Posted on 09/05/2008 5:55:28 PM PDT by sinanju
During his first term, his nicknames in the local media ran the gamut: "Big Diamond," "thug," "pimp," "player," "Kwame Soprano," "Swami," "his thugness," "ghetto," "gangsta," "inept club crawler," "hustler," "Puffy Kilpatrick." Often it was just plain ole Kwame—the reverent title of "Mayor," "Mr. Mayor" or "Mr. Kilpatrick" chucked aside.
Back then, stereotypical characterizations like that made me cringe and embarrassed for my colleagues in the news media. Now, as Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced his resignation and heads to jail, all I can do is just shake my head. He is fulfilling a prophecy the media laid out for him long before the indictment, before the jail stint, before he sent enough sordid text messages to his married chief of staff to fill a bookcase full of Zane novels.
Black politicians of the world, especially the upcoming generation of leadership, please, please! Listen closely: Stop letting the media write your script! This was the message in the first chapter of my book, "Deconstructing Tyrone," a profile of Kilpatrick that doubled as a cautionary media tale.
During my time as a newspaper reporter in Detroit, I watched the city crumble as we focused on the most banal and trivial topics. Kilpatrick's wardrobe alone was enough to deliver a keynote address: There was the 1.5 carat diamond earring that for years flashed from his ear, which at the time was mentioned within the first 10 seconds of any news account of the then-wonder-boy mayor. He definitely oozed that Detroit flair, but drew the line at colored suits. "If I wore a red suit, it'd be on the front page of the papers," he sarcastically explained once. Apparently that did not rule out purple ties, pink handkerchiefs, electric blue stripes or classic Detroit gators...
(Excerpt) Read more at theroot.com ...
One wonders why his mother is never mentioned.
Congress woman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Cheeks_Kilpatrick
Aw yeah, boy.
Surely, the media will bring up the fact that Obama (wisely) distanced himself from “the thug”. They probably won’t remember back to when Obama praised Kilpatrick. I wonder what sorts of headlines we’d be reading if Palin was friends with a white Kilpatrick.
Just kidding. I don’t wonder; I know.
ping MI
Some great nicknames — “Kwame Soprano”.
This article is, on balance, quite sympathetic to Kwame. The guy is a complete disgrace, but the author spends a lot of time focusing on how he wasn’t media-savvy as to the implications of his position. Hellooooo: Major abuses of power are not mishandling of the press.
After he’s done serving time, he’ll be right back as mayor, just like Marion Barry.
Darn! That’s lick on me, but you’re right. The writer only accuses him of tastelessness. As if wearing conservative suits and foregoing the bling was all he needed to do differently.
The media may not, but a campaign ad is already airing showing a police blotter photo of Kwame the Krook with Obama praising him in the background.
I wrote this guy off after we learned that the DPD had included a red Navigator for his wife in their budget.
The b—ch set him up.
Affirmative Soprano as mayor.. or Mugabe in RAP..
Thanks for posting. 3 comments at the source, the first 2 are against the mayor. As Meatloaf says, “2 out of 3 ain’t bad”. The POS felon certainly didn’t let his meat loaf. He stepped on his own appendage. The article does not touch even the tip of this iceberg in Michigan. No sympathy for the devil, here.
Another example of a ‘rat crime syndicate operative. How many examples do you need?
The Police chief already resigned under a huge cloud. The FBI is in the middle of a huge investigation of many Detroit officials and council members. The corruption is wide and deep.
Look for many headlines from Detroit in the coming months.
Going to prison is a Resume ENHANCEMENT in the Black Community!! Maybe he can be a Community ORGANIZER there!
Oh, so Kilpatrick was yet another poor Black man-child, unable to set his own course and instead fulfilling the bad expectations of others. Somehow, it is always the bad expectations they fulfill, not the good expectations. What rubbish!
No, Kilpatrick was a bad mayor because he was a bad man and found many allies and abettors in the Black community. They have much to answer for in their support for Kilpatrick and other knaves and in their looting and mismanagement of Detroit.
Just like everyone else, Black people are morally responsible for their conduct. For every Kilpatrick, there are hundreds of heroes and solid, responsible, God-fearing Black people who struggle and make their choices every day. They will mark Kilpatrick as bad because of himself, not because of expectations.
How much worse can it get there?
this guy is trying to suggest that Kilpatrick’s bad behavior was due to the media, not to Kwame.
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