Roland S. Martin
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

Obama will be sworn in January 20th, 2009. It will mark the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Obama got his start in politics in Springfield, Illinois. It was a race riot in Springfield, Illinois that led to the creation of NAACP.

For African Americans, when their children say, ‘I want to be a doctor,’ ‘I want to be a lawyer,’ ‘I want to be a politician,’ ‘I want to be an astronaut,’ they can always point to an African American who achieved it. Whenever a kid says,’ I want to be president,’ I literally saw black parents say, son, or daughter, you might think of being something else. I have nine nieces and four nephews. When I talk to them I can actually say, ‘Yes, you can,’ and mean it.

Editor’s note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 11:10 a.m. ET Wednesday. If you’re passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A nationally syndicated columnist, Martin has said he will vote for Barack Obama in November. He is the author of “Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith” and “Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America.” Visit his Web site for more information.

Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

If Sen. Barack Obama is able to prevail over Sen. John McCain on Tuesday, all of those Democrats who ripped Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy over the last four years should call the head of the Democratic National Committee and offer a heartfelt apology.

First in line should be New York Sen. Charles Schumer, Chicago, Illinois, Rep. Rahm Emanuel and my CNN colleague, political strategist James Carville.

When Democrats were in the final stages of winning back Congress in 2006, those three were at odds with Dean, saying he should forget about his pie-in-the-sky plan to have the Democratic Party competitive in all 50 states.

They reasoned that money spent on get-out-the vote efforts in non-congressional elections was futile, and all the effort should be on reclaiming Congress.

But Dean resisted their suggestions, weathering repeated calls for him to resign after that election.

Dean’s insistence on having a Democratic Party that existed in the heartland, and not just California, New York and Massachusetts, was brilliant in that it made clear that the party recognized the rest of America.

Read More…

Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

Editor’s Note: You can read more from Roland at RolandSMartin.com

Watching Sen. John McCain and top Republicans swing wildly in their attempts to slam Sen. Barack Obama, with less than two weeks ago to go before Election Day, is like watching an old fighter –clearly out of gas, his legs turned to rubber, and all he can do is grab, hold, punch behind the back, just anything to try to win.

McCain’s campaign is no longer about issues. He and his supporters want to bring up anything and everything to derail Obama, and nothing is sticking, so they just keep returning to their old bag of tricks.

In the past two weeks, we’ve seen Minnesota Republican Rep. Michelle Bachmann make one of the most audacious statements ever, suggesting that Obama holds anti-American views, that other members of Congress have the same views, and that the media should launch a widespread investigation to ferret them out.

No, seriously, she said that on MSNBC’s “Hardball.”

It didn’t take long for the folks on the left to get a hold of her comments. After the video spread like wildfire, Democrats across the country pumped $700,000 into the campaign coffers of her opponent. The normally talkative Bachmann is now on lockdown, not granting any interviews, as she has to work hard to hold onto her seat.

Read more…

Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

“It’s because he’s black.”

That is such an easy - and weak - answer to give when it comes to former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president.

Radio blowhard Rush Limbaugh made it clear that’s what he thinks; Pat Buchanan, who would be a leader of the White Citizens Council if this was the 1950s, said as much; and even conservative columnist George Will tried to pin that on Powell.

All are wrong.

But what is so fascinating to watch these GOP-lovin’ folks, and the others who blindly follow their every word, is that they have lavished Powell with effusive praise for years because they saw him as race neutral!

Powell, and his successor as secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, have been portrayed as their kind of Republicans because they aren’t seen as black. They sort of occupy the rareified space reserved by whites for Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey - African Americans who are not about their color (well, maybe not Oprah, who has been tagged for being a traitor for supporting Obama. Why, they say? Because he’s black!).

Their reaction to Powell’s endorsement is the reality of being black in America: if you do everything the way the Limbaughs, Buchanans and Wills want, you’re perfectly acceptable in their world. But the moment you actually use that clear and independent mind they said they love to support the person that you think is right for the job, then it’s because they are black.

I know the feeling. I get the emails from white viewers who question my skills, integrity and credibility by assigning race as the sole reason I’m on CNN. Forget the fact that I’ve put 17 years into this line of work.

Powell is a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; national security adviser; and has served on the ground with our troops. He has served directly with four presidents and knows presidential timber when he sees it.

To Limbaugh, Will and Buchanan, put your fake race analysis away and give this accomplished man his due. He made a thoughtful, careful and meticulous decision over the course of several months, and gave one of the most compelling endorsements I have ever seen. He used his intellect and knowledge of the office and tried to convey that to the nation.

Powell wasn’t a black man supporting Obama. He is an American hero who has always, and will continue, to put country first.

Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

Do you know what was so great about Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan? They were three of the biggest trash talkers in the history of the NBA, but they had the game to back it up.

Somebody should tell that to Gov. Sarah Palin.

Sen. John McCain’s vice presidential running mate has been running around the country, firing up her — yes, her, and not necessarily McCain’s — loyal supporters by blasting Sen. Barack Obama for “palling around with terrorists” and demanding that the American people know exactly when he learned of the past of 1960s radical William Ayers.

She has stoked the crowds by saying, “This is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America.” We all know what that is designed to do: Portray Obama as a foreigner who isn’t as American as she. Or you. Or Joe Six-pack, the hockey mom, soccer mom, Wal-Mart mom, NASCAR dad and the other coded words she uses regularly.

But what is truly pathetic is that Palin talks tough, but is really scared of facing her own issues.

Read More…

Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

During the Democratic primaries, I wrote a column for CNN.com about how easy it is for any candidate to tar and feather another about their associations with less-than-acceptable figures.

Sen. Hillary Clinton tried to blast Sen. Barack Obama for unsolicited comments made by Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan, and folks like Fox News’ Sean Hannity were happy to run with it, saying it was evidence that the junior senator from Illinois was unfit to be president.

But critics like Hannity never bothered to raise the issue of former Republican vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp praising Farrakhan for his focus on self-help. Not only that, nearly everyone in the media was afraid to bring up the fact that Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell had high praise for Farrakhan when Rendell was mayor of Philadelphia, even as the Muslim leader sat just 20 feet away!

Again, blasting one person’s associations can come back to bite you.

We now see Gov. Sarah Palin and the McCain campaign trying to stir the pot by invoking William Ayers, a 1960s radical who was a major figure in the Weather Underground, a group that bombed the Pentagon and committed other unspeakable acts of terrorism against their own country.

Palin has been hammering the issue on the campaign trail, saying Obama and Ayers were friends, “palling around” the Windy City, even though the Weather Underground committed these crimes when Obama was just a child. And never mind the fact that Ayers and Obama were involved in a multimillion-dollar education grant that was funded by a right-wing Republican, media magnate Walter Annenberg. Do you hear any of them castigating this late Republican pillar?

Read more

Editor’s Note: You can read more from Roland at RolandSMartin.com

Supporters of Sarah Palin at a campaign rally on Saturday.

Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

Can we just call white voters white voters?

OK, I’m not trying to be the race guy, but these labels are driving me nuts!

Earlier today CNN aired a piece on Joe Sixpack, and not a single African American, Hispanic or Asian was interviewed.

Now, do these groups drink six packs? Yep. But don’t we know that Palin isn’t talking to them? Yep. So why not just say it?

We even played a soundbite of Palin saying Joe Sixpack and hockey moms. Trust me, she’s not speaking to anyone who looks like me!

But there are other terms that have been thrown around by candidates, political strategists and the media, and no one wants to be honest as to who we are talking about.

Wal-mart moms. Soccer moms. NASCAR dads. Small town America.

Seriously. Read all of those phrases, and when you think of who candidates, political strategists and the media are talking about, who immediately comes to mind? I can tell you no one black, Hispanic or Asian!

So, can we just stop the nonsense and say, all at once - WHITE AMERICANS.

Keep reading

Amy Holmes: 10:40p ET - Palin: A+. The plus is for wildly exceeding expectations. She more than held her own. She was polished, direct, folksy, and on message. She stressed her personal experience both as a mom and as a governor, from the kitchen table to the executive branch, her record as a reformer and bipartisan deal maker. She even got Biden to agree with her. Read more…

Roland Martin: Expectations are high for Palin AND Biden. Many of you read my commentary this week on CNN.com and I haven’t changed my opinion.

I’m tired of Washington journalists continuing to say that the expectations are low, and the bar even lower, for Gov. Sarah Palin.

And the same goes for Sen. Joe Biden. Read more…

Amy Holmes: 9:40p ET - Were those Katie Couric interviews a devious head fake? I’ve heard Biden say at least twice now that he agrees with Palin. First on the issue of windfall profits, and then on the issue of gay marriage. Regarding the first, he actually said he and Obama would like to do what the Governor did in Alaska. Economic conservatives won’t like it. But for debate purposes: advantage Palin.

Candy Crowley: 9:35p ET - Palin veers off course — the question is about helping consumers with crushing debt, and she’s responding with energy policy. Politicians frequently change the subject, but this was a pretty obvious 180.

Read more

Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

One of the most intriguing conversations I had at either the Democratic or Republican convention was with a white labor leader from Ohio.

I can’t remember his name, but he made it clear that he is going all around the Rust Belt state looking his white union brothers and sisters in the eye and essentially shaming them into supporting Sen. Barack Obama for president.

No, he’s not saying vote for the black man for president because he’s black.

He said he’s telling them that it’s shameful that as Democrats, they agree with him on various political issues, but because of his skin color, they are refusing to cast ballots for him.

“We have gone to our black brothers and sisters for years to support our [white] candidates, and it’s wrong for us to stand here and not support one of their own, even though we’re Democrats,” he barked.

There is nothing more in-your-face than to hear someone speak truthfully to the inherent racism that is at play in this election.

Keep reading

Roland S. Martin | Bio
AC360° Contributor
CNN Political Analyst

The Republicans have made it clear where their focus is this week with their convention slogan, “Country First.”

With the abundance of flags, chants of “U.S.A., U.S.A.” and tributes to those in the military, they have been laying it on thick.

Sen. John McCain has often talked about the need for Americans to dedicate themselves to service, namely military, and he is on the money.

But a line of attack that was used consistently by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and later by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, tried to call into question whether community organizers put their country first.

Palin focused on the issue, mainly to criticize the Obama campaign for offering up his community organizing work opposite her experience as mayor.

But when you examine Giuliani’s dismissive tone — and the subsequent laughter by the Republicans in the XCel Energy Center — regarding the community organizer jabs, the Democrats could have an opening.

After praising Palin’s speech, I said as much, and that they can expect the Obama-Biden camp to seize on that point. This morning, I read an e-mail from Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, who incorporated the community organizer argument into a fundraising appeal.

Republican operatives I talked to said the lines were brilliant and that community organizers don’t play to the GOP’s strength.

I disagree. And so do the many folks who have sent me angry e-mails. They include white Republicans, black Democrats, people from Small Town, U.S.A., and Big City, America.

Read More…