Obama's Approval Rating Hits 60% in New Poll

There are a few problems with your "logic." First, the only people upset about this are folks that wouldn't vote for him anyway, regardless of what kind of job he was doing. The folks who it ain't gonna set well with weren't gonna vote for him. It will appeal to many more than it will disgust. Plus, you saying Barack has no clue. I'd counter with Republicans have no clue, but this issue is really making them look stupid among independents (the group that really swung the 2008 election), especially the 18-49 group that can most identify with rap music.

Second, the song is about Assata Shakur, a woman who's story is very popular in the hip-hop community among the more "conscious" poets. Noone ever denied that Assata likely did some horrible things, but modern day examinations of the logistics of the Turnpike trial reveal that she was unlikely to have been anything more than just there at the wrong time. She had been on trial for countless other crimes, despite overwhelming evidence of her lack of involvement. She was never convicted of any of those crimes. Medical evidence revealed it would have been impossible for her to fire a gun because of where she was shot. It further revealed that the only way she could have been shot in the places she was shot was if she was raising her arms to surrender, basically meaning she was innocent and didn't shoot, nor serve as an accomplice to the shooting of, anyone. There is no doubt she affiliated with unsavory groups. There is also no doubt that she was a target of the FBI's COINTELPRO operation that targeted any "radical" black person courageous enough to speak out against wrong-doing against black people. Malcolm X and MLK were likewise COINTELPRO (or earlier iterations of the same program) targets. So basically, many in the hip-hop community, while acknowledging she is more than likely a criminal, feel she's innocent of THIS crime. But if it were not for this crime, she would not be convicted of anything.

Third, for all the attention on that one song, Common has COUNTLESS other songs decrying violence of any sort against anyone. His lyrical expression abilities and use of metaphors to tell a story are considered among the best ever in the hip-hop community.

The admitted problem with my rebuttal is simple. Folks who have a problem with Common being at the White House by and large will not bother to do any research on the song or on the song's subject to see from where the song is rooted. The headline stating that Common wrote a song supporting a cop-killer will be enough for them. Not to mention he plays a gun-toting criminal in nearly all of his acting roles won't help. But he loves those roles because they're so far from his true personality.

Sorry for the long reply, and I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't bother to read it, but simply saying "It's not what you think" wouldn't suffice. I also don't expect it to change your mind at all. Just telling the other side of the story.

 

Reagan had the Taliban in the White House. What a wonderful president he was.

 

I think I have detected your problem.

 

My problem is not with the rapper. It's with Obama's judgement. Despite your argument to the contrary, many Independents will put this in the Obama negative column. Also, please note that I questioned the timing. This week is set aside to honor cops killed in the line of duty. Not a great idea to have Common over for tea and Crumpets when his current claim to fame is a song defending a convicted fking cop killer.

 

It's one dude, and yes, his rapper name is Common, formerly Common Sense. He's been out since the early 90's but he didn't make songs that would get a lot of radio play in the climate he was in. One of the characteristics of a "conscious" rapper is that they refuse to compromise the music they wish to make just to get a radio hit, even though they lose money that way. They're so called purists because for them it's "not about the money." One of his most popular songs, and the one that I think won him a grammy, was "Come Close" with Mary J. Blige and was actually a love song. Since you're familiar with Tupac, then I can tell you he was the ultimate chameleon. With Tupac, if you recall his more anti-violence, politically motivated songs, that's more what Common is about. Some of Common's best music came in the late 90's at a time when the music was going in more of a boastful, wreckless direction (Puff Daddy, Mase, Jay-Z, DMX, etc.)

Have you seen the movie "Smokin Aces" with Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Alicia Keys? Common plays the black gangster that works for Piven's character and ends up carrying Alicia Keys out of the hotel after she got shot. He was also in "Wanted" (Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman). He was the assassin that taught McAvoy all about guns. The light-skinned, bald headed guy. He's played in a few other movies as well.

 

LOL

The song is over ten years old. Never made it to radio. He rarely, if ever performs it. It was album filler. It's a so-called "claim to fame" because Fox News and conservative bloggers made it so, which showed their lack of research. They glorified it like he released the song a few days ago. Half his fans don't even remember the song, present e-company included. I had to look it up to remember it. But anything to attempt to derail Obama's momentum instead of just being patient...the election is a long ways away. You call it poor judgment because of the week of observance. I call it naive to think that one song defines the man's character.

But you're right, it will work on a few swing voters. But it's easily disputed if it ever comes up when it counts. I'm betting it won't...not for long at least because it's truly a non-issue.

 

Again, if you know the whole story, you'll find that there is nothing wrong with his judgement. By and large, Common sends a positive message with his lyrics. You already don't like Obama's judgement about, well, everything, so your opinion represents zilch about independents. Don't expect this to swing anyone one way or the other. If people already like him, this won't make them not like him. If they are indifferent, this will still not make them not like him. Nor should it, because it is a non-story.

How in the blue hell would you know? Independents don't give a rat's ass about stories that Fox creates. No one outside of hardcore Fox disciples like yourself will care one bit about this because it is ultimately a non-story.

It's not his "current" claim to fame. Dude's been a very prominent hip-hop artist for 20 years.

 

My knowlege of rappers is non existent. My knowlege of what makes the working man tick is extensive. People do not run to Wiki everytime an issue comes up. They hear the news and read the paper and make a judgement.

Rapper + cop killer + invited to White House adds up to WTF is Obama doing?

It is a non story. It's also one more straw to add to the camel's back.

 

I don't think there are going to be many independents who are going to lean right now because Common was in the White House. The only people it's pissing off are the same old racist idiots who keep blowing their horns, like Hannity, Rush, Palin, and all of Fox.

I bet this wouldn't even have made the news if it had been Eminem. But Sean Hannity loves him some Ted Nugent, even when he stated he wanted to put guns in the obama's mouths.

Sean Hannity has been exposed again for being a bigoted liar.

 

Again with the race baiting?