The Gantt Report - Who are the “we” that Presidential candidate Barack Obama speaks about in his most memorable campaign phrase, “Yes we can”!

Time will tell, but right now is the time to recognize Obama’s limited success in America’s Presidential Primary Elections.

Obama won the Iowa caucus and placed second in New Hampshire’s primary. There are many more primaries to go.

Apparently, the people want change and there is no bigger change than replacing a stumbling, bumbling head of state with a smooth African-American political operator. No, I didn’t say opportunist.

I’m not a Democrat or a Republican so I can’t vote for any candidate in Florida’s partisan Presidential Primary. I do, however, wish my brother Obama well.

I think he has some excellent points but so does Ron Paul and sometimes Dennis Kucinich.

My worry is that Black people will forever put their hope and faith in politicians of all races and creeds and never begin to believe in and have faith in themselves.

I, and many others, feel the only ones that will help us, support us and care about us is “us”!

I realize the importance of Barack Obama developing and nurturing a broad base of voter support but I obviously also think that Obama needs to develop an equally broad base of political professionals, vendors, consultants, advertisers, researchers and so on.

Don’t take my word for it. History is the best teacher and history shows that the largest contributors to a political campaign oftentimes have the most influence on a political campaign. Also the people hired by political candidates to work on political campaigns are also the first ones hired to fill government positions after the campaign.

Yes, my boy Barack is on a roll! Rolling through Presidential Primaries like Sherman rolled through Atlanta during the Civil War.

God willing, some of us will be able to roll with him. Black people in the United States are eager to put Barack Obama first and they hope Obama does not put Black people last.

One thing for sure is that there should be a higher Black voter turnout in 2008 primaries and general elections. If there is such a jump in Black political participation it will be very costly to the party with no serious Black involvement.

Go ahead, Barack. So far, so good. Time, time, time will tell whether or not you will reach out, grab your brothers and sisters by the hand and pull us up with you.

America’s biggest cities have Black Mayors, Commissioners, Councilmen and so forth but guess where Black folk are catching the most hell, living in the poorest conditions, receiving the least police protection, foreclosing on the most homes and suffering from the worst and most expensive health care?

I hope that kind of political history does not repeat itself with Barack Obama! (Gantt’s two new books are coming soon. “The Making of Faheem Najm” (I won’t tell you his stage name) and “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” are scheduled for 2008 releases. Contact Lucius at
(www.allworldconsultants.net)