Yvette Carnell: What Did Obama Tell You Last Night? Not Much
by Yvette Carnell
Last night, President Obama told an enthralled DNC crowd that he “hadn’t given up hope” and that “it will take more than a few years for us to solve 
challenges that have built up over decades.” Fine. We get that. But what does that tell you, if anything, about how Mr. Obama plans to move this country FORWARD? Specifics, please?
Obama roared the crowd, boldly framing the election as a contrast between two men who couldn’t be more different:
When all is said and done, when you pick up that ballot to vote, you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation…. The choice you face won’t be just between two candidates or two parties.
I guess so, but that choice is mostly based on our assumptive fears of Romney and projected hope for Obama. Neither of these men has clearly plotted a path forward post 2012, or defined a clear agenda.
Other than bringing the jobs back (not gonna happen) and cutting the debt, can anyone tell me what either of these men has planned for 2012 and beyond?
In last night’s speech, President Obama said a lot about what he wouldn’t do:
I refuse to ask middle class families to give up their deductions for owning a home or raising their kids just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut. I refuse to ask students to pay more for college; or kick children out of Head Start programs, to eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans who are poor, and elderly, or disabled, all so those with the most can pay less. I’m not going along with that. And I will—I will never turn Medicare into a voucher.
But what will he do? Even if he isn’t going to turn Medicare into a voucher program, is he going to cut it? Gut it? Is he going to unilaterally cut domestic programs, as he did during his first term? There was more left unsaid than said last night, and that wasn’t by chance. It was so that a second Obama administration can do whatever it likes with a second term, without its voters whimpering about how Obama has gone back on his word. Best to keep your real agenda vague and close to the vest.
Before you get your knickers in a knot, understand that I’m not advocating that you vote for Mitt Romney, or stay home. The fix is in, but that doesn’t mean you have to be happy or excited about it. Yes, you’d probably be better off stemming the tide, holding your nose, and giving Obama a go, but that certainly doesn’t require that you play stupid, as we all did in 2008.
You can vote to reelect President Obama, if you so choose, with a clear minded understanding that his second term will be a lot like his first, with plenty of cave-ins to Republicans and “let me be clear” excuses. But there’s nothing wrong with making the choice that cave-ins to Republicans are better than handing over the reigns to them. That’s a sober minded assessment based on a real choice. I’m not saying that Romney is a better choice than Obama. He’s not. What I am saying is that there wasn’t a lot of hope and change in last night’s speech, just like there wasn’t a lot of hope and change in Obama’s first four years. Know that, plan accordingly, and modulate your expectations. Last night, Hope and Change both officially left the building. Lesser Evil 2012, here we come.
Yvette Carnell is a former Capitol Hill and campaign staffer turned writer. She is currently an editor and contributor to Yourblackworld. You can reach Yvette via Twitter @YvetteDC or onFacebook.
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yvette, stop the charade!
other than obama saying your reparation check is in the mail..there is nothing he can say or do to satisfy you and that idiot boyce.
and how do you know his second term will be a lot like his first? did he tell boyce, tavis and west, who then told you?
since you know everything and can see in the future, please post the winning lottery numbers for next week…i always wondered what happened to ms. cleo, now we know!
Man, I wish I could fan you.
Same here
@nedrea
if you’re really half black as you always want to tell everyone in your post. the positive for you, you’re not half confused, you’re totally confused in your thinking. your elevator doesn’t go all the way up!
They are two idiots. Such slave mentality. Stuck on stupid. Want to be. He is President Obama nut jobs. Pray and Vote Obama 2012
What did Romney tell you????????????
This is a perfect example on how the media does more damage than good using your opinions to predict what is going to happen in the future. I think this is really sad! researching “Fact Check” the issues should be up to the individual voters, not relying on what you have to say.
Your lil tirade.. what I suppose you deem to be journalism is as full of rhetoric and lacking of details as you claimed President Obama’s speech to be…. funny you criticize Obama and are mute on a do nothing congress.. did u forget ho government is supposed to work.. why not write an article on substance like Pres. Obama who is knows constitutional law and still sigining H.R. 347? If you wanna b***h research that mess… This is pathetic!
If you went to work everyday, and your technology didn’t work, how would you get this message out?
How can you make a difference if the people you have to work with will not work with you.
My brother in law goes to work everyday, on time, and never misses. But the people he works with do not want to work with him because he is serious about his job and doesn’t play or joke. This makes it hard for him, but still goes to work.
Thank you for you perspective. But it is no more important than mine or the people we can get to work with us to advance it.
Instead of acting like crabs in a barrel, it will be nice if black people can support each other. Look at how much white people have done to marginalize our President. I bet you condone that.
Please excuse me while I dumb this down for you.
Jane had a car. Go Jane go. Jane drove her car around and around. Jane ran her car into a big ditch and the wheels came off. The whole car was reduced to scrap. d**k came to help Jane fix her car. Everything d**k wanted to try, Jane said “no.” d**k did a few things and got the car going again.Go d**k go. Jane wants the car back and she is so mad at d**k because the car is not as fast as it was.
Please educate yourself and jealousy is not a good look.
For those of you who are still drunk on Obamaid please put down your glass, stand back, sober up and look at reality!
If you read this article with any objectivity you will see that the author is telling you there is no plan to move the country forward from either candidates.
If you are reading for information then you must open your mind to receive the information. Please but the glass down, sober up, step back and read the article again.
Great post Carlos! Great article Ms. Carnell! Sadly, no amt of reasoning & no amt of objectivity can stop blk ppl’s mindless idolatry of this blk prez who is first & foremost a politician! I know of no politician that I trust & Obama is truly no exception. Most r so brainwashed by this guy that he could line em all up & march em off to the gas chambers & most would smilingly oblige knowing their fate! What a huge hoax this whole blk presidency has been on the American ppl, especially blk folk. Ms. Carnell thank u for continuing to try to enlighten blind sheep who r willingly & happily being led to the slaughter.
I read it and she and what she wrote is still stupid.
put your cup down, too much sugar in that tea. romney and the teabaggers will have your black a*s back on the plantation picking cotton.
Dont tell them nothing. With them education is not all its cracked up to be. That ok the rest of us will educate our children and give them alittle black pride. Obama 2012
President Obama ‘s speech was Great and Very Informative. The Entire Democratic Convention was a Success.
When this election is over I will not be reading anything that Yvette Carnell, Dr. Boyce , Dr West. Tavis Smiley have to say. Win or lose
Yes I agree.
@Carlos Carr, Im going to stand with you on that. We as a people need to hold him and all the rest accountable.
Accountable for what?
A many of my People remind me of how they jump up and down when they hear about how much money an African American makes like it’s theirs. You know like our AA entertainers- movies,sports tel-lie vision etc- oh- and POLITICIANS-WHO SUPPOSE TO REPERSENT OUR CULTURE AS WELL AS OUR STRUGGLE ( MAINLY THOSE WHOS FOREPARENTS ARE DESCENDANTS OF THE American Slave ) – well be mindful of the fact that the dilution of OUR History in America has caused far to many of us to just lay down and be satisfied with the mere trinkets which they are allowed to recieve- as long as they keep their mouths SHUT.
I say that too say this- I don’t have to go along with the go along because I’m a person of color -and the same way you guys can go in on someone who is not in agreement with what’s going down- use some of that energy and show some strength and–
Boycott Christmas 2012
Its Done Philip.
I have been boycotting Christmas for a long time and thanks for your post.
Exactly how much time is President Obama allotted in order to give his acceptance speech???? And how much time does he really have to go into detail about what he plans to do or hopes to accomplish during his 2nd term? And really, why should President Obama give out details on what he will do and exactly how he will do it when we all know that those greedy republican’s ears are wide open? I know I wouldn’t…it’s called holding your cards close to your vest…And also, this was an ACCEPTANCE speech, not a White House conference, nor a state of the union address, yada yada…But at least we know what President Obama CAN do, but what Romney CAN do remains to be seen and as far as I am concerned, I hope he never gets an opportunity to show us…
Ok what I heard last night was a speech of acceptance for the candidacy for the democratic party. Am I incorrect? I thought all of the plans for the people, the economy and the future would be expressed and answered during the debate. We all know that the answers for the questions we seek will be brought up during the debate. Am I wrong? So I think this article is premature and should have been posted after the debate cause after all it was just an acceptance speech.
Yvette: You shouldn’t quit your night job selling your a*s, because you certainly are not qualified to be a journalist. I believe you are a republican tea party stooge, and you should go back to sucking their dicks, you stupid a*s b***h.
B/c she doesn’t deify Obama that makes her a “republican tea party stooge”? B/c she has the audacity to question & critique the blk prez & doesn’t fall in line like some brainwashed starstruck automaton, that makes her unqualified? Although everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, common vulgar gutter language is uncalled for, adds nothing to the discussion & only indicates ignorance. Maybe u should first consider expressing urself intelligently, w/o all the filthy profanity, before questioning someone else’s qualifications & ethics? Where’s a moderator when u need one!
Moon Head is also a empty head.I agree with Yvette.
Apparently, you must have been tuning in on FOX TV with the other Republicans…..
I totally understand the point the author of this article is trying to make, but what upsets me is how people both black/white put total dependency on one man, candidate, or political party to save us. The year is 2012 not 1912 and we can achieve anything we want if we regain the mindset of education, hard work, and active participation in the political process. Our generations hurdles are nothing compared to what our ancestors faced just 50 or so years ago. Whether you vote for Obama or Romney, just exercise your right to vote, be an example to those individuals who would rather stand in line or camp out all night for a sneaker, rather than stand in line to vote. Whether Obama wins or loses, he’s a millionaire who faced down obstacles and broke through them to attain the highest office in the nation. While his speech may not have inspired or said what we wanted to hear specifically, there is still a lesson to be learned from his accent to the White House. Bottom line, if you want something, don’t wait for Obama, democrats, republicans or anyone else to give it. Stand up, take initiative and get it!
Right on dah truth, and Carlos!!!!
*sorry typo datruth and Carlos
Yvette, you should be ashamed of yourself. You and your troop of haters claim that you are concerned for African Americans, but when a President coems along who has done plenty for them and other lower class people- as was excellently pointed out by Bill Clinton, you start to gripe about what they haven’t done.
Are you the President? Let’s see YOU do a better job! You get elected and fix the country your way, since you seem to think Obama is a joke.
Great point Yvette, President Obama did cave in a lot too the republicans and who is to say he won’t do it again. What about Black? High unemployment, lost of jobs, homes, etc. and no mention of the State of Black America (Black President Huh!) at the DNC. Invisible People
@ Koldches
‘Cept when its time to vote. IMO, Obama’s strategy is he has the black vote for nothing so why address our desperate issues?
Why should he even bother to educate, inform and empower us when we are already trained to idolize. We know our place.
I digress. One.
Say what you will, The POTUS can’t do anything if his voting base may have their votes suppressed. All you voters on this site, speak with you neighbors, the elderly and disabled in your community NOW. Find out who needs assistance regarding their voting ID, and make sure your voting district is the same that it was the last time you cast you VOTE. Voter suppression is real. This time it is blatant, however, their are unscrupulous pollsters that can void your vote. DOT EVERY “I” AND CROSS EVERY “T” AND TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED THIS TIME. MAKE SURE YOUR VOTING DOCUMENTS ARE UP TO DATE TODAY……Call you local voting district office just to be sure everything is correct for yourselves…..
You and Boyce sound like haters. Instead of criticizing, try teaching. Show people how they can be empowered and disenfranchised. This has to be repeatedly told just like the other folks tell their story. I watched both conventions. I take my vote very seriously. The audience of the Rep Convention did not represent me. Their audience was mostly segregated, white people. Just from that picture alone, you dont have to be a rocket scientist to know, black folks and other ethnic groups are not even a thought in this party. Additionally, most of the white folks from the states that represent the Repulbican Party are the poorest in the country. Why dont you talk about that?
ROMNEY HOOD was the one that is talking loud and saying nothing. His convention was more like a boring church service in some rich white neighborhood.
The entire DNC convention told us that Pres. Obama and the DEMS have been working hard to fix problems…in the face of outrageous attacks and obstruction from the TEA-PUBLICANS.
The speakers were very good at ‘EXPLAINING THANGS…”
Pres. Obama presented the AMERICAN JOBS ACT…last year around this same time…and the TEA-PUBLICANS did nothing but BLOCK IT. In fact, that has been their plan against Obama from jump stresst.
“I’m not saying that Romney is a better choice than Obama. He’s not”.
What I’m saying Chappell is that you and others like you are just plain stupid. If you really believe this then why are you trying to confuse Black voters? Why aren’t you telling Black people that Obama is the best choice and they should do whatever is necessary to get out and vote for him and make sure everyone around them do the same? Oh you might say, “I’m a journalist and I must be objective”. No Chappell, you and others like you are just “n*****s being n*****s”. As a Black journalist, you haven’t earned the right to be objective when it comes to issues affecting Black people. Your buddy Boyce Watkins says Black people can’t get hired; well your a*s falls into that category. I know what you’re thinking; just in case you get your chance you want to be ready. Stop smoking the proverbial “crack pipe”.
Big Ups To Everybody’s Comments!
Well Put!
Yvette, please vote for Romney and be done with it.
dONT LISTEN TO THOSE CROOKS. THEY ARE SELL OUTS VOTE VOTE OBAMA 2012
@DaTruth/Chris Martin/Phillip Battle/Katie/Koldches Fools like you make blacks look so bad. You stand in line for food stamps wait at your mail box for your Welfare check but you still grumblin, complainin, and saying it your fault (Obama) i can’t get my sorry a*s out of this s**t-hold i’m living in i got to blame someone mr. President. Get off your dumb a***s and vote for Mitt Romney and kiss that cracker box you’re living in goodby next stop homeless, or maybe you fools can’t vote just running your mouth this happen all the time with black folks got to be seen or heard which ever one comes first………………………………Obama 2012
Yvette Where were you when the President spoke? Where were you when the others spolke? Your ears must be fill with wax because you didn’t hear Clinton say do the arithmetic and no president could have gotten this country out of the mess that was given to our President Mr Obama. Toms like you is the reason the white people have kept black in what is call their place.
Who do you get your support from? BLACK or WHITE?
I think this is the year that every Black American should vote. Most
White People think the Blacks are going to take over and do them
the same way that did the Blacks, because this is Country is becoming a dark country (colors are changing).
We need to stick together and give President Obama another chance
to finish the the job he started. No President in his right mind could
fix what President Bush has done. We are going to have to take a
chance and stand behind President Obama. If you looked at the
Republican Convention you could see where this country is going.
They want to be in control and have the Blacks, Mexicans and other
nationalities under there power so they can do what they want.
The Blacks thinks that they don’t have jobs now, you let the Republican’s take office and you will see what will happen. They
are already telling what they are going to do, so listen to what
President Obama said this election is a choice.
The Blacks have worked to hard to come this far to let the Republican’s take us back. We need to get out and vote and
keep this Black man in office and I believe him that things will
be better. Because not one has the right path for being President
you learn from your mistakes, like everybody does. We should Pray
that we get President Obama back in office and stop being stupid.
You have seen all the silly stuff the GOP and said about our First
Black President, let’s fight to end so we can go forward.
Yes indeed, where was Yvette during the DNC speeches? Her case is darnmed if you do, darnmed if you dont. President Obama gave in a lot to reach the Republicans across the aisle. He was critized by the likes of Yvette. So who ever does not hear anything important in the President’s speech can at least hear Joe BIDEN’s ” BIN LADIN IS DEAD and GENERAL MOTOR IS ALIVE!!!!” Well Yvette, even if Obama does not make the second term, Mitt Rommey will not invite you or West or Boyce into his cabinet oe his White House. Obama has already made history. Stop being jealous. Think about your RACE and not about your sorry self only!
General Motors is alive? Yea it has morphed into a company that is top heavy and international outsourcer of labor, parts and services.
At GM’s peak, They had 600K employees and vendors in the Detroit area alone. Today GM has 200K WORLDWIDE and a couple thousand hourly workers in Detroit where the real unemployment number is 50%.
So I agree with you that he saved GM from bankruptcy.
An government investment of 5% of what he sent GM to save them would have helped the black community greatly in these very desperate times. He could have acted by using executive order and being out in front on helping blacks, (his overwhelming constituency) that the state of blacks in america is a national security issue. That poverty brings desperation and desperation breeds crime. He could have said that black americans are “too big to fail” He has used this language before to argue his urgency to act for rich crooks and GM before, I believe.
obama took down healthcare for poor ssi orphans, education for the most struggling Pell ceiling, jobs and education 4 the disabled. heat in winter for very poor(LIHEAP)babys in the womb,genocides
$$$$to thr rich first thing he jumps to after the inaugural ball
NOTHING FOR YOU
you are a bunch of lemmings to shoot somebody down trying to tell you
He is an amoral tool
dont be one too
wakeupupupup[
Great article Yvette. Personally, I hope Obama wins another term so he can prove you right. These ride or die, I’ll take a bullet for Obama negros are really under the impression that somehow black folks are on Obama’s radar. It’ll take four more years of off the chart unemployment, record foreclosures and a complete silence from the WH on anything remotely having to do with the black community before we realize that if you are black this president has absolutely nothing for you. Maybe if you’re black and Jewish or black and gay or even a black latino, but if you are just black you will be thouroughly disappointed if you think an Obama administration cares about issues that concern your community. Four more years Obama. Black folks need a rude awakening. Sad thing is it’ll be too late to matter.
YESSIR
Rod
That is my point exactly! I plan on voting for Obama and in return getting nothing back. The President and his administration run from anything black. But let it be about lesbian/gay or Hispanic issues they are all ears! African Americans have twice the unemployment of are White counter parts, our neighborhoods are deteriorating, schools failing and all under a Black President. His quote is “I’m the President of America, not just Black people.” I got it, he is the President of White America and we are to catch the crumbs that fall through the cracks. Thank You For Your Vote!
I agree, great article Ms. Carnell! I would encourage those readers who are serious about helping black people (the most loyal constituency of the democratic party) to also read Frederick Harris’ book “The price of the ticket.” In it he examines the price that black people have paid to elect our first black president. The evidence suggests that the price is too high because issues that disproportionately affect blacks are ignored by this administration. And this is NOT an argument to support republicans because it is clear that they are worse. The point is that black people should hold their elected officials accountable, despite the race of that elected official.
Thanks Yvette, I appreciated this article. We need to look at alternate views of this whole charade, called 2012 Election. So thanks again. My comment is below.
I sure hope that the folks who are pushing for his re-election are not disappointed. I hope that the folks who push him back into the White house are ready to hold the brother up through the storms he will face, and take a few bullets for him.
I hope the ones, who push him are willing to push him towards the greater good, let his deterrents know that they got his back for all the so called “good things he wants to do” for Americans and the world.
I hope that folks put their money where their mouth is and stop the “Lions” from eating this man alive. I hope these folks can take the programming out of his brain and remove him from his puppeteers, the banksters and corporations. I hope that these folks will stand along with him, against the NWO who want to enslave us all.
I hope that your support is more than a racial thing, and more of a humanity thing. I hope that those who rally behind him will give him support not in cheers but in guidance and direction so that he can come out of the madness that NATO and the EU have sailed him into in terms of Wars in the middle east, and the “staged” economic crisis.
I hope that they haven’t just changed the flavor of the kool-aid, but have decided to give real natural wholesome juicy juice. I hope that his true ideals, if they are not the ideals of the banksters who back and pay for him, are bolstered by his supporters to the point where he does not need the banksters, the prison industrial complex, the military industrial complex, the pharmaceutical companies, the oil oligarchy, the drug cartels and the terrorists (AKA CIA).
I hope that in bringing the troops home, that he give them a much better health plan, free housing, education and mental support because they went to war on a dime that turned out to be a lie. I hope that he turns down every penny that comes from the invasions of Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan in the form of natural resources, especially water from the Great Man-made River in Libya.
I hope that you all support him away from the catastrophic war with Iran. And I hope that his supporters let him know how important it is to avoid at all cost getting behind world leaders dictators everywhere, and not just in a few choice countries. I hope that with all this rallying that his supporters are prepared to be there down to the wire and stand behind him on every human issue cause assassinating and imprisoning people or dropping drones on them because they have been labeled “enemy combatants, killing innocent women, and children at wedding parties is not humane.
I hope that after his next term in office, if he is victorious, his supporters will carry him on their shoulders and know that it was the work THEY DID that kept him on the path of truth and justice. And sadly, if he fails, I hope that his supporters will still carry him on their shoulders and take him into their homes and start the healing. For I am certain, that Barack Obama, had no idea of what he was getting into. The game of politics is cruel and unyielding in its AGENDA. Too many times this man has been crucified, hands tied behind his back and disrespected all with the adage “it comes with the territory.”
Cause if you want to push him back into the White House for any other reason, then he will continue to be ineffective in creating real change, and the slogan “Yes, We Can” is just a bunch of words. The “WE” in that slogan is every single person, making a conscious decision to cease and desist in supporting this criminal capitalistic warmongering racist/sexist government.
http://nanas-rants.blogspot.com/2012/09/obama-2012.html