News from Hillary's Plantation

Tonight when I checked into my hotel in Atlanta, I flipped on the local news and they were discussing the results of a recent AP/AOL poll of African-Americans. The survey asked respondents to name America's "most important black leaders." The results were simultaneously surprising and not surprising.

What was not surprising was that Jesse Jackson was the top vote-getter with 15%. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, however, was a surprising runner-up, tallying 11%. Third place went to Colin Powell with 8%. Barack Obama (6%), Louis Farrakahn (4%), Oprah Winfrey (3%) and Al Sharpton (2%) rounded-out the top responses.

I guess it says quite a bit about the state of leadership in the African-American community and the fractured nature of the collective African-American mindset that the top responses totaled only 49%. Moreover, isn't it rather surprising that two of the top names were Republicans? Indeed, considering the electoral gulf separating black voters from the Republican Party, one might conclude that blacks don't consider Rice and Powell as meaningful representatives of their community. Yet here they are in the poll results.

And what of Barack Obama? A freshman Senator who has done literally nothing manages to garner 6%? How? Why? Is this like speculation? And Oprah? Sharpton? Farrakahn? Wow.

When Hillary Clinton race baits by implying that Republicans are anti-black, maybe she should be reminded of the Rice + Powell vs. Jesse + Obama + Farrkahn + Oprah + Sharpton comparison.