Debate season
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008: The website of my hometown’s daily newspaper shows people in Detroit celebrating—black people celebrating our new, smart, black president. Professional news videos touch me, but it’s the homemade ones that devastate. For the first time in my life, I am proud of America. Fast forward four years—protracted fights along party lines, a handful of victories and some real disappointments—President Obama and Governor Romney contend for the title. I watch the debate at a shop specializing in books of the “Afro perspectives”-bent called Nandi’s Knowledge Café. Ten or so regulars and a few first timers gather for the debate party and Nandi’s fried okra, black eyed peas and red hot Jamaican ginger beer. As the evening slumps along, our President plays dead. The smirking football team captain charms and evades. The incumbent is docile. We sit surrounded by books by Stokely Carmichael (aka Kwame Ture) and Eldridge
Frank Reynolds Conservative Democrat Newt Gingrich got something started in the early 90's and now they've perfected it— it’s called hate politics and they are doing a real good job of it. And they know what they are doing. They know exactly what they are doing. My wife will not get involved in politics because she thinks they are all crooks. She wouldn't come out tonight. And I'm not too far away from that. Diane Hoffmann Chair of Linn County Democrats
Cleaver, watching our great black hope shrivel up under pressure. I’m deep in Obama-country here; in the heart of the Highland Park enclave of Detroit, where the city recently turned off its streetlights to save money. This is a black (94%) working class—or lately, looking for workclass (22% unemployment)—town where people know damn well that Mitt Romney doesn’t care about them. But does President Obama? The media chatters about the relevance of race today. President Obama himself has flirted with the idea of a post-racial society. But, here, in America, in poor America, in Black America, in Indian Country, in los barrios, in shutdown white factory towns, and in all the places subaltern voices fail to be heard; race is alive. Post-debate I am angry about the disparities that exist in these United States. This is not the stuff of the books that surround me at Nandis nor the emancipatory spirit of hope to which so many of us have subscribed. Like the streetlights in Highland Park we need you, President Obama, to turn back on. —Katie Grace McGowan
I really do believe that Mr Romney will simply peddle as he has been, and not give out much substance. I don't expect to hear too much from him. I think that he has tried to misstate as many of the comments as he can, to mislead general voters, folks who are not as well-tuned to campaigns. If he can misstate and misdirect, then indeed I think that is what the plan is. Joe Stutler Veteran Yes, I am my brother's keeper. I like that idea. When it comes to that saying "a rising tide will lift all boats," no, it will only lift the seaworthy boats. The boat that already has a hole in it is not going to rise no matter how high that tide goes. I tend to be more Democrat than Republican because, let's help fix these people's boats so that they can
float, so that when the tide goes up they can get something out of it, not floundering on the bottom getting worse. Mike Olson IBEW Local 405 I am 62 and the Republican party I grew up with, well we disagreed, but we'd sit down at the table, argue a little bit, get a compromise going, and pass important legislation. It can't be done with this radical right group. It is not in them. We know [Romney’s] record of saying one thing one day and another thing the next day. Tonight his sudden switch to the middle is hypocrisy on his part. It has been hypocrisy from the beginning. Do I trust him? Absolutely not.
Oct. 17 - Nov. 6 2012 | Little Village
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