Cabbie didn't miss a beat.
"I'm tellin' ya, the (n-word) vote is going to that old white guy. That slick smile Obama has ain't foolin' nobody."
I had to ask.
"What do you mean when you say "nnnn?"
I was stuttering the offensive "n" word.
Cabbie was agitated now. The other black guy was doubled over in laughter at this point -- laughter clearly directed at me -- but I got my own stupidity when I heard the response.
"I mean all the poor black bastards who made it back to our city."
I got it all right. There were still no jobs; the city of New Orleans is still largely in shambles except for the tourist areas. White absentee landlords are not investing in repair of blighted buildings. The black population is literally is up against the levees with little help in sight, while public housing is disappearing and gentrification is stalking some neighborhoods.
Now, the mayor of New Orleans, who shares some responsibility in all of this, has just endorsed Obama.
If cabbie is correct in his opinions, and the talk in the neighborhood bars is that Obama is not "really" black--that he is part of political elite--then I am throwing my hat in with the "old white guy" as my prediction.
God, I really miss New Orleans.
Author's Note: This article first appeared in the Huffington Post, May 19, 2008
