Infatuated with Obama

No, I am not on the “down low”

Admittedly, I have not been paying much attention to the presidential primaries. I guess I fundamentally understand that primaries and caucuses are usually good indicators of what is to come, but for some reason, I have not been interested. I’ve never been into politics even though I have voted three of the four times since I turned eighteen. When Barack Obama was still an intriguing senator with mere thoughts of running for the presidency, I read his book The Audacity of Hope, I poured over newspaper articles about him and his values and I may have even been excited about “wow, maybe this guy can be the next president of the United States!” But then something happened: he announced that he would run. I became disinterested, primarily because I didn’t think he had any real chance of winning. I mean he would have to run against a former first Lady, a mythically majestic Mayor, a moralistic Mormon and the man who lost the vice-presidency last time and whose wife has cancer and son was killed in a car accident. The odds of a biracial Black man from Hawaii winning the presidential election over the candidates with the American story would be impossible. So I thought.

My wife on the other hand, has a crush on Obama. Not that he could game her if he was the same-looking dude at Howard or off of 125^th Street, but he has presence, and any woman should admit that she likes a powerful man. My wife is very much into this election and we have had more political discussions in the last six months that we have had in eight previous years of marriage. She’s even more impressed with Michelle Obama because she seems like a no-nonsense sista who called out Hilary by saying “if you can’t run your own house, how are you gonna run the White House?” That did it for my wife. Plus the Oprah endorsement! (Is anybody’s wife NOT an Oprah fan?) Mrs. Black Family Man has been wearing more red-white and blue with what seems like a Muslim last name (Obama, no?) than I ever could have imagined. And her enthusiasm for all of this has made me pay even greater attention recently.

So this dude wins the Iowa Caucus! Whatever that means, it’s a big deal and now, all of a sudden, he has my full attention. He was going to get my vote anyway – Black man, cute kids, and my wife would have made me – but now I think I believe in him. I had told my wife a couple of months ago that I did not think he could win; why waste my time and energy for a candidate that had no chance in proving to these white people that he is the best man for the job. She was stunned when I said that and quickly retorted, “you’re winning. White people believe in you. Why not him?” I asked her not to compare my job to running the nation and she made a good point: “Your clients, who are overwhelmingly white, trust you with their kids. Your advice on what colleges they should investigate and apply to selfishly trumps leading the country. They want you, Mr. Black Family Man, to tell them where they should send their kids or, if not where to send them, how to get them in. That’s trust. That’s believing, Black man.”

I was silenced. She was right, as usual. Here I am “winning” (by the Grace of God) yet simultaneously doubting my fellow comrade in the positive Black Man plight. Obama got an overbearing wife, two kids in private school, a mortgage and all on eyes on him. Sounds like me! How dareth I not think he can do it! He needs my well-wishes and maybe even my Teflon vest. Bob Herbert of the NY Times wrote a column called the Obama Phenomenon and he’s right, that’s exactly what this is. It is phenomenal that this man is still in the game. Jesse, Sharpton and Andrew Young should be ashamed of themselves for doubting or not showing overt support for his candidacy. “Is he Black enough?” Bull%*t. Look at him!!! Look at his wife, kids, and life! As the epitome of the Black Family Man, I applaud brother Barack and I apologize for ever doubting. We have enough haters out there and I want you to win just like I hope he wants me to win too.

BFM