The Black Politico Gap – Young vs. Old …

The never-ending discussion on our people’s generation gap is a constant fly in the soup.  But, it’s there and we can’t help but point it out in a few recent cases. 

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), civil rights icon and longtime CBC powerhouse, is quick to endorse Clinton over Obama; he’s also real quick to clarify that he did not endorse a young Black political candidate, Keith Leaphart, running against Rep. Bob Brady (D-PA) in Philly in 2008, emphasizing that he and Brady are longtime friends and colleagues. 

Even though Leaphart dropped the milk on that (he took friendly, passing words from Lewis as an endorsment), you can’t help but sympathize with him.  There’s a mixed signal: in a time when we get pummelled with messages and imagery of Black men “going extinct” too many of us fail to support those young brothers who actually get inspired, get motivated and want to run for office.  What’s up with that?  There’s recent discussion surrounding the fact that Clinton is polling amongst Black women better than Obama.  Think about that for a moment – here we have an example of a relatively young brother running for high office, the only brother to have a real shot at winning at, amid a climate of increased anxiety about a lack of “good Black men.”  We’re not endorsing Obama, but we can’t help but see the contradiction.  Many African Americans appear more supportive of Black athletes and entertainment phenoms than they do of a national Black political figure who could come close to winning the Democratic nomination. 

We have to ask ourselves: what do we want?

Then you’ve got hip hop intellectual and former MTV star Kevin Powell running against long-time CBC member Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) in Brooklyn (the notorious no-show-on-the-Hill), with no major endorsements from Congressional Black Caucus members.  We know what that’s all about – Towns is one of them – but, still … what about a little love for the young brothers wanting to take it to the next level?  

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. runs a rather critical column on why he’s endorsing Obama, in stark contrast to his father.  Why are the older Black politicos so quick not to endorse up and coming politicos who represent the new generation? John Lewis was as fast as sound to distance himself from Leaphart in an effort to not offend his White Hill colleague – we understand the politics, but couldn’t it have all been done a different way in which Lewis dropped some words of wisdom on the 32-year old political novice. 

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