Caption This Photo.

Bishop Thomas Weeks Needs To Get His Mind Right.

If you're unfamiliar with the Thomas Weeks/Juanita Bynum soap opera, you need to Google em' or this won't make any sense to you. I didn't bother wading in this cesspool earlier this year when they underwent their very public divorce because I don't particularly care for either of them.

Still, how sad is it that Bishop Weeks is now taking to the internet to troll for his next wife, like this is some sorta holy version of The Flavor Of Love? Note, I'm not responsible for all the smarty-arty graphics and interjections, but I mostly agree. This cat should be somewhere trying to save his ministry, not MySpace pimpin'.



Any woman that marries this d-bag gets what she deserves. There, I said it.

Where Is Latarian When You Need Him!?!?

Quick, somebody pry Latarian free of those Walmart hotwings, cause we could send him to whip this little kid's a$$.

Actually, I don't blame the kid at all, I blame the ignoramus father who obviously put him up to this. On Hannity and Colmes, the child was asked exactly whom the "terrorists" of note were. He drew a blank.

Some folks simply shouldn't be allowed to have kids. And who the ham sammich names a child Dax?

Of course, this child will prolly become the toast of the Colorado GOP, and I don't doubt for a second that he'll get a few free packages of Obama Waffles for this defiant, yet proud show of patriotism. Our founding fathers are smiling inside.

Of course, the father's suing.

What! A! Country!

The DA should take this case and drop it like it's hot.

Question: Should Dax's father be somehow held responsible for this, given the fact that the kid was suspended and lost school days for such a stupid gesture?

Fifth Grader Suspended For Wearing Anti-Obama Shirt [FoxNews]

Caption This Photo.

The Debate Was A Draw, But Obama Won.

Friday's debate was pretty dry and uneventful, just like I told ya'll it would be. Thankfully, my Debate Party at the crib was cool. Good food, good fam, and good friends tend to make even watching paint dry interesting.

We didn't do any drinking games, but we did keep a scorecard of gaffes, "oh no he didn't" moments, and obscenely repetitive catch phrases like "my friends", "change", "hope" and "Wall Street/Main Street". Try this sometime, it's pretty fun.

I thought the debate was a draw. Obama didn't bury McCain on the economy like he could have. Somehow, McCain ended up turning an earnest discussion about the economic bailout into some nonsense about earmarks. Newsflash! DaddyMac: earmarks aren't even a small part of why we're trillions of dollars in debt. Still, Obama wasn't as dominant on the economy as he should have been.

That said, this was a debate on foreign policy, and I think any rational person has to agree that while this is McCain's (only?) strong suit, he didn't exactly deliver the smackdown on Obama either. His insistence on belaboring the point of "preconditions" more or less made him look petty and annoying, not like an honorable and decorated vet. And he couldn't even pretend to defend his stance on the Iraq war in the first place.

This debate was really Obama's introduction to some odd crossection of the country that somehow knows little about him (seriously, WTH?) and I'd say that by holding his own against McCain, he proved himself to be Presidential. This is the one debate where he was supposed to be clueless and in over his head. Neither of those things happened, not by a longshot.

Obama was (sometimes too damn) cool, calm, and collected. He has definitely worked on formulating shorter answers, although he still does that whole "uhhhmmm, uhhh" thing far too much for comfort. McCain showed why he's becoming increasingly unlikeable. He wouldn't make eye contact with Obama and generally talked to him like he was the hired help. What a jackass!

While I scored it a draw, McCain had more to lose (again, his sole area of expertise) by not separating himself from the crowd. It's like the College Football BCS, McCain may have eked out a victory, but the margin was a last second FG, not a 5 TD blowout, so the net result is a loss in the standings. Today's Gallup poll seems to reflect this.

Barack Obama leads John McCain, 50% to 42% among registered voters in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday -- just one point shy of his strongest showing of the year.

These results, from Sept. 25-27, span the time period since John McCain made the announcement that he was temporarily suspending his campaign and returning to Washington to work for a bipartisan solution to the financial crisis, and since Congressional leaders first announced progress towards the resolution of a financial bailout bill.

The results also include one complete day (Saturday) after the first presidential debate on Friday night. McCain had reached a point where he was tied with Obama earlier in the week, but Obama has gained steadily in each of the last three days' reports. Overall, Obama has gained four percentage points over the last three days, while McCain has lost four points, for an eight-point swing in the "gap" or margin.

So again, Friday was a draw, but McCain ultimately loses. I'm sure my friends of the GOP persuasion will try and spin this otherwise, so go right ahead.

Question: What are your post-debate thoughts? Did Obama fail to distinguish himself on the economy? Did McCain drop the ball on foreign policy? Was my BCS poll analogy spot-on or what?

Obama Rises, McCain Falls in New Poll [AOL News]

A Baller Who Actually Gives Back.

One thing that really sticks in my craw is when folks insist that professional athletes should "give back more to the community". Sure, athletes are paid, but merely making millions of dollars and being on TV doesn't automatically qualify you to speak on social issues, endorse political candidates, or save the starvin' chill'rens of North Philly. All it means is you've got a greater tax burden than the rest of the nation, and it's good PR to drop some of that money on a "foundation", which nearly every athlete has. I don't think it's reasonable to ask much more of these guys, many of whom don't even have a college degree. Besides, if we were all doing our part, there would be no need.

Still, it's quite refreshing to see an athlete who "gets it". And something tells me that former Pacers forward Jonathan Bender would have "gotten it" had he never even picked up a basketball.



I can't really do this story any justice without quoting the entire thing, so I'd encourage you guys to read the ESPN The Magazine article in its entirety on their site. It's really just that good.

A long-limbed forward with a 39-inch vertical leap, Jonathan Bender stood 6-foot-7 by the time he was 13 years old. When the soft-spoken teen graduated from Picayune Memorial High School in rural Mississippi, those who saw him play called him the next Magic, the next Jordan.

But Bender, skilled enough to forgo college for the NBA, had struggled with his arthritic knees, which soon became his Achilles' heel. After only six professional seasons, he had to walk away from basketball.

In 1999, Bender leaped onto the national stage when he broke Michael Jordan's scoring record in the McDonald's All-America game, totaling 31 points in what is considered the marquee event for America's most talented prep players. He committed to Mississippi State University but instead entered the 1999 NBA draft. The Toronto Raptors made Bender the fifth overall pick before trading his rights to the Indiana Pacers, who signed him to a three-year, $7 million contract. On December 10, 1999, Bender scored 10 points in 13 minutes against Cleveland, becoming the first high school draftee to reach double figures in his NBA debut. But his struggles began soon afterward.

While his play peaked at 78 games in 2001-02, he saw action in only 46 the following year. Then 21. Then seven. In 2005-06, only two. Ultimately, Bender averaged just 5.6 points in 237 regular-season NBA games. Following the 2001-02 season, he'd signed a four-year, $28.5 million contract extension. When he announced his retirement in February of 2006, the Pacers said the remainder of his contract would be paid out through an insurance policy.

He could have squandered his remaining millions or succumbed to depression over being labeled a "has-been" before his 25th birthday. But this player was also an entrepreneur who'd watched the business-savvy NBA team owners, thinking 'I can be like them.'

So in New Orleans, with the Gulf Coast still struggling two years after Hurricane Katrina, he established the nonprofit Jonathan Bender Foundation and the for-profit Jonathan Bender Enterprises. With both, Bender's idealism has manifested itself through initiatives like adopting elementary schools, building real estate ventures and offering free finance classes for some of New Orleans' poorest residents.

The quotes above only scratch the surface of the enormity of what Bender is doing in New Orleans, and I'd encourage each of you to peep the full article.

Well done, Jonathan.

Question: Do you think pro athletes should "give back more to the community"? Is expecting so much of people who might be ill-equipped a good idea?

Bender helping hurricane victims recover, rebuild [ESPN]

Poll Position: We're Stayin' Put.

The people have spoken, and the people ain't payin' for no U-Haul.

As you guys know, I'm insecure and self conscious not crazy about this site's general design. I fancy myself as bigtime, and using the stock "Rounders" template for the last 18 months hardly screams "bigtime". My general laziness and lack of familiarity with CSS have long kept me from making anything more than occasional minor cosmetic changes to this site. A few months ago, I had a guy help me develop that cool banner image with the necktie that you see above, but that's been the extent of it.

The problem is twofold: I don't like Blogger.com's default templates, and my success with 3rd party custom templates I've found on the web has been sketchy at best. Add in the aforementioned reticence to toy around with the style sheets and I've just been stuck here.

I just don't like the way this site looks, but I can't really do anything about it.

Last week, I had some free time, so I set up a beta site on WordPress.com, which is another Blog hosting site for those unaware. Generally speaking, WordPress templates are far more attractive. However, the service itself isn't as user friendly as Blogger, there are fewer widgets, it's even harder to customize, the migration isn't seamless, and moving would require you guys getting WordPress accounts to establish your own "personas" to leave comments there. The only reason I'd leave under any circumstances is because the site would look better.

So last week I posed the question to you guys: Should I stay, or should I go?

Voting was tight all week, and honestly, this was poll registered the lowest number of votes of any edition of Poll Position to date. This says either of two things: You guys don't care how the site looks, or you didn't care enough to visit the WordPress beta site for the sake of comparison.

In perhaps a preview of November 4th, the incumbent party (Blogger) won 55%/45%. I honestly thought you guys would like the new site more. I can't tell if this has more to do with an aversion to WordPress or a dislike for the new look and feel. Please enlighten me you-know-where.

So, I'm left with a quandary. Move and look dysfunctionally good, or stay and look functionally bad.

In the end though, I came up with a workable alternative: Stay, and renovate.

I've figured out a way of getting some of the visual punch of WordPress, while keeping all the user friendliness of Blogger. If you hate it, vote in This Week's First Poll and tell me. If you wanna expound, send me an email. All feedback is appreciated.

This Week's Second Poll won't make sense if you were out clubbin' Friday night instead of hittin' a Debate Party. Brush up on your YouTubes if you need a refresher. The poll only runs through Thursday, when we'll have another debate to weigh in on, so vote early and often.

Is It Too Late To Jump On The Bandwagon?!?

I dislike bandwagon fans like I dislike WordPress.com. That is to say, I treat bandwagoneers like the plague.

I'm not an NFL fan, so most of my sports related angst ties to the NBA. Few people are more annoying than folks who merely cheer and follow one player, not the entire team. That's why you see so many Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat fans now. These people piss me off. Find a team and stick to it, through thick and thin. That's what real sports fans are made of.

That said, since my team (The Wizards if you don't know) is a few weeks away from the start of their season, I'm watching football to pass the time. My hate/hate relationship with the Redskins admittedly conflicts the very notion I just mentioned above. I like them when they're winning, and granted, they don't win much. However, by heading down to Arlington and beating the Cowboys for the final time in that ratbox known as Texas Stadium and moving to 3-1 in the process, they're tempting me to jump on board. []

I've never been keen on Jason Campbell, but I'll admit, dude seems to be rapidly improving by the week. Besides, lets face it, black starting QB's are on the endangered species list yet again. Mike Vick's in Levenworth. Vince Young is on suicide watch. Tarvaris Jackson is playing like he went to an Negro College HBCU. Duante Culpepper is retired, which is code for "unemployable". The fat kid in Oakland may not pan out. It's pretty much down to just Campbell and Donovan McNabb, who coincidentally just so happen to face each other next weekend in Philly.

So, I guess that's my official justification: I'm rootin' for the brotha. Beating Dallas and temporarily silencing the most obnoxious sports fans this side of the Mason Dixon doesn't hurt either.

And like any bandwagon fan, if they get creamed next week at The Linc, I can just jump right back off.

Question: Is it ever acceptable to be a bandwagon fan or are these people the scourge of the Earth? Is Jason Campbell the real deal or just on a nice streak?

What's On AB's iPod?: Zo! And Tigallo Love The 80's.

This album isn't exactly new to anyone in the know, but I couldn't help but pass it along if you're somehow unaware. For those of us who grew up in the 80's, BET wasn't always around. This meant that as a suburban couch potato, young AB absorbed far more MTV than I'm willing to publicly admit. Lots of this music was just awful, especially hair bands like Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister. And the ultrapoppy crap like Culture Club and Frankie Goes to Hollywood was even worse.

But somewhere in the happy medium of 80's pop music were acts like Duran Duran and Hall and Oates who actually got airplay on R&B stations, which actually did exist before today's now common "hip hop & R&B" format.

In this vein, steps the duo Zo And Tigallo, which consists of a notable Detroit producer, and the alter ego of my favorite rapper, Phonte of the group Little Brother. Their pet project, Zo and Tigallo Love The 80's is my sorta thing. They took a handful of 80's pop favorites like "Africa", "Written All Over Your Face", "Steppin' Out", and "Take On Me", then tastefully remade them with new-millennium urban swagger. Again, I don't pretend this is for everyone, but somebody else besides me will surely like it.

Here's The Human League's "I'm Only Human".



And Level 42's "Somethin' About You".



Again, not for everyone, but surely for someone. Sadly, unlike most WOAI episodes, this one ain't free. You'll have to cop the album if you wanna hear the rest, but there's plenty of tracks over on YouTube if you wanna browse first.

I Sure Hope T-Pain Invests His Money Well.

Because I simply have no words for this. Honestly.

Rapper T-Pain recently added a hearse to his collection of 22 cars.

"I have some new favorites – an '07 Lamborghini Gallardo and '91 Cadillac hearse," T-Pain tells PEOPLE. "My hearse has just been painted orange. I just got a blue top put on it and I've got a matching blue fiberglass coffin in the back."

What's inside that coffin? "Speakers and TVs," says the rapper, whose hearse was part of a recent photo shoot for his upcoming album Thr33 Ringz, out Nov. 11 on Nappy Boy/Konvict/Jive Records.

Because the hearse was used to transport bodies until recently, T-Pain admits the lingering odors from embalming fluid has been a problem. "We had to Febreeze the hell out of the car," he says. "Everyone is afraid of it. But I don’t think of it in that way. It’s a car."

No words.

T-Pain's New Car: a Hearse [People]

Chris Rock Tells Bill Clinton To Get Over It.

Breaking News: McCain Finally Agrees To Debate!!!

I have no idea why dude is showing up. After threatening to hold the debate and 100 million Americans hostage if there was no bailout agreed upon, he's suddenly showing up.

Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans.

The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners.

So, I repeat, after all that tough guy posturing, there's no bailout agreed upon, yet dude is on the plane to Oxford at this very moment. That sh*t don't add up to me, but then again, what do I know? I just went to an obscure Negro College HBCU, I didn't go to the Naval Academy and finish 5th from the bottom of my class.

Maybe Obama pulled a Sho'Nuff and wrecked one of CindyMac's 13 kitchens last night. Never mind the fact that no actual cooking goes on there, how could I resist the urge to run yet another classic clip from "The Last Dragon"?



"Tell that chickenhearted son of yours to name the place... cause now he's got to fight me!"

Man, that never gets old.

AverageSis, start mixin' the Obama-tinis. The party's back on.

Question: Did Obama wreck Cindy's kitchen or did McCain simply realize how dumb Obama debating an empty podium would look on national TV?

Debate Is On [NY Times]

"Hustling Backwards" And The Quandary of Sarah Louise Heath Palin.

Soooo, Palin vs Couric: Part Deux aired last night. It only got marginally better for our new President.



"PredatOR lenders?!?" I thought the term was "predatory", but what do I know, I just went to a single Negro College HBCU, not 6 JUCOS in 6 years.

Can this chick even balance a checkbook and chew gum at the same time?

On second thought, I think Couric was a bit harsh to Tina Palin during this interview. The whole "bailout" question hasn't even been posed to the Presidential candidates themselves yet. Why would we expect someone who's simply memorizing GOP Talking Points from afar to have the right answer?

I've been pretty hard on Mrs. Palin all week and honestly, I'm beginning to feel bad for her. She didn't ask to be Veep, she was asked to be Veep. She couldn't have told McCain "no" if she wanted, that's called hustling backwards, and anyone in Corporate America knows you never hustle backwards when presented a new, upwardly mobile opportunity. Windows open temporarily and close permanently. You leap, then look. Palin is only now beginning to look, and I could only imagine the "oh sh*t!" feeling she has to go through everyday that she realizes she's in so far over her head.

She didn't ask for this.

Question: Should I lay off Tina Fey Sarah Palin? Do you find yourself feeling somewhat bad for her? Have you ever "hustled backwards" because you knew you weren't truly prepared for an opportunity?

Open Discussion: It's Debatin' Time!!!

Well, the moment of truth is finally upon us. After months of gesticulation and tough guy posturing, Obama and Palin McCain will (hopefully) square off tonight, live from the Deep and Dirty South.

AverageFamily will be hosting a debate party at the crib, complete with AverageSis' signature Obama-tinis (because he's an elitist and that's what they drink) and McCain Crabcakes (for obvious reasons). We'll even have scorecards for all our guests to track the action. Seriously, count the number of times Obama says the word "change" or McCain says the phrase "my friends". You could make a mean drinking game outta this if that's your thing.

Over 100 million people are expected to tune in worldwide to witness the carnage, so clearly we ain't the only ones. Sure, it's little more than a flimsy excuse to have the fam and friends over the crib. Reality is, we prolly won't watch any more than the first segment before someone breaks out a deck of cards, or wants to play Wii Sports instead.

Cause you know how we do.

Despite this week's manufactured drama, debates seldom live up to their advance billing. Usually the combatants shy away from fisticuffs, keep the gaffes to a minimum, and leave cable news analysts to make up fake "results", cause for real for real, debates are usually boooorrrrrinnng.

Heck movies about debates can't even make them seem interesting.



Zzzzzzzzzz. I'll take more flicks about racist high school football teams over this yawn-inducing drivel anyday. So, don't expect fireworks tonight. It's prolly not gonna happen.

I guess I wanted to open the board to you guys, and ask you some basic questions about what you expect to see tonight at 9PM EST.

Questions: Are you watching tonight's debate? Where and with whom? Will Obama get off that ole' professorial bull-iddish and kick some barbershop k-nowledge? Did his trip to Rebb'n Al's Weekend Soundbyte Seminar™ pay off, or was it $599 and a large order of rib tips gone to waste? Will McCain lose his cool when Obama has the gall to question him? How likely is it that he has a Hanoi Hilton flashback and beats moderator Jim Lehrer to a bloody pulp? What does each candidate need to do, and avoid, in order to come out the winner by unanimous decision?

Site of Presidential Debate Has Come Far From Past [NPR]

Caption This Photo.

Running On "E".

And I don't mean ethanol.



Here in DC, I can't say I've noticed such a problem yet, but if it's already hit the Carolinas, chances are it's headed my way soon.

Note To Self: Fill up on the way home today.

Question: Is your area experiencing a gas shortage? What are you paying on average per/gallon right now?

* Thanks to EbonyGentleman for sending this in.

Caption This Photo.

New Politrician Law: Stay Away From Black Preachers!!!

Sooo, seems like Tina Fey Sarah Palin has some pastor problems of her own, including a Kenyan named Thoman Muthee, who is apparently some sorta witchhunter.

Here's the excerpt of Palin having hands laid on her to exorcise her mayoral demons.



Here's a longer look, for context.



I know, I know. Palin didn't "attend" this church. Go ahead and pull out the GOP Defensive Talking Points Cheatsheet™. Still, with all the trouble Obama had with Rebb'n Wright, imagine the spectre if he'd been caught on tape having some dude laying hands on him and shakin' dem' witches off. Of course, with Muthee being Kenyan, I'm sure the Conservative rebuttal would have something to do with Barack Sr., and attempt to tie Barry back to his secret Muslim upbringing. I'm just saving Spool and D-A-E-D-A-L-U-S (do you know what that mean?)[1] the keystrokes.



Uh, ok, maybe ya'll should get to typin'.

Question: Between this, and McCain's courtship/dump of Rev. John Hagee, will the issue of personal judgement/religion arise during the general debate, or did Obama's bus-toss of Rebb'n Wright bury this issue for good?

[1] Seriously dude, let that sh*t ride. It's corny and juvenile. I'm the only one who gets to do "corny and juvenile" around here.

Uh Yeah, I'm Fairly Confident She Could Run The Country.

Not! Even Katie Couric, journalist extraordinaire that she is, visibly has the "WTF?" look repeatedly at some of these answers.



I wouldn't trust this woman to run a Dairy Queen, let alone the free world.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

Don't Wear This Shirt To The Polls On November 4th!!!

I'm sure all of you have gotten this email or some variation of it about 19,283 times this week alone. Or maybe it's just me.

Please, please, please advise everyone you know that they absolutely can NOT go to the polls wearing any Obama (or whoever you are voting for) shirts, pins, hats, etc. It is AGAINST THE LAW and will be grounds to have the polling officials to turn you away. This is considered campaigning and no one can campaign within X amount of feet of the polls. They are counting on us being overly excited and not being aware of this long standing law that you can bet will be ENFORCED THIS YEAR!!!!!

They are banking that if you are turned away, you will not go home and change your clothes and return to the polls to vote. Please just don't wear ANY gear of any sorts to the polls! Please share this information with as many people as you can. If you are already aware of this, please don't take it as insulting your intelligence.

Have a great day and see you at the polls on November 4th.

One note: while this is indeed the case in many states, it's not universal!

Maryland's law states the following:

A voter may wear campaign paraphernalia (buttons, t-shirts, or stickers) into the polling place while he or she is there to vote (the voter may not linger in the polling place after voting). However, an election judge, challenger and watcher, or other person stationed inside the polling place or within 100 feet of the polling place may not wear or display campaign materials.

Different states, cities, and counties have different rules for polling place etiquette, so this email isn't entirely true.

Emails like this one, and the 8 million others I get with either somewhat or blatantly misleading info each week never cease to amaze me. I'm so conditioned to getting this sorta crap that I'm usually tempted to pull up the Snopes.com clarification and email it back to everyone cc:ed on the email I received in the first place. Such chain mail is always so overloaded with hyperbole, UPPERCASE WORDS, and exclamation marks!!!!!!! that I often wonder if the well-meaning originators realize how much they're insulting the intelligence of the eventual recipients. Then again, knowing the attention span of a typical email recipient, maybe that's why they overload the emails with such attention getters in the first place.

Cause you know how we do.

Either way, why even bother risking it? Make sure your cousins n'em who are voting for the first time evar leave the Black Men For McCain (yeah right) and Obama/MLK shirts (I have one, AverageSis got it from the RFK swap meet) at home. The last thing we want derailing this historic election is widespread Systematic Disenfranchisement because Negroes just had to floss.

BTW, Obama haters, don't wear this one neither.

Or this one.


Uhhh, I'm running outta bandwidth.


Question: Does your locale have different rules than the one mentioned above? Do you own a Black Men For McCain T-shirt? Does any black man not named Michael Steele own one?

[1] I'm just wondering here, do white folks get/receive these sorts of chain emails? If so, what are yours about, cause ours are usually some nonsense about Denzel and a soldiers home, or some such nonsense.

Breaking News: John McCain Ruins My Debate Party!

Now this is some ole' bull****! F'real.

With the White House and Congress struggling to reach agreement on a bailout deal, the Arizona senator announced he was putting his election campaign on hold.

The Republican candidate said he had directed his staff to work with Mr Obama's campaign and the debate commission, and said he would stop campaigning after addressing former President Bill Clinton's Global Initiative session.

In an attempt to seize the initiative on the economy, which has weakened Mr McCain's standing in the polls, he also said he wanted President George W. Bush to convene a leadership meeting in Washington, which would be attended by both candidates.

The Obama campaign was expected to respond to the proposal later in the day. The debate due to be held at the University of Mississippi has been one of the most keenly awaited for years.

"Tomorrow morning I'll suspend my campaign and return to Washington," the Senator announced. "It's time for both parties to come together to solve this problem."

Mr McCain, who has slipped back in the opinion polls since the collapse of Lehman Brothers investment bank, said he had discussed his decision with Mr Obama.

The senator said he would ask his campaign team to work alongside that of his rival and the debate commission to reschedule Friday's session.

Let's call a spade a spade. DaddyMac is getting his a$$ handed to him (down 9 points and growing in the latest poll) and needs to find some way to stop the bleeding. So, he is going to try and pull an ole' okey doke Jedi Mind Trick on Barry and the American public. By suspending the campaign, and more or less threatening Obama to do the same, he can say he's "working on the economy". If Obama fails to comply (he says the debate's still on and I hope he doesn't give in), then MCain can (and will) say he doesn't care enough about the American people and is putting his personal ambition (getting elected) before the good of average, working Americans (yet again).

Poppycock!

McCain knows that nobody gives a crap about national security right about now, and he's trying his best to shore up his lukewarm support on economic issues. He calls this "leadership", I call it cowardice. If McCain is saying he's cut out to be President, shouldn't he know multitasking is part of the gig? The debate ain't till 9PM EST Friday night and it's a short flight from DC to Oxford, MS. McCain could surely put in a full day's work and hop his old a$$ on CindyMac's private plan to make it there in time. Heck, even Bush managed to carve time out of his busy schedule for debates in 04' and he actually had a real Day Job.

Get outta here with that bull****!

If I sound upset, it's cause I am. We have a Debate Party planned for Friday night at the crib. AverageSis is making Obama-tinis and McCain Crabcakes. The whole fam is coming over. So in addition to postponing a badly needed dialogue with the American people, this a$$hat is costing me grocery money. Do this bama know how much crabmeat costs and how quickly it goes to waste?

And I'm sposed to believe he cares about "pocketbook issues"? Riiight.

Question: Is McCain a total and complete coward for backing out of the debate, or is this a legit reason? Should Obama follow suit or stand his ground? Should I go head and cancel the Debate Party?

John McCain puts presidential campaign on hold ahead of debate with Barack Obama [UK Telegraph]

Caption This Photo.

Campbell Brown Is Tired Of Being Called A Lightweight.

I agree with Campbell for once.



FREE SARAH PALIN!!!

AverageBro Goes To The Movies: Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys.

[With a toddler, I don't get to the movies much. And don't be deceived, I didn't go there to see this nonsense either. I "acquired" a copy of this movie and only watched it because I'm on the road this week and didn't have anything better to do.]

After I paid to see that debacle of a movie, Meet The Browns, I told ya'll I wasn't messin' with Tyler Perry no more. Dude is just too inconsistent. He gives you a decent movie like Why Did I Get Married?, or Daddy's Little Girls, but sandwiches them with stinkers like Madea's Family Reunion and Diary of a Mad Black Woman just to keep you guessing. If this were baseball, his miss/hit/miss/miss/miss pattern would have him hovering around the Mendoza line.

The Family That Preys can't quite figure out what sort of movie it wants to be. There's lots of plots and subplots going on that should be interrelated but really aren't. Two matriarchs and lifelong buddies, a wealthy socialite (Kathy Bates) and a soul food restaurateur (Alfre Woodard) have an unlikely friendship, and find themselves on a girls-only cross country trip. Ok, got it? On the other end of the spectrum, the womens' kids find themselves mixed up in some truly scandalous ongoings in Corporate America. It's almost like Perry wanted to make two separate movies, but only got greenlit for one and just decided to wing it, hoping we wouldn't notice. It doesn't matter, both movies would have sucked separately. The net result of the combined effort also sucks.



Let's just agree on one thing: Sanaa Lathan is nice looking, but she couldn't deliver a line if she drove a Verizon truck. It almost pains me to write that, but the more movies she pops up in, the less I find myself liking her. At least from an acting standpoint. Here, she plays the villain, a ruthless and callous woman who demeans her blue collar husband (the annoying Rockmond Dunbar, who still acts like Kenny in Soul Food) and sleeps around with her boss (Cole Hauser). Her sister (Tarajii P. Henson) is married to another construction worker played by Tyler Perry himself, in the worst hairpiece seen on film since Samuel Jackson's faux cornrows in Formula 51.

Any movie that climaxes with a woman being b*tchslapped by her husband as a blatant ploy to elicit applause from the audience is clearly pandering to lowbrow sentiments. Alfre Woodard was once a respectable actress and it's a shame she and Cathy Bates have to spend the twilight of their careers is this sort of cluster. Although this movie is supposed to be a serious drama, its lack of cohesion, lack of likable characters, and see-it-coming-a-mile-away plot condemn it to a life of TNT reruns. But despite Perry's exclusive broadcast rights on TBS, this movie ain't even good enough for a Turner network. It doesn't even deserve to be on Lifetime. It shoulda gona straight to Blockbuster. The only thing this bad movie was missing was the obligatory Bokeem Woodbine cameo.

If you need the temporary diversion from everyday life, for God sakes go read a book or learn a new dance or something. Don't waste any money or 111 precious minutes of your life on this boring drivel.

Final Verdict: Do like I did and "acquire" a copy if you really must see this. Otherwise, wait a few months and it'll surely be the lead-in to Tyler Perry's House Of Payne by Christmas. 2.5 Stars (out of 5)

Question: Did you see Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys? Is it just me, or can Sanaa Lathan not act?

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys [Yahoo! Movies]

Stooping To Their Level: Da' Sequel.

Another day, another questionable Obama ad.



Just as with the "fundamentals of the economy" ad last week, I don't care for this one. Yes, the McCains do indeed own 13 cars. Not much to dispute there. But you and I both know DaddyMac doesn't drive himself anywhere, and prolly hasn't driven himself for quite some time. Ditto for Obama, whom I doubt you'll see in line at the DMV anytime soon. Even dumberer is the fact that very few "domestic" cars are exclusively made in the US. Ditto for foreign cars, which often are assembled here. Chrysler's PT Cruiser is made in Mexico. The Toyota Avalon is made in Kentucky. Go figure.

Besides, Cotton Hill McCain only has a single car, a 2004 Cadillac CTS, registered in his name. CindyMac owns the other 12, and you know how she balls out.



Either way, this is petty, and honestly, below the sort of campaign Barack's run to this point. If you're going to take the attack route (which I advocate), at least remain truthful and relevant. This ad is neither. I wonder who's in his ear telling him this is a good idea.

Again, I understand the strategy. Obama and Co. are more or less trying to duplicate McCain's brand of petty attack ads because they understand that enough of the stoopid Middle-American public responds to this stuff and takes it for truth. But much like the "how many homes" ad, which (successfully) sought to paint McCain as elitist and out of touch, this one stinks in my opinion, regardless of how effective it might be.

I'm still waiting on that Keating Five ad. You could talk about "Slick" Rick Davis' ties to Freddie Mac. How about the 83 lobbyists on his campaign roster and their past clients? There's plenty of legitimate stuff to use if you want to attack the guy on the issues he so strongly advocates. But I guess they're saving those for the 11th hour. Anyways...

Question: Do you find this ad effective in Obama's quest to paint Palin/McCain 08' as a bunch of mooseburger eating elitists? Do you like the tone the Obama campaign has taken on in the past couple of years? Is Obama's occasional "stretching" of the truth something that concerns you, or is he merely fighting fire with fire for a change?

John and Cindy McCain: Cars aplenty [LA Times]

How do automakers define an "American" car in today's global market? [MSN]

People I Strongly Dislike: Strippers And Their Patrons.

[Editor's Note: Don't worry, despite the title, this post of PG-13.]

The other night I was flipping through the channels and somehow ended up on the Ice Cube/LisaRaye ghetto atrocity Player's Club. One thing I never have quite been able to fully comprehend is the allure of strip clubs. In my short 35 years, I've only set foot in such an establishment twice, both times in the mid-90's, and both times I was with a couple of frequent commenters here (tsk tsk) who will surely weigh in with their pity remarks you know where.

The first time was a guy's night out to celebrate the early graduation and subsequent matriculation to a well paying corporate gig for one of my buddies. The club itself wasn't too far from the campus of our Negro College HBCU, and I'd frequently heard chatter on campus that some of our schools sweet and innocent co-eds often secretly moonlit there to work out their Daddy issues earn extra money for books and tuition. I'm no prude, but the possibility of running into some girl in one of my 300 level Engineering courses was certainly gonna make for an odd situation.

And wouldn't you know it, no sooner than we step in the door, there's a girl from my Astronomy class on stage, shakin' her money maker. I distinctly remembered her (let's call her Anissa) because once, waaay earlier in the semester, we'd somehow ended up in the same study group (yeah, I know, study groups for astronomy, make your jokes already), which was only notable because she otherwise stayed in the back row of the classroom and didn't say much. She wasn't incredibly good looking, and was otherwise shy and reserved. She's the last person you'd ever imagine droppin' it like it's hot and doin' somethin' strange for some change.

But there Anissa was, gyrating away to 8Ball and MJG while getting her thong stuffed with dollar bills[1]. For a very brief moment, we locked eyes, and I saw a distinct "damn" look on her face. It was prolly the same expression of sadness and pity I had on mine. After all, she was strippin', but I was in the club indirectly paying to see her strip. I'm still at a loss for which of these is more pathetic. Help me sort this out in the comments if you feel so inclined.

Everytime I ran into Anissa on the yard thereafter, we exchanged the same "damn" look and kept it movin'. I could only imagine how many other dudes Anissa exchanged that very same "damn" look during the course of everyday, and whether or not that bothered her as much as it sorta kinda bothered me. I really hope she used that lapdance money to futher her education, but if her performance in that Astonomy class was any indication of the rest of her academic success, chances are she's on a pole somewhere in America right now, and there's prolly some 8Ball and MJG playing in the background. Sad, but likely true.

But perhaps even more pathetic than strippers are the tricks who pay to watch them strip. Again, I'm certainly not immune to the beauty of the female physique. Who is? But I don't fully comprehend why some dudes (key word: some) pay good money (I'm assuming) to be lied to, manipulated, tricked, and teased out of their money with virtually zero chance of getting anything in return. You've got a better chance of eventually scoring if you have even a minimal amount of game and meet a nice young lady anywhere but a strip club. I guess they say it ain't trickin' if you got it, but you sure as hell can't pay the rent if you blew your check on lapdances.

I surely hope I'm not inadvertently insulting any of my readers who are exotic dancers, or patrons of exotic dancers, but could one of ya'll explain the allure of this to me?

Question: Why do some women strip for money? Ladies, be honest. Have you ever even remotely considered doing this for cash? Fellas, if you're a patron, please explain the allure of paying for something you can't have? Is it true that it ain't trickin' if you got it?

[1] Seriously. I know tips are s'posed to add up, and you make bigger money for bigger "tasks", but c'mon. Dollar bills to grope your booty? You can't even buy a freakin' Kit Kat bar for a dollar nowadays. Have scrip clubs been effected by the recession too? Are they requiring 5 dollar bills and up nowadays? I'm clearly not up on the booty club ettiquette, so help me out.

Yep, They Finally Played The "Rezko Card".

We knew this was coming, but even I thought the GOP would hold off on the whole "guilt by association" with Rezko until the 11th hour. I guess desperation and falling behind in the polls will do that to you.



Never mind the fact that a grand jury found no link between Obama and Rezko, or Governor whatshisname. And pairing him with Emil Jones? Just more racial pandering. Wake me when it's over.

Seriously, if this is the best ya'll got, and it appears to be, then go ahead and start planning Barry's inaugural ball.

And I suppose this means that the Keating Five scandal is fair game, no?

Question: What's next? Rebb'n Wright remixed? A mystery love child in Oahu?

Open Discussion: How Much Will Racism Hurt The Obama Campaign?

I'm pretty busy at the Day Job today, but there's no way I couldn't present this weekend's controversial AP/Yahoo poll results to you guys for consumption and discussion. I report, you decide.

Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks — many calling them "lazy," "violent," responsible for their own troubles.

The poll, conducted with Stanford University, suggests that the percentage of voters who may turn away from Obama because of his race could easily be larger than the final difference between the candidates in 2004 — about two and one-half percentage points.

Certainly, Republican John McCain has his own obstacles: He's an ally of an unpopular president and would be the nation's oldest first-term president. But Obama faces this: 40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks, and that includes many Democrats and independents.

More than a third of all white Democrats and independents — voters Obama can't win the White House without — agreed with at least one negative adjective about blacks, according to the survey, and they are significantly less likely to vote for Obama than those who don't have such views.

The findings suggest that Obama's problem is close to home — among his fellow Democrats, particularly non-Hispanic white voters. Just seven in 10 people who call themselves Democrats support Obama, compared to the 85 percent of self-identified Republicans who back McCain.

The survey also focused on the racial attitudes of independent voters because they are likely to decide the election.

Lots of Republicans harbor prejudices, too, but the survey found they weren't voting against Obama because of his race. Most Republicans wouldn't vote for any Democrat for president — white, black or brown.

I should note, the above survey was conducted by The Associated Press, Stanford University, and Yahoo.com, institutions that allegedly unbiased and nonpartisan. Unlike prior polls, this one was internet based, presumably because they felt respondents would be more truthful when not interacting directly with a human. So, perhaps more so than any other poll to date, this one should reflect the true sentiment of those surveyed. Take that as you will, but I'd suggest reading the entire article before you comment.

Again, no time for real opinion/analysis here, so I'll turn this one over exclusively to you for discussion.

Question: How much of a threat to Obama's campaign do those who harbor negative opinions towards blacks pose? Is this poll proof that racism still exists in America, or simply a reflection of the specific questions posed? Does McCain's age pose an equally difficult obstacle in his run for the White House? How about Palin's gender? How about Joe Biden's awful hair-plugs and mullet combo?

Poll: Racial views steer some white Dems away from Obama [AP]

Obama Waffles: Good Clean American Fun Or Racist Tripe?!?

A few months ago, I came to a longwinded conclusion about all the borderline/blatantly racist crap that seems to be rearing its head now that there's a Black man on a crash course for 1600 Penn Ave. There were those stupid Curious George T-Shirts. The infamous sock monkey doll. That grotesque phallic symbol "art exhibit" in NYC. Those ignant Black House lapel pins. After a full month of seeing such nonsense sprout up in the name of capitalism satire, I finally realized that Black folks might need to develop a bit thicker skin, or there's going to be another breakout of hypertension in ghettos coast to coast before November 4th. Reality is, yes, this stuff is blatantly racist. I mean, c'mon. How is calling black man a monkey not racist, or at the very least incredibly insensitive? But every President gets lampooned in some way, shape or form. You can only talk about a man's abnormally large ears for awhile until that joke grows old.

In the weeks since, I've gotten similar stories emailed to me all the time, but I haven't bothered making a post of any of them for the very reasons I mentioned in the Thick Skin post. These things are offensive, but they're par for the course. We might need to learn to live with em'. Chances are, if Barry gets to spend two terms in office, we'll see far worse.


Thus, this latest example of Caucasian Craziness isn't exactly notable for any reason, other than the very notable TV personality who just happened to purchase a box for his personal enjoyment.

Activists at a conservative political forum snapped up boxes of waffle mix depicting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a racial stereotype on its front and wearing Arab-like headdress on its top flap.

Values Voter Summit organizers cut off sales of Obama Waffles boxes on Saturday, saying they had not realized the boxes displayed "offensive material." The summit and the exhibit hall where the boxes were sold had been open since Thursday afternoon.

The box was meant as political satire, said Mark Whitlock and Bob DeMoss, two writers from Franklin, Tenn., who created the mix. They sold it for $10 a box from a rented booth at the summit sponsored by the lobbying arm of the Family Research Council.

David Nammo, executive director of the lobbying group FRC Action, said summit organizers were told the boxes were a parody of Obama's policy positions but had not examined them closely.

Republican Party stalwarts Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney were among speakers at the forum, which officials said drew 2,100 activists from 44 states

On the back of the box, Obama is depicted in stereotypical Mexican dress, including a sombrero, above a recipe for "Open Border Fiesta Waffles" that says it can serve "4 or more illegal aliens." The recipe includes a tip: "While waiting for these zesty treats to invade your home, why not learn a foreign language?"

The novelty item also takes shots at 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry, Obama's wife, Michelle, and Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Okay, so no harm, no foul. The original box has since been redesigned and the version on the product website looks like this.


Good clean, All-American fun, I tell ya.



But guess which CNN anchor mugged for a photo endorsing the waffles, which was later scrubbed from the manufacturer's website once the media got ahold of it?

This has become a minor story, getting substantial coverage in the blog world. However, the AP version of the story does not mention that the creators of Obama Waffles had a photo on their Web site of Lou Dobbs, a speaker at the Values Voters Summit, purchasing them and reported that he said "My wife will love this." The photo and story has been removed from the site but bloggers were able to take screen shots before it was taken down.

So far, it appears no major media outlet has mentioned Dobbs' endorsement of the product. Dobbs does not appear to have been sufficiently pressured to respond, clarify, or issue an apology.

And the photographic evidence.


Yep, this is the world we live in folks. Laugh, to keep from crying.

Question: Do you think Obama Waffles are racist or merely fun and harmless satire? Should CNN give Lou Dobbs a bit ole' Grandaddy-powered thump to the back of the head for engaging in such nonsense?

Forum sells 'Obama Waffles' with racial stereotype [China Daily]

Obama Waffles Official Product Website

Lou Dobbs bought racist "Obama Waffles" at Values Voters Summit [Buzzflash]

Poll Position: Barry Grows A Pair, Gains A Lead.

"It was all bad just a week ago."
Seven days and some change ago, Barack Obama was getting buried by The Palin/McCain 08' Juggernaut and watching his "hopes" and "dreams" of backing up the UHaul to 1600 Penn Ave come January float away. Supporters were openly and publicly questioning why this milquetoast Beige Negro wasn't clapping back. They said he was having problems raising money. The poll numbers were grim.

I asked ya'll point blank, did Barry need to put down the arugula and justify his thug. Ya'll overwhelmingly said he did.


Cop them headphones and cue the theme music, sonn![1]



Man, what a difference a week, some testosterone, and a few attack ads can make. Now, by listening to AverageNation™ (finally), Barry's brushed that empty skirt of his shoulders and put a foot in Cotton Hill's ancient behind. He's back up in the polls (Gallup says 50/44), and with the first debate looming later this week, he's got a nice chance to give himself a cushion. Well done, young fella.[2]



This Week's Poll won't make any sense if you haven't peeped our WordPress beta site yet, so get familiar. Vote early and often.

[1] Yeah, I know this is old, and he ain't even running against her, but it's pretty appropriate when you think about it.

[2] See [1]. Ditto.

What's On AB's iPod?: Hip Hop Digest.

You folks already know I'm flat a$$ed broke after pampers, baby wipes, and daycare, so I have to get my legally free music and entertainment where I can. Lately, I've been really digging this Hip Hop Digest podcast.

Despite it's name, HHD isn't a music show, not by any stretch. Rather, it's almost like a hip hop version of The McLaughlin Group, where DC-based hosts E Green, King Killa B, and Curt G go in on the week's biggest stories in urban music. Much like myself, the hosts of HHD are old-school hip hop purists who viciously hate on such new school nonsense as Plies and Soulja Boy. If this sounds like it's something you'd like, sync your iPods and enjoy the show.

The language isn't safe for kids, so cop the headphones or you'll be in for a rude awakening.

Hip Hop Digest Podcast Site

Ummm, I Guess Obama Won't Get 100% Of The Black Vote.

More protestors yesterday in Coral Gables, FL.



More footage.





Some iffy footage of the protestors speaking their piece.





How long before these guys are guests on a very special episode of Hannity and Colmes?

Question: I didn't realize The KKK endorsed Obama, I must have missed that memo. Turns out the ringleader of this nonsense, Michael Warns, is urging blacks to vote for McCain since he's pro-life. Does this mean McCain has to throw Warns under the bus too?

Obama Heckled By Protestors [ABC News]

Fair And Balanced Huh?!?

I could talk about Fox News' bullcrap all day, but no series of exchanges best personifies this bastion of white privilege better than this trio of interviews.

Bill-O with Hillary Clinton.



Bill-O with John McCain.



Bill-O with Barry.



My only point in posting this is to refute the notion that some commenters said here last week after Obama's interview on The Factor. No, Bill did not grill Hillary, nor McCain nearly as badly as he did Obama. This means nothing in the grand scheme of course, but I thought I'd set the record straight.

Fair and balanced my a$$. Tell em' Nas.

Bristow Palin's Black Baby Daddy Should Keep His Day Job.

If this is in any way indicative of his skills on the mic, dude is gonna have a hard time paying that imaginary child support.



Don't be mad, UPS is hirin'.

Caption This Photo.

Yeah, I know the kid is cute and all, but reach into the depths of your Inner Hater and say something smarmy and sarcastic, please.

* Props to DCtoBC, a great blog from which I shamelessly jacked borrowed this photo.

Cause They Black: Are Identity Politricks Really Such A Bad Thing?!?

Last winter, when the Clinton/Obama battle was nearing its crux, the MSM was transfixed on the whole "Race vs Gender" issue. At it's core, this artificial argument seemed to insinuate that black women were being forced to choose between their skin color and their uterus when it came to choosing which candidate they'd back. As if those were the only criteria a person would consider. This superficial contrivance only became more pronounced as Obama began to gain traction with black voters, after months of having trailed Hillary in the polls.

The media likes to note that this happened after South Carolina, but reality is Nevada, which Obama lost, was the first indication that he'd have more success than expected with black voters. When he pulled 75% of the black votes there, the chatters went into full gear, openly groveling about whether or not black folks were voting for Obama just "cause he black".



I don't personally vote for people just "cause they black". But then again, I'd like to consider myself a somewhat enlightened voter. I didn't vote for Sharpton in 04', I voted for Edwards. I've voted against black politicians (and Democrats) locally when I didn't feel they were sufficiently equipped for the job. But I'm understanding enough to know that not everyone cares about the issues, and that not everyone cares enough to look past skin color when choosing their candidates.



To each his own. If you wanna vote for someone just "cause they black", you get what you deserve in the end. And more times than not, you get a Kwame Kilpatrick, not a Deval Patrick. It is what it is.



Of course, the media keeps harping on this "cause they black" angle, and Fox News especially loves to pull poor folks (black and white) off the street and ask them what they know about Obama's policies, usually with comedic results.



I suppose these folks have it coming, even though they're certainly entitled to their opinions because hey, voting is a quintessentially selfish act. A socially acceptable selfish act, but still selfish. You vote for whom you want, and don't have to justify your rationale to anyone because in theory at least, everyone has a vote.

That said, I'm wondering why the same bastions of voter rights that embarrassed Obama supporters for following Barry "cause he black" aren't similarly slamming the legions of white women who are suddenly getting behind Tina Fey Sarah Palin "cause she got a vagina".

No, seriously, think about it. For many white women, especially lifelong Democrats, Palin's stances on issues are diametrically opposed to the views their party of choice advocates. Completely opposed.



So this chick who screwed her way to a billionaire husband has the nerve to call Obama "elitist"?

Trick please.

But I've still yet to see this equally stupid BS called out for what it is.

And while we're at it, how about the legions of folks who vote for white men (Dems and Republicans) year in and year out "cause they white"? How about them?

It seems like the only time it's socially unacceptable to play identity politricks is "when they black". Interesting to say the least.

On the other hand, there's some black votes Obama could prolly do without.[1]



Question: Do you think identity politics are harmful? Do you vote for a person solely because you can personally relate to them on some level, be it race, gender, or age?

Hillary Fundraiser: 'Not Everyone Is Satisfied' With Obama Support [FoxNews]

[1] All jokes aside, I know this was little more than a promotional event for his album, but props to Jeezy for registering voters.

Guilt By Negro Association.

Here we go again. Just when you thought the "race card" had already been played to death "from the bottom of the deck" in this year's election cycle, the Palin/McCain ticket issues this latest bit of racial politricks as usual.

Barack Obama's foes sought to sully the Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday by alleging in a new television ad that he takes advice from former Fannie Mae executive Franklin Raines.

"Obama has no background in economics. Who advises him? The Post says it's Franklin Raines, for 'advice on mortgage and housing policy.'"

"Shocking," continues the ad's narrator. "Under Raines, Fannie Mae committed 'extensive financial fraud.' Raines made millions. Fannie Mae collapsed. Taxpayers? Stuck with the bill."

An hour after the McCain ad was released to the press, the Obama campaign pushed back with a statement from Raines himself.

"I am not an advisor to Barack Obama, nor have I provided his campaign with advice on housing or economic matters," said Raines in a statement released by Obama's campaign.

The McCain charge stems from a July 16, 2008 story in The Washington Post in which Raines is described as having "taken calls from Barack Obama's presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters."

The Obama campaign says that it is now seeking a correction from the Washington Post but it will not say whether it sought a correction back in July before McCain made Raines an issue in the campaign.

Here's the ad[1], watch carefully for the okey doke. There will be a pop quiz afterward.



You gotta love the GOP. Barry's regained the lead in the polls (even Karl Rove's), and has been hammering McCain all week on his lack of an even remote understanding of economic policy. If you've read this site for any time, you know what John McCain's idea of economic stimulus is. The first person to say it you-know-where gets a weekend's supply of Cyber CapriSuns.

I mean seriously, of all the folks they could have chosen to pair Obama with, they just had to choose a former black CEO. Don't get it twisted, I'm not about to stick up for Franklin Raines. Reality is, dude ran Fannie Mae into the ground and walked away with a multimillion dollar golden parachute. He once made history as the first brother to run a Fortune 500 company. I see him and his George Jefferson-lookin' a$$ sitting in the Nicholson seats at nearly every Wizards game, and all I can think about is how he screwed the next deserving brotha or sister trying to become CEO out of their shot. Ditto for Dick Parsons and Stan O'Neal, and KMart's Aylwin Lewis. There ain't many CEO's of color left, unless you wanna count the washed-up rapper/fake label exec variety.

All those things aside, this ad is pure propaganda, and I'll go right ahead and say it: that sh*t is racist!

Talk about a Grand Hu$tle.

Seriously, Raines is not a campaign advisor. He isn't a major contributor to Obama's campaign. He didn't bankroll Obama's run for Senate. He is probably nothing more than a guy Barry sees at cocktail parties.

So why, out of all the disgraced former execs that Barry's associated with, would they choose Raines of all people? Sure, there's the Fannie Mae connection, but most importantly, Raines is black.

Watch the ad closely, and notice the odd juxtaposition of two smiling elitist, arugula lovin' black men, the captions of Raines' incompetence, and finally, the fleeting image of a poorly, sickly old white woman, whom these Negroes presumably tricked into signing a predatory loan that's now landed her in a homeless shelter.

That, my friends, is some bullsh*t! Especially considering the fact that McCain has 83 former or current Wall Street lobbyists, including many who've worked on behalf of Fannie and Freddie Mac, as campaign advisers and bundlers. Pot, meet old rusty kettle.

I'd seriously like someone to try and explain this away as anything other than an underhanded racist attack. If the GOP was trying to make the point that Obama's associations highlight his lack of judgement, why not just point to the massive gaffe of fellow disgraced Fannie Mae exec Jim Johnson? Johnson, you'll recall, was appointed to Barry's Veepstakes vetting team before being kicked to the curb for some favorable treatment he got from Countrywide Financial. If you want to draw a correlation of corruption, wouldn't Johnson, who was Fannie Mae's chairman, be a far better culprit, given the fact that he did actually work for the campaign in an official capacity?

One tiny problem: Johnson is white, and a jolly Caucasian dude is far less insulting that two elitist Negroes sneering at your misfortune.

A mere coincidence? I think not.

On an unrelated note, I took French in high school, so I have no idea what this latest Obama ad is saying. Any of my Telemundo-watching regulars care to interpret?

Question: Am I crazy for seeing this ad as an underhanded racist smear? Wouldn't pairing Obama to Johnson make more sense than pairing him with Raines? If you want those CapriSuns, tell AverageNation™ what Cotton Hill's idea of "economic stimulus" is.

'08 Campaigns Target 'Advisors' [ABC News]

[1] New Poppin' Tags Alert!!! I cover so many of these ads, I figured they deserved their own designator.