Some of these bloggers have popular blogs even among raced whites folks. Some of these bloggers support Obama, others Hillary and some McCain, but they did not get selected to sit on the floor with their state delegates.
The Afrosphere members are debating the fairness of the selection process when only one known African-American blogger will be on the floor. This blogger is alleged to be a Mississippi Democratic official serving as a guest.
I earlier wrote about Dallas News reporting about the debate of the lack of African-Americans appearing on the floor. Especially when the presidential candidate will be an African-American, Barack Obama.
Some bloggers suggested that African-American bloggers do not write about local or state political issues. However, the fact of the matter that some African-American bloggers do write about state and local politic, like Fort Wayne African-American Independent Woman, but this blog like other blogs writes heavily about race and its impact on issues impacting the African-American community:
"This Fort Wayne blog provides information about issues impacting communities. The dialogue begins with one African-American woman offering her opinions on various topics. The topics covered includes local, regional, and national politics, race relations, community affairs, economic development for small businesses and it includes you!"
Sidenote, this blogger city dem voters supported Barack Obama.
Some within the Afrosphere community is suggesting that the one (1) blogger per state rule needs to be broaden to insure that more African-Americans appear on the floor. At least one Afrosphere blogger, moi, suggest that several Afrosphere bloggers have applied and that the DNC may have given them the Rev. Jeremiah Wright treatment because they are critical of the Democratic Party treatment of the African-American vote. Daily Kos calls the process f'up while Afrosphere members tries to dismiss the slight as just low traffic for African-American bloggers. Sigh
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
has written a story:
"Last week, bloggers found out which of them have been awarded credentials to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
About one blog per state was permitted — a total of 55. In Georgia, that means Jon Flack’s Tondee’s Tavern can book its plane tickets. And other blogs may have to resign themselves to cable TV.
Flack says advocacy for Democratic causes was a factor in the DNC selection process.
Tondee’s Tavern is a community blog, operated by several “bartenders.” Flack is a candidate for the Forsyth County commission. Going with him to Denver, under the blog auspices, will be contributor Amy Morton of Macon, who has her own site, Georgia Women Vote. Morton, too, is active in Democratic politics.
Both are white. And many of the objections about the blog selection process are coming from web sites operated by African-Americans.
Says the Dallas Morning News:
[S]ome members of the self-titled “afrosphere” — blogs written or published by African Americans — are angry that the “State Blogger Corps” appears to be mostly white, particularly since the party appears poise to nominate a black candidate, Barack Obama, for president.
“OK, folks, black bloggers to the back of the bus,” read the headline on the African American Political Pundit blog.
Party leaders said the factors in determining state bloggers were readership, Internet ratings and focus on local and state politics, not race…
A second round of blog credentials will be announced before the end of the month, party leaders said, and minority bloggers will be purposely included in that selection.
Andre Walker at Georgia Politics Unfiltered has a posting entitled “Jim Crow raises his ugly head…at the Democratic Convention?”
Says Walker, whose site is a one-man operation:
It wouldn’t surprise me if some state blogs more critical of the Democratic Party were passed over for other blogs who portray Democrats in a more favorable light, but I’m not going to dispute that one way or the other because I don’t know if it’s true or not.
However, there is a bigger issue here that minority bloggers from across the nation are beginning to pick up on. It seems, at first glance, that there is a significant absence of color among the DNCC’s State Blogger Corps.
Several blogs who received credentials expressed concern to Democratic National chairman Howard Dean about the lack of transparency in the selection process.
In the letter, dated May 19, the bloggers wrote:
As long-time progressive state bloggers, we have now witnessed many of our well-respected colleagues from crucial states be passed over. In many states, it appears that parochial politics and hurt egos played a role in these decisions. These concerns run counter to our shared goals of using programs like the state blogger pool to “tear down the walls” in Denver — and better connect the American people with the events on the ground.
The Democratic Party endangers its own long-term viability when it makes fealty a criterion for inclusion. Instead, the Party should act to ensure that it includes its ideological media allies, even if those allies are occasional tactical or strategic critics.
We, the undersigned, have been included in the state credentials pool, despite our own history of criticism of local Democratic actors. This speaks well to the character of our own local parties. But while our peers in other states are being excluded, we’d be remiss in staying silent.
Which sums up the real deal in the strategy to silence the majority. This is the same strategy that is being used to deny Obama claim to the Democratic nomination. And the Afrosphere is letting raced white folks fight their battle.
Jon Flack of Tondee’s Tavern is among the signers.
Update 6:09 P.M. it appears AARon Myers online director of communication of the Democratic Convention is backpedaling on this issue.
update Daily Kos calls AAron Myers a l...iar while the Afrosphere spin it wheel.
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