How To Properly Appraise "Black Folks And Their Views From Political Opinion Polls"

How To Properly Appraise "Black Folks And Their Views From Political Opinion Polls"

First the relevant story:

CNN: Poll: Obama still very popular among African-Americans, but 'thrill is gone'

Second my analysis of this CNN story:

CNN has failed again to "get it right".  This is the case with so many other mainstream journalism entities.  They pegged the opinions of Black people upon two typical attributes:

1. The POPULARITY of a given political figure
2. Their OPINION about "race relations". 

I assure you that the average Black person would not care about what other races "thought about us" IF our children disproportionately dominated the enrollment at all of the top universities in the nation.  Not one bit - assuming that our people were safe from physical assault due to racism.

Thus, once again - there is no hint made by CNN or other public information agency to tie Black people's POPULAR THOUGHTS on a given matter to the "brass taxes" of what really matters to our communities.

Instead of repeating "what matters" to Black people I will repost a comment that I made on the "African-American Clarion Call" blog in response to the general question asked to all Americans: "Is America Headed Upon The Right Course?".

Third My Opinion:

GregL:

I disagree with your posting.
Not on the facts presented but on the scope.
The scope on the item that is being appraised.
The scope of the people being asked.

Here is my point:
Change the scope of the people being asked from “All Americans” to “Black Americans”.

If you keep the appraisal upon “America” – this group will produce a graph that has an abrupt distortion in the plot line.

The plot between Nov 2008 to Jan 2009 and beyond would experience a substantial jump toward the positve.

NOT because the results of their children’s education have improved
NOT because they are measurably safer in their communities.
NOT because their economic outcomes are better.

The ONLY force that has changed is the election of a favorable person to them that they must “save face” on behalf of.

All of these type of polls are merely POPULARITY CONTESTS.

I reported about a Black woman in Georgia the day after her home flooded this past fall. In the television report she told of her distress over losing her home. She thanked the shelter hosts and THANKED PRESIDENT OBAMA. She mentioned that "it was good to have a presidential administration who was concerned for her wellbeing".   The only problem was – This was a LOCAL “first responder” effort at the time of the interview.

Unlike in New Orleans - FEMA was able to do what it is configured to do – come in AFTER THE FACT and hand out checks for mid-term shelter or repairs to their homes. FEMA is not a "first responder organization".   FEMA handn’t even come to the scene yet but this woman, being wise to the stakes at hand for Obama's image after seeing Bush attacked after Katrina – made sure she expressly thanked the new president for helping her.

The key strategic problem is that Black people can’t have our “satisfaction” keyed based on the presence of a politician or party in office at a given time. We have too many “ideological bigots” in our midsts that are willing to commit “jury nullification” to skew the results.

I also underscore the need for a shift because as a people I am convinced that we can help this country most by HELPING OURSELVES. The increased productivity within the Black community will be averaged into the nation’s productivity.  The improved schools per our reformed management effort improves American's standing.  With this understanding people are inclined to SELL THIS TO AMERICA and thus ask to be SERVICED.   What we need to do is to SELL THESE NOTIONS TO OURSELVES and begin to better manage the local human resources that we have control over - because they are US!!!

To appraise the Black community’s standing we must first define our key permanent interests and measure our standing compared to it:

* Safe Streets
* Quality Education
* Thriving Local Economies
* Healthy Lifestyles

For me as an individual – the greater indictment is the fact that the present Federal government regime ALSO is in power in every single Black community (or where Blacks are 35%+ of the voting base). The synergy of policies between local and national, while favorable to the Black Establishment forces  – masks the abject failures that have taken place locally as the local institutions can no longer satisfy the demands of the people who put the machine into power at the local level decades ago.  Thus they are now seeking to NATIONALIZE their efforts.

Black people need to be forced to DISCONNECT our ‘racial development’ consciousness from the American Political domain and shift it over to the “Community Cultural Consciousness & Competence Domain”. The only way to do this is to manage by permanent interests not by POPULARITY .

In closing the only VALID poll at this point is to ask Black People:

Do the present state of affairs of the key institutions that you have leverage upon and which you look toward for Civic Services effectively POSITION YOUR COMMUNITY FOR A FUTURE that is more productive, proficient and peaceful in that your key human resources are deployed to achieve this end?  Since THEY are the key beneficiaries - who else should perform these tasks?