Let me emphasize, again: the point of these diaries is neither to support nor oppose either Barack or Hillary, but to make a larger point about the nature of politics in America today. There are lots of good reasons to support these fine candidates. Nevertheless, it says something about the character of the political wheeler-dealers the way they duck 'n hide and flip-flop on the issues and choose to play or disdain the "race card" when it serves their purposes.
Published by the Los Angeles Sentinel
Does He Have the Magic Touch?
by Stephanie Frederic
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Only hours before hosting a fundraiser at his Beverly Hills home, basketball great and Laker Champion Earvin "Magic" Johnson joined hands with Democratic Presidential contender Senator Hillary Clinton and formally endorsed her candidacy before a standing-room-only crowd at an economic development townhall meeting at Charles Drew Magnet School in South Los Angeles.
"She’s the only candidate who can turn this country around," Earvin "Magic" Johnson told the very receptive audience which included LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, newly-elected Congresswomen Laura Richardson, Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, State Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally and a host of community leaders.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel, Johnson was asked why he supported Hillary instead of Barack:
Magic Johnson: "It’s not about Black or White, it’s about the best candidate and for me he doesn’t have the experience. He doesn’t have the relationship. The worst thing we can do is get somebody in there who’s Black and then they don’t do a good job then what does that do for us? I don’t think he’s ready to be the president of the United States that’s just plain and simple. I love him, I wrote him a check and I told him I talked to him on the phone and I like him. I think he’s very articulate, smart, but he doesn’t have the experience. I don’t wanna get him in there and it’s all over his head and he will be way over his head right now."
Of course it's about the best candidate. Nothing wrong with Magic's statement at all. He thinks she is the best candidate based on her experience and relationships with a variety of people. If you are Hillary supporter that's a good argument.
From my vantage point in South Los Angeles I can't stop thinking about just weeks ago... weeks ago... in a special election to succeed the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, some of these same people just as loudly and emphatically said it was my sacred duty as an African-American to support one Laura Richardson, who this time last year was an unremarkable member of the Long Beach City Council, for the U.S. Congress because it's about saving a "Black seat."
I'll never forget that candidates debate in Compton, California when this very same Laura Richardson rose to say:
..This is about someone who says that no one can take our seat from us without us fighting every bit of the way for it. [applause] This is our community. This is our seat. And let me tell you something: why is it that with redistricting, Compton was removed out of the 55th [Carson-LB Assembly district]? We need people who want Compton, who will represent Compton and who will do everything humanly possible to make sure all of the people in our community are represented and taken care of...
The final runoff for that election was in August. I do not think, I know a lot of the people who voted for Laura Richardson are supporting Barack Obama or John Edwards for president. And I do not think, I know that a lot of the people who voted for Laura Richardson want us out of Iraq yesterday and want Bush impeached today. With all due respect to Sen Clinton, a lot of those people would not have voter for Laura Richardson a month ago if they had known she was coming out strongly for Hillary Clinton.
Let me emphasize, again: the point of these diaries is neither to support nor oppose either Barack or Hillary, but to make a larger point about the nature of politics in America today. This is an example of the kind of thing that goes on all the time at the local level, far from Washington, that turns a lot of progressives off to politics.
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