In July of last year, in my finale of the three-part series on Barack Obama, I made a few predictions about the presidential race. One of those predictions upset many of my friends. It was the one where I said that Barack Obama will be president of the United States of America, unless a couple things happen: one of which was “an assassination”. I have never retracted this. In fact I wrote later in the year that the Secret Service needed to step up their detail, and protect this man at the highest level ever afforded a presidential candidate. I also berated Barack (slightly) for his cavalier attitude towards the fears of many many black people. I wasn’t kidding. I have met him on three different occasions and I didn’t like what I saw as the security arrangements around him.
I took a lot of flack from readers here, for many of my columns on this presidential primary. Some of these readers are enthusiastically rooting for Obama today. That’s why I prefer names to commenters: there should be some kind of accountability to your blogging. You shouldn’t be able to just come up and rag people who take their time and effort to express themselves and their points of view.
As most of you know I have been saying since February that this race is over. I even critiqued the mainstream media for perpetrating a fraud on the public: there is no horse race going on; it has been essentially over for months now. The “fat lady” has been singing in overtime. Because of the way that the Dems had set up their rules, Barack Obama was going to end up with more pledged delegates than HRC, after he had racked up a dozen wins in a row starting back in February. All indications were that he was also going to win the most votes cast in primaries and caucuses that counted (remember the Florida and Michigan violations). All those who came on these blogs to castigate me and attack me mercilessly, are now awfully quiet; aren’t they?
All through this campaign, blacks all over the country have been praying and crossing their fingers that some whacko won’t try to assassinate Obama. This has been the biggest fear of blacks all through this race. When the governor of Arkansas (Huckabee) made his dumb remark at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention, telling the crowd that someone just pointed a gun at Barack Obama, and that the bang they just heard was Obama falling while ducking out (timidly running for cover); many in the black community cringed. Others were so livid that they stayed awfully quiet. It was an insensitive remark that pained many. For once blacks didn’t act out with typical “flair”. That was refreshing to see.
Then last month I had a long conversation with a journalist who has flown on the Clinton campaign plane on many occasions. That person has been covering this campaign for over a year now. I was arguing my persistent point, that this race was a wrap. The person agreed; that person even said that she had about a one per cent chance of being the nominee of the Dems. Then I was told something that sent chills up my spine. I was told that amongst the press corps covering this campaign, many individuals believed that the only reason the Clintons were staying in this race, was because deep down, they must feel that someone is going to take a shot (whack/bullet) at Barack Obama.
After quickly regaining my composure, I asked why no one has written this. The answer was put to me this way: “who is brave enough to do that”? This was when I decided to do it. I decided right there that I would do that column, even if I was going to -somewhat reluctantly- put this journalist in a spot. I felt it had to come out. I felt it was my responsibility.
Before I did the column however, I decided to speak to a few of my closest friends and advisers. Every single person I told about this, told me not to write the column. They said that my fears and concerns on this issue are already on record. I overruled myself. I don’t regret that decision really, but today I was left to wonder about the efficacy of my choice.
You see, today, Hillary Clinton brought up the June 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy, ostensibly as a justification for her staying in the race this long. She apparently said this before the editorial board of a newspaper in South Dakota. It was disgraceful. Her words were something to the effect that, Robert (Bobby) Kennedy was assasinated in “June” that year. In other words:shit happens; and it can happen very late in the race. She needs to withdraw from the race immediately. The obvious implications of her statements are that Obama could be assassinated before the nomination is finalized at the August convention. This is shocking and beats all the disgraceful things she has already said and done in this campaign. This is indefensible. Once again she has messed with something that is sacred (and taboo) in American politics; and just like her Martin Luther King/ Lyndon B. Johnson remarks: she will pay a big price. Politically speaking: this woman is mortally wounded. She has finally assasinated herself. Desperation, deviousness and hunger for power can do that.
Stay tuned-in folks.