aka Contrarian

Nels' response to this question was nothing more than an attempt to justify his infatuation with the Republican Reich. On and on he rambled trying to make his subliminal case for the Republican party being the antidote for the poisonous disinformation he was spewing about the Democrats. Bottom line, what nels couldn't bring himself to admit is that, when it came to racial matters, the Democrat and Republican parties did reverse roles! He remains shackled to the Republican narrative that he obediently parrots. And, incidentally, in the person of my Cynique alter ego, I was around when nels put in his first appearance on this site And tho I have many memories about those days, the only thing I recall about him was his name. Fueled by his arrogance, I think he has embellished the impact he had on this forum back then, and still sporadically shows up here, desperately yearning to gain some measure of respect.

The first photo is my high school graduation picture at which time I was 17. Second one was taken last year when I was 90. Yesterday, I observed my 91st birthday. Physically, I have declined. I don't have a lot of energy, suffer some hearing loss in my left ear, need cataract surgery on my right eye and don't have a lot of "pep to my step". Mentally, I'm probably in the early stages if dementia but, personality-wise, I'm still the same skeptic I was at age 20; just a little wiser. Still march to my own drumbeat. "This, above all, to thine own self be true", the words I live by. I would like to hang around long enough to see who wins the presidential election but if one of these mornings I don't wake up , I wouldn't care. "Life is a journey that is homeward bound." I'm curious about the hereafter. zzzzzzzz

@nels I find it amusing but predictable that you would refer to Walz as a dangerous socialist nutcase. This from a Retrumpican shill who will apparently cast your vote for a dementia-riddled compulsive liar and convicted felon who makes Kamala Harris look like a Sunday school teacher, a tyrannical meglo-maniac who would be instrumental in turning this country into a fascist theocracy and whose running mate is the real nut case. smh. Get real.

If for no other reason than to be able to smugly smile, I want Kamala Harris to win so she can, in effect, tell all these self important, politically impotent black men to kiss her black ass. It's not like sistas are in the habit of depending on their menfolk to come through for them, not like they aren't resourceful enough to independently do for themselves. Not like the black male voting bloc is that disciplined. Black women have learned to fight their own battles without input from inefficient black males. I'd be willing to bet it wasn't Kamala's idea to approach what's-his-nzme for an interview. Probably the bright idea of a white male member of her staff who is naive enough to think 10K was enough to buy a nigga off.

In the south, yesterday's Democrats are today's Republicans. Those good ol boys flying confederate flags and toting rifles still exist. Only the names have been changed because red neck white crackers are more compatible with racist conservative Republicans. The "Dixiecrats" morphed into "Retrumpicans" beginning in the 1960s Why is this so hard for Republicans to process and why do they keep desperately dwelling on it, attempting to create a smoke screen? Labels are superficial. It's not what a group is called. It's how it behaves. The past is the past. Today's KKK members certainly won't be voting for Democrats Kamala and Tim.

Imo, race is many-faceted and fluid. I tend to agree with those who say it is a social construct. (It would certainly have to be if, as Pioneer claims about blond blue eyed Polish and red haired green eyed Irish people at one time not being considered white, is true!?) I suspect these immigrants were just looked upon as second class citizens. To me, hair texture is a very good race marker. The nappy black hair gene seems to be a dominant one, and in my experience, a "giveaway" when race is in question. And surely sociology and psychology should be given as much attention as anthropology when evaluating and deconstructing race. Since having scientific credentials is obviously not a requirement in this discussion, I submit that blackness can also be a state of mind, a mystique, a certain demeanor, a special vibe, a unique blend of traits stemming from the survival techniques that had their origin within the confines of the slavery culture. That's our identity. As for the pedigree of America's slave descendant population, we are actually a hybrid breed that could be classified as a subdivision of the Negroid race. Of course, as Troy is always quick to remind us, the current school of scientific thought contends that there is only one race; the human one. And that our samenesses far exceed our differences. Kamala Harris has an Asian mother and a Black father. She is, what she is. It's as much about context as about biology.

Not that I really care, but how pioneer describes the curremt state of American white womanhood is so glaringly the exception and not the rule that it only requires one word to refute it. "Ridiculous!" HaHa. Caucasian women are still among the most desired females in the world. Great numbers of their menfolk are not deserting them in order to marry mail order brides or other ethnicities. Not according to my sources. When it comes to the subject of the designated role of African American women in this country, pioneer is too subjective to be taken seriously. So I won't do so. HaHa He insists that black women are, and always have been used by white men, and he recommends that sistas opt to send the right message by standing by their men and refraining from succumbing to the sickness of honestly evaluating a white husband prosoect. And, in consideration of their downtrodden fathers, sisters must repent and obediently become crutches for the legions of limping black men, who those mean ol white guys are aways mistreating. There's your assgnment, black females. Now hop to it like good girls! I'm done. Time to go back to more urgent matters like fretting over the dumb-ass Democrats. They got it wrong. Kamala is not the one. She ignites too much controversy. Dems lacked the insight to foresee this.

@Prof D. The above exchange between you and me could've taken place 10 years ago. 10 years hence, what we've both said will be an example of the "more-things-change- the-more-they-become-the-same" adage. In this contest between your rhetoric and my skepticism, another old saying comes to my weary mind. The one that claims that "the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions". To all my good-intentioned black kinsmen I say, lotsa luck in your 400 year struggle to acquire equality within the confines of a homeland where we've never been anything but foster children. Why do I say this? Because you malcontents boo-hoo about it every day presumably from your back seats in the buses driven by the dreaded blue-eyed devils! The Cynical Contrarian has spoken.

Whereas the subject is the donkey's head, you guys all seem to be looking up his ass, full of idealism, continuing to believe that political partys can solve social problems. The fact is that America is engaged in an ongoing class war. The elitist Capitalistic system is the real enemy and it has spawned a society made up of the "haves" and "have nots", rewarding the rugged individuals who have figured out a way to milk the system , accumulate wealth, and control the status quo. Communism and Socialism purport to be the answer to the scourge of Capitalism, but these 2 ideologies soon degenerate into the corruption that power generates. Maybe if Blacks framed their problem in a different way, stopped asking the wrong questions and expecting the right answers, the conclusions they reach would enlighten them. Whatever they've been doing, is not working, (thanks in part to the crabs-in-the-barrel toxicity which erodes the unity every one seems to think will ensure success). zzzzzzzz Perhaps the new strategy should be no strategy. Keeping in mind that Talk is cheap, Life is not fair and Fate is fickle, come to the realization that not all problems have solutions. Some eventually dissipate or mutate in order to make room for new ones. The Cynical Contraian has spoken. In a couple of weeks I will observe my 91st birthday. Unless of course I die first.

@Troy: I think you misunderstood my statement. In saying that my problem with Kamala having a white husband was "purely political", I meant that my problem was purely political, not her marriage. My objection was based on the possibility that such a marriage could cause her to lose the vote of people who disapprove of interracial marriage. Get it? I wasn't saying her marriage was purely political. (Especially since her husband isn't a politician.)

In regard to the surge in Kamala Harris support groups, it serves that vocal social media crowd of Kamala detractors right! That's what these black dudes get for turning their backs on Kamala. They got gamed by white guys, Their pettiness backfired and now they're standing around with egg on their faces, left with nothing to offer the Democrats in exchange for their votes. You trifling second stringers ain't ready to run with the big boys. Go sit back down on the bench and play with yourselves. Meanwhile, those pragmatic brothas in high places who do get on the Kamala bandwagon will reap what benefits result in the event of a Democrat victory. Actually, there's still no guarantee Kamala will win, with the specter of Robert Kennedy's candicacy beckoning disgruntled Blacks looking to play the spoiler role. But who ever triumphs will represent a victory for white superiority when it comes to chicanery. As for alternatives, when Obama was president, black men were among his harshest critics. They've never stopped besmirching his legacy, calling him a sell-out who did nothing forBlacks.Now suddenly certain ones are convinced that Obama's inexperienced all-black wife, with his help, would be a good president, miraculously equipped to deal with a racist Republican controlled Congress. Hopefully, Kamala's vice president choice will be someone who, behind the scenes, can take up her slack. This campaign is really setting the stage for chaos. There may be some dissent at the Democratic convention from resentful upstarts wanting an open convention, miffed over being blitzed by the Kamala Harris coronation that left them no say in the selection process. Then there's the Electoral College which could be the biggest obstacle of all. The highly vaunted Foundling Father's did posterity no favor by coming up with this convoluted process that counterfeits the popular vote. These male chauvinistic, slave holders were not all they're cracked up to be. They'd have certainly favored Trump for President over Harris!

@Pioneer1NOTHING you have said voids Kamala's qualifications. In fact your critique of the presidency also applies to her. Nor did your testimony particularly enhance Michelle's suitability. And it's amusing how a wanna be black guru like you is more impressed by Harvard than Howard and would give more street cred to the south side of Chicago than to Oakland California. źzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Here's my 2 cents. There are more single women among Blacks than any other ethnicity and that's because sistas have to share black men with white women. White women face no such dilemma. White men are not bypassing them to marry black women. Even among celebrities. So this is a non issue imo. In any case, who could blame black women if they seek to diversify their choices in men, considering the contentious relationship they have with black males. I don't think it's a big deal. It's simply a sign of the times. Like everyone else, black women should be free to marry whomever they please. All this BS about high achieving black women sending the wrong message by marrying outside their race is just that. Bull shit. If the example of a black female role model being a sista who has snared a brotha with a car and a good job is a dated idea, so is all this blather about slavery still influencing the dynamic between black women and white men in the year 2024, especially considering what a black career woman brings to the tabie. Whether successful or not, black women have earned the right to marry any color man they choose, They have no obligation to assuage the egos of black men or to inspire impressionable black females who, when all is said and done, would still prefer a black NBA baller over a white hockey star. My problem with Kamala having a white mate is purely political. This image could cost her votes among the superficial crowd.

@Pioneer: Being San Frsncisco's District attorney, California's Attorney General, and State senator along with a degree from Howard University are among Kamala's impressive credentials in case you're blind , deaf, or in denial. I've never known what position Michelle Obama ever held other than first Lady. Never knew what she put her law degree to work doing. And, oh yeah, She grew up in a middle-class family on Chicago's south side... Fill me in.

@ProfDThank you for your input. "Should" may be the operative word for Pioneer's reaction to a point I wasn't trying to make but, as usual, his response was irrelevant. You, I, and everybody else already know what determines the role models that children adopt. Pioneer's holding black women to a different standard than black men was what provoked my post, and this was something he neglected to address he was so busy posting pictures. The observations I subsequently expressed after chiding him for his double standard were just me blowing off steam and required no explanatory response from him. Furthermore, the role model most single black girls look up to is a sista who managed to snare herself a brotha with a good job and a car. Having a white husband doesn't necessarily send a positive message.

@Pioneer1So you have a problem if high profile black women do what their black male counterparts do, which is to marry a white person. Puleeze. I, myself, am tired of the role model onus placed on successful Blacks. Kids should be able to look no further than their parents when seeking their role models. lf that fails, I advise using a little imagination and initiative and simply aspire to be the best you can be. Screw trying to be like someone famous. All famous people aren't paragons in private. And not all wanna-bes become gonna-bes. Those are the breaks. The same with that tired ol cliche about wanting to "see people who look like me" in every scenario. If you wanna see somebody who resembles you, then look in the damn mirror and keep on truckin'. Yes, I'm negative. I'm also tired of the younger generations expecting Life to be tailored to their self centered needs. Put your friggin' phones down and be your own inspiration!

Let's hear it for black men organizing vigilante groups to go up against individual acts of racist violence, brandishing their guns, and flexing their muscles to show how tough they are, making a bad situation worse as they try to take the law into their own hands! No way, ProfD. File that idea away with your Reparation fixation. Too bad no such bravado comes into play when a highly qualified black sista is chosen to run against a white racist political opponent who wants to restore a system that undoes what racial progress has been made. Any such group of vigilante renegades would probably be made up of the same type brothas presently sulking over past slights, and bowing out when it comes to supporting and voting for Kamala Harris for president. Forget thèse jive ass misogynists who never have their priorities in order, and belong to that segment of ego-bruised black guys who are resentful of strong black women. In pulling off their dump-Biden-run-Kamala coup, Democrats made a big mistake, apprently thinking they could count on black men to support Harris. Brothas are who will help contribute to a possible outcome that will further diminish their standing in a Trump-led "great again" America! Any clandestine attempt to punish racist killers will be promptly squelched by Retrumpican storm troopers,

@ProdD: Your arguments can't be deconstructed because you remain in denial about the true fabric of the Democratic party. Your narrative also conveniently ignores what Democrats have done for the Blacks it is made up of. Your reparations pipe dream seems to have skewed your perspective. You will never be placated by any party in this country because your demands are not in proportion to the percentage of the population that Blacks represent. Your sense of black entitlement rivals the toxicity of white privilege. Get real. In the process of time bringing change, I predict African Americans will eventually be absorbed into the mainstream and Life will go on. In the meantime, since you think it's all about fear mongering and that a Trump presidency poses no threat to the personal freedoms of all Americans, then don't vote. Go play your piano and mow your lawns and let others worry about the restrictions of a "great again" America. It's not as if you can't flee to Canada. Me, I can only hope that I wont be on the scene when the shit hits the fan.

@ProfD: This particular election isn't about bargaining with special interest groups in exchange for their voting bloc. It's about retaining a leadership that will stave off a takeover of a democratic government by a coalition of right-wing Evangelical Conservatives who want to Make America Great Again under the dictatorship of Donald Trump! We anti-Trumpers are all in this fight together. Forget the ambiguous demands of Blacks whose middle class is bristling with people livng their best lives, and whose underclass is robbing and carjacking, and settling grievances with guns because - it's easier to do bad than good. Beating Trump takes priority over all this in-fighting. We have to come together as one to defeat tRump and what he represents. As for what the future holds, I hope the younger generation does move forward with a different mindset, and sorts all this BS out. But, if it doesn't, then - tough shit. zzzzzzzzzz.

@ProfD when I said "our" I didn't mean that as a black person. I meant it as a Democrat. I don't care what Harris's pedigree is as long as she can give tRump a run for his money. Black Retrumpicans have taught me that "all skin folk ain't kinfolk". And I'd actually feel more confident with a strong, capable white male running against tRump! Then I wouldn't have to listen to blacks whine about what black voters expect; which is EVERYTHING.

@ProfD: If all these black men bail on Harris, and she still wins, what the hell does she owe them? If black men are instrumental in a Trump win, what the hell will this do for any Blacks other than bible thumping homophobes and pseudo pro-lifers and misogynistic chauvinistic brothas? Black women will not have control over their bodies, and black Gays will be subjected to persecution and black school children will still underperform. And forget reparations. Very little in Plan 2025 benefits Blacks. (Maybe chances of marrying a white woman will remain stable.) This same old tired black narrative in regard to expectations from political parties reminds me of why I divorced the black race.

@nelsI was wondering when you'd show up with your portfolio of links and Youtube videos, ready to slander Kamala, who has all but sewed up the Democratic nomination for president. Yes, she's a flawed, tainted candidate. But she's our flawed, tainted candidate, and if she can defeat that Spawn of Satan, then she's OK with me. You don't send a Pollyanna saint to kick ass, you send a ruthless super bitch! If Hillary Clinton had been elected POTUS, this country would be in much better shape today.

@TroyDon't expect anything but a lot of misogynistic ad hominem tripe from nels if he responds at all to your challenge about Kamala and Obama's qualifications. I am not a big fan of Kamala Harris because I'm a catty female. Truth be told, VP Harris has a superb resume when it comes to being qualified for office. nels' excoriation of Obama is motivated, above all, by jealousy. nels needs to go take a seat next to Tim Scott, Byron Donalds, and that airhead Amber Rose over there in the "colored only" section of the Retrumpican party.

@Troy. Kamala Harris wasn't on my wish list for the Democratic ticket. She has too much baggage and her likeability quotient isn't that high; her nasal voice irritating, her Jewish husband and her white step daughters off-putting. She exudes unwarranted confidence, also brings to mind a giddy school girl just chosen to be homecoming queen. Yes, she is creating a lot of excitement among the Democratic echo chamber but they need help from uncommitted voters to pull ahead. Black men are, of course, dragging their feet when it comes to endorsing her, and who knows which way white Independents and suburban housewives will go? I know an open convention would jeopardize party unity but I still think Dems need to do better than Harris to defeat the MAGA Menace. Yet, the Retrumpicans do seem threatened by her - so there's that... Bottom line, I guess I have no choice but to vote for her. It's not like my opinion matters.

@Kenneth I don't buy the idea that Dems should've stuck with Biden simply because you should fight on no matter what. You gotta know "when to hold 'em or when to fold 'em". Winless battles may be heroic but they're not victories. IMO, It didn't take the media or polls or right wing psychology to manipulate those calling for Biden to step down. Joe's demeanor spoke volumns. It was obvious to anyone who got past their emotions, that Joe is no longer up to speed. Age has taken its toll on him both mentally and physically. I also see no harm in an open. convention. Suppose Kamala doesn't succeed in earning the right to have the nomination handed to her. Defeating Trump is the prime objective. Not projecting a false unity. @ProfD I agree that the Dems have a big job trying to make Kamala palatable. Black men have been among her harshest critics. She has baggage the Retrumpicans are already poised to drag out. She better choose an impressive running mate. Those who I argue with accuse me of being too negative. I tell them that the media they are brainwashed by are motion pictures. They think everything is a conspiracy and that life is like a movie where the impossible happens and the good guys win or the bad guys devastate. Life can be very random. Luck is capricious. Reality is a bitch.