NPR Redux: Bell, The Wrath Of The Math, and Loving

cross-posted to goodCRIMETHINK

We were on NPR's News & Notes (audio is at the link) again yesterday and got to talk about the Sean Bell protests, the death of Mildred Loving and a lightning round on the Democratic primaries.

First of all, I must confess, I almost missed the joint! I got too cute with my time and arrived at the studio just in time. Just call me Lake County :)

Hopefully, I didn't sound too out of breathe. As usual, Carmen brought some knowledge and insight to the discussions of race, and it was good to rap with Casey Lartigue for the first time although I think he misinterpreted one of my statements. I mentioned people were experiencing fatigue in the Sean Bell case because we're constantly reminded of the dual justice systems in this country. He thought I meant Sharpton fatigue. No biggie.

I also gave some love to Black Agenda Report for their perfect description of the Sean Bell verdict: the decision may have been legal, but it wasn't justice.

I'm most proud of my campaign lightning round comment about life post-NC/IN in which I stated:

I'm just happy to welcome the mainstream media to the Democratic primary. They've finally caught on to the Wrath of the Math which hasn't really changed since Obama's 12-state sweep post-Super Tuesday. That, I think, is the biggest change. The facts on the ground haven't changed, but the media narrative and perception has, and I'm glad to see it has.

BTW for those who don't know, "The Wrath Of The Math" is Jeru the Damaja's second album. I started using it to describe the Democratic primary when we were on News & Notes from Dallas the day after the Texas primacaucus

Carmen also represented, raising the point we've been hitting a lot in the Afrosphere about Hillary's inability to win the black vote being more legitimate than the question of Obama's capture of the white vote.

Finally we talked about the death of Mildred Loving and the status of marriage equality. Thankfully, we didn't get sidetracked into discussions of interracial extramarital affairs (which I don't really see as relevant to equal protection under the law) and instead stayed focused on perceptions of interracial marriage and the larger issue of marriage equality. I tried to make the link from the Loving decision to the need for marriage equality for same sex couples as I've done here and here.

Big up to Farai Chideya and the entire News & Notes staff for running a substantive show. Thanks to the JJP and Afrosphere fam for contributing to the important democratic (small "d") conversation in this country.

Again, you can listen here.

JJP On News & Notes Today.

Guests include me, Casey Lartigue and Carmen Van Kerckhove

As always, your input is welcome and highly valued!

Topics

• Sharpton & NY pray-ins -- response to Sean Bell verdict


• Primary results including: Obama Passes 1,500,000 Donors, Clinton's lack of black votes and reuniting the party


• Using the news about the death of Mildred Loving, matriarch of interracial marriage to talk about the state of interracial marriage today. Examples: Mary Wilson of the Supremes & Barbara Walters/Edward Brooks

CNN Post-Show, Ari Fleischer In The Green Room and More

cross-posted to goodCRIMETHINK

So it's always kind of a big deal to get on primetime TV, and thanks to the entire JJP fam for providing your suggested topics, talking points and coverage throughout the day. Yall are like a community-powered media prep team. Sadly, Governor Ventura's segment went way over, and the blogger segment on CNN's Election Center got cut short.

Here's the video for those who missed it.

That's right. I got one sentence in! Dang! I accomplished my first goal: don't look like an idiot. If you watch my eyes in the closing minutes (after she says the segment's over), you can see them saying "Wha'choo talkin bout Campbell??"

Such is national television, but Jack & Jill Politics is likely to return in the near future to try to represent real thought on the airwaves. Had I known I would only get one sentence, I might have kept my message to Iraq as economic failure, but I think it's worth putting pressure on those who keep saying "No we can't" leave Iraq to ask them just when they think it will be possible.

So that's the on-air part, but what yall missed was the green room where I spent mad time talking with none other than Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. We arrived at about the same time, and I wasn't sure whether to shake his hand or choke him!

The man is disturbingly personable. He's like a genuinely nice and funny person. Here's the killer photo I got of him reading JJP!






We actually didn't talk about politics much and focused on the irony of the CNN green room TV having no sound. I pointed out to him that he was wearing one of those American flag pins. Without missing a beat, he said Barack Obama gave it to him. I said, "yeah, he didn't need to wear his patriotism on his sleeve." Ah, laughing with the enemy.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your contributions, not just today but in general. It's good to be home.

JJP To Be On CNN's Campbell Brown Blogger Panel Tues Night 8pm ET (Updated)

The segment should start around 8:30pm ET. Not sure what the topic is or who the other bloggers are. If you've seen the show and have tips/advice, holla!

Update 12:30pm ET
Confirmed guests include Ezra Klein from American Prospect and Amanda Carpenter of Townhall

Likely topics include Gen. Patraeus and Iraq, Mark Penn's status, the Olympic flame and the latest polling from Pennsylvania.

If anyone is able to check some of what Patraeus is saying, hit me up in the comments. I've got a day job to hold down and can't watch C-SPAN all day :)

thanks fam.

CNN Does Disservice To Black Bloggers And JJP Specifically (Updated!)

I got home at 11:18pm, and as I walked in the door a Twitter friend said he saw Jack & Jill Politics mentioned on CNN. It was Anderson Cooper 360, and my Tivo was already on it. The subject: pressure on black superdelegates to support Obama.

The piece referenced Color of Change explicitly and showed screenshots of JJP and Skeptical Brotha (ironically on the day he dropped his own support for Obama). It's two four minutes. See below



There are serious problems with this reporting, and it illustrates the information problem we have with incumbent media providers who cannot or will not take a 360-degree view of the issues. Let me enumerate.

1. As far as I know, none of the black bloggers referenced in the piece were invited to comment directly on CNN.

Skeptical Brotha and JJP certainly were not. I would happily have jetted over to the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle to add some much-needed context. I'm right here yo! I know TV time moves quickly, but they had a responsibility to at least call. They have our number.

2. Anderson and Soledad are not well-versed on the issue.

I'm not saying they are malicious, but they lack the full perspective and analysis behind the effort to pressure black superdelegates, at least as its been discussed on this blog.

On Feb 29, rikyrah wrote the following:

The main thing is that they're putting out there, in the MSM, that Black folk are pressuring them, for no good reason. Like, ' irrationally', Black folk are demanding they switch their allegiance to Obama - JUST BECAUSE HE'S BLACK.

And, that's simply not the case.

This came to me last night, and I'll present it to you:

Imagine if this were any other ethnic group. They had one of ‘their own’ running, and the main competition race-baited/ethnic-baited ‘your own’.

Please explain to me what other ethnic group would remotely tolerate THEIR elected representative supporting the competition POST race-baiting?

Can you imagine it with ANY other group? Yeah, neither can I.

WE’RE the only ones who would allow this BS….and SHAME ON US.

That's the key for me:::: POST RACE-BAITING::::

On Mar 6, I wrote the following

the additional point i was trying to make, about the African-American vote was not an attempt to compare hardships with women or any other group. i'm just tired of feeling held hostage. I think hillary could have made some much better choices in this campaign that were tough but without being so offensive and dismissive of this particular group of voters. there are ways to go negative, but pitting blacks against latinos or