Politics

The Internet was buzzing with rumors that Gov. Sarah Palin’s 4-month-old son is actually the child of her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol. To silence these rumors, Camp McCain-Palin released this bombshell: Bristol couldn’t have had the infant because she is five months pregnant. Whew! This is the stuff of Access Hollywood. McCain claimed he knew about…

During the Democratic National Convention in Denver, I sat on a panel about hip-hop and politics with a number of well-read and highly regarded thinkers in the black community. At one point a fellow panelist commented that it was impossible to criticize Barack without being considered a sellout. That statement inspired a thread of commentary…

John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as the GOP vice presidential nominee has re-inserted the “woman” question into the presidential debate. By choosing the second white female vice presidential candidate, McCain is trying to fashion himself, Sarah Palin, and, by extension, the entire Republican Party as more committed feminists than the Democrats. But what is…

The story of Piyush “Bobby” Jindal reads like an assimilation fairytale: A son of immigrants rises through the ranks to become the first Indian-American governor at 36, overcoming racial boundaries in his home state of Louisiana. As Hurricane Gustav threatened his state, Jindal took center stage to preside over what was shaping up to be…

Republicans are trying to get their national nominating convention underway after deep worry about the effects of Hurricane Gustav, but the Grand Old Party faces other significant challenges, including an unpopular president and a country frustrated with both the economy and foreign policy. And a Democratic ticket—led by a charismatic African American that has enthralled…

It was striking, the tears that welled up in the eyes of Texas delegate Anne Price Mills as she spoke of her devotion to her candidate at the Democratic National Convention. She was talking to CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux on the convention hall floor. The way she gushed about inspiration, experience and presidential credibility seemed emblematic…

For several weeks, there has been a tiresome, two-part drum beat, the sort of somber thumping one associates with a funeral procession or wake. One droning beat came from the press. Can the Democrats unite? Will Hillary and Bill support Barack? Is there any hope that working-class whites or feminists will find a way to…

“I decided, you are the him for me.” —Solange Back in the day, KRS-One penned “Jack of Spades” for Keenan Ivory Wayans’ ‘hood Robin Hood in the blaxploitation send-up I’m Gonna Git You Sucka because, “every hero should have his own theme music.” We probably won’t see a reconstituted BDP performing “My Philosophy” behind Sen.…

It is hard to separate out all the different levels of astonishment and euphoria attached to Barack Obama’s acceptance speech tonight. For many people, Obama’s triumph thus far so fundamentally shatters the worldview of what is possible in America that there are no words up to the task of describing what they feel. For black…

Yes, I did think this moment would happen. I believed that an aging, maturing democracy was capable of separating itself from race to evaluate the merits of an exemplary candidate. I believed that while the Clintons are formidable, my party would not resist the chance to capture lightning in a bottle. I believed from the…