Obama Can't Win Presidency on a Black-Focused Agenda: Part 3

A few days after my initial column on the "black problem" faced by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., I received calls from a number of individuals wondering why I took exception to black leaders questioning his candidacy.

One of the consistent points they raised: "Where is his black agenda?"

There was a constant comparison to the 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the last serious campaigns by an African American for the most powerful position in the world. I reminded them that Jackson only received 8 percent of Democratic votes in 1988, but that didn't change their view that he "won" simply by running.

Sorry to disappoint, but in my book, winning means winning.

The most difficult job a black politician has is trying to run for higher office. Most minority politicians run in "safe" districts that are drawn along racial lines. It's easy to present a black, Hispanic or Asian agenda when the majority of voters are of the same hue — you can easily speak to their issues.

But when it's time to run for a citywide, statewide or national office, the agenda has to change, and that is disconcerting to a minority group.

One of the most damaging things that can be said of any minority is "selling out" for a bigger job. If you are black and you run for mayor, governor or president, the expectation is that you must carry the hopes of your people on your shoulders, and place their concerns above any other. It's the most delicate of political dances, and for a lot of people, it is tough to do.

When then-Rep. Harold Washington ran for mayor in Chicago in 1983, he had to appeal to a wide variety of interests. African Americans who had been shut out of city hall made it clear they wanted a black mayor, while white liberals were afraid of him being seen as the black candidate, and wanted him to speak to a broader constituency. When he spoke at rallies on the South Side of Chicago, he had one message. When speaking at a church on the North Side, he had quite a different one. He may have been talking about housing, but Washington had to master the art of speaking to different audiences. Some call it the political two-step; others consider it being politically bilingual.

In many ways, that's the dilemma Obama faces.

When he steps to the microphone, African Americans have an expectation of him, and others have a different one.

He clearly has to connect with black voters, but he can't do it and alienate whites.

Rev. Jackson knows the feeling.

In 1984 he was asked to distance himself from Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, who is perceived by non-blacks as being divisive. But among African Americans, he is largely a striking figure who speaks to black empowerment and is willing to point out white oppression. Jackson would have lost tremendous credibility among blacks had he distanced himself from Farrakhan, and he was under pressure from progressive whites to do so.

At the end of the day, he didn't, and there is no doubt he lost some white support as a result.

The delicate nature of this can be seen in the agenda that Obama is likely to advance. He has spoken traditional themes of the need for universal health care, leading our troops out of Iraq and ending the divisiveness that permeates Washington, D.C.

What won't you hear Obama speaking on constantly? Reparations. An aggressive federal affirmative action policy. Impeaching President George W. Bush.

If you listen to black radio stations and read black newspapers, you will hear many of these themes. But don't expect Obama to tout them on the campaign trail. They simply aren't looked on favorably, and he isn't likely to garner moderate votes with such rhetoric.

Understand, Obama's plan isn't to put an urban agenda on the table, something Rev. Jackson wanted to do, and the same thing Rev. Al Sharpton has talked about doing. Obama's goal is to win, and he has to manage the process as best as he can.

One question tossed to me had to do with former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards opening his campaign in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. "Why is Obama launching his campaign in Springfield, Ill.? Why not be like Edwards and go to New Orleans?"

Nice thought, but the reality is that Edwards needs to shed his label of being a rich trial lawyer, and New Orleans serves his purpose of focusing on poverty and the disenfranchised. Many voters may expect Obama to speak to issues of poverty and the plight of the poor — hey, that's what the black guy is supposed to do. Yet he must counter that by focusing on matters such as foreign policy.

Hey, it may not be the perfect scenario, and folks will undoubtedly be unhappy with his choices. But if Obama wants to be sworn in as president, he has no choice but to do the dance.

Remember, running isn't winning. Winning is winning.

Roland S. Martin is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives On Faith." Please visit his Web site at www.rolandsmartin.com. To find out more about Roland Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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