Blacks at odds about how they view Obama

WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) -- African-Americans must get past seeing President Barack Obama as a personality and see him as president, a black political commentator says.

The commentator, Jeff Johnson, is one of a growing number of black academics and personalities who say they want to move past Obama's historic election as the nation's first black president and examine his policies, The Washington Post reported Monday.

"The real issue for me is that history is not enough," says Johnson, who lectures, hosts a 30-minute show on Black Entertainment Television and has a weekly slot on a radio commentary program popular with black listeners. "Otherwise all you're being is a political-celebrity groupie instead of a citizen. ... It starts with acknowledging he's my president, and not my homie."

Johnson's views puts him at odds with others in the black community, where a March Quinnipiac University poll indicated 91 percent view Obama favorably, compared to 59 percent of the total population, the Post said.

Leutisha Stills, who blogs regularly on an African-American opinion site, said she won't be part of the negative discussion that some personalities engage in when discussion Obama.

"It appears that whatever Mr. Obama tends to do, no matter what, somebody is going to put a negative spin on it," Stills said. "Whether I agree with his policies or not, from appearances' sake he's trying to do what he promised in his campaign."