Editor’s note: MAXINE explains that we shouldn’t hate the delegates, we should hate the game.
February 5, 2008 will be the largest primary election day in history. More people will vote, caucus and talk political rhetoric bullshit on this day than in any other day in the history of this Republic, I mean, the history of this Democracy. 52 percent of Democratic delegates are at stake, with 41 percent on the Republican side. 24 states will participate in “Super Tuesday” and will likely tell the story and set the tone of following state primaries.
Purple states, meaning those states that hold primaries for both parties, make up the majority of those participating and also hold the most delegates. See, delegates are what really matter, a candidate can win caucuses and primaries all day but if those states don’t have any delegates, it doesn’t matter. Delegates go to the Convention, and delegates cast the
votes the votes get the nominations.
Florida, along with Michigan was recently stripped of its Democratic delegates by the DNC because of disagreements over the date of the state primary, thus making any Democratic wins in each state in name only.
Super Tuesday can make or break the ass of any candidate in either party, some of history’s most popular candidates owe the watersheds of success to the first Tuesday in the earliest month of the election year. Bill Clinton got his Phoenix [No Roc-a-fella Records] on in 1992 when he rose from the ash to claim several key southern primary states, and their delegates. Clinton later of course, went on to win the Democratic nomination and later the presidency. Bob Dole experienced this same swell of support in his Republican bid in 1996.
With all the hoopla surrounding the 2008 primaries, let’s focus on the numbers but also the states and the amount of weight each carries. For example Georgia has approximately 102 delegates, New York has 232 democratic delegates, Illinois has 135 and California has a whopping 370 delegates. Now obviously all 370 delegates in Cali don’t count, matter, or even exist but the point is to make people believe their significance with out any evidence, nothing new. While GA, has the least delegates of the states listed, it still carries considerable weight in the bigger picture.
Corporations, businesses, drug operations, and even the rap world are all representations of this delegation system created by the United States. At the end of the day it’s a caste system based on street credibility.
Make sense?
We clarify by asking the question of quantity or quality? Sure, New York has 232 delegates up for grabs, but how far does that number stretch? For example, how many NY rappers can you think of that have collaborated with rappers from Georgia? Go!
1. Welcome to Atlanta-remix (Puffy and Jermaine Dupri)
2. Money ain’t a thang-(Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z)
3. Walk it out remix-Jim Jones and what’s his name?
I could think of more but those were the first three that popped in my head, and as often when asked to make a list, I think from best to worst.
One more?
Illinois is carrying heavy weight, based on the history of political strife (I mentioned JFK in an earlier drop) and the level of creativity to come out of the Chi alone. Go!
1. Kanye
2. Common
3. R.Kelly
4. Lupe Fiasco
Are you getting the point? Illinois comes out strong immediately, Jay-Z (NY connection) to Kanye, Ye’ to Common, and Lupe Fiasco, etc. Now some places get serious rotation based on one or two people alone. Example, Ohio has Lebron James (Jay-Z connect) making James what we’d call a Super Delegate, heavy in stature and name but light on previously un-needed collaborations.
Kind of like cross multiplication, this theory can be used to figure out who is coming out the strongest amongst the Democrats on Super Tuesday. For the dems we know it’s coming down to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, turning this into Chicago vs. New York. Cross delegation homie! On the surface, NY is the clear winner, with Jay-Z being the major umbrella [ella ella] for Kanye and many others but because so many people are pissed at Jay, we can make an argument for lot of un-owned delegates who are making moves.
Kanye West collaborated with DJ Khaled (remember, Florida has no delegates) on a song called “Grammy Family,” on that song, John Legend (Ohio) sang the hook. Also featured on that song was Consequence (New York), an honorary member of A Tribe Called Quest (New York), who you may remember had a small tift with a Chicago rapper by the name of Lupe Fiasco (Chicago) after a performance. Also performing at that event was Keyshia Cole (Cali) whose first album boasted of production by Kanye West (Chicago). Keyshia’s reality show is run by the Black Explotation Team, largely based in New York City and home of the Gawd-awful 106 & Park, formerly hosted by Free (Boston) who was rumored to be pregnant by Jay-Z (New York) who truthfully “wants to rhyme like Common Sense” (Chicago).
It has been speculated (and confirmed by some) that at a concert at Madison Square Garden, an associate of Jay-Z pepper sprayed R.Kelly (Chicago) in the face, because of an interruption to the concert. During the interim, Usher (Atlanta) took the stage in an impromptu performance. At a recent rally in South Carolina, Usher made an appearance in support of Senator Barack Obama (Chicago), candidate for President of the United States of America.
2/5/08= 15 1+5=6. 6 degrees of delegation, now you try.
*Do you think about me now and then?*
