Dear Mr. President,
My name is Michael Baptiste, and I'm a concerned citizen, and a ten-year member of the Democratic party. I grew up at a time when all people of color felt that a Democratic President was absolutely essential to their prosperity, and they did get to prosper during the Clinton years. So of course I understand why they are drawn to you now. I understand why they are drawn to your wife, and smile, and children, and soon your dog. You are once again what they've needed and while wallowing the "hope" and "change" themes of your campaign, they elected you, feeling a great comfort that one of their own, a powerful and assertive one of their own, will rescue them. You spoke to them and in many ways, involved them. The people banded together to make sure that a culture of followers would get the word out that "hey, everyone's voting for Obama." You were elected to become one of the most supremely transcendent Presidents ever, and because of that, I admire how willing you have been to take on so many tasks so soon into your presidency.
Personally though, I feel that those same people who felt they were fully involved up to November of last year, became fully uninvolved. Without hot-button topics and funny moments and a build-up, most of the people went back to their television shows and their other concerns. A large segment of the people who voted for you are all spending their most recent income tax returns, not understanding that all of the things you said about persevering meant that one's money should also. I am from a place where many have never had much, so that idea of perseverance does not exist. If money is obtained, it is immediately spent. Spent by the people who voted for you. They are still, as they have done for all of this decade, giving their money away to the wealthy, and neither saving it nor giving it to their community. They are still poor. They are as poor as a struggling rancher in west Texas who votes Republican. Their similarities are, that whether white or black, they are in constant defense, of themselves, of their homes, of their dignities, and they are all Americans.
Those people, Republican and Democrat, need direction. Those who did not lose interest and were left to try to decipher the codes of bailouts and stimulus packages watch as all of the news editorial shows scream out "what should the people do?" and you ignore them. Most of the people in this country are less financially safe than they think, and that is only because there is no limit to the things they can still splurge on. Their spending mirrors your spending. They do not particularly understand what it means to actually pay taxes. They are disconnected from what you are doing in Washington and at overseas summits. They should not be satisfied with the designation of your wife Michelle into your role of popular icon to the people. You must bring this highly technical quest you are on to save us back to us. You must involve everyone again, and if that is through dangling good looks and charm in front of the American people to explain your methods, then please, reach the people how they are usually reached.
I believe that if you did this, the people, enlightened to your methods, would see that in reality they will never again be involved. They will see that although you were their hope, they are not yours. Large corporations seem to be your hope, and you seem to be deeply committed to maintaining those corporations. How though, will we be protected from these companies when they return to ask us for our money? should we save it this time? President Bush would have told us to invest in these companies, both in personal spending and investment. He would tell us that the economy will be stimulated through that. You do not really communicate with us. The American people need a president who helps us to understand our role in this process, and we are still waiting.
Sincerely,
Michael Baptiste
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