Ta-Nehisi Coates

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The only inaugaration question that matters

19 Dec 2008 09:00 am

Has been asked by Jelani:

I'm starting to wonder if Barack is going to kick off the Electric Slide on the National Mall after the inaugural. The combination of Joseph Lowery, Aretha Franklin and Elizabeth Alexander is almost enough to make me think this will be somewhere between a grand state function and the Image Awards.
This really is the question of the day. I'm thinking about the ball. Are these cats gonna bust out the line dancing? Better yet, are they gonna go straight South Side and start stepping? This almost makes me want to be there. Almost.

Comments (25)

I thought we had agreed that his dancing came from his mother's people?

Oh, oh! Someone get Dwana Smallwood! It would be so awesome, and then the camera wouldn't care who else danced.

I remember watching Aretha perform at Clinton's first inaugural wondering if the far-left would be offended by her fur. Given the climate surrounding the Warren choice I hope she chooses a fake this time. ;)

Incertus (Brian)

Uncular1,
Far left =/= animal rights activists. There are some overlaps, to be sure, but one does not equal the other.

As to the post, I'm thinking I might have to actually pay attention to the Inaugural activities this year. Never done that before.

If he and Michelle step, I'm through.

In the spirit of inclusiveness, Obama has kept a Republican at Defense, invited Rick Warren to the inaugaration. However, if he truly means he is going to be President of red and blue America, he is going to have to bust this one out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EebObs-vC0

@Uncular1

"Given the climate surrounding the Warren choice I hope she chooses a fake this time"

The "climate" was created by Obamna's own actions, that is, choosing a bigot that equals gays with pedophiles and them defending his pick with "but he invited me to his church" and "why can't we all get together" BS

BTW, I'm far from being in the far left. Hey, I escaped communism. But I don't think we gays have to scream "Harder Barack!" anytime he hits us.


Sorry for firing folks up. I thought I put the little 'winky guy' at the end there to indicate that I was being a little playful. I just assumed this was a light-hearted post with the joke about the electric slide and all.

Didn't mean to offend. :) (smiley guy there for fence mending)

No worries, Uncular1. I'm fired up and it is not your fault. The more I think about this the angrier I get.

Well, patience, I guess. We will see ...

Eduardo,

Thanks for accepting my apology. Hopefully this administration will stand up for equality in it's actions. We'll see. In the meantime we can work on changing minds one at a time if need be.

BTW, I'm pretty far-left socially and, I'll admit, I was a little taken aback by Aretha wearing that fur 16 years ago. However, she is Aretha so who am I to criticize.

You gotta know that there are some Republicans who are astonished that Obama chose Aretha to perform at the inauguration instead of Ludacris.

Eduardo

I think this post from John Cole kinda puts things in perspective though. Not to belittle your anger at all but just to remind us who Barack Obama is and what he has done for LGBT causes.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=14818

I'm confused. I thought the 'electric slide' was about the whitest thing you could do. It sure seems that way at every family wedding I've ever been to. Black people don't line dance, do they?

There will be a young group of steppers in the inaugural parade. Should be adorable.

Stacy - Yes, black people line dance. :)

Well, a step show is one thing. But I thought line dancing was for bull riding bars and white weddings. My bad...

Thanks, sgwhiteinfla. I read Cole and Klein --who he links.

Again, we will have to wait to see what Obama does. It is one thing to be a Senator from Illinois, another totally different to be the President who has to play a multidimensional chess game with competing political interests, pressures, etc. In that game many times Democratic politicians throw gays under the bus and rationalize it in this or that way. (I know we are a very small minority and where do you go: Sarah Palin?) Or then they put you on wait. Have you heard that Obama plans to deal with DADT in 2010? Sounds like two good years in which he has to do nothing, doesn't it?


And then there is the Clinton experience. I wasn't in the States during the Clinton years but I saw a clip of him in 1992, during the Dem National Convention. Oh, man, my heart almost stopped because I saw him delivering this with authentic passion:

"And so we must say to every American: Look beyond the stereotypes that blind us. We need each other - all of us - we need each other. We don’t have a person to waste, and yet for too long politicians have told the most of us that are doing all right that what’s really wrong with America is the rest of us- them.

Them, the minorities. Them, the liberals. Them, the poor. Them, the homeless. Them, the people with disabilities. Them, the gays.

We’ve gotten to where we’ve nearly them'ed ourselves to death. Them, and them, and them.


But, this is America. There is no them. There is only us.
"

How the Clinton admin worked out for us? And then the guy even advised Kerry to f_ck us hard in 2004.

So, I am now an Obama skeptic when it comes to gay rights. When he does something good, I will praise him, I will be more enthusiastic about him, I will donate to him. If not, I will have to treat him the way I treat your regular Dem pol. As a reluctant, somehow sympathetic, mostly lip supporter of gay people.

I wonder if my fellow rednecks will steal this dance too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYa0nyy43Bg&feature=related

There's stepping and there's stepping. Are we talking about greek shit or Kells and Chicago and them?

Since he is from Chicago, it will be the Cha-Cha Hustle instead.

Gramsci stole my Obama Hustle joke :-(

Maybe Michelle will wear the bootleg Obama t-shirt/dress with the fringe to one of the balls?

One and a half million people. Five thousand porta-potties. You DON'T want to be there. Watch on TV.

There has to be room for the FAMU Famous Marching 100, right? Playing Dey know or Lip Gloss?
This needs to happen.

Oh snap, The Marching 100 will be in the parade! I knew my vote would mean something

No you didn't say stepping.

BWA HA HA HA HA HA

If POTUS and FLOTUS begin stepping in any of the Inaugural Balls, I don't think I'll stop LMAO until I'm on a gurnee on the way to the hospital.

I have to admit, I'm looking forward to the Battle of the Bands during the Inaugural Parade.

there will be no stepping, Obama cant dance...

If we want some real stepping done at the Inauguration, we better call R. Kelly and his steppers. Yes, R. is a pedophile, but he's got the stepping music and dancing on lock.

dude, i GUARANTEE you will see a massive electric slide on the mall. i mean, i'm willing to bet most of my devalued american currency on it. I will wager and pay out in Euros if i lose on this one.

i saw the mayor of atlanta and the minority leader of the Ga house doing the hustle in mile high stadium -- and that was just a NOMINATION.

the only question is what high ranking figure will be caught on tape missing a turn and throwing off the whole choreography.

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