As a long-time supporter and follower of Tavis Smiley, I wasn’t shocked when he lashed out at Barack Obama for choosing not to attend his annual State of the Black Union Summit being held this weekend in Louisiana. Tavis has never been one to take no for an answer. Besides, when he invites people to attend his event, where the who’s who in black America gather to thoughtfully dialogue on solutions to the problems that plague us, they usually show up.
However, I was extremely disappointed as Tavis’ Obama lashing got more and more vitriolic and seemingly personal.
To most people, it is clear that Senator Obama is in a unique position. He is poised to become the first African American Democratic nominee for President of the United States. With that comes the need to delicately tread this nation’s racial and political landscape, as the slightest thing –a misinterpreted remark, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, even an out of place hair – can seriously jeapordize his candidacy.
Most people understand this. Tavis apparently does not. Therefore, I am offering three reasons why Tavis needs to stop criticizing Barack Obama for not attending his State of Black America event:
1.) By continuously talking about Obama on his various media platforms, Tavis runs the risk of looking like a bully, a hater, a traitor and a cry-baby all at the same time.
2.) By waging this one-sided Obama battle, Tavis is seriously jeapordizing his credibility within the black community and increasingly seems out of touch with the thoughts and ideals of everyday people.
3.) Each day that this battle continues, Tavis appears self-centered and mean-spirited–two qualities I happen to know do not accurately reflect who he is.
On behalf of the black community and black media, let it go Tavis, let it go.
Someone on Tavis’ team needs to pull his coat tails. Tell him this is a losing battle. Obama is America’s golden child. His got a momentum that even an established political insider like Hillary Clinton can’t stop, let alone a media commentator!
Don’t get me wrong, we need an advocate like Tavis. Someone who will fight to the death for us on issues that matter. But I echo the sentiments of much of the community on this issue when I say “Brother Tavis, back off Obama!”
