candidates, not the surrogates. Also, Black folks, you remember saying that Barack needs to be "neutral" and not show up and pro-Black events when he shows up at Latino rallies in Texas. And remember, Texas and Louisiana are neighbor states, it's not like a candidate can't do both. It's not uncommon for candidates to hit as many as four states in a given day. Don't make excuses when the truth is sufficient. This is coming from an Obama supporter.
	--------------- www.mokellyreport.blogspot.com

mohaginy10
	Unfortunately this is true guys...I to am disapointed in Tavis and held much esteem for him...I loved Michelle's response to him dismissing her as a stand in for her husband...don't let this deter you vote folks...like she said we have to look at the bigger picture


ivehadenuffofyall
	FOR YALLS INFORMATION... OBAMA IS RUNNING AS A CANDIDATE, NOT A BLACK CANDIDATE, AND HE CANNOT TAKE PART IN PARTISAN QUASI-RACIST/RACIAL EVENTS LIKE THE STATE OF THE BLACK UNION OR ELSE HE WILL NEVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER HIS FIRST STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. BESIDES, IT LOOKS LIKE MTO IS DOING A FINE JOB OF LYING THEIR ASSES OF ANYWAY! STOP TRYING TO BLACKIFY OBAMA! LEAVE HIM ALONE SO HE CAN GET IN ON THE MERITS AND THE ISSUES. LET HIM BE JUDGED NOT BY THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN BUT RATHER BY THE CONTENT OF HIS CHARACTER. GO OBAMA!!


lovetolive
	@ MRMOKELLY--- NO ONE SAID MICHELLE WAS INVITED ..BARACK OFFERED TO SEND HER IN HIS PLACE...
	--------------- GOD- turning my test into testimonies

bigfella
	Stringerbelle I don't think that Hillary would be getting special treatment, Bill Clinton would be on for more than just his role as Hillary's husband. State of America isn't free, so I would much rather have Bill speak than Michelle. Bill has much more to offer than Michelle if you were talking about things other than their spouse, that's my point.


Antidumb
	Sometimes I wonder if I should take a harsh approach or light approach because as a RACE(generation) we GENERALLY aren't to SWIFT. But I am SICK OF READING, commenter's saying "I HOPE THIS IS NOT TRUE". Did you LISTEN TO THE AUDIO "DIMWIT" there's a link above. For the SIMPLE MINDED--The word (HERE) is shaded in GREY which means you can CLICK IT and it will LEAD YOU TO THE AUDIO AND THE TRUTH. Travis MESSED UP ON THIS ONE, I will send this out to my network and EVERYONE I know, and if he DOES NOT APOLOGIZE, HE WILL REGRET IT THROUGH NO SUPPORT. He must remember on this one, this is not like MS. NEW YORK, where there is NO WAY, you can convince GHETTO PEOPLE TO STOP WATCHING THE SHOW. To SAVE THIER IMAGE. Black Professionals, and intellectuals SUPPORT HIM, and we will REVOLT. As ONE COMMENTER SAID, I do think with MANY Black Men they might feel a tinge of Jealousy, or they can't process the fact that this man has gone so far at his young age he's only 46, many have not accomplished what he has, in life. I say this because they have gone beyond just not agreeing to SUPPORT HIM(which is fine), but to TEAR HIM DOWN. And you know at the end of the day we are "CRAPS IN A BARREL" SAD. ----- MTO I must say this is GOOD JORNALISM, I don't listen to the radio except talk 101.9, and this is the first place I've heard this. 1 point for you.
	--------------- Are Our Ancestors Proud

AQUARIUS
	As usual, one of "us" has to be the first in line to tear/bring one of "us" down! Let it be Known, I'm voting for Barack Obama! Aquarius--


blakklion
	I'm sorry but black folk is too quick to jump on the Obama band wagon. I respect Tavis Smiley for being objective and not just supporting Obama because he's black.


FATTMATT
	F*CK TRAVIS SMILEY.....
	--------------- EASY BROUGHT ME BACK

Oldenough
	For some reason - Travis thinks he is important. You are a radio host bottom line. If the man is busy, get over it.


not_1_2_hate
	uh-oh... antidumb's network is gonna bring tavis and his evil empire down! tune in folks...
	--------------- The SMARTEST dumb man is still DUMB!

AQUARIUS
	Dear Blakklion, stop assuming that everybody is voting for Barack because he's black ... you don't speak for everybody ... I'm NOT voting for him bc he's black, but because I feel he's the best person for the job ... this is for anyone else that feels the same way you do ...


cat4everrr
	LOL @ MTO...yall real wrong for that pic..lol


LukeSolo8
	IF MTO would have been in tune like they claim to be, they should have heard Tavis commentary this morning to the TJMS, where he explained his position, and you know what?? I respect Tavis everyday even more because of what he said. He stated that weeks, months ago, he extended an invitation to the ALL the presidential candidates to come to the State of the Black Union, to address issues that are important to the black community. As of this date, only ONE( Clinton) has accepted the invitation. Barack offers to send his wife. That is like sending your wife to answer the door in the middle of the night because you were busy. What Barack should have done is send his wife on the campaign trail, and he heads to New Orleans. This has never been about hating on Barack, its like Tavis said so many times; ACCOUNTABILITY. Mr. Smiley said this morning that there has been NO invitation to the spouses of the candidates, it was meant for the candidate themselves, so everyone can hear from the horses mouth their position, and why they should get black folks votes. Why should I have someone speak for ME, when I can say what I want myself?? For too long, their has been some who think that Barack should get a pass b/c he is black. That Tavis is hating on Barack, but from what I have heard, he has not endorsed any candidate. Some think that Barack is just a republican dressed up as a democrat. Would you differ?? Here he has the ultimate opportunity to rally the votes he crave from the undecided, and he turns down the chance. That is not good politics. Will you believe the republican candidate, after almost all turn down the invitation at Howard University to appear in a debate thrown by black folks? Will you believe it when he says that I want the black, brown, poor, vote, when he has never sat in a room with more than 2 black people, and Ward Connerly and Clarence Thomas does not count. MTO if there was any shred of responsible journalism on your part, you get ALL the facts straight before you put a "story" out there. I have no problem with what Tavis said, I have no problems as to how he says it. Someone needs to ask hard, fair questions, instead of giving a free pass, and then complain that the person has not done anything for me/us.


cat4everrr
	i heard about yesterday on the michael baisden show. mmmmm, if i can use an over used phrase- not a good look tavis


Antidumb
	@Oneinamillion02x Don't worry about this race, Black people like me will handle the GHETTO BLACK PEOPLE that think Barack will be some BLACK ACTIVIST PRESIDENT, when he wins. WE WILL DO AS ALWAYS AND IGNORE THEM. There voice DOESN'T COUNT ANYWAY. Barack Obama will be the President for the WHOLE COUNTRY and not a president FOCUS JUST ON OUR COMMUNITIES. Whatever Black person doesn't understand this BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT NOW, even if he was our communities are SO MESSED UP, he could NOT repair them in 10 years. SO WAKE UP, BEFORE YOUR IGNORANCE IS REVEALED.
	--------------- Are Our Ancestors Proud

Antidumb
	@LukeSolo8 Screw Tavis, just the fact that he decides to hold a summit like this during the PRIMARY'S shows he is ONLY FOCUSED ON HIM. With all due RESPECT, his Summit is not a direct avenue in getting VOTES, these candidates NEED to be active in the states that they are CAMPAIGNING IN. PERIOD. If he can't see that, again he must think his summit has some strong powers that should be used to influence the vote for the presidental . candidacy. As a citizen would you prefer to HEAR about him being a some summit or the fact that he actually was PHYSICALLY IN YOUR STATE?
	--------------- Are Our Ancestors Proud

cristall
	Tavis has become a tool of the very system that he claims to fight. Michelle Obama is more than capable of speaking on her husband's behalf. She is an intelligent, articulate attorney and Tavis had no right to dismiss her that way. People always show their true colors sooner or later.


voodoolady
	i think blacks should be more concerned and outraged with the REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES that thumbed their noses at Tavis alltogether...they didnt even bother to send their regrets, our issuses werent important enough for them to discuss...they could care less about us cuz we take our right to vote for granted...Can yall really stand 4 more years of republican bullish? i have a scary prospect for yall-PRESIDENT HUCKABEE!!!!...you have a voice, SING!...its cliche but, united we stand, divided we fall....WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
	--------------- -Life Advisor to the Stars

Shellly
	I don't blame Sen. Obama one bit for not showing up. Hillary can go, she has been using black people for political gain as long as I can remember. These Forums tend to be filled with people just blaming everyone but themselves for the ills that befall the black community. We don't want edited versions showing up on youtube and unseemly characters using it in commercials to scare people come November.
	---------------

cat4everrr
	tavis might very well be right. but even if he is right, being right sometimes can be wrong. let me put this on scale- tavis' ego or the first black president. think i'm gonna go with the first black president


Only1aja
	People, this is exactly the division that has kept us moving in a downward spiral. This is not a Black/White race, I do agree with that, but Barack is indeed a Black Man and we can't ignore that either. The Tavis story is true, Michelle Obama spoke with Michael Baisdon yesterday evening and Barack wrote a letter to Tavis regarding the issue. Shut up sometimes and listen. The answers are out there. For years people have allowed the influence of others to conquer and divide, can we wash away the old state of being and just be? As we move forward, let's take with us a fresher frame of mind and not the same tired attitudes from before. Face it y’all, it's broke and we need to fix it. Let's stop competing against each other and work together. Truth be told, at the rate we're going, we'll all be a pillar of salt if something doesn't give. We are in a sad, sad state and not just black people, but the world man. All I ask is that when the sky opens, at least let me be with my kids! Peace and love to all of you and I mean it seriously. I enjoy reading everyone’ s opinions. Stay cool!


MzPrincess
	For him to act like that is very childish and who is he anyway a nobody in my eyes. He is a black man hating on another black Man who is trying to do something positive.. And his wife is a good person for respponding like that. Big ups to her and all Obama haters lol... Mz.Pink
	--------------- www.myspace.com/mzpink2flyy

Usnrpao1
	Lighten up, Tavis! Learn to travel FREE and get PAID too! Go to www.ytb.com/brewingtontravel


blakklion
	Aquarius then you should be offended at fact MTO is using the crabs in the barrel analogy, meaning black folk are pulling each other down to get to the top. Tavis Smiley is being what he is, a journelist and is taking an objective view of Mr. Obama. That doesn't make him a crab in the barrel, that makes him a professional. Now the State of Black America has been happening on CSPAN for years in the month of Feb. It's a pannel discussion for our LEADERS (not their spouses) to talk about the issues in Black America. Tavis had every right to refuse michelle (and from what i understood it was done respectfully), Barrack Obama is directly avoiding the discussion of the issues in black america and we (black people) need to look at that and ask "If you can't talk about it now when are going to". Don't believe the hype


voodoolady
	btw, michelle obama has NO political or legal experience...she was a hospital administrator...again, he was sending her for?...this is a lie!
	--------------- -Life Advisor to the Stars

Antidumb
	@MzPrincess You look like LOW CLASS SH*T, and then your on a Political board about change. As a dark skin woman your already CATAGORIZED NEGATIVELY, you don't have to help the stereotype out. ----- @Only1aja I agree with what you said and do you know initially I was hesitant to vote for Obama, because of these very reasons that are surfacing, and the fact that our communities are SO WEAK, we ALWAYS seek to lean on someone and if this man becomes President we will LEAN ON HIM LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE. And he DOES NOT have a MAGIC WAND, to REVERSE ALL THE CRAP we have done to our communities. This is my FEAR, that GHETTO MINDED BLACK PEOPLE will not understand this. So do we prove others right that this is NOT the time for a Black president because we need to STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES FIRST so that they DON'T become a BURDEN ON THIS MAN AND COUNTRY?????
	--------------- Are Our Ancestors Proud

Offmymind
	LUKESOLO8...GREAT POST!!!!!...I AGREE WITH YOU. ***** Understand that if Barack is running for president he has to appeal to all Americans NOT JUST BLACKS, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about our issues...Everyone keeps saying hold Obama accountable when/if he makes to the white house, well let the man get elected first and give him a chance and see what he's going to do....We truly don't know what any canidated will do until they get eleceted beacuse they all talk a good game, but at the same time who could be worse than GEORGE BUSH!!!...Probably McCain.


jmbrow582000
	Ya'll can talk about Tavis all ya'll want but he is right and I agree with everything he is saying, I voted for Hillary and if Barack wins, I will NOT be voting in the main election, America gets just what they deserve. And am all black and proud of it!!!!! Hillary is the better canidate. All the way around, So what if you don't like it my opinion
	--------------- Life is what u make i t

Choclette
	Tavis Smiley is a wimp. I can't stand his ass. His show is low budget. The scenery looks like its still mid 90's. And he neve seems to take a good 'ol brush to his head. He just needs to sit his as back & upgrade his show scenery & those tired ass suits he wear. Vote Obama
	--------------- **stop the madness people*

Only1aja
	@ voodoolady You made a comment earlier that I could respect, but that last one regarding Michelle Obama not having political or legal experience was the worst. For your information, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is a 43-year-young accomplished attorney who graduated from Harvard Law School and was quickly hired on as a lawyer specializing in corporate law, according to the Daily Princetonian, by the law firm of Sidley & Austin. Should she attend Tavis' Summit, as an Attendee yes, why not? As a Speaker, I agree it may be inappropriate, but whatever the case is, the Obamas presence would be felt, it wouldn't be a total no show. I will tell you like I was told, think before you speak, your words may come back to haunt you later. African American History and cat4everr good to see ya!


chi-hop
	i hope this not true somebody plz tell me this some media twisted b.s.? not tavis naww maynee& i co-sign not1 2 hate the klan did retire cause of the crab in a barrell willie lynch syndrome sheeiatt!! IM SO CHI YOU THOUGHT I WAS BASHFUL
	--------------- so chi you thought i was bashful

jjjones
	That Voodoo Lady Pic is scurry....I got chills looking at it.


Jakey_Matey
	voodoo lady, you just as crazy as your avatar. She is an attorney who graduated from Yale and met Barack while both attended Harvard Law School. Michelle's impressive resume includes: Former associate dean at the University of Chicago; a member of six boards of directors including the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and Tree House Foods; and Vice President, Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. In this position she was responsible for all programs and initiatives that involve the relationships between the hospitals and the community as well as management of the hospitals' business diversity program.


Tam33ka
	I have a lot of respect for Tavis but I think he is absolutely WRONG in this situation. The race between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama is way too close. Every upcoming primary counts. According to many of the media outlets, Senator Clinton is leading in the huge delegate rich states such as Texas(228 delegates), Ohio (161 delegates), and Pennsylvania (188 delegates). Also, although Senator Obama is "slightly" leading Senator Clinton in regular delegates, Senator Clinton still has MORE super delegates. So not only does he have work to do with the upcoming primaries, but he STILL needs to get more super delegates to back him (they are the ones they might really determine whether or not he is nominated). So Tavis really needs to STOP. Lastly, just because someone supports Sen. Obama does NOT mean they are solely supporting him because he is black. They are many educated people out there that are capable of looking into the issues that a candidate stands for as opposed to the man. It is wonderful that he happens to be black but to suggest that people are voting for him just because he is black is very inaccurate.


rozgirl
	@Antidumb - I also was initially hesitant to vote in the primary for Obama. I think the big issue you brought up is that everyone seems to think that the first black president means that finally black issues get pushed to the front. The only way our issues matter is if we treat them that way at the root - in our own communities. If we do not see our way clear to attack our own drug problems, teen pregnancy issues, and illiteracy plight then we will be no better off whether we vote black or white. We marginalize ourselves while demanding the respect of others and wonder why we can't go further. We suffer from that "crab in a barrel" mentality but it starts way down in our society, not at the radio pundits and so-called black community leaders. Obama cannot make a detour every time some talk show host tries to validate themselves and invite him to a forum or a show. If it is so important to speak to him, maybe Tavis needs to go where he is.
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

P-escobar
	Hey people tavis can be critical of Obama, he's not perfect, but people need to look at the issues not little stuff like that but i have one question, why is Obama doing better with people making over 100,000 and hillary with persons making less that 50,000, nobody seems to bring this up i wonder why,


rozgirl
	@Aja and Jakey - You guys are on it this morning. Get all the facts before you categorize! The powers that be hope that we react on a hair trigger and start name-calling before we get all the facts. They bet on us just being angry, screaming, and posting nothing but negative hate without so much a peek at all the facts about everyone. Read the post, then go to sites that you may not normally visit, such as Michael Morre, Drudge Report, and others to get the full scoop, or at least assist you in formullating a more informed opinion. It doesn't have to agree with mine, but it better be factual! By the way, let's not turn this into a "You black and ugly anyway" - type discourse. MTO finally has something on here that is intelligent to talk about so let's not screw it up.
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

Jakey_Matey
	I really don't care what anyone says, i am supporting obama because he is black, and it is about damn time. how many of you have been passed over for a promotion BECAUSE you were black??? how many times someone got promoted because they were white, and you knew damn well that they weren't even qualified to do the job?? phuck dat!


voodoolady
	mea culpa...although her last gig was in fact a hospital admin i was unaware that she was an atty...i did not mean 2 diminish her accomplishments but the inuendo that he suggested her as his replacement is ludicrous-thats all im saying...jakey baby im not half as crazy as YOU-u gonna end up with a federal case for that pic!-real talk!.....btw, the lady is mommie dearest...
	--------------- -Life Advisor to the Stars

Jakey_Matey
	rozgirl, my husband and i have been praying that 'black' people would just let this election play out at the polls and it has for the most part. We do not want any protests, we do not want any marches, we want people to come out and vote. I would like to apologize to all on the board for my indecent language in my prior post.


SAPHIRE
	SORRY. i DONT BELIEVE THIS ONE mto...so go suck your self
	--------------- tellin it the way it is

bigfella
	Anitdumb - Tavis always has the State of the Black Union during Black History month...


Jakey_Matey
	I know who the pic is faye dunaway 'no more wire hangers'! Mrs. Obama is very accomplished in her own right. She gave up her career to support her husband on becoming the next president of the US. The Wall Street Journal did a profile of her this past Monday. You should read it.


cristall
	Journalist my ass. Tavis has gone personal on this one and lost all objectivity.


TravelAgent
	@ Stringerbelle: I agree. I think Tavis may be a bit jealous. Sad but perhaps true. @Antidumb: I can't believe those words came from your keyboard!!! Black America as a whole is not that weak. There are plenty of affluent, well-educated Blacks who do initiate and organize to help change and/or stabilize their communities. And for those communities that are and may tend to want to lean on Barack, 1) He won't let them. He's stated time and time again NOT to expect him to be a one man savior, but that we have to create change together, by being on one accord, and 2)What makes you think these Black communities, as well as other so called weak ethnic communities wouldn't lean on a white President? We are not ready for a Black President??? Or is it that WE (as in Black people) are not ready for a Black President? Dang, some people are so afraid of success, so afraid that maybe, just maybe this time will be better. Where's our hope? @ ALL: Did anyone listen to Michelle's rebuttal on the Michael Baisden Show (the hyperlink is above)? Take note: a classy, repected response is not argumentative or bashing, yet it expresses remorse and reiterates the prior intention and gives credit where credit is due.


CeeCe
	Tavis need to get his [EXPLETIVE] right for real! What a A-hole!
	--------------- www.myspace.com/purehoney07

naomi
	There are no enemies here. Obama is at a very critical point in the primaries. If he and Hilary are in a dead heat then the super delegate will have to choose. This is not good because the people who have come back to the political process will be discouraged. What Tavis is doing is very important but he needs to tone it down and understand what's at stake for the Obama campaign at this point.


naomi
	There are no enemies here. Obama is at a very critical point in the primaries. If he and Hilary are in a dead heat then the super delegate will have to choose. This is not good because the people who have come back to the political process will be discouraged. What Tavis is doing is very important but he needs to tone it down and understand what's at stake for the Obama campaign at this point.


naomi
	There are no enemies here. Obama is at a very critical point in the primaries. If he and Hilary are in a dead heat then the super delegate will have to choose. This is not good because the people who have come back to the political process will be discouraged. What Tavis is doing is very important but he needs to tone it down and understand what's at stake for the Obama campaign at this point.


Maria121
	Exactly F*CK TRAVIS SMILEY.....


aduckisaduck
	When I fiurst heard this story the first thing I did was research to make sure the info I read was all true, something you didn't do The Obama campaign did not offer for Michelle Obama to take his place just that he was not accepting the offer to be there. The Obama campaign didn't contact Tavis Smiley at all about her being a replacement. Tavis Smiley did say did would have not accepted her as a replacement even if she was offered as one. They did not offer invitations to any spouses of any candidates, (this includes Hukkabee, McCain, and even Clinton).


TravelAgent
	@ Antidumb: Okay, I just read your other posts (at first I only read your last post). Now I understand what you meant to say. My bad.


SoulMusic
	Hmmm...it's gotta be deeper than that. He can't be that shallow


lifegroove
	Smiley = SELL OUT NEGREO!!


rozgirl
	@travelagent - I agree! Whether the president is Black or White, I want a GOOD president! So I do agree that because many are afraid of having a Black president we may be missing out. Good meaning that my president must act with integrity as well as authority, and must be trusted, because our lives are on the line. Think about our military overseas in countries that had it not been for lies and deception, we would not be there. The past twenty years have been full of a lot of dishonest and hateful dealings (Enron, Halliburton, shady pardons), and I am hoping my vote will matter in the long run. This whole "super delegate" thing is wrong! This is where shabby dealings and the "good ol' boy" network has its say. Right now Hillary has most of these guys sewn up, and the people they represent may not have a say until it comes time for their elections. As for Michigan and Florida delegates being left out of the process, the rules were stipulated before the primary and initiated because these states held their primaries before the "official" start. To go ahead any way was a way to negate the people's vote. But it would not be fair to count them now. Just think, would Hillary be pushing to include these states if they went to Obama? Of course not - just goes to show that dirty dealings are all throughout the political process.
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

detroitsport
	WHO REALLY WANTS SMILEY'S ENDORSEMENT ANYWAY?????


crackhead_tony
	CRACKHEAD prices! downloand suze orman's book "women & money" for free ONLY TODAY. http://flv.oprah.com/suze_orman_eng.pdf
	--------------- I GOT RECEIPTS!

rozgirl
	Crackhead Tony endorsing something not crack-related? This must be important! I am feeling it, though. When are you going to do Fear Factor?
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

Only1aja
	@ Jakey_Matey, rozgirl, travelagent, Naomi I commend you! And I applaud all those who are expressing their opinions regarding the Presidential Election, Ku Damn Dos! At least we are agreeing /disagreeing on an issue that matters and not whose Apple Bottom is the biggest on Flava of Love 3. The passion we are expressing right now has never been seen during an election and we should be proud of ourselves for participating in an event of this magnitude. I love it! I mean sometimes it's like pulling teeth up in here, but it's all good, especially when the topic is worthy of our time and efforts. Naturally we tend to have a better connection with those who share our same views, but you gotta give it up to the ignorant or uninformed posters for at least posting. I mean, "Each one, Teach One, and I truly learn something from them as well and it's all taken in stride. I think the internet and forums like MTO are great places for us to obtain knowledge from a different perspective, even if we disagree. Big up to everybody and that's real! All I ask is that no matter how wise or stupid your posts may be, keep posting, but take into consideration what you read. We stand to gain from it all. People said we can't and we have, some thought we'd rise, but we do indeed fall, it doesn't matter what anyone says, just take what you need to improve upon your life and your love ones lives, that's what I call a chain reaction and it's contagious y'all! I'm a Barack 'em, Sock 'em Robot and lovin' every minute of it! Group Hug


Only1aja
	@ aduckisaduck please read the letter sent to Tavis by Barack Obama, again research before you speak, you'll come out alot better in the polls man (ask Barack): The letter Obama sent to Tavis Smiley: Dear Tavis, Thank you for the invitation to participate in the 2008 State of the Black Union forum in New Orleans, Louisiana February 21-23. The exchange of ideas raised at this annual symposium are invaluable as our nation strives to address the critical issues facing not just African Americans, but Americans of every race, background and political party. I especially commend you for hosting this dialogue in New Orleans. On the eve of the Louisiana primary, I visited this great city for the fifth time since declaring my candidacy to share policy proposals for rebuilding the Gulf Coast so that we never experience another Hurricane Katrina. On February 9, I was deeply humbled to win the Louisiana primary with 86 percent of the African American vote and a 14 point lead among all voters who said they were adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina. Uniting our country and creating a national constituency for fundamental change is why I am running for President of the United States. We have come a long way in this race, but we still have a long road ahead. In the final stretch, I will be on the campaign trail everyday in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly with voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum such as affordable healthcare, housing, economic opportunity, civil rights and foreign policy. I am committed to touching every voter, and working to earn their vote. That is why with regret, I am not able to attend the forum. I understand that you have declined the campaign’s request to have Michelle Obama speak on my behalf. I ask that you reconsider. Michelle is a powerful voice for the type of real change America is hungry for. No one knows my record or my passion for leading America in a new direction more than Michelle Obama. Tavis, this is our movement and our time. I look forward to working closely with you throughout this election. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, Barack Obama


Imjustsayn
	@Antidumb.....This is my FEAR, that GHETTO MINDED BLACK PEOPLE will not understand this. So do we prove others right that this is NOT the time for a Black president because we need to STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES FIRST so that they DON'T become a BURDEN ON THIS MAN AND COUNTRY????? How do you suggest we strengthen our communities.
	--------------- Live Life To The Fullest!!

soulglo
	I'm sending him an e-mail calling him a mysogynistic Uncle Tom that looks at the perspective on one side, ;-)
	--------------- Just call me the Black Dr. Phil

Jakey_Matey
	Just this week, the New York Times had an article about the different avenues Obama's campaign has taken as to not offend anyone. I will try and find it and post it here.


TravelAgent
	@ Rozgirl: The Superdelegate issue is one to reckon with. Their vote should reflect the majority vote but as we all know it doesn't always pan out that way (Bush Jr.). They are generally full of back sratchers, doing favors for favor. But, If God be for you, WHO shall be against you? I believe that God is with this man in a special way, and has brought him this far this quickly.


Honey486
	Tavis is ego trippin. I heard him on the radio this morning talking about Obama. Tavis said that the fact that Obama is not attending his debate this was doing the black community a disservice. Tavis is an [EXPLETIVE]. Why do certain people think that they can speak for an entire race of people. Tavis surely does not speak for me. I support Obama and his decision not to do Tavis's debate. Obama has a race to run and he's already done a "million" debates. This race is extremely close and Obama's trying to win. Tavis supports the Clintons and that's his right, but he doesn't have to go at Obama the way that he has. Tavis is working with the Clintons to try and get the black community back on their side and it is very obvious.


rozgirl
	@aja - I have been voting for over twenty years and it is good to see that there is something catching fire among us (not the "skripper" post from yesterday!). I may not agree with everything Obama has to say, but he is offering viable solutions and fresh answers where the other candidates are recycling rhetoric. I pity those of us who don't vote and still complain. You must make yourself heard. I wonder - MTO can be trifling sometimes, and I do enjoy a good laugh. But how many of us here would rather make Flava Flav comments than go to the polls and take just a minute to vote? The more we vote, the louder we can scream when something isn't right. And it won't be easy to foll you with everything happening. From super delegates, to popular vote vs. delegates assigned, we are getting knowledge that will be dangerous to even the most experienced candidate. Remember - all that wool over your eyes can get pretty itchy, and serves no purpose but to blind you. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, get out and vote. It's not just the ghetto mindset that has us by the short and curlies, it is the fear of change and hard work that comes with it.
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

rozgirl
	fool
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

Only1aja
	If you guys check other sites and read the opinions on this topic, the majority thinks that Barack should stay focused and continue on the campaign trail. Forget what a Tavis wants, in my opinion, he is nothing but a distraction, a deterent whose primary objective is throw Barack off his game. Now whose work is that? Deter, distract, sounds like the Devil is hard at work to me and we can't let his azz win! Enough already, it's getting old.


kabby
	Michelle Obama has a bitter spirit... I don't know why... Barrack Obama has shady contributors. And for all this talk of hope what he accomplished other than being to convince the genrally sleep wa;king american public that all you need is a hope for a change. Barrack we all want CHANGE... My questionis what areyou going to change and how? You shot down hilary's health plan but you have no plan of your own, you shot down Hilary's stance to pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan yet we have no idea what you plan to do. Although we know that you voted against the war. Big Whoop. YOU STILL HAVE CHANGED NOTHING. Like the white candidate you should also be challenged in what you plan on doing for black people in America. We give the White candidates a hard time about crime in our neighborhoods, drugs, schools and our youth but you we give a pass. Not good enough. Many educated blacks have failed Black America adn you are no different to Conde Rice, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Michael Baisden and a whole host of others. At least Tavis Smiley affects and influences change, not by hoping for it, but by actually doing something. Take a page out of one of your most vocal supporters book - Oprah Winfrey - and do something. I am so sick of apathetic Americans taking aything that the media and the politicians give us. Here are some examples for you to follow of people who actually make rather than suggest change - Nelson Mandela Maya Angelou Tom Joyner Martin Luther King Malcom X Bob Marley... to name a few...


focus
	I heard about this on the radio yesterday. I'm just speechless! What is Tavis thinking? Barack has been invited on so many shows and after the primaries are over I'm sure he will commit to some of them. Barack is the first and only viable person of color to stand so strong in a presidential campaign. He needs to concentrate on strategies for the next state, not pleasing Tavis. I guess Tavis assumed that black America would side with him. Well, I think not! Mr. Smiley, tuck your tail between your legs and call Mr. Obama and apologize for your egocentric position on this. If you don't, what you've achieved thus far will be diminished in the eyes of many.


naomi
	rozgirl Flag post I also was initially hesitant to vote in the primary for Obama. I think the big issue you brought up is that everyone seems to think that the first black president means that finally black issues get pushed to the front. The only way our issues matter is if we treat them that way at the root - in our own communities... ***** I agree with most of what you are saying. Let's take the televisions out of our kids rooms and maybe encourage math and science careers! It's time to stop looking for a saver and help our preachers, politicians and community leaders help us. We have all the resources to make thing different. Yes, Tavis should go to him. And to Only1aja,thanks for the comments and the Tavis letter.


afroge
	WE CANNOT FORGET THAT IN OUR SOCIETY, BLACKS KEEP OTHER BLACKS DOWN FOR ONE REASON "JEALOUSY"!!!!! SMILEY, IS JEALOUS OF OBAMA BECAUSE HE IS SMART, HANDSOME, AND NOT A HATER!!!!! TAVIS SMILEY IS NOBODY, AND WILL ALWAYS BE A NOBODY FOR THE EXACT REASON THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT. I STOPPED WATCHING HIS SHOW YEARS AGO!!!!!


focus
	@naomi: With Mr. Obama's mixed heritage, he will represent ALL people of the U.S and not just black people. He doesn't come from a jaded and conditioned Civil Rights era mindset. He comes with a mind for change. He's ready to sit at the table with ALL the people. Don't assume black issues will be the forefront just because he had a black father. Poor is poor, whether you're black, Asian, Hispanic, white, etc, and all need to be represented. That's how this country has gotten to the point it has, we elect people who represent their own. Bush was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and he's done a fine job of keeping his high powered buddies filled with favors. Halliburton; the Saudi Royal Family, you name it. Never before, in the history of this country, have there been no-bid contracts given to so many multimillion dollar companies.


yeahright3030
	Tavis is a good brotha but he sometimes gets a little too involved in the Democratic elite which separates him from common sense Black folk. The Obama's have CLASS that no one can touch.


TravelAgent
	@ Kabby: All he can do right now is talk about it, just like Hillary, just like McCain, just like Huckabee. He certainly can't pass any legislation now can he? And he has done something that most of us (including myself) wouldn't - run for U.S. President. I guess you are entitled to your opinion but please go to his Senate website to learn more about him and what he has stood for: http://obama.senate.gov then click on "On the Issues"


Jakey_Matey
	Seeking Unity, Obama Feels Pull of Racial Divide By GINGER THOMPSON; Jeff Zeleny and Kitty Bennett contributed reporting. 2331 words 12 February 2008 The New York Times All Rights Reserved. WASHINGTON -- It was November 2006 when Senator Barack Obama first gathered friends and advisers at a Washington law firm to brainstorm about what it would take for him to win the presidency. Those who attended the meeting said the mix of excitement and trepidation at times felt asphyxiating, as the group weighed the challenges of such a long shot. Would Mr. Obama be able to raise enough money? What kind of toll would a campaign take on him and his family? What kind of organization could he build? Halfway into the session, Broderick Johnson, a Washington lawyer and informal adviser to Mr. Obama, spoke up. ''What about race?'' he asked. Mr. Obama's dismissal was swift and unequivocal. He had been able to navigate racial politics in Illinois, Mr. Obama told the group, and was confident he could do so across the nation. ''I believe America is ready,'' one aide recalled him saying. The race issue got all of five minutes at that meeting, setting what Mr. Obama and his advisers hoped would be the tone of a campaign they were determined not to define by the color of his skin. As he heads into a fresh round of contests Tuesday, the Potomac primaries, in a tight rivalry with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and with an impressive record of victories across the nation in which he drew significant white votes and overwhelming black support, he claims to have accomplished that goal. Some South Carolina supporters summed up his broad appeal and message about transcending differences in a chant: ''Race Doesn't Matter.'' Glimpses inside the Obama campaign show, though, that while the senator had hoped his colorblind style of politics would lift the country above historic racial tensions, from Day 1 his bid for the presidency has been pulled into the thick of them. While his speeches focus on unifying voters, his campaign has learned the hard way that courting a divided electorate requires reaching out group by group. Instead of following a plotted course, Mr. Obama's campaign has zigged and zagged, reacting to outside forces and internal differences between the predominantly white team of top advisers and the mostly black tier of aides. The dynamic began the first day of Mr. Obama's presidential bid, when white advisers encouraged him to withdraw an invitation to his pastor, whose Afro-centric sermons have been construed as antiwhite, to deliver the invocation at the official campaign kickoff. Then, when his candidacy was met by a wave of African-American suspicion, the senator's black aides pulled in prominent black scholars, business leaders and elected officials as advisers. Aides to Mr. Obama, who asked not to be identified because the campaign would not authorize them to speak to the press, said he stayed away from a civil rights demonstration and did not publicize visits to black churches when he was struggling to win over white voters in Iowa. Then, a month after Representative John Lewis of Georgia endorsed Mrs. Clinton, setting off concerns about black voters' ambivalence toward Mr. Obama, the campaign deployed his wife, Michelle, whose upbringing on the South Side of Chicago was more familiar to many blacks than Mr. Obama's biracial background. The campaign's strategy in the first contests left Mr. Obama vulnerable with Latinos, which hurt him in California and could do the same in the Texas primary on March 4. Faulted by Latino leaders as not being visible enough in their communities and not understanding what issues resonated with immigrants, the campaign has been trying hard to catch up, scheduling more face-to-face meetings with voters, snaring endorsements from Latino politicians and fine-tuning his message. Mr. Obama has resisted any effort to suggest that the presidential primaries were breaking along racial lines. ''There are not a lot of African-Americans in Nebraska the last time I checked, or in Utah or in Idaho, areas where I probably won some of my biggest margins,'' he said Sunday in an NPR interview. ''There's no doubt that I'm getting more African-American votes,'' he said, ''but that doesn't mean that the race is dividing along racial lines. You know, in places like Washington State we won across the board, from men, from women, from African-Americans, from whites and from Asians.'' A Rhetorical Tightrope David Axelrod, the chief strategist of the Obama campaign, said in an interview that although he and Mr. Obama did not map out a detailed strategy for dealing with race when plotting a presidential run, they were well aware it would weigh on his campaign. As a consultant to several black elected officials, Mr. Axelrod has been steeped in racially charged elections. And he said Mr. Obama had faced the challenges of racial politics in the campaign that propelled him to the Senate, where he is only the third black elected since Reconstruction. Mr. Axelrod said he had learned there was ''a certain physics'' to winning votes across racial lines. Previous campaigns by African-Americans -- the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton -- had overwhelmingly relied on black support that wound up defining, and confining, their candidacies. By contrast, from the moment Mr. Obama stepped onto the national political stage, he has paid as much attention -- or more, some aides said -- to a far broader audience. ''He believes you can have the support of the black community, appealing to the pride they feel in his candidacy, and still win support among whites,'' Mr. Axelrod said. Questions about Mr. Obama's ''blackness,'' though, quickly threatened to obscure the reasons he believed himself most qualified to become the country's next president. A Rolling Stone article linked him to the militant preaching of his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. The story quoted the minister as saying in a sermon, ''Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run.'' Mr. Axelrod said he and Mr. Obama decided to take Mr. Wright off the program for the campaign announcement in February 2007, concluding that the attention would drag the pastor into a negative spotlight and might distract from efforts to portray the senator as a candidate capable of unifying the country. The day after the rally, which was on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Illinois, Mr. Obama was sharply criticized by African-American academics, media celebrities and policy experts at a conference in Hampton, Va. Among the most often cited was Cornel West, the renowned Princeton scholar. He and others argued that Mr. Obama should speak forcefully about the legacy of racism in the nation and not cast the problems that disproportionately affect blacks as social ills shared by many Americans. ''He's got large numbers of white brothers and sisters who have fears and anxieties,'' Dr. West said at the time. ''He's got to speak them in such a way that he holds us at arm's length; enough to say he loves us, but not too close to scare them away.'' Working From Inside Mr. Obama was so annoyed by the complaints, one aide recalled, that he asked staff members to invite more than 50 influential African-Americans, including some of his critics, to meet with him, hoping to win them over with the gale force of his charisma. But his aides cautioned that such a large event would be sure to draw press attention. Instead, they suggested that Mr. Obama establish a smaller advisory council of prominent black figures. In a two-hour telephone call, he not only persuaded Dr. West to serve on the panel, but also convinced him that his rhetorical tightrope -- reassuring whites without seeming to abandon blacks -- was necessary. Dr. West recalled the conversation, saying that if Mr. Obama focused on disparities caused by a history of white privilege, ''he'd be pegged as a candidate who caters only to the needs of black folks.'' ''His campaign is about all folks,'' Dr. West said. Initially, Mr. Obama's aides said, his campaign was all about Iowa, whose mostly white electorate had established a reputation for launching political underdogs. He seldom talked explicitly about race, aides said. He did not publicize appearances at black churches on his press schedule. Still, his campaign reached out quietly to African-American voters, realizing that even the smallest pockets of supporters could be decisive. Aides said Mr. Obama's campaign was unaware of the magnitude of the tensions brewing in Jena, La., over charges of attempted murder that had been filed against six youths involved in a schoolyard fight until plans for a march, organized by Mr. Sharpton, began to appear in the news media. Mr. Obama was the first presidential candidate to respond to Mr. Sharpton's call to denounce what was going on in Jena, saying the cases against the students were not a matter of black versus white, but a matter of right versus wrong. He then called Mr. Sharpton to explain that he had important votes in the Senate, and that he would not attend the march because he did not want to politicize the issue. ''We agreed on inside-outside roles,'' Mr. Sharpton said, referring to himself and Mr. Obama, echoing a famous conversation between President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ''I would continue my work agitating the system from the outside, and he would do what he could to make changes from the inside.'' By the fall, however, while Mr. Obama's campaign was still trailing Mrs. Clinton among white voters in Iowa, the loss of the endorsement by Mr. Lewis, the Georgia representative, made clear that he faced troubles among black voters as well. ''He told John that that he felt like a father was stabbing him in the back,'' an aide to Mr. Obama said. ''Barack sees himself as an extension of the civil rights movement, and so it hurt him deeply when a leader of that movement told him he wasn't ready.'' Aides said it proved a pivotal moment in the campaign, with some staff members -- mostly white -- urging Mr. Obama to stay focused on Iowa, while others -- most of them black -- warning that he needed to court black voters and elected officials more actively. ''Nobody put race explicitly on the table,'' one aide said. ''But there was certainly the feeling among some of the black staff that some of the white staff did not care enough about winning black votes.'' New Efforts to Reach Out In the end, Mr. Obama satisfied both groups, keeping himself focused on Iowa while dispatching his wife to South Carolina, where she delivered a major speech at South Carolina State University, a historically black college in Orangeburg. ''It took Barack a while to agree,'' said Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a Harvard professor who is part of the black advisory group. ''But we told him she had to be the one to confront the myths and fears of black voters. ''Here was a black woman, a mother, who grew up poor, learned to sleep without heat and rose above that to get an Ivy League education,'' Professor Ogletree added. ''But she was also the kind of woman who would take her shoes off because her feet hurt. She was real from the moment she stepped on stage.'' By mid-January, Mr. Obama had so much support among black voters in South Carolina that he worried that his rivals would try to marginalize his campaign as a black-only phenomenon -- a concern that later proved well-founded when former President Bill Clinton compared Mr. Obama's campaign to Mr. Jackson's. So before arriving in the state, Mr. Obama stopped in Atlanta to mark Martin Luther King's Birthday. Georgia, like South Carolina, was expected to deliver large numbers of black votes to Mr. Obama. But it was also a place where his viability as a candidate would be measured by his ability to win a respectable number of white votes. Standing before a congregation filled with veterans of the civil rights movement, Mr. Obama talked about the struggles of a poor white woman, whose family had no health insurance and often had to choose between buying food and medicine. While Mr. Obama has made great strides in appealing to white and black voters, his campaign has proved less effective in drawing Latino support. While a few experts point to longstanding rivalries between blacks and Hispanics over jobs and other opportunities, most faulted him as doing too little, too late. ''Obama's campaign failed to rise to the occasion,'' scolded La Opinion, the leading Spanish-language newspaper in California, which had endorsed Mr. Obama. Mr. Obama's national field director, Cuauhtemoc Figueroa, vowed that Mr. Obama's effort in Texas would be different. ''You are going to see Senator Obama campaign the way he did in Iowa,'' Mr. Figueroa said. ''We're going to take him to little communities so that he's not only going to touch voters with his words, he's going to be able to reach out and physically touch them.''


Only1aja
	@ TravelAgent there you go pulling teeth! LOL! I wanted to say something to @Kabby, but I decided to refrain. It's just aother prime example of speaking and not thinking and I am convinced that the facts clearly don't matter to some people. It's like they need attention or something. I love that you sent them in the right direction though, hat's off dear!


naomi
	To focus Flag post @naomi: With Mr. Obama's mixed heritage, he will represent ALL people of the U.S and not just black people. He doesn't come from a jaded and conditioned Civil Rights era mindset. He comes with a mind for change. He's ready to sit at the table with ALL the people. Don't assume black issues will be the forefront just because he had a black father. Poor is poor, whether you're black, Asian, Hispanic, white, etc, and all need to be represented. ***** The point I was trying to make is that we need to take more responsiblity for our destiny. I was just responding to rozgirl comment. I agree with you. We definitly need to have a president for all people.


naomi
	Sorry for the typos


Girlforaction
	I love the picture with Tavis being a crab. I am glad that Barack did not go to the State of the Black Union. The reality is that the State of the Black Union is a bunch of nonsense. Every year these so call black intellectuals get together and make good speeches, however nothing substantial never comes out of it. Furthermore, I think that if he went then the media would have tried to pin him down as the black candidate. Go Obama, f*** Tavis Smiley.
	--------------- I love President Barack Obama.

letschill
	For the love of God media take out. Your like the black Fox news. Why does every article have to be negative towards Hillary Clinton? Every African American that likes and views this site is not voting for Barak Obama rather you want us to or not. Stop the negativity and the lies!! And also per your other article about Hillary stealing the election by super delegates. That is a lie. The superdelegates can vote for whoever the hell they want to so that woulden't be cheating. If the superdelegates push one or the other over the top, well then that's Obama's and or Hillary's fault for not gaining the total delegates needed to secure the nomination in the first place! Im sure if in the end Obama had less delgates come the convention you all woulden't be complaining if as ya'll put it the superdelegates "cheated" for him and made him the nominee. Ya'll are one of the most ignorant biased sites I have ever seen. God!! Get a life!!


TravelAgent
	@ Only1aja: LOL! I thought about not responding, and then I thought about saying more, but in the end, I just didn't want to leave him/her ignorant to the message. So many people (espeially Hillary supporters) claim not to know what Obama's stances are on issues. Well, I just handed it to them so they can read it for themselves, and then they can't use ignorance as an excuse anymore. Many have done it for me, I'm just sharing the wealth.


cat4everrr
	Girlforaction I love the picture with Tavis being a crab. I am glad that Barack did not go to the State of the Black Union. The reality is that the State of the Black Union is a bunch of nonsense. Every year these so call black intellectuals get together and make good speeches, however nothing substantial never comes out of it. Furthermore, I think that if he went then the media would have tried to pin him down as the black candidate. Go Obama, f*** Tavis Smiley. ----- while i don't like what tavis tried to pull i can't co-sign with you on that one. the panel they had last year was off the chain...exuded nothing but pure wisdom. the event also provides valuable resources for the black community like workshops. tavis deserves praise for his efforts.


cat4everrr
	TravelAgent We are not ready for a Black President??? Or is it that WE (as in Black people) are not ready for a Black President? Dang, some people are so afraid of success, so afraid that maybe, just maybe this time will be better. Where's our hope? ----- co-sign


cat4everrr
	but dang, i do love it when tavis licks those lips..mmmmm LOL


graham
	"State of Black America" is the National Urban League's annual report. Tavis' event is called "State of the Black Union."


theblueprint09
	There are alot of women voting for hillary clinton only because they want a women in the white house.What's the diffrence between blacks voting for barrack because he is black,whites voting for kerry because he is white and women voting for hillary because she is a women???
	--------------- www.myspace.com/guranteed2breakyour_back

Only1aja
	Flag post There are alot of women voting for hillary clinton only because they want a women in the white house.What's the diffrence between blacks voting for barrack because he is black,whites voting for kerry because he is white and women voting for hillary because she is a women??? ----- www.myspace.com/guranteed2breakyour_back ~~~~~ @ theblueprint09 Its not what's different, it's about what's the same. What makes blacks vote for blacks, whites, whites and women, women, is a narrow minded mentality. The concept of, "sticking together". However, it's that exact same approach that can lead one into further damnation. I mean, if Hillary or Barack drank Sh**Sakes, should everyone drink it? No, but if it worls for you, so be it. People should get to the root of the candidates and then form there opinion. It makes your vote that much more powerful!


1yobella
	my answer to your question is to first supress the fears that black communites have. Perhaps, maybe perhaps when Obama becomes president, his position and presence might be enough to motivate the communities to stragetize in making a difference. GOOD POINTS TO U AND ANTI-DUMB


1yobella
	MY LAST COMMENT WAS FOR THE 15KARAT AVATAR...I WAS ANSWERING THE QUESTION YOU WERE POSTNG TO ANTI-DUMB


rozgirl
	Here is a link that explains the "super delegate" process and what it all means. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18277678/ Obama cannot rest on his laurels and Hillary can't take hers for granted. Everything is still up for grabs.
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

aduckisaduck
	This doesn't make Smiley an A$$ he's always been one. I have never liked Tavis Smiley, he seem to think his sht has never stunk. However when has Obama ever addressed anything to do with the black community? I heard Obama speak in person three times and he gives a good speech but what the hell is he saying, really? Like Blackagendareport.com has reported, when is anyone gonna hold Obama specifically responsible for anything beyond his slogans of "yes we can" and "change we can believe in". He's a political pop star to the masses and the second coming (or first) to black folks. I'm voting for which ever Democrat will be running in November, but I would love for real issues to be discussed NOW, especially by Obama. I hope black folks don't turn on him when we don't "overcome" after he gets in office. (To tell you the truth I think the Republicans have something up their sleeves they are gonna pull out in October and we will end up with a Republican in office anyway. Either that or they want a Democrat in office to blame all the fck ups on).


tha_last2know
	All these debates taking place among blacks about Barack Obama's run for President is secondary to the secret government running the Corportation otherwise referred to as the United States. They will put whomever they want in the seat of the Presidency. Trust...the puppet who takes the seat in the Oval Office at the end of the year won't be a defender of anyone but his New World Order bosses. We need to be worried Chem Trails and assassination of the U.S. Dollar. Oh you ain't know? Check up on it.


rozgirl
	842 super delegates people! Obama could win the popular vote but Hillary sweep the super delegates and win. Wow. Even the republicans don't have this in their system!
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

Chaka9
	There is a little jealousy in them all: Tavis, Jesse and Al. They're all entitled to their choice of candidate--and I don't have time to dissect it all on MTO (y'all can do the research), but the bottom line is that they need to stop emphasizing the negative [EXPLETIVE], in order to justify what it really is--JEALOUSY!!! Al's perm would've gone frizzy before he would've made it to this point; Jesse would've been too busy skirt chasing and Tavis would be too busy stroking his own ego throughout this process. Tavis is a DAMN lie, they DID contact him. If folks were rallying with him (criticizing Obama for not attending), he would be content. Michelle offered to go, what's the damn difference? Instead of respectfully declining (at this time), he says "No, we don't want her..." Get over it Tavis! Support whom you choose, but stop trying to taint the brother's campaign. BET let his ass go, and he recovered from that; he'd better watch it. What goes around, comes around.


i_work_it
	Yeah. I remember watching that not too long ago and he was dogging Barack Obama out, Why isn't he here?


i_work_it
	Yeah. I remember watching that not too long ago and he was dogging Barack Obama out, Why isn't he here?


Choclette
	@ Jakey_Matey... Luv the avatar
	--------------- **stop the madness people*

fit4LIFE
	I'm so mad at Tavis..he was the one who spoke so highly of Barack Obama in the beginning. Now on the Tom J Morning Show he saying he didn't have enough experience to be President and how can a black man who grew up in Hawaii know anything about a black man who grow up in the hood!! What the HELL!! So I ask Tavis...a white women knows???


mickey212
	he can't get mad because obama didn't want to come do his low rent pbs show. him and all the other hating negros need to shut up and stop hating on this brother. how come when one of us try to come up, another one tries to bring us down. this is why we can't progress


Howardclt
	* @ Fit4life --- I couldnt na said it any betta!* I'm so mad at Tavis..he was the one who spoke so highly of Barack Obama in the beginning. Now on the Tom J Morning Show he saying he didn't have enough experience to be President and how can a black man who grew up in Hawaii know anything about a black man who grow up in the hood!! What the HELL!! So I ask Tavis...a white women knows???
	--------------- What part of the chicken do u like?

coop1974a
	@MTO So you all have decided to take let's spread self hate approach that [SPAM] employs.


LukeSolo8
	@ anti-dumb... answer this; is the State of the Black Union not strong enough for any candidate to attend who is seeking the highest office in america? If not; why has all republicans dismissed any chance to debate in front of black folks who have viable issues that affect us everyday, a chance for them to feel our pain, our dreams, not what "mainstream" has decided is our issue. But they will want black folks to give the republicans a chance, but will not come to sit and speak with you. Will you vote for a candidate, that gloss over your concerns? IF and I mean IF you had been paying attention anti-dumb, you would have known for the last few years that The State of the Black Union has always been held in February, and as I remember, this is not Tavis State of the Black Union. It must be important enough that C-Span covers it. Must be important enough that it has some of you all attacking someone in a personal way, when you know someone have selective memory in the post. They see what they want to see come hell or high water. From my earlier post I asked, if someone comes to your house at 0200; will you send your wife to get the door, cause you were tired/sleepy/lazy, etc. If memory serves me, Tavis invited all the presidential candidates to speak and 3-4 have declined as of this date. What is that telling you; that our vote is not important enough to come for 2-3 hrs and speak, then get back to campaigning. Is Clinton wrong for attending, absolutely not; IF any of the other candidates care, they would be there too, cause last I check C-Span is shown all over the nation, and there are going to be some undecided folks just watching and Clinton could very well get votes that were hanging low. You will see and hear how these same non-committed candidates who will beg for the black, brown, poor votes get called on the carpet with this: If I was not good enough for you then, WHY should I be good enough for you now?? You want the issues discussed; why not at the State of the Black Union? You have heard bush fool you into thinking that the economy is robust, we are winning the war in iraq, etc. Well guess where the republican is having their convention..... you guess it New Orleans. Yes they will come in there, paint the superdome over in paint, but somehow yet, fail to mention that it took days to get there to N.O. but can be in right leaning texas and mississippi in hrs. N.O. have you seen much of the so call aid that was on the way?? Again I point out that Tavis has not endorsed any candidate in the field, he just ask a hard question, that one can not put a political spin on the matter. I enjoy Tavis commentaries. They are on point if if I do not agree with everything he says all the time. If you think its all bad, ask Clarence Thomas or JC Watts or any black republican, who now say Race does not matter... here are individuals who DIRECTLY benefitted from affirmative action( which gave them the boots and the straps to pull themselves up) who happen to marry a white person and now is ready to believe that America is fine, no race issues here. But back to my point. Tavis unlike some folks in the posts, are demanding ACCOUNTABILITY- look it up if you don't know what it means. In laymen term, its doing what you say you are going to do, and not make excuses. If you want black folks to vote for you, then you have to work just as hard as a white candidate, and not take it for granted that you are going to get the votes because you happen to be black. Yet most are offended when Bill Clinton was referred to the as the first black president. He used his personality and connected with minority( if you do not know that means blacks, latinos, asian and WOMEN) voters unlike the republicans, most who are set in the old ways who count on the white male vote and the so call Christian Right voters. I will conclude this by saying, that you do not send the wife to answer the door at 0200 and some one harms her at the door, where he could have gotten up and do the deed himself.


Love_Trinity
	WTF! Travis need to shut the hell up. Did he really think Barack Obama had time to attend a little meeting, I mean, now come on. It the middle of election, and he trying to win the race. He just don't have the time to attend every little function. He was going to send his wife, which I felt was good enough. Barack Obama has his priority straight. Travis need to get his straight.


rozgirl
	@Crackhead Tony - that book is wonderful! Thanks for the tip!
	--------------- Haters meet my puppy-puppy meet Haters

Vonnie
	I have attended and /or watched the State of the Black Union. It is an exciting event to attend and to watch black intellects (and orators) discuss issues; however, no substantial changes result. The event is just as unproductive as the Million Man March or church on a Sunday morning. We have to start at the grassroot level (in our communities) to bring about change. Those events have failed to provide the nuts and bolts for getting that done - right or wrong. A book is not a detailed plan. With that said, I would have advised Obama against attending the State of the Black Union. Plus - Tavis hoped to force an unofficial debate between Clinton and Obama. Don't get me wrong - though. I think Obama can do better. I read the same article Jakey_Matey posted above and got pissed off. I support Obama (right now at least) but I wonder if he will continue to have a "blackout" in his presidency. He should not be secretly visiting our churches or denying his pastor’s participation but then turning around and speaking to Hispanics/immigration. I tell you - white supremacy and racism make it hard for any of us to relax. Based on that - I know Obama has to play a different game. It seems - Tavis and others should realize that. But I am a little nervous about it (when I consider supporting Obama). This society will keep him on the ropes as far as I am concerned. We can't depend on him or any president to bring about change for us. WE ARE IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY as a race and must return to fighting for change (based upon our blood, sweat and tears).


focus
	@aduckisaduck: You obviously don't know Mr. Obama's background much do you? Barack worked as a lawyer for a small group of black people in some of the worst areas of Chicago with no pay or low pay for years! He worked in the state legislature for years before becoming a Senator too. This man has been a working lawyer, not someone who held a title.


Nik0
	All of the opinions on this board are much appreciated, most people are voting for Obama because they want change. The problem is the news media is really not telling the public the percentages at which the republicans are voting. I would like to see Obama win the candidacy, but let's face it if Obama is elected and has one screw up it will be because he's black. The recent racist attacks on blacks concerning high profile people doesn't seperate different races or nationalities from still having racist views. Blacks are not the minority in this case women are.....Politics is really not much about change or the people it's about who can get a certain class of high power people more money, tax breaks, and business.....


focus
	By some of the posts I see, some of you all are EXPECTING this man to visit black churches and have his fist up at all times for black power. Well, you're voting for the wrong man. This is a man who is inclusive of ALL races. I really like him for that and that's why so much of America has voted for him. Don't vote for Barack because he's black and you think he's going to support just you. Vote for him and the issues and the change he wants to see. If many black communities are in a state of emergency, perhaps you should look to your local leaders and see why they were elected. Why are Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis, D.C, Newark, NJ and other major inner cities the way they are? If elected, Mr. Obama will represent ALL people, not certain interest groups and black people who voted the wrong way should not put that pressure on him. If Hillary is elected, women should not put pressure on her either. Just because Hillary is a woman, I don't expect her to get into office and put women in combat, where they're forbidden. If I did, I'd be voting for her for all the wrong reasons.


soulsister310
	THIS SADDENS ME. I WANTED TO HEAR TAVIS RESPONSE SO I LOOKED IT UP AND HERE IS THE LINK. http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/audio-tavis-smiley-criticizes-fights-calls-out-barack-obama-attending-state-black-union/ TAVIS NEEDS TO STOP BEING SO IMMATURE IN MY OPINION. HE IS PRETTY MUCH INSINUATING (DID I SPELL THAT OK?) THAT ALOT OF BLACK FOLKS ARE SCARED AND NOT FREE AND THATS WHY THEY ARE VOTING FOR OBAMA. AND THAT'S JUST PLAIN OLE' PETTY BEHAVIOR. TAVIS CAN SUPPORT WHOM EVER HE LIKES, HOWVER THAT DOESNT MEAN THAT HE SHOULD BASH THE NEXT PERSON. HILLARY HAS A SHYT LOAD OF THINGS ABOUT HER THAT ARE SO WRONG BUT I DONT HEAR HIM COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT. I ALSO THINK HE HAS SOUR GRAPES ABOUT THE LACK OF PARTICIPATION FOR HIS SUMMIT. HE IS LOOKING AT A ONE OUT OF FOUR TO SHOW UP. HE SAYS THATS OK WITH HIM. BUT IF HE WAS DOING THIS FOR THE BENEFIT OF HIS PEOPLE LIKE HE SAYS HE IS AND NOT PROFIT HIS ACTIONS WOULD SHOW IT AND I JUST DONT SEE IT RIGHT NOW. HE IS NOT TELLING ALL SIDES OF HILLARY.


Kush
	I bet Tavis still vote for Obama. I like Tavis but who the hell does Tavis think he is. Obama is the MAN. He's about to be the HNIC. How dare you get mad at this man, because he won't come to your party. Suck it up, and he'll try to come to the next one. Grow up brother. Stop hating on Obama. He doesn't have the time yet. Let him win over white America first so he can be President, then he will have the time to come to your lil party. Right now, he gotta win some white folk votes. Just calm your little monkey as s down for a minute.


lildollienay
	shame on tavis smiley


honest1
	OBAMA Must be a saint or a man of the cloth cause anytime someone says something not so nice about him , it's attack attack attack...I hope He comes true on his "PROMISES" to you all whatever his "PROMISES" are.....


lildollienay
	jmbrow58200 I understand that you feel as though Hillary is a better candidate than Barack but what will not voting in the general election, if it boils down to john mccain and barack obama, prove? just asking


blu_waterz
	Ohhh I'm about email this self-absorbed sucka! He's about to get it... No wonder he fell off.
	--------------- Stop Acting Like Trash...Read a Book.

blu_waterz
	This bafoon isn't a talk show host on any network I'm familiar with. Who cares what he's talking about nowadays.....
	--------------- Stop Acting Like Trash...Read a Book.

bo0gzz
	IN STEAD OF SAYIN UR REALLY BUSY I UNDERSTAND HE GOESS LEFT ND HE DID NOT OFFER A PHONE CALL NO OB OFFERS HIS WIFE!!!! CLASS ACT GUY THERE BUT DEN TAVIS TURNS HIM DWN SMH why blk people shoot each other dwn why is it always competition why cant we be proud of one another? TAVIS SMILEY YOU MY FRIEND HAVE PROVENN WUN OF THE BIG PROBLEMS WRG WITH OUR COMMUNITY ii hope that u speak about that in ur summit?


MARYKLEWIS
	My people of course Tavis loves Black People this is why he wants us to think and not sink, dont except anything from anyone just because the are Black; after all Condaleeza is Black, Clearance Thomas is Black, and if not for the Tavis's of the world things about both of these Black folks would not have been revealed. I am a supporter of Barrack Obama because of his healthcare, education and his views on the war. And by the way because he is Black.But I don't want to be blind-sided I want to be able to make intelligent decisions and Tavis is allowing me to do so!!!!I feel like the end of the movie for Higher Learner.....WAKE UP!!!!! or is that Do The Right Think???? Anyway you get my point. WAKE UP!!!!


craigmack3000
	I think thats really sorry of Tavis to be like that. when this man is running for the most prestige's job in polotics a man can have. if this is true and Michelle stated in the interview that she was not welcome. I have lost a lot of respect for Tavis. this man cannot make every black event when he's running for presidency of the United States. black people quit being so sensitive. this could be a major step for our people....stop tearing down one another much love to all my brothers and sisters on MTO!!!


Beautifulchild
	Ummm for the people who said not to vote based on race? When is race not an issue in this country. I understand that we shouldn't vote for someone just because they are black or just because she is a woman or whatever, but to think that race isn't an issue is a joke. I wouldn't vote for anyone JUST BECAUSE.


yardielady
	Commentary by TAVIS SMILEY Senator Barack Obama and the State of the Black Union 2008 Tom Joyner Morning Show Thursday, February 14, 2008 By now many, if not most of you, have either read or heard about the letter faxed to me by Senator Barack Obama yesterday to officially inform me that he would not be attending the State of the Black Union symposium next Saturday, February 23, in New Orleans, live on C-SPAN. The letter was apparently made public on the Internet by the Obama campaign. This morning a few thoughts now about the letter, about Senator Obama and for that matter, about Michelle Obama. First, I want to thank Senator Obama for his letter, although I regret his decision. I said on Tuesday and I reiterate today, that I believe that this is a critical miscalculation and a missed opportunity. Having said that, I also feel that should Senator McCain or Governor Huckabee, like Mr. Obama, end up denying our invitation to appear at this annual Black think tank, it would also be for them as well, in the long run, a critical miscalculation and a missed opportunity. Particularly for Senator John McCain, who appears to now be the presumptive Republican nominee and who decided, as you recall, not to appear last year before Black America in Baltimore. Indeed, I personally expressed that sentiment to Senator McCain earlier this week. Don’t think that in the general election, should he be the nominee, that he ain’t going to get reminded frequently that he kept passing on opportunities to speak to Black and Brown audiences. That’s pretty much Political Science 101. That’s going to happen, trust me. Two. For the record, with regard to this letter and the statements made therein, my office was never contacted by the Obama campaign offering Michelle Obama as a proxy speaker. It never happened. No letter. No fax. No e-mail. No phone call. No document whatsoever from the Obama camp to my office, ever, regarding Michelle Obama. She was never offered, it was never discussed. Three. While I have great admiration and affection for Michelle Obama, had she been offered to us I would have respectfully declined. Just as we would have declined had Hillary Clinton offered Bill Clinton; had John McCain offered Cindy McCain; had Mike Huckabee suggested Janet Huckabee. By any measure, by any measure, Michelle Obama’s personal story is empowering and inspiring. I am moved by her personal story, as I have been, since I first met her. From the South side of Chicago to Princeton, to Harvard Law, it is a quintessential American story of overcoming. That said, last year at Howard, live on PBS, we spoke to candidates only. And that’s what we intend to do next Saturday, February 23, in New Orleans, live on C-SPAN, speak to candidates only, with all due respect. And speaking of Howard, point number four. When we invited Senator Obama last year to Howard, with all of the other announced Democratic candidates at the time, so many people, so many people, said publicly, that Tavis is stacking the deck in Obama’s favor. Black college. Black book. Black audience. Black journalists. Black moderator. “Smiley is stacking the deck for Obama,” they said. The Washington Post Editorial Board said that to me to my face. “Aren’t you stacking the deck for Mr. Obama?” Now, eight months later, another simple invitation, along with all the other remaining viable candidates, and now he’s being boxed in by me? Respectfully, that dog just won’t hunt. Because by that logic, at this point in the campaign, any gathering of Black thought-leaders, opinion-makers and influencers who invite Senator Obama to appear on stage at a nationally televised event, that invitation --- in and of itself, given that logic --- would be tantamount to “boxing him in.” This was simply an invitation, nothing more. There has not been, there is not now, nor will there be, any effort on my part to snap on the Obama campaign, or the McCain campaign or the Huckabee campaign, if they choose not to attend. It was just an invitation to him and every other candidate. Accept or reject. An invitation, nothing more, nothing less. I’ve lost count now of how many debates the Democrats have had to address other issues that, in fact, do matter to us. But I can tell you exactly how many times they’ve gathered to specifically address our issues. There is no comparison. Point number five. Senator Obama is on a mission. As he suggested in his letter, his mission is to become the next President of the United States. And I ain’t mad at him. As I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again, I revel in his historic run for the White House. As a Black man, I celebrate his past accomplishments. I celebrate his future aspirations. Respectfully, I knew Barack Obama long before most of us learned to pronounce his name correctly. So long ago, in fact, that years ago Barack Obama was working with the kids in my Foundation, speaking to them about leadership development way back when. I have no personal animus toward Barack Obama. To quote that great philosopher, George Wallace, “I love him and there ain’t nothing he can do about it!” That said, I love Black people, too. And I have a vocation. I have a calling. I have a purpose. And since this ain’t just about me, you have a purpose too. You have a calling, you have a vocation as well. And I would hope, this morning, that at the center of our collective calling, is an unconditional love for Black people. His job right now is to get elected. Our job is to do our part to ensure that whoever gets elected will be held accountable to the issues that matter most to Black people. And in that regard, all that I have ever tried to do, with the media platforms, including this one, that I have been blessed to have access to, is to attempt to speak a love language, to ask critical questions, to engage in sober assessment and to counsel wise enthusiasm. If Barack Obama is your candidate, I ain’t mad at you! If Hillary Clinton is your candidate, I ain’t mad at you! I am not personally in the endorsement business. My small part is to engage in Socratic questioning. As a Black person, a member of the media, I’ve said many times on this program, my job is to ask questions, raise issues, address topics, and profile people that otherwise wouldn’t get that kind of air play. Now, as the old folk used to say, “I done spoke my piece.” Senator Clinton has decided to join us. Senator Obama has decided not to. Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee, we shall see. But once again, it has never, ever been about them. It has always been about us. We cannot confuse candidates with the cause. The cause of suffering Black people who are catching hell every day. So, I personally; I can only speak for Tavis, I personally have no intention, no interest in discussing this matter beyond this commentary no mater what’s said about me. Except to promote the Symposium, which I’ve done every year for almost 10 years now. I’m told by the folk in the Lt. Governor’s office in Louisiana that it looks like we will have the largest gathering of volunteers for a single day next Friday on our Day of Service, since Katrina hit back in 2005. That’s what matters. Loving and serving everyday Black people. Our conversation next Saturday promises to be spirited, soulful and inspiring. Finally this morning, as I always say...today, more than ever...love wins. Love wins. Love wins. Happy Valentine’s Day! To hear Tavis’ commentary, please visit www.tavistalks.com


STAYPOPPIN01
	Tavis has to save face now, and do some damage control! I knew he had some sucka tendecies when a couple of days after Tupac died and he called him a thug and acted as if he was supposed to die. Knowing his mom might be looking at his program that night! It was crazy because Geraldo Rivera donated a whole show in Tupac's memory and said to the world he was going to buy his next album as a way of showing respect! Tavis couldn't even show this man's grieving family an ounce of respect, I never forgot that!!
	--------------- My game is crisp and laced

lewis3k
	Tavis, I would think you would be one of the last people to act like a buffoon to the benefit of whites. It is enough to have Julian Bond (President , NAACP), Bob Johnson, Magic Johnson, Maxine Waters, etc., and now you; to disgrace the black race and to publicize to white America that blacks without a doubt are stupid, like a bucket of crabs and do not get along . I assume the Clinton's has promised you and the others a spot in the WH cleaning out the master quarters and cooking. I'm disgusted by your childish behavior because Barack cannot make it to your event. Go crawl in a corner like a infant and suck on your biscuit . You are nothing but a Tom for white folks. Do not hate Barack because he is something you could and never would be. Lift your race up and be proud of this historical moment for Barack and have some understanding. I hate the fact that I'm black because the few blacks that are in power will throw the rest of us under the bus for a deal with the WHITES that only benefit themselves . Go look in the mirror, again The last time I saw you, you were black and not to mention in need of losing some pounds. Let’s get is straight ,the white race do not give a FROCK about you , believe that Tom. Now go hetch me a biscuit, negro


mandingo7777
	I will withhold any criticism of Tavis until I know more about his alleged antithetical position on Barak. The larger question is who died and left Tavis the King and or spokes person for black people? Just who does he think he is? Fish rotts from the head down and slavery destroyed our mind set forever hence we hate those that look like us. Is Tavis being a spoiler, a chigger in the wood pile if you will against Barak on behalf of his master? Just a question for yall to ponder.


PatPatterson
	Don't allow the ENEMY divide and conquer us anymore than we are.We can't keep falling for the same old sh$# that has been in existence for DECADES.Not a militant by far.Just enlightened....1hunid
	--------------- myspace.com/PatPatterson1

onetruegem
	I always watch the State of Black America on C-SPAN. I began to realize a few years ago that it wasn't much more than a glorified book sale. The modicum of respect I had for Tavis is gone. Talk about someone who can't see the forest for the trees!


Caramelhoneys
	Tavis..get over yourself..you cant stop the O-Train..O is getting votes in states with very small black demographics..Iowa,Colorado,etc...this man will change the face of America..so put away the hate and come aboard...dre of Caramelhoneys.com


soulsister310
	AND FRED YOU GOT SOME NERVE YOU SHOOT DOWN MORE BLACK FOLKS THAN THE LAPD OR NYPD COMBINED. ISNT THIS TEH POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK.


Business
	Why do people always feel like u owe them something? Google Str8 Business
	--------------- http://www.myspace.com/tier3

Jason_W
	Im gonna have to Crab in the Barrel Str8 Business whack ass ghetto album. Get some damn talent and stop posting Hot Ghetto Mess Productions on MTO
	--------------- http://www.myspace.com/TYUSMAN

KeithSweat
	Thanks to research done by brutha Steve Cokely, we have found that there is a black secret society that has been closely associated with maintaining the grip of white supremacy on people of color. These same secret societies, these house negroes answer to, have a long history rooted in the physical and mental enslavement of Afrikans around the globe. This black "secret society" is called the Boule' aka Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, founded May 15, 1904 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is the 1st black fraternity in america and was before the 1st black "college" frat, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated which was founded December 4, 1906. The Boule' is a black GREEK secret society based on another secret society founded at Yale University called Skull & Bones. The Boule's primary founder was Dr. Henry Minton (along with Dr.'s Eugene T. Henson, Edwin Clarence Howard, Algernon Brashear Jackson, Robert Jones Abele and Richard John Warrick), of Philadelphia. The founding member of the New York City chapter, WEB DuBois, said the Boule' was created to "keep the black professional away from the ranks of Marcus Garvey." Second of all Hillary has accepted this invitation for the same reason she "let go" of her hispanic campaign advisor and to take on a "sistah". She is now pandering to the black voters where she initially dismissed us. She knows that her azz is in a bind because low and behold.....we really do matter. However, thankfully, it's too little too late. If I were in the hispanic community I would look carefully at the charade she's putting on and see how in the middle of the game halftime she decides to switch coaches....That doesn't make very much sense whatsover....The way a campaign is run, is a shadow of things to come regarding how she will run the country. In her case she will bestowe benefits to those the benefit her the most. This is the legacy of the Clintons who together with the Bush's has been in control of the White House mechanisms for the last 28 years collectively.


Bugsraplin
	Tavis gets on my nerves with his 2 types of Black people and 3 types of politicians crap. This is the worst kind of stereotyping and unfortunately the most common. No, Tavis .. there are MANY types of Black folk. And this is one. I don't dispute the fact that the Clintons haven't done any harm to Black folk .. but they are no different than any other Democrat that has served since the Voter Rights Act passed. They think because they are Democrats they can automatically count on the black vote. Well guess what? They can't. I've been on the Obama bus since I first heard him in 2004. I said then and I say now .. I've just witnessed the first Black American President. Tavis needs to open his mind and stop acting as if someone voted his butt head of all black folk.
	--------------- blessed and highly favored.

zydeco
	Just want you to know that I am very disappointed in the disrespectful move you made toward the Obama's. You have proven that this State of Black America conference is all about you, and you are willing to ruin our best chance towards receiving a black presidency to suit your needs. There are a lot of uncle toms out there that are looking for reasons to support the Clintons for what master has done for them in the past. Maybe this is your way of showing your allegiance. You need to apologize for your disrespectful and rude behavior.


IZITJUSTME
	Tavis have always been arrogant. He claims that he's concerned about african-americans and what happens to us but have you ever tried to talk to this "brotha" when he's not in front of the camera? He's "stand-offish" just like a lot of other high profiled black folks. It is simply amazing what jealousy will do to people. Tavis fall back into reality and realize that he's not as celebrated as he thinks and there are those who are skeptical of his motives. I think the picture of Tavis inside the crab's body is very accurate and sums things up nicely! Way to go MTO!
	--------------- LIPPS~A~LICIOUS!!!!

IZITJUSTME
	correction: "Tavis need to fall back inot reality
	--------------- LIPPS~A~LICIOUS!!!!

IZITJUSTME
	Damn! lol "into" correction. I can't type today!
	--------------- LIPPS~A~LICIOUS!!!!

Chaka9
	Yeah, Tavis, back peddle your ass back to your bandwagon of bafoonery. No one jumped on it, so you've decided to respond. Why not ask US if WE'RE in favor of Michelle attending as opposed to her husband? Once again, it's all about Tavis! I truly believe that the Obamas contacted him. Furthermore, he is one to talk because I have contacted him on NUMEROUS occasions, in an effort to shed light on a serious issue that my family is battling in regards to minorities receiving substandard medical care. If publicized, we'll save many lives. My inquiries were ignored, so maybe he should have his [EXPLETIVE] checked (electrical outlets, equipment, employees, etc). Lastly, Michelle is perfectly capable of addressing issues on Barak's behalf, and personally I would like to hear/see more of her. If there is a skank living in the White House who can't keep it clean, how can we trust that Obama will make the best decisions for our country?


afroge
	THANKS "FOCUS" FOR YOUR COMMENT. IT WOULD NOT BE MR. OBAMA OR THE BLACK MAN'S ADVANTAGE TO CATER TO THE BLACKS OR THE WHITES, OR THE HISPANICS OR ANY OTHER RACES. THAT IS WHAT MAKES OBAMA "SPECIAL" HE IS UNITING THE ENTIRE WORLD. HE WILL NOT BE GIVING THE "BLACK" SIGN TO BLACKS, NOR WILL HE BE DANCING THE WALTZ WITH WHITES, HE IS UNITING THE WORLD AND THAT IS WHAT WE NEED MORE THAN ANYTHING FOR IF THE WORLD IS UNITED, THERE WILL BE NOT PREJUDICES, HATRED, AND ALL THE POLICIES AND LAWS WILL WORK TO THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE. HATRED AND PREJUDICES IS WHY WE ARE IN THE SHAPE WE ARE IN, THE LAWS AND LEGISLATION ARE ALL IN PLACE, BUT THEY ARE NOT BEING ENFORCED DUE TO HATRED AND PREJUDICES BETWEEN THE RACES. IT IS TIME FOR A "CHANGE" AND THANK GOD, OBAMA IS THAT CHANGE, AND HE WILL BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT. SO STOP TALKING, HATING, AND TRYING TO KEEP A "GOOD MAN DOWN" .....GO TO THE POLE AND VOTE!!!!!


cobra
	Until now, I was a huge Tavis fan. I have always looked forward to "The State of Black America". I will not be watching this year.


afroge
	LEFT OUT WORDS, POLE IS SPELLED POLL, WAS IN HURRY, BUT YOU GET THE MESSAGE!!!!!


afroge
	TO ALL BLACKS: I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE TIME SEEN SUCH "UNITY" AMONG BLACKS. I AM SO PROUD THAT FOR ONCE IN OUR LIVES WE HAVE FOUND A COMMON GROUND. OBAMA IS GOING TAKING ALL THE FLACK HE IS TAKING FOR THIS COUNTRY AND FOR US. AFTER ALL OF THIS OVER, EVERY BLACK MAN IN AMERICA WILL HAVE A REASON TO HOLD HIS HEAD UP, FOR NOW HE CAN TRULY SAY "YES I CAN" AND HAVE A LIVING EXAMPLE TO PATTERN HIS LIFE FROM. I AM PROUD OF OBAMA, YOU SHOULD BE PROUD AND NOT ALLOW YOUR VOTE TO GO FOR ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT HIM. HILIARY CAN MAKE APPEARANCES IN EVERY CHURCH IN THE WORLD, BUT IF THAT CHURCH HAS A BLACK PERSON IN IT, YOUR LOYALTY SHOULD BE WITH OBAMA!!!!!SUPPORT HIM, GO TO THE POLL AND VOTE FOR CHANGE....VOTE OBAMA!!!!!


afroge
	TO ALL BLACKS: I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE TIME SEEN SUCH "UNITY" AMONG BLACKS. I AM SO PROUD THAT FOR ONCE IN OUR LIVES WE HAVE FOUND A COMMON GROUND. OBAMA IS TAKING ALL THE FLACK HE IS TAKING FOR THIS COUNTRY AND FOR US. AFTER ALL OF THIS IS OVER, EVERY BLACK MAN IN AMERICA WILL HAVE A REASON TO HOLD HIS HEAD UP, FOR NOW HE CAN TRULY SAY "YES I CAN" AND HAVE A LIVING EXAMPLE TO PATTERN HIS LIFE FROM. I AM PROUD OF OBAMA, YOU SHOULD BE PROUD AND NOT ALLOW YOUR VOTE TO GO FOR ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT HIM. HILIARY CAN MAKE APPEARANCES IN EVERY CHURCH IN THE WORLD, BUT IF THAT CHURCH HAS A BLACK PERSON IN IT, YOUR LOYALTY SHOULD BE WITH OBAMA!!!!!SUPPORT HIM, GO TO THE POLL AND VOTE FOR CHANGE....VOTE OBAMA!!!!!


afroge
	TO ALL BLACKS: I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE TIME SEEN SUCH "UNITY" AMONG BLACKS. I AM SO PROUD THAT FOR ONCE IN OUR LIVES WE HAVE FOUND A COMMON GROUND. OBAMA IS TAKING ALL THE FLACK HE IS TAKING FOR THIS COUNTRY AND FOR US. AFTER ALL OF THIS IS OVER, EVERY BLACK MAN IN AMERICA WILL HAVE A REASON TO HOLD HIS HEAD UP, FOR NOW HE CAN TRULY SAY "YES I CAN" AND HAVE A LIVING EXAMPLE TO PATTERN HIS LIFE FROM. I AM PROUD OF OBAMA, YOU SHOULD BE PROUD AND NOT ALLOW YOUR VOTE TO GO FOR ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT HIM. HILIARY CAN MAKE APPEARANCES IN EVERY CHURCH IN THE WORLD, BUT IF THAT CHURCH HAS A BLACK PERSON IN IT, YOUR LOYALTY SHOULD BE WITH OBAMA!!!!!SUPPORT HIM, GO TO THE POLL AND VOTE FOR CHANGE....VOTE OBAMA!!!!!


NicNasty032
	I think most Black people want to vote for him b/c he's Black. I'm Black and I swear I hope Hillary kicks his ass!!! I did some research. he is not the best PERSON for the job. He just TALKS a good game. HILLARY CLINTON '08
	--------------- I don‘t care

whynot
	Nicnasty032- What exactly did your research say? Just because she has only 2 more yrs in the senate than Barak doesn't make her the best. Try fighting against someone with 2 more yrs than you on a job interview.... So she was a first lady? And? Arguably she might have been running the country as Bill's wife. We will never know. Bill was just as competent as Hillary. As for Tavis Smiley and crew...I am tired of all of these "State of Black America", "State of the Black CHurch" and all the participants do is share there opinion as to why we are in this "state"... Solutions and Action Plans are never put in place. Stop wasting our time and showing white america we have issues and don't know where to begin at solving them.


ddawg
	Stay clear of these so called black events. Dont be a Jesse Jackson!


Chappelll
	Tavis is a beeyotch and has always had a menstral! That's why they fired his butt at BET! To whinning!


Ajalyn
	DID I JUST READ CORRECTLY? NOW LET ME UNDERSTAND THIS. HERE'S A MAN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT ON A WINNING STREAK. TO SHOW JUST HOW POWERFUL HE IS...THE KU KLUX KLAN IS ENDORSING OBAMA. YES, YOU JUST READ CORRECTLY - THE KLAN IS E-N-D-O-R-S-I-N-G OBAMA! JUST GOOGLE IT AND YOU'LL SEE PHOTOS OF THE KLAN HOLDING A RALLY FOR OBAMA. THIS MAN DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO ATTEND ANY TALK SHOWS. HE IS BEAT-DOWN TIRED FROM TRAVELING FROM CITY TO CITY. HIS WIFE IS EXHAUSTED FROM CAMPAIGNING TOO, YET TO SHOW THEIR ADMIRATION FOR TAVIS, THEY REARRANGE THEIR SCHEDULE SO THAT MICHELLE CAN ATTEND THE FUNCTION. MICHELLE IS SCHEDULED TO BE IN OTHER CITIES BUT MAKES THE TIME TO ATTEND TAVIS' FUNCTION AND TAVIS UN-INVITES HER BECAUSE HER HUSBAND CAN'T ATTEND? TAVIS NEEDS 10 MILLIGRAMS OF PROZAC STAT! THIS M/O/T/H/E/R/F/U/C/K/E/R IS PSYCHOTIC. I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED HIM AND WHAT HE STOOD FOR BUT THIS UTTER DISPLAY OF DISRESPECT IS UNBELIEVABLE TO ME....THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. OBAMA IS IN A DIFFERENT CITY EVERY DAMN DAY TRYING HIS DAMNEST TO WIN VOTES. TO HAVE HIS WIFE ATTEND SPEAKS VOLUMES. IT SAYS THAT YOUR FUNCTION IS IMPORTANT SO I'M SENDING THE BEST REPRESENTATION...MY WIFE. TO HAVE THE NERVE, AUDACITY, UNMITIGATED GAUL TO UN-INVITE THIS WOMAN WHO HAS CHANGED HER SCHEDULE TO ACCOMODATE HIM SAYS THAT TAVIS IS A CLASS A PIECE OF S/H/I/T AND I AM THROUGH WITH HIM. IF OBAMA WINS AS PRESIDENT, TAVIS WILL BE THE FIRST IN LINE ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE AND OBAMA SHOULD TELL HIM TO GO STRAIGHT TO H/E/L/L/. BE CAREFUL HOW YOU TREAT PEOPLE...YOU MAY NEED THEM....


PrettyBoi
	well then i guess its time to say a great big F*CK YOU to Tavis Smiley and his smiling shuckin & jivin corny ass then.
	--------------- www.myspace.com/bayareab0ii

hotdamn
	I refuse to read another word, let alone story about all of these uncle tom wannabe house ni66ers! They are now showing their true colors and I have no love for them! Umma just do me and STAY UP for my Real People and VOTE for my brother Obama and remain PROUD of how far he has come!!!!!


louisiana1-4life
	I'm rollin' with TAVIS!!! Obamma has avoided State of the black america for years..He always has an excuse. It seems to me he is trying to avoid it!! Listen to cornell west (soul brother #1) had to say about him in the 05' state of black america. And also look at that panel, short of my mothers funeral, I would have dropped everything to be apart of that panel!!!!!ME, I'm gonna vote for MY brother out of loyalty, but the question is will he be loyal to me,(US)? Because let's not forget,FAMILY, what Tavis has sacraficed for US!! PEACE LUV & NAPPINESS
	--------------- I got HIGH as fucc, last night!

louisiana1-4life
	@OffMyHead Fucc all people it's about US!
	--------------- I got HIGH as fucc, last night!

hotdamn
	JMO BUT, I truly believe that Obama is playing it smart! He has to keep his race for LEADER OF THE free WORLD about the economy, jobs, healthcare, ending the war, etc... issues that ALL OF AMERICA want to see a change with. He has to remain an undercover brother or he would never have gotten this far obtaining all of those middle america white votes from Utah and what-not. If he speaks on anything resembling a BLACK ISSUE ONLY, we will remain right where we are NOW with Republican's running this shyt! Whether he's loyal to me/US is not an issue with me considering the Fact that no other damn president thus far has had to pass that test based on his race! Hell, they're already throw bombs and grenades at his ass just because of his Hussein Obama name and muslim schooling 40 [EXPLETIVE] years ago. I don't think WE need to find excuses to continue voting for the other person who damn sure has never been loyal to US!


hotdamn
	Comments from a Black Man on Voting for Obama. Food for thought... > ----- > ----- > People! I believe this brother gave this piece some thought before he > committed it to paper. Give this to folks you know don't have a computer > and share this with others as something to think about in this historic > time - which we'll never see again in our lifetime!!! > > It starts off like this..... > > I am practically seething with all of the black people, especially so > called "intelligent" , "educated", black people giving a million tired > excuses of why they won't vote for Barack Obama and will vote for a > Hillary Clinton: > > 1. He's not ready/He's not experienced. > > Man, please. You have the top 3 Democratic candidates with 1 Senate term > under their belt. Hillary as the First Lady as experienced? Not one > executive decision is made being as the first lady. That's like Stedman > recommending a book, endorsing a candidate, or having his own show...SO > WHAT. > > 2. White America is not ready for a Black president. > > Whaaa? Was White America ready for slavery to end? Giving us the right > to vote? Desegregation of our society? When did black people ever let > white people dictate when and where we were getting our just due, our > break? > We've always stepped up and demanded what we wanted, or we were either > hitting the streets and tearin' up some stuff, escapin', marching, or > picketing. > White America is ready for a Black President because Barack Obama is the > right man for President, PERIOD. > > Besides, that never stopped anyone from voting for Jesse Jackson, a man > with NO political experience AT ALL from almost snatching the Democratic > nomination in 1984, and coming darn close again in 1988, 20 YEARS AGO. > > 3. Barak is half black and half white, so he's not really black anyway. > > I should backsmack anyone who has ever thought that. Ever heard of the > one drop rule? It has not only been a social standard for WHO is black, > but it also upheld the constitution in keeping us from suing a white > person over personal property. No black person ever refers to another > black person as "biracial". You black. You might have another heritage > in your lineage, but this country as well as any other sees you as > black, PERIOD. Lame excuse people. > > 4. I don't know what issues Barack stands for. > > Wh en the heck has that ever prevented black folk from voting for a > black candidate, really? I guess now, but the main people saying that > couldn't tell you anything about Hillary's or John Edwards platform > either. > Please stop fronting. > > 5. All he did was give that one speech. > > How many great people have defined their lives, the scope of human > history, and changed the world in a speech? Moses, Jesus, Paul, Martin > Luther, Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, > Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, > Ronald < SPAN class=yshortcuts>Reagan, Nelson Mandela, Jesse Jackson, > and Jim Valvano all have changed the course of history of the world and > the hearts of billions of men and women in societies since the beginning > of time with a speech. > > That is the purpose of a rally. A person speaks, and it prepares all to > act in relation to the spirit of what is spoken. That is why we go to > church, not to just hear our pastor blather, but to refresh God in our > hearts and spurn us to take up God's will in our lives. > > So save all that ying yang about that speech. > > 6. If all of those white people are supporting him, he must be in their > back pocket. > > Save the conspiracy theory home skillet. He's liked because he comes at > a time where a person that looks exactly like them lied to their face > (two in a row, if you include Bill Clinton with Monica and of course > Bush with Iraq ), and flat out said what no politician would admit: We > have two Americas , blue and red, black and white. It was not publicly > said, and on top of that proposed that we ACTUALLY DO something about > it, not find more ways to be divided and not come together despite our > differences. Noble concept, and one to be championed. That's JFK, FDR, > and Abe Lincoln material. So they were feeling it, just like I was and > you should too. > His legislative work has been indicative of this as well, including his > Fuel Standard work with President Bush. Check the resume, it shines. > > > THE REAL REASON BLACK PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR OBAMA IS THAT THEY > ARE AFRAID THAT HE'LL WIN, AND: > > 1. WE'LL HAVE NO MORE EXCUSES LEFT. > > We won't be able to say, " America is racist", "I cannot get a break > because I'm black", and all other random excuses many blacks make for > not achieving anything in their lives. > > 2. IF SOCIETY IS LEFT UNCHANGED AFTER HIS PRESIDENCY WE'LL LOSE HOPE. > > If a black man becomes President, I honestly believe many black people > feel that all of the world's problems should come to an end. No more > crack selling, no more black on black crime, no more baby mama drama and > dead beat daddies, no more people on welfare and on the chow line, no > more wineoes, no more police brutality, no more DWB, no more predatory > loans, no more ghettos, no more racism period, no more Middle East > unrest, just everybody singing cumbaya. To some degree, I think alot of > white people, especially liberal, feel that way too, that's why they are > all up on him like that. > > > THAT'S RIDICULOUS. > If it happened, he'd be one of the greatest people that ever lived, but > that's way too much pressure to put on one man. DANG! I feel that people > are really not ready for the world to get better anyway. It's like that > father you never knew but won't make a relationship with because you > don't want to be let down. It's unfair and let that go. Barak will make > a great President, but he won't solve all of the world's problems, nor > can he solve all of black peoples' problems either. > > 3. SO CALLED "EDUCATED" BLACK PEOPLE WON'T BE SO SPECIAL ANYMORE BECAUSE > THE PLAYING FIELD WILL BE LEVELED. > > Absolutely hate more than anything else. The above 2 reasons were > largely a poor disadvantaged black person's inner fear about Barack. > Many of number 2 and all of this one is specifically tailored to you > bourgeois folks that actually like being the only black person (or one > of a very few) in your medical school, your law school, your master's > program, your Ph.D. > program, your high fallutin' Fortune 500 Company, your faculty at your > prestigious institution. You feel deep inside being a talented 10th > will become a talented population. As much as you detest and look down > at your disadvantaged brothers and sisters, and claim they need to "get > a job", "get an education", "pull themselves up from their own > bootstraps", and "stop being so ignorant", you like them where they are. > You are the one that has that shady feeling in your belly when a new > black person is hired because you don't want them to screw it up for > you. Yeah you...I'm talkin' > about you. You know who you are. You think deep inside, Keishas, > Darnells, Shequans are going to get theirs now that Barak is in office, > and you won't be so special anymore. > > See you like racism. You probably are like Clarence Thomas, the man that > benefitted from Affirmative Action but now you got yours, nobody else > can get in too, so you vote against Affirmative Action. Yeah, claim you > got your opportunity on merit. No, you got it on the backs of our > ancestors that had to fight for you to get that job. Now you don't want > a world where everyone has an equal opportunity. Well actually neither > do poor blacks either, see 1. > > 4. IF HE MESSES IT UP, WE'RE ALL SCREWED. > > Back in the day blacks with degrees could do nothing but shine shoes > outside the company. Now we're in them, making decisions, even CEOs like > my man Stanley O'Neal, the first black American to take the helm of a > major Wall street firm. That brother completely mismanaged the company, > like many others who mismanaged banks and cause losing equity because of > security back subprime loans. Now, those that are in the know are afraid > that a black man cannot ever get that opportunity to be THE MAN at a > major institution again Not only that, if Barack messes it up, there > will be a backlash on all of black America . "You guys had your chance > to run the free world, and you blew it". > Sorry Charlie, Barak is one man. You can't use the logic for yourself as > far as getting ahead, but lose it f or this man. George Bush completely > botched America's standing in the world, but I don't see anyone afraid > to elect another white man. So come off of it. > > 5. BLACK WOMEN FEEL SORRY FOR HILLARY BEING CHEATED ON BY THE REAL FIRST > BLACK PRESIDENT. > > This is so dumb, I cannot address with words, but it's the truth for a > lot of black people, who felt Bill was the first Black President, and > sistas especially would feel like they were vindicating a woman that was > done wrong by anotha brotha. > > 6. BLACKS LIKE TO BE DIFFERENT FROM WHITES AND BARAK WILL BREAK DOWN > BARRIERS WE LIKE HAVING UP. > > Keep it real people. You hate it when anything we do gets imitated. It > is instantly uncool. Most blacks love that we have our own thing, our > own culture. Having Barack win means for a lot of people America will > have more of a shared consciousness. We'll actually have to come > together and squash some beef to make this co untry cooperative. I don't > completely believe this concept, but I'm down for it. Once again, Black > people really do like racism. > > > For all of you doubters out there this is what you really need to ask > yourselves: > > > Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that > we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be > brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to > be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us And > as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people > permission to do the same . > > > That's all the brotha is trying to do. So vote for him, drop the > excuses, and support the first viable Black Candidate. Our ancestors > demand that we do so. >


daddyschile
	Why is it that we are so blind???!!!! When the story was posted on this website so many jumped on Tavis Smiley's back without knowing the full story. So much for Mr. Obama uniting people when we as African American can't even agree to disagree. I believe some one said something about Obama bringing people together when our race is becoming more divided every day. Why don't we understand that this is how the media and those who control the economy want us to act. Since the Industrial Revolution it has been the haves and have nots. We may be one of the major minorities yet because we are so divided we refuse to economically come together and control how this country is run. One man can't do it alone. Stop putting the responsibility of coming together on one man and we can each do our part in our own communities to make things better within our community. By the way Hilary was speaking about fining companies who ship their jobs overseas so that the major corporations will have to bring our jobs back to where they belong with us. She has been fighting for this since 2003-2004 Obama has just begun to recognize that this issue which is one of the major factors of this country going into recession is something worth being addressed. Do the homework. The more the media distracts those of us who refuse to do our homework on the candidates views and direct impact they may have on our communities the more they will place stories like this to cause our people to become more divided than ever and split our vote!!!! I am proud to see a black man running for president! But I am also thinking of the many brothers and sisters who are homeless, hungry, need medical care, jobs, housing, pensions, seniors who need prescriptions. Some of these people do not have time for him to learn the process of how to get the work done. No matter how black he may or may not be REMEMBER IT'S THE MAN WHO HOLDS THE PURSE STRINGS! No matter how much he unifies all nations understand he will no have authority carte blanche. He will have limitations according to what THEY want him to have. Do you want to be able to say we have a black president who is ineffectual or a president who can get the job done?
	--------------- "A fool‘s mouth is his ruin."

daddyschile
	@ hotdamn please spare me from all of the rhetoric that you're spittin'. I've done my homework and I don't do anything just because. That is why the US is in so much trouble now too many cooks in the kitchen! And as for you praising him for the fuel issue with Bush...hate to disappoint you babycakes but it's been revealed that it's not viable to use the some of the other methods of fuel including ethanol because it will take more mechanical power which means more gas guzzling equipment releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere....but then you know this right? You can't out hustle a hustler. Obama is very charismatic....no doubt. But you can't kick game to Iraq, China, Russia, etc....I think alot of the other countries really want to endorse him because he is so idealistic about what he wants going to do that there is no reality or practicality to theresolutions for the issues that are facing all of us
	--------------- "A fool‘s mouth is his ruin."

daddyschile
	correction: I think alot of the other countries really want to endorse him because he is so idealistic about what he wants to do that there is no reality or practicality to the resolutions that he's trying to set forth for all of the issues that are facing this nation.
	--------------- "A fool‘s mouth is his ruin."

whynot
	If Hillary Clinton is the "ish" for "Black people" then why wasn't she invited to participate? Would you be mad if you heard that she declined to attend? Obama is trying to win! He still has major contests coming up. If Tavis was so strategic, he could have had it prior to Lousiana's caucus/primary last week. Black people can't attend everything hosted by black people... Some things can be a set up or trap! That's real...


Tagirl25
	I wasn't a fan of Tavis when he was on BET, was never a fan of his on the TJMS and I'm not surprised. That's a punk move for him to try and strong arm Barack like this. I bet he was cussing when he denied his wife a chance to stand in his place.


chocolatedrop118
	"As a dark skin woman your already CATAGORIZED NEGATIVELY, you don't have to help the stereotype out." (ANTI-DUMB) wow!! ur comment could have been meaningful w/o this part hun. hey its ur opinion though ;O)


chocolatedrop118
	I LIKE OBAMA. I CARE ABOUT MY RACE, MY SEX AND CHANGE. HEY HE GETS TWO OUT OF THREE.LOL


Ajalyn
	REGARDING THE RESPONSE ABOUT HILLARY - 1. HILLARY IS INDECISIVE ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. SHE REFUSES TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND IS ALWAYS A NO SHOW. FIRST SHE WANTS TO ISSUE THEM DRIVERS LICENCES, THEN SHE DOESN'T, THEN SHE DOES AGAIN...INDECISIVE - PERIOD. 2. HILLARY REFUSES TO RELEASE HER TAX RETURNS (THIS ALONE RAISES RED FLAGS! WHAT THE HELL IS SHE HIDING?) 3. HILLARY NOR BILL HAVE YET TO COMMENT ON THE DEATH OF RON BROWN, SECRETARY OF COMMERCE - OTHER THAN TO SAY THE PLANE CRASH WAS UNFORTUNATE. NOOOOO....WHAT WAS UNFORTUNATE WAS THE BULLET HOLE FOUND IN RON'S HEAD BY THE CORONER WHEN THEY PULLED HIM OFF THE PLANE. RON ADVISED THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION AND I'LL QUOTE HIM VERBATIM....WE'VE BEEN CAUGHT, BUT I'M NOT GOING DOWN BY MYSELF"...A FEW HOURS LATER HE WAS DEAD - FACT. 4. HILLARY HAS ADVISED THE NATION THAT IF SHE IS ELECTED THAT ALL AMERICANS WILL RECEIVE FREE HEALTH CARE - B/U/L/L/S/H/I/T. RADIO JOCK TOM JOYNER WAS THE ONLY ONE TO GET HER TO ADMIT THAT THE HEALTH CARE WON'T BE FREE AFTERALL. SHE ADMITTED THIS ON LIVE RADIO YET CONTINUES TO CLAIM THAT HEALTH CARE WILL BE FREE. 5. HILLARY JUST PUT UP 5 MILLION DOLLARS OF HER OWN MONEY BECAUSE HER CAMPAIGN IS LOSING FINANCIAL ENDORSEMENTS - THIS ALONE SPEAKS VOLUMES. 6. HILLARY DID NOT OPPOSE THE WAR - OBAMA DID. HOW THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO TURN A MUSLIM COUNTRY INTO A DEMOCRACY? TO THIS DAY A WOMAN WENT TO MEET A MAN TO GET AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH HE HAD OF HER - FOR MEETING HIM IN A PUBLIC PLACE, SHE WAS RAPED BY 7 MEN, TORTURED, BEATEN AND IS CURRENTLY IN PRISON. THE JUDGE? IT WAS ALL HER FAULT, SHE GOT WHAT SHE DESERVED. IN THE INTERIM...AMERICANS OF ALL RACES ARE RETURNING IN BODY BAGS OVER THIS B/U/L/L/S/H/I/T. DEMOCRACY MY A/S/S - YOU CAN'T TRANSFORM THESE PEOPLE AND MY PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DIE TRYING TO DO SO. F/U/C/K/ HILLARY - THERE HAVE BEEN TOO MANY LIES AND COVER-UPS....


Robotech
	First of all, I think as African Americans, we look really foolish right now. Bil Clinton and Hillary Clinton were for blacks when it wasn't popular. Alot your parents had good times during the 8 years of prosperity during the Clinton administration. Also, if you notice, most of Fox News and especially MSNBC have sheltered Obama and keep vilifying Hillary. I hate to burst your bubbles, but Obama is being set up. He may have won the lilly white states, but it's b/c the Republican party wants to run against Obama b/c he will be creamed in the general election. The Republicans put out a secret memo telling their party members to switch their party affiliations to go independent. Whereas, we are fighting over what can't be, there are united and already have a nominee. I love Obama, but I can't go against a couple who was there for us when no one was for us. I know you all want a black president, but you all don't understand that just b/c he wins the nomination, doesn't mean he will automatically get the White HOuse. I know you all will curse at me, but remember the saying, "No one, kicks a dead dog" Do you even know why you are voting for Obama other than he's black. Hope doesn't put food on the table. Hope can't get a job. Only SOLUTIONS CAN, lol. Where was Hope when blacks were denied student loans and Hurricane Katrina? If Hillary's campaign is sunk then why are all of you still attacking her. You all will be downfall of the party come NOvember and I would love see the expression on your face swhen you realize you got duped by the Republicans once again. Think about what I am saying before you have the audacity to call the CLintons racist. You all should be ashame of yourself.


hotdamn
	@ daddyschile, obviously you are reading but NOT comprehending. the first hotdamn comment is MY words, personal opinions only and I don't need to bash or attempt to belittle anyone else just to state my own beliefs and opinions!!! JMO means - just my opinion! The second hotdamn post are not my words you A/S/S! Again you failed to comprehend the words in the heading (which means title): Comments from a Black Man on Voting for Obama. Food for thought. NOW YOU STAY IN SCHOOL ok!


Robotech
	hotdamn? is that a word. Is it in the dictionary. Yes? and you tell me to stay in school. The fact that you call me an ass is the reason why I have succeeded in telling you the truth about what may happen if Obama is nominee. You really think Republicans will hand over the White house the Dems right? John Paul Stevens is at least 80 years old. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is at least 70 years old. They are two leading LIberals of the Supreme Court who are holding on for their dear lives and you all want to Roll the dice with picking Obama knowing that he was never vetted and always complains are cries "racism" every time Hillary legitimately wants to discuss policy issues. This fight for the White House has more power than you think. Brown Vs. Board of Ed was reverse this year in case you ignorant person didn't realize it. If Mc Cain puts two more Supreme Court justices in the MOld of Thomas and Scalia. We as African Americans will not have any rights and abortion will be ILLEGAL. Yea, that means that you screw the hot lil mama and then get her child aborted when you decide you may not want take responsibility for the child. Yea, so how's that for Food for though you are an ASS get it, A Stupid Sycophant who votes for OBama just b/c he's black and he brings "HOPE". Mc Cain will abuse Obama like a little boy and you all know deep in your hearts.


hotdamn
	Robotech is in the dictionary, i'm sure!!! First of all,why are you talking to me? I could care f/u/ck/in less about you and your opinions and have never commented to you on here. IF you are also daddyschile (because my comment was to that person) who actually spoke to me first! You prolly have to many Shitney personalities that you can't keep up with! Again, I was not talking to you so save ur s/h/it for someone else. I do not need to vote for HOPE for myself, cause I am just fine. I do care about the future generations tho, and that is what I am voting for. Ignorance, anger and namecalling is not necessary to voice opinions here! You sound as if you NEED to fight to convince someone that you are right! How sad is that?


Awe_Schitt
	Good For Travis. The Hell with Barack Obama. Travis is calling out Barack. Barack is fake. Barack is not for the people. it's all talk with Barack.


Salome
	Coon. Travis cannot understand the damage he can and is doing by undermining Obama's run for the White House. Like him or not, he has no right, in any form or fashion denegrating this man or his wife. There are issues larger than winner or loser in this race. Many young men who only associated their success with sports and media stars are watching Obama very closely. If nothing else Obama is showing them that there are other kinds of success. Successes that are very much in their reach as young african american men. This message should be shouted from all of our roof tops. This message, not Tavis's message. There's been far too much negativity, and we need not bring anymore to the table. It's urgent and very necessary that our young men and women witness first hand, the level of success as well as respect a person, who historically would have been ignored in a race of this sort. This election campaign has brought out many of our youth. Many of our youth who never voted or had an intention of voting. Whether our young people whose Obama or Hillary is irrelevant at this juncture. The fact that they are interested in the political process in this country is judgement to the power that THIS MAN has demonstrated in this arena called politics. Government as in so many areas in this country had become mundane and predictable. We were losing voters. We were losing interest in the political process as well as the people who supposedly ran that process. Now, there seems to be a very healthy surge of optimisim in this country. Whether its Hillary or Barack, we need a political voice, a political awakening, and, this has happened. Everyone's interest is peaked and that's a good thing. Tavis on the other hand, surely knows by now, that his foot is planted firmly in his mouth. What his reasoning was to initiate such a negative suggestion was not only ignorant but disrespectful at best. The plan seems to be pat, regarding the responses by persons of media attention. This only serves as subterfuge and most times is planned by opposites to the cause. Too many times, other cultures succeed through no other reason than sticking together and supporting each other. If they choose not to support one another, they at least have the common decency to keep it to themselves. This one in the woodpile image that Tavis has projected is ignorant,distasteful and completely below his previous image. However, should he choose to remain in such a frame of mind that he disregards the success and respect given to a brother by most of this country, exactly who does he think is going to look bad because of it.


Salome
	Tavis attempts to widen this ignorant frame of mind is pathetic. He's trying to color coat this race. Obviously he doesn't see that he has fed into the Clinton's hands by way of a strategic move in an attempt to display Obama as an african american who wants their votes not them. Tavis is being used. The Clinton's know that Tavis has a large listening audience and is respected by African Americans. So, they used him to get out their last minute message of SEE WE CLINTON'S CARE ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICANS, WE WERE HERE! Bull, Michelle was right. She should be out campaigning with her husband. He is in the biggest race, for the biggest stakes and his stakes are also ours. One question, all of these years the Summit has been held, yet, I don't recall EVER seeing Hillary or Bill there. Why is it so hard to figure out why she's attending now. Hillary is campaigning, clear and simple. However, when Michelle remarked that she would attend, but not now, because she was campaigning with her man, it was an outrage. Hillary is campaigning just by being there. Michelle is campaigning by being with her man. Dont get it twisted people, the strategists are working overtime to try and slide this one under your noses, yet every notice, each time an important election comes up, the church is full of white people. And, you ignorant puppets can't see through it. Sincerley, Tavis is jealous. Clear and simple. Has he called out Colin Powell, Condi Rice, Kofi Anan, Bill Cosby,Julian Bond, Oprah, or Bob Johnson, no I didn't think so. Way too much power to play with on that list. So why Barack? Without his run for office, many of the people on the list had much more power and still do. Yet, Tavis can only call him out. I don't think he even notices how well he's playing Hillary's game.


Salome
	Would someone please tell me what exactly did Bill Clinton do that was so fabulous for African Americans? And while your at it what does Hillary have so much experience in? She is in ther second term as NY State Senator, Obama is in his first. What major legislation has she introduced for NY State. How many of her policies has been voted on and passed? Her position as First Lady does not qualify her as anything other than. Again, what has she done that deems her so experienced? When she traveled during Bills presidency regarding universal health care. She came back empty handed. Nothing happened then and nothing will happen now. She recently stated that she will garnish wages to ensure that all americans have health coverage. Well, answer this, what about the people on public assistance. We all know very well, that many african americans receive public assistance and I doubt very seriously that they can affort their assistance checks to be garnished. So what now. Also, as Bill stood and guaranteed the truth on the issues for Hillary. Why would anyone believe a man that was publically outed regarding affairs with four different women, and lied to the american people about relationship with Monica. Also, what were the charges against the Clinton's with the Whitewater Scandal.? Several of Clinton's administrative staff were convicted after taking the charge for him and did jail time. Of course, they were pardoned by him before he left office, how convenient. In addition, where did the large campaign contribution come from that they had to return because of said mob ties. As a result of the votes being counted in New Mexico, Hillary won by a very small margin. This however took a week to tally. Sounds reminiscent of the Bush/Gore Florida Total Lie to me.


Robotech
	Oh, what has Bill Clinton done for African Americans? Moving From Record Deficits to Record Surplus. In 1992, the Federal budget deficit was $290 billion - the largest dollar deficit in American history. In January 1993, the Congressional Budget Office projected that the deficit would grow to $455 billion by 2000. The Office of Management and Budget is now projecting a surplus of at least $230 billion for 2000 - the third consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever, even after adjusting for inflation. Compared with original projections, that is over $685 billion less in government drain on the economy and over $685 billion more potentially available for private investment in this one year alone. The 2000 surplus is projected to be 2.4 percent of GDP -- the largest surplus as a share of GDP since 1948. This is the first time we have had three surpluses in a row in more than a half century, and it is the second consecutive surplus excluding Social Security. [Office of Management! and Budget; National Economic Council, 9/27/00] Unemployment for African-Americans fell to the lowest level ever recorded, and for Hispanics it remains at historic lows. [Bureau of Labor Statistics] the African American child poverty rate has fallen 28.2 percent since 1993, and dropped from 36.7 percent in 1998 to 33.1 percent in 1999 -- the largest one-year drop in history and the lowest level on record (data collected since 1959). In just five years, AmeriCorps has allowed 150,000 young people to serve in their communities while earning money for college or skills training. Forgave $500 million in African debt, announced initiative to link debt relief to health and education investments, and forged agreement among G-8 industrialized countries to provide additional debt relief. Was one of the first to apologize in Africa for Slavery. Yea, he really didn't do anything for African Americans right?


Robotech
	John Paul Stevens is at least 80 years old. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is at least 70 years old. They are two leading liberals of the Supreme Court who are holding on for their dear lives and you all want to Roll the dice with picking Obama knowing that he was never vetted and always complains are cries "racism" every time Hillary legitimately wants to discuss policy issues. This fight for the White House has more power than you think. Brown Vs. Board of Ed was reverse this year If Mc Cain puts two more Supreme Court justices in the MOld of Thomas and Scalia. We as African Americans will not have any rights and abortion will be ILLEGAL. It's nice to see young people fired up. Some are for Obama and some are for Hillary. However, don't give them false hope and act as though the Republicans are not formidable. Be honest, Hillary as you may hate or love her has been taking the Republican fire for years. However, Obama takes fire and the first response is "Oh, you are a racist, you are playing the race card" Do you know what McCain's response will be? "Oh yea, okay, ...so what's your point. what are your views on universal health care. How do you feel about the economy etc We need to examine both Obama and Hillary's record


mackofdimes
	hey race voters! you think you're doing good basing your decision on the 'cover of a book?' wake up...it's about to drop that HUSSEIN obama is a decendent of ARAB slave traders...wait til oprah hear he been fakin' to get ahead on our meal tickets. http://kennethelamb.blogspot.com/2008/02/barak-obama-questions-about-ethnic.html


Niceyung05
	Commentary by TAVIS SMILEY Senator Barack Obama and the State of the Black Union 2008 Tom Joyner Morning Show Thursday, February 14, 2008 By now many, if not most of you, have either read or heard about the letter faxed to me by Senator Barack Obama yesterday to officially inform me that he would not be attending the State of the Black Union symposium next Saturday, February 23, in New Orleans, live on C-SPAN. The letter was apparently made public on the Internet by the Obama campaign. This morning a few thoughts now about the letter, about Senator Obama and for that matter, about Michelle Obama. First, I want to thank Senator Obama for his letter, although I regret his decision. I said on Tuesday and I reiterate today, that I believe that this is a critical miscalculation and a missed opportunity. Having said that, I also feel that should Senator McCain or Governor Huckabee, like Mr. Obama, end up denying our invitation to appear at this annual Black think tank, it would also be for them as well, in the long run, a critical miscalculation and a missed opportunity. Particularly for Senator John McCain, who appears to now be the presumptive Republican nominee and who decided, as you recall, not to appear last year before Black America in Baltimore. Indeed, I personally expressed that sentiment to Senator McCain earlier this week. Don’t think that in the general election, should he be the nominee, that he ain’t going to get reminded frequently that he kept passing on opportunities to speak to Black and Brown audiences. That’s pretty much Political Science 101. That’s going to happen, trust me. Two. For the record, with regard to this letter and the statements made therein, my office was never contacted by the Obama campaign offering Michelle Obama as a proxy speaker. It never happened. No letter. No fax. No e-mail. No phone call. No document whatsoever from the Obama camp to my office, ever, regarding Michelle Obama. She was never offered, it was never discussed. Three. While I have great admiration and affection for Michelle Obama, had she been offered to us I would have respectfully declined. Just as we would have declined had Hillary Clinton offered Bill Clinton; had John McCain offered Cindy McCain; had Mike Huckabee suggested Janet Huckabee. By any measure, by any measure, Michelle Obama’s personal story is empowering and inspiring. I am moved by her personal story, as I have been, since I first met her. From the South side of Chicago to Princeton, to Harvard Law, it is a quintessential American story of overcoming. That said, last year at Howard, live on PBS, we spoke to candidates only. And that’s what we intend to do next Saturday, February 23, in New Orleans, live on C-SPAN, speak to candidates only, with all due respect. And speaking of Howard, point number four. When we invited Senator Obama last year to Howard, with all of the other announced Democratic candidates at the time, so many people, so many people, said publicly, that Tavis is stacking the deck in Obama’s favor. Black college. Black book. Black audience. Black journalists. Black moderator. “Smiley is stacking the deck for Obama,” they said. The Washington Post Editorial Board said that to me to my face. “Aren’t you stacking the deck for Mr. Obama?” Now, eight months later, another simple invitation, along with all the other remaining viable candidates, and now he’s being boxed in by me? Respectfully, that dog just won’t hunt. Because by that logic, at this point in the campaign, any gathering of Black thought-leaders, opinion-makers and influencers who invite Senator Obama to appear on stage at a nationally televised event, that invitation --- in and of itself, given that logic --- would be tantamount to “boxing him in.” This was simply an invitation, nothing more. There has not been, there is not now, nor will there be, any effort on my part to snap on the Obama campaign, or the McCain campaign or the Huckabee campaign, if they choose not to attend. It was just an invitation to him and every other candidate. Accept or reject. An invitation, nothing more, nothing less. I’ve lost count now of how many debates the Democrats have had to address other issues that, in fact, do matter to us. But I can tell you exactly how many times they’ve gathered to specifically address our issues. There is no comparison. Point number five. Senator Obama is on a mission. As he suggested in his letter, his mission is to become the next President of the United States. And I ain’t mad at him. As I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again, I revel in his historic run for the White House. As a Black man, I celebrate his past accomplishments. I celebrate his future aspirations. Respectfully, I knew Barack Obama long before most of us learned to pronounce his name correctly. So long ago, in fact, that years ago Barack Obama was working with the kids in my Foundation, speaking to them about leadership development way back when. I have no personal animus toward Barack Obama. To quote that great philosopher, George Wallace, “I love him and there ain’t nothing he can do about it!” That said, I love Black people, too. And I have a vocation. I have a calling. I have a purpose. And since this ain’t just about me, you have a purpose too. You have a calling, you have a vocation as well. And I would hope, this morning, that at the center of our collective calling, is an unconditional love for Black people. His job right now is to get elected. Our job is to do our part to ensure that whoever gets elected will be held accountable to the issues that matter most to Black people. And in that regard, all that I have ever tried to do, with the media platforms, including this one, that I have been blessed to have access to, is to attempt to speak a love language, to ask critical questions, to engage in sober assessment and to counsel wise enthusiasm. If Barack Obama is your candidate, I ain’t mad at you! If Hillary Clinton is your candidate, I ain’t mad at you! I am not personally in the endorsement business. My small part is to engage in Socratic questioning. As a Black person, a member of the media, I’ve said many times on this program, my job is to ask questions, raise issues, address topics, and profile people that otherwise wouldn’t get that kind of air play. Now, as the old folk used to say, “I done spoke my piece.” Senator Clinton has decided to join us. Senator Obama has decided not to. Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee, we shall see. But once again, it has never, ever been about them. It has always been about us. We cannot confuse candidates with the cause. The cause of suffering Black people who are catching hell every day. So, I personally; I can only speak for Tavis, I personally have no intention, no interest in discussing this matter beyond this commentary no matter what’s said about me. Except to promote the Symposium, which I’ve done every year for almost 10 years now. I’m told by the folk in the Lt. Governor’s office in Louisiana that it looks like we will have the largest gathering of volunteers for a single day next Friday on our Day of Service, since Katrina hit back in 2005. That’s what matters. Loving and serving everyday Black people. Our conversation next Saturday promises to be spirited, soulful and inspiring. Finally this morning, as I always say…today, more than ever…love wins. Love wins. Love wins. Happy Valentine’s Day! To hear Tavis’ commentary, please visit www.tavistalks.com


daddyschile
	@ hotdamn sweetie if you really comprehended my post then you would have realized that it was not about your original post. I could care less about your opinion because everybody has one. My post was about the second post you know: hotdamn Flag post Comments from a Black Man on Voting for Obama. Food for thought... > ----- and if you had read and again comprehended what I adressed was in this "food for thought" that YOU POSTED you would have known I was addressing the issues in that note and not your personally. Learn the difference between being verbally attacked and attacking an comment that is made in which I never said you made. You did however post it. Trust me doll I have no ill feeling or will towards you whatsoever because I know who I am and where I come from so I don't need to belittle or sarcastically address someone especially with profantity. I fortunatly am a woman who has no need to debase herself in order to make my self heard. Now if you don't want what YOU POST to be addressed then I suggest that you stop quoting the words of others and speak for yourself and broaden your own horizon through adding to your own education. p.s. And if you did not post the name or at least acknowledge the name (and I'm not talking about no web name if they are proud enough to write it own up to it) of the author of the comments that you posted then you leave your self responsible for the comments made by that individual because you posted them. Don't hate the player babe hate the game.
	--------------- "A fool‘s mouth is his ruin."

crisluda83
	Tavis is just being a ho! He holds this state of the Black Union bullshit every year and what changes? NOTHING! [EXPLETIVE] please, get off Obama's sack, and actually try to help the man win this [EXPLETIVE]. Not just for blacks, but for ever AMERICAN.


queencee87
	Wow...they should have invited him
	--------------- New Gossip board thegossiplounge.com

yuh99334
	Seems he is a hooker. I've seen his profile at a millionaire dating site called millionairecupid.com. Seems he is hooking up with nice girls there.


Desafinado
	The man's busy. As Ms. Obama said, he's at a "critical junction" in his campaign, and deviating from that (campaign) trail, isn't the best idea. And I would've liked to have heard from "the spouse" of Barack also. Sure, she's not the one running to lead the country but who else comes close enough to understanding his mind. I mean, besides the "behind every good man" bit, I'd really like more opportunities to hear from Obama's number one supporter. All that said, I don't think Smiley's intent was to bring anyone down. He knows whats up. He's a journalist and was looking forward to giving Obama a direct opportunity to answer his and other questions about a specific topic. His handling of the situation just came off a little spiteful, I think. Regardless, I know where I'll be standing come April 22nd.
	--------------- "Its been a long time comin"..

NeonPriest
	Barak Obama is the spook who sat by the door! Don't drink the Koolaide idiots! He's too busy for black people -- What part don't you people understand. You're colorstruck. He is not an authentic African American. You been duped, bamboozled, played, and vext! Wake up dreamers!!!!!


Blaze84
	I am extremely pissed off by this story posted by MTO. I always thought that MTO would do better research so as to not slant a story since unfortunately this is some people's preferred news source. I've done some digging even before reading this blog and there is a nearly 3-page long press release available from Tavis Smiley about the Barak issue. MTO, you should take the time to look it over(http://www.tavistalks.com/pdf/ts_obama_commentary_a.pdf) and see what Tavis' point is. It's disconcerting that the reality is that most blacks are voting for Barak Obama because of his skin color without truly knowing his stances on a lot of issues. I'm black but he's not my choice for nominee after extensively researching his positions on issues that affect those who call and hope to call the USA home. And simply at the end of the day, people make efforts to make things important and make accommodations for what they choose to. It just seems to me like he's taking for granted the Black vote. I believe rightly so because we've generally voted for him because he's black--nothing else--so he feels no need to be make special provisions to be at this event. I will continue to come onto the site for celebrity postings and stories but reading after blog, I can't say that I can take your political stories seriously and therefore will skip over them.


lilly-black
	Post by Lilly: By the time I got to the comments of February 16th, I was weeping so I went back and read and listened before posting. I am still weeping. Unless I missed something, it seems to me that these messages are doing to Tavis the very thing we are accusing Tavis of doing to Senator Obama. Holding him to a higher and imaginary standard. Hatin' on him. Putting him in a box. Strokin' the collective ego of our community that seems to be running after the next big thing. Someone offered that the S.O.B.U was Tavis' baby and he was upset about his baby being dismissed, from what I have read, Obama is now the black community's baby and we are upset about him being dissed. What saddens me is that from what I see - - - IT NEVER HAPPENED! Tavis made a request. Senator Obama made a request. Tavis expressed an opinion. Senator Obama expressed an opinion. Now everyone is taking a side to express their opinion of the opinions. This is exactly what our prize media commentator, Tavis Smiley and our future President, the first Black president of the United States do not need - - our crab in the barrel mentality being aired publically with conviction, venom and absolutely no accountability. For more years that I can remember, we have embraced and supported Tavis Smiley's efforts on behalf of the Black community. Now because he, as a journalist says something about Senator Obama, who we are still learning about Tavis is an ego tripping sell out? It doesn't happen that quickly my loves. You cannot be in the public eye this long, doing this much work and not show your true colors. Tavis has been a journalist longer than Senator Obama has been a public servant. We have supported and benefitted from the ground breaking YES ground breaking efforts of Mr. Tavis Smiley who brought us news, information and commentary unparralled by any other Black commentator. In fact, I could be wrong but I believe it was Tavis Smiley who brought us up-to-date news about Senator Obama and his bid for the Senate. We folks in Philly, DC, Detroit etc has not a clue who Barak Obama was until we heard Tom Joyner and Tavis Smiley sing his praises in his bid to be the first black senator from IL. I also believe it was Tavis who brought Senator Obama to our children in his leadership iniative. Young black college students heard from Obama about the demands of leadership and the need for self-mastery. Perhaps some of the posters should have been there. Now, Obama is the next big thing and Tavis is hatin'. I weep because it is so sad that with the elegance and class that both Mr. Smiley (on BET, on NPR, on the Tom Joyner Show, with the Covenant For Black America and at each and every S.O.B.U.) and that which Senator and Mrs. Obama have exemplified for us and to us (as a unified family in his bid for the presidency), we are using them as the basis to voice our internalized self-hatred and lack mentality. People WE CAN HAVE THEM BOTH! Tavis doing his job as a prize winning journalist and Senator Barak Obama as a presidential candidate. Neither has to bow to the other and neither need be discarded to lift the other up. I love you Tavis Smiley. I love you Barak Obama. Please forgive me if I have in anyway contributed to mass confusion, public hysteria and the devaluing of your role in world history. Please forgive US for not lifting you both as beacons for the world to see. Still I weep.


NeonPriest
	The first black American... lift him up as a beacon for the world to see... NO! He should earn it... like the rest of us have earned it... Barack Obama cannot ride the coat tails of authentic African Americans – but he did! His father was from Kenya = African, and his mother was Caucasian and from Kansas = American. He was raised in Honolulu and schooled in Indonesia! He is not an authentic African American but he climbed on our backs to get to Harvard and Princeton! He was not here during the Civil Rights Movement. His African American footprint knows nothing about Emmett Till, Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, the Scottsboro Boys, the Niagara Movement, Jim Crow, W.E.B. Dubois, MLK, Malcolm X, the Black Power Movement, upwards of 100 plus lynchings of Black men, women and children every year from 1863 to 1965… Empirically, Barak Obama’s appreciation for the African American experience is vicarious. Hillary Clinton may have a clearer understanding of the African American experience than Barack Obama. The affirmation of authentic African Americans [decedents of slavery) is not a negation of African Americans – but the distinction merits acknowledgement. The distinction will not be ignored.


NeonPriest
	I posted the following on several blogs, including Corrente -- whom I thank for an opportunity for commentary in this space: “Barack Obama is not an authentic African American. His father was from Kenya = African, and his mother was Caucasian and from Kansas = American. He was raised in Honolulu and schooled in Indonesia! He was not here during the Civil Rights Movement. His African American footprint knows nothing about Emmett Till, Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, the Scottsboro Boys, the Niagara Movement, Jim Crow, W.E.B. Dubois, MLK, Malcolm X, the Black Power Movement, upwards of 100 plus lynchings of Black men, women and children every year from 1863 to 1965… Empirically, Barack Obama’s appreciation for the African American experience is vicarious. Hillary Clinton may have a clearer understanding of the African American experience than Barack Obama. Unfortunately, Black Americans are so HUNGRY -- they'll eat anything! Again, we're paying in the front of the bus, stepping off the bus to go and sit in the back! Because... why? So -- Barack Obama can walk through the front door? Never again -- under any circumstances... The affirmation of authentic Black Americans [decedents of slavery) is not a negation of African Americans – but the distinction merits acknowledgement. The distinction will not be ignored.” Barack Obama made the distinction I demanded in his “A More Perfect Union” speech and I am satisfied. Either the gods or Jeremiah Wright forced him to address the obvious or I am an oracle! I knew Obama was the metaphorical Columbia University student who goes to a Harlem church on Sunday, looks past the splendiferous hats and muffles laughter at sociopolitical Christian sermons that are… war cries in a language congregants and spectators understand. I submit that Wright’s sermons were -- war cries like Northern Cree’s ”Stay Red” sound like war cries to me. But, I am not offended -- perhaps because I don’t understand the language or the burden. I am reminded of Ayn Rand’s salient point on primitive forms of collectivism, “The respectable family that supports worthless relatives or covers up their crimes in order to “protect the family name” (as if the moral stature of one man could be damaged by the actions of another)…” There are a lot of war cries being sung. They are fitting and appropriate theater while moving toward a more perfect Union. So... now what?


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