Airing Dirty Laundry

Should President Barack Obama have a “black agenda”? Michael Baisden, host of “The Michael Baisden Show” has always said that President Barack Obama cannot and SHOULD NOT fix what ails black America all by himself. He reiterated that on his show recently, as he talked about the Tavis Smiley/Rev. Al Sharpton brouhaha that had been brewing on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Baisden made some excellent points. Among them were: We all have to be held accountable for the state of black America (Many of these issues LONG predate a Barack Obama presidency). Each neighborhood, each household has to do its part. If black businesses are faring worse in this recession, Baisden said, is that President Barack Obama’s fault alone when many blacks don’t patronize black businesses? Baisden added that when we do patronize black-owned businesses, we generally write them off forever if they make a mistake. But the same people don’t close their accounts with banks that have gotten bailout money, dealt in risky speculation, and contributed, in part, to homes being foreclosed on, and the entire economic meltdown. Tavis Smiley feels that black leaders have given Barack Obama a pass on black issues. And he said that if we don’t RIGHT NOW hold a black president to accountability that it will lead to our sure demise. He said how can we, in good conscious try to resurrect a black agenda with the next president if we don’t demand the same with Obama. He said with all due respect, if he were the next president of the United States and white, he would basically tell black leaders to “Get Lost”. You didn’t ask this of President Obama”, Tavis argued, so you have no credibility. Rev. Al Sharpton feels that to assume the duly elected President of 50 states can have a black agenda alone is asinine. Instead, he feels that we have to help the President so that he doesn’t have to compromise his tenuous position as the President of ALL people. Example: A jobs bill. Although unemployment disproportionately affects blacks, Sharpton knows a bill can’t be called “The Brothas & Sistas Jobs Bill: Puttin Uncle Leroy Back to Work. He also said, How does it look to tell our young black kids to go to school, study hard, and that they can achieve anything, and not support a black man who is president with his black wife and kids?? The man, Sharpton argued played by the rules, went to Harvard and excelled. Sharpton also said that he believes that if people aren’t out there on the front lines trying to get RESULTS for blacks, then they are just ego-tripping. He said blacks don’t need more meetings and televised town hall meetings. They need ACTION!! He said he doesn’t agree with everything Obama does, but his goal is always to see where he can find common ground with the president, and said that the President has always been receptive to his suggestions.