Re: [Marxism] Harlem Conference on Obama (FYI -- past)

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here are the answers to my questions and related matters from the comrade
who attended the Harlem meeting on Obama:

In response to Fred's direct questions, based on what I can remember: Re:
[Marxism] Harlem Conference on Obama (FYI -- past) 

1) Nellie Bailey was the first one to mention McKinney explicitly, saying "I
may be 'wasting my vote' this time, but I'm voting for Cynthia McKinney" (or
something along those lines).

2) Ford stated explicitly that he has been speaking several times a week in
favor of McKinney. 

3) I can't remember a specific endorsement of McKinney by Monteiro, but it
may be that I just don't remember. He certainly did not differentiate
himself in any way from the McKinney endorsements, and therefore let the
impression stand that he was in the same camp. 

4) There were at least four or five positive references to McKinney from the
floor, maybe more than that. 

5) Again I remember both Nellie and Ford rejecting outright any support to
Clinton. I can't remember a similar declaration by Monteiro, which once
again does not mean he didn't make one. All three did clearly express a
common position: On the politics there is nothing to choose from between
Obama and Clinton. 

6) Baraka attempted to assert that anyone who was opposed to McKinney was
"objectively" giving support to Clinton, whatever their intent. When he said
this for the third or fourth time, after vigorous rejections of the idea
from both panelists and members of the audience, he was greeted by jeers,
and demands that he desist. 

7) There were several references to McCain and what he represents. (I'm not
sure I agree with Fred's assertion that it is "fascism," but I'll leave that
aside) Clearly, however, this was a baseline agreement in the room, and
therefore did not take up too much of anyone's time.

I certainly agree with Fred that the groundswell of mass support for Obama
(both among Blacks and whites in the USA) is a phenomenon worth looking at
and understanding, one which cannot be dismissed by passing it through the
lens of pure-and-simple lesser-evilism. It tells us some very positive
things about the state of mass consciousness right now. The relevant
question for a conversation about the Harlem meeting, however, is the state
of consciousness among vanguard layers, and on that level those who do not
get swept up in the mania for Obama reflect the more interesting, and
positive, development it seems to me 

 




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