'News & Notes' Tackles Election 2008

There's a funny quote from Tancredo -- back when he was running -- who said he used the Candidate Match thing, and ended up with a candidate other than himself.

Sent by TJ Drivers | 3:33 PM | 1-2-2008

On the bloggers' roundtable, the host often asks for participants opinions on stories and comments without explaining the story to listeners who may not be familiar with it. You did the same thing on Wednesday's show with the Willie Lynch story-- I am a professor of African American literature, and I'm not familiar with the story. Nor have I seen The Great Debaters yet. So it was difficult for me to follow the conversation, which assumed listeners knew the outline of the story, which purports to describe the origins on lynching.

Please be more sensitive to getting your readers on the same page as your roundtable participants~ otherwise, it is like listening on on a private conversation.

On another note, as a literature professor, I love the idea of your "conversation with a character" series.

Claire Garcia

Sent by Claire Garcia | 1:37 PM | 1-3-2008

Hello,
I heard the feature on blog radio and was left with one unanswered question--what is the difference between blog radio and podcasting? Is there different distribution? access? equipment?
Thanks.

Sent by Warren Brown | 2:59 PM | 1-3-2008

Hi Warren,

The big difference is that Internet radio is live. You can create live, call-in radio shows distributed via the Web. After the show, it's archived and made available as a podcast. BlogTalkRadio, Talkshoe and Skypecast are a few sites that can get you on your way. Good luck!

Sent by Geoffrey Bennett | 1:45 PM | 1-4-2008

You know, all this talk by the pundits about Obama winning S.C. because he's black ... I don't think it's such a done deal. Clinton support is firmly entrenched in the Black community, and a lot of Black folk really don't know that much about Barack Obama (for a host of reasons that aren't all his fault.) It will be really interesting if the "white vote" puts Obama over the top in S.C., with black voters voting for Hillary.

Sent by Candice James | 4:30 PM | 1-8-2008

Elaine Brown has decided not to run as a Green...I'm not sure why.

Sent by Todd Mason | 10:03 PM | 1-9-2008

I'm a South Carolinian who's energized by the upcoming Jan.26 primary. I will be celebrating my 38th birthday on Jan. 24, and the best present that I can imagine will be that Obama takes this state by storm! I have been voting since I was 18 years old, and I'm tired of "business as usual". To coin a phrase mentioned on MSNBC with Tim Russert this past weekend, "I am a starbucks democrat!"

Sent by Michelle | 10:16 PM | 1-16-2008

The Clintons are "over" - we need to move our society forward - and Barack Obama is the one to do that best. (From a 50-something white female.)

Sent by Valerie | 3:12 PM | 1-22-2008

Will other candidates get the enormous amount of airtime which News and Notes has given Barak Obama? I'm a daily listener (on the web), and always enjoy the intelligent, lively, and insightful coverage, but I've been disappointed with your campaign coverage. You do seem biased toward Obama, and you give way too much attention (along with many other media outlets) to the persona sparring and the coverage of the coverage rather than the real policies. You have fallen into the trap that other NPR programs have also sadly fallen into~ treating the campaign as entertainment.

I'm hoping for your usual "better" as the campaigns continue.

Sent by Claire Garcia | 3:36 PM | 1-24-2008

Why are the new medias and the clintons portraying that Mr. Obama is the person that started the bickering. All of the information in the news points to the clintons. I pray that Mr. Obama will stay focus on his wonderful campaign he started in Iowa. Obama is a serious threat to them and they know it. clinton 'IS NOT THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT'. If anyone other than Mr. Obama, JFK was. That was who clinton was trying to portray to blacks. clinton received taxpayers money for what 'LITTLE' he did nor the country, NOT for blacks! somebody needs to let him know he did not do that good of a job. if he wasn't such a big liar, people could see what he did not fo. he has promised hillary her turn in the white house at any cost because he embarrassed her with his lies and infidelities.

Sent by Ms. Pierce | 5:36 PM | 1-24-2008

What exactly has Hillary done legislatively for "Black People." She and Bill are always touting their being on the right side of civil rights, and that may be true when it is convenient for them. But let's get real, as soon as it became a problem for Bill to be associated with Blackness, he ran, fast. Also, since Hillary is using Bill's years in office as her own, let's remember, Lani Guinere, remember the Surgeon General, remember Rwanda, remember Don't ask, Don't tell, remember his being impeached, remember Monica Lewinsky, remember Whitewater, remember his bold face lie "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," remember his real lack of character.

Just a few days ago, Hillary Clinton said that MLK's contribution to civil rights legislation in this country was rather insignificant. They made a calculated decision to play the race card to remind the country that "He, Barack Obama really is BLACK folks", but they are on the right side of civil rights...right!

They are doing what works best with Black people, dividing and conquering. Hillary is a divider, not a uniter and if you think the last 7 years have been hell and you want more of the same...give her your vote
_________________________________
Clinton's Political Experience
U.S. Senator from New York, 2001-present
First Lady of the United States, 1993-2001
First Lady of Arkansas, 1979-1981, 1983-1993
Education
Yale Law School, J.D., 1973
Wellesley College, B.A., 1969
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seems Obama has more Political Experience
U.S. Senator from Illinois, 2005-present
Illinois State Senator, 1997-2004
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D., 1991
Columbia University, B.A., 1983

Sent by Happy Independent | 1:09 PM | 1-25-2008

I got a good kick out the the blogger's round table on Wednesday when Gina broke it down with regards to fans and allies. That was real profound. It does have me being a little more observant than what I already was with regards to the presidential race. That term of having either fans or allies goes into a lot other different situations for me from here on out.

Sent by Mark Stepney | 1:50 PM | 1-31-2008

Every time that I hear someone say that Senator Obama lacks experience to become the next President of the United States I get sick to my stomach. Can someone please tell me, other than a President serving a second presidential term, who has experience to be President of the United States? I can agree that all of the candidates, Democrats and Republicans, are experienced politicians--granted some have more experience than others do. But, why does anyone think that Senator Clinton has more experience than Senator Obama does? Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, William Clinton, George W. Bush, and any other president serving a second term gained experience during their first term in office. In other words, the fact that each of them was president for 4 years meant that each one gained experience during the first term to be president upon reelection to a second term in office. How did they work out for you? No candidate that will be elected for president in November 2008 has experience to be president. And sadly, whoever will become president after the current president leaves office will need to be reelected because the first 4 years will be spent cleaning up the mess that was left by--oh yeah--someone with experience.

Sent by Alice E. Brown | 10:35 PM | 2-4-2008

I watched a little bit (as much as I could stand) of the Tavis Smiley whining and moaning extravaganza. There was the usual bunch including "professor" West. All were complaining about something when they should be prompting viewers to thank their lucky star they???re living in this grate country. I mean black people (pardon me, "African Americans") could actually be living in Africa. What a shock that would be. You-all would have a whole different set of issues like surviving AIDS or tribal warfare. These would truly be things to complain about. What a joke!

Sent by Don Nichoalds | 3:09 PM | 2-24-2008

Feb 26 show regarding ancient Egypt-

I had never heard it suggested that the ancient Egyptians were caucasian. When Robert Draper, the author of the Nat'l Geographic article about a historically brief "nubian" conquest of Egypt, who was interviewed by Tony Cox and twice referred to Egyptians as caucasian, I was surprised that this was not challenged. A further theme of Draper's survey of the history of ancient northeast Africa was the idea that the contributions of the Nubians were condidered inferior to those of the "caucasian" Egyptians. Egyptians may not have been Nubians during the time of the Pharoahs and the building of the pyramids, but they were not caucasians. Rather, was not their pigment closer to the color of current Egyptians or Arabs?

Steve Williams
Phila., PA

Sent by Steve Williams | 10:10 PM | 2-26-2008

I am a 60 year old white woman living in Florida [so where is my vote?]. This speach of Obama just won me over. He earned my respect and support by going for the throat instead of pretending race was cut and dried. It is ALWAYS a confusing problem and will not be solved in our life time.

Sent by NINA P. BUCK | 8:38 PM | 3-18-2008

Not related to Iraq or Obama, but Trey Ellis. Why is a Black man doing basic functions heralded? Why does this man get so much attention for the daily deeds of single parenthood? Is it because he is a man, or a Black man? Women do this every day. I think the continual accolades to men for performing basic functions lowers the standards for men and Black men in particular. The more that women support this behavior, the less respect we get for what we've been doing from the beginning of time, and we will see less and less of truly extraordinary men.

Sent by Lili Hungerford | 11:32 AM | 3-20-2008

Not sure if you all realize this but there are a NUMBER of Blacks out there considering a move to another country due to the unfortunate nature of race relations. Unlike in the past, many have the wherewithal and the skills to uproot and not come back ala Josephine Baker style.

Sent by Jessie Womack | 5:44 PM | 3-20-2008

Too often, Farai Chideya must abruptly end important interviews that she is conducting in real time and against the clock, cutting off the person being interviewed in mid thought or mid response. This was the case with the interview of the intellectual Houston Baker on the Monday 4/7/2008 show as he was responding in a careful, deliberate, and slow manner to an important question posed by Ms Chideya, who abruptly cut him off in the middle of his response to say thank you and goodnite. Important interviews whose subject matter does not easily fit in a real time broadcast news format should be taped and edited prior to the actual broadcast so that important messages and conclusions may be expressed and heard.

Steve Williams
Phila., PA

Sent by Steve Williams | 10:45 PM | 4-7-2008

I was struck by the commentary on Bob Johnson and his comments regarding Barack Obama yesterday. It seems as though people are all on different pages when it comes to striving for equality and healing racism. I would think to have a "Bob Johnson" express his views regarding Barack Obama would be a healthy thing since it shows that a black man does not have to be committed to the black candidate simply because of race. I must say I am a Barack Obama supporter and wish everyone could see the leadership in Barack that I see; however, when we achieve what I thought we as a people were striving for, I think it is a good thing for blacks to be allowed to make an actual choice rather than be pigeon holed because of race.

Sent by Rachel Powers - St. Louis | 11:40 AM | 4-18-2008

I love your show, but the Senator Clinton bashing on Wed. bloggers' discussion was way over the top.Why is it taboo to admit that Black folks are Obama supporters because he is Black?
If I were black, I'd have voted Obama without apology. Of course Clinton faced opposition because of her gender (men may not get this) just as Obama will face opposition because of his race
(white folks may not get this).

It appears to me that many African Americans are angry at the Clintons because Hillary didn't just give up on her candidacy like a good girl should, but fought for it like a politician. But
why should she give Obama a free pass to the nomination? Carman Dixon is right - the Republicans won't give him a free pass for the general election. He may not be able to win in November on his
charm and the Black Vote alone - and he certainly won't be an effective president without knowing exactly whose arm to twist and how far.

Sent by K Nelson | 4:50 PM | 6-5-2008

I an a loyal listener of your show, and at times have been in disagreement with your positions, but I applaud your seeing the importance and value in supporting the movement towards America electing the first Black president.
Nonetheless, I am saddened by those people-of-color who believe, or have bought into the republican "spin" of caring about their well-being. There have been many social and financial indicators during this present 7 year rupublican administration, and what would be predictable in another republican White House, of disparities among people-of-color, and continued support of policies that negatively effect POC more. But then, as mentioned by your listener in a letter read on air, those who do not plan to vote for Obama are among the black 10% who are earning more than 6 figure salaries. My impression of the truly elitist who are of the illusion that money has shielded them from the disparities and unequalities experienced by all non-whites.

Sent by Henri Williams | 9:20 PM | 6-21-2008