Who You Calling Cool?

The Director of the Congressional Black Caucus, Angela Rye, has a problem with cool. According to Ms. Rye “There’s an ad, talking about [how] the president is too cool, [asking] is he too cool? And there’s this music that reminds me of, you know, some of the blaxploitation films from the 70s…”. Ok, so the music reminded you of Shaft; so what? The question is, what is wrong with “cool”? Wasn’t “cool” part of Obama’s appeal in 2008? Wasn’t his hip and cool persona one of his greatest assets, especially with younger voters? Didn’t the media time and again encourage this image, for example when the Politico declared “Obama is cool, the Sinatra of politics”? Or are they racists too?

As one of BET’s “14 Hottest Blacks Working on Capital Hill” Ms. Rye should know better. She’s perpetuating the lie that if you oppose Obama it must be because of his race. Our “Homeland Security Hottie” (again BET’s description, not mine) is a little too paranoid. Charges of racism when none exists will not help her cause. Besides, whether Obama is cool or uncool is not the issue this go-round, the issue is it ain’t cool to be broke.