Chuck for Gov.

Your favorite NBA analyst on TNT -- Charles Wade Barkley -- is considering making a run for Alabama's gubernatorial seat in 2010.

Personally, I think he stands a good chance. He's an Alabama native. And he's charismatic, intelligent and brutally honest, which I know isn't always a coveted quality for elected officers, but I'm sure it's something the people in the Yellowhammer State would appreciate.

What I have to wonder though is what ever happened to those words Sir. Charles said in 1993?

"I am not a role model."

Has he changed this tune the way he did when he was reported to have traded in the Whigs for the Dems? I guess so.

Despite his apparent bit of indecision, here are two reason why I like Chuck for Gov.

1. He supports Barack. (Though whether he'll vote for him is yet to be determined).
   
2. He called out Al and Jesse.

Here are two snippets from an interview the Round Mound of Rebound had with The New Rebublic reporter-researcher Isaac Chotiner:

Chotiner: In some quarters Barack has been criticized for not being black enough.

Berkley: Well, that's because black people are fucked up. One of the reasons that black people are not going to be successful is because of other black people. We tell black kids that if they make good grades, they are acting white. If they speak well, we tell them that they are acting white. We have a lot of demons in our own closet--in our own family--that we have to address. But first of all, we want black men to be intelligent and articulate and things like that. That's not acting white. That's the way it should be. ... We become our own worst enemy with random black-on-black crime, teen pregnancy, single-parent homes. You know we cannot blaming white America for our ills. Does racism exist? Of course it does. But, at some point, I have to make sure I am educated. I don't have ten kids and no job. I am not killing other black people. At some point, you have to grow up.

Chotiner: You mentioned Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson earlier. What are your opinions of them?

Barkley: I know them both, but they are race-baiters who have double standards for white racism and black racism.

You've gotta love his candidness, even if you don't agree with his politics, gambling habits, or political wavering.