NEWS: P. Diddy Dives Into Political Fray

POLITICS: P. Diddy Dives Into Political Fray

Despite numerous name changes and annoying behavior, Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy) has demonstrated an ability to stay in the spotlight and generate an empire based on his name that would make most political consultants or marketing experts jealous. His newest venture appears to be a national effort to convince young people and members of minority groups to register to vote this November, and if he is as successful in popularizing politics as he has been in popularizing himself, he could be a force in the November elections.

Aside from former public enemy rapper (and current Air America radio personality) Chuck D. rap and hip hop stars have been conspicuously absent from involvement in national politics, despite their enormous popularity and potential political clout. The large concentration of African-American voters in swing states such as Florida could mean that an endorsement from a major hip hop personality, combined with an effective campaign to get people registered and to the polls, could tip the balance of an entire election. However, this late in the game it's hard to say how effective this campaign will be.

he friggin does everything

LL Cool J found his way on my douche-bag list with his patently rediculous cheerleading for Rudy Guliani a few years ago.

I'm just glad no one has blamed Florida for this one yet.

Yeah, I remember those black voters from Florida back in the 2000 presidential election. Maybe with PD standing by their side, their votes will actually be counted this time. I'm actually serious here.

I see no problem with this. Go DIDDY!!! YAY!!!!

The only reason Puffy got into the spotlight to start with was because of Notorious B.I.G's death.

Right place at the right time huh "Diddy" ?

His slogan is "Vote! Or Die."

Um yeah....

.......okay i'm goo-

I felt a great disturbance in the Force...as if millions of
uninformed voters decided to act out in terror and were suddenly registered. I fear something terrible has happened.

lmao
That's great. And very true. Heavan forbid people educate themselves. It's much easier to listen to some entertainer who's on TV and blindly doing what they say to do.

Wow Stockula....

Sorry, I couldn't help laughing my ass off at that.

Well, if you and stockula would cut the snarkiness and actually go read the article, what he's doing is organizing a voter registration campaign to get people, especially young people, motivated to take advantage of their right to vote.

He claims his organiztion isn't going to endorse a candidate. One would assume that would leave it up to the newly registered voters to educate themselves.

I think that anything that motivates young people to take part in the political process is a good thing. What's wrong with a famous person using their celebrity to influence people to get off their asses and take part in their country's political process?

However, since the organization he's starting is staffed largely by Democrats, and black voters tend to vote Democratic, I can certainly see why some of you would automatically deem this an unworthy cause.


edit:: No, wait a minute, I'm actually pissed off about this. What the fuck is wrong with telling people that they should vote, that they can and should register to vote, raising awareness of the right to vote, and making it easier for people to vote? Why do you assume they're uneducated? Is it because P Diddy's audience tends to be young and black and urban?

Fuck, why do I even bother? I know neither of you are going to even attempt to answer me intelligently, and I'm sure someone will write me off as a liberal with no sense of humor.

P Diddy could be sitting back in his mansion drinking a toast to his fame and fortune, but instead he's using his time to raise some awareness. That's a bit more than most people in his position ever bother to do.



[Edited on Jul 20, 2004 by Shalome]

You got it, toots. Now they can act on all sorts of interesting information like Bush approving of the Byrd lynching in Texas because he refused to sign a hate crimes law, or that voting for Republicans means bringing back slavery and treating negroes as 3/5 of a citizen. These claims were advertised in the 2000 presidential election as positions assumed by Bush. Both are completely false.


In general, I discourage and disfavor the idea of bringing people who dont normally vote, follow the news, or understand anything about politics from participating in elections. Usually, it doesn't take much for them to stay home and not fuck things up. That's why I hate these asinine "get out the vote" movements, as though voting for....whatever is inherently good. It's not.


[Edited on Jul 20, 2004 by stockula]

[Edited on Jul 20, 2004 by stockula]

Yes, because I'm sure you've actually read all the as-yet-unpublished literature this organization hands out. No wait, what's that? You're playing up racial stereotypes against a group that traditionally votes against your chosen party? My my, what an improvement over your original statement that just read "You got it, toots."

You've proven my point.

Yes, telling people that they do have a voice and that they should use it is a bad thing, isn't it?



[Edited on Jul 20, 2004 by Shalome]

Yes. I think it's a bad thing that people who normally give absolutely no attention to politics or affairs are suddenly urged to exercise their political franchise once every four years. Usually by the party which benefits the most from the feeble-minded who fall for the demagouge games of victim, class and identity politics most easily. Which is that party's stock-in-trade.

[Edited on Jul 20, 2004 by stockula]

White, middle-class, non-urban, "born again Christian", Americans ?

Or did you mean the empty-nest, over 50, retired types?

More and more people should be educated about their reponsibility to vote, and their duty to be informed politically.

As for the charges of having "stupid" or "uneducated" people voting, theres no law saying you have to be "smart" to vote, and anything that says otherwise smacks of the "tests" that used to be administered at black polling places to systematically disenfranchise them of their rights.

No one else can, or should be the judge, of whether someone is politically well informed. And accusing a broad swath of people who normally don't vote as people who are "stupid" or "uninformed" is elitist, paticuarly when the system is stacked against them to not express their opinion, or for them not to have their voice heard. Anyone who "discourages" bringing people into the process who normally are not in it are clearly afraid of someone expressing a dissenting opinion, or having a once silent minority speak up, and cower at the idea of people possibly being educated of their rights.

And what, per se, are they going to 'fuck up'? By voting for someone you may not like? Or for a proposal you don't agree with? Then in that case why don't we let the chosen few "politically" involved decide, and we'll have a great thriving democracy, of only those who are clearly "informed of politics" and know who the "right" person is to vote for.

[Edited on Jul 21, 2004 12:10AM]

What's rich about that is that Democrats constantly crow about how much smarter they are than Republicans. That most college professors are Liberals, ergo, only dumbasses in Podunk County USA vote Republican. Yet who would howl the most if there were poll tests?

All I'm saying is that people who typically have no interest in politics shouldn't be encouraged to vote, just because a celebrity on MTV tells them to. If it takes someone like SeanCombs to convince someone to care about politics, that's pretty fucking sad.

Not the fucking point. Stay on-topic, please.

Sean Combs is trying to tell people that they should be interested in the political process.

You're contradicting yourself. You're saying it's a bad thing that people who aren't yet interested in politics are being encouraged to become interested in politics? Why is this a bad thing?


[Edited on Jul 21, 2004 by Shalome]