Opinion

Obama starting to feel the heat from blacks on jobs

3:00 PM on 12/08/2009

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President Obama pauses during his speech on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama announced a new spate of measures aimed at jumpstarting an economy suffering from record levels of unemployment, and designed to complement last Thursday's jobs summit in Washington. While last week's event was greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism in some quarters, critics may find succor in at least a few of the proposals floated by the president, which include tax incentives for small business investment and infrastructure that even conservative critics posit as essential to business expansion.

The emphasis on businesses and tax relief represents a belated yet welcome acknowledgment by the White House that the private sector is the primary generator of wealth and opportunities, and is in dire need of job-creation incentives. But much like last week's stage-managed jobs summit, Tuesday's speech is fraught with political significance for the president and his fellow Democrats. The president's public moves are a bow to the challenges he faces as he becomes embroiled in embarrassing skirmishes with influential figures from within his party over the moribund economy and bleak job market.

In particular, a 10 percent unemployment rate and a surge in joblessness among young African-Americans to levels not seen since the Great Depression threaten to erode President Obama's traditionally reliable support among black voters. The impact of the recession on black households is eliciting pushback from black Congressional leaders, several of whom accused the president of being indifferent to the mounting difficulties faced by their constituents.

To his credit, President Obama rightfully emphasizes his responsibility to stimulate job creation for all Americans as opposed to just the African-American community. But the state of black unemployment should serve as a clarion call for those who cling stubbornly to overly-romanticized views of the president.

The growing divergence in recent polls between white and non-white voters who approve of President Obama's job performance illustrates a fact that is increasingly difficult to ignore: despite the bracing economic conditions, many blacks are still under the thrall of the fresh and promising candidate the president once was, instead of a sober appraisal of his performance as an incumbent.

With overall joblessness at a 26-year high and blacks bearing the brunt of the deteriorating economic conditions, the time has long passed for blacks to shed certain illusions about President Obama. As the recent dust-up with Congressional Black Caucus leaders demonstrates, the president can only defy political gravity for so long without producing results.

Few can fault African-Americans for their poignant elation over electing the first black president, but the president is called the leader of the free world for a reason. Irrespective of his race or ethnicity, President Obama is held accountable for delivering on real-world outcomes. Failing this, he must be expected to suffer the political consequences as any other elected leader.

At the end of the day, African-Americans have the same needs as all other Americans: safe neighborhoods, good educational and economic opportunities, and well-paying jobs that help provide for their families. These goals cannot be accomplished when voters - black or white - are staring down the barrel of double-digit unemployment.

In sum, blacks cannot, and should not, dwell in unshakable adoration of the president. The day is fast approaching where the exuberance blacks feel over President Obama's election must give way to demanding concrete results. Anything less will be a gross disservice to African-Americans, and the president himself.

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On Tuesday, President Barack Obama announced a new spate of measures aimed at jumpstarting an economy suffering from "record levels of unemployment":http://www.thegrio.com/2009/12/the-obama-administration-welcomed-the.php, and designed to complement last Thursday's jobs summit in Washington. While last week's event was greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism in some quarters, critics may find succor in at least a few of the proposals floated by the president, which include tax incentives for small business investment and infrastructure that even conservative critics posit as essential to business expansion. The emphasis on businesses and tax relief represents a belated yet welcome acknowledgment by the White House that the private sector is the primary generator of wealth and opportunities, and is in dire need of job-creation incentives. But much like last week's stage-managed jobs summit, Tuesday's speech is fraught with political significance for the president and his fellow Democrats. The president's public moves are a bow to the challenges he faces as he becomes embroiled in embarrassing skirmishes with influential figures from within his party over the moribund economy and bleak job market. In particular, a 10 percent unemployment rate and a surge in joblessness among young African-Americans to levels not seen since the Great Depression threaten to erode President Obama's traditionally reliable support among black voters. The impact of the recession on black households is eliciting pushback from black Congressional leaders, several of whom accused the president of being indifferent to the mounting difficulties faced by their constituents. To his credit, President Obama rightfully emphasizes his responsibility to stimulate job creation for all Americans as opposed to just the African-American community. But the state of black unemployment should serve as a clarion call for those who cling stubbornly to overly-romanticized views of the president. The growing divergence in recent polls between white and non-white voters who approve of President Obama's job performance illustrates a fact that is increasingly difficult to ignore: despite the bracing economic conditions, many blacks are still under the thrall of the fresh and promising candidate the president once was, instead of a sober appraisal of his performance as an incumbent. With overall "joblessness":http://www.thegrio.com/2009/12/120409---the-grio-cnbc-market-wrap-up.php at a 26-year high and blacks bearing the brunt of the deteriorating economic conditions, the time has long passed for blacks to shed certain illusions about President Obama. As the "recent dust-up with Congressional Black Caucus leaders":http://www.thegrio.com/2009/12/black-caucus-tells-obama-youve-done-too-little-for-african-americans.php demonstrates, the president can only defy political gravity for so long without producing results. Few can fault African-Americans for their poignant elation over electing the first black president, but the president is called the leader of the free world for a reason. Irrespective of his race or ethnicity, President Obama is held accountable for delivering on real-world outcomes. Failing this, he must be expected to suffer the political consequences as any other elected leader. At the end of the day, African-Americans have the same needs as all other Americans: safe neighborhoods, good educational and economic opportunities, and well-paying jobs that help provide for their families. These goals cannot be accomplished when voters - black or white - are staring down the barrel of double-digit unemployment. In sum, blacks cannot, and should not, dwell in unshakable adoration of the president. The day is fast approaching where the exuberance blacks feel over President Obama's election must give way to demanding concrete results. Anything less will be a gross disservice to African-Americans, and the president himself.