Senator Barack Obama

We here at Popzara Press are pleased to present our dual-coverage of both 2008 Presidential Candidates, Senator's John McCain and Barack Obama.  As a publication that prides itself on reporting in fair, unbiased terms we have included individual endorsements for each candidate in separate, personal accounts we hope will uniquely demonstrate the appeal and characteristics of each.  We would like to stress the importance of participation of all eligible citizens whenever possible, and to reflect this have included links to each candidate's official website at the bottom of this page - as well as links to each unique endorsement. 

Also included is a link to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), where you'll find information on registering to vote in your area, as well as other opportunities to get involved in this year's election cycle.

Please click HERE for our official endorsement of Republican John McCain.

This has been a roller coaster year for me. 2008 is the year of the Presidential contest and not long before the New Year dawned I honestly had no interest in this race whatsoever. I didn’t care about the Democrats, most certainly didn’t care about the Republicans, and didn’t care about the various “3rd parties”. And the reason I had no interest was that I was tired of politics. More precisely I was tired of the falseness of politics. I had been voting for presidents since 1996 and even then I had a sour look at the political process.

Let’s not sugarcoat it. I’m Black. I am a descendant of Africa, of the African slaves used to build the American empire not only in the physical sense but the ideological sense. The pursuit of Liberty means the most to those not free. What do you think ‘Liberty’ means? A fancy Latin-based word for ‘Freedom’, right? My founding fathers aren’t those British guys with powdered wigs scripting documents with inked feathers, but those African representatives all over the world who resisted our own Holocaust, from Haiti to Brazil to Ghana to right here in the United States. I grew up suspecting and disbelieving in this false system all around me. It is part of my heritage to distrust it and that distrust was reinforced year after year by what happened to people like me.

But I voted out of duty and respect to all those before me who fought for the deserved right to be rightfully counted as a true citizen. Too many of my people got hurt and too many died for the right to have our voice counted as it should have always been. Even if I didn’t believe in the system, it was the least I could do to pay homage to their sacrifice. But in 1996 I was a little more naïve than I am now.

I did have SOME hope that something right existed somewhere in the system which could end formal slavery after profiting from it, in the system that changed how it treated labor when outright exploiting it beforehand, in the system that gave women the right to have a voice when it wouldn’t before, in the system that accounted for the rights of all civilians when it refused to do so previously. There HAD to be something good SOMEWHERE in this system for these seemingly monumental changes to take place. I knew that politics and politicians were corrupt by default but I still held hope in the rare few who would do what was right. This kind of thing existed in your community regardless of how many cheats there are in the world. Decent people exist. They had to similarly exist in a corrupt system of politics as well, right?

But over the years that faint optimism was met by the cynical pessimism that always threatened to overtake it. Look at how little progress has been made despite all the grandiose promises. Look at the lack of integrity and courage from those who proclaimed themselves to have integrity and courage for our benefit. Michael Jackson said it best in 1995 “They Don’t Really Care About Us.” How hard can it be to balance a budget for a collection of college graduates? Aren’t these people supposed to be smarter? How difficult is it to understand that profits should not be placed over people? What society can stand when it abandons its people? How difficult is it to understand that abandoned people will rail against such a society breaking its rules on purpose as a personal protest against its lack of care and concern? Why contribute to a system that has no regard or recognizance of me?

Is all this political mess really just a big show for the peanut gallery AKA the people? When someone really wants to do something you see either the results or the progress leading to those results. It’s not that hard to balance a budget. It’s not that hard to invest in your populace. It’s not that hard to prevent people from falling through the cracks. Not that hard if that is what you’re really aiming for. It can’t be what you’re aiming for when I’m hearing the same arguments year after year after year decades on end about Social Security and Peace and National Budgets and Health Care and Taxation and Corruption. When I set out to build myself a house of cards, you’re either going to see the finished house of cards or the pile of cards that tumbled onto the table after attempting to build it. One way or another you see the cards. You will see either progress or completion.

Over the years in the many elections - presidential and otherwise - I have dutifully to my ancestors participated in, I have lost nearly all faith in the election process. This thing does not work. My view of the rare few became rarer and fewer. Whereas before I believed in a good-to-bad ratio of maybe 10 out of 100, eventually I saw this as 1 out of 100. I questioned myself on why I continued with this charade. I used to answer myself that my people fought for this; it was the least I could do. After awhile that answer wasn’t satisfactory. And for the year 2008, going against something ingrained in me for all of my adult life I was prepared to totally and wholly ignore this election. I didn’t care about Hillary or Obama or Giuliani or McCain or Nader or even Bush himself. Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses I was prepared to say goodbye to participating in the political process.

Then suddenly possibly due to all the media noise building I began taking a look at the political scene at the start of January. I didn’t want to hear from Hillary who I knew to be a liar, I didn’t agree with the political stance of the Republicans to put it mildly, and I had some allegiance to the viewpoints of minor political organizations but knew they had no chance of winning based on how this system is set up. I was of allegiance to no party and could see the world as more than just Democrat vs. Republican. Looking at Barack Obama, I filtered him through a critical lens. Black candidate does not equal worthy president; don’t get it twisted. Watching footage of debates, looking at his background, looking at legislation he promoted and pushed through, listening to the way he answered difficult questions, I was impressed. No human being on Earth is the Almighty. It would be foolish to expect miracles from a mortal man but it would be nice to see some consistency, honesty, and dedication to solving causes from someone in one of the most influential positions in international affairs.

I became interested in Obama’s campaign and began to take in more of his speeches and listening to more of his views. What really helped me accept Barack as a preferred candidate was his wife Michelle. I saw intelligence, heart, and strength from her and said to myself that if this man got together with a woman like that, something must be real within him. She spoke in a way that showed understanding of what’s really going on and was never rattled by the petty criticisms lobbied at her. The Obamas made me proud and at least for this candidate I gained renewed passionate interest in the political process.

My cynicism reduced just enough to allow my hopefulness to get a lead. I still distrusted much of what I saw but in my eyes at the time Barack Obama was one of that “rare few” I believed worked within that scene of corruption to make the land better. Going against that strong cynicism I even donated small funds to his campaign in order to help him in his primary fight against Hillary Clinton. So interested was I now in this scene that I enthusiastically looked at political forums and news shows. Being neither Democrat nor Republican I had disdain for the party Barack ran under, but pragmatically understood that you can’t get elected president without picking either the Coke or the Pepsi brands of politics. Royal Crown doesn’t count (but hopefully this will change).

His streak in February after his shocking Iowa win in January felt like destiny happening in the month allocated to discussing Black history. I obviously understood what Obama being President would achieve merely by attaining the position. He WOULD give hope to not only Black people but Asian people, Native American people, and all other population/political minorities in the U.S. by opening the door for all types of people to gain that rarified office. It would open up the choices and possibilities for the future. And most definitely it would aid in the esteem of the children growing up to see him as a role model to emulate. This run was definitely of utmost importance and that was never lost on me. Good thing that I supported him with that bonus for inspiration.

Then under fire for the storm-stirring words/actions of his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack at first deflected criticism then conceded to it by disassociating himself from a man and the church this man started after over 20 years of knowing them. The critics were right. There was no way in hell that you could go to a church for that long and not have some allegiance to what is discussed in those walls. The two weren’t clones but they must have had some agreement on some issues if not many issues. I understood that what is called “racism” (what I call ethnic hate/ethnic discrimination/ethnic degradation) exists strongly in this country. In fact, it is the lifeblood that formed this society which is why people are scared to face it and its consequences. I knew that by Barack aligning himself with Wright’s views (which I agreed with) would kill him politically. It was no surprise that he held him at arm’s length in March, but what happened in May made me second guess my support and allegiance to the candidate that would most certainly change the game in his run for president.

I don’t like biting my tongue in real life and is not a fan of others accommodating people in that manner either. Sometimes the truth needs to be told and sometimes you will have to stand in the fire to safeguard that truth. Fair-weather people are one of my pet peeves. And Barack looked like a fair-weather person when he disassociated himself with Rev. Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ. It wasn’t going to help him to do something like this. He had been a member for over 20 years. No one bought that. He would have gained MORE respect by not running away from a controversy. That would example the leadership he expresses to have. If he had already gotten this far as a half-African man with the name Barack Hussein Obama, then nothing was going to stop him. The people who distrust him based on his appearance and background were never going to trust him no matter what he did. So why run away?

Slowly my enthusiasm for Obama waned even after he bested Hillary in the firsts of June. I remembered the impact of what his achievement would bring and reluctantly acknowledged his decision to disassociate as a pragmatic maneuver to prevent losing potential support in order to get to the Presidency. I had accepted that he would have to publicly concede a little of himself just to be able to get into office. But my purity nagged at me. How valuable is your campaign when you have to run away from all that you are? From all that you stand for? What am I voting for when the person campaigning doesn’t even believe in his platform? His cowardly vote on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act bill tore it with me. This is EXACTLY why Democrats don’t win elections or don’t win enough support from the people. They don’t stand for anything and they run away from who they are to fit in and not “scare off” the populace. But scaring off is exactly what they do when they try to be who they are not to fit in. A person can respect anyone who stands for what they believe in. They may hate you or at the least disagree with you but you have shown integrity and if you are right, you will win their favor for standing your ground. That’s what character is made of. For me, Obama was losing his character.

And there I was in the middle of summer back where I started in the winter of December: not giving a bamboo shoot about the 2008 elections. I didn’t care about Obama or McCain or Nader or even Bush. And I told myself once again that I was not going to vote with sincerest apologies to my ancestors. I wasn’t going to vote in this election or any other in the future. Obama in his foolish quest to appease and pander to “the middle” as the oxymoron known as ‘conventional wisdom’ dictates resulted in many more “Rev. Wright runaway” moments. And his polls and support suffered as a result. What was once 99% belief was now 100% belief: Nothing good comes out of politics. Faker than pro wrestling. There IS no rare few. It is about power and money and privileges. It is not about us - never was and never will be. All we have is ourselves and that’s the way it will always be.

It only underlined what I knew about how the criminals become criminals. They KNOW that people have little to no love for other people so it’s about looking out for self at all costs. The inherent self-preservation that is embedded into our instincts dictates that we put ourselves as supreme over another. Empathy and compassion are defects and anomalies. To have concern about the infrastructure of a society, to have concern about the well-being of the people is a fool’s errand. You take what you want, damn the consequences. Every empire in history operated according to these principles. Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar are revered, remembered, and even worshipped for it. Queen told you in the song We Are The Champions…”no time for losers ‘cause we are the champions.” Might makes right and whoever has the numerical edge and employs it will rule.

Unfortunately, I’m one of the defective ones. I care about people and I care about the health of a society. I care about the have-nots and I care about peace. I want happiness and rewards not just for a few but for all. I want every life to experience and have access to joy with refuge from the persistent pain inevitable around us. I care about Blacks, Whites, Yellows, Reds, Browns, Oranges, Purples, Beiges, Tans, Bronzes, Coppers, and Rainbows. And while I see our differences I know we have common ground and can get along together. Blame Fat Albert and the Na-Na-Na handshake. It has happened in small pockets and I am a living example of this coming to life. And when you look at people why SHOULD you care? Sometimes people make me sick with how they act and sometimes I’m like to hell with ‘em, let ‘em rot. But for some reason I still have love for my fellow human being and I care. I care about our actions and how they affect others, I care about relieving the strife between us. I wish that the politicians cared like I do since they can influence a much broader circle than I could as one man.

But there’s still a struggle within myself. How do I reconcile my disillusionment with politics with the understanding that this process is a safeguard against an even more dysfunctional society? The truth is that while the U.S.A. is not necessarily the best of systems it’s not the worse either (look at lands run by warlords and crimelords where daily violence is the way of life). People continue to participate in this routine despite frustrations out of hope that it can become better. It’s like Lotto. You’re pretty sure you’ll never win but there’s always that remote possibility when you buy that scratch-off, when you play those numbers. Sometimes it feels like a carrot on a string and sometimes it feels like an oasis mirage in the desert. I totally understand why people begin to opt out of voting because I’m on this crux myself. I’m so tired of voting for the lesser of two evils because there is a better way. I SEE the potential of this place and how it CAN be. But endlessly corruption takes hold and there is so much unnecessary waste. Why bother? But why also do I keep taking another look? Can I really take that Option C and refuse to vote at all? At a time like this?

How do I deal with Barack Obama when I’m so angry with him for losing his character? I’ve contemplated endorsing Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney who seems to stand for what she believes in even at cost to her and her reputation. Perhaps Rev. Wright would make a good endorsement for the same reason. If Jesse Ventura was running, maybe I’d endorse him since he speaks his mind and you don’t get a sense of falseness from him. Maybe I would endorse the destruction of the entire presidential process, of the entire political process. Maybe I would endorse the Jumpman with Luigi as VP because I belong to no party but the Mario Party.

On August 28th, the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention which nominated the first Black (multiethnic) man ever for President of the United States, on the same day that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic "I Have A Dream" speech, I stood at the crossroads. I had lost hope in Barack Obama but I could not ignore how much he means to so many people and not just the obvious ones. I could not ignore how much he STILL means to the hopes of opening up the doors for all kinds of people to gain this office. The pure fought with the pragmatic inside my mind and still fights. I know 3rd parties can’t win the presidency the way the political process is set up now but if I don’t make a start in that direction then the process will never change. Yet I know that doing what I said I’d never do and play this two-party game one last time, THIS time, I could open the stage for new blood to enter this system and perhaps cleanse the corruption. Vote with my heart or vote with my head? Pure vs. pragmatic? Vote for now or vote for the future?

It’s decided. Even though I still have my struggles with the political process, I endorse Barack Obama. This endorsement is not just for me but for all who still believe in him and this process. It’s for the preservation of their hopes and dreams. It’s for that particular hope (yes that word again) that there is still somehow something good in this mess called politics. The ancestors call upon me and I cannot let them down. Curse my defectiveness but somehow I still care.

For more information on Barack Obama, please visit the official campaign website at http://www.barackobama.com

To become more involved in this year's election, please visit the official Election Assistance Commission (EAC) website directly by clicking HERE!