A good friend asked me about Herman Cain and it made me consider the fact that as an active blogger I have said little about him in public. I have mentioned to fellow journalists prior to the public accusations of Uncle Herman having the blond itis affliction, that he reminded me of Reagan, Jimmie Carter and even Vernon Jordan from a speech syntax and rhythm standpoint. Also I subscribed to his campaign daily e-alerts several months ago for I am always intrigued by folks that wage underdog campaigns. I told friends after several months of reading his campaign info that he had appeal and a following.
The American political psyche always includes a down home component typically emanating from the south.
(Where have you gone Mike Huckaby?) I am in no way equating Uncle Herman with Uncle Ben. But the longstanding and popular rice selling marketing icon and the pizza maven strikes me a tapping into a similar American vein of simplicity, plain vanilla or plain black (take your pick).
Herman's 999 or in the hood I guess it would be called his 411, demonstrated that he was mathematically literate,
could read and write and certainly would not be booed if he attended a NASCAR event.
My friend further asked about why has not the black community responded to the perhaps seemingly racial attacks on Cain, separate from Cain's legitimacy as a candidate. Interesting question. I really do not have an answer for that. I can not speak for the black community. And the question contains the very important additional question of whether Uncle Herman has left the family by joining the Republican Party and become a black sheep.
Not sure if party always trumps race , but I do know that if you look at every civil rights legislation since the end of the civil war, the voting divide is quite clear. Although Republicans were once the liberals and democrats were once the conservatives, today things have somewhat flip flopped. As President Johnson is said to have remarked upon signing the civil rights bill, " There goes the south". When Ronald Reagan goes to the south to launch his campaign you get a historical feel for the currents in play.When Strom Thurmond can run for President in 1948 as a disciple of white supremacy in spite of or perhaps because of his liking to lick dark chocolate in the night you know that politics can make strange bedfellows.
When George Wallace can say segregation now and segregation forever in spite of and because of the Supreme Court 1954 decision and win electoral votes in 1968 and 1971 you know that politics is serious business.When you can hear on the Nixon tapes his contempt for people of color and to fast forward to see Uncle Herman espousing the party line of American Exceptionalism, the current code for what was previously called imperialism, colonialism and manifest destiny one must ponder what Herman symbolizes. We should never forget that many black candidates ran for president in addition to Mandela on the South African ballot and that Anita Hill has something to say about Clarence Thomas being qualified.
Lastly,to see Herman standing there in the midst of Michelle Bachman , Rick Perry and others paints him as an anomaly too many with who view life through an ethnic lens. I have said it frequently that if the Republican Party had nominated Colin Powell I would have voted for him. If General Power ran today, many people, black, red, yellow, green , purple, pink and white would vote for him.
We are told that brown rice is better than white rice. What we consume and digest when it comes to politics for sure can kill you if you do not watch out !
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