History
susan2016
PowerPoint_SFF_Chapter22.pptxChapter Twenty-Two
Barack Obama and the Promise of Change, 2005-Present
Barack Obama’s Call for a New Direction
In 2000, Barack Obama was badly defeated in his attempt to unseat Democratic Congressman bobby Rush, a former Black Panther. In 2004, Obama surprised the party by declaring he would run for senator. His campaign raised millions of dollars with his motto, “Yes, we can.” His keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention put him in a national spotlight. He won the senate seat, even though Kerry lost.
The Congressional Black Caucus felt they did not have access to President Bush, thus could not influence legislation in a Republican controlled House and Senate. Ohio voting-rights activists claimed that faulty voting machines and Republican election officials prevented several thousand voters in Democratic-leaning and predominantly black areas from casting votes that might have caused Bush to lose the election.
The Uncertain War Against Terrorism
Popular support for the war in Iraq waned, especially since no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq, the major claim for invading the country. Osama bin Laden continued to elude capture. Bush now encountered domestic challenges against his domestic policies. Obama, Barbara Lee, John Conyers, and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus strongly criticized Bush’s belated response to Hurricane Katrina.
The devastation in Louisiana cased by the hurricane severely impacted black residents and communities. In the fall of 2008, the unregulated sales of securities backed by housing mortgages nearly caused a complete collapse of America’s financial system. Bush’s massive tax cuts worsened the growing budget deficit, gave Obama grounds for his political campaign for president in 2008.
Secretary of State Colin Powell’s resignation shortly after the 2004 election placed his conflicts with Vice President Dick Chaney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, both of whom stressed military force over diplomacy in the war against terror, in the public eye. Bush’s nomination of National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice, as Secretary of State meant that a loyal confidant would head the State Department.
Rice, the first African American woman to serve as secretary of state, also had problems with Chaney and Rumsfeld when she argues against military force to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The disclosure that Iraqi prisoners had tortured and abused by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison weakened Rumsfeld’s influence. The Congressional Black Caucus called for Rumsfeld’s resignation. Bush asked Rumsfeld to stay.
Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” failed to provide more funds to schools and did little to improve the quality of teachers or schools, especially for black and Latino children living in poor urban areas. The Bush’s administration expansion of Clinton’s policy of minority home ownership relaxed federal regulation of the home mortgages allowed low income families to buy homes, but with adjustable interest rates causing little equity in homes when interest rates increased.
Eventually, this policy would wreak havoc in the mortgage system. Bush’s proposal to allow Americans to invest some of their Social Security monies met with an immediate outcry against this. Congress rejected the plan, and Bush failed to gain Republican backing for his immigration legislation that would reduce illegal immigration while providing new ways for undocumented immigrants to gain citizenship.
Hurricane Katrina’s Challenge to a Conservative Government
When disaster overwhelmed local, state, and federal emergency officials, Lt. General Russell Honore was thrust into the role of leading the military response to Katrina’s devastation. Having graduated from HBCU Southern University in 1971, he was familiar with the New Orleans area. He was the highest ranking African American military officer, but was little known outside of the military.
That changed as reporters noticed how his firm leadership brought some order to the chaos.
The greatest destruction came from the flooding due to broken levees. The low-lying poor black areas suffered most. Help did not arrive to evacuate residents from these areas for several days. Kimberly Rivers, an aspiring hip hop artist began filming the destruction around her in the Ninth Ward.
Her film became part the award-winning film Trouble The Water (2007). Spike Lee’s four-part film, When The Levees Broke (2006) documented the lack of governmental readiness for disaster and the lack of support following the flooding.
Honore’s no-nonsense approach to the problems was a visible contrast to the feeble efforts of government officials and institutions. Although he evacuated thousands and brought some order, he could not help the poorest residents.
The fact that most of those pleading for help were black served as a reminder that race continued to affect the opportunities for Americans. Lee’s film indicted all levels of government from Michael Brown to the president to the Nagin, New Orleans’ mayor. Exaggerated reports of armed black men fueled racial tensions. Honore ordered police and soldiers to help victims, not point their guns at them.
Some noted that news photos showing whites taking items from markets were described as needing provisions, while black flood victims doing the same were described as looters.
The hurricane caused more than 1800 deaths, a minimum of $100 billion in damages, and the forced relocation of more than a million residents. Those residents were seen as refugees in their own nation. Before Katrina, 37 percent of New Orleans residents were identified as black.
A year later, only 22 percent of New Orleans’ residents were identified as black. There were many indications that the hurricane was used as an opportunity for a lasting change in the racial and class composition of a major American city, despite Mayo Nagin’s call to rebuild a new “chocolate New Orleans.” The long-lasting mixed and black population of New Orleans would probably change.
Obama and the Longest Presidential Campaign
Obama was often sought out by reporters for his ideas about national issues and on the New Orleans tragedy. He realized he needed to prove himself to Illinois voters by accomplishing something in Washington. He also wanted to avoid excessive partisanship. While Jesse Jackson and rapper Kanye West charged Bush with abandoning black people, Obama was more restrained, yet he claimed that the government was detached from the problems of inner city life.
As a result of his 2004 keynote address and his published memoir, Obama became the nation’s most famous black elected official. The 2006 election demonstrated that the nation’s political climate was turning in Obama’s favor. The Republican Party suffered a resounding defeat and Democrats took control of both houses of Congress. Democrats believed they could win the presidency with the right candidate.
Primaries
Obama decided to run for president in 2007. he understood the historical significance of his candidacy but knew it would be a battle. The presidential campaign drew a large slate a candidates, but Hilary Rodham Clinton was the strongest contender, also historically significant as a woman running for the Democratic slot. African American leaders supported Clinton, in part because of their support for her husband, Bill Clinton.
Young black leaders supported Obama; they felt America’s racial climate had changed enough to elect Obama.
Obama’s prospects were threatened by his association with his black Chicago pastor, Jeremiah Wright, who delivered sermons that seemed to blame the terrorists attacks on American policies, and by rumors that claimed he was secretly a Muslim.
Obama delivered a major speech about race that saved his campaign. By early June, he won enough delegates to force Clinton to concede the nomination.
The November general election, pitted John McCain against Obama. McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate galvanized the conservative Republican base. Palin became the voice of the attacks against Obama and liberals.
A Historic Election
The economic collapse of America’s financial system shifted the focus of the campaign from foreign affairs to domestic policies. Tying McCain to Bush’s policies, Obama led in polls and secured enough electoral votes to win the election.
Obama and Biden received almost 53 percent of the popular vote and 365 electoral college votes to McCain’s 173. His acceptance speech in Chicago was delivered to a racially diverse crowd.
Tears of joy showed on the faces of Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey and thousands of African Americans across the nation. Obama’s skilled campaign organization contributed to his victory and he received the support of 43 percent of white voters. He also won the votes of record numbers of nonwhite and young voters. His victory resulted from gradual changes in white racial attitudes and a dramatic change in the racial composition of the American electorate.
The Obama Presidency and African Americans
Two million American gathered in Washington for Obama’s inauguration and African American were a visible component of the crowd. Obama stressed a theme of political unity in his speech.
Unfortunately, Obama faced a slate of pressing concerns when he took office. Economic decline, a threatened recession, war on two fronts, and the growing partisanship all contributed to the problems.
Although Democrats controlled Congress, Obama could not control defiant Republicans and conservative Democrats. His initiatives did not address African American concerns and did little to reduce black-white economic inequality. Some black leaders criticized Obama for stressing the middle-class and not helping the poor. Although his healthcare act passed, it faced many judicial challenges.
The mid-term elections of 2010 was shaped by Tea Party candidates and their agenda of reducing government and lowering taxes. Obama was blamed for all the domestic problems Americans faced, especially the huge budget deficit. Despite his successes, Obama was criticized by Republicans and the Tea Party movement. And there was still racial issues dominant among Americans.
