A WESTSIDER STORY

In between the writing I divert my attention towards Contracting in Computer Networking, which in this day of outsourcing, are as common as positive rating points are for George W. Bush. Well the other day I get a call from one of those Headhunting Agencies looking to fill a job ASAP. I hate them. “HATE”, being a strong aggressive word that civilize people should avoid, ‘I HATE HEADHUNTING AGENCIES”. This particular agency (which I want to name and just might if what I am about to tell you happens again) called me about a “Wonderful Opportunity”. Mind you, I have never worked for these people, nor have met the people who called me. We talk on the phone for a few minutes as I run down my abilities and background. Sell, sell, sell myself, that’s what I did and the end result was a possible long term working gig at the world famous auction house, Sotheby. Now for those that do not know, Sotheby is one of those places where any and everything of worth can be showcased, highlighted and sold for what I like to refer to as STUPID MONEY. So you can correctly assume that the type of people that work and auction there are not your average people next door (especially next to any of the doors I ever lived in).

So I’m on the phone and we are talking when the Headhunter tells me that my appointment will be the next day around 2:00 PM and then goes on to explain to me WHAT a Sotheby is and what they do and how they do things (I remain silent because I already know all of this) then the Headhunter tells me to check my email for the contact person and address. Ten minutes later I get another call, “I want to change those plans. Come into my office so I can meet you and fill out some paperwork.”

This is one of several reasons why I dislike Headhunting Agencies. There is always this need and desperation for bodies at the last minute when they are looking to fill a position for a “cut” and “commission”. Mind you, if I was looking for a position on my own through them, I’d be an annoyance or forgotten for months before some NEW person pulls my resume from the bottom of some file cabinet and starts calling hoping that you are STILL UNEMPLOYED, but for now, I am Golden Boy so I'm going with the flow.

"What time do you want me to see you?", I ask.

"How about 1:00 PM?", the Headhunter responds back.

So now I am thinking, you want me to see you at 1:00 PM, not 11:00 AM or 12:00 Noon and then run to an appointment at 2:00 PM. That is cutting it a bit close. Too close.

"Don’t you think that is too close? Wouldn’t it be best to go to the interview and then swing by you for the paperwork? Or you can email me whatever I need to fill out today and I can fax it back to you. " , I ask.

"No, there are some things you need to fill out in the office. " ,the Headhunter confirms.

"No problem. I’ll see you at 1:00 PM.", I then accept and end the conversation.

The next day I get up early. I get a haircut and shave, a facial and the whole Metrosexual treatment. Knowing that I need to make an impression at Sotheby, I needed to have an above average look on par with that ELITE associations noted to frequent the auction house and it’s patrons. I will have to admit, I was turning few heads. Just as I was walking out of my place, the older woman from upstairs met me in the hallway. As I was leaving she gave me my "Suki Suki" moment. The kids in their SAGGIN ways step to the side of the walk as I proudly marched down towards the subway. Even the Rookie Cops that routinely stand by the Dunkin Donuts didn’t know what to make because it was a Tuesday and here this N____ was stepping out in Sunday Heels; they figure I had lost my mind due to the Heat of Global Warming or just decided to participate in Earth Day by not washing my Ghetto Gear. With all the attention, I still kept thinking in my head that I should have pushed the original plan and met with the people of Sotheby’s first and then the Headhunter. It's that FIRST THOUGHT THEORY.

I get to the Headhunter's and of course, I am asked to wait in the lobby for 20 minutes. The receptionist (a HOTTIE) kept telling me that the representative would arrive in a minute. When he finally arrives, we shook hands and I returned it back with equal Professional Formalities. He places the papers in my hands where the whole process took 10 minutes. The Headhunter then gives me the directions and a contact number and as I read the directions to gauge the quickest way to get to Sotheby’s from where I was I ask, “Is this interview still scheduled for 2:00 PM? "

"Oh no, I moved it back to 3:00 PM you have plenty of time to get there. Enough time to even walk if you like." the Headhunter assures me.

Yeah I could but I DIDN’T. With the weather being PERFECT, upper 70 degrees and nothing but sun and a light breeze, it was too perfect and I did not want to be affected by Murphy’s Law. I looked at my watch and saw that I had just a little more than 40 minutes to get to Sotheby. So I was safe. I shake hands once again and departed. I’ll skip the whole hustle and bustle though the streets of Manhattan and get to the door of Sotheby.

I get to my place and it is everything it was suppose to be. Sotheby’s, being on the Eastside of New York City, it is one of the Crown Jewels of OLD MONEY. We say that of the Eastside because east of Central Park is known for Wealthy New York residents or what is known as generational family wealth. The Westside is NEW MONEY. This is where traditionally the RICH people live, those whom have generated wealth within one to two decades. One side can trace its historical wealth back to and beyond the turn of the 20th Century or back to family within Europe, Africa, Asia and South America while the others can look to Entertainment, Technology, Banking , Medical and Service. The Westside is also the place where the newer and more frequent high-rises are located and built so anyone looking to move to New York City with a few coins in the pocket and wants to live Midtown or the Upper sides would more likely find themselves living there than the Eastside. Central Park being the line between the two sides, it is more than just a few acres of green dividing the differences, it also separates the attitude.

People usually ask me if the people of New York City, specifically those living in Manhattan, are racist or prejudice? In all things human nature, there will always be racism and degrees of prejudice BUT in Manhattan the divisions have more to do with CLASS as oppose to Race. Based upon your socio-economic situation, you can pretty much live anywhere in Manhattan. Depending on where you live, one can almost predict what your financial portfolio is. Those living in a particular area (and this is where prejudice and racism factors in) that would seem a bit questionable you would then ask, “So what do you do for a living?”. There is a theory behind this that at some point I’ll go into detail but for now let’s get back to Sotheby.

I walk into the building and pretty much get directed to my meeting place. Exiting the elevator I see a Brotha at the greeting desk where he then gives me slight attitude and directs me to sit and wait for my interviewer. I take out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from my brow. Between the weather and my hustle, I gave myself a pretty good workout. While sitting, I observe all the fine art and paintings hanging. The furniture was very comfortable for being art deco and I say to myself, “Self, this leather chair I know cost more than $3000.00 easy." The wait wasn’t that long when the Gentleman comes from a back office. I had to admit, immaculately dressed, he did look good in his clothes (Not as good as ME, in the words of Jill Scott). First impressions being everything, I stand up to greet my host and find that I am a Giant to his slight frame. As I am standing I can see how his neck is just arching to a locked position so I step back just a little so that I don’t give the “little” man a cramp. He, an amalgamation of Beverley Leslie (from Will and Grace) and Niles Crane (from Frasier) and giving off pure Evana Trump in Diva-tude looks me up and down but I don’t pay it any mind.

“How are you, it’s a pleasure to ...”, I greet the Interviewer

Very dismissive the Interviewer interrupts, “I’m sorry but I’m NOT meeting with you?”

YOU WHAT? NOT WHAT? OH HELL NO YOU DIDN’T!

“You aren't going to meet with me? Why not?”, I ask.

“I take being on time very seriously. This position that I am offering is not something to take lightly and you standing here now just don’t represent that.”, the Interviewer says patronizingly.

WHAT THE FUQ. NO THIS LITTLE PENCIL NECK DID NOT TURN ME OUT.

Stepping forward two steps, “Excuse me but I don’t think I'm late.”

“Excuse me BUT you are. You were to be here at 2:00 PM and I don’t have the time to ENTERTAIN you.”, spoken dismissively.

SHYT, DID HE JUST SAY THE WORD ENTERTAIN? HE WENT THERE.

“In defense of myself, I just left the agency no more than a hour ago where I filled out the proper paperwork. It was my understanding that the interview was to be at 3:00 PM and not 2:00 PM. I have the appointment schedule with me.”, cold and monotone I responded back.

“I don’t care, your agent should have contacted me. I’m sorry but you WON’T work.”, he said with finality.

YOU KNOW, FUQ YOU FREAK

“It is not an issue. I understand your decision and thank you for your time.”, I say in finality.

So a gathered my things as well as my thoughts (because they were becoming a bit Gemini by the second) and left. As I leave the decadence that littered what is a Sotheby, I looked around the building before exiting into the street and I say to myself, ‘Self, honestly, did you really see yourself working here? I mean coming from the Upper West, not coming from much and building yourself up through struggle into living a decent life, traveling the country and the World, passing the homeless and sickly on the streets just to get here, knowing there is a War going on, knowing that much of the wealth in this place was collected, gathered and or created off the backs of People without means or conscious, my attitude for doing the Right thing, personal views, personal values, your politics and temperament, lack of tolerance with people whom get off on the belittlement , dismissing of others and or condescending to just anyone and everyone, I mean you are a humanist at your core and yet you can be Bold and Acknowledging of your own prejudice, is this REALLY what you want? Does this place fit into your PEACE OF MIND?”

I then change the direction of my thoughts and ask myself again, “Even with all the miscommunication and shady attitude from "Shorty Pants", is some part of you just twisted over not being able to get the opportunity to interview for this position?"

NOPE.

So I get outside, in the sun and I exhale. I look down the street as I watch the White folk in their diamonds and pearls, their Caribbean, South American and African nannies bring children home from the prep-schools, people on their way to their late afternoon Catholic and Jewish services, the sounds of Arab and other Middle Eastern dialogue eating outside cafes, European shoppers looking for expensive bargains, elderly men and women being pushed down the street in wheelchairs and or assisted in walkers, giving silent greetings and acknowledgements to Black and Brown door men as I past by and before I knew it I was by Central Park; the dividing point between what is real and what is tolerably real.

Not for nothing, I broke out the camera and decided, for my PEACE OF MIND I will do something that comes directly from me and capture the spirit of the day, the celebration of life, and a few snapshots of my SEXY. As I walked and took pictures, a group of young women stopped me and asked me why I was taking pictures. They were full of energy and girlfriend giggles. Most of all they were sight seeing and fame searchers. One of the young ladies asked if I knew anyone famous and as I rarely do, I name dropped a few people, which they loved. Then they asked if I could take their picture and vice versa. I promised that I would post the meeting on my Blog and I will (I hope they come check it out). I eventually started to tire. Being on my feet in “show shoes” and running out of space on the digital camera, I needed to be home because I couldn’t wait to get that damn Monkey Suit off and into a pair of jeans and a tee-shit ON THE WESTSIDE.

MAN I LOVE BEING ON THE WESTSIDE.

SHARPE JAMES OF NEWARK GUILTY, DIRTY AND KNOWINGLY CORRUPT

OK lets get this thing started, I use to live in Newark, New Jersey just over the Hudson River and have had family and friends there as well. I even worked there for a short time so my experience with the city is personal and professional. As a citizen of the city I made it my responsibility to KNOW the city, its history, its economics, the politics and its people. Much like New York City, it is composed with many ethnic and cultural groups but UNLIKE New York, it is an extremely segregated city. My experience there not only had a major impact on my life but its current make up not only prompted me to turn away from becoming a part of the World of Politics but on the other side of reporting it and or exposing the underbelly of it. The atrocities in Newark, New Jersey also was institutional in gaining me recognition as a Poet in winning my first Writing Award for a piece called OPPORTUNITY, detailing in verse, how the City of Newark had destroyed generations of its youth over the years. If Denzel Washington portraying an American Gangster, Sharpe James is America's Pimp.

Blacks over there, Latinos of here, Whites on the outskirts way over there, the poor in the center in the Projects and Portuguese, Asians and Italians beyond the underpass past the trains and the west Indians on the boarders on the extreme opposite side of town, Newark is a social experiment on How To Not Run An Ethically Diverse City. With it’s Lightning Rod History and Controversy, Newark still maintains a “fear” mongering form of policing where patrols on the boarders of the city keep those people that might be from the city, from crossing over into their own. What I always experienced while living and working there was as close as Newark was to New York City, specifically Manhattan; it was more Southern in style than Northeastern. Newark, New Jersey; the major hub for transportation, shipping, manufacturing, economic advancement, education and music was more like Chicago IL., Baltimore Md., Charlotte NC., Atlanta Ga. than a Brooklyn NY, Boston Mass., or Hartford Ct. Even with Newark’s history as being a city built by Immigrants, it also has had a long account of being corrupt in its politics. What always amazed me was that in its downtown area, at any given time, you could not find a movie theater (unless you wanted to choose between two Porn Theaters), no Ice Cream Shops or Bakeries, no places to get simple Computer supplies or Electronics, no Bookstores, very few Restaurants, no Hardware and Home Supplies shops and I can go on with a listing of "have-nots" that any small town would have but not the largest city in the state of New Jersey. This lack of Private and Public investment for the past 40 years is what tittered Newark on the brink of being a ghost town way before the Bush Administration's Big Score. The state of the city existed in this type of limbo through several presidents; Ford, Cater, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush and only until recently has the cycle broken with the aid of Newark’s present Mayor Cory Booker. For all accounts, Newark was a Ghetto City and that was what it existed as under the combined leadership of two mayors and 40 years.

So why was this? There are many reasons which date back since the later 1960's. Some would argue the White Flight into the suburbs, others would argue the lack of know how by Black Leadership that filled in the void of those that left. Still others would argue the unstable economy that had befallen the City but residents of the City of Newark will tell you that the perpetuation of the city’s misery to be with two men selling and carving out the spoils than an entire Federal and State economy; former mayors Kenneth Gibson and Sharpe James. I would blame it on Black Loyalty at its worst.

I had recently posted on my blog the concerns I had about Black Loyalty (THE FATE OF BLACK LOYALTY). In this posting I discussed the pitfalls of Black Americans voting for political candidates just because they look like them and or use all the words of Hope and Change layered in Sermon and Gospel while wearing the Cloth of a Politician. As part of this analysis I used the current state of Newark as a grand example as to what happens when Black Politicians go BAD and Newark, New Jersey has had some BAD Politicians.

Concentrating on the TOP thrones of political responsibility, the mayor is always the figurehead that ultimately gets the hardest look. Looking at almost 20 years of non-transparent management under Sharpe James’ rule, the state of the city had grind down to almost a complete halt with its high crime statistics, corruptions, government abuse, misappropriation of funds, personal and family favors, money laundering, document and witness tampering and the list continue. What more, as the city continued to descend into near bankruptcy, the city was facilitating no-bid contracts, property sales, tax abatements and pushing Imminent Domain upon the city home owners while raising taxes to offset the cheap land that Developers where receiving without challenge. You had Councilmen and women with budgets that would just disappear into thin air without question. Newark was the place to learn, live, profit and love “Dirty Politics”.

What makes this act so shocking is that one would deem this to be the actions under a Republican Administration (President to Governor down to the Mayor) and yet these actions were all from a Black Democratic Mayor whom had won over a previous Black Democratic Mayor, Kenneth Gibson, who did the very some thing for nearly as longs as James. In essence, one mayor past the baton of corruption to the next to continue the raping, robbing and pillaging of the life force and livelihood of a city with the majority being the Black population. A city, which fought in the late 60’s to remove the gangster-type politics that segregated and oppressed a people to only replace it with another (with the help of corporate, special interest and ex-Newark officials whom had moved up in the Private and Public sectors and still had an investment in gutting out the new GAME that was to be Newark Politics). Think clearly then, you enter into a city where the evidence of riots still remain in public sight, where you allow fortune 500 corporations to exist at the center of your city and are allow to practice a "no-hire" practice for the residence within your city, where you allow (under the guise of Imminent Domain) State and County Universities and Colleges, Catholic Organizations, New Jersey Port Authority, State Hospitals and Manufacturing and Pharmaceuticals and Private Developers to expand into the city maintaining a "no-hire" status for its citizens while gifted with the prize of Pay No Taxes. And as each group gutted out the City of Newark, you heard the rallying call of Sharpe James calling these changes THE NEWARK RENAISSANCE.

I made this statement publicly and in writing, which had gotten me in some hot water, not because I was being a racial or radical, but because my words went out and also included Barak Obama:

"I am a skeptic in all things POLITICAL. For Obama, my concerns are his UNKNOWNS. There are many Blacks in politics that are doing great things and there are many that use their positions to line their pockets. Initially they (Black Politicians) all are inspirational and agents of CHANGE. As Black people, we end up on the loosing end when BLACK politicians go BAD or CAN'T do right by Black people due to political promises and pre-conditioned obligations.” – Shazza Nakim from the Blog: Field Negro

My words were not anti-Obama or anti-Black Democrat (as Obamaholics see the World, the statement read between the lines as being Pro-Clinton) the words spoke from a simple truth of past evidence and repeated examples of mismanaged government, not only of Black Politicians, but all Politicians globally. The politics of Newark, New Jersey isn’t unique to just that city but is does show a pattern in many predominately Black cities with Black Politicians at the helm. We can make claim to the same argument that those surrounding Mayor James and Gibson did this but reality the people's lack of the truth, their lack of ownership, false loyalty, lack of transparency, active participation, human nature and a Politician's bid to be like other political officials. The direction one needed to deal with Black Cities (and YES I will make the claim that a predominately populated city IS a BLACK CITY when the majority residents are BLACK) in a uniquely different way than non-Black Cities. Sharpe James has only done what other politicians have done and like those that were TOO greedy, felt they were TOO powerful and got TOO sloppy, he walks out in MUCH SHAME AND RIDICULE.

So what is the end result, does the City of Newark get back its Billions of lost revenue and government funding dedicated to rebuilding it back to its past luster? Do the children reclaim the loss of broken schools; poor education, undo their drop-out status, get off the streets and back into the classroom of the schools that were either closed or condemned, decrease the incarceration numbers because the after-school programs and summer work programs will be re-financed? Do people get to reclaim their homes lost in the vicious cycle of TAXATION? Do you mandate that those people who purposely set fire to their homes and businesses for Insurance in order to leave the city and add to the decay? Do you make accountable the Corporations that had systematically denied employment to Newark residents for generations thus keeping the unemployment rates consistent and steady? Do the city now balance the budget by cashing in all the Planes, Trains, Yachts, Cars, Private Mansions, Manors and Vacation Homes paid for by the tax payers? Do the people of Newark get back the KICK BACKS the Mayors signed off and granted to Developers for years? How about the subsidized resources given to businesses outside Newark with no return back from where it came from? A person can scream to Heaven, “MY GOD” with the type of abuse that had gone on unfettered all because of Black Loyalty in the City of Newark.

I do not like to wish Bad Luck and Ill Will on anyone and yet like Al Capone, the notorious Gangster of Chicago, if the best the FBI can get on Sharpe James is his hooking up his Side Piece on  with STEALING MONEY AND OPPORTUNITIES from the citizens of Newark, just like generations of other corrupt Black and Brown politicians were doing under his watch, THAN I AM SATISFIED WITH IT. My soul isn’t full with the justice but I think the people of Newark will have a sense that some HIGHER POWER is reminding them that "Not All Devils Go Unnoticed".

A BENEDICTINE HOUSE CLEANING

For a while, it seemed as though my mind had turned off. I am not use to living my life in an emotional flux. Most people not connected to me personally would most likely think I am insensitive to the world around me but in truth I am very much affected by the events around me.

My brain is constantly stimulated. Often times it is so hyper stimulated that I find myself getting a bit scattered trying to keep pace with my thoughts. It is worst then my body is tired and my brain is running a marathon. That is where reading and sometimes Junk Food Television come into play. Last night was one of those times.

Getting over my emotional setback, I began writing again. It was after midnight with my mind in overdrive as I struggled to focus on a topic to write on, I flipped the channel to the late News. It’s a habit to have the television on for me. I tried to do it in compete silence but it never took. A sociologist told me once that this television thing is a product of my early childhood when television became a member of the American family and as such, it became a part of my though process. Television then as it is now in the background is much like having a person in the room with you; someone having a conversation. Although you may not be paying attention to any one particular show, the voices in the background produces a subconscious “comfort” that helps me focus my over active mind.

WHATEVER. I like TV as oppose to quite and music so that's what I was doing just before I heard in the background about the latest Celeb to hit the streets on New York.

So while thinking about doing something on my conversation with this kid I met who is in the S&M (for which I know you are all looking forward to reading), I got caught up in New York’s preparation for the Pope’s visit next week. Funny how I go from S&M to the Pope in once sentence Right?

Well I am listening to how the Pope’s visit is to make people here loose their minds. I mean you have the Catholic Churches cleaning house. You know how at work when you know the District Manager or the CEO is coming through for a visit and all of a sudden “everyone” has to UP his or her professionalism like cleaning off the desk, no more casual dress, rehearsing possible answers to questions you might be asked, you know all the phony prep work. You have the news promoting youth choirs made up of little Black and Brown children singing Gregorian chants songs in Latin, information on how traffic will change, the Who’s Who list of dignitaries that will have VIP seats to see the Pope, his United Nation’s agenda, then there are the Commercial items like tee-shits, mugs, hats, bobble-heads, sandwiches and then you have all the Catholic representative speculating how much grace and gratitude the Pope will bestow upon the people of the New York City.

Huuuummmmm?


There goes my brain working overtime. I begin to think back about the time Pope John Paul II made his World tour to the New York area back in the day and how he stirred up similar excitement BUT the only difference was, I was working for a Catholic school and TRUST ME, when a Pope visits, it isn’t for the purpose of spreading the Gospel, he’s here CLEANING HOUSE.

It was very resent that there were reports that Christendom in the West is on a major decline. Not just Catholicism, but all Christian faiths in Europe. For the most part, religion in general is and has taken a back seat to Europe’s embrace of real World philosophies and socio-economic practices. I like how the Christian Conservatives in America define the movement as the GODLESSNESS OF EUROPE. From the many ethnic groups that have either migrated to Europe or have lived for generations throughout the Western World, the shared consciousness of those opposed to Christianity and its affects on countries outside of Europe is coined as, “ …. Jesus Christ symbolizes no spiritual power, or moral uprightness. He is no more than an artifice for legitimizing wanton imperialist aggression.” It is in this belief that has turned those non-European countries and cultures away from the Gospel that is the “Word” of Christians and into the interest of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam. With Catholics being 22% of America’s religious population (Latinos making up the Majority) 64% state that the Catholics Church is out of touch. That is a problem when you have an organization that forbids criticism. What is especially interesting is that Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the World and has the most actively participating faith on the land. Historically, these two Religions not only encompassed the known Western World but transformed it in their intense religious war killing 100's of thousands possibly millions undocumented. Some would argue that since there is a decline in Christian followers in Europe, this has become fertile ground for new and more Eastern philosophies to enter into the void. Others argue that in the decline of secular and Christian churches in the West, the ability to expand into other countries and cultures to make up the difference are aggressively declined where as in the West, the boarders are traditionally open to non-Christian faiths, constituting an unfair advantage. Regardless of the reasons, the numbers are down and for the Vatican, so are the dollars.

Working within the Catholic organization in the 1990's, and I may sound bias when I say this, BUT the bottom line was Parishioners and Dollars. There was never a moment, behind closed doors, that the books weren't open and people were dropping sweat balls in between the pages of the rolls. When Pope John Paul II was in New York, heads rolled, Mother Superiors and Monsignors were running with ledgers in hand, simple meetings went on for hours and sometimes days. No one without a potion of responsibility was absent and or not held under deep scrutiny and when it was all done, the organization was streamlined, lay-people (those are Non-Catholic employees) were let go, schools and churches closed and a HIGH LEVEL CAMPAIGN for recruiting younger members became the focus. Just sitting back and watching the television, I see this heavy rotation concentrated on YOUTH participation, organizations and education. This same focus was exactly what was pushed more than 10 years ago. Then again, so was the Gulf War. I suspect Pope Benedict XVI will be doing the same even if the US News and the Catholic Media machine are down playing it. The Catholic Church is in trouble and when you get the HEAD to leave the thrown, you know that the kingdom is going to be shaken up.

This statement just might sound a bit stiff and again a little bias but the Pope’s visit is nothing new to New York. I can give you a listing of Important and Famous people where the entire city rolls out the red carpet. It is business as usually to shut down streets, redirect traffic, creating tee-shirts with someone’s face on it or have the entire city’s News agencies forget that there are other events going on at the same time. The Pope’s visit is just one more tourist attraction. Already the losers of the Theater Strike of 2007 are looking forward for making up their loss with the Pope’s visit. Amazingly enough, I don’t hear much about what Message of God that Pope Benedict XVI plans to bring. How is that for keeping the faith alive?

RUSH LIMBAUGH HAD NO POWER IN TEXAS

I think people have given Rush Limbaugh too much credit. Based upon Exit Polls and media coverage of the people in the rural areas of Texas, neither Rush nor his Talk Radio Show was a major or even deciding factor of the election result. Contrary to the “Volunteer”, Robert Swann , whom worked for the Hillary Clinton Texas Campaign, there is this deep belief that a small percentage of Republican banded together, to throw the State’s election as a direct protest against John McCain, the Republican front-runner then and now Presidential Nominee. The truth is the matter us what made the difference in Texas was the last Debate between Sen. Barak Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, the small but significant scandal with Obama and the Revko case which took center stage in Chicago that same week (where the media's perception of Obama was that of his avoiding answering questions of his direct connection to the case) and the fact that Texas is a Pro-War, Military and Veteran State which worked in Clinton's favor especially since she has a Liberal-Conservative viewpoint to War, Clinton’s 3 AM Political Ad and lastly, Obama’s complacency in campaigning in Texas. This meaning that although Texans like all things BIG, when it come to their politics, a “flesh to palm” and door-to-door works better that the star, stage and stadium approach. The populations of older voters do not turn on and turn out to the types of campaigning that Young Voters gravitate to.

Contrary to all assumptions, the issue with Race, Religion and Ads played very little into the whole voting issue since the deciding factor for Hillary's victory was that Obama did not cut ENOUGH into the Latino Vote. He did get a fair number of the Latin Youth vote but he was an estimated 3200 votes shy of their projections. With 83% of the Black vote, Obama needed 40% of the Latin Vote to even command a 50 plus 1% overall. Rush Limbaugh could not affect that many people (within the Democratic party) even on his BEST DAY. To consider that Ultra-Conservatives would vote for Hillary Clinton as a political stratagem to give Obama “FALSE HOPE” is almost laughable, more so it ranks up there with the Best of … The Texan Conspiracy Theories. There is no evidence and to be honest, no one is even researching all that hard to find out.

Another thing, the Religious Vote (Catholics) came out strong. Catholics voted more for Clinton in Texas than all her other State victories. For Obama, his projections were even with Clinton prior to Tuesday. Obama hit all his Urban Areas, the Middle-class and Wealthy, College age and Black Americans but his exception were those OLDER LATIN VOTER, which consistently keep missing. His camp made the same MAJOR MISTAKE in Ohio as well. It was in Obama’s campaign complacency and lack of presence in those Southern Texan districts, the people saw his lack of interest and in that black hole, Hillary’s campaign took charge. Those people watch TELAMUNDO; they saw a significant amount of that Clinton Ad. Like it or not, THE AD WORKED on the right people.

There was also this point as well, TEXAS did not have a record turn out in "Registered" Republican votes which would kind of make the Rush Limbaugh argument suspect. There was no major turnout of Republicans or Independents voting for Hillary Clinton. If anything, those borderline Independents and Republican Independents went Obama but in small numbers.

Looking at the MATH, it was going to be a tie from the start, especially since Texas began it’s voting early. It is always recognized that when a large number of votes are recorded early, there is a tendency for those voting late to stay home. We see this in National voting when the WEST COAST watched how the EAST COAST is voting which in some cases effect the whole election.

Lastly, THIS IS POLITICS not American Idol or Big Brother House. You have to be just as hard on the Media. Obama is the FRONT-RUNNER and every single stumble he makes (and OBAMA did stumble by not running a STRONG campaign in Texas among other things) you can't blame the "CLINTONS" nor can you point to Rush Limbaugh as a "serious" contributing factor. That is the easy and most Obvious thing to do when one does not understand the dynamics of running a campaign. My Political insight into campaigning is this for Obama, he needs to aggressively reach out to OLDER AMERICANS and to the Latinos and MILITARY Veterans that he keeps ignoring. This is what each group talk about, the idea that OBAMA isn't speaking to them and only the BLACKS and the Young Folks. Those groups are the SWING votes that are either voting for Clinton or John McCain. He also needs to make an appeal to Catholic Voters whom bring in Big Numbers to Clinton.

Instead of Preaching he has GOOD or BETTER Judgment, Obama needs to start talking about Current International Issues in detail and what He Will Do once he becomes President. Neither Clinton nor Obama has ENOUGH individual Foreign Policy experience BUT if you start talking about Foreign Policy in terms of THE PEOPLE , America will know that Obama at least know the NAMES of the major players. Obama needs to have more of his Foreign Policy Advisers come forward and begin schooling him in speaking PUBLICLY about World Events. That is why Coni Rice was brought on board for George Bush in his race for President and partly how he won. Same thing must happen with Obama, those on the fence do not feel he knows the World enough to speak to it. That is WHY and HOW he lost Texas, Ohio and RI, NOT because Clinton is Racist or a Fear Monger; all she did was play to Obama's weaknesses and exploited his campaign's complacency.

As much as I dislike Rush Limbaugh, I will always be convinced that people gave him too much credit, especially with his assumed affluence with Texan politics. This is a Man identified by his own Republican party as a "Man who does not debate in Reality", a shotgun Political Pundit which every mainstream Republican distances themselves from. Looking at the numbers after the fact, you will see, especially when you can go to the CNN exit poll for all the statistics, that what was proposed by Rush was and is incorrect.