Weren't We Just Talking About This? Can the Obamas, The President in Particular Be Fairly Critiqued?

I would be the first to say that President Obama is not above criticism-legitimate criticism. As progressive as the Young Turks may be, perhaps they are on to something as it relates to analyzing Barack Obama. It gets deeper when one adds a scoche of melanin to a political dish that is being served to Blacks and Whites. More specifically, what about people of color being able to critique the president? Well there appears to be a schism brewing amongst some in the African-American community concerning how President Obama should be judged. Let's take a look at this excerpt from the Washington Post, as it pertains to this very issue:

Jeff Johnson knows how to make his audiences squirm. The young, black radio and TV political commentator waits for the discussion to turn to the topic being talked about ceaselessly, incessantly, ad nauseam: the meaning of the barrier-breaking election of Barack Obama.

Then, in his laid-back style, he says, "The real issue for me is that history is not enough." That's when the mood becomes tense.

"Black folks, in particular, get irritated," says Johnson, who travels the lecture circuit, hosts a half-hour show on Black Entertainment Television and has a weekly spot for social criticism on a radio program popular with black listeners. Get past "Obama the personality" and see "Obama the president," he says. "Otherwise all you're being is a political-celebrity groupie instead of a citizen. . . . It starts with acknowledging he's my president, and not my homie."

As the nation's first black president settles into the office, a division is deepening between two groups of African Americans: those who want to continue to praise Obama and his historic ascendancy, and those who want to examine him more critically now that the election is over.

First, click on the link below for more of the aforementioned Post piece and then a 25 cents (adjusted for inflation) for your thoughts:


Blacks at Odds Over Scrutiny of President

Oh and taking a page (and a suggestion) from Afronerd supporter, Sergio Mims' allusion to economist, Dr. Bill Rogers' Meet the Press appearance during our earlier radio broadcast (at approx. the 20:00 min mark) ....here's the episode in question:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy