While there has been quite a bit of talk about the majority African-American support Senator Obama has, what is more interesting is the Black support he is not getting.

Quietly, but unmistakably, a divide has been growing among African-American voters.

Old School vs. New School.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama recently turned down an opportunity to appear at Tavis Smiley’s “State of the Black Union 2008″ Conference in New Orleans on February 23th. Senator Obama did, however, offer for his wife, Michelle Obama, to appear in his appearance. Tavis declined to allow Mrs. Obama to attend the conference.

The opinions in black blogging community came fast and furiously. With many supporting Obama...

At last year’s SOTBU Al Sharpton, Cornel West and others joined Tavis is roundly criticizing Obama for not attending. Where was Barack that weekend? Oh yeah, he was announcing his bid for the U.S. presidency. This year, Obama is busy trying to win Texas, which has emerged as the firewall state for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Obama wins Texas; Hillary goes home. But Tavis & Co. think Obama should spend precious hours chatting with them about their agenda?

Others took the other side.

Mr. Obama! Have you confirmed your attendance in New Orleans? Black America set this agenda four years ago. Have we been lost in a political beauty contest, in Cosby show fantasies of the middle class? Why are the issues of social, justice, poverty, corporate occupation and exploitation, police brutality, and the situation of destabilization in Africa not important?

What this controversy was really about had little to do with a conference. It had to do with power. And do the old(er) Black leaders still have juice?

It doesn’t seem they have it with Obama.

The real sad part to me is how these old(er) African American leaders fall to the same, old, tired, predictable tricks.
What did Tavis do when it became obvious the people were taking Obama’s side and not his? He played the victim.

The same card is now being played by African-American super-delegates who are refusing to agree to follow the wishes of the people in their districts. They are calling themselves victims,too.

Sad.

Hillary showed up at SOBU and took questions from Tavis.
He didn’t ask her one tough question. See for yourself. It plays like an Oscar interview.

It seems like Obama is changing a lot of things. Win or Lose, the effects on the African American political structure in the US may be the most significant.