The Pesky Truth About Frank Marshall Davis and Barack Obama
Posted on Apr 26th, 2008
by 
J. Clifford
J. Clifford
The truth about poet Frank Marshall Davis and Barack Obama is rather inconvenient, but inconvenient for who?
It's not inconvenient for Frank Marshall Davis. He's been dead for 21 years.
The accusations Republican activists have been making about Frank Marshall Davis certainly have been politically inconvenient for the Barack Obama presidential campaign. But, that's the accusations. What about the truth about those accusations?
The truth about the accusations made about Frank Marshall Davis is inconvenient for the Republican activists who spread them around as if they were political wildfire sure to burn Barack Obama down to the ground. The truth is inconvenient for these Republican activists, because the truth about the relationship between Barack Obama and Frank Marshall Davis is, like the relationship itself, not very alarming at all.
The Republican activists say that Barack Obama has "ties" to Frank Marshall Davis, and that those "ties" prove that Barack Obama is a Communist.
What's the truth? As one blogger explains, there's a lot less to those Communist "ties" than the Republicans want you to believe.
Here are the facts:
- Frank Marshall Davis was a poet.
- During World War II, Frank Marshall Davis joined the Communist Party for a few years, but never went public with that membership. Then, Davis left the Communist Party.
- Three decades later, Frank Marshall Davis had a few conversations about poetry and career choices with a very, very young Barack Obama. Barack Obama was only somewhere between the ages of ten and eighteen years old at the time.
- 21 years ago, Frank Marshall Davis died
- Now, three decades after Barack Obama had his final conversation with Frank Marshall Davis, Republican activists say that Obama must be a Communist because Barack Obama has "been linked" with Frank Marshall Davis.
Think about that.
The Republicans want you to believe that because Barack Obama as a teenager talked a couple times with a man now dead who, three decades before that had been a member of the Communist Party, Obama must now have Communist ties - three more decades after he had any contact with the dead man in question.
The Republican activists blathering on about Frank Marshall Davis and Communist ties actually expect you to believe them when they cite this as their sole evidence that Barack Obama is an undercover Communist agent who will spread Marxism across the USA if elected President.
You're intelligent. You know better. That's why I'm telling you the facts. It's too bad that Republican activists don't have a similar respect for your intelligence and integrity.
It's not inconvenient for Frank Marshall Davis. He's been dead for 21 years.
The accusations Republican activists have been making about Frank Marshall Davis certainly have been politically inconvenient for the Barack Obama presidential campaign. But, that's the accusations. What about the truth about those accusations?
The truth about the accusations made about Frank Marshall Davis is inconvenient for the Republican activists who spread them around as if they were political wildfire sure to burn Barack Obama down to the ground. The truth is inconvenient for these Republican activists, because the truth about the relationship between Barack Obama and Frank Marshall Davis is, like the relationship itself, not very alarming at all.
The Republican activists say that Barack Obama has "ties" to Frank Marshall Davis, and that those "ties" prove that Barack Obama is a Communist.
What's the truth? As one blogger explains, there's a lot less to those Communist "ties" than the Republicans want you to believe.
Here are the facts:
- Frank Marshall Davis was a poet.
- During World War II, Frank Marshall Davis joined the Communist Party for a few years, but never went public with that membership. Then, Davis left the Communist Party.
- Three decades later, Frank Marshall Davis had a few conversations about poetry and career choices with a very, very young Barack Obama. Barack Obama was only somewhere between the ages of ten and eighteen years old at the time.
- 21 years ago, Frank Marshall Davis died
- Now, three decades after Barack Obama had his final conversation with Frank Marshall Davis, Republican activists say that Obama must be a Communist because Barack Obama has "been linked" with Frank Marshall Davis.
Think about that.
The Republicans want you to believe that because Barack Obama as a teenager talked a couple times with a man now dead who, three decades before that had been a member of the Communist Party, Obama must now have Communist ties - three more decades after he had any contact with the dead man in question.
The Republican activists blathering on about Frank Marshall Davis and Communist ties actually expect you to believe them when they cite this as their sole evidence that Barack Obama is an undercover Communist agent who will spread Marxism across the USA if elected President.
You're intelligent. You know better. That's why I'm telling you the facts. It's too bad that Republican activists don't have a similar respect for your intelligence and integrity.
Access: PublicTagged with: frank marshall davis, poet, communist, barack obama, obama, marxist, biography, slurs, rumors, republicans, attacks, politics, 2008, election
2008
April 2008 
Like the blind men and the elephant, professional advocates such as Cliff Kincaid (A.I.M.) and Trevor Loudon (New Zealand), only recognize that small facet of Davis' life that seems to confirm their agenda in smearing Barack Obama. Not content with stacking available evidence, they are prone to creating false evidence in order to exaggerate Davis' purported influence over Obama. Such disinformation includes:
- Kincaid: According to Gerald Horne (CPUSA linked article), Davis “became the young man's mentor” and influenced Obama's “career moves” (Horne said that Davis gave Obama career advice, rather than influencing his career moves, and did not use the term “mentor.”)
- Loudon: “the Communist Party USA is claiming Barack Obama as its spiritual heir” (Gerald Horne made no such claim in the referenced article)
- Kincaid: Obama “developed a close relationship, almost like a son, with Davis” (unsubstantiated speculation)
- Kincaid: Dr. Takara described Davis as a “socialist realist” (Takara actually described him as a “social realist”)
As his focus shifted over the years, Frank Marshall Davis was many different things. He was a communist, capitalist, socialist, democrat, libertarian, civil rights activist, labor activist, pacifist, and even militarist as conditions changed. If you closely examine his writings, however, you will find two things at his core: a poet and champion of human rights.
Cliff Kincaid and his colleagues have accused Frank Marshall Davis (1905-1987) of being a Stalinist, a lifetime member of the Communist Party, and “Obama's Communist Mentor.” Kincaid heads “Accuracy In Media” (A.I.M.), an organization dedicated to “fairness, balance and accuracy in news reporting.” Kincaid and his colleagues are all honorable men.
Having asked Kincaid to substantiate some of his accusations, and having received no reply, one can only conclude that Kincaid must be preoccupied with more important questions, because Kincaid is an honorable man.
Although the ironically named “Accuracy In Media” has yet to substantiate that Davis actually mentored Obama (among other claims), such a relationship could have provided a bi-racial teenager with the key to success in mainstream America. To minimize criticism and maximize their potential, bi-racial African-Americans must walk a narrow identity path between group expectations. Davis was uniquely qualified to show the way. He may have significantly facilitated Obama's vision of an inclusive society.
Davis may have advised Obama that to succeed in mainstream America, African-Americans must consider worst-case scenarios without wearing a chip on their shoulders, even though this normally requires judgment borne through actual experience. They must learn to give others (such as Cliff Kincaid) the benefit of the doubt. Success within mainstream America requires that abusive behavior should be attributed to bias only when there is no other plausible explanation.
Davis' crusty radicalism may have perfectly counterbalanced Hawaii's laid-back lifestyle for an African-American teenager destined for greatness. He provided coherent insight on African-American history, politics, and culture vis-à-vis mainstream America. Obama's grandfather may not have recognized the true value of his gift.
Davis recognized the folly of cultural nationalism, including Black Separatist movements, long before meeting Obama. He supported a fully integrated mixed economy, because neither laissez-faire capitalism nor Marxist authoritarianism enable the greatest benefit for the greatest number. He also had a libertarian streak that may have made Ron Paul proud.
As an honorable man, Kincaid must be unaware that by the 1970's, the twin forces of Hawaiian and hippie cultures had mellowed Davis to the point that “Stalinist” charges are especially absurd. By the early 1970's, Davis had become a virtual teddy bear, a permanent fixture of the Koa Cottages in the “Waikiki Jungle,” noted for its counterculture residents. Davis was known as a kindly old man, usually sitting on his porch a few steps from Kuhio Avenue, waving at all that passed. Although he had little money, he was always willing to share with those in deeper need.
While he was justifiably bitter over the Jim Crow racism of his youth, recent decades made Davis quite optimistic regarding race relations. He strongly supported the nonviolent strategy of Dr. King, and believed that all mankind should be judged by the content of their character. He rejected militant African-American groups as counterproductive.
Kincaid and his honorable colleagues must also be unaware that although Davis shared King's opposition to American intervention in Vietnam, he did not oppose his son's decision to join the Air Force in 1968. His son eventually retired as an Air Force Intelligence Officer after 24 years of service, with full TS/SCI (SI/TK/G/B) access. As an honorable man, this fact alone should mitigate any concerns about “Obama's Marxist Mentor.”
As an honorable man, Cliff Kincaid must also be unaware that his portrayal of a raving Stalinist could not be further from the truth. Davis deeply loved the United States, despite his occasional flirtation with radical ideology. He recognized, perhaps belatedly, that the United States offers a unique combination of economic opportunity and personal freedom, thus providing sufficient strength and moral authority to champion human rights worldwide. If he HAD been so lucky, Barack Obama could not have found a finer mentor anywhere.