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Why, Troy, do you always bend over backwards to excuse or support Cornel West, yet give such short shrift to Obama who is not exactly a lightweight? Or Al Sharpton who is a gritty black spokesman.They are also examples that are not so simple to explain away. Just because Obama and Sharpton eskew the intellectual rhetoric and theory that West spews doesn't make them totally ineffective. They, instead, pick their battles, antagonizing and frustrating and exposing Conservative Republicans as the fools that they are. Cornel West with all of his bedazzling didactism doesn't get any better results. Also, why do you implicitly discredit Toni Morrison's assertions about Ta-Nehisi Coates, and dutifully embrace the substance of Cornel West's critique of him, while apologizing for the style of it. It's like your being acquainted with him has turned you into a Cornel West groupie and you think he can do no wrong. Which doesn't make you that much different from the die-hard Obama fans who disgust you.

I love Cynique's statement, "making himself the standard by which other pretenders should be measured." That literally sums up my thoughts on this. West may have created a dialogue and he has spent an incredible amount of time building his persona and portfolio, but I don't think for a second that he did so selflessly with only the regard of Blacks as his goal. He may have initially, but his pauper appearance belies and incredibly wealthy guy who has more in common with those he rails against than those he "fights" for. He collects very big checks for his lectures and discussions on race and diversity. When another person encroaches on this area, the alpha will always become defensive to save its territory. Coates is affecting West's pockets. In my eyes it is very simple. Most things in life are really simple, we choose to assign complexities. Race is about control. Racism is about control. It is that simple. West's commentary is about losing footing. It is that simple. Why do I say this? I realize the unfortunate fact that in the Black community only 1 of us is chosen to be the voice of the people. That's how the greater society keeps us in our place and we allow it because we give all of our power to the media. West realizes that as Coates becomes the flavor of the month, his light begins to dwindle. That is all this is about in my view. I won't address the fact that Facebook dominates the conversation. Anywhere the people are will be given importance over everything else all of the time. We can only keep pushing. We are all Sisyphus.