There’s kind of a rule in national politics. Man, you better at least carry your home state. Walter Mondale got creamed by Reagan in ‘84, but he won his home state of Minnesota. In part, Al Gore lost in 2000 because he didn’t win his home state of Tennessee.
So, it’s probably not helpful for John McCain that he’s in a little bit of trouble in his home state of Arizona. I’m not convinced he’ll lose there tomorrow, but I’d be very pleased if he did. Not because of what it would mean for the overall election, although that’d be nice. It’s because of a little bit of history.
Ta-Nehisi Coates reminds me that John McCain and the state of Arizona fought against the establishment of Martin Luther King’s birthday as a holiday. McCain voted against MLK Day and then supported Republican Arizona Governor Meachum’s efforts to keep the holiday out of Arizona. He expressed regret years later, but then he seems to have a record of acting badly and apologizing later.
In ‘91, Public Enemy released a song called “By the Time I Get to Arizona.” It expresses a revenge fantasy against Arizona Governor Fife Symington III for his opposition to celebrating the holiday. While violence is, of course, wrong, one can understand the sentiment. It would certainly add to my satisfaction if Barack Obama won Arizona.
I offer here a teeny bit of remix work, with the addition of a radio PSA from Public Enemy.
Seriously, people are afraid of Barack Obama as a black man? He scares people? Are there white people who don’t know what a real scary black man looks like?
You heard the rumor about Barack being the secret offspring of Malcolm X? No, seriously! It sounds batshit, I know, but it turns out that it is completely batshit insane. But I understand the impulse. It hearkens back to the Sixties, when we had real black activists we could truly be terrified of, that they would break into our houses at night and rape our women and cut our throats. *sigh*
The one point of comparison is that Malcolm X always impressed me with his skill of using intellect as a weapon. He didn’t bomb buildings, he used his words to attack the white power structure. If you listen to his speeches or read The Autobiography of Malcolm X, you’re struck at how he constructs arguments and how he sometimes employs humor.
Keith LeBlanc of the group Tackhead cut a track in ‘83 using bits of Malcolm’s speeches laid over a funky track. It’s not a good representation of Malcolm’s verbal power, but you can dance to it.
So, is Barack Obama Malcolm X reborn? Hardly. But, of course, as a African American male, he is descended from all who have come before. He is the culmination of a line that goes back to the early days of our country. He is the fulfillment of a dream that has been a long time coming.
I’m going to vote for him and hope for his victory because I think he is the best choice to run this country. But I will take extra satisfaction in his victory tomorrow.
I understand the fear of black America. I am not condescending of those who are nervous of what will happen. But I am ready for us all to move on.
I don’t think people who vote for John McCain are secret racists. I don’t think that a potential Obama loss will be due to racism. I really relate to the attitude that Ta-Nehisi Coates has expressed over and over: There are racists; so what? Are black people going to sit and around and let that stuff hold them back or are they going to ignore what they can’t control and just move on with achieving what they want to achieve?
So load these tracks on your MP3 player and head off to the polls tomorrow. Let’s get this done, son.
Public Enemy – By the Time I Get to Arizona (Acca-Double Dub PSA Mix)
Tags: Malcolm X, Barack Obama, Public Enemy