Jack & Jill Politics

UPDATE: Good news!!! Pam Spaulding of Pam’s House Blend is invited to the CNN E-lection Nite Blog Party and so is La Shawn Barber, both as you know, strong black women — not necessarily on the same side of the issues, either. That should be interesting.

PlayaHata and African-American Political Pundit, two of my favorite bloggers, are pushing on CNN and progressive bloggers to ask whether African-American and/or other minority bloggers will be invited to participate officially in CNN’s E-lection blog party.

No disrespect, y’all and much love. But I want to know: um, when is the last time Tavis Smiley asked a black blogger to come on his PBS show? When is the last time Tom Joyner referenced a black blog on his radio show that reaches 8 million brothers and sisters across the nation? Maybe it’s happened — many times. I don’t know. Smiley is an up-and-coming black leader and um, BTW Daily Show and Colbert Report — the author of two of the hottest books on the New York Times bestseller list right now — here and here. Smiley is out-selling James Baker’s book! He even has a pseudo-blog on his site — Smiley’s heard of the concept.

The fact of the matter is that the bigger progressive blogs have been around longer than most minority-run blogs. We don’t have as large an audience — yet. We haven’t raised millions of dollars for candidates — yet. As a group, we have not had many of our stories cross over to the MSM — YET.

That will all change in a year or two, I expect. Respect is not demanded. It is earned. Our perspective is important, no doubt. More important to progressive positive politics than ever. They know that — and we know that even better. We can show our strength by staying focused on the real enemy. You and I both know that the Republicans are likely gearing up for a whole new set of voter fraud, suppression and creativity.

I am thinking we need to get on the case and get the word out. Where are the places where voter mess is most likely to happen? What organizations are planning to do something about it? If we can come together in one voice to demand that voter suppression/intimidation targeting minorities be documented and whenever possible stopped in its tracks, we can make an impact.

This is how white folks can help us. This is how black and brown folks can help ourselves. Check our VoterStory.com for one way to get started — there’s also Video the Vote which Color of Change is pushing on their website. There are bad people out there wanting to do bad things. Let’s stay focused and keep our eyes on the prize. So to speak. Peace out.