Tuesday, September 01, 2009

The More Things Change...

I tried to stay out of the devilish details of the "Black Mayor Memo".

It's a tribute to my lack of prognostication skills that when I received the same tip on the source of the memo at about the same time as Galloway and others, I wrote it off as weird and so bizarre, it wouldn't have legs.

Of course, it was the talk of the town in a matter of hours. And then it became the talk of the town in such far away places as New York with her Old Grey Lady. And now it's hitting the national blogs.

So. Here we go again.

I could write a couple of thousand words about how Atlanta politics baffles outsiders or how this is a perfect piece of politics that let's people say what others think while allowing the oh-so public candidates to poo-poo such naughty utterances. I could probably write those pieces and a dozen more. And maybe I will.

But not today.

Instead, I take you back to 2007.
A chairman's race that could throw us back to the dark ages of fire hoses and police dogs? There is a proud history of leadership in this city, this county, this region. Somehow that leadership has lost its way in the past ten years. The current leaders better find that way again or someone will come along and show them the way out the door.
When all was old was new was old then new again.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I thought the same thing: This is going nowhere. Ramblings from an angry old man aren't supposed to get much attention. Unless they are well written of course, which this was not.
The remaining mystery for me is why hasn't the legitimate organization who uses that name made a statement about it? Is it authorized usage? Not?

Anonymous said...

Good politics ? Effective street politics ?

Perhaps so in a behavioral, nihilistic sense.

But from that perspective, Jim Crow was quite effective towards getting a particular race elected.

possum said...

Meanwhile, here is a story where you and your Saturday Stupids can practice the fine art of "Ho-ism": Eliot Spitzer may run for office again! Join the fun! Linky poo:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09012009/news/regionalnews/you_cant_keep_a_bad_man_down_187551.htm

possum said...

Sorry. Linky Poo: http://tinyurl.com/kweoyw

Anonymous said...

possum: can you relate NY hoes to Atlanta racism?

Or are you an idiot?

Who cares about about NY hoes when local black academics present language tantamount to Jim Crow in reverse ??

Personally I think you are an idiot.

Unknown said...

this is an enduring legacy of the way the south was--in most medium to large cities in ga and some of our sister states--things are still black and white to a large degree more so than they are right and left or any other accepted political division...over in augusta actual on the record discussions take place where deals are made to split up the jobs "o.k. we can hire a white fire chief, but the next police chief has to be black" for instance--and yes this may have been brilliant b/c of what you say--the candidates can stay away--but it allows the conversation to take place under the guise of "discussing the memo"

possum said...

"Ho-ism" is a movement that was started on this web site several years ago. It knows no geographical boundaries.

Cousin Pat said...

+1 Jay.

The only place I didn't hear about this memo was in and around New Orleans. Down here, a memo like that would be considered fairly pedestrian.

Which only proves identity politics play a huge role even when your schools are in shambles, your roads are crumbling, your city has no health care to speak of, and standing water is highly placed on your local threat matrix.